"Mom..."
Yu Mengzhi choked back tears, still clinging to Li Zhiqing.
True emotion was the most powerful weapon, often producing unexpected effects, just as in this moment.
Li Zhiqing also dropped all pretense, embracing her daughter and weeping.
For over twenty years, without her daughter by her side, she had lived each day in self-recrimination and torment. No one could comprehend her conflicted emotions at this moment.
The two soon wiped away their tears.
Li Zhiqing cupped her daughter's cheeks, a mixture of relief and emotion in her voice, "You look so much like me when I was young. Your father didn't lie to me."
"Mengzhi, Mom is sorry."
Yu Mengzhi shook her head repeatedly, "It's not your fault, Mom. You must have had your own difficulties that led you to this. I can understand."
Li Zhiqing was speechless.
Seeing her daughter's heart-wrenching maturity only intensified her guilt.
"Didn't I tell you not to come? Why did you still come? I've thought about seeing you all these years, but I just never acted on it."
Some things were not as simple as they appeared.
"Whatever difficulties we face, I will face them with you, Mom. We are family," Yu Mengzhi said, acting like a child in front of Li Zhiqing. Li Zhiqing paused, then said bitterly, "You don't understand your grandfather, nor do you understand that some people are preparing to strike against me in the shadows. I don't want you to get involved in this vortex."
Li Zhiqing's father—
That is to say, the patriarch of the Li family in the capital, a titan of the Upper Three Families, was an old man with a peculiar temper.
No one could fathom the old man's thoughts.
"When I was with your father, I didn't even dare let the Li family know, nor the Yu family. But later, both families found out, and we were forced to separate. Your grandfather once said that if I dared to marry your father, he would use all his influence to make the Yu family disappear." Li Zhiqing's expression grew distant. From that moment on, she had completely lost hope in the Li family and had retreated into monastic life, avoiding the world.
Wasn't this also a way to escape reality?
"These past few years, I haven't even dared to acknowledge you, for fear that your grandfather would make things difficult for you," Li Zhiqing added.
Thus, to this day, apart from Li Tiance and Li Tiannan, no one in the Li family knew that the former Li family's little princess, Li Zhiqing, had a daughter named Yu Mengzhi.
"Is he really that unfeeling?" Yu Mengzhi murmured.
Li Zhiqing grunted and nodded, "Your grandfather only cares about power and family honor. If he knew I had a child outside who wasn't recognized by the Li family, he might truly act ruthlessly. Heh, within these aristocratic families, there lies too much darkness that you cannot comprehend."
From another perspective, the Li family patriarch—Li Buyan—had no human emotions, and could even be seen as the personification of power.
He was a terrifying figure.
Yu Mengzhi's scalp tingled just listening to her mother's words. She had once fantasized about meeting her grandfather, but now she realized her thoughts were too naive.
"After you leave Lingyin Temple, do not mention our matters to anyone, understand?" Li Zhiqing asked.
"What about my cousins..." Yu Mengzhi hesitated.
Li Zhiqing assured her that the two cousins could be trusted and that Yu Mengzhi need not worry. Only then did Yu Mengzhi relax.
"Let's go sit over there. Your knees must be hurting from kneeling," Li Zhiqing said, taking Yu Mengzhi's hand and standing up. It was then that Li Zhiqing had the chance to look at her daughter properly, and she said with relief, "My Mengzhi is so beautiful. You're five centimeters taller than me. You must have had many admirers all these years, haven't you?"
Yu Mengzhi did not conceal anything and nodded.
Li Zhiqing told her daughter about her own many suitors back then, but that she had ultimately chosen Yu Mengzhi's father.
"Perhaps it's fate," she mused.
"By the way."
"Besides your two cousins, did no one else come with you?"
Li Zhiqing wanted to see Yu Wendong.
Yu Mengzhi shook her head, "Dad is busy with some matters recently, so he couldn't accompany me. However..."
"My boyfriend is here."
Li Zhiqing's expression shifted suddenly, then a wave of wistfulness washed over her. "Your father never told me you were already dating another boy. It seems he's kept many things from me. Time passes so quickly. In my memory, you're still a child, and now you're of marriageable age."
It was hard not to feel a pang of melancholy.
"I am different from your grandfather; I won't interfere with your love life. But how much do you know about that boy? Is he truly sincere towards you?" Li Zhiqing couldn't help but worry. Before Yu Mengzhi could say anything, Li Zhiqing smiled, "From your expression, I can see you like him very much. That's enough."
"What's his name? What does his family do?"
Yu Mengzhi's face flushed slightly, and she replied, "His name is Chen Jinzhao. We've been together for almost a year. He's a soldier, and he treats me very well."
"I like him a lot too."
"Wait, you said his name was what?" Li Zhiqing's smile became stiff as she asked her daughter to confirm the young man's name.
Yu Mengzhi was puzzled but patiently repeated, "His name is Chen Jinzhao. What's wrong?"
Li Zhiqing countered, "Where is he from?"
"His registered domicile is Leyang County, Ninghai City. Is there a problem?" Yu Mengzhi asked cautiously, then looked at Li Zhiqing, noticing a bewildered expression on her face.
Li Zhiqing perhaps understood why Yu Wendong had not told her about her daughter's relationship.
It was out of fear that Li Zhiqing would be angry.
And now.
Li Zhiqing was indeed somewhat angry.
Frowning, she said, "Mengzhi, are you sure Chen Jinzhao truly likes you, and not for some other reason?"
Yu Mengzhi patiently replied, "I am sure."
These few simple words contained Yu Mengzhi's trust in Chen Jinzhao.
Li Zhiqing's expression became distant again. She patted Yu Mengzhi's hand and said, "Go and call him in. I have something I want to discuss with him alone."
Yu Mengzhi didn't move immediately. Li Zhiqing chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't break you two up. I just want to clarify some things."
Only then did Yu Mengzhi relax, and she stood up and left the Buddhist hall to go to the entrance outside the courtyard.
Chen Jinzhao saw Yu Mengzhi alone and felt a flicker of confusion. Yu Mengzhi said, "Jinzhao, my mother wants to meet you and talk to you alone."
"Me?"
Chen Jinzhao hesitated.
Yu Mengzhi nodded. After a moment of thought, Chen Jinzhao asked, "What do you think Auntie wants to talk to me about?"
Knowing in advance would help him prepare.
Yu Mengzhi shook her head, her expression odd. "I don't know. I just feel that my mother's expression was strange when she heard your name, as if she had heard it before. But you don't need to worry too much. Your name has been widely known for the past year. My father might have already told her about you. Wanting to talk to you alone is probably just to test your attitude."
Chen Jinzhao smiled and nodded, "Then I can rest assured."
He entered the Buddhist hall alone and immediately saw Li Zhiqing sitting on a chair to the right. The moment he clearly saw Li Zhiqing's face, Chen Jinzhao indeed felt a moment of daze.
She looks so much like her.