But Song Yao sat there, not saying a word.
She lowered her head, her hands on her knees, her fingernails scraping the edge of the fabric.
Aunt Zhang sensed something was wrong.
She stopped clapping and studied Song Yao’s expression carefully.
Song Yao’s gaze was distant.
"Aunt Zhang... I feel like I’m dreaming. How did Mr. Shen suddenly become my father? When I was telling him all those things before, why didn’t he react at all? He didn’t even change his expression. This whole thing has my mind in a turmoil. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong."
"Well..."
Aunt Zhang frowned, her lips moving slightly.
She wanted to say something but, afraid of misspeaking, she remained silent.
"Comrade Song Yao, I can answer that question for you."
Xiao Li, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly spoke up.
Song Yao and Aunt Zhang froze, turning to look at him.
"There has been a rift between Mr. Shen and his wife for a while. Years ago, when Mr. Shen found out his daughter had been switched, he wanted to find his biological child. But as soon as his wife heard, she thought he was just making up an excuse to bring home an illegitimate daughter. She took a very hard line, refusing to let him easily meet with anyone who came forward to claim kinship."
In just a few sentences, Xiao Li laid out the inside story.
"To avoid straining relations at home, Mr. Shen could only inquire about you in secret. He sent people to investigate quietly and stayed out of sight himself. But word still got out."
"Starting two years ago, girls started showing up one after another to claim they were his daughter. But before long, all of them were exposed. It turned out they were planted by his rivals. Their goal was to exploit his desire to find his daughter, either to extract intelligence or to set a trap for him. Some even brought forged birth certificates and old photos, and almost got away with it."
It suddenly dawned on Song Yao.
"So Mr. Shen didn’t believe me at all!"
Her voice rose as her palms grew sweaty and her chest heaved.
"He was on guard, afraid I was another trap."
Realization dawned on Aunt Zhang as well.
"No wonder he wanted to take you to the camp. He was having second thoughts, afraid of making a mistake. What if you really were his daughter, and he lost you again? At the camp, he could investigate properly and also ensure your safety."
"But I’m not that kind of person! I have something that can prove my identity!"
Song Yao anxiously fumbled around her clothes, trying to find the bracelet.
After searching for a moment, she came up empty-handed.
"Where’s my bracelet?"
She looked up at Aunt Zhang, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Only then did Aunt Zhang remember.
"Oh! When the doctor was treating your injuries, they took off all your belongings. Mr. Shen took them to keep them safe for you. He said he’d give them back when you woke up, because he was afraid someone might take them in the confusion."
"That bracelet isn’t actually very useful."
Xiao Li was being a little too blunt.
"To find his daughter, Mr. Shen circulated a photo of the original bracelet. As a result, his rivals saw it and had identical ones made."
"Even if the details were slightly off, after so many years, Mr. Shen himself couldn’t fully remember what it looked like. They didn’t just make one batch; people all over the country have shown up with similar bracelets, trying to impersonate her."
Song Yao opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing.
Countless thoughts churned in her mind.
’No wonder this good-for-nothing father of mine couldn’t find me in my past life!’
’He’d been thoroughly duped from the very beginning, flooded with false leads from all over.’
But right now, what Song Yao wanted to know more was Xiao Li’s background.
The guy wasn’t old, but he knew far too much about the Shen Family’s affairs.
He could even describe the changes in Mr. Shen’s state of mind.
"Xiao Li, you’re just a guard. Why do you know so much about Mr. Shen’s family affairs?"
It was a direct question.
But Xiao Li always answered any question put to him.
"My father and Mr. Shen share a life-and-death bond, and Mr. Shen saved my mother’s and my life. So I’m bound to serve him for the rest of my life. He’s also willing to trust me with certain things. Sometimes, he tells me things himself so I can help him keep an eye on the situation."
He paused before adding, "Miss, you’re his biological daughter, so I will protect you from now on as well. Have no doubt about that."
Song Yao and Aunt Zhang glanced at each other, the same thought popping into their minds at the same time.
’This young man is so incredibly earnest!’
"Hey, what’s wrong, Xiao Song? You’ve found your real father, aren’t you happy? Don’t tell me you don’t want to acknowledge him?"
Aunt Zhang immediately winked at her suggestively.
"My, my, such a handsome young man is going to be loyal to you. Xiao Song, you’re in luck! Weren’t you just asking before if he had a girlfriend?"
The implication was crystal clear.
The opportunity was right in front of her; she should act fast.
But ever since getting to know Xiao Li a little better, Song Yao no longer had the same romantic thoughts she’d had when they first met.
So, before Xiao Li could notice anything, she quickly waved her hand to clear things up.
"Auntie, cut it out. I was just asking casually, don’t read into it."
After speaking, she secretly glanced at Xiao Li.
His face was perfectly calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
She sighed inwardly.
’What’s the use of being handsome? He’s as dense as a block of wood.’
Just as she was thinking this, a conversation drifted in from the doorway.
"Comrade, excuse me, is Mr. Shen here?"
"He’s not!"
"Do you know where he is? I came all the way from Beijing just to celebrate his birthday with him..."
The moment she heard that soft, feminine voice, Song Yao’s expression changed drastically.
Shen Shuangshuang!
Her heart hammered a few times.
Then, it unexpectedly steadied, and she even felt a flicker of excitement.
’What would Shen Shuangshuang’s face look like if she pushed open the door and saw me?’
Xiao Li also noticed this rapid change in her mood.
Song Yao happened to catch his gaze and immediately broke into a wide grin.
"Xiao Li, I heard someone is looking for Mr. Shen. Someone who came all this way to celebrate his birthday. Aren’t you going to go greet them?"
Xiao Li shook his head.
"That’s Shen Shuangshuang."
He added, "She doesn’t need my protection."
Song Yao’s heart stirred. The meaning behind his words made her mind race.
’What on earth does Mr. Shen mean by that?’
’Could it be that in his heart, my position is already higher than Shen Shuangshuang’s?’
The moment that thought surfaced, it startled her.
Logically, Shen Shuangshuang was his only daughter; they shared an exceptional bond.
But from the tone of his words just now, there seemed to be more to it.
Just as she was about to ponder it further, she heard the footsteps outside the door gradually fade into the distance.
The guard at the door had apparently confirmed the visitor’s identity and was taking her directly to Mr. Shen.
Only when the footsteps disappeared did Aunt Zhang let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh my goodness, that whole scene just now felt like we were catching someone in an affair. It scared me to death."
Song Yao smiled.
"Auntie, what are you so nervous about? Even if someone was going to be caught out, it should be my place to do it. Didn’t you hear what Xiao Li said? I’m Mr. Shen’s real, genuine, biological daughter."
Aunt Zhang forced a smile, which looked a little stiff.
"That may be so..."
But deep down, she knew.
Although Shen Shuangshuang wasn’t his biological child, Aunt Zhang was the one who had raised her.
It had been almost twenty years since she was brought into the family at seven or eight years old, and she had long since become a part of it.
A mother-daughter bond isn’t something that can be simply defined by the two words "blood ties."
’I can’t afford to offend either of these two young women.’
「In another hospital room, Shen Zhenwu and Zhang Jianwei were standing by a bedside.」
"Xiao Xiao, the most important thing for you right now is to rest and recover. Don’t worry about anything else."
Xiao Weijun, his shoulder wrapped in gauze, was leaning against the hospital bed.
His heart felt heavy.