CHAPTER 245: CHAPTER 245: WU SHI’S CONFESSION

When Su Jiang hurried to the scene upon hearing the news, Han Liying had already stabilized emotionally.

She felt as if worlds had passed, gazing vacantly at the people coming and going around her.

Su Jiang touched her forehead. "Are you okay?"

"Not good," Han Liying murmured. "Before she died, she said our daughter was still alive but refused to tell me where she is now."

"Su Jiang, do you know too?"

Su Jiang looked at the white cloth covering Old Madam Su and nodded silently.

"Where is she? Is she doing well?"

"She is Fu Bing."

"What?" Han Liying was shocked.

"This... Why would it be her?"

Su Jiang gently wiped away her tears, his voice hoarse. "Apart from you and Su Junling, all the other children know. But, Liying, this matter is not easy to resolve."

"If our daughter were someone else, we could bring her back regardless of the consequences."

"She is Fu Bing. What we need to do is not just clear the path ahead of her without considering the consequences."

"We also have to face her rejection."

Indeed, someone as strong as Fu Bing would not choose the Su family.

Han Liying’s tears rolled down uncontrollably.

"We really owe her too much."

Su Jiang nodded silently. "It’s my fault for being useless, for not knowing earlier that she was our daughter, and for letting her suffer so much right under our noses."

Thinking of the words Fu Bing had said when they met, the glimmer of hope that had flashed within Han Liying was instantly extinguished.

Fu Bing disliked the Su family!

Indeed, the Su family had no right to disturb her.

It was her own grandmother who hurt her, and when she was most desperate, the Su family stood by and did nothing.

Yet, she saved three lives in the Su family.

The Su family truly owed her too much.

After waiting for her emotions to settle, Su Jiang said, "I know this is hard for you, and I didn’t mean to keep it from you. Knowing about it wouldn’t make you feel better; it would only make you feel worse."

Han Liying sniffed. "No matter how difficult, we must find a way to solve it. Now that we’ve solved one problem, next, we will do our utmost to resolve the Qin family’s issues."

Su Jiang spoke with great difficulty. "The case from that year also involved Old Madam Su. She collaborated with Qin Sheng—one overtly, one covertly—which was why Qin Jinhai couldn’t resolve the issue at the time."

The last bit of color drained from Han Liying’s face.

Su Jiang was reluctant to say what came next, but he forced himself.

"What we owe her isn’t something we can repay just because we want to."

Han Liying bit her lower lip, swallowing the cry of pain that threatened to escape.

"Why did it turn out this way?"

Su Jiang had no answer.

Sully fell completely into a pall of sorrow.

The Su family truly experienced what despair was.

The most desperate realization was that the person they longed for would likely never return.

The death of Old Madam Su was downplayed by the Su family to the point it was almost as if it had never happened. She was sent quietly to the Su family’s ancestral grave that night and buried stealthily.

「In the rainy night, only one new grave was added.」

If one didn’t look closely, nobody would notice.

After dealing with Old Madam Su’s funeral, the Su family felt no relief at all; instead, a sense of suffocation was omnipresent.

Su Junling looked coldly at their faces, one by one. "You’re hiding something from me!"

"Grandmother is gone without a word, and you don’t plan to explain it to me?"

Su Junhui took over. "First, take a look at these."

He handed over all the files and materials related to Fu Bing’s background.

Su Junling skimmed through the documents.

After finishing, his expression was so dark it seemed ink could drip from it.

"Impossible! You’re lying to me!"

His feeling of closeness to Fu Bing, that sense of being able to spot her instantly in a crowd—it was actually because of their blood ties.

Han Liying said, "I know you’re reluctant to believe it. I don’t want her to be my daughter either. If it is her, what can we ever do to make it up to her?"

Su Junling opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to utter a single word.

Su Junxian patted his shoulder.

"I know you can’t accept this now, but you’re the one closest to her. Junling, we can’t be by her side for the time being, so please spend more time with her."

Su Junling pressed his colorless lips together. "She’s not close to me either. If I don’t reach out to her, she certainly won’t contact me."

Su Junying, who rarely spoke, said, "I’m quite familiar with Ya Rui. I’ll try to see her. She’s Fu Bing’s best friend. If Ya Rui is willing to mediate, this issue might not be impossible to resolve."

Su Jiang said, "You can try to gauge Ya Rui’s stance, but it’s best not to get your hopes up."

"I’m aware."

Su Junying didn’t particularly like Fu Bing. Any positive feeling he had was because she was Ya Rui’s good friend.

Fu Bing had been willing to wear Ya Rui’s designs before Ya Rui became famous, expanding new horizons for Ya Rui’s career.

Su Junying asked himself if he would do the same for his friends, to have a friendship like Ya Rui and Fu Bing’s.

Su Junying reached out to Ya Rui. "Do you have time to see me soon?"

Fu Bing was writing on a card when she heard the message notification and glanced at her phone.

The reply came: "Sorry, let’s just keep our relationship as it is. Meeting wouldn’t be meaningful for us."

Su Junying messaged back: "Aren’t you the slightest bit curious about me?"

"You are you. Whatever your true identity is, you’re still you."

"I want to see you."

"I don’t," Fu Bing flatly refused.

She didn’t like men being equivocal when trying to confirm things with her.

If there’s something to be said, put it on the table. Even if it’s affection, she prefers a direct approach, not guesswork.

She didn’t like the drama of so-called silent sacrifice.

Life is too short to waste time on guessing games. It’s just not necessary.

It was the first time Su Junying had seen "Ya Rui" reject someone so bluntly.

He checked his own message; there was nothing wrong with it.

Why had it caused "Ya Rui" such displeasure?

Or was she just in a bad mood?

Su Junying messaged: "What’s wrong?"

"I’m busy. Let’s talk later." Fu Bing also realized her mood was rather unstable at the moment.

At times like this, she preferred to be alone. Talking to more people might lead to her hurting them.

The best course of action was not to talk at all for now.

Wu Shi stood in the courtyard taking a phone call. Upon hearing that the Su family had dealt with Old Madam Su’s funeral perfunctorily, he looked up at the second floor.

Fu Bing was sitting there with a stern little face, having just tossed her phone onto a nearby sofa in frustration. She then continued to write her cards, still frowning.

Wu Shi’s brow furrowed. She’s displeased.

What message did she just receive?

For a moment, Wu Shi had a strong urge to have Wu Yue copy the contents of her phone.

The next second, he suppressed the thought.

She deserves her space and privacy.

He couldn’t treat her as completely transparent, even in the name of love.

Wu Shi quickly ended the call and went upstairs.

"Are you done writing?"

"Not yet. My hand’s a bit sore." Fu Bing’s emotions were a tangled mess. "I don’t know why I’m feeling so unusually upset."

"The flowers in the countryside are in full bloom. I’ll take you to see them."

After a moment’s thought, Fu Bing nodded.

Wu Shi added, "No phones allowed. Just enjoy yourself for two days."

"No problem. The world won’t stop turning just because I’m not around."

"My world would stop without you," Wu Shi blurted out instinctively.