“Her boyfriend seems to be quite wealthy and influential.”
The more relaxed Yu Sheng was, the more upset Wan Tong felt. Her face tightened, and she couldn’t help but worry unnecessarily.
Seeing her about to explode, Yu Sheng gently kissed her smooth cheek and said in a low, teasing voice, “Don’t worry, her boyfriend isn’t rich. He even asks me for money.”
“???” Wan Tong looked up in disbelief, her dark pupils reflecting the light from the corridor, making them look even clearer and brighter.
Yu Sheng gazed at her, and his expression changed subtly. “Tongtong, I found my parents.”
“…” Wan Tong blinked slowly and instinctively asked, “Where are they?”
Yu Sheng smirked slightly, “Do you want to meet them? They’re in the club.”
Wan Tong hesitated, fiddling with her clothes. She was dressed formally today, like a strong businesswoman. Would it be appropriate to meet his parents like this?
She touched her hair nervously and asked, “Do I look okay?”
She seemed to have forgotten her previous worries.
Yu Sheng held her hand and said in a husky voice, “Mm, you look beautiful.”
As they walked, Wan Tong brought up the earlier topic, “Why did you give money to Auntie’s boyfriend? Did he threaten you?”
“No, he didn’t. It’s just that… he raised me for over twenty years.”
“???” Wan Tong was puzzled, looking blankly at the man beside her.
Usually, she seemed smart, but at crucial moments, her mind seemed slow. Yu Sheng didn’t rush to explain and stopped in front of a private room, reaching out to push the door open.
Wan Tong quickly collected her thoughts, smoothed her hair, and followed Yu Sheng inside.
It was a simple yet cozy themed room, perfect for a couple.
On one side was a circular sofa area, and on the other was a square dining table with candles replacing the overly bright chandelier. The two people at the table looked up as they entered.
Wan Tong’s smile froze completely when she saw their stunning faces.
At the same time, everything clicked in her mind.
No wonder Auntie still looked so young at 48. She was a mermaid, and so was Bidder 30…
Wait, Auntie’s age on her ID might be fake. Yu Sheng is thirty, so Auntie must be at least sixty!
Wan Tong looked at Auntie’s beautiful face, feeling it was too surreal. She couldn’t help swallowing nervously and pinching Yu Sheng’s back.
The sly man, making her a laughingstock.
Yu Sheng held her hand and introduced them in a low voice.
“Tongtong is here,” Li Ting spoke first, covering her mouth with a smile. “Don’t blame A’Sheng. It was my idea to meet you.”
She just wanted to see what kind of girl her son had seduced, but she ended up liking being a housekeeper. Otherwise, she was quite bored.
She would rather spend her time making good food for Tongtong and watching her son pursue the girl.
Unfortunately, her plan was revealed too soon.
How could Wan Tong dare to say anything? She quickly shook her head, “It’s okay, no problem.”
She started to recall if she had done anything inappropriate at home, then suddenly realized that the progress of her relationship with Yu Sheng didn’t seem to be a secret anymore…
In an instant, she became even more despondent, her face maintaining only a mechanical smile.
Yu Jiujun also wore a kind smile and beckoned her, “Come and sit down.”
After Wan Tong sat down, Yu Sheng sat opposite her. What was originally a romantic candlelight dinner for two seemed to suddenly turn into a family meal, completely ruining the romantic atmosphere.
Yu Jiujun suddenly remembered something, took out a box, handed it to Wan Tong, and said succinctly, “Gift.”
Wan Tong was flattered and quickly took the exquisite box, carefully opening it.
Inside the red satin, four ancient coins lay quietly…
Three hundred million.
The first thing that came to Wan Tong’s mind was a string of zeros.
Looking at Yu Jiujun’s impossibly youthful face, she struggled to utter, “…Uncle, this is too valuable, I can’t accept it.”
Yu Jiu glanced at the ancient coins in the box without a trace of reluctance, “It’s for the in-laws.”
Wan Tong : “…”
Under the table, Li Ting kicked Yu Jiujun, who blinked and corrected himself, “For the future in-laws.”
Wan Tong : “…”
Li Ting glared at Yu Jiujun, then patted Wan Tong’s hand, “It’s okay, just accept it. Anyway, it’s him who bid for it at the auction, but the money comes from A’Sheng.”
Wan Tong : “…”
Throughout the process, she felt like a bystander, unable to digest everything happening to her.
Yu Sheng met her gaze, looking innocent.
Wan Tong held the box, unsure whether to accept it or not, so she temporarily set it aside.
During this time, she observed Yu Jiujun, noticing that his pupils had a faint bluish hue, a pair of eyes that had once appeared in her memories.
He was the merman who had erased her memories back then…
After going round and round, it turned out to be these people all along.
Wan Tong didn’t stay long before leaving first.
She didn’t want Yu Sheng to see her off, preferring some time alone, so she let him accompany his parents.
Back in the car, seeing her dazed expression, Zheng Jun asked, “Senior, are we going straight home?”
“Yes,” Wan Tong nodded.
Zheng Jun started the car, and considerately turned up the air conditioning.
It only took about twenty minutes to get back to the Yue family residence, but the car was stopped at the gate.
It was a middle-aged man with graying hair and black-rimmed glasses, exuding a scholarly air.
He was clearly there for Wan Tong.
Wan Tong found him somewhat familiar. After getting out of the car and hearing his voice, she remembered he was Lu Yun’s uncle, Zhang Qian.
“Tongtong, I’m looking for Lu Yun. Do you have any way to contact him?”
“Uncle Zhang, is Lu Yun not home?”
Lu Yun came to have lunch with her at noon, but she was busy, so he stayed in her office until the afternoon before leaving.
Zhang Qian shook his head, letting out a long sigh with a dejected expression, “He’s avoiding me.”
Wan Tong was very curious. She led Zhang Qian inside, had someone bring tea, and then asked, “Uncle Zhang, did something happen?”
Zhang Qian’s eyes were filled with exhaustion as he sighed, “I am Lu Yun’s father…”
Wan Tong : “!!!”
“Lu Yun said you already know about his identity as a half-mermaid,” Zhang Qian looked at Wan Tong and said.
Wan Tong nodded lightly, and then she heard another story from Zhang Qian’s mouth.
When Zhang Qian was young, he met a beautiful woman. They fell in love and had Lu Yun. Who would have thought she was a mermaid? Although their child looked human, he had extraordinary healing abilities and heightened senses. So Zhang Qian started collecting blood samples from both of them to study and document.
Later, the mermaid woman couldn’t adapt to life on land and passed away. Zhang Qian became engrossed in his research and couldn’t care for his child, so he had Lu Yun adopted by his infertile sister.
After hearing this, Wan Tong still didn’t understand, “Lu Yun can’t accept his identity?”
Zhang Qian sighed, “Maybe. I really am unfit to be a father.”
Wan Tong frowned, feeling something was off. Suddenly, a cold and eerie laugh came from the direction of the spiral staircase.
The two on the sofa looked over. In the dim light of the stairs, Lu Yun slowly stood up, holding the handrail, with a mocking smile on his handsome face and eyes devoid of human warmth, “Zhang Qian, did you fly back here to die? I told you, if I saw you again, I’d kill you.”
Zhang Qian didn’t expect Lu Yun to be here. He was slightly surprised but quickly calmed down, “Lu Yun, you’re getting more and more disrespectful.”
With someone else present, he couldn’t possibly make a move, right?
Wan Tong stood up and watched them silently, knowing this was a matter between father and son.
[Tongtong, last time Shishi invaded Yu Jian’s system, Shishi retrieved a hidden file about Lu Yun.] Shishi’s voice echoed in her mind.
[Give it to me.]
[Okay.]
After receiving the hidden file, Wan Tong’s shock slowly subsided.
Lu Yun knew he wasn’t a child of the Lu family, but he never suspected Zhang Qian was his father until recently when he found a research file on mermaids in Zhang Qian’s lab. It even detailed a female mermaid’s pregnancy and the birth of a half-mermaid.
The file included photos of her and the half-mermaid, blood sample analyses, mermaid talent test records, and so on.
The female mermaid eventually died due to physical weakness, and the baby’s records stopped. The entire file was locked in a safe, which Lu Yun discovered.
The female mermaid was his mother, the half-mermaid baby was him, and the one who impregnated the female mermaid was Zhang Qian.
In the hidden plot, Lu Yun killed Zhang Qian with his own hands because of this report, marking the start of his blood-stained, sinful life.
He took over the Lu family business, continued funding the lab, successfully covered up Zhang Qian’s death, developed an illegal industry, plundered several labs specializing in mermaid research, sent all captured mermaids to the lab, fully ignited the conflict with the mermaid clan, and eventually got wiped out by Yu Sheng.
But now, perhaps something changed in Lu Yun’s mind. He didn’t kill Zhang Qian but chose to run away.