When Mu Lan came back, she had a normal expression. The food was served already. She sat down.
“Was it… your husband?” Hua Rong wanted to tease his niece.
She smiled. “No, a friend of mine. Let’s dig in.”
The uncle and niece filled their stomach and went back to the house. After freshening up and resting for a while, the two of them went to visit Zhuang Lei at the hospital.
Zhuang Lei was beyond furious. However, after seeing the two of them coming inside her room, she forced herself to smile. “My, my, Xiao Lan, I didn’t think you would come to see me after how I acted.”
Mu Lan gave her the same smile. “Oh auntie, what are you talking about? You are my closest family. I felt so bad to cause you trouble and I felt guilty. There is no way I wouldn’t come and see you.”
Hua Rong put down the fruit basket and said, “In my family, only Xiao Lan is sensible. Last time when you were bedridden, your own daughter didn’t come to see you even once. Rather, she went to Singapore for shopping.”
Zhuang Lei scoffed. “Alright, alright. You don’t have to badmouth her. She is your only daughter. Dote on her a little bit.”
Hua Rong had no interest in pissing off his wife for the sake of his reputation and making a bad relationship with his own daughter for the sake of his company. He resigned.
Mu Lan looked surprised. “Auntie, you were bedridden but sister Mei didn’t come to see you. That’s so sad. Uncle, is she like that when you are sick?”
Hua Rong shrugged. “She is a busy actress. We need to understand.”
Mu Lan’s expression was full of sorrow. “It’s almost like she isn’t your own daughter.”
Zhuang Lei who was peeling the skin of an apple, her right hand holding the knife slipped and she cut her left hand’s thumb. Droplets of blood oozed out from the wound in a second.
“Oh, auntie!” Mu Lan screamed and stood up. “How can you be so careless?” She opened the box on the table. It had cotton in it. She cleaned the wound and used band aid to take care of it. She continued saying, “I just said something on base of nothing. It was only a joke. You don’t have to take it seriously. It’s almost like you are hiding something from us.”
“W-what are you saying?” Zhuang Lei forgot her pain. She was stammering as her heart was beating so fast that anyone could hear.
Hua Rong took the apple and began to peel it. While doing so, he attentively listened to the conversation between his wife and niece.
“Auntie, I told you, I was just joking around. You don’t have to be so nervous.” Mu Lan brushed off Zhuang Lei’s anxiety and sat down on her previous spot. “Come to think of it, if I remember correctly, sister Mei doesn’t look like uncle at all. She also didn’t get any characteristic of uncle either. She is more beautiful than both of you. her complexion is slightly tanned compared to you too. Though definitely resembles auntie but her eyes are totally different. They are more eye-catching than auntie’s. Her hair is also dark brown. Uncle but auntie don’t have dark brown hair… there is no one who has dark brown hair in our family… hmm…”
On the outside, she was praising Hua Mei, on the inside, she was comparing her with her parents. Even a fool would understand what was going on.
“Xiao Lan, what do you think you are talking about?” Zhuang Lei was about to lose her cool.
Mu Lan ignored her words. She continued thinking before saying, “Oh I remember. It’s General Ru.”
“Yaozu!” Zhuang Lei blurted out.
Mu Lan needed to remember, “Yes, General Ru’s name was Yaozu, General Ru Yaozu. Auntie, you are very knowledgeable. But saying his name so casually, are you two close friends?” She innocently spoke as her eyes showed curiosity.
Hua Rong stopped peeling the apple and looked up to his wife. He was curious as well.
Zhuang Lei was flustered but soon she gathered her thoughts. She smiled and replied, “We were friends in the past. Now I don’t have any clue where he is.”
“Oh, don’t you know?” Mu Lan covered her mouth and continued, “He died a few months ago. It hurts me knowing that you couldn’t attend his funeral… Oh no, there was no funeral as he was killed because of treason.”
Zhuang Lei clenched her fists under her cover. A slight of hatred was glowed in her eyes as she kept gazing at Mu Lan. General Ru Yaozu was her sore spot and that ‘ungrateful bi*ch’ dared to poke her
Mu Lan tilted her head despite getting the warnings. “Auntie, you don’t seem shocked hearing such sad news. Did you know beforehand? If you did, why did you say you had no clue where he was?”
Zhuang Lei trembled. “N-no, it’s nothing like that.”
Hua Rong interrupted their conversation. “Alright, Xiao Lan. You have had enough fun. Don’t distress your aunt. She isn’t young anymore.”
Mu Lan scratched her head and smiled foolishly. “Ah, uncle you got me. Ahahahahaha.”
Hua Rong peeled the apples and gave them to his wife to eat. “Here, finish them all.”
A nurse knocked on the door and came inside. “Visiting hour has ended. Please leave and let the patient rest.”
“Okay, we are going then.” Hua Rong stood up. “We are leaving. Take care of yourself.” Saying that, he left. Mu Lan stood and followed him. Before leaving the room, she turned her head towards her aunt and gave a small smile.
Zhuang Lei felt that she was mocking her. Chills ran down her spine. ‘It cannot be. There is no way that bi*ch know my secret. It can’t be true. But how can she know? She wasn’t even born at that time. Moreover, Yaozu couldn’t possibly meet her before his death.’
Thinking about Genera Ru, her heart was in pain. ‘Oh Yaozu, I miss you so much.’
