Chapter 518: The Truth of the Past

Chapter 518: Chapter 483: The Truth of the Past

Yun Jiao wasn’t in a hurry to deal with the Su family. After all, she didn’t even consider them a threat anymore.

She had someone start collecting information on Su Kangcheng and Sun Shuzhen, digging up any dirt they could find. She refused to believe the two of them had lived spotless lives.

Then, she put the matter aside and went back to her own business.

Before the investigation on Su Kangcheng and his wife landed in her hands, Yun Jiao’s identity was unexpectedly exposed.

The main reason was her face. She bore a strong resemblance to An Zhiya, though her own features were more refined and beautiful.

And the one who recognized her was An Zhiya’s best friend, who was now the madam of the prestigious Rong family.

That day, Yun Jiao was out shopping for clothes at a high-end boutique with Brother Nine when she ran into Fu Mingyu’s stepmother.

Fu Mingyu’s father wasn’t there; it was just his stepmother shopping with her niece.

Seeing Yun Jiao this time, she dropped the pretense.

“Yun Jiao, a person needs to know their place. You’re just some poor girl from a little fishing village. It was hard enough for you to get into a good university, so don’t be overly ambitious. I know Fu Mingyu is probably the richest person you’ve ever come across, but you’re not in his league.”

“That boy, Mingyu, might have some affection for you now, but people, especially men, are fickle. The two of you are from completely different worlds. If you get together, you’re bound to have endless conflicts. It would be better to leave him now with some dignity, rather than wait for things to get ugly.”

Yun Jiao held back Brother Nine, who looked ready to charge forward and curse her out, and asked with a beaming smile,

“Well then, Mrs. Fu, in what capacity did you marry Fu Mingyu’s father?”

Mrs. Fu’s expression instantly turned sour.

“If I recall correctly, there’s less than a year’s age difference between Fu Mingqi and Fu Mingyu, right? And Fu Mingyu’s mother died when he was four.”

“Let’s not even talk about my relationship with Fu Mingyu, which is nothing but your baseless speculation. But even if there were something going on, a wicked stepmother like you who got her position by being a mistress, who abused Fu Mingyu and even had him trafficked—where do you get the nerve to meddle in his affairs?”

“You… You sharp-tongued little shrew, you’re spouting nonsense!”

“That’s hilarious. An illegitimate daughter herself, and she’s looking down on a proper university student.”

“Oh, and not just an illegitimate daughter. A shameless mistress, too. And… a wicked stepmother?”

A woman walked in, her words dripping with mockery for Mrs. Fu.

Yun Jiao turned to see a woman who looked exceedingly wealthy.

It was hard to tell her age, as she was impeccably well-maintained.

“Song Qing, shut your mouth!”

“What? It’s not like your background is some big secret. Am I not allowed to talk about it?”

She clicked her tongue. “TSK TSK. You don’t really think everyone’s forgotten just because a few years have passed, do you?”

She covered her mouth and chuckled. “Don’t be so confident. Everyone is just being polite to your face. Behind your back, nobody respects you.”

Mrs. Fu was seething with hatred, but Song Qing’s husband was more powerful than her own. She was no match for Song Qing, so in the end, she could only retreat in disgrace.

‘What an unlucky day,’ she thought. ‘I should have checked the almanac before leaving the house. Being told off by that little bitch Yun Jiao was bad enough, but then Song Qing had to show up too.’

After Mrs. Fu left, Yun Jiao was about to thank the woman, but she suddenly walked over, hooked a finger under Yun Jiao’s chin, and studied her face.

“The resemblance… It’s uncanny.”

Yun Jiao: ???

“In a world of billions, faces can be similar. But this hair color can’t be a coincidence.”

Yun Jiao pulled back slightly. “Ma’am, what are you talking about?”

The woman started to laugh, but as she did, a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.

“I’m not just ‘Ma’am’ to you. Actually, you should be calling me godmother.”

*

The situation was too complicated, so they found a place to sit down and talk.

Song Qing introduced herself as the madam of the Rong family.

The Rong family came from a long line of military leaders.

She and An Zhiya had been very close—best friends, as well as cousins.

The two of them told each other everything.

She told Yun Jiao the story of An Zhiya and Su Kangcheng, which was more or less what Yun Jiao had already uncovered.

When Song Qing saw no hint of surprise on Yun Jiao’s face, she was a little incredulous.

“You already knew?”

Yun Jiao didn’t hide it and simply nodded.

Song Qing was stunned for a moment. Seeing how calm she was at such a young age, not showing the slightest bit of excitement at learning she was the true heiress of a wealthy family, she couldn’t help but grow curious about her background.

“You found all this out yourself?”

Yun Jiao nodded again.

Song Qing gave a meaningful smile. “It seems that Mrs. Fu completely misjudged you.”

If Yun Jiao could investigate all this on her own, Song Qing didn’t believe for a second that she was just a poor university student.

“But I bet you don’t know who your father is,” Song Qing said with certainty.

This was something Yun Jiao truly didn’t know, and a glimmer of curiosity appeared in her eyes.

Song Qing looked smug.

“Speaking of which, your father was actually a man your mother found and brought home. She fell for him at first sight.”

Yun Jiao and Yun Xiaojiu’s eyes both went wide. ‘Found and brought home?’

Song Qing then told them a story that few people knew.

“Zhiya and I were traveling by the coast back then. She loved to paint—you know how artists cherish freedom and find inspiration in the mountains and seas. We were staying by the ocean, and one morning, very early, Zhiya brought a man back. He was incredibly handsome, with classic Eastern features, but his hair and eyes were blue, just like yours.”

She observed Yun Jiao closely.

“Though I feel your color is a bit purer, more beautiful. His was a little lighter.”

“The moment that man opened his eyes, he and Zhiya were smitten. As they spent more time together, their feelings for each other grew stronger and stronger. I felt like such a third wheel that I was too embarrassed to hang around them.”

“Eventually, they officially started dating.”

As she said this, a happy smile spread across Song Qing’s face.

“But…”

“A sudden storm swept through the coastal town where we were staying, creating a small tsunami. Zhiya and I were both dragged into the water. It was your father who saved us. But after he got Zhiya to safety, he was swept away by the waves.

We searched for a long time but couldn’t find him. Zhiya was so devastated she even wanted to jump into the sea to follow him in death. It was only when she discovered she was pregnant that she finally calmed down.

After we returned, Zhiya just wanted to give birth to you safely and peacefully. But the circumstances were complicated. If she gave birth to you without being married, malicious people would have reported her. The An family was already under scrutiny, and Zhiya’s unwed pregnancy would have put them in even greater danger.

So, at the time, we had to find someone to marry your mother as a cover. That person was your maternal grandfather’s student, Su Kangcheng. He knew about Zhiya’s situation and voluntarily stepped forward to help. It was meant to be a marriage in name only; they were not supposed to have any real relationship.

But no one expected Su Kangcheng to be such a monster in human disguise. Zhiya went into labor suddenly—it was a premature birth, two weeks early. I wasn’t there at the time, and Uncle An was also away on business. Su Kangcheng was the only one there, so he handled everything.

By the time I got the news, Zhiya was already very weak. Her health deteriorated, and she died in less than a year. The blow was too much for Uncle An to bear, and he fell ill.”

“After all the An family members were gone, Su Kangcheng quickly took complete control of the An family’s assets. Just six months after Uncle An’s death, he brought Sun Shuzhen into the home, using the excuse that the child needed a caretaker. Sun Shuzhen was very good to Su Nian—everyone acknowledged her as a good ‘stepmother’—but she was almost *too* good.

And as Su Nian grew older, I realized she didn’t look anything like Zhiya, nor did she bear any resemblance to your father. I started to get suspicious and began investigating privately, and I managed to uncover quite a bit.

Su Kangcheng had been involved with Sun Shuzhen for a long time, and she had even been pregnant once long before, though very few people knew about it. So I made a bold guess: Su Nian was not Zhiya’s child at all.”

“Later, I bribed a servant in the Su household to get hair samples from the three of them for a paternity test. Just as I suspected, Su Nian is Su Kangcheng and Sun Shuzhen’s biological daughter.”

Song Qing sneered. “Su Kangcheng played his cards perfectly. His ambition is not small. Through this scheme, his own daughter gets to legitimately inherit the family fortune, while he and Sun Shuzhen get to maintain their good reputation.”

Song Qing’s gaze fell upon Yun Jiao.

“The moment I saw you, I knew you were Zhiya’s child.”

“Child, do you want to take back the An family?”

Yun Jiao nodded. “I don’t particularly care about the An family’s wealth, but I can’t let it fall into the hands of my mother’s murderers.”

‘That’s right,’ Yun Jiao thought. ‘There are no such coincidences. Even without evidence, I’m already certain that Su Kangcheng and Sun Shuzhen are the ones who murdered my mother and grandfather.’

Although she had grown up without them and had no emotional attachment to the mother and grandfather she had never met, this was a debt that had to be repaid.

Song Qing looked at her, her eyes filled with gratification.

“Good girl. In ten days, it will be Su Kangcheng’s birthday banquet. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll give them a little surprise?”

Naturally, Yun Jiao had no objection.

But how could she prove that she was An Zhiya’s daughter?

Song Qing said, “All we have to do is prove that Su Nian is Sun Shuzhen’s daughter.”