DF Chapter 81
by VolareChapter 81 Sheng Jia was only one step away from achieving her wish.
When Song Ningqiu returned to Hai Yao, the clear weather had completely disappeared, and here, like Shanghai, had entered a continuous rainy season.
Raindrops fell continuously, and when she walked into the teahouse, even her coat seemed to be soaked with moisture.
Song Ningqiu didn’t like the rainy season, and she especially disliked rain. Song Yu Mei passed away during just such a rainy season.
People will probably always associate pain with certain things as sustenance, perhaps the weather that produces pain, or the objects that appear when the pain is heartbreaking, at least for someone like Song Ningqiu, who has had a smooth life since childhood, this is the case.
In the past few days, she had received more information about Sheng Jia. She used the day of her birth as a breakthrough point and sent people to Jingjiang Municipal Hospital to investigate, but no conclusion has yet been reached.
In fact, she received a lot of information these days. Liu Xing had not yet obtained Sheng Huaiying’s hair, but she had reached a conclusion regarding another bag she had given Liu Xing.
Ji’an… really isn’t her daughter.
Even though she had been mentally prepared for a long time, she still stared at the report for a long, long time.
Her mood was indescribably complex, and she even had feelings of collapse and unacceptance.
No matter how many times she told herself that Sheng Jia was her daughter and Ji’an might not be her daughter, it couldn’t offset the impact of obtaining conclusive evidence.
For the past three days, she had been adjusting her emotions every minute and second, thinking about how to deal with this matter.
It was impossible for her not to acknowledge Sheng Jia. This was her daughter, the daughter for whom she had never fulfilled her motherly responsibilities, the daughter she owed so much to.
But at this moment, she must first put these chaotic thoughts aside.
The air conditioning in the teahouse was very low, and Fu Minglang was lowering her eyes to make Kung Fu tea.
In her early years, she was impatient with doing these tedious and complicated things. Just drinking tea, no matter how expensive the tea was, it was just a drink to her, and there was nothing to cherish. However, the process of making tea could give her more patience and also divert her attention.
After Song Ningqiu’s phone call came, she waited until Song Ji’an and Meng Yeran, who had come to visit, left before telling Sheng Jia about the invitation. Who knew that Sheng Jia would just smile slightly, “No matter what Auntie Song asks, just tell her the truth.”
Fu Minglang paused slightly, “Even the things you might have done, and my guesses?”
Sheng Jia nodded, “Yes, what harm is there in you telling her as long as she asks?”
Her eyes contained a hint of dark light and composure, which was a symbol that she already had her own ideas.
It was only at that moment that Fu Minglang realized that she had once again underestimated Sheng Jia.
It turned out that from the beginning, she had never thought of disguising herself.
No need for gradual progress, no need to reveal a little bit and let Song Ningqiu discover something was wrong and investigate. She would throw a blockbuster again while the other party was receiving the most complex information.
She was betting on what kind of choice Song Ningqiu would make after knowing the extreme, deep, and meticulously planned things she had done.
She didn’t want to pretend, didn’t want to delay any longer, and didn’t want to use the slightest conspiracy or trick against Song Ningqiu anymore.
She was going to be the real, undisguised self again.
Fu Minglang’s heart, which had reached its twilight years and had gone through countless storms, actually felt a bit of vigorous vitality when she met her brave and forward-looking gaze.
It made her want to laugh uncontrollably.
What helplessness, what worry, Sheng Jia didn’t need these. She clearly knew what she was doing.
What if you are older than her, what if you are richer than her, what if you claim to be more sober than her?
She can still play these elders around.
She is a female eagle about to soar into the sky, her wings are already spread, and she is eyeing and waiting for the results she wants to arrive.
She had started collecting all the information about Song Ningqiu since she was seven years old, taking her as an example. After learning that she might be her mother, she analyzed her as a person in detail. Perhaps she knew her biological mother better than everyone imagined.
That sense of relief that accompanied it visited once again, but it also made her feel that she was no longer young.
She lost the recklessness of her youth, and she also lost the vigor of betting everything she had. She was entangled in trivial matters, and she learned to worry and hide, always thinking about the possible negative effects.
But Sheng Jia also gave her a chance to be reckless once.
So be it.
In that frankness in the heavy snow, Fu Minglang shared Sheng Jia’s secret. She carefully guarded this secret, pressing everything to the bottom of her heart, and was forced to become an accomplice in Sheng Jia’s plan. Isn’t it now their joint confession to Song Ningqiu?
Sheng Jia wanted to be herself and didn’t want Fu Minglang to be in a difficult and guilty situation any longer.
She couldn’t comfortably keep taking advantage of people who treated her sincerely.
She was such a complex child. Even though she always had a cold face, she was extremely vivid in Fu Minglang’s eyes. It was no longer simply because of the bloodline of the Song family and the fact that she was Song Yumei’s granddaughter that she, Fu Minglang, favored her.
When Fu Minglang came back to her senses, Song Ningqiu was already sitting opposite her.
She had taken off her wet coat and was only wearing a gray-black fitted base layer. At this moment, she was sitting upright opposite her.
Fu Minglang was carefully looking at the child she had watched grow up since she was little and carefully protected, while the other party was returning the same scrutinizing gaze.
Song Ningqiu, who had always been extremely polite, did not greet her kindly this time. She only straightened her back, took out the two appraisal reports from the document bag she brought, and then said without any buffer: “I did two paternity tests and found that Ji’an is not my child, Sheng Jia is.”
Her eyes were still firmly fixed on Fu Minglang’s face, trying to find a trace of surprise or shock on her face.
But there was none, not at all.
There was only peace in the other person’s deep eyes.
“You already knew about this.” Song Ningqiu clenched her fists. “When? When did you know?”
“Only three months earlier than you,” Fu Minglang took a sip of tea. “Ningqiu, I’m very sorry for hiding this from you. If you have anything you want to ask, I will answer truthfully.”
Song Ningqiu sneered, showing a sharp side for the first time to her respected elder, “Only? Only three months? Why didn’t you tell me after you knew? She’s my daughter, why didn’t you let me, her mother, know?”
The psychological construction that had been done was tending to collapse again at this moment after discovering Fu Minglang’s concealment. She thought that she might hate rainy days in the future, and she would also hate coming to teahouses.
But she also knew in her heart that she would grit her teeth and endure everything alone, but when facing her elders, she had the right to feel wronged and complain.
Just because Fu Minglang, to her, was also like a mother.
She was her mother’s best friend, her most important elder, and that was why she became so fragile at this moment when she knew the truth.
“If you had known at that time, what would you have done?” Fu Minglang pondered.
Song Ningqiu: “Of course, I would have investigated everything clearly and acknowledged my daughter.”
“Then what about Ji’an?” Fu Minglang looked directly at her. “If this matter is exposed before the college entrance examination, can you wait until after the college entrance examination to talk about it? Both children will be caught in a whirlpool, affecting the most important hurdle in their lives.”
“How do you know that I can’t hide everything until after the college entrance examination?” Song Ningqiu pursed her lips.
Fu Minglang pointed out, “Attitude. Because once you know the truth, you will no longer be as natural to Ji’an as before. You will unconsciously look at Sheng Jia, and you will become cautious every time you get along with Ji’an, thinking about whether this will make Sheng Jia feel sad and chilled after learning the truth. Just like now, you came back to Hai Yao, you no longer rushed to find Ji’an as usual, and you have even started to hide it from her. Ji’an is too sensitive a child, and she can’t hide from even a little bit of your abnormality.”
Song Ningqiu fell silent.
No mother would give up watching her biological child. What Fu Minglang said was the truth.
“Is that why you chose not to tell me?”
“No, that’s just my speculation,” Fu Minglang smiled. “The reason I didn’t tell you is because Sheng Jia wouldn’t let me.”
“Why?” Song Ningqiu was a little lost, and then she caught the loophole in Fu Minglang’s words and asked again: “Sheng Jia knew about it a long time ago?”
“Yes, she knew about this earlier than me. She met me, and it was accidental at first,” Fu Minglang said, pausing. “But I also think it’s inevitable.”
“Inevitable?” Song Ningqiu felt that she seemed to have asked too many questions today.
Fu Minglang didn’t hide anything this time. She repeated the things after the two met, including how Sheng Jia and she made an agreement in the teahouse, what Sheng Jia asked her to do on Ansdert Island, and the subsequent frankness between her and Sheng Jia at the hundred-day oath ceremony.
The story was very long, and Fu Minglang told it in detail for a long time.
Song Ningqiu gradually calmed down in her narration.
Song Ningqiu asked what, and Fu Minglang answered what. The story stopped in the balloons flying into the sky on the day of the hundred-day oath ceremony.
But this was enough for Song Ningqiu to realize that Sheng Jia had been deliberately approaching Song Ji’an from the beginning. She had known her life experience for so long, and she had been patient and waiting.
But she was also using her greatest efforts to walk towards her biological mother.
Song Ningqiu lowered her eyes to look at the reflection in the teacup, and the first sentence she said was actually asking: “Sheng Jia, she… is she really very similar to my mother when she was young?”
“Yes, very similar.” Fu Minglang said, “Her temperament, thinking, figure, and appearance are all very similar to Yu Mei.”
“Thank you.” Song Ningqiu said softly, “I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. It should have been my fault no matter how you look at it that I couldn’t recognize my daughter at first sight. On the contrary, you have been taking care of her on my behalf. I should be thanking you.”
“You haven’t seen what Yu Mei looked like when she was young, so it’s normal that you couldn’t recognize her at first sight,” Fu Minglang said, “It’s me who should apologize to you for hiding it from you for so long.”
As she said that, she changed the subject, “Do you have anything else you want to ask?”
“No,” Song Ningqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She drank the tea in the teacup. A green leaf fell on the window outside, probably because it couldn’t withstand the ravages of the heavy rain. She watched it quietly through the glass, sticking to the eaves of the window, and continuing to be lashed by the huge raindrops.
She had nothing else to ask.
Everything that Fu Minglang explained was enough for her to deduce the follow-up. Sheng Jia didn’t let Fu Minglang tell her about her life experience, so she must have her own ideas, and she had her own plan on when to make this matter public.
She was already a little suspicious of the truth that had been discovered so coincidentally this time. Couldn’t she be sure that this was everything Sheng Jia had planned at this moment?
She was venting in such a violent way. After Song Ningqiu found out the truth, she asked Fu Minglang to tell her everything she had done frankly.
She was telling her mother that she couldn’t bear to live under the same roof with another child after she went home. To this end, she did not hesitate to injure herself to save Ji’an, so that Ji’an would feel infinitely guilty after the exposure of the truth about the fake and real heiress. She wanted Song Ningqiu to see with her own eyes that she had saved Ji’an but dealt with it calmly from the sidelines, causing Song Ningqiu to feel heartbroken after knowing the truth.
All of this was just a bargaining chip for her to make Song Ji’an leave. She simply disdained hiding what she wanted to do.
But Song Ningqiu couldn’t blame her, and she had no right to blame her.
She only felt a sourness in her eyes.
Is Sheng Jia scheming?
Is Sheng Jia full of conspiracies?
Yes, but she is such a child, and no one can do better if they stand in her position.
And—
So far, the only one who has really been hurt is herself.
Using the way of hurting yourself to get everything you want, this won’t be a bad child.
A piece of paper towel was handed over from the opposite side. Song Ningqiu took it and wiped her eyes, meeting Fu Minglang’s complex gaze.
“Sheng Jia and I made a bet. She bet with me that when her true face is exposed in front of you, you will hate her because of it.” Fu Minglang said softly, “Which side do you think she bet on?”
“She bet that I wouldn’t hate her.” Song Ningqiu said.
Fu Minglang: “Why guess this side?”
“If she thought I would hate her because of it, maybe she wouldn’t have let you tell me the truth.” Song Ningqiu sighed.
When she was in a position of ignorance, everything was shrouded in a layer of fog. When she knew the whole truth, she could already see Sheng Jia’s thoughts.
Fu Minglang smiled, “She guessed right. She said you would accept everything about her. She also said that you are not a mother in a greenhouse. I was confused.”
“Did she say that?” Song Ningqiu couldn’t help but smile, but she soon smiled bitterly at the choices she might have to make, “In the past two days, I still have to ask you to take care of Sheng Jia.”
Fu Minglang didn’t respond. She only focused on gazing at the younger generation in front of her. Her face had already returned to its usual ease, and no one could see the torment and pain in her heart. Hiding emotions was a lesson she had been learning since she was a child, and now she had mastered it.
“Ningqiu, there is no perfection in this world, and there are always many things that cannot be achieved completely,” she reminded. “Some decisions may tear you apart, and some decisions may make you regret it for the rest of your life, but before you get the result, what you need to do is to make sure you won’t regret it.”
Song Ningqiu nodded, “I know.”
Fu Minglang thought for a moment and finally said the last sentence, “She didn’t think about putting Ji’an in danger. It was a coincidence that Ji’an and she walked forward all the way.”
“Then she took advantage of the situation and simply saved Ji’an, right?” Song Ningqiu stood up and asked slowly.
“Yes,” Fu Minglang nodded, “Do you believe it?”
Song Ningqiu smiled, “I believe it. Sheng Jia doesn’t need to lie anymore.”
As she said that, she paused slightly before continuing, “Also, I’m very happy that you helped Sheng Jia tell me about this.”
Because she had personally seen an elder who liked Sheng Jia and favored Sheng Jia, and this elder was very powerful and would protect Sheng Jia like she protected her when she was young.
She was happy for Sheng Jia.
Song Ningqiu didn’t stay too long. After saying goodbye to Fu Minglang, she left in a hurry.
This time, Fu Minglang didn’t look at her back. Instead, she turned her head to look out the window and also looked at the tender leaves that had been ravaged by the wind and rain. She opened the window and took the leaves in. Ru Ping, who had been waiting outside the door, walked in and said in a low voice, “President Song has already left. It looks like she’s going to the airport.”
She responded and didn’t speak for a long time.
She and Sheng Jia had done everything, and the final decision on this matter had already been handed over to Song Ningqiu.
They were waiting for an answer that was already beginning to emerge.
Sheng Jia was only one step away from achieving her wish.
But Fu Minglang didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy of victory in her emotions.