The truth was about to be revealed, but no one dared to touch it, for the truth hidden within the bubble was too dramatic and absurd.
Liu Peilin stared blankly at the woman in the photograph. After a long while, she said stiffly, "There are people in this world who look so alike. Indeed, the world is vast and full of wonders."
Quan Maoheng’s brow furrowed. Compared to his wife’s reluctance to admit it, he was much calmer.
"You mean Xi Xi is not our family, and the woman in this photo is? Do you have conclusive evidence?" he asked his second son sternly.
Quan Tianxi shook his head. "We haven't done a DNA test yet. I only found out last night because Quan Jiu and Xi Xi were in the same film crew, and some misunderstandings arose between them."
"Misunderstandings? Is it the same misunderstanding Xiao Dong mentioned in the video?" Liu Peilin was unwilling to admit that she had mistakenly swapped the children, but with a biological child on one side and the child she had doted on since childhood on the other, her heart was in turmoil.
Quan Tianyang looked at the woman in the projection. Although the woman bore an eight-tenths resemblance to their grandmother, upon closer inspection of her facial features, one could see similarities with him and his second brother. If judged solely by appearance, it did seem like a case of swapped babies.
Moreover, just from a photograph, he felt a sense of affection and closeness. Everyone was intelligent, and they all knew the truth in their hearts.
"The video said Xi Xi instigated Xiao Dong to persecute the second female lead of the crew, Miss Quan. Is it her?" Quan Tianyang looked at the woman in the projection.
Quan Tianxi nodded sheepishly. "But this is just Xiao Dong's one-sided account. Xiao Dong also accused Xi Xi of abusing her. I asked Xi Xi, and she said it didn't happen. As for Quan Jiu's matter, I haven't asked Xi Xi yet. Her emotions are very unstable right now, and forcing her to talk will only worsen her injuries."
Quan Maoheng, being more emotionally stable, asked, "Then how did Xiao Dong get all those injuries?"
In the video, Xiao Dong was covered in both new and old wounds. With Quan Maoheng’s eyesight, he could naturally tell that some of the scars were quite old.
Xiao Dong had been by Liu Zhi Xi's side since childhood. If she had been abused by someone else, given Liu Zhi Xi's status as the distinguished third young lady of the Quan family, Xiao Dong would not have kept it a secret, and Liu Zhi Xi would not have failed to seek justice for Xiao Dong.
In other words, he could basically be certain that Xiao Dong was telling the truth.
Quan Tianxi didn't know how to answer his father's question. Although the new district had its own unique order of operation, it was not beyond the law. Their Quan family had never abused their power, but rather tried their best to maintain order in the new district.
He truly hadn't expected, nor did he want to believe, that his beloved third sister would be such a ruthless person.
"I will go ask my third sister. My third sister has been well-behaved since childhood; she must have her reasons."
Quan Maoheng directly ordered, "Bring her back today. I will ask her. If the Quan family truly has such a vicious person, she will be punished as she deserves."
Liu Peilin's heart trembled, and tears fell again.
The family remained silent for a long time. Finally, Quan Maoheng asked, "Tianyang, go and get a paternity test done for this woman. If she is indeed a member of our Quan family, she is our flesh and blood, and we should bring her back."
Quan Tianyang responded, "I'll go right away." He then said to Quan Tianxi, "Send me the information you've gathered."
"I want to go too," Liu Peilin said, wiping her tears and standing up. "I'll go secretly and won't alert the clan members. Maoheng, you stay here, and no one else will say anything."
Quan Maoheng hesitated for a moment, then finally agreed.
...
Leaving the conference hall, Quan Tianxi handed the information to Quan Tianyang and then reminded him, "I met her in person yesterday. She's very smart and easy to get along with. If you go, don't scare her, or you might end up getting the worst of it from her."
In fact, Quan Tianxi knew very well that Quan Jiu had deliberately kept him there last night. He assumed that his visit to question her had angered his little sister, leading to the subsequent manipulation.
But Quan Tianxi also felt he was in the wrong. He had openly gone to her door, which clearly indicated that he had thoroughly investigated her background. This alone was enough to make someone angry.
Speaking of which, his sister had even shared half of the spoils with him in the end, which was equivalent to a handshake and reconciliation.
Quan Tianyang glared at him impatiently. "Do you think I'll be as foolish as you?"
"I..." Quan Tianxi opened his mouth, but then decided against it. His elder brother had this bad temper, and he looked at everyone as if they owed him a fortune.
"Mom, are you going to see Xi Xi with me, or Quan Jiu with big brother?"
Liu Peilin was in a dilemma. After thinking about it, Xi Xi was injured and disfigured, and needed family companionship more at this time. Quan Jiu's situation was still unconfirmed, and if she went rashly, she might scare the child. So, she went to the hospital with her second son.
Quan Tianyang told the driver to drive, and he began to read Quan Jiu's information.
From the first page, Quan Jiu's hospital of birth and date, as well as the names of her adoptive parents, he guessed that the two children were likely swapped at the hospital of birth. Since they both had the surname Quan, it could have been a nurse's error or parental carelessness; in any case, they were mistakenly swapped.
He continued to flip through. As he read about her upbringing, his previously calm expression gradually turned grim.
Both parents had died when she was young, and her grandmother, with whom she had lived alone, passed away when she was fifteen. She was taken in by her uncle, but still had to give money to her uncle's family every month. At a young age, she had to worry about her livelihood. To earn tuition and living expenses, she had done all sorts of dirty and difficult jobs.
Quan Tianyang looked at his sister in the photograph, who was elegant and dignified. The anger in his eyes grew.
"What is the current situation of Quan Xingfa's family?" he immediately called Quan Tianxi to ask.
Quan Tianxi couldn't help but smile, knowing that his elder brother must have seen the information and was angry. He replied, "Now, out of the four family members, three are in jail, and one owes usury and is constantly hiding from debt collectors. I've already contacted the prison to ensure they 'take good care' of that family. They'll never get out in this lifetime."
Quan Tianyang grunted softly, hung up the phone, and continued reading the documents. The more he read, the more surprised he became. His third sister, at such a young age, already owned several companies, all of which were well-known in their industries. From having nothing to owning assets worth billions, she was indeed his sister, Quan Tianyang.
"Go to Mali Mall," Quan Tianyang instructed the driver.
An hour later, the car stopped in the underground parking lot of Mali Mall. Quan Tianyang made a phone call, and shortly after, a manager-like person hurried over.
"Mr. Quan, what brings you here in person? You could have just told me."
"Just browsing," Quan Tianyang said with a serious expression and walked directly into the mall.
The mall manager followed him timidly and cautiously, afraid of offending this hot-tempered king of hell.
Three hours later, the mall manager, along with a group of assistants, carried a pile of large bags and delivered them to the underground parking lot.
Fortunately, the car had enough space to fit everything. The mall manager respectfully watched the car drive away before finally breathing a sigh of relief and returning to his post.
...
Although an accident had occurred on the set, the truth had been revealed, and the crew was naturally unaffected. Therefore, at Guowen's request, Quan Jiu rushed to the set early in the morning and was repeatedly asked by Guowen to play the female lead.
Since she had to act anyway, Quan Jiu preferred the role of the female lead to the second female lead. Thus, she agreed without hesitation.
As for the original second female lead role, considering that it would be impossible to find a supporting actress with better charisma than Quan Jiu, Guowen finally relented and asked the screenwriter to revise the character of the second female lead.
After a full day of filming, while Quan Jiu was resting, an unexpected visitor arrived for a surprise visit.