When Xiao Yanzhi heard Sheng Jingxi's voice, he almost hung up the phone instantly.
It wasn't until he realized what he had done that he found it rather absurd.
What was he afraid of?
Was he afraid that Sheng Jingxi would find out about his phone call with Jiang Li and it would bring her trouble?
He never thought he would end up hiding like a coward one day.
...
Early one morning, Xiao Yanzhi asked his driver to take him to Happy Street, the place where Zhou Ningyun currently lived.
It had rained the previous day. Happy Street was an old neighborhood, and the roads were covered with mud soaked by the rain, extremely mucky.
Xiao Yanzhi got out of the car and walked to the apartment building where Zhou Ningyun lived.
The houses here were all rather short, only four or five stories high. They were so low that there was no need to install elevators.
Xiao Yanzhi was dressed elegantly and expensively, standing out like a sore thumb in this environment.
Near the bushes downstairs, some kids were playing hide - and - seek. They were laughing and making a ruckus, chasing each other. As they ran past, they stepped on the puddles, splashing water everywhere.
He wondered if Jiang Li had been as happy as them when she was a child.
When he knocked on the door, Zhou Ningyun was cooking in the kitchen.
Seeing Xiao Yanzhi standing at her door, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She lowered her head and wiped her hands on her apron. "Mr. Xiao, please come in."
Xiao Yanzhi nodded slightly and bent down to enter the small house.
The house was pitifully small, yet it was stuffed full of things. There was hardly any room to stand. It was a two - bedroom, one - living - room layout, and the furniture looked old.
"Make yourself at home, make yourself at home." Zhou Ningyun quickly poured water for Xiao Yanzhi and said, "My house is shabby. Please don't mind it."
Xiao Yanzhi shook his head, his eyes falling on the doorways of the two bedrooms. "Which room did Jiang Li live in when she was a child?"
Zhou Ningyun's movements froze slightly.
But she quickly came up with an excuse and replied with an awkward smile, "Li Li has been studying in a boarding school since she was a child. She usually lived in the dormitory."
This meant that Jiang Li didn't have her own room.
"Then where did she stay during the winter and summer vacations?"
Zhou Ningyun rubbed her hands awkwardly and pointed at the sofa where Xiao Yanzhi was sitting. "That child has been thin since she was a child. It was quite suitable for her to sleep on the sofa. No one would bother her."
What a high - sounding explanation.
Xiao Yanzhi looked down at the sofa.
It was very small. A high - school student would fall off the sofa if they turned over. It was hard to imagine that she had spent one night after another here.
Xiao Yanzhi's face darkened slightly.
Noticing the change in his aura, Zhou Ningyun didn't dare to say anything more. She stood there, looking very embarrassed. "Mr. Xiao, do you have any questions?"
Xiao Yanzhi pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard to control his annoyance. He asked in a deep voice, "Is Jiang Li your daughter?"
Zhou Ningyun was stunned and tried to evade the question. "Of course she is my daughter. I've raised her since she was a child. And I paid for her schooling. It was only after she got into college that I finally didn't have to spend money on her."
Her explanation sounded rather far - fetched. "She has never been a worry - free child. She was sickly and weak, and I took her to the hospital many times. Mr. Xiao, you know our family's situation. To be honest, I kind of regret raising her..."
"She is not your daughter." Xiao Yanzhi glanced at her coldly. "Zhou Ningyun, I'm here today to hear the truth from you."
He slammed the cup on the table. His aura was intimidating. "Jiang Li is not your biological daughter. You know this better than I do."
Zhou Ningyun was so scared that her legs went weak.
"I admit that Jiang Li is not my biological child." She stammered. "I adopted Jiang Li back then, thinking that it would be good to have an extra child to keep Jiang Yi company."
What a good excuse of "keeping company".
Xiao Yanzhi's eyebrow twitched. He squinted his eyes irritably. "The adoption address and the adoption contract. Hand them over."
Zhou Ningyun was completely terrified. "What adoption contract? I've never heard of it!"
"If there is no adoption contract, then you are suspected of child trafficking." Xiao Yanzhi said calmly. "Ms. Zhou, I don't think you want to go to jail."
"Nonsense!" Zhou Ningyun was scared out of her wits. Her voice rose. "How could I traffic a child? She was abandoned. I was kind - hearted and took her in back then!"
After that, no matter how much Xiao Yanzhi asked, Zhou Ningyun would only say that Jiang Li had been abandoned back then and her biological mother didn't want her.
This trip was a complete waste of time.
Xiao Yanzhi walked out of Zhou Ningyun's shabby house, his mood getting heavier.
If Jiang Li knew that she had been abandoned back then, would she be even more devastated?
Xue An couldn't help but persuade him kindly. "Mr. Xiao, what you're doing is useless. Even if you help Sister Jiang Li find her biological parents, she may not thank you."
Xiao Yanzhi was already in a bad mood. Hearing Xue An chattering beside him, his temple throbbed. "Be quiet."
Just then, Qiao Jinrun happened to pass by. Seeing Xiao Yanzhi here, he was a bit surprised but still stepped forward to greet him. "Mr. Xiao."
"Doctor Qiao."
Qiao Jinrun looked at Xiao Yanzhi and said gently, "How's your recovery?"
Xiao Yanzhi nodded. "It's almost there."
Apart from a scar on his back, there weren't any other major problems.
"Why are you here, Doctor Qiao?" Xue An was really curious and couldn't help asking. "Do you have relatives or friends living here?"
"I'm here to visit my parents." Qiao Jinrun lifted the plastic bag in his hand, which contained freshly - bought vegetables.
Seeing Xiao Yanzhi alone, Qiao Jinrun asked again, "Isn't Jiang Li with you?"
In his opinion, after experiencing such a big accident, the two of them should be together by now.
After all, true feelings are revealed in times of adversity.
Xue An winked at him and whispered, "Doctor Qiao, Sister Jiang Li and Mr. Xiao have broken up. Don't mention it."
Qiao Jinrun also lowered his voice and said with an understanding look on his face, "Oh, I see."
Xiao Yanzhi: "..."
He might be standing a bit far away, but it didn't mean he couldn't hear.
Xue An suddenly had an idea. "Doctor Qiao, did you live around here when you were a child? Then you and Sister Jiang Li are quite fated. She also lived around here when she was a child."
"Jiang Li?" Qiao Jinrun was also stunned. This news was quite sudden to him. It took him a few seconds to react and then he seemed to remember something.
"So it wasn't just my imagination."
He suddenly smiled, his smile as gentle as the sun. "So we've known each other for a long time."
A long, long time ago.
When she was just a little girl.
Xue An didn't understand what he meant, and Xiao Yanzhi frowned tightly as well.
Qiao Jinrun looked down at the things in his hand and then looked up at Xiao Yanzhi. He invited, "Mr. Xiao, if you don't mind, could you wait for me to put these things back? Then we can find a place to talk."