Yanran was speechless, lowered her head and fiddled with the Hetian jade double fish pendant at her waist, and did not continue speaking.
Cui Xiaoqiu didn't rush her, but handed her a bowl of red date soup. "It must be cold outside, have some hot soup to warm yourself up."
Yanran took the jujube and sipped it, but couldn't taste anything, so she didn't complain about the strange taste of the jujube as usual.
She doesn't like red date soup, but Cui Xiaoqiu loves it and always keeps it at home.
Seeing that she still didn't speak, Cui Xiaoqiu changed the subject, saying, "We managed to salvage some books from the Heavenly Unity Pavilion, which is a pleasant surprise."
That's good.
Yanran was clearly not in the right state of mind.
Cui Xiaoqiu thought for a moment, "Why didn't Jiaojiao come with you?"
"It probably always thinks it's a bear, and wants to hibernate whenever it gets a little cold."
No matter what Cui Xiaoqiu said, Yanran would always respond with a single sentence.
He racked his brains, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to continue.
In the end, Yanran herself felt embarrassed.
She finally mustered her courage and said, "I have something to tell you, can you keep it a secret for me?"
Cui Xiaoqiu extended a finger and raised it to her ear. "I, Cui Ling, swear to heaven..."
"No, no," Yanran quickly interrupted him, "How could I not trust you? Your mouth is tighter than a clam shell!"
Otherwise, if something happened, she wouldn't be able to think things through and still come to him first.
"If you don't want to talk about it, I'll go for a walk with you?"
"Go ahead and tell me," Yanran sighed, "I'll suffocate if I don't tell someone."
She can't keep things to herself; she's self-aware.
"Here—" Yanran pulled a crumpled piece of cardboard from her sleeve and handed it to Cui Xiaoqiu, "You'll understand once you take a look."
This is exactly what she did—dismantle the windmill's blades...
Cui Xiaoqiu quickly read through the paper, placed it on the table, and turned her gaze to Yanran with a calm expression.
Yanran asked in surprise, "You've finished reading?"
Cui Xiaoqiu nodded.
Yanran: "..."
At least show some surprise to demonstrate respect.
There was no result; it seemed quite ordinary.
"Could it be fake?" Yanran's face suddenly lit up with excitement. "Fake, it must be fake!"
Otherwise, would Cui Xiaoqiu be so calm?
Cui Xiaoqiu said, "It's too early to tell if it's true or false, but in my opinion, it's most likely real."
No matter how well you hide your background, it will be exposed once you confront them.
Yanran looked dejected, hugging her knees and curling up in the chair.
Therefore, she was not actually her father's child, but a child of the Xiao Family.
Cui Xiaoqiu said, "Actually..."
"Don't speak," Yanran said. "I just wanted to tell you that I don't need your persuasion."
Cui Xiaoqiu looked at her silently.
Thankfully, she didn't cry, otherwise he really wouldn't know what to do.
Yanran buried her head in her knees, and after about fifteen minutes, she raised her head again with a smile on her face.
She said, "What's so great about it! I've always known I'm not my mother's biological child, but so what?"
Isn't her mother treating her the same way?
Her father must know the truth, but he's never been bad to her!
It was her father, who had been foolish and deceived before, but she was magnanimous and forgave him.
"This person who sows discord is utterly wicked!" Yanran said angrily, "They harbor malicious intentions and are trying to drive a wedge between me and my father and mother!"
Cui Xiaoqiu recalled the words on the paper accusing the Prince of Prince of Jin wife, and said, "It's good that you didn't fall for it."
The letter said that the reason why Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun treated Yanran well was because they had ulterior motives... Their deliberate deception was because they were guilty.
"How come I'm so smart!" Yanran exclaimed. "If I were any dumber, wouldn't I have been much easier to fool?"
"Yes, you're so smart, that's why you didn't fall for it."
Cui Xiaoqiu understood perfectly well that Yanran wasn't asking him for advice.
She was just feeling down and wanted someone to listen to her.
Yanran herself is a very opinionated person with an extremely strong inner strength.
Cui Xiaoqiu's affection for her was not because of her background, nor because she was naive.
On the contrary, Yanran is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She seems carefree, but in reality, she is delicate and perceptive, and also has a strong will.
--This is a soul with its own distinct characteristics, making people want to get closer.
For example, if others encountered such a situation, they would probably be crying and making a scene, or full of doubts and complaints, but Yanran didn't.
She simply found someone to confide in, and in the process of talking, she quietly sorted out her feelings.
Cui Xiaoqiu thought that Yanran probably already had a plan in mind.
As expected, Yanran said, "I don't plan to tell Father and Mother about this."
Cui Xiaoqiu, however, grasped the key point. "So, are you planning to tell your older brother?"
"Of course," Yanran said. "If I can tell you, why can't I tell my brother?"
Isn't it because my brother isn't home?
Otherwise, the first person she would have gone to would definitely be her own older brother!
She doesn't care; if she says they're family, then they're family!
Cui Xiaoqiu suffered damage equivalent to ten thousand tons.
"I still need my brother to investigate that peddler!" Yanran said. "He wouldn't just appear out of nowhere; there must be someone behind him."
She's Little Lovely person!
Cui Xiaoqiu: "I'll have someone investigate."
"No need, you definitely won't be able to find it... It's not that I look down on you, it's just... my brother is better at this."
Cui Xiaoqiu: "..."
Yanran realized her words had been a bit hurtful, so she added, "Everyone has their own expertise. There are some things you're better at than my brother. For example, for example, for example..."
Yanran couldn't bring herself to say it, her face turning bright red.
--My eldest brother is so outstanding that there's nowhere else for others to go.
She felt as if she had stabbed Cui Xiaoqiu in the back again.
Cui Xiaoqiu: "I'm just worried that by the time your older brother comes back, he'll be completely gone. I'll send someone to investigate first, just in case it helps, even if it's just a little bit."
After saying that, he turned and went out to give instructions.
Yanran hugged herself tightly, heartbroken. Why was she so foolish? Why!
Perhaps it's because she wasn't her father's biological daughter...
Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!
Yanran forced herself to dismiss this thought and silently recited: Though not blood-related, she is better than blood-related!
After giving her instructions, Cui Xiaoqiu returned and, seeing that Yanran had calmed down, offered her advice.
"I think you should talk to your mother about this."
It doesn't matter who gave birth to you, what matters is who raised you.
Tang Zhuyun never treated her as an outsider.
Yanran said, "No, let's just stick to the old ways. It's fine."
She had no complaints about the current situation.
If her mother knew she knew the truth, she would definitely worry about what she would think, and would be even more careful with her in the future...
Yanran didn't want that.
She feels very content now that she is the child of her father and mother.
Besides, her father and mother are already worried, so she should discuss this matter with her brother first.
"Alright, this arrangement is perfect!"
"That way your mother won't overthink it, but what about your own doubts?"
Yanran suddenly fell silent.