CHAPTER 719: CHAPTER 218 REUNION

"Father, I am Ah Li."

In the room, this sentence stunned Xue Huaiyuan.

He rarely showed such surprise, yet today it happened twice in succession: first Xue Zhao, and then Jiang Li. Both of these people left him speechless one after another.

Jiang Li had much to say. She wanted to slowly recount the past, bit by bit, to convince Xue Huaiyuan of her identity; she was Xue Fangfei. But as soon as she called out "Father," tears streamed down her face, unstoppable.

A girl with no blood relation to him, even if she had helped the Xue Family many times, Xue Huaiyuan knew she was Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter, and his own Ah Li had long been killed by Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning. Jiang Li and Xue Fangfei were entirely different individuals, but as he looked at the tearful girl before him, he suddenly saw the young Ah Li. She had a sweet temperament, and he had just arrived in Tongxiang, attending to official affairs, and often returned home late. Xue Zhao, being a boy, lacked affection, but Ah Li, a girl, would quietly wait for him in the courtyard until he returned at night. Back then, the moment Xue Huaiyuan would return, the girl would jump up, softly calling him "Father," her voice filled with both grievance and joy, melting his heart completely.

As he watched Jiang Li weeping before him, Xue Huaiyuan couldn’t help reaching out, wanting to stroke her head; and indeed he did, murmuring, "Ah Li..."

Jiang Li was also taken aback.

She hadn’t expected Xue Huaiyuan to believe her so easily, or rather, she hadn’t expected him to recognize her so effortlessly. Perhaps this was the unbreakable bond of blood relations, which, even with a different identity and a changed face, allowed for easy recognition. There was none of the imagined struggle and doubt; it all just naturally unfolded.

Xue Zhao, who was also watching them nervously, feared that Xue Huaiyuan wouldn’t believe Jiang Li and wound his sister’s heart. He thought about stepping in to help prove her story, but unexpectedly, Xue Huaiyuan called out "Ah Li."

Jiang Li was sure he was calling "Ah Li" and not "Ah Liar", because to Miss Jiang the Second, Xue Huaiyuan had always referred to her as "Miss Jiang."

"Father, you believe Sister’s words!" Xue Zhao said, "That’s wonderful!"

"Ah Li..." Xue Huaiyuan too, was overcome with tears. He had been a dignified middle-aged man, but now he seemed as old as Old General Jih. He took Jiang Li’s hand, not knowing if he was in a daze or awake, and asked, "Ah Li...is Father’s Ah Li still alive..."

Jiang Li stood up from the chair, knelt before Xue Huaiyuan and said, "Father, your daughter has been unfilial. If only I hadn’t married Shen Yurong back then, the Xue family would not have faced such calamity, nor would you and Ah Zhao have endured such torment. It’s all my fault!"

"No, no, no," Xue Huaiyuan said in a panic, trying to help her up, his tone devoid of any blame, "How can this be Ah Li’s fault? It’s all Father’s mistake. I was so preoccupied with government affairs that I neglected you... I didn’t investigate clearly who Shen Yurong was, and thus married you off to him. You must have suffered a lot in the Shen family, and I never knew..."

"You two shouldn’t say such things about each other," Xue Zhao said, "It’s not Father’s fault, nor Sister’s. Who could have known what kind of person Shen Yurong was? You can’t judge a book by its cover. Back when Shen Yurong was in Tongxiang, he seemed to be a decent man. Even if someone else had tried to investigate, they wouldn’t have found out. A person’s true nature really only comes out when they’re faced with important choices. Before, when Shen Yurong had no options, he seemed alright, but after he gained wealth, that’s when he changed."

Xue Zhao’s words seemed to sober Xue Huaiyuan gradually. He took Jiang Li’s hand and had her sit beside him. Looking at Jiang Li, her face was completely different from Xue Fangfei’s, yet her expressions and movements made Xue Huaiyuan feel as if Xue Fangfei was still before him. Xue Huaiyuan was momentarily confused and said, "Ah Li... your face, how did you become... become Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter?"

Jiang Li and Xue Zhao exchanged glances. This matter would eventually need to be explained. Jiang Li repeated the previous explanation she had given Xue Zhao, and upon hearing it, Xue Huaiyuan revealed a look of astonishment. Xue Zhao interjected, "Sister, this is like reviving a dead person’s soul, something I’ve only heard of from storytellers in taverns. I never thought it could happen to you. But Heaven has treated you quite well; you’ve become Miss Jiang the Second. It’s fortunate you didn’t turn into a man. Otherwise, even after you found Father and told him you were Sister, Father wouldn’t have believed you and would’ve thought you were a madman."