"Yu Mengzhi, can we talk alone?"
Li Tian Ce stared at Yu Meng Zhi, making her very uncomfortable. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I have to ask my boyfriend first, and then I'll give you an answer."
This statement made Li Tian Ce frown, thinking Chen Jin Zhao was being too overbearing.
Before Yu Meng Zhi could run off to ask Chen Jin Zhao, Chen Jin Zhao had already noticed their interaction and walked between them. Li Tian Nan followed behind Chen Jin Zhao, curious about their conversation.
"I want to talk to her alone," Li Tian Ce said, looking directly into Chen Jin Zhao's eyes.
Chen Jin Zhao frowned, "Talk about what?"
"Her background."
The three, excluding Li Tian Ce, were surprised. What was so complicated about Yu Meng Zhi's background?
Li Tian Ce's sharp gaze swept over the three, then he changed his tune, "Never mind, the three of you come with me. You all have the right to know her background."
He turned and walked to a corner. Chen Jin Zhao and Yu Meng Zhi exchanged a glance before following.
Li Tian Nan also quickened his pace.
The four gathered in a secluded corner, seemingly out of place with the other partygoers.
Not far away.
Han Shang Wen said fiercely, "Brother Qin, when will you help me get revenge? Otherwise, wasn't my slap for nothing?"
Qin Feng Wu smiled faintly, "No need to rush, the time for retribution has not yet come."
"But..."
Han Shang Wen was impatient.
Su Hao, who was following behind the two, suddenly pointed at the corner and said, "Brother Qin, look quickly."
Qin Feng Wu looked towards the four in the corner. His brows furrowed into the character '川'. He wondered why these three were together. His original intention was for Chen Jin Zhao to directly feel the gap between him and this circle. If possible, he could also instigate a conflict between him and Li Tian Ce. Now, not only was there no conflict, but they were also getting closer.
"Will they form an alliance?" Su Hao asked worriedly.
Han Shang Wen was surprised, "They shouldn't, should they? How could they possibly see eye to eye?"
Qin Feng Wu took a sip of red wine, his gaze distant, "No need to worry. These two people don't have unified thoughts, so they can't stand on the same front."
The two then relaxed slightly.
In the corner.
Li Tian Ce made sure the others could hear their conversation before turning to Chen Jin Zhao and speaking slowly, "I strongly suspect that Yu Meng Zhi's mother is my aunt, Li Zhi Qing."
Yu Meng Zhi's expression froze, and she stood there stunned.
Chen Jin Zhao also did not expect Li Tian Ce to say something like this. He asked in a low voice, hesitant, "On what grounds?"
"Aunt?"
Li Tian Nan was also surprised, "We have an aunt? Which aunt?"
Even Li Tian Nan didn't know.
Li Tian Ce let out a sigh of relief and then said, "You were too young to remember your aunt's past, and I was almost ten years old. I remember that incident very clearly."
Li Tian Nan looked astonished and listened attentively.
"My paternal aunt is named Li Zhi Qing. More than twenty years ago, she had a falling out with the family and then went to Lingyin Temple in Linzhou, Yue Zhou Province, to become a nun, living a solitary life with scriptures and incense, detached from worldly affairs."
"Do you think I came to Jiangnan this time to give Qin Feng Wu face?"
"Grandfather sent me to see my aunt and persuade her to come down from the mountain and return to the secular world."
"That still doesn't explain that Yu Meng Zhi is your aunt's daughter. How can there be such a coincidence in the world?" Chen Jin Zhao instinctively didn't believe it, even thinking Li Tian Ce was trying to curry favor.
Yu Meng Zhi also shook her head, not quite believing this story.
"Yes, Brother, you can't just claim anyone is Aunt's daughter. You need proof," Li Tian Nan seconded.
Li Tian Ce shook his head, then took out his phone. After swiping a few times on the screen, he opened a photo and enlarged it before placing the phone on the table. "You can look. This is what my aunt looked like."
In the photo.
A slender young woman was standing on the Great Wall, with mountains stretching for a thousand miles behind her.
The focus of this photo was the woman's appearance.
As Chen Jin Zhao saw it clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted. Then he turned to look at Yu Meng Zhi beside him.
This...
It couldn't be said to be identical, but it was still seventy to eighty percent similar.
Yu Meng Zhi stood there completely stunned.
Li Tian Nan's gaze kept shifting between the photo and Yu Meng Zhi. Finally, he widened his eyes and looked at Li Tian Ce, "Brother, you really don't seem to be joking."
"She looks too much alike, almost as if cast from the same mold."
Li Tian Ce said in a deep voice, "I wasn't lying to you. It seems that when my aunt left home back then and became a nun, it wasn't for any other reason, but because the family strongly opposed her being with someone from a humble background. However, our family didn't expect that my aunt and Yu Wen Dong already had a daughter, and we were kept in the dark until now."
Everyone was silent.
Yu Meng Zhi couldn't accept this immediately; it was too bizarre.
It felt like a dream.
Li Tian Ce continued, "Yu Meng Zhi, the origin of this name should be 'Yu' Meng 'Zhi' [芷, meaning angelica], which would make everything make sense."
Chen Jin Zhao also believed it to a significant extent after hearing this. At least Li Tian Ce wasn't speaking without basis; he had evidence. He took a few minutes to process this and hesitantly asked, "Now I'm starting to believe what you're saying. Does anyone else know about this?"
Li Tian Ce shook his head, stating that he discovered it by chance and that no one else knew for now.
Chen Jin Zhao thought for a moment and then said, "Can you keep it a secret for now? I want to go to Linzhou with Meng Zhi, if possible."
Li Tian Ce said directly, "I can't keep it a secret for you for too long. It's not my obligation. Moreover, this is a private matter of the Li family. I hope you can understand. I will act in the way that is most beneficial to the Li family."
This was understandable.
Li Tian Nan, standing beside them, felt dizzy. He suddenly had a cousin? And the cousin's boyfriend was the well-known Candle Dragon's Eye. Things seemed to be getting interesting.
Li Tian Ce said, "I will go and confirm with my aunt, but I believe the truth is almost certain."
"Yu Meng Zhi, prepare yourself mentally."
Once it was confirmed that she was Li Zhi Qing's daughter, the Li family would definitely summon her back to the capital and re-plan her life.
It was both good and bad.
Yu Meng Zhi lowered her head, her mood a mixture of anxiety and confusion.
If Li Zhi Qing was her mother, why had her mother never actively sought her out all these years? Was it abandonment, or were there other difficulties?
Coupled with her uncertainty about the future.
She had adapted to her family environment for over twenty years, and now there was a sudden drastic change. Who could bear this?
Chen Jin Zhao squeezed her hand, giving her confidence in her bewilderment.
As they walked together, they leaned on each other for warmth, a habit that had formed. Chen Jin Zhao's actions reassured Yu Meng Zhi considerably.
Li Tian Nan said to Yu Meng Zhi, "I didn't expect to suddenly have a cousin. It's truly unusual. But don't worry too much. Our Li family is usually reasonable; we won't force you to do this or that."
"Is that so?" Yu Meng Zhi gave a wry smile.
Then...
How to explain her mother, Li Zhi Qing?
Li Tian Nan realized this and his expression became somewhat awkward. He didn't know what to say.
Li Tian Ce said, "You and Chen Jin Zhao are already at an age where marriage is considered. The Li family will not break you up; I can guarantee this for you."
Yu Meng Zhi's biggest worry was actually this. Hearing Li Tian Ce's words, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"You two chat for a while. I have something I want to discuss with Chen Jin Zhao privately." Li Tian Ce looked at Chen Jin Zhao. If it were before, Chen Jin Zhao might not have agreed to a private talk. But now that Li Tian Ce had somehow become Yu Meng Zhi's cousin, he had no reason to refuse.
"Let's go, let's talk outside. It's not convenient here."
Chen Jin Zhao nodded.
Under Qin Feng Wu and the others' suspicious gazes, the two walked out of the venue and onto a deserted balcony.
The moonlight was bright and intoxicating.
Li Tian Ce took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and offered it to Chen Jin Zhao. Chen Jin Zhao readily accepted. The two lit their cigarettes in tacit understanding and leaned on the railing, gazing at the brightly lit city of Jiangning.
"Phew—"
Li Tian Ce exhaled a puff of smoke and looked sideways at Chen Jin Zhao, "You can probably guess what I want to talk to you about."
Chen Jin Zhao smiled.
"If I'm not mistaken, you want to talk about cooperation."