Now that the Su family and Pei Zhaohe have joined forces, Su Baiye is undoubtedly doomed. Unfortunately, Su Baiye remains completely unaware of this and is powerless to stop it.
Pei Zhaohe is a man of decisive action. Once he sets his mind to something, he swiftly extends an invitation to Su Jun.
Upon receiving Pei Zhaohe’s invitation, Su Jun’s emotions were incredibly complex.
At this point, the likelihood that Yi Lingfan is his long-lost youngest son is very high. However, Yi Lingfan already has a boyfriend, and their relationship appears to be deeply affectionate. This leaves Su Jun, as a father, with mixed feelings, and his perception of Pei Zhaohe has grown somewhat ambiguous.
Yet, no matter how conflicted he feels, it’s of little use. After all, Su Jun believes he currently lacks the right to dictate Yi Lingfan’s life.
Kong Qintong, on the other hand, is quite satisfied with Pei Zhaohe. From every angle, Pei Zhaohe stands out as one of the most exceptional individuals of his generation, even capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with older generations. Having such a formidable figure cherish and protect her youngest son isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Her only concern is whether Pei Zhaohe might mistreat Yi Lingfan—whether he would feel wronged or unhappy under Pei Zhaohe’s care. As parents, isn’t their greatest wish simply for their child to be safe and happy?
Faced with Pei Zhaohe’s invitation, Su Jun rubbed his temples and eventually agreed to a meeting time. Still, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. After all, there were no new collaborations between their families that would warrant Pei Zhaohe’s personal involvement. Moreover, while they knew Yi Lingfan’s identity, Pei Zhaohe should have been completely in the dark. So, why reach out to him now?
When the appointed time arrived, both Pei Zhaohe and Su Jun, being punctual individuals, arrived early at the designated location. After brief pleasantries, Pei Zhaohe presented a prepared dossier of evidence.
“Personally, I don’t believe this matter has anything to do with you, President Su,” Pei Zhaohe said, his brow slightly furrowed and his tone less than cordial. “That’s why I wanted you to review this first.”
Su Jun, noticing Pei Zhaohe’s tense expression and somewhat cold demeanor, was baffled. He picked up the documents and began reading—only for his expression to darken with each passing page.
Finally, Su Jun pressed a hand to his forehead, his face grim. “My apologies, President Pei. It seems I’ve failed in disciplining my son, allowing that disgrace to commit such acts. If you intend to hold Su Baiye accountable and seek justice for your… boyfriend, the Su family will not interfere.” His stance was unequivocal and resolute.
This response, however, only left Pei Zhaohe even more perplexed.
After all, the Su family’s affection and favoritism toward their second son were common knowledge. Otherwise, Pei Zhaohe wouldn’t have felt the need to invite Su Jun for a discussion before taking action against Su Baiye.
Though their families had numerous collaborations, Pei Zhaohe wouldn’t hesitate to make sacrifices for Yi Lingfan’s sake. Yet neither he nor Yi Lingfan wished to engage in unnecessary conflict. That was why Pei Zhaohe had chosen to speak with Su Jun first—he knew Su Jun wasn’t the type to blindly defend family over reason.
Had Su Jun been that kind of person, Pei Zhaohe wouldn’t have partnered with him or held him in such high regard. Nor would the relationship between the Su and Tan families have remained strained despite Su Baiye’s engagement to Tan Shengjun.
Su Jun’s unexpected attitude left Pei Zhaohe utterly bewildered.
With a sigh, Su Jun decided against hiding the truth about Yi Lingfan. After hearing the full story, Pei Zhaohe’s disgust toward Wei Zhen and Su Baiye skyrocketed.
The thought of Yi Lingfan suffering in the cold, or the bloodied, disheveled state he’d been in during their first meeting after the car accident, made Pei Zhaohe’s heart ache unbearably. The two men spent hours discussing the matter, continuing their conversation even after their meal, relocating to a teahouse to finalize their plans.
Their drivers and assistants, observing the grave atmosphere, assumed the two were negotiating some critical business matter. Little did they know the topic at hand was indeed of utmost importance—just not in the way they imagined.
In the end, the two quickly reached an agreement. A paternity test between Yi Lingfan and the Su family needed to be arranged as soon as possible. Regardless of the likelihood, concrete evidence was essential.
As for the test, though Yi Lingfan was currently “in seclusion” for research, he had stayed at Pei Zhaohe’s residence long enough for hair samples to be readily available. Once collected, all that remained was awaiting the results.
As for Su Baiye—having orchestrated a murder-for-hire scheme—he would face the consequences. Wei Zhen, too, would be held accountable for her past actions.
With both families working behind the scenes, Su Baiye and Wei Zhen were swiftly caught off guard. The Tan family, equally unprepared, received no assistance from the Su family. By the time Yi Lingfan emerged from his experiments, ready to confront Su Baiye and Wei Zhen, the mother and son had already been reduced to mere footnotes, imprisoned with no clear release date—or future prospects.
Su Baiye’s downfall also implicated Tan Shengjun, throwing the entire Tan family into chaos as he and his illegitimate siblings vied for control.
One day, after everything had been laid bare, Su Jun, Kong Qintong, Su Boxiao, Yi Lingfan, and Pei Zhaohe gathered for lunch. Yi Lingfan was stunned to learn how much had changed during his brief absence.
Kong Qintong’s eyes welled with tears as she gazed at Yi Lingfan’s handsome, gentle face. “Fanfan, in the end, it was my failure to protect you. I’m the one who let you down.”
Yi Lingfan regarded her warmly, harboring no resentment.
In his previous cycles, after dying in the car accident orchestrated by Su Baiye and wandering as a ghost, he had witnessed Kong Qintong’s grief upon learning the truth. He’d seen her endure the subsequent deaths of Su Jun and Su Boxiao, besieged internally by Su Baiye and Wei Zhen’s betrayal and externally by Tan Shengjun’s aggression. Yet, she had wiped away her tears and fought to hold the Su family together.
When she later discovered Su Baiye’s role in Yi Lingfan’s death, her hatred for the boy she’d once loved as her own burned fiercely. Though just a woman, she displayed astonishing resilience—only to ultimately fall victim to the protagonist’s plot armor.
Initially unaware that Su Baiye and Wei Zhen were behind her loved ones’ deaths, Kong Qintong had still pieced together the truth amidst her sorrow, thwarting Su Baiye and Tan Shengjun’s gradual takeover of the Su family and launching a counterattack. Yi Lingfan admired and took pride in her strength and wisdom—
This was his birth mother.
As another victim in this ordeal, Kong Qintong had never earned Yi Lingfan’s blame.
Gently patting her back, Yi Lingfan reassured her, “Mom, though I grew up in an orphanage, we always had kind sponsors. With scholarships, I never wanted for anything.” He may have lacked parents, but he’d had the orphanage director and his siblings. He’d grown up well.
With a soft smile, he added, “Now, I’ve met Zhaohe and found all of you. Doesn’t that mean my happiest days are just beginning?”
Su Jun watched him with a mix of guilt and relief. “Yes, Fanfan. From now on, your parents and brother are here. If anyone ever wrongs you, come home—we’ll stand behind you.”
Su Boxiao nodded firmly.
Perhaps the bond of blood was truly miraculous. Though they’d only just met, Yi Lingfan felt inexplicably familiar, as if they’d known each other forever.
Kong Qintong wiped her eyes. “But not being there for you as you grew up… that will always be my regret.”
Yi Lingfan’s smile deepened. “I’ve heard the orphanage received donations from the Su family for years. So, Mom, in a way, I did grow up under your care.”
Without that generosity, would a sickly child like him have survived the winters? Would he have become the person he was today? The possibilities were endless.
Money might not be everything, but its absence could be devastating. Thanks to the Su family’s kindness, Yi Lingfan’s orphanage had thrived, allowing him to flourish into the remarkable man he’d become.
Such were the strange twists of fate.
Su Jun simply pulled his wife into an embrace. “Alright, Qintong, the children are watching. Now that we’ve found him, there’ll be plenty of time to make up for lost years.”
Drying her tears, Kong Qintong nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry for dampening the mood. Come, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
The others readily agreed. As a husband and father, Su Jun wouldn’t let his wife or mother dwell in sorrow. Yi Lingfan, too, refused to sadden the mother who’d mourned him for twenty years. And Pei Zhaohe would never slight his future mother-in-law. The meal passed joyfully, filled with warmth and harmony.
Yet while peace reigned here, turmoil brewed elsewhere.
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