Just moments ago, he had been arguing with Xiao Zimo, but now he was being sweet and obedient with Yan Sui. The stark contrast made Xiao Zimo feel increasingly frustrated. It seemed that winning over his younger brother’s heart would be even more challenging than he had imagined.
“But I also wanted to cut fruit for you,” Meng Ting added, still feeling a bit dejected. He wanted to do something nice for Yan Sui, but so far, there weren’t many things he could do well.
“You don’t need to do these things. Between us, I can handle it,” Yan Sui said, meeting Meng Ting’s gaze with certainty. He wanted to make it clear that there was no distinction between him and Meng Ting, and they would never be separated. It didn’t matter if Meng Ting couldn’t do certain things; Yan Sui could take care of them.
Understanding the meaning behind these words, the frustration on Meng Ting’s face completely disappeared. Acting on his own feelings, he kissed Yan Sui on the cheek and said. “I remember now, Yan Sui. You’re so good to me. I love you so much.”
As he spoke, he seemed to still want to hold Yan Sui and continue kissing him, but Meng Ting was suddenly pulled into Yan Sui’s embrace.
Yan Sui then turned to Ning Zhou and Xiao Huimin, saying, “Why don’t you stay for a simple meal?”
Seeing that they had no objections, he glanced at Uncle Xiao, who was standing in the corner, and nodded to him.
Uncle Xiao turned and went to the kitchen to inform Nanny Wang and the others. There was actually no need to worry about not being able to prepare a meal on short notice. With Nanny Wang’s thoroughness, she had already ensured everything was ready.
Meng Ting, who was in Yan Sui’s arms, blinked several times before realizing that today was quite different from usual at home. At the very least, he couldn’t casually kiss and hug Yan Sui as he pleased.
After speaking, Yan Sui gently patted Meng Ting a few times before letting him go. Meng Ting’s cheeks were also slightly flushed. He pursed his lips, saying nothing more and refraining from continuing to hug and kiss Yan Sui.
“The test results are out, Ting Ting, I am your dad.” Xiao Huimin hadn’t heard Meng Ting call him ‘Dad’ even once since he arrived, and he felt a bit disappointed. Xiao Zi’ang had also received a call, and the comparison results matched those from Yan Sui’s side.
“The test results are out, Tingting, I am your father.” Xiao Huimin had come over, and until now, he hadn’t heard Meng Ting call him. He felt a bit disappointed. Xiao Ziang had also received a call, and the comparison results were the same as those from Yan Sui’s side.
“Mm, Dad.”
Feeling a bit shy, Meng Ting immediately called him out loud as soon as Xiao Huimin finished speaking. His gaze swept over to Xiao Zi’ang and Xiao Zimo and he called them out loud as well.
“Big Brother, Second Brother.”
His eyes then returned to Ning Zhou, and he called out again, “Mom.”
“Yes,” Ning Zhou responded, slowly opening her arms. Meng Ting hesitated for a moment before gently embracing her. But as soon as he did, Ning Zhou’s tears began to flow uncontrollably again. Meng Ting stroked Ning Zhou’s hair, not rushing to leave her embrace.
In Ning Zhou’s arms, Meng Ting still felt safe, though it couldn’t compare to the safety he felt with Yan Sui. But there was no need to compare.
This time, Ning Zhou didn’t cry for long. She simply couldn’t contain her joy and wanted to hold Meng Ting a little longer.
Confirming that Ning Zhou was no longer crying, Meng Ting let her go, then took a tissue from Yan Sui’s hand to wipe her eyes.
“Mom’s eyes are very beautiful, especially when you smile. So don’t cry anymore.”
Meng Ting’s eyes looked very much like Ning Zhou’s, but his emotions weren’t as rich as Ning Zhou’s. There was something inherently lacking in him, but his compliments were still heartfelt.
“Alright, I’ll listen to… Nuo Nuo.”
The name ‘Meng Ting’ was given by the Meng family, but he was never truly a member of the Meng family. Now, it was time to return to his original name.
Meng Ting hesitated for a moment before responding with a soft ‘Mm’.
He didn’t really mind whether his name was changed or not. The name ‘Meng Ting’ had always been just him—both in his past life and this one. He had never felt like he belonged to the Meng family, and Yan Sui had helped him sever ties with the Meng family, which he felt was enough.
If he were to change his name, he actually preferred to take Yan Sui’s surname… Yan Ting. Meng Ting pondered over these two words for a moment, then looked for Yan Sui. Seeing that he was still sitting behind him, his heart settled slightly, and he smiled at Yan Sui again.
Ning Zhou tidied herself up a bit, while Nanny Wang and the servants had already set the table with food and utensils.
At the dining table, Xiao Huimin and the others were eager to serve Meng Ting some dishes, but with Yan Sui by his side, there was no room for them to intervene. They tried several times but eventually gave up, mainly because they were afraid Meng Ting might find it bothersome.
After lunch, Ning Zhou stayed with Meng Ting for a while longer before leaving, but she promised to visit him again the next day.
***
Xiao Huimin had other matters to attend to, so he returned to the hotel by himself. Xiao Zi’ang and Xiao Zimo accompanied Ning Zhou in another car. They all went to the prison in Haicheng together, as Ning Zhou wanted to see Li Yifei.
Ning Zhou’s demeanor was still calm during the car ride, but as she stepped out of the vehicle, her entire aura changed.
Her attire was elegant and refined. Though over fifty and her beauty may have somewhat faded, she still outshone most of her peers. More importantly, the cultured demeanor she carried, nurtured from a scholarly family, was something many could never attain in a lifetime.
Her outfit wasn’t deliberately chosen; in fact, she had picked it casually to see Meng Ting as soon as possible. Yet, even in her most casual and everyday attire, she still stood out as the matriarch of a prestigious family, making her quite conspicuous in any crowd.
When Li Yifei learned that someone had come to visit her, she initially thought it might be her two sons or perhaps some other grandchildren. She was already planning how to instruct them to find a way to help her. She had endured hardships before, but after becoming the second wife of Meng Jia, she had never experienced such difficulties again.
Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were no different from that of Feng Zejiao, the first wife. In fact, due to Meng Jia’s favoritism, she sometimes had it even better than Feng Zejiao. But now, imprisoned and sharing living quarters with a group of female inmates, every aspect of her daily life—eating, bathing, even using the restroom—was extremely uncomfortable for her.
She forced herself to stay calm and endure. She had risen from nothing to the position of a lady in a prestigious family; she wasn’t about to admit defeat easily.
But as she slightly raised her gaze and saw a graceful woman sitting across from her, separated by a glass wall in the visitation area, her once fiery heart instantly plummeted into the depths of icy despair, chilling her to the very tips of her hair.
“Li Mei, it’s been a long time.”
Ning Zhou sat down, her eyes locking onto Li Yifei. Her calm tone directly pierced through the facade of glamour Li Yifei had built over the years. But the truth was, there was no substance to it—not even her name was original.
There was nothing wrong with wanting to change her name or pursue a better life, but she should never have done so at the expense of harming others. Moreover, the Ning family had only ever shown her kindness, not enmity.
“Zhou…”
Before Li Yifei could finish her sentence, Ning Zhou interrupted her.
“Please call me Madam Ning, or Mrs. Xiao… Zhou Zhou, who do you think you are to address me so familiarly?”
At home, the only ones who called her ‘Zhou Zhou’ were Xiao Huimin and, more frequently, her mother. Even Old Master Xiao usually addressed her by her full name. Yet, Li Yifei attempted to mimic her mother’s affectionate address—how could she have the audacity?
Li Yifei was only about seven years older than Ning Zhou. She had entered the Meng family as the second wife of the old master Meng at the age of twenty-four, having given birth to Meng Yigui two years earlier. It was only after she became pregnant with Meng Yide that she was officially brought into the Meng household.
But now, she looked like someone a generation older than Ning Zhou. Compared to Ning Zhou, she was aged and ugly, both in appearance and in spirit.
“You know Ting Ting is my child, right? You knew it the first time you saw him!”
Li Yifei didn’t know why she was so fixated on her. The moment she entered, Li Yifei recognized her immediately, even though they barely knew each other. The Ning family didn’t care for Li Yifei’s gratitude, but they never expected her to repay kindness with betrayal.
“Why?” Ning Zhou asked. She didn’t necessarily need to know, but since she was here, she might as well ask.
When Li Yifei saw Ning Zhou, she knew the truth had been exposed. She was still filled with resentment, but at this point, there was no use in denying it.
She nodded gently, “Yes, the first time I saw him at the orphanage, I knew he was your child. Didn’t you notice? His eyes look like yours, and like your father’s.”
Ning Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t interrupt Li Yifei. Her father had passed away the year she gave birth to Xiao Zimo. No matter how she thought about it, she could never have imagined that Li Yifei had any connection to her father.
“And he was my first man!” The gleam in Li Yifei’s eyes made Ning Zhou sick to her stomach. She had followed Old Master Meng, borne him sons, and even had grandchildren, yet she was still clinging to Ning Zhou’s father.
“I was young and beautiful, with more knowledge and refinement than your mother. The only thing I lacked was a good family background. Otherwise… It was thanks to your mother that I was able to finish university and had the opportunity to go abroad.”
“Those were the happiest two years of my life…” Li Yifei paused, as if seeing her parents through Ning Zhou. “During those two years, I was with him.”
But it was just a dream, a dream that shattered when she returned to the country. When she visited the Ning family, Ning’s father acted as if he didn’t know her, while Ning’s mother was happy to see her. But Li Yifei felt that it was just pity bestowed upon her during the leisure of her privileged life. She was merely admiring her own kindness through her.
After she visited the Ning family once, Ning Zhou’s father sought her out. However, it wasn’t to continue their relationship but to give her a sum of money and ask her to leave Beicheng, completely severing their ties. She had merely been a pastime during his two years of boredom abroad.
Now that he had returned to the country, with a virtuous wife and an outstanding daughter, he didn’t want Li Yifei to continue disrupting the harmony of his family.
“So you took out your hatred for my father on Ting Ting?” Ning Zhou’s eyes slightly reddened, not from sadness but from anger, which also included the fury over her mother being betrayed by both Li Yifei and her father.
“No, I don’t hate him. I love him,” Li Yifei said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of madness as she looked up at Ning Zhou. “I hate you, and your mother Jian Yun. It was you who forced him to abandon me, it was you who drove him to his death!”
Ning Zhou’s father had died in a drunk driving accident late at night on the road leading out of Beicheng. Li Yifei always believed he had regretted his decision and was coming to find her, but was held back by Jian Yun and Ning Zhou, which led to his death on the road…
“Meng Ting is your son, and he should atone for your and your mother’s sins. What a pity, what a pity…”
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhou wasn’t angry but suddenly laughed, a laugh full of mockery. She looked at Li Yifei, her gaze turning colder and sharper.
“As you said, your sons, grandsons, and granddaughters will also atone for your sins, generation after generation. As long as the Xiao and Yan families exist, they will never rise above their current state. The life you lived before meeting our mother is the life they will continue to live.”
“Whether my mother really treated you well, you know in your heart. Not only did you betray her, but you also seduced her man.”
Ning Zhou chuckled again, “Don’t say you love him. You’re not even worthy of love. If you truly loved my father to such an extent, why did you become someone else’s mistress and bear children for others? If this is love, then your love is too cheap, too disgusting.”
“You harmed my child simply because you bully the weak. You hate me, you hate my mother, but don’t pretend to be so noble!”
Can harm be justified in the name of love, or can an innocent child who has survived a calamity be targeted in the name of hatred?
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 076.3″]
不分彼此 (bù fēn bǐ cǐ): lit. to make no distinction between one’s own and somebody else’s; to make no distinction between what’s one’s own and what’s another’s (idiom); to share everything; to be on very intimate terms; not to distinguish between one and the other. Used to describe a close relationship or a profound friendship.躍躍欲試 (yuè yuè yù shì): to be eager to give sth a try (idiom); to itch for a try; itch to have a go.
生生世世 (shēng shēng shì shì): every life; every incarnation; eternity; forever; generation after generation; lifetime after lifetime; for all eternity; forever and ever; this life, the next life, and eternity.
生兒育女 (shēng ér yù nǚ): to bear and raise children; give birth to babies and bring them up; to reproduce (give birth) and have children.
劫後餘生 (jié hòu yú shēng): to survive a disaster; to outlive a calamity; after the calamity, renewed life (idiom); new lease of life; survivor of a disaster; life after a catastrophe; narrowly escaping death; surviving a calamity; living through a disaster.
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