“The last time I attended a banquet, the manager from the Zhan Corporation got drunk and let it slip. You must not tell anyone about this, as we are still cooperating with the Zhan family!”
Catherine held up a finger in a shushing gesture. A moment later, she looked somewhat annoyed, as if she regretted saying too much.
Song Lijun and Feng Zhenhua took a while to snap back to reality. They always lost their composure and judgment when it came to matters concerning Wei Yumeng.
Now facing the daughter they had meticulously raised for decades, the couple found themselves completely swayed by Catherine.
“Look at my mouth, Mom and Dad seem to have a good impression of Madam Zhan. Did I ruin her image in your hearts?”
Catherine scratched the back of her head, looking at the couple with an embarrassed expression and sighing.
“How could that be? Madam Zhan and we… we’ve only met a few times,” Song Lijun managed a strained smile, her eyes filled with worry betraying her thoughts.
“Actually, Madam Zhan’s approach isn’t wrong. If parents give birth to a child and then abandon them, what’s the difference between having no parents? Who needs parents like that?”
Catherine voiced her opinion, patting the table indignantly as she spoke with fervor, grumbling with displeasure.
Her words struck a chord. Song Lijun’s face grew even paler upon hearing Catherine’s statement. She suddenly clutched her chest, feeling a heavy ache spread through her heart.
“Alright, Xiaolin!”
Feng Zhenhua noticed his wife’s distressed expression and lowered his voice, stopping Catherine. He furrowed his brow and gently patted Song Lijun’s back.
“I’m sorry, I spoke too loudly and scared Mom.”
Her father’s rare outburst startled Catherine. She quickly apologized and went to check on Song Lijun.
After decades together, even though she knew the truth, she wasn’t a cold-blooded animal. Her concern for Song Lijun was genuine.
“Zhenhua, don’t blame the child. What she said… isn’t wrong either.”
Song Lijun spoke up for Catherine, her eyes glistening with tears. Xiaolin meant no harm; it was simply that because they had done something wrong, they couldn’t bear such heart-wrenching words.
However, Catherine also felt a dull ache in her heart. She widened her eyes, looking at Song Lijun, and bit her lip before sitting back down.
On the surface, her mother was speaking up for her, but in reality, her mother cared about the words themselves, and cared about Wei Yumeng!
“Before Madam Zhan married into the Zhan family, she had a very difficult life. Her father neglected her, so naturally, her life was even more arduous than those who had both parents.”
Catherine suppressed her emotions and delivered another potent blow to the couple.
“Anyone else would resent her father! And since Madam Zhan is living well now, it’s only natural to feel vindicated that she retaliates against the father who didn’t love her.”
These words reopened the couple’s old wounds and foreshadowed their worst fears.
Their resolve, shattered by a few sentences, left them speechless.
“Xiaolin!” Feng Zhenhua stopped Catherine from continuing. He stood up and paced the room. When he met his daughter’s questioning gaze, Feng Zhenhua could only swallow his anger.
“This is Madam Zhan’s private family matter. It’s best we don’t gossip behind her back.”
The preposterous excuse almost made Catherine laugh out loud. She cast a cold glance at Song Lijun, who sat silently on the sofa, her mind made up.
Her father was steadfast, but her mother was different. And her father listened to her mother in everything. If she could win over her mother, everything would be easy.
“Alright, alright. I just saw Madam Zhan today and felt inspired,” Catherine waved her hand dismissively, wrinkling her nose and pouting in protest. “After such a difficult past, Madam Zhan is finally living a good life.”
Feng Zhenhua also recalled the scene he had witnessed at the hospital that day. Zhan Mohan, he could tell, was a man brimming with affection for Yumeng, likely doting on her immensely.
They also had a pair of well-behaved twins. With the Zhan family’s support, Yumeng would lack nothing. All she needed to do was walk this path with Zhan Mohan…
Feng Zhenhua suddenly felt much older. His grown eagle had learned to soar and had found a companion, no longer needing an aging old eagle.
“Do you like her very much?” Feng Zhenhua suddenly asked, his gaze fixed on Catherine.
“I just hear her rumors constantly since coming here. I admire Madam Zhan for her resilience and hope her happiness won’t be disrupted in the future,” Catherine said, her body tensing as she met her father’s eyes, before hastily changing the subject.
Silence descended upon the room once more. After an indeterminate amount of time, a hotel employee pushed a lunch cart into the room.
Catherine volunteered to open the door, directing the server to arrange the meal. However, the air was thick with melancholy, suggesting the couple had lost their appetites.
“Xiaolin, you should head back to the company. Don’t let this delay your work,” Feng Zhenhua spoke first.
Catherine glanced at the untouched lunch, then at Song Lijun sitting forlornly in a corner, and Feng Zhenhua with his furrowed brow…
“Alright, I’ll be going then. Call me if you need anything.”
Feng Zhenhua nodded and watched Catherine’s figure gradually disappear through the doorway.
After she left, Song Lijun finally let out a faint sob. She held her forehead, realizing all her fantasies had been shattered by reality.
“From Yumeng’s perspective, it’s understandable. She’s no longer a three-year-old child, and her biological parents are only appearing now!”
Feng Zhenhua sighed. He also realized the situation was more complicated than they had imagined. If Yumeng were from an ordinary family, perhaps she would be happy.
But she was part of the renowned Zhan family, with wealth beyond measure, and the stars and moon within reach.
“It’s not your fault; we were too narrow-minded in our thinking,” Feng Zhenhua tried to comfort Song Lijun, but he couldn’t even convince himself.
“What’s the point of revealing ourselves now? It would seem like we’re desperately trying to curry favor with the Zhan family, which is unfair to Yumeng and awkward for everyone!”
Song Lijun’s anger took over. She blamed no one but herself.
“Our family is no less than the Zhan family… Keep your voice down, Xiaolin might not be far,” Feng Zhenhua said with a hint of helplessness at his wife’s obstinacy. His wife, when upset, was impossible to control.
But it couldn’t be helped; this matter concerned their biological daughter…
Song Lijun was silenced by Feng Zhenhua’s words. She sat on the sofa fuming in silence. Feng Zhenhua gently coaxed her, using tissues to wipe her tears.
“Have you made up your mind?”
After Song Lijun calmed down, Feng Zhenhua asked. What she had said earlier all made sense, but…
Are you really not going to acknowledge her?