Chapter 112: Confession

Xiao Huai’an’s heart skipped a beat.

Ye Xin Ran grabbed the collar of his robe, leaned close to his ear, and whispered softly:

“Did you know? Actually, I’m not the Ye family’s daughter.”

So, that’s it!

Xiao Huai’an’s taut nerves instantly relaxed, though a faint trace of disappointment lingered.

“No wonder they didn’t treat you well. So that’s the reason,” he said calmly.

“You’re not even surprised?”

Ye Xin Ran looked a little deflated.

She sat back, pouting.

“The place where I grew up has absolutely no connection to me. Don’t you think that’s really strange?”

“You’ve already severed ties with them, so whether you’re biologically related or not doesn’t really matter anymore,” Xiao Huai’an reassured her. “But how did you find out about this? Do you know who your real parents are?”

“How would I know that?”

Ye Xin Ran’s tone was tinged with frustration.

After a moment, something seemed to dawn on her. She suddenly clapped Xiao Huai’an’s shoulder in excitement and said, “Wait a moment! Maybe I’ll get some answers now!”

And then, she disappeared.

…Where did she go?

Even someone as composed as Xiao Huai’an was momentarily shaken by the sudden turn of events.

A whole person, just gone like that?

He rubbed his eyes and glanced around, but when he turned back, he saw Ye Xin Ran sitting in the same spot as before.

She looked perfectly normal, as if she had never left.

Was I hallucinating?

Xiao Huai’an was utterly bewildered.

Ye Xin Ran, oblivious to his reaction, was intently staring at a sheet of white paper. She was muttering under her breath, pointing at rows of tiny, ant-like scribbles that looked like gibberish.

By the time she finished reading, her expression turned astonished. She looked at Xiao Huai’an, her mouth slightly agape, unable to speak for a long time.

Xiao Huai’an steadied his racing heart and asked in a deep voice:

“What’s wrong?”

Ye Xin Ran’s eyes widened, and after her lips moved soundlessly for a few moments, she finally managed to speak.

“Can you believe this? It says I share the same mitochondrial DNA as Madam Leng!”

Xiao Huai’an was thoroughly confused.

“Same… what? Who is this common enemy you’re talking about?”

Seeing his puzzled expression, Ye Xin Ran couldn’t help but laugh.

Ye Xin Ran reached out, grabbed his shoulder, and shook him vigorously.

“It’s not an enemy, it’s DNA! What I mean is that there’s some kind of connection between us. She might actually be my real family!”

“You’re basing all this on just that piece of paper?” Xiao Huai’an pointed to the test report in Ye Xin Ran’s hand.

“Yes!”

Ye Xin Ran nodded. “It’s clearly written here.”

Although Xiao Huai’an didn’t understand what those technical terms meant, the seriousness in Ye Xin Ran’s expression made him believe her.

But…

“As far as I know, Madam Leng only has one son,” Xiao Huai’an reminded her.

“But Madam Leng has mentioned more than once that I look a lot like her elder sister. Her elder sister did have a daughter.”

She added excitedly, “She also said that the daughter didn’t resemble her sister, but I apparently look exactly like her sister did when she was younger. Isn’t it possible that I’m actually Madam Leng’s real daughter?”

Ye Xin Ran voiced her speculation.

Even as she said it, she found it hard to believe. Could it really be such a coincidence?

“The Leng family in the capital does have both a son and a daughter,” Xiao Huai’an said. “But how are we going to prove that you’re her biological daughter? Based on that piece of paper in your hand?

“The Lu family’s rules are strict. I don’t think they’d allow their own daughter to be left outside the family.”

Ye Xin Ran had been filled with excitement at the prospect of being related to such a kind and lovely woman. But Xiao Huai’an’s words were like a cold bucket of water poured over her head.

He’s right.

How would she prove it?

Would she walk up to them and say, “Hey, my DNA matches, I must be your lost daughter?”

Wouldn’t they think she was crazy?

And she still didn’t understand why she ended up in the Ye family in the first place. Rushing to recognize this family might make her look like someone trying to curry favor or climb the social ladder.

What if the Lu family had abandoned her deliberately back then?

She sat back down, hugging her knees again.

“Forget it. It doesn’t matter whether I acknowledge them or not. As long as I know in my heart, that’s enough,” she said quietly.

Seeing the hint of sadness on her face, Xiao Huai’an felt a pang of guilt.

He gently patted her head. “If you truly want to reunite with your family, I’ll do everything I can to help you achieve that.

“But right now, the Lu family’s situation is complicated. I don’t think this is the best time to reveal the truth.”

“I’m not saying I have to reunite with them,” Ye Xin Ran murmured.

“I’m just wondering… if they really are my parents, how did I end up with the Ye family?

“Surely, the Ye family didn’t… steal me, did they?”

“Maybe my parents didn’t want me to begin with.”

“I have a home now, and I can earn a living on my own. I don’t necessarily need to find my biological parents.”

Perhaps it was just her fate to have a thin bond with her parents.

In her previous life, she had lost her parents at a young age. And in this life, she still hadn’t felt the warmth of parental love.

It was destiny.

Having figured this out, Ye Xin Ran seemed to calm down all at once.

She sat there quietly, not crying or making a fuss, nor saying another word.

Seeing her so still, Xiao Huai’an gently urged, “You should get some rest.”

“Okay.”

Ye Xin Ran obediently lay down.

Xiao Huai’an got up to leave, but she grabbed his sleeve again.

“Didn’t you say to rest? Why aren’t you lying down to rest?”

Xiao Huai’an chuckled helplessly.

“I’ll go fetch some water to help you wash your face first.”

“Alright.”

Ye Xin Ran stayed still, behaving like a perfect child.

Xiao Huai’an couldn’t figure out whether she was drunk or sober at this point.

If she was drunk, her thoughts were far too coherent.

But if she was sober, why was she suddenly so compliant and docile?

When Xiao Huai’an brought back warm water, he wrung out the cloth and gently wiped her face, starting with her brows and eyes.

Ye Xin Ran stared at him with her beautiful eyes the entire time. Wherever he moved, her gaze followed.

Under her shimmering gaze, Xiao Huai’an’s movements became even more tender.

“Is she looking at me with her whole heart and soul right now?”

“I never imagined I’d mean so much to her.”

After he finished washing her face and hands, Ye Xin Ran tugged on his sleeve again.

“Now can we rest?”

“Yes.”

Xiao Huai’an tossed the cloth into the basin.

He turned off the light, removed his shoes, and got into bed in one fluid motion.

Ye Xin Ran grabbed the entire blanket and wrapped herself into a little bundle. She snuggled closer to Xiao Huai’an’s shoulder, letting out a contented sigh.

“Finally, I can sleep.”

Then, she drifted off to dreamland.