Chapter 582: You Two Are Cousin Sisters

At dinner, the Li family prepared two large tables of lavish dishes; although it wasn't yet New Year's Eve, it was nearly as grand.

Especially with Yuan Wanqing's arrival, everyone, having seen the big star again, became quite enthusiastic.

Chen Lu and Chen Sijia kept hovering around Yuan Wanqing nonstop.

But at the dinner table, Yuan Wanqing remained silent throughout, responding only occasionally with a few words.

Since she had met Yuan Wanqing during last year's Lunar New Year and knew she wasn't the type to put on airs, they assumed Yuan Wanqing was simply too tired to talk much.

After all, from October 2016 until now, Yuan Wanqing had held concerts in over a dozen cities.

Between those, she had squeezed in countless other work commitments—no wonder she was exhausted.

But Yuan Wanqing was really just unsure how to face Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi.

The thought that her own daughter had already seen, during summer vacation, intimate moments between her and Ying Zhicheng—even witnessed a kiss—made Yuan Wanqing feel utterly uneasy.

Previously, just hearing Li Luo mention it had made her slightly awkward, but Yuan Wanqing, having weathered storms before, quickly adjusted her mindset.

Yet now, sitting at the same table as Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi, Yuan Wanqing noticed the girls' gazes fixed on her and felt profoundly uncomfortable.

Before, not knowing was fine; now that she knew, Yuan Wanqing simply couldn't sit still.

She didn't know what Yan Zhusheng thought of her mother secretly finding a man behind her back.

Nor did she know whether Ying Chanxi would resent her presence.

All of this left her anxious and uncertain.

On screen, she was a star admired and envied by all.

But Yuan Wanqing, who had walked out of the countryside step by step, knew deep down what she truly longed for.

Her husband passed away early; she had raised Yan Zhusheng all by herself, relying entirely on the help of the Ru Qing family.

Especially back then, she was just a country girl who, thanks to her beautiful voice, caught Ying Zhicheng's attention and was tentatively brought to his company for training.

Once they discovered she truly had talent in this field, they spared no effort to provide her with initial resources, letting her shine brilliantly on her first album.

If Ru Qing hadn't passed away early and if Yuan Wanqing hadn't developed heart disease, they could have lived even happier lives.

But sometimes Yuan Wanqing had to admit certain dark thoughts in her heart.

She had, in fact… even while Ru Qing was still alive, secretly harbored feelings of admiration for Ying Zhicheng.

Yet she knew her place well and always kept to her boundaries, never daring to truly overstep.

But under the restraint of reason, she still yearned for the happiness of Ru Qing's family.

But if that were all, Yuan Wanqing would never have tried to draw closer to Ying Zhicheng after Ru Qing's death.

It was only when Ru Qing was in a car accident, rushed to the hospital, and in her final moments had time to speak separately to Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing that everything changed.

After that, Yuan Wanqing went abroad for treatment and lived long-term overseas from Ying Zhicheng; they rarely saw each other each year.

Only after her doctor confirmed her heart disease could be cured did she slowly change her mindset and decide to accept Ru Qing's goodwill.

But when the day finally came to confess to the two children, Yuan Wanqing became unusually nervous.

This nervousness was many times greater than standing on a concert stage facing tens of thousands of watching, cheering fans.

And this nervousness grew stronger as dinner gradually drew to a close.

Li Guoru was drinking baijiu, and Ying Zhicheng couldn't leave just yet.

Yuan Wanqing was dragged off by Lin Xiuhong to play mahjong.

Until past nine at night, when the men finished drinking, Ying Zhicheng finally walked over and gave Yuan Wanqing a meaningful glance.

Yuan Wanqing understood at once, excused herself by saying she was tired, asked Li Luo's aunt to take her place, and followed Ying Zhicheng back to the neighboring house.

At that moment, Li Luo also stretched, waved to Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng, and said he wanted to take them out for a walk.

The two girls initially had no suspicions, but once they followed Li Luo downstairs and saw him head straight toward Ying Chanxi's courtyard, they immediately grew suspicious.

"Li Luo," Yan Zhusheng asked curiously, "are you planning to sleep over at our place tonight?"

"You're imagining things."

"Then why are you coming to my house?" Ying Chanxi asked, puzzled, following Li Luo up the stairs to the second floor.

When they entered the living room and saw Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing sitting solemnly on the sofa, their eyes fixed on them, the two girls instantly realized what was happening.

Ying Chanxi froze in place at the doorway.

Although she had prepared herself mentally beforehand, suddenly facing this situation caught her completely off guard.

Fortunately, Li Luo quickly reached out, gently took Ying Chanxi's hand, squeezed her soft fingers, and offered comfort.

As for Yan Zhusheng, her expression didn't change; she quietly walked over and sat beside Yuan Wanqing.

Ying Chanxi didn't go near Ying Zhicheng; instead, she tightly gripped Li Luo's hand and pulled him to sit on the opposite sofa.

Ying Zhicheng watched his daughter clutching Li Luo's hand tightly, his eyelid twitching slightly—he wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.

Once all five were seated, the atmosphere grew tense; no one spoke first, until Li Luo could no longer bear it and finally cleared his throat to break the silence.

"Cough… uh…"

"We all know what's going on, so there's no need to hide it anymore."

"Let's just speak plainly, right?"

After Li Luo broke the silence, Yuan Wanqing immediately rose, walked to the side, pulled out two gift boxes, handed one to Yan Zhusheng, and personally placed the other into Ying Chanxi's hands.

Ying Chanxi silently accepted it, looked down at the box, then at Yuan Wanqing, and saw Yuan Wanqing nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her hands visibly trembling.

"Xixi, this is a gift I bought in Qiongzhou City—do you like it?"

Ying Chanxi whispered a thank-you, then opened the box and pulled out a deep red scarf.

Li Luo took the scarf and gently wrapped it around Ying Chanxi.

Ying Chanxi accepted it quietly, letting Li Luo tie it for her, then murmured, "It's very comfortable."

"It looks beautiful," Li Luo praised.

"What about me?" Yan Zhusheng had already put on the scarf her mother gave her—a bright yellow one—and now looked at Li Luo with an expectant, eager expression.

"This color suits you very well," Li Luo said with a smile. "Very beautiful."

The atmosphere in the living room had softened considerably since before.

At this moment, Ying Zhicheng finally spoke up.

"Xixi, I was wrong in this matter."

Ying Zhicheng immediately admitted his fault.

"Do you think there's something I did wrong?" Ying Chanxi heard Ying Zhicheng's apology, but only pressed her lips together before asking this.

Seeing that her daughter wasn't throwing a tantrum, yet noticing Ying Chanxi's quiet, cold gaze, Ying Zhicheng suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Fortunately, he recalled the advice Li Luo had privately given him earlier that afternoon, and now he chose his words carefully:

"I shouldn't have hidden it from you."

"You've always been sensible, obedient, and understanding."

"When I first considered remarrying, I should have told you right away, not kept it secret all this time."

"It's my fault. I apologize to you."

As soon as he said this, Ying Chanxi's gaze softened, no longer as quiet and cold as before.

Seeing this change in her expression, Ying Zhicheng let out a sigh of relief, thinking Li Luo was surprisingly reliable.

Only Li Luo knew that Ying Chanxi truly understood her father's difficulties.

Even if she initially resisted the idea of remarriage, she would still choose to understand.

But Ying Chanxi always hated it when people close to her hid important things from her, pretending it was for her own good.

That was what Ying Chanxi truly couldn't accept.

The feeling of being untrusted was what Ying Chanxi truly despised.

So when Ying Zhicheng said all this, Ying Chanxi's attitude immediately softened.

But she still said, "Then why are you telling me now? Did Li Luo sneakily inform you?"

"Don't blame me!" Li Luo immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Your dad and Mrs. Yuan were already planning to tell you both this year during the New Year."

"Really?" Ying Chanxi paused, having assumed Ying Zhicheng would wait until she entered university.

She hadn't expected him to tell her now.

But then Ying Chanxi couldn't help glancing at Yuan Wanqing's belly and muttered softly, "Aunt Yuan… is it…?"

Yuan Wanqing, a seasoned veteran, instantly understood Ying Chanxi's implication. Her face flushed red as she covered her belly. "Xixi, you're imagining things. For the past two years, your dad and I have both been in our career ascent phase—how could we possibly have a child?"

Not having a child?

Li Luo's mind raised this question.

In his memory, Ying Zhicheng later seemed to have had a son—his father had mentioned it casually over dinner.

But that would have been after Ying Chanxi entered university.

Now, neither Yuan Wanqing nor Ying Zhicheng were like in their past lives, where their careers gradually declined, so they had little desire to have children.

Especially if Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi could both accept their parents' marriage and the family lived in harmony, Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing probably wouldn't even consider having another child.

After all, although Yuan Wanqing's heart condition was under control, she was still an advanced-age mother; even with wealth to provide full medical support, it was still physically taxing.

Thinking this way, it made sense.

After confirming Yuan Wanqing wasn't pregnant, Ying Chanxi seemed to exhale a breath of relief.

Probably because she hadn't yet prepared herself to welcome her father's second child.

After all, facing an unborn half-sibling right away—whether brother or sister—was still too much for Ying Chanxi to accept at once.

Now that this possibility was ruled out, Ying Chanxi finally relaxed completely, her emotions no longer tense as before.

"So… Xixi, what do you think?" Ying Zhicheng reached out and took Yuan Wanqing's hand, looking earnestly at Ying Chanxi. "Your mother and Aunt Yuan were very close."

"I don't expect you to accept her immediately—only hope you'll give her a chance."

"Can we all get along as a family?"

Ying Chanxi watched as Ying Zhicheng took Yuan Wanqing's hand right before her, then glanced at Yan Zhusheng, sitting quietly beside Yuan Wanqing.

Yan Zhusheng seized the key point and turned curiously to ask, "Mom, were you close with Xixi's mom? Why didn't I know?"

As soon as she spoke, Ying Chanxi instantly realized: "Right—what's going on here?"

Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing also froze, suddenly realizing that when Xixi and Zhusheng were young, they were too little to remember their elders' pasts.

"Hmm… this matter… it's a long story," Ying Zhicheng pondered, then began thinking where to start.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng both perked up their ears, ready to listen as Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing recounted the tale.

Soon, their eyes widened, showing expressions of disbelief.

"So… my mother's younger brother, my uncle…" Ying Chanxi blinked, still struggling to sort out the logic, "then… Aunt Yuan is actually my aunt-in-law?!"

"My mom is Xixi's aunt-in-law," Yan Zhusheng counted on her fingers, trying to map the relationships. "Then Uncle Ying is my… my…"

Yan Zhusheng had grown up abroad and was confused by domestic kinship terms, momentarily stuck.

Li Luo cleared his throat and reminded her: "Uncle Ying is your paternal aunt's husband."

"But… if that's true… then you two…" Ying Chanxi was now dumbfounded.

She had assumed her father only grew close to Yuan Wanqing because she was his company's artist, and they interacted frequently.

But now they had this hidden connection?!

"Why don't I remember Aunt Yuan at all?" Ying Chanxi fell into deep thought, straining to recall her childhood.

"When you were little, your mother was still alive. She lived with you in Jincheng Community, next door to Li Luo's family," Ying Zhicheng said. "Meanwhile, Aunt Yuan owned an apartment in the city center, right near my company, so I stayed there for a while."

"But I don't remember Uncle Ying either," Yan Zhusheng asked curiously.

"You were only one or two years old then," Yuan Wanqing explained. "By the time you got older, he had already moved into his own rental. It's normal you don't remember."

"Wait a minute." After hearing Yuan Wanqing and Ying Zhicheng's explanation, Yan Zhusheng suddenly realized another thing and immediately raised her hand to ask, "If Mom is Xixi's aunt-in-law, and Uncle Ying is my paternal aunt's husband—"

"Then..."

"Then what is my relationship with Zhusheng?" Ying Chanxi blurted out, clearly realizing this issue.

"Ahem..." Li Luo glanced at Xixi, then at Zhusheng, and said, "You two are cousins."

As he spoke, Li Luo's lips couldn't help but twitch upward, though he suppressed it enough to avoid looking too obvious.