CHAPTER 646: CHAPTER 381: YES, HE IS MY FATHER

Luo Ye inadvertently caught a fleeting look of surprise in Qiao Aimin’s eyes and quickly took Luo Lian’s hand, introducing her, "Governor Qiao, this is my good friend, fashion designer Luo Lian."

With a light smile playing at her lips, Luo Lian said, "Governor Qiao, I was thinking of greeting you just now, but couldn’t find the opportunity to chip in."

Her dimples peeked in and out as she smiled, her lustrous eyes clear and amber-like, her delicate and prominent nose, her skin so white it was almost translucent, and her gentle and graceful demeanor; every bit of her resembled the one he constantly missed. Yet, reason told him it couldn’t be her; over twenty years had passed, it was impossible she still bore the same face...

"Governor Qiao..." Luo Ye softly called out, thinking to himself that according to the investigation reports, this governor was an upright man. How then had he become so absentminded at the sight of Lianlian? As a leader of a province, with such uncontrolled emotions, was the investigation possibly wrong?

Displeasure was also evident in Luo Lian’s eyes; a man in his forties, and a governor at that, was staring so intently at her—wasn’t this rather unseemly?

"Governor Qiao?" Luo Ye stressed his voice as he called out again.

Finally snapping back to reality, Qiao Aimin quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, Luo Lian greatly resembles a friend of mine, so much so that I thought my vision was playing tricks on me."

"That’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?" Luo Ye replied indifferently, clearly skeptical of his words.

"Well..." Qiao Aimin chuckled wryly as he explained, "I’m telling the truth. At my age, I wouldn’t resort to such a method to bridge a gap with a young lady. I won’t lie to you, this friend I mentioned was my first love. Due to a twist of fate, it didn’t work out, and I haven’t seen her in over twenty years, hence I was a little slow to regain my composure."

This was something he never disclosed to others. Luo Xiang was not just his greatest love but also a deep-seated ache within him, a wound that would never heal. Every mention of her brought him down for a long time.

It was only after Lian Qinghua and he got divorced that Old Madam Qiao dared to bring it up without hesitation. Before that, this matter was a taboo in the Qiao family, and bringing it up was futile. Apart from causing him heartache, it solved nothing.

He spilled this to Luo Ye and Luo Lian purely because he felt his prior behavior had been too misunderstandable. His purpose in seeking Luo Ye was to clarify the Qiao family’s intent to both the Wen and Ye families. If this led Luo Ye to mistake him for a dishonorable man, then all his actions today would have been pointless.

Seeing Qiao Aimin’s evident drop in mood after finishing his story, Luo Ye quickly said, "Governor Qiao, you really are a person of sentiment."

"Governor Qiao, my apologies," Luo Lian also said.

"No, no, I am the one who should apologize..." Qiao Aimin hesitated before asking, "Luo Lian, could you tell me your mother’s name? I hope you don’t mind my asking; your resemblance to her is definitely more than 80%. For a second there, I truly thought time had reversed."

Hearing his words, Luo Lian felt her heart jump. Her mother, before she left, had given her the jade pendant but hadn’t revealed a single bit of information about her biological father. It seemed she didn’t want to disrupt his family but hoped that one day she would be recognized. Only Emma had mentioned some of her mother’s romantic affairs. So, could this man be the one her mother had cherished all her life?

"My mother’s name is Luo Nian," Luo Lian answered.

In Qiao Aimin’s eyes, the eager anticipation slowly turned to disappointment. Perhaps there really were people in this world who looked strikingly similar. He thought for a moment and then, not willing to give up, pursued further, "Did your mother have any sisters or cousins? Or perhaps any aunts?"

Luo Lian shook her head: "No, my Grandma and Grandpa only had my mother as their daughter. They passed away before I was born, and I only know about them from what my mother told me. However, I never heard my mother mention any other relatives from my grandparents’ side. Governor Qiao, if I may speak frankly, if you had such deep feelings for your first love, how is it that you don’t know whether she had any sisters or cousins?"

Qiao Aimin forced a smile: "I inquired about her family twice, but she skillfully dodged my questions each time. I understood then that she must have had some difficult secrets to bear, hence I never asked again.

Her name is Luo Xiang. She appeared gentle, but she was stubborn at heart. Throughout these years, my greatest worry has been that my mistakes have caused her to suffer. Hence, my abruptness upon our first meeting. Please forgive me."