Ye Junze looked so distracted that Ye Yanxi couldn't help frowning. She went to the kitchen and took out a few oranges.
Just then, she saw Ye Junze standing by the window. Every time there was the sound of a car, his whole body seemed to tense up. His eyes would follow the car closely until it drove away and the sound faded. Then he would relax and sit back on the sofa.
Ye Yanxi casually handed him an orange. "Dad, what are you always looking out for?"
Ye Junze mechanically reached out to take the orange and replied absent - mindedly, "It's nothing. I'm not looking at anything."
"Dad, you've been really strange today. What on earth are you worried about? Can't you tell me?" Ye Yanxi asked with some concern, looking at Ye Junze suspiciously.
"You're overthinking. I'm fine. I'm really fine." Ye Junze immediately smiled at her.
"Really?" Ye Yanxi still didn't believe it. She stared straight into his eyes, hoping to find something amiss. But Ye Junze only glanced at her and then averted his gaze.
Ye Yanxi thought that maybe it had something to do with the cars outside the villa.
They chatted aimlessly for a while. Suddenly, there was a screeching of brakes outside. A car stopped outside the gate, and the driver even honked the horn a few times. Ye Junze immediately sat up straight. He was sure it was the Jiang family's car.
Ye Junze sat on the sofa, his body rigid and his face looking rather pale.
Ye Yanxi walked to the window and looked out. It was indeed the car of Yan Zhen from the Jiang family.
"Dad, Mrs. Jiang is here again." Ye Yanxi was very puzzled. Yan Zhen had come at noon, so why was she here again in the afternoon? What on earth was going on?
Ye Yanxi walked towards the door to open it, but Ye Junze suddenly stood up and quickly grabbed her arm. This made Ye Yanxi's heart skip a beat, and she also felt nervous.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Looking at Ye Junze's expression now, Ye Yanxi didn't know how to describe it. He looked so cautious.
"Xiaoxi, could you...," Ye Junze looked at Ye Yanxi's face expectantly, his eyes pleading, "call me Dad a few more times?"
"Dad, what's gotten into you?" Ye Yanxi was really confused.
Ye Junze looked like an abandoned child, looking at her pitifully, which made her feel both amused and sad.
"Xiaoxi, just call me a few more times."
Seeing Ye Junze pleading again, Ye Yanxi had no choice but to repeat with a mix of laughter and tears, "Dad, Dad..."
With each call, Ye Junze felt more and more at ease.
When Ye Junze was beaming with joy, he finally let Ye Yanxi go open the door, and he followed closely behind.
Yan Zhen was standing quietly at the gate. Green vines climbed all over the fences on both sides.
"Is it okay now?" Yan Zhen was talking to Ye Junze. Ye Yanxi stood aside.
Ye Junze nodded. "It's okay."
"Okay, then I'll take Xiaoye away."
Although Ye Junze was still very reluctant, he forced himself to nod through the pain. "Okay. Wait a minute. Her bag is still in the living room. I'll go get it."
After saying that, Ye Junze trotted into the house.
After Ye Junze went in, Ye Yanxi looked at Yan Zhen doubtfully and said, "My dad seems really strange today. I wonder what you and my dad talked about?"
"He's just doing what he's supposed to do." Yan Zhen smiled, her expression unfathomable.
"What's he supposed to do?"
"You'll know soon. The reason I came to find you is exactly about this matter."
Yan Zhen's smile and Ye Junze's abnormal behavior made Ye Yanxi have a bad feeling. Her intuition told her it wasn't a good thing, so she felt a bit resistant.
"I don't think I want to know what you're going to tell me."
"You'll definitely want to." Yan Zhen's eyes were strangely firm, which made Ye Yanxi stunned. Then she said word by word, "Moreover, you must know the truth of this matter."
Soon, Ye Junze came out with her bag.
When Ye Yanxi saw Ye Junze coming out, her heart suddenly softened. She coquettishly tugged at his arm. "Dad, I've finally come back. I haven't even had enough time at home. I want to stay with you."
This sentence made Ye Junze's already soothed emotions churn again.
Didn't he want Ye Yanxi to stay? But in the end, she had to face all this. So, he could only harden his heart and say, "Xiaoxi, just go with Aunt Jiang. There will be plenty of time for you to come back in the future."
Feeling Ye Junze's firm attitude, Ye Yanxi bit her lip. Even if she wanted to stay, it seemed impossible, right?
Finally, she took the bag from Ye Junze's hand and walked out.
When she reached the car, the driver had already opened the back - seat door in advance. After she got in, the driver closed the door.
The noon sun was very dazzling. Through the heavy and dim car window glass, Ye Yanxi saw that Ye Junze's eyes were always on her. There seemed to be reluctance in his eyes, and his emotions were surging.
After that, Yan Zhen also got in the car and told the driver to start.
"Dad, don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll be back soon." Ye Yanxi waved to Ye Junze, with a bright and dazzling smile on her face.
Ye Junze also forced a smile, endured the reluctance in his heart, and waved back with a smile. "Okay, Dad will wait for you to come back."
Then, the car started and drove towards the unknown, towards the truth of the matter. Watching Ye Junze's figure at the gate getting farther and farther away, Ye Yanxi's smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by deep reluctance.
Yan Zhen beside her seemed to sense her emotions and tightly held her hand. "Xiaoye, don't be afraid. The place I'm taking you to is my home. You'll be very happy because someone is waiting for you."
"Waiting for me? Who is it?"
There was a kind smile on Yan Zhen's face. "You'll know when you get there. She has waited for you for sixteen years."
The Jiang Mansion.
The car soon arrived at the Jiang family's place. Jiang Ye was suddenly shocked to see Ye Yanxi appear. His eyes widened. He secretly clenched his fists in his heart. Could it be that his parents had brought Ye Yanxi here for a blind date with him?
"Mom, why did you bring Miss Ye home? I've already said that she has a boyfriend. There's no way between me and her!"
Yan Zhen glared at him. "I wouldn't introduce her to you even if I introduced anyone. You're supposed to be her uncle."
They were only eight years apart. How could he be in the uncle's generation? Jiang Ye was very unhappy. Ye Yanxi was still Xiao Yu's woman. How could he be older than Xiao Yu here? That old fox Xiao Yu was actually one year older than him!
"Mom, do I look that old?"
"Go stand aside. Come, Xiaoye, I'll take you to see her." Yan Zhen always looked at Ye Yanxi gently.
This was Ye Yanxi's first time coming to the Jiang family. The Jiang family was a real aristocratic family. Jiang Huaiming was an admiral, and both his power and wealth were among the top in City S. This villa was much bigger than the Ye family's, and the decoration was luxurious yet exuded a classical atmosphere.
Although it was magnificent here, Ye Yanxi felt ill - at ease. She felt uncomfortable and still thought the Ye family's place was the best.
Hearing Yan Zhen's words, Ye Yanxi had no choice but to follow behind Yan Zhen and enter the house.
Jiang Huaiming was also in the living room. When he saw Ye Yanxi, he immediately smiled at her. "We meet again."
"Hello, Brother Jiang." Ye Yanxi quickly replied politely. She still remembered that Jiang Huaiming liked others to praise him for looking young.
Jiang Huaiming burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Good, good."
Suddenly meeting Yan Zhen's gaze beside him, Jiang Huaiming looked away awkwardly.
Being called Brother by his own grandson! How many generations was that difference?
"Come, let's go upstairs." Yan Zhen smiled and pulled Ye Yanxi towards the stairs. Jiang Ye followed all the way, very confused. Why did they bring Ye Yanxi to the Jiang family?
They stopped in front of a room on the second floor. Yan Zhen knocked on the door. Jiang Pinzhen quickly opened the door after hearing the sound. Seeing Ye Yanxi and Yan Zhen, she was stunned for a moment and then frowned.
"Mom, what's the matter?"
Ye Yanxi was also stunned when she saw Jiang Pinzhen. Such an unexpected meeting! But then the scene in the hotel flashed through her mind. That slap from Jiang Pinzhen had wiped out all their past affection.
She wasn't the kind of person who didn't know what was good for her. If someone clearly disliked her, she wouldn't be so thick - skinned as to get close.
"Maybe I've come to the wrong place today. Mrs. Jiang, I'll leave first." Ye Yanxi turned around and walked downstairs.
"Wait, Xiaoye. Don't you want to know why you and Pinzhen look so alike?" Yan Zhen called out to stop Ye Yanxi.
Ye Yanxi instinctively stopped and turned around to look at Yan Zhen.
After a pause, Yan Zhen continued, "Xiaoye, it's just as you think. He Man isn't your Aunt He's daughter. And your Aunt He's biological daughter... is you!"
Biological daughter.
These words flashed through Ye Yanxi's mind like an electric shock. It seemed that her mind had stopped working, and only these words kept churning back and forth.
She didn't know how to react.
"You... you said..." Ye Yanxi looked at Jiang Pinzhen in surprise, and the latter's expression was exactly the same as hers.
Jiang Pinzhen couldn't believe it. "Mom, are you sure she's my daughter? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, Mom!" Jiang Ye was also so shocked by this news that he almost lost his balance. He had once joked about this in front of Xiao Yu, but he never thought it was true.
Ye Yanxi was actually his niece. The coincidences in this world were really hard to accept!
"Yes, I've confirmed it. And...," Yan Zhen looked into Ye Yanxi's eyes and told her word by word, "your adoptive father also admitted in person that you're Pinzhen's daughter, which is why he took you back."
So Ye Junze had known all this.
That was why Ye Junze had been so strange in his emotions and behavior today, and had said so many strange things.
Jiang Pinzhen was her mother. She wasn't an orphan. She also had parents.
But then, was He Zhenhua her father? Why...
Ye Yanxi felt her mind was in a complete mess.
"Xiaoxi, are you... really my child?" Jiang Pinzhen's eyes were filled with tears, and her voice was a bit trembling.
"No, no. I think there must be a mistake. I want to go back." Ye Yanxi took two steps back, unable to bear it anymore. Then she fled in a hurry under everyone's gazes.
"Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi..." Jiang Pinzhen still called out to Ye Yanxi behind her, but she didn't even stop and rushed downstairs.
"Pinzhen, she can't accept it for the time being. Let her calm down first." Yan Zhen stopped Jiang Pinzhen who wanted to chase after Ye Yanxi.
On the other hand, Jiang Ye was completely shocked. He immediately called Xiao Yu. "Hey... nephew - in - law."