After the evening banquet at the Feng estate, Feng Suyin returned to her apartment past midnight. She didn't feel any sadness returning to her empty home. Her mind was filled with the information she just received from Lan Ruoxing. To think that her mother was involved in the death of Lan Ruoxing's sister was a revelation that caught her off guard. She spent many years living with Li Xinlian, but she never thought that such a dark secret could be hidden in her mother's past.
She wiped the makeup on her face and quickly showered to wash off the day's events. As the warm water cascaded down her back, Feng Suyin couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She thought back to all the years she had spent with Li Xinlian. Although she and her adoptive mother weren't close, she couldn't deny that Li Xinlian had quite a temper.
Li Xinlian would snap at the most minor mistakes, her patience as thin as a thread ready to snap. But Feng Suyin had never imagined that beneath that harsh exterior lay a past tainted with such darkness. She didn't know much about the Lan family and Shen Qinglan, so she didn't know how to proceed with the newfound information.
She considered asking Alex, Xia Lingling's cousin, to investigate, but she feared it might attract unnecessary attention. Feng Suyin needed to act discreetly to ensure that the Feng family wouldn't suspect she was scheming to take them down.
As she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a plush towel, Feng Suyin made a decision. She decided to gather more information before deciding what to do next. She didn't want to get caught in the rift between the Feng and Lan families. If Li Xinlian were truly responsible for the death of the eldest miss of the Lan family, surely it would ruin her reputation.
The next day, Feng Suyin went to the hospital where she worked and tried to find Xia Lingling during lunch break. Her friend was a nurse at the pediatric department, and she and the other nurses knew many gossip and rumors circulating around the hospital.
Feng Suyin found Xia Lingling in the break room, sipping a cup of coffee as she flipped through a magazine. When Xia Lingling saw Feng Suyin, her eyes lit up, and she gestured for her to sit down.
"Suyin, what brings you to this side of the hospital?" Xia Lingling asked, patting the empty seat beside her.
Feng Suyin hesitated momentarily, unsure how to ask her friend about the Lan family. She didn't want others to think she was openly probing about the Lan family.
"Ling, I heard Madam Lan is confined here at the hospital. Is it true?" She asked, almost a whisper.
Xia Lingling glanced around the break room to ensure no one was within earshot before leaning closer to Feng Suyin.
"Yes, it's true. Madam Lan was admitted a few days ago. The official word is that she's suffering from exhaustion, but rumors are flying around the hospital that there's more to it than that," Xia Lingling replied in a hushed tone.
" The rumors say it's a severe illness, but no one knows the exact details. Her condition is being kept very private by the Lan family," she added.
"I see…" Feng Suyin hummed, her mind racing with possibilities. She wanted to see Shen Qinglan, but it was improper of her to see a patient without the family's consent. She needed a plan to get closer to the Lan family without raising suspicion.
"Why are you suddenly curious about her, Suyin? Did something happen?" Xia Lingling asked in return.
"I met Lan Ruoxing last night at the banquet, and he told me about the issue between our families, and I'm curious if there's any truth on it."
Xia Lingling cupped her chin and hummed.
"You are right. Everyone knows that your Feng family and the Lans can never be in the same place, but no one knows the reason for their feud. Rumors have always circulated about the bad blood between the two families, but no concrete evidence has ever surfaced. What did Lan Ruoxing tell you, Suyin?"
Feng Suyin knew it wasn't her place to tell others what Lan Ruoxing shared with her last night, but there was something she wanted to confirm about her adoptive mother, Li Xinlan.
"Ling, he told me Mom got pregnant and lost a child years before adopting me. How come my parents never told me or talked about it?" She told Xia Lingling after a long silence.
Xia Lingling raised an eyebrow at Feng Suyin's revelation, clearly taken aback by the unexpected information. She set down her coffee cup, her expression thoughtful as she processed the news.
"That is indeed a curious piece of information, Suyin. That's the first time I heard it. Didn't people say your mother had a hard time conceiving and ended up adopting you instead? If she was pregnant before, why did she hide it from everyone? You think Feng Yilan knew about her dead sibling?"
Feng Suyin shook her head.
"I don't think so, Ling. Yilan would have told me if she knew about it. She would have used it against me if she knew it. I think they are keeping it from us for some reason."
Xia Lingling nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, your sister, Yilan, wouldn't keep something like that from you. But it does raise questions about your mother's past. Maybe there's a reason she kept it hidden all these years. Be careful, Suyin. These family feuds can be dangerous territory to delve into. And if secrets are being kept hidden, there must be a reason for it. Since you weren't born into the Feng family, staying out of it would be better. If your mother knew you were aware and asking questions, she might do something drastic towards you." She reminded Feng Suyin.
She knew that once Feng Suyin set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.
"Just promise me you'll tread carefully, Suyin. These matters can escalate quickly, and you don't want to find yourself in the middle of a family war," Xia Lingling urged.