Sheng Yuchen slowly approached, drawing near Su Qi. He leaned down, his mouth close to her ear, and whispered, "Don't you know? The old man had long ago tied your and the Huo family's businesses and assets together. Before his death, he didn't give the family fortune to Huo Tingyun, but to you, or rather, to your husband. Do you think Huo Tingyun didn't know? The reason Huo Tingyun refused to divorce you back then, do you think it was because he had feelings for you? He only wanted the Huo family's assets..."
"What?!"
Su Qi trembled all over, so shocked her mouth parted slightly, but no words came out.
She had considered many possibilities, but never this one.
"So, Su Qi, marrying you is something I must achieve. Now Huo Tingyun is a useless figure you can't even see. If you want to clear your company's debts, you'd best obediently agree to my terms, otherwise, you should know the consequences."
Sheng Yuchen spoke the gentlest words in the most tender tone.
The man turned and returned to his car. A man resembling an assistant got out and handed Su Qi a red velvet box, opening it and presenting it before her.
It was a flawless, colorless diamond, of an unknown carat weight, but such a large diamond was undoubtedly worth a fortune.
Su Qi’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "You want to marry me with this diamond ring? Tell your Mr. that I want the biggest diamond, the largest in this world. If not, I'm sorry, I won't marry!" After saying this, she turned and walked straight into the house.
Her back was held ramrod straight, but the moment she sat on the sofa, her entire body went limp.
No one had ever told her this before.
If Sheng Yuchen hadn't told her himself, she might never have known.
After a long pause, Su Qi shakily picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"Lin Te? I have something to ask you..."
As Christmas approached, the weather grew colder. Shencheng didn't have snow, but this winter was particularly biting. Su Qi stood alone in the yard, gazing at the withered branches. When Qin Xue had lived at the Huo residence, even in winter, the garden had been lush and verdant, like a perpetual spring.
With the old man gone and Qin Xue having moved out, the Huo family suddenly felt deserted.
If the old man were still alive, seeing such a scene, he too would have felt a sense of desolation.
"What are you thinking about? It's cold standing out here, come inside with me."
The man's footsteps were slow, as if he couldn't see the way, fumbling along.
Su Qi turned around and saw the man behind her. Her nose suddenly stung, and she turned to embrace him.
"Tingyun, Tingyun, where should I go?"
"Silly girl, why are you sad? I'm here, aren't I? I'll always be here. You just need to follow your heart."
Follow her heart?
But did she even have a choice now?
"What if I don't marry you?"
"Then you'd better think carefully. Huo Tingyun might disappear one day. After all, he's just a blind man. It's easy to get rid of a blind man."
"Sheng Yuchen! You are truly venomous! Huo Tingyun is your half-brother, after all!"
"Brother? Hmph, how ridiculous. When I was hidden from the light, my own brother was the admired male god, the sole heir of the Huo family. Now that my own brother has fallen, I suddenly have a brother? Su Qi, you're right, to gain something, you must lose something. I don't mind losing my own brother!"
"Sheng Yuchen! You are simply a devil!"
"..."
Su Qi shivered again, thinking of that phone call, feeling even colder.
She hugged the man tightly.
"Tingyun, I promise you, everything will get better."
Perhaps heaven heard her plea, for the next day she received a call from Gu Tangxue. Upon learning that Xu Linchuan had recovered, Su Qi rushed to the hospital. Indeed, she saw Xu Linchuan standing up from his sickbed, his legs able to walk upright. The doctor stood by the bedside, reporting on Xu Linchuan's condition.
"His recovery is very good and he will be fully restored soon. Please take care of your health in the future. You can almost complete the discharge procedures."
"Xiao Su! You're here! Come, come, come! Linchuan's health has improved, it's truly wonderful! Hard work pays off!"
Seeing Su Qi at the door, Gu Tangxue ran over and hugged her, her voice cracking with emotion, her eyes red, looking as if she might burst into tears.
Xu Ruyun was also in the ward. Upon seeing Su Qi, she frowned.
"Mom, don't be like this. I've considered what you said. Perhaps you are right, Tangxue is a good girl. You should also consider what I said. Su Qi isn't as bad as you imagine. Perhaps, as Dad said, Su Qi is very much like you when you were young, which is why I feel so close to her."
Xu Linchuan's words stunned Xu Ruyun.
Everyone was saying it, but she felt nothing at all.
However, after learning that Xu Linyun was not her biological daughter, she had been searching for her own daughter during this time.
Everyone said Su Qi resembled her when she was young.
How could there be such a coincidence?
Xu Ruyun suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Su Qi's wrist.
With a sharp sound.
Everyone was startled. Gu Tangxue immediately shielded Su Qi, "Mrs. Xu, please calm down..."
Xu Ruyun ignored Gu Tangxue and spoke to Su Qi, "Come with me for a DNA paternity test!"
"What?" Su Qi's mind went blank.
Too many things had happened in the past few days; she couldn't even process it all for a long time.
"Mom? What are you saying? Doing a DNA test?!"
Xu Linchuan frowned, disbelieving.
"Yes, what DNA test?!" Gu Tangxue also looked at Xu Ruyun in surprise.
Xu Ruyun stared intently at Su Qi, "After the car accident that year, I never faced myself squarely and burned all my old photos. But in my grandfather's wallet, I found a photo of myself from the past. Su Qi looks very much like me when I was young. I can't be absolutely certain, but Su Qi could very well be my daughter."
"Your daughter? How is that possible?!" Gu Tangxue almost shrieked.
"Yes, because Xu Linyun... is not related to me by blood! I swapped children at the orphanage back then!"
As soon as Xu Ruyun uttered these words, everyone in the ward was in an uproar. Xu Linchuan was stunned for a long time. Gu Tangxue, after recovering, slapped her forehead forcefully, "You mean, Su Qi might be your daughter?!"
"Yes, Su Qi looks too much like me. I suspect Su Qi is my daughter. Whether she is or not, we'll do a DNA test. If she is, then Su Qi is the daughter I lost back then."
After speaking, Xu Ruyun, unable to wait, pulled Su Qi's hand and headed towards the hospital's DNA testing area.