Chapter 596: Biological Father? (1)

When she saw the doctor's figure vanish at the end of the corridor, Huang Ziyao turned and lamented as she looked at Xi Xinyi, "Your mother really underestimated those guys this time. Even we wouldn't provoke them. Earlier, a few press office editors suffered a lesson from them too. One got their arm broken, and it appeared in the news. I heard that it was because they offended them. I remember that your mother was very against loan shark dealings previously as well. Now, how did she...?"

Huang Ziyao could not hide the worry and disappointment she felt. Ever since they were associated with this mother and daughter pair, there was nothing that could spare them from worry. These troublesome matters came one after another, and now she really regretted having ties with them. Back then, if she had also agreed with the old man's decision and forced Yifeng to get engaged with Xiaye, would everything not have been much simpler and more peaceful now?

In fact, it seemed like recently Yifeng was treating Xi Xiaye rather...

Huang Ziyao could not help but worry. Ever since Xi Xinyi gave birth to the child, she had never seen Han Yifeng. He had only banked in a sum of money into her account and told her to find someone to take care of them.

Huang Ziyao knew that Xi Xinyi had hurt him.

"Mother, I'm sorry. My mother was terribly impacted by my father and Shen Wenna. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up like this."

Xi Xinyi sighed, appearing defeated as she said this. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and heartache towards Yue Lingsi. Huang Ziyao felt bad seeing this, so she only reached out to pat her on the shoulder. "Sigh, I know your mother too. All these years, she's been loyal to your father, but no matter what, she shouldn't have done all those things that ruined reputations. With these things today, these extreme feelings would only hound her to death. She won't be able to get her happiness either. Men are like that. If their hearts aren't with you, no matter what you do, they'll just turn a blind eye."

Xi Xinyi subconsciously trembled all over as she looked at Huang Ziyao in shock. She could faintly understand what Huang Ziyao was implying.

"Forget about trying to move a man who had always had another woman in his heart. Your mother is too silly. Look, now she's only tired out herself. Back then, your father and Shen Wenna's relationship was there for everyone to see. To be fair, from an outsider's point of view, your mother was the third wheel that stepped between them. If your mother didn't choose your father back then, perhaps she would be a very happy person right now... Oh, it's too bad!"

Huang Ziyao seemed to rue as she sighed deeply and then continued, "Okay, you haven't fully recovered. Let's quickly get back. I'm going to make a trip to the office to see Yifeng. Xinyi, I think you're a smart woman. After going through so many things, you should have already thought for yourself. You must heed the warning from your mother's experience, alright?"

Xi Xinyi's expression paled while she staggered and then looked uneasily at Huang Ziyao. "Mother... You... What do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything. I just hope that the two of you won't be like your parents in the future. When that happens, if you really can't then... At least, you have given birth to the eldest grandchild for the Han family. I'll still be on your side, but I wish that your problems won't launch the family into turmoil."

After Huang Ziyao clarified herself, she did not glance at Xi Xinyi's pale expression anymore as she turned to leave.

Listening to Huang Ziyao's footsteps walking further away, Xi Xinyi's weak body then went limp and she propped herself up by the cold wall on the side. She was in a daze for a while before she scoffed. "I won't let you people step over me, not even Han Yifeng! One day, Han Yifeng will beg me to take him back!"

Xi Xinyi clenched her hands in tight fists as her eyes were filled with anger and determination. She stared at Huang Ziyao's figure that moved further away. Then, a sneer curved up from the corner of her lips.

...

The setting sun was dazzling whilst the air was filled with a faint fragrance of magnolias. On the cemented path towards University A's teacher dormitories, you could faintly see a layer of fallen fragments of stamens that had covered the ground. A few fallen leaves danced in the wind with the blue sky as their backdrop, and signs of autumn peeked out.

The husband and wife interlocked their fingers and walked underneath a tall tree. They did not say much all the way, but after walking for quite a distance, Xi Xiaye then looked up at the rather lush tree above their heads and spoke softly, "City Z's autumns aren't the same anymore. I remember more than ten years ago, around this time, the ground should be filled with fallen leaves already. Su Nan and I would always bike through the school grounds, and we would steal some blossoming magnolias from the flowerbed. The old man that watched over it couldn't hear well, so Su Nan and I could get away with it easily. After that, many people did the same, so they started to keep a ferocious dog. After that, Mother's vase no longer had free flowers as decoration."

He fell silent for a while, then turned to look at her. His eyes were filled with an amused and questioning look. "You were quite naughty back then. Why were you like an obedient child at home?"

She reached out to brush the fallen stamen on his shoulders away and answered rather calmly, "Since I don't go home often, I would always be at a disadvantage because of Xi Xinyi. I let her be happy, so I don't have to really go against her since that is a war that can never end. I didn't want to do anything wrong and let her attack me. Sometimes, I didn't understand why Mother didn't take me away back then, and leave me with the Xi family instead."

When Xi Xiaye mentioned this, Mu Yuchen thought about it, and moments later he smiled calmly. "Perhaps it's because she didn't want you to lose fatherly love. She could guarantee complete maternal love for you, but she couldn't guarantee a father. On top of that, she probably didn't expect that all Father had endured and suffered these years made it harder for him to face you."

He suddenly stopped and held her tightly as he looked down at her. "Xiaye, you have to believe me. Father and Mother are very much in love, and they love you too. Everyone has different ways of expressing it. Don't go chasing after the depths of their care. Just know that in this world, there's no rule about who should inherently be good to you. Thus, you should protect yourself even better before you think about others. I hope you can be more selfish. Leave being generous and righteous to your Mr. Mu."