Li Tiannan was instantly bewildered.
Yu Mengzhi was clearly his aunt's daughter, so why was she denying it?
Li Tianche seemed to have thought of something and said to Li Zhiqin, "Aunt, I will personally speak to Grandfather. I won't let the Li family interfere in Cousin's affairs."
"You also don't need to worry about the Li family forcing Mengzhi to do anything. I guarantee it with my reputation."
This was a heavy promise.
Li Zhiqin remained silent for half a minute but still shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, I really don't know anyone named Yu Mengzhi, nor do I have a daughter. I won't see her even if she comes. Please ask her to leave."
"Aunt..." Li Tiannan grew anxious.
Since the person had already arrived, how could she refuse to see her?
Li Tianche stopped Li Tiannan and subtly shook his head, urging him to calm down. Only then did Li Tiannan suppress his urgency and stand silently beside his brother.
Li Tianche turned to Li Zhiqin and said, "Then Aunt, we'll leave now. We won't disturb you any further."
Li Zhiqin nodded.
The Li brothers left the Buddhist hall.
The two brothers stood outside the hall. Li Tiannan questioned Li Tianche why he wasn't pursuing the matter further, given they were ninety-nine percent sure Yu Mengzhi was Li Zhiqin's daughter and their cousin. Li Tianche sighed, "Since Aunt doesn't acknowledge her, what can we nephews do? We can't force her to recognize her cousin, can we? Even if they were to be forced to acknowledge each other, it wouldn't be our place as nephews to do so."
Li Tiannan sighed and shook his head repeatedly, expressing his regret.
"Alright, we'll leave the Buddhist hall first and relay Aunt's words to Mengzhi. Let them make the decision," Li Tianche said.
Li Tiannan hummed in agreement and, with Li Tianche, went to the resting room where Yu Mengzhi and Chen Jinzhao were. Upon seeing the brothers, Yu Mengzhi instantly stood up, her face filled with anxiety and apprehension.
Seeing her hesitate to speak, Chen Jinzhao spoke on her behalf, "What did Auntie say?"
Li Tiannan's expression was grim, and he stood silently beside Li Tianche.
Li Tianche, however, sighed and said with a hint of helplessness, "We told Aunt about Mengzhi, but it seems she has some hidden difficulties and doesn't want to meet Mengzhi. We tried to persuade her, but it had no effect. We still couldn't get Aunt to agree."
At this point.
Li Tianche gave Chen Jinzhao a deep look.
He remembered Li Zhiqin had mentioned something – Chen Jinzhao was the descendant of an old acquaintance of Li Zhiqin, and now he was with Li Zhiqin's daughter. There might be some unknown story behind this.
Of course.
He didn't reveal this secret to Chen Jinzhao and Yu Mengzhi, to avoid causing mutual suspicion between them.
Chen Jinzhao frowned upon hearing this, unable to comprehend why Li Zhiqin refused to see them. He turned to look at Yu Mengzhi, whose delicate face was devoid of color, and her slender body trembled slightly.
"Why?" Yu Mengzhi's lips quivered.
"Why won't she see me? Am I not her daughter? Whether I am or not, she should tell me clearly. Why is she avoiding me?"
No one could answer her question.
Chen Jinzhao clasped Yu Mengzhi's hand, attempting to offer her some encouragement and confidence.
Yu Mengzhi suddenly said, "No, I have to see her. I want to ask her clearly face to face. Even if she doesn't want to see me, she should give me a proper reason."
Li Tiannan looked at Li Tianche with a troubled expression. Li Tianche shook his head, indicating no need to stop her.
Chen Jinzhao said to Yu Mengzhi, "I'll go with you."
"Where is the Buddhist hall?"
Li Tianche gave them the location. After memorizing it, Chen Jinzhao thanked the brothers and, hand in hand with Yu Mengzhi, left the resting room for the Buddhist hall where Li Zhiqin was.
On the way to the Buddhist hall, Chen Jinzhao advised Yu Mengzhi to remain calm and absolutely not to lose composure.
Yu Mengzhi's gaze had become resolute, with a hint of steeliness. She murmured, "I'm fine. I just want to understand why. I just need an answer."
Not long after.
The two arrived at the entrance of the Buddhist hall. It seemed to be a hall built specifically for Li Zhiqin, belonging only to her.
At the courtyard entrance, two monks blocked their way.
Chen Jinzhao said calmly, "I won't make things difficult for you, and I hope you'll be sensible as well."
The two monks clearly knew Chen Jinzhao's background. After a moment of hesitation, they stepped aside. Chen Jinzhao released Yu Mengzhi's hand and said, "You go in. I'll wait for you outside."
Yu Mengzhi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and stepped over the threshold alone, entering the courtyard.
She stood at the entrance of the Buddhist hall for a long time before making up her mind and pushing open the door. She saw a figure with her back to her, reciting Buddhist scriptures.
The moment she entered, the figure stopped reciting.
Yu Mengzhi stood at the doorway, not moving. Li Zhiqin also did not turn around. The two seemed to be in a stalemate.
Finally, Li Zhiqin spoke first, her voice clear and untainted by worldly dust, "Benefactor, what brings you here?"
"This is my private Buddhist hall, not open to the public. Please leave quickly, benefactor."
Yu Mengzhi's body trembled, and then she slowly walked forward.
Seeing this, Li Zhiqin closed her eyes and continued reciting Buddhist scriptures, as if to ignore Yu Mengzhi.
Yu Mengzhi walked up to Li Zhiqin and then looked down at her appearance. When she clearly saw the other's face up close, she was somewhat surprised. At this moment, it was like looking in a mirror. Li Zhiqin was in her forties. Perhaps because she had been in constant company with ancient lamps and Buddhist scriptures, she appeared very young, looking only in her thirties.
Looking at the face that bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to her own, Yu Mengzhi felt a strange sensation.
It was a feeling of blood connection.
If Yu Mengzhi had harbored any doubts before, the moment she saw Li Zhiqin, she was certain that the person before her was her biological mother.
"Mom..."
Yu Mengzhi suddenly spoke.
There was a time when she thought it would be difficult to utter this word. Only now did she realize how natural it felt to say it.
Li Zhiqin's fingers stopped twirling the prayer beads. Her eyes remained closed. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Benefactor, you have mistaken me. There is no mother here for you, only Jingchen, who accompanies the Buddha."
Jingchen was Li Zhiqin's Dharma name.
Yu Mengzhi could not hear Li Zhiqin's words at all. She knelt on the ground and hugged Li Zhiqin, weeping, "Mom, I know you are my birth mother. Why are you so heartless and refuse to acknowledge me? I am your daughter, your own daughter. Even if you have difficulties, you shouldn't be like this."
Li Zhiqin had originally thought she could remain calm in front of her daughter, but when Yu Mengzhi did not follow the expected course and cried, Li Zhiqin realized that any thoughts were futile in front of her daughter. She could not bear to see her daughter cry.
"Mengzhi, why are you doing this?"
"I am not worthy of being your mother. In the more than twenty years of your life, I have never taken care of you. I was absent for the first twenty years of your life. You should hate me. Why are you still coming to acknowledge me?"
"You are truly a foolish child."