Evaluation

After a night of wild thoughts, Ding Jiali finally made it to dawn. In a daze, he pushed open the door and headed to the living room, only to find Ding Guisheng already seated at the dining table.

Ding Guisheng put down his newspaper and glanced at his son. "Morning."

"Morning," Ding Jiali replied weakly.

That feeble voice immediately displeased Ding Guisheng. He had always disliked seeing young people without any vigor. Frowning, Ding Guisheng looked at Ding Jiali with distaste, but Ding Jiali turned around and opened the refrigerator, picking through breakfast options.

When Ding Jiali did not turn back for a long time, Ding Guisheng gradually lost interest and returned to his newspaper.

Xu Ruyi soon brought over a plate of peeled kiwi fruit. She kept urging Ding Jiali to quickly mix the fruit into his yogurt, but Ding Jiali was not listening at all. He stirred the yogurt with one hand, staring absently at Ding Guisheng reading across from him.

He had heard a little about Ding Guisheng and Xu Ruyi's love story. It had its share of old clichés about throwing everything aside for love... but after all these years living with them, Ding Jiali had indeed sensed some genuine affection between the two.

After all, Ding Guisheng had never sought out women outside the home.

But how should he put it? Could it be that, in Ding Guisheng's eyes, there had truly only ever been Xu Ruyi?

...It was not impossible. Ding Jiali thought that even with half their blood coming from Ding Guisheng, the sisters Ding Xueyang and Ding Yuqing were still so beautiful. That showed just how outstanding Xu Ruyi must have been when she was young...

But was beauty the issue here?

Ding Xueyang resembled Xu Ruyi in both temperament and looks,