The Real Young Master is Entangled by the Paranoid Fake Young Master - Chapter 14

It had taken every ounce of Song Lili’s courage to come here.

She had only learned this evening that her father intended to keep the “troublesome” Song Zhaoqing at home. After everything that had happened, Lili could see that her grandmother, father, and eldest brother all disliked Zhaoqing. She should have stood in solidarity with her family after all, Zhaoqing had caused nothing but friction since his arrival but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. She couldn’t forget the look of profound pity he gave her at the hospital, nor the despair in his voice.

She thought that if he behaved himself, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to treat him as family. Even so, she had one major concern that she needed to hear him address personally before she could rest easy.

Assuming her usual “mean girl” persona, she knocked on Zhaoqing’s door with a sharp, hostile rhythm. She didn’t know where her confidence came from, but she felt certain that Zhaoqing wouldn’t ignore her.

Sure enough, the door opened, and Zhaoqing stepped out from the dim room.

“What were you doing in there? Why did you take so long?” Lili tried to peer into the room behind him, but Zhaoqing decisively pulled the door shut.

Lili grumbled under her breath, “Hmph, fine. Don’t show me. You don’t have to act like I’m a thief.”

Seeing her childishness, Zhaoqing didn’t feel angry. Instead, remembering the version of Lili who eventually spiraled into a fatal depression, he found he preferred this bratty but carefree version of her.

Lili noticed that Zhaoqing wasn’t in a hurry. He just watched her with eyes full of tolerance and kindness, almost as if he were looking at a child. It made her feel a bit awkward. Realizing she hadn’t fulfilled her purpose yet, she summoned her courage and put on her best spoiled-princess face.

“I’m warning you! Even if Father lets you stay here, you’re not allowed to bully anyone, especially my second brother! He’s kind and innocent. If you dare have any malicious thoughts about him, I won’t let you ” Before she could finish, a warm, dry hand gently patted the top of her head.

The hand moved as if stroking a favorite pet helplessly, yet with great indulgence. In that instant, Lili’s speech died in her throat. She felt as if she had been physically silenced, unable to utter another word.

She had rehearsed those lines over and over. She felt that her new brother was too strong and sharp, while Song Yuening was frail and cold; Yuening would be no match for Zhaoqing. Although she couldn’t hate Zhaoqing, she was terrified he would hurt her “god-like” second brother. That was why she had come to “set him straight.”

“Is he really that good to you?” Zhaoqing asked, seeing right through her. He knew she was worried about Yuening. But how could a “low-life” like him ever truly hurt someone like Song Yuening?

“Wha… what?” Lili was dazed.

“I mean, is Song Yuening actually good to you?” Zhaoqing asked calmly.

Staring into his bright eyes, Lili faltered, her tone losing its edge. “Of course. My Brother Yuening is wonderful to me. I’ve always been closest to him since I was a child…”

I never met my mother. Everyone in this family is so busy, Father and Eldest Brother are busy with business, Grandmother is busy with social climbing. Brother Yuening is quiet, but he’s the one who has spent the most time with me.

Lili felt a pang of sadness at the thought. Of course, she wouldn’t tell Zhaoqing that. They weren’t that close yet.

Silly sister, Zhaoqing thought, looking at her. Only you think you’re close to him. A person as cold-blooded as Song Yuening likely has no real sincerity for you.

Looking at the Lili who currently trusted and defended Yuening, Zhaoqing felt only pity. He watched her in silence for a long time. Under his gaze, Lili actually began to feel a strange sense of guilt.

But what did she have to be guilty about?

Brother Yuening… he really is good to me; she told herself repeatedly. He’s just naturally cold, but he must have a place for us in his heart, because we are family!

Yet, faced with the tangible pity in Zhaoqing’s eyes, she felt restless. she forced herself to raise her voice again. “In any case, if you have bad intentions toward my brother, I will—”

“I know, I know. You’ll go tell Father and Grandmother, right?” Zhaoqing chuckled, completely unbothered by her threat. He looked at her with immense gentleness. “Little Princess, I swear, I wouldn’t dare. Is that better?”

Seeing the light hit Lili’s innocent face, Zhaoqing recalled her haggard appearance in the sanatorium years later. After the kidnapping incident in their youth, Zhaoqing and Lili had actually become close. The two most “out of place” members of the Song family had ended up being the only ones who truly cared for each other in that den of vipers.

Zhaoqing would never forget the Lili who was sacrificed by the family, killed by a mentally ill husband, and who died without ever seeing her biological mother again.

This time, Zhaoqing wanted her to be happy. So, he decided to make a “trade.”

“Lili, do you want to see your biological mother?” he asked bluntly.

The question was light, sounding as casual as asking what she’d had for dinner. But those few words struck Lili with such shock and fear that she could only whisper: “What…”

Even seeing the gravity in Zhaoqing’s eyes, she didn’t dare believe it. Information about her biological mother had been strictly suppressed by Song Shicheng for years. Not a single rumor had ever leaked.

Throughout her life, Lili had tried to ask, she had cried, she had thrown tantrums, and she had even searched in secret. But every time, Shicheng had coldly told her: “That woman didn’t want you. She chose money over her own daughter. Someone like that doesn’t deserve to be called your mother.”

The phrase “biological mother” was a permanent wound in Lili’s heart. She hadn’t expected Zhaoqing to bring it up so abruptly. She began to unravel, her voice rising uncontrollably.

“I don’t have a mother, Song Zhaoqing! Let me tell you the truth: she abandoned me long ago, so I don’t care about her! Whatever you’re trying to do, you’d better not think you can use this to get a rise out of me!” she screamed at him.

“She never abandoned you,” Zhaoqing said, his voice a stark contrast to her breakdown.

“Song Shicheng has been lying to you. She has been desperate to see you every single day.”

“She has tried everything just to get one look at you. If she could see you, she would be so happy. Lili, believe me. The truth isn’t what you think it is.”

Zhaoqing wasn’t lying. In the past life, during the week of Lili’s funeral, a woman had been screaming and causing a scene outside the Song estate. Zhiyuan had told Zhaoqing she was just a “crazy woman,” but Zhaoqing had felt her grief was genuine and had gone to comfort her. That was when he learned that Lili’s mother hadn’t abandoned her for a new lover; Song Shicheng had spent years preventing them from meeting. A month later, Lili’s mother had committed suicide by jumping from a building. Her final wish was to be buried with her daughter. Shicheng didn’t care and Zhiyuan didn’t bother; it was Zhaoqing who handled the funeral and fulfilled her wish.

Lili’s mother, Zhen Xue, had been a famous zoologist. Before marrying Shicheng, she was a bright, brilliant woman who traveled the world. Because of a tragic marriage, she lost her career and her daughter. She died in an old house, clutching a photo of Lili as a baby.

Zhaoqing pulled out his phone and searched for the name “Zoologist Zhen Xue.” He found a photo of her in her twenties, looking remarkably like Lili, and showed it to her.

“This is your mother. She was one of the most famous zoologists in the country. Now, she lives in a small rented house in an old neighborhood near the Song estate. She spends every cent she has on private detectives and lawyers. She sacrificed her career and her future, but she didn’t do it for herself. She did it hoping that one day she could get you back and be a family again.”

“Do you know how many nights she wandered outside the Song gates, only to be driven away by security?”

“Do you know how many times she tried to sue Song Shicheng for custody, only to fail because of the Song family’s power?”

“She has nothing now. No ‘new husband,’ no ‘new children’ like Song Shicheng said. She lost her beloved career and her dreams. All she wants is her daughter. Even seeing you once would be enough for her.”

“Song Lili, look at her. Look at how bright and sunny she was ten years ago. Do you want to know what she looks like now? She’s likely grey-haired and withered. When you see her, you’ll know that everything I’ve told you is the truth.”

“The person lying to you isn’t me. It’s your ‘trusted’ father, Song Shicheng.”

As Zhaoqing’s voice grew colder, Lili felt her eyes fill with tears. The photo of Zhen Xue blurred. She tried to say something, but the sheer force of her emotion was too much. Great sobs broke from her chest, and tears cascaded down her face.

Under the dim hallway lights, Zhaoqing watched his younger sister weep. He felt a trace of sadness, but mostly a sense of calm. The truth is often cruel.

He asked again: “Now that you know, do you want to go see your mother?”

Cruelty was better than what he had experienced in his past life waking up only after his entire worth had been drained away.

Lili cried for a long time, her wet lashes making her look even more pitiful. Finally, she stopped, her voice trembling but firm. “Take me to see my mother.”

Then, she added immediately: “I’ll do whatever it takes. I agree to whatever you want.”

Zhaoqing nodded, seeing she had regained her composure. “I will take you when the timing is right. But for now, there is something I need your help with.”

“What?” Lili asked seriously.

“I don’t want to go to No. 1 High. Lili, can you convince ‘Father’ to let me go elsewhere?” Zhaoqing asked calmly.

“What?” Lili’s eyes went wide. She repeated the words in disbelief. “You’re saying, you don’t want to go to No. 1 High?!”

Looking at her shock, Zhaoqing only offered a gentle smile. He whispered a few more things to her, patiently explaining why he wanted this choice. Occasionally Lili would push back, but her voice grew smaller and smaller until she seemed completely convinced.

The light stretched their shadows long against the floor. They were so focused on their negotiation that neither realized a figure was hiding around the corner, listening to every word they said like a ghost in the shadows.