Chapter 93 - Truth

Su Xiang prepared to speak to her parents about her relationship with Xun Zichen. She practiced scenarios in her head of how things would go. She mentally prepared herself.

The best-case scenario would be her parents accepting their relationship. Worst case scenario, they would altogether reject it and disown them from the family.

But they didn't have any other heirs. The next in line for succession would be someone distant from the Su or Song family.

Of her parents, she was terrified about her mother's reaction the most. Song Ren was gentle, but she was dignified, bleak, and indifferent; she had the common personality traits of the Song family. Her father was always more gentle and understanding; he spoiled her to no end, growing up.

It was the late evening, pitch dark when Xun Zichen drove them to the main house. She stayed at home most nights, but others, she was at his apartment. Her parents didn't keep account of her whereabouts because she also participated in night shifts and on-calls at the hospital. They were also too busy to care.

Before stepping into the house, Xun Zichen ran his fingers over her hand. She knew he could sense her nerves; he felt it too.

"I love you," she told him in the car.

"I love you more," he replied tenderly.

They stepped from the car, entering the house.

Song Ren and Su Feng were in the living room, clad in expensive business-casual wear; their faces were vacant, and she couldn't tell anything based on their expressions.

Her mother stood up, kissing them both on the cheeks before urging them to sit.

"It's nice that you requested this; your father and I haven't seen you two much around," she told them while pouring some Jasmine tea. Her father was sitting next to her, wearing a subtle smile on his face, agreeing with his wife.

Su Xiang began to feel so nervous that she nearly choked over a response. She sat down, bunching her palms into fists over her knees.

Just say it, she told herself. Say it. Say it. Say it, she repeated in her head. Tell them. Tell them. Tell them. But why was it so hard?

Before she could respond, Xun Zichen cut in. "We wanted to talk about Xiang's birthday party. She will be graduating around that time, too. Why don't we celebrate both occasions at once?" he suggested.

Song Ren smiled. "Oh, that's a great idea, Chen."

Su Xiang felt like a coward.

"Wouldn't it conflict with the time of your wedding? I wouldn't want the spotlight to stray away from Xi quickly. Graduating from Med school is a big achievement," Song Ren continued.

Xun Zichen appeared to be conflicted, but he composed his face. He then said straightforwardly, "I called off the engagement with Yu Haoran."

Su Feng knitted his brows. "Why?" he asked.

Xun Zichen was stuck. He wasn't sure how to respond. "She and I would never have worked," he answered.

"If there was a problem with her, we could always arrange for—" Song Ren began but was interrupted by Su Xiang. "No!" she responded, before gazing up at them. Her parents shot their attention to her.

She then interlaced one of her hands with Xun Zichen's. "Chen and I...we're..." she bit her lip. "I am in love with him," she admitted while maintaining eye contact with her parents.

She saw her mother's eyes widen. She stood up, a hand on her belly. Su Feng reached out for his wife, but she slapped his hand away.

She faced Xun Zichen. "You know who you are?" she asked him.

Xun Zichen nodded.

"How?" she asked desperately; her voice quivered.

"I overheard the doctors years ago. I am not your legitimate child, and since we're not blood-related, you couldn't help me when I was sick. So you contacted my birth family," he admitted.

Song Ren stumbled. She had to sit down on a different seat, away from the others, steadying herself. Her eyes were still wide, trying to register the bomb dropped on her.

She took a deep breath, facing Su Xiang. Song Ren's gold-flecked eyes locked with hers, cold yet vibrant. "Then you must know why it's important no one else should find out. If other people were to know about his identity, then—"

"I understand," Su Xiang replied.

"Then you guys shouldn't be together," Song Ren responded.

"What?" Su Xiang questioned.

"I understand how you two feel. But it's not so simple. If you two want to be together, you'll have to expose Xun Zichen. But that affects his image. People will question his legitimacy; they'll scheme to take his position once we retire. Not to mention, the Xun family will find him, which is worst. And if you two keep it a secret, you'll have to face all the questioning from the public eye; you can't have children. Think about it. I know what it's like to love someone you can't have. But I can't see you two throw out your potential for love," she said.

"Please...reconsider," responded Su Xiang.

"No," replied Song Ren without hesitation. "You can't be together. I love Chen; I've raised him since he was three. I won't let you two do this."

"But—"

"No but's," replied her mother. "Otherwise, I will disinherit you both. You two won't take or walk our pathways."

Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She didn't expect her mother to be so harsh and cruel. But even her mother appeared to be feeling more despair than anger.

"It's your choice," Song Ren continued.

At that, Su Xiang stood up and ran out of the house, sobbing. She ran to the house next door. Song Meiling looked at her with stunned eyes, not expecting to see her cousin suddenly, and crying too.

"What's wrong?" Song Meiling asked her. But Su Xiang didn't answer. Song Meiling took her to her bedroom, and let Su Xiang cry it out wordlessly.

About twenty minutes later, Su Xiang calmed down, snot-nosed and puffy-eyed. They heard a knock on the door.

Song Meiling's mother, Qian Meigui, slipped in. "Can I speak with you?" she asked Su Xiang.

Su Xiang nodded, standing up. Her aunt offered her a tissue, guiding her outside for some fresh air. Su Xiang took a deep breath and exhaled. It hurt.

Qian Meigui looked at her with genuine concern. "Your mother told me what happened," she said.

Su Xiang frowned.

Qian Meigui placed a hand on her forearm. "Can I tell you something?" she asked.

Su Xiang didn't respond.

"I know how much it hurts. I know that loving someone you can't have is utterly painful and terrifying, not knowing how you'll be accepted by others, afraid to lose them."

Su Xiang sniffed. "How would you know?" she asked her aunt.

Qian Meigui glanced behind her, through the glass doors into the living room, where her concerned husband was pretending that he wasn't watching them.

"You knew that my parents were murdered when I was young, right?" she asked Su Xiang.

Su Xiang nodded. "That's why you pursued law to become an attorney," she replied.

"But do you know who raised me during my youth?" she asked her.

Su Xiang creased her brows, thinking about it. "Wouldn't it be the Qian's?" she replied.

Qian Meigui smiled, shaking her head. "No. I didn't have that much family. So the Song family took me in," she replied.

Su Xiang paused.

"For a while, a long while, my name was Song Mei," Qian Meigui continued.

Su Xiang's eyes widened.

Qian Meigui gave out a sad smile. "Your grandfather, Song Rui, raised me as his daughter, alongside your mother, Song Ren, and along with your uncle, Song Sheng," she explained. "They're legitimate; I wasn't. But I pretended to be. And though I loved them all. I fell in love with Sheng in my early adult years. Of course, it was difficult for me to accept it—for him, too. But we both...found qualities in each other that we liked, that only we understood."

Su Xiang was silent. She only listened to her.

"Sheng was there for me in more ways than others. I loved him so much that I could hardly breathe. I still do," she confessed. Her aunt faced her fully, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "My dearest niece, please give your mother some time. She knows how you feel, but she's thinking about your safety. I'm a mother. She may seem harsh now, but in her mind, she believes that she's protecting you, even if it's breaking your heart."

"What should I do?" Su Xiang asked her desperately. "I need to know."

"Back then, I followed my heart. It worked out, but only because we solved all of our problems. But Chen, he comes from a family that is far more terrifying and brutal than anything I've encountered. It's your choice to decide," she responded.

Su Xiang nodded, understanding. She knew what she had to do. Su Xiang hugged Qian Meigui tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. She then stormed out of the house, finding Xun Zichen waiting for her outside, sitting at the front porch.

He stood up when she stepped out. His face was red from the night chill. "We have to make a choice," she told him. "One that we'll both agree on."