Auntie Wang assumed she was just being shy and tried to reassure her, saying, "Don't worry, Miss. Madam is very kind-hearted. Besides, you're so adorable that Madam will surely like you."
"Auntie Wang," Han Xiaoye said, her voice filled with despair, "If I tell you now that I want to get off the car, would you let me go?"
The answer was obvious. The Bentley continued its journey down a picturesque lane. The lane was lined with fragrant camphor trees, and the changing seasons had painted their leaves in vibrant shades of purple and red, making them especially beautiful. The car wheels rolled over the fallen leaves on the road and entered one of the courtyards.
Auntie Wang was the first to step out of the car and courteously opened the door for her. "Miss, we have arrived."
Han Xiaoye jumped out of the car, her backpack on her back, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet. Her heart was in complete disarray. If it weren't for Auntie Wang faithfully accompanying her, she would have considered running away.
Fu Zhiyan's family...
Han Xiaoye's heart skipped a beat as she anxiously licked her lips, gazing at the imposing vintage gate.
"Let's go, Miss."
"Auntie Wang, can I stay outside?"
"Miss, what are you talking about? Madam and the others are waiting for you."
"..."
She truly didn't want to go in. After all, she wasn't Fu Zhiyan's real niece, and she had no connection whatsoever with him. In what capacity could she enter? She couldn't possibly enter as the woman who once had an intimate relationship with Fu Zhiyan, could she?
Han Xiaoye cursed the impulsive man in her heart countless times, but destiny had its way.
She followed Auntie Wang and stepped inside. The old residence of the Fu family exuded a sense of historical weight in its decor. In the approximately 200-square-meter living room, a large coffee-colored sofa was placed, complemented by exquisite chandeliers and paintings hanging on the walls, creating a harmonious ambiance.
As soon as she entered, a figure rushed towards her and embraced her tightly.
"Um..."
Han Xiaoye nearly ran out of breath from the tight squeeze.
"Mom, let go quickly. You're suffocating Xiaoye." A glamorous woman in her forties, wearing a smile, approached. She seemed to have taken good care of her skin.
Perhaps noticing Han Xiaoye's gaze, the elegant woman smiled tenderly. "Hello, Xiaoye. Did we startle you?"
The person who had embraced Han Xiaoye finally let go. Silver strands adorned her head, but she still appeared lively. With a beaming smile, she held Han Xiaoye's hand and gently patted it, as if comforting her.
"It's my fault, all my fault. I got too excited and couldn't help losing control. Poor child, did I scare you?"
"...No." Though she was actually terrified, Han Xiaoye instinctively didn't want to upset the elderly lady.
"Good girl, good girl." The old lady's eyes glistened with moisture as she held Han Xiaoye's hand, carefully examining her. "You look so much like Xuanji. I can tell that you're her child just by one look. If only your grandfather hadn't been so stubborn. Xuanji and Xiaoye wouldn't have endured years of being homeless. It pains me to think that Xiaoye lost her mother at the tender age of fifteen. It truly breaks my heart."
How did she know her mother's name? Han Xiaoye's mind grew even more chaotic. She faintly felt like she had caught something, but it vanished too quickly, and she seemed to have grasped nothing at all.
"Mom, please don't be sad. Zhiyan has brought her back, hasn't he?"
The beautiful woman from earlier stepped forward, worried, and supported the old lady, offering gentle words of comfort.
"Xiaoye, help your grandmother sit on the sofa."
Han Xiaoye assisted the old lady to the sofa. Auntie Wang had silently vanished at some point, leaving her alone, bewildered, facing the entire family.
Madam Fu held her hand tightly, refusing to let go, as if providing encouragement. "Come, Xiaoye, let me introduce. This is your second uncle."
"Nice to meet you, Second Uncle."
The stern middle-aged man nodded solemnly and handed her a gift box in silence.
Han Xiaoye's heart skipped a beat.
Madam Fu affectionately tapped her forehead, saying, "Your second uncle got you a gift for our first meeting. Take it, dear."
Reluctantly, Han Xiaoye accepted the gift, feeling increasingly uneasy.
At that moment, she couldn't help but yearn for Fu Zhiyan. If... If only Fu Zhiyan were by her side right now, she wouldn't be in such a passive situation, would she?
But what on earth was happening?
Why did Madam Fu know her mother's name? And why did these people genuinely believe she was Fu Zhiyan's niece?
Han Xiaoye felt her mind being tormented by a barrage of questions.
Could someone please tell her what was going on...
The room housed over a dozen people, and in no time, Madam Fu had introduced her to everyone. Meanwhile, the gifts in her arms had piled up, prompting Madam Fu to quickly ask a servant to collect them. Then, with great delight, she pulled Han Xiaoye to the dining table.
"Xiaoye, are you hungry? Come, sit with your grandmother."
"...Sure."
The table was adorned with an array of mouth-watering dishes, and the tantalizing aroma filled the air. However, Han Xiaoye found herself eating tastelessly. Finally finishing the meal, Madam Fu continued to engage her in the conversation for a while.
As the evening sky grew darker, Madam Fu made a sweeping gesture, instructing the servants to prepare a room for Han Xiaoye to stay in.
With warmth and enthusiasm, she left Han Xiaoye no room to refuse, leaving her with no choice but to reluctantly agree. She followed the joyful elderly lady upstairs.
"Xiaoye, take a look, do you like it?"
The room was entirely pink, featuring a princess bed, lacy pink curtains, pink walls, and even a pink clock adorning the wall...
Han Xiaoye once had a room like this, but unfortunately...
Han Xiaoye remained silent, which immediately caused Madam Fu to grow anxious. "What's the matter? Don't you like it? I didn't know what style you prefer, so..."
"I really like it." Han Xiaoye fought back the bitterness welling up in her nose and turned to embrace the frail old lady. "Thank you, grandmother. I truly love it."
The more she liked it, the more her uneasiness grew, as if she had accidentally taken something that didn't belong to her. The more she received, the more she feared losing it...
Madam Fu's eyes welled up with tears as she gently patted Han Xiaoye's back. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. You have school tomorrow, so grandmother won't disturb your rest. Good child, get some sleep."
Madam Fu released her, turned around, wiped away her tears, and tenderly closed the bedroom door...
Click.
The door closed.
Han Xiaoye gazed blankly at the meticulously decorated room for a while, then opened her backpack resting on the desk.
She needed to call Fu Zhiyan and find out what was really going on.
"Ding ding..."
As soon as she took out her phone, she realized that there was only 2% battery left. His phone sent a notification that it was about to shut down automatically.
Something wasn't right. She distinctly remembered fully charging her phone before leaving for school. She hadn't even used it much, so how could it have drained so quickly?
Suddenly, her phone started buzzing with notifications.
The whole device seemed to go haywire, unable to stop vibrating.
She opened the message and realized it was a WeChat notification from Ruirui. "Xiaoye, quickly check Weibo. You're famous!"