CHAPTER 234: CHAPTER 234 ADMITTING MISTAKES

Su Junhui was surprised by his older brother’s firm tone. "I’ll remain skeptical until this is cleared up."

He had investigated people with the same name as his sister before; Su Qinnuan had caught his attention at one point. He even rather admired her.

"Do you really think so?" Su Junxian asked. "The media didn’t find her before, so why today of all days?"

"Exactly, why today?" Su Junhui echoed, puzzled.

"You’re rarely home, so there’s a lot you don’t understand," Su Junxian explained. "Aunt Suye brought Su Kexin into Grandma’s courtyard a few days ago, and Grandma has been furious for days. These incidents must be connected somehow."

Su Junxian couldn’t pinpoint the exact connection, but he sensed a conspiracy. Su Junhui trusted his older brother’s judgment.

After a moment’s thought, Su Junhui said, "Have Third Brother hold off on rejoining the film set for now and spend more time with Mom. I’m afraid Mom might believe this. Her feelings for our sister run deeper than any of us can comprehend, and if she finds out, she could be easily misled."

Su Junxian shared this concern.

He sent a message to Su Junling, asking him not to return to the film crew before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and to stay home and take good care of their mother.

Su Junling agreed.

Of everyone in the Su Family, apart from Su Jiang and Mei Xue, Su Junling was closest to Han Liying.

Even if his older brother hadn’t made this arrangement, he would have been worried about his mother.

He saw the trending topic in the film crew’s group chat.

The name ’Su Qinnuan’ was taboo in the Su Family; no one dared to mention it.

Su Junling noticed the woman in the video bore a slight resemblance to their mother.

If it were really her, with that appearance and name, it’s impossible she wouldn’t have been found all these years. She certainly wouldn’t suddenly become a trending topic.

Thinking this, Su Junling hurried to Han Liying’s courtyard.

Han Liying and Mei Xue were watching the clip of Su Qinnuan’s appearance on the live stream.

Mei Xue said excitedly, "Madam, she looks a bit like you did when you were young."

Han Liying scrolled back and watched it again.

A sense of foreboding washed over Su Junling.

"Mom, Aunt Mei, what are you watching?"

Han Liying’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone.

She took a deep breath, deciding not to hide it from him.

"I saw someone who looks a lot like your sister. I can’t judge clearly right now; I need your help."

As someone who had lived in a wealthy family for many years, Han Liying knew Su Qinnuan wouldn’t just appear out of thin air.

Su Junling appreciated his mother’s way of expressing herself; she lacked the stiffness of a typical parent.

Her confusion, her vulnerability, her various emotions—she was willing to express them all.

"I saw it too. If she really were our sister, with such obvious features, we would have found her by now. I suspect someone orchestrated this."

Disappointment flickered in Han Liying’s eyes. "She seems like a nice girl. What a pity."

"Leave this for Big Brother and Junhui to investigate. If you’re feeling troubled, you can go visit Xiaobing at Imperial Garden."

Han Liying agreed that getting out for a bit would be good.

Dwelling on an unresolved issue for too long is mentally exhausting and can easily affect one’s mood.

"Xiaoxue, pack up some jewelry and pastries. Let’s go see Xiaobing."

"Alright!"

Mei Xue bustled off to pack.

Su Junling fought back the urge to follow them.

He knew he needed to maintain some distance from Xiaobing. Her current state wasn’t conducive to romance, and expressing too much of a man’s interest in her right now would only push her further away. He wasn’t a professional actor; he couldn’t control his gaze or expressions. His only option was to keep as much distance as he could, yet also find more opportunities to collaborate with her, ensuring he remained a constant presence in her life and work.

Su Junling had never imagined he would treat a woman with such meticulous care.

「」

When Han Liying and Mei Xue arrived, Fu Bing was in a virtual meeting.

By the time it ended, they had already been sitting in the living room for half an hour.

Fu Bing looked apologetic. "I’m sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It’s quite alright," Han Liying replied. "We just dropped by for a visit. I hope we didn’t interrupt your work."

"An emergency meeting came up unexpectedly, which caused the delay," Fu Bing said with a smile, offering them tea.

Han Liying noticed Fu Bing had gained a little weight and her complexion was much improved.

"You’re looking well-cared for lately; your face has filled out a bit."

"If I don’t put on a little more weight, Aunt Ning will feel quite disheartened."

Han Liying nodded. "Does the news about the Qin Family lift your spirits at all?"

"Actually, I feel that the Qin Family Mansion burning down has made things more complicated. Before, they were out in the open, making them easy targets. Now that they’ve gone underground, it’s harder to track their movements."

Han Liying considered this carefully and realized that was indeed the case.

"What are your plans moving forward? I’ll do everything I can to support you."

"Thank you. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell you about my difficulties before; it’s just that precious relationships shouldn’t be strained unnecessarily or taken for granted."

Han Liying smiled gently. "Your thinking is sound. There’s also a belief that relationships are often forged when people navigate difficulties together."

Fu Bing offered a faint smile but said nothing.

Han Liying knew a few words wouldn’t sway Fu Bing, who had her own way of facing life and her own perspectives.

Fu Bing, it seemed, had always kept a certain distance from the Su Family.

Han Liying wasn’t one to conceal her thoughts. "May I ask why you always seem to keep the Su Family at arm’s length? Even when our family actively tries to get closer, you appear reluctant to spend time with us."

Fu Bing hadn’t expected Han Liying to be so direct.

If others were candid with her, she wouldn’t be perfunctory in her response.

"Before you woke up, I visited Sully. That experience wasn’t very pleasant. People from wealthy families can be amiable one moment and arrogant the next, treating others however they please based on their mood. I don’t believe I particularly want anything from the Su Family, nor do I owe you anything. Since we’re even, I naturally interact with people based on my own preferences."

Han Liying wasn’t surprised by this answer.

"I missed the best time to truly connect with you."

"You don’t need to dwell on it," Fu Bing replied. Truthfully, she didn’t harbor any deeper feelings for Han Liying or the other members of the Su Family. Being ordinary friends was perfectly fine with her; she genuinely had no desire to pour her heart out to just anyone.

Han Liying said with great sincerity, "I’ve always wanted us to be closer. This fondness I feel for you, which I can’t quite explain, has often puzzled me. Perhaps, without realizing it, I’ve started to see you as my own daughter."

Fu Bing smiled. "You flatter me."

"Can you tell me what your mother was like?"

"She was a warm and confident person, always emotionally stable, no matter the situation. Whatever mistakes I made, she would always encourage me. To this day, I haven’t managed to emulate her admirable qualities."

Fu Bing spoke simply.

Even those few simple words seemed to conjure the scent of her mother. The fragrance wasn’t anything special, just the scent of a common laundry detergent you could buy anywhere. But on her mother, it always seemed exceptionally unique.

Listening, Han Liying’s gaze suddenly became vacant.

"Today, I saw online that they’ve supposedly found my daughter. The girl has the same name my daughter once had, and she looks a lot like me. For a fleeting moment, I even considered just accepting it, letting the mistake stand."