The floor was covered in marble tiles, yet Lin Xinyan felt as though she was walking through cotton, making her feel insecure. She didn’t know what was in store for her.
The more she anticipated it, the more anxious she got.
She didn’t know if good news or bad news were waiting for me.
Their footsteps seemed to echo through the large courtyard.
Every echo sent ripples through her heart.
The door was red in color with intricate carvings on it, and there was a woman standing in front of a table with her back facing the door. She put her palms together, as though she was praying.
When they got to the door, Cheng Yuwen patted Lin Xinyan’s shoulder to tell her to stop moving. Lin Xinyan understood what he meant and nodded.
Cheng Yuwen lifted his foot over the doorstep and walked into the house.
“You still dare to come and see me?” The woman yelled, clearly angered.
Lin Xinyan shivered. That was definitely Yuxiu’s voice.
Her hands balled into fists by her sides.
Who in the world was she?
A million questions circled around in her mind, yet no one could answer them.
Cheng Yuwen stood behind her and looked at the table in silence. The memorials of the Cheng family ancestors were lined up neatly on it.
“I don’t want our family art and traditions to die just like that…”
“You’re stupid!” Cheng Yuxiu yelled, turning around. “We made a promise…”
She noticed Lin Xinyan standing at the door and cut herself off.
Her voice began to shake as she spoke again. “W-why are you here?”
She looked at Cheng Yuwen again. “You’re saying that she’s your student?”
Her face paled bit by bit and her breath quickened, making her whole body trembled, as though she was going to collapse any moment.
“That’s right,” Cheng Yuwen said, oblivious to her anger. “You can’t tell your secret to your son or your daughter-in-law, yet you gave Lin Xinyan our family heirloom. Doesn’t that mean she has the right to learn the art of tea silk weaving? I’m sure you don’t want that skill to vanish from the face of the earth?”
Lin Xinyan raised her hand and looked at the jade bangle on her hand. Didn’t it belong to the Zongs?
Didn’t Cheng Yuxiu say that she received the bangle from her mother-in-law?
Since when did it belong to the Cheng‘s’?
Cheng Yuxiu’s beautiful features were tainted with anger. “Don’t you know that you’re going to ruin her life if you do this?”
“I know, but I can’t just sit by and watch the Cheng‘s’ disappear from the world without a trace.”
Cheng Yuwen held on fast to his beliefs. Stepping forward, he put his hands on his sister’s shoulders. “I’m old, and I don’t have much time left. I don’t wish for anything, but I don’t want to see the downfall of the Cheng‘s’.”
Cheng Yuxiu clenched her fists. “Even so, you shouldn’t have kept me in the dark while you do whatever you want!”
Cheng Yuwen turned around. “If I told you first, you wouldn’t have agreed. Since when did you ever care about the Cheng family? The only people you care about are your husband and your son.”
He got angrier as he spoke. “You don’t care about the Cheng‘s’ anymore! Your world only revolves around the Zong’s now!” He began to shout at her.
Cheng Yuxiu closed her eyes and forced herself to stay calm.
When Cheng Yuwen called her to tell her about his new student, she was furious. However, little did she expect the student to be Lin Xinyan.
“Please don’t get mad. We can’t reverse this anymore,” Cheng Yuwen said, sighing. “I’m the only person who understands your pain all these years. Isn’t this an opportunity from the heavens? We make fabric, and your daughter-in-law makes clothes. Such is fate, isn’t it?”
Cheng Yuxiu didn’t know how to answer to that.
It made sense, despite the oath they had taken.
If her secret got exposed, the aftermath would be devastating.
“I believe you have a lot to say to your daughter-in-law? I’ve prepped the west wing, so both of you can stay there tonight. If you need me, I’ll be in the front yard,” he said, before walking out. When he passed Lin Xinyan on the way, he put his hand on her shoulder. “Whatever you want to know, you may ask her.”
He turned around to look at his sister. “You’ve got yourself a pretty good daughter-in-law. She’s got the looks and is a fast learner too. Her kids look just like Jinghao. I know you can’t reveal who you really are, but I can assure you that you won’t have any regrets.”
Cheng Yuwen sighed lightly, as though he didn’t know what to make of his past.
Lin Xinyan found out about a lot of things from their conversation, though there were still a lot of details that she didn’t quite figure out.
She suddenly had a barrage of questions to ask Cheng Yuxiu.
The moment she opened her mouth Cheng Yuxiu cut her off, visibly fatigued from this sudden shock.
“Give me a minute.”
Cheng Yuxiu’s body swayed from side to side, looking as though she was going to fall over any moment.
Lin Xinyan walked over and gave her a shoulder to lean on. “I’ll help you to the west wing.”
Cheng Yuwen said that the west wing was ready for them to move in, so she would definitely be able to take a rest there.
Cheng Yuxiu was really tired, and she held on to Lin Xinyan’s arm as they walked into the west wing from the front yard.
The moment she opened the door, Lin Xinyan got a huge shock. The room looked like it belonged to a young girl, with pink and pastel themed furniture and walls. The white bed was lined with a frilly pink curtain, with a round dressing table sitting next to it. The closet was filled with cute dolls that girls would like.
It seemed as though someone had put a lot of effort into decorating this room.
Although it was clean, it was clear that it had not seen any inhabitant for a while.
Cheng Yuxiu was just as shocked as she was, though her shock turned to sadness. “This used to be my room, decorated by my father. He meant to remind me to respect the family and never forget the things he had done for me.”
Essentially, he was telling her to keep the art of tea silk weaving alive no matter what.
That was something passed down from generation to generation.
She belonged to the Cheng‘s’ so it was her duty to keep the skill alive.
Lin Xinyan led her to the bed and put a pillow behind her bed to make it more comfortable。
Cheng Yuxiu held on to Lin Xinyan’s hand as she sat down on the bed.
Lin Xinyan sat down with her as well.
Cheng Yuxiu looked at her while grasping her hand with her own. “I’m sure you have a lot to ask me?”
Lin Xinyan nodded immediately. “Are you Zong Jinghao’s birth mother?” She started.
That was a speculation she got from the conversation between Cheng Yuwen and Cheng Yuxiu, though she couldn’t confirm if it was true.
Cheng Yuxiu looked at her for a long while, as though she was debating with herself. Finally, she nodded and said, “Yes.”
Lin Xinyan took in a deep breath. What kind of past did she have that she won’t even tell her son about?
She can’t even face him?
As a mother herself, she knew how painful Cheng Yuxiu must have felt.
“Can you tell me what’s going on here?” Lin Xinyan asked, gesturing at the jade bangle on her wrist. She proceeded to tell her about Bai Yinning as well. “When I got into trouble, it was this guy called Bai Yinning who saved me.
He recognized this bangle and thought I was your daughter, and that’s why he chose to save me. He told me that he just wanted to adhere to his adopted father’s will. His name was Bai Hongfei, and I’m sure you know him as well?”
