The photograph was placed before her, and Jiang Ziyu gazed at the mother in the picture, her long-sealed memories bursting forth like an opened floodgate.
She had seen this photograph before, but it was damaged, with only her mother, Lu Yuman, remaining.
Jiang Ziyu looked at Ye Qianzhi in disbelief. He bore a slight resemblance to her.
But if he was her biological father, why hadn't her mother married him when she was pregnant?
Sensing her confusion, Ye Qianzhi began to recount his love story with Lu Yuman.
Ye Qianzhi was the heir to the most prominent family in the four-nine city, while Lu Yuman was a renowned pianist. They met during one of her performances. Ye Qianzhi fell in love with Lu Yuman at first sight. Under his pursuit, Lu Yuman discovered that Ye Qianzhi was not merely a spoiled rich kid but was captivated by his unique talent and intellect.
After confessing their love for each other, they officially began their relationship. Given Ye Qianzhi's status, their relationship, once revealed, instantly attracted widespread attention.
Lu Yuman's parents were ordinary merchants. The Lu family was no match for the Ye family at that time, making any comparison futile. It was precisely because of the Lu family's ordinary background that Old Madam Ye was deeply dissatisfied with Lu Yuman and Ye Qianzhi's relationship.
To prevent them from being together, Old Madam Ye specifically approached Lu Yuman and offered her a substantial sum of money to leave Ye Qianzhi. However, Lu Yuman was already pregnant with Jiang Ziyu, and her personality and upbringing made her indifferent to material possessions. After rejecting Old Madam Ye's offer, she eagerly planned to inform Ye Qianzhi about her pregnancy.
But everything began to unravel. When Lu Yuman found Ye Qianzhi, he was lying in bed with a stranger. Witnessing this scene, Lu Yuman was deeply devastated. Unaware that it was all a scheme orchestrated by Old Madam Ye, she believed Ye Qianzhi had betrayed her.
Consequently, she avoided Ye Qianzhi's attempts to explain and, while pregnant with Jiang Ziyu, married Jiang Wenbin. Her pregnancy remained unknown to the outside world, and after marriage, Lu Yuman was reluctant to let Jiang Wenbin touch her.
At that time, the Jiang Corporation was not as prosperous as the Lu family. Jiang Wenbin, though resentful, dared not express his anger and instead secretly became involved with Xu Jingya. With Jiang Wenbin's cover-up, no one outside doubted that the child Lu Yuman gave birth to was Jiang Wenbin's.
Listening to this melodramatic turn of events, Jiang Ziyu found it difficult to accept. She had never imagined that her mother's persistent melancholy was due to something other than Xu Jingya's presence; it was for entirely different reasons.
After composing herself, Jiang Ziyu looked at Ye Qianzhi, bewildered. "It's no longer important who my biological father is. You don't need to feel guilty, and you don't need to force yourself into our lives."
Sensing Jiang Ziyu's detachment, Ye Qianzhi glanced at Di Mingjue beside her, his tone instantly turning icy. "I'm not here just to tell you this. I'm also here to stop you from being together."
"On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that the person who killed your mother is his biological mother. His mother drove the car that killed your mom."
His words struck like a bomb, plunging everyone into chaos.
How could two seemingly unrelated people be involved in a murder?
Jiang Ziyu's fingers tightened their grip on Di Mingjue's hand. "You might be mistaken. My mother died at the hands of Jiang Wenbin, not as you say."
"No, I investigated it thoroughly. I've been looking for you all these years; my information is not wrong," Ye Qianzhi retorted.
He was adamant that their love had led Jiang Ziyu to entrust her heart to her mother's killer.
Ye Qianzhi stepped forward, pulling Jiang Ziyu away, and sternly intervened, "You cannot get married. You must come back with me."