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Chapter 34: The Biological Father of the Fake Heiress
At the entrance of the Chen residence, the street bustled with carriages and horses, and a steady stream of guests arrived.
Master Chen and his son-in-law, Pan Bin, stood at either side of the mansion gates, beaming as they welcomed the arriving guests.
Since the death of Master Chen’s son, no matter the occasion—be it promotions or birthdays—he had refrained from hosting grand events, always keeping things low-key.
Therefore, many people attended this time for the Chen Matriarch’s birthday banquet.
When he saw several of the Fang family’s carriages slowly come to a stop, Pan Bin’s eyes lit up.
That day, when his daughter came to the residence, he hadn’t had the chance to meet her. According to Xiang’er, their daughter looked somewhat like him—beautiful and charming.
Today, he would finally have the opportunity to see her in person.
With that thought, he quickly stepped forward to warmly greet the Fang family men.
“Gentlemen, please come in! Refreshments to cool you down have already been prepared inside,” Pan Bin said with a wide smile, gesturing for them to enter.
After the Fang family men went in first, the women followed behind Old Madam Meng, entering the mansion one after another.
Pan Bin tilted his head slightly and first noticed a pair of identical-looking children. Then, as a few servants passed by, he finally caught sight of a little girl who bore some resemblance to him.
This must be his daughter—the child Xiang’er had risked her life to give birth to.
But after only a fleeting glance, the child’s figure was blocked by the passing servants.
Pan Bin felt a twinge of reluctance, his gaze following them as they entered the gates.
A surge of joy exploded in his heart, solidifying his resolve to get rid of Chen Susu.
Pan Bin stared into the doorway, lost in thought, unaware that his father-in-law, Master Chen, was quietly observing him.
[That overly enthusiastic man just now is Fang Miaoyi’s biological father, Pan Bin.] Huai Ze perched on Fang Yuean’s shoulder, whispering to her.
Fang Yuean, following behind her mother, was preoccupied with thoughts of what dishes might be served at the banquet.
Hearing Huai Ze’s voice snapped her out of it. [I figured that out already. Tell me something I don’t know.]
Huai Ze paused for a moment. [In the original course of events, Pan Bin was responsible for Chen Susu’s death. He also covered up his involvement in the death of Chen Da so well that the Chen family elders never suspected a thing.]
[After Chen Susu’s death, Pan Bin put on an act of deep affection, as if he couldn’t live without his deceased wife. He never remarried and played the role of a dutiful son-in-law, tending to the elderly couple.]
[The Chen elders, having suffered consecutive blows, grew weaker by the day. Pan Bin and Meng Xiang stayed by their bedside, never leaving their side, which deeply moved the couple. Believing the two had it tough, they took the initiative to ask about their intentions and eventually arranged for them to be together.]
[Later, the Chen elders passed away one after the other. Meng Xiang and Pan Bin inherited the family’s wealth, had two more children, and lived a happy life.]
Fang Yuean frowned. [Enough, enough. Stop.]
Hearing about these injustices always made her furious.
Huai Ze clicked his tongue, exasperated. [Hey, you asked to hear it!]
Fang Yuean huffed angrily. [You’re always punishing me, but it’s these humans who ruin lives that are truly unforgivable, okay?]
Back then, even when she and the fox demon took over Beast Mountain and sent the Beast King packing, she hadn’t taken a single life.
[Hmph, I bet that broken Reincarnation Ledger must be malfunctioning, letting all these wicked people live carefree and happy lives.]
Human hearts are complex, and occasional evil deeds in the world are normal.
But if it goes beyond the ordinary, even leading to widespread wars, it signals the arrival of a demon in the world.
Another purpose of the Reincarnation Ledger is to foresee the descent of demons.
This was something Huai Ze couldn’t bring himself to tell Fang Yuean.
Thinking of the hundred lifetimes they had experienced together, Huai Ze suddenly felt a wave of sadness and conflicting emotions.
If Fang Yuean never changed her nature and failed to complete the task given by the Divine Lord, would she be sentenced to death?
All the gods said she was a demon, but after spending a hundred lifetimes with her, Huai Ze hesitated.
There was one thing Huai Ze wasn’t sure he had done right.
At first, he had the intention of ascending to immortality, but now… he couldn’t say for sure.
If Fang Yuean ever found out the truth, she’d probably beat him to a pulp.
Or even roast him alive—it was highly likely.
Inside the main hall of the mansion, it was lively and bustling, mostly with women gathered in small groups, chatting casually.
Children crouched in front of basins of ice, watching the ice melt, as if that alone could cool them down.
Most of the men, finding the room stuffy, followed the male host of the house to the pavilion by the pond to play chess. Some gathered in the corridors, chatting idly, eagerly discussing matters concerning the Song and Lin families.
Old Madam Chen sat at the head of the room, her face adorned with a gentle smile. She responded to those offering their greetings and birthday wishes with auspicious words.
Old Madam Meng led the Fang family forward to offer their congratulations. After exchanging pleasantries, she took a seat beside Old Madam Chen, calling her “sister” affectionately and engaging in lively conversation.
However, the maid Nanny Zhang by her side seemed somewhat distracted.
The men of the Fang family had already gone outside.
Qin Xuan took her daughter to look for Lady Xu.
Fang Yuean squeezed up next to Xu Wanyin, grinning widely. “Sister Xu, that Bingxue Leng Yuanzi you had my mother bring back last time was so delicious!”
She didn’t know that when her mother and older brother visited the Xu family that time, they had handled something very important.
Xu Wanyin smiled, patting Fang Yuean’s head gently. “I’ll make more for you next time.”
A familiar woman nearby overheard and teased, “That’s your future sister-in-law, you know. She’ll be moving into your house soon.”
Xu Wanyin blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
Qin Xuan laughed and scolded, “You wicked woman, teasing a little girl like that.”
Another woman joined in, laughing and lowering her voice slightly. “Oh, she’s just thinking about giving her husband a late-in-life son!”
The teased woman pretended to be annoyed, giving her a playful smack. “You’ve gone and spilled all my secrets!”
The group of women burst into laughter.
Soon after, they noticed that Er’er (Yuean’s twin) could now communicate normally with others. Everyone was astonished and praised that the old immortal must not be an ordinary person.
They pressed Qin Xuan for details, but when she said it was just a chance encounter and she didn’t know where the immortal lived, they changed the subject.
At that moment, Lady Cao approached with her eight-year-old son, greeting Qin Xuan proactively.
She had overheard some of their conversation and assumed Qin Xuan was keeping things secret because it was important. This made her even more grateful, so she didn’t mention the wooden carving at all.
It was Fang Yuean, the five-year-old daughter of the Fang family, who had told her son about the old immortal. If this was meant to be kept secret, wouldn’t the little one be punished when she got home?
Thinking of this, Lady Cao felt a pang of guilt.
Her gaze drifted between the twins—one was holding a bowl, eating bean ice, seemingly oblivious to everything around; the other was chatting and laughing with the Xu family’s daughter.
She wasn’t sure which one was the An’an her son had mentioned, and she didn’t ask, not wanting to draw attention.
Her son had been right—no gesture of gratitude would compare to helping the Fang family find Fang Zhan.
They had already sent people out with strict orders: whoever brought him back safely would be heavily rewarded.
Hopefully, there would be good news soon.
Thinking of this, she decided to pray to that wooden idol again.
“Last time Sister Qin visited our house, I didn’t have enough Bijian Dou’er Cake prepared, and the children ended up fighting over it. I truly didn’t play the proper host.”
Meng Xiang, with a gentle smile and graceful steps, approached, carrying a plate of Bijian Dou’er Cake.