She... She was the daughter of Yue Shangwu?
Aside from being royal advisor... Khan Bojing once mentioned Yue Shangwu was a deeply feared sorcerer. Li Wei gently massaged her temples. She was not new to his identity, but her identity was a shock.
Yue Shangwu's lips pressed into a thin line after hearing no response. "I... Forgive me, child."
All her life, she lived as an orphan. Recently, she learned to embrace those who love her. Now Yue Shangwu claimed she was his daughter. Li Wei shook off the incoming headache. "I-I need to talk to my aunt first."
Li Fahrin, who was currently reading in the study, was dragged by Li Wei to the pavilion in the garden without warning. Nonetheless, she stood in front of the two guests and spoke in a rather normal tone, "Darling, these handsome men are?"
Li Wei stood by Aunt Rin's side, fully believing the older woman should be a better judge of character than her. "Aunt Rin, is that my father?"
"Your father?!" Li Fahrin, after taking a closer look, of course knew who Yue Shengwu was. During her adventures over the years, she had met him before. To claim Li Wei as his daughter... That is unexpected to say the least. "Yue Shangwu, long time no see."
Yue Shangwu recognized her voice right away and also understood the situation. His daughter's caregiver was this woman. "Li Fahrin? What a small world."
Li Fahrin's encounters with Yue Shangwu could not be more than four. All of which were unpleasant. Her impression of him was not great. "Strange to see you here. A new treasure in Na'an?"
Yue Shangwu ignored the mockery in Li Fahrin's voice. "If not for my daughter, I wouldn't step foot here."
"Aunt Rin, aren't my parents dead?" Li Wei asked with urgency. Aunt Rin's dislike for the sorcerer can be discussed at another time.
She needed to know the answer. Her life was unravelling uncontrollably off script. Not that she was following it anyway, but this felt like an entire new person's life. Never before had she come across someone who claimed to be her parents.
"Indeed, that's what the head of the orphanage told me." On that fateful day on her way back to Na'an, Li Fahrin met Li Wei in the streets of Yu'an selling flowers. To live in such poor circumstances, yet, still smiling so brightly... The little girl reminded her of a time in her youth when she fought for her dreams. She decided to adopt the little girl and gave the child a name, Li Wei.
Li Wei stood in front of the old sorcerer. She had been carrying herself calmly, but she too, secretly longed to have parents like others. For a moment, she desperately wanted to believe Yue Shangwu. If Yue Shangwu is really her father...
Still, the reality couldn't be denied. She refused to chase after a dream doomed from the beginning.
"Yue Biya, I gave you this name myself." Yue Shangwu stood up and held out his hand, sensing her hesitation. "My child, I've come to welcome you back home."
Yue Biya, the daughter of Yue Shangwu from Hai'an. Li Wei's head started spinning. She couldn't step away, but also couldn't make herself accept his hand. To stay safe, one must tread with caution.
She intentionally asked, "Master Yue, you claim to be my father. If so, may I ask where my mother is?"
Yue Shangwu shook his head at the mention of his wife, sorrow evident on his face. "I'd like to have a talk with my daughter alone, if that's alright."
. . .
Once they were seated in the study, Yue Shangwu began telling his story.
"I am Yue Shangwu of the Yue family from Hai'an. We hold the position of royal advisor in title, but we are often referred to as 'people of the moon' or simply, people of magic."
"Child, sometimes happiness can be nothing more than an ever fleeting moment. Only those closest to us can inflict the deepest scars capable of penetrating into our hearts." Yue Shangwu's empty smile was full of misery, hint of the hidden wounds beneath his image. "In my youth, I met a woman named Tang Qilin and fell deeply in love. After two years of marriage, I found your mother had another man..."
"Perhaps it was just me who was in love alone from the start. Regardless, your mother was already with my child at the time. I begged for her to stay until you were born and she finally agreed after I promised a large reward."
"The summer you were born, in that week of July, I happened to be away from home. I came back as soon as I could... but my efforts were all in vain. I was still too late. She had taken you, stole the money and eloped with her lover. No farewell, no letters, nothing." Yue Shangwu's hands on the table clenched tightly.
The scar on his palm was a reminder of the pain he suffered. "I would have no regrets if she allowed me to get a glimpse of our child. No complaints even if she wanted you. As long as she promised to raise you well, I would agree peacefully. To Think she did all that just to abandon you... "
Tang Qilin threw him to suffocate in her web of lies, but luck was still on his side. A woman like her never imagined he would one day find the truth she tried so hard to cover. "I give you my word, you are my Biya. Only descendants of our lineage carry the mark of the moon's blessing."
Li Wei subconsciously placed her fingers over her heart where the mark was. Yue Biya... That was also her name. Even if she didn't have a mother, there was a father waiting. "I..."
"I feel greatly apologetic how late I am. You asked of your mother, but I don't have good news to share..." He trailed off as he composed himself.
"Child, I am not an unreasonable father. I know you have your own life." Yue Shangwu released his hold on his hands. He fell onto the back on the chair and an ever so slightly earnest smile appeared on his lips. "At the very least, I came to Na'an to check for myself if you are alive."
Li Wei took a good look at the man who claimed to be her father for the first time. If all Yue Shangwu said was true and he had searched for her all these years... Perhaps it was due to his serious and straight forward personality, she didn't doubt the words he said. Khan Bojing had always taken him sincerely with great respects. She believed Yue Shangwu because she trusted in Khan Bojing.
Underneath the smile on his face, she could tell he was lonely and sad. His appearance didn't match the high position he held. His clothes were plain and disheveled as if he no longer cared for his appearance. His face constantly carried a grim look, making him seem as an unapproachable person.
Her eyes didn't miss the large scar in the middle his palm, a reminder of an ugly nightmare. To have the will to live for the past decades... The immense strength required was unthinkable.
This man is her father... She decided in that moment to give him a chance. Of course, there was fear. She was afraid everything would turn out to be a lie. One by one, her life could slip away. But she was not the same person as before. She chose to believe in the goodness of others.
There was also the proof she couldn't ignore. They both carried the unmistakable signature mark of the Yue. It was as if the revelation just smacked her awake, Li Wei suddenly asked hopefully, "Father, do I resemble you?"
Yue Shangwu locked himself away from the world until he no longer remembered how it felt to be happy. In this moment when his daughter called him "father," he was filled with a split second of joy before he caught ahold of himself.
"Biya, Father is truly sorry." Yue Shangwu's head fell down in shame. "I... I can no longer see..."
Her hands on the table moved up in a flash, as if the wood was ice. Chills shivered up her spine, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold despite it being midday.
Li Wei strongly shook her head in denial. Something is wrong, she bit her lip in deep thoughts. According to her memories, Yue Shangwu shouldn't be blind.