"So, it turns out he really did meet with an accident," Su Nuanyue murmured, her expression a fragile mix of tears and a bittersweet smile. "At least our forty years of waiting werenât in vain."
Forty years?
Wang Yue wanted to tell her that his grandfather had only been missing for three years or so, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut. This was a beautiful misunderstanding. Even if he couldnât keep it hidden forever, comforting her for now was better; it would at least make the truth easier to swallow later.
Then, without even being asked, Su Nuanyue began to tell the story of her past.
It wasnât particularly legendary. About forty years ago, her mother and Su Yixuan met right here and became a couple. Not long after, he told her he was going off with some martial arts friends to explore a ruin, and he never came back.
He had no idea that Su Nuanyueâs mother had already conceived. She eventually gave birth to a daughter and named her Su Nuanyue.
In Su Nuanyueâs memories, her mother was never truly happy. Being an unwed mother meant she was looked down upon by many, but she never once regretted her choices. Even on her deathbed, she was still waiting for that man to return.
A devoted woman and a heartless man, Wang Yue sighed inwardly.
He thought to himself that his grandfather was even worse than his uncle. At least his uncle looked after his women and children on the outside, giving them a home, even if it wasnât a complete one. But his grandfather? That was straight-up "hit it and quit it" heartlessness.
And looking at Su Nuanyueâs age, Su Yixuan already had a wife and family back in Jinling at the time. This was a textbook extramarital affair; heâd done wrong by two women at once.
Wang Yue had plenty of women himself, but he was sincere with every single one of them and would never abandon them. Because of that, he felt he had every right to look down on such an irresponsible man.
"And who are you to him, exactly?" Su Nuanyue felt comforted knowing her mother hadnât waited for nothing, but Yang Cancan wasnât so easily convinced.
"The same as youâIâm his grandchild," Wang Yue said with a smile. "Thatâs why I said your mom is my aunt."
"So, when that guy met my grandma, he already had a family, didnât he?" Yang Cancan pressed.
"That... yeah, most likely," Wang Yue said, feeling a bit awkward.
"You donât need to feel ashamed. Weâre in the same boat; weâre both victims here," Yang Cancan said, waving him off. "If anyone should be ashamed, itâs that man."
"Cancan, donât talk about your grandfather like that," Su Nuanyue scolded gently. "He must have had his reasons. Besides, for a powerful martial artist, having multiple wives is common. Iâm sure if he hadnât met with that accident, he would have come back to take your grandmother home."
"Fine, fine." Seeing her mother insisted on seeing the best in people, Yang Cancan didnât have the heart to crush her illusions. She turned back to Wang Yue. "You say youâre my momâs nephew, but how do you prove it?"
"Thatâs easy. We just do a DNA test," Wang Yue laughed.
These days, everyoneâs DNA was registered in a database, and individuals could access their records anytime. Technology had advanced to the point where a quick comparison at a specialized agency wouldnât just tell you if you were related, but exactly how you were related.
Wang Yue and Su Nuanyue immediately pulled up their DNA data and sent it to the agency via their communicators. After paying a hefty testing fee, the results came back almost instantly.
They were indeed aunt and nephew. Su Nuanyueâs father and Wang Yueâs grandfather were the same person.
With the results in hand, the two women had no more doubts. Su Nuanyue, who had spent her life feeling like she and her mother were abandoned, was overjoyed to learn the truth and to finally have a relative like Wang Yue.
Yang Cancan, however, asked curiously, "Itâs been so many years. Why did you suddenly decide to come looking for us?"
"Oh, itâs like this: recently, while going through my grandfatherâs things, we found a diary he kept years ago. Thatâs how we found out we had relatives in Kaifeng." Since heâd already started the lie, Wang Yue had to keep it going. "I originally came to find your grandmother, but I didnât expect her to have passed away. Iâm just glad I found Aunt Nuanyue and you, cousin."
"Youâre calling me âCousinâ? How old are you?" Yang Cancan asked suspiciously. In his current disguise, Wang Yue looked to be in his early twenties, while she was only twenty.
"Just a figure of speech. Maybe Iâm the older one, maybe you are," Wang Yue chuckled, quickly changing the subject. "By the way, Aunt Nuanyue, you look a bit frail. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Itâs nothing, just an old ailment," Su Nuanyue said with a smile. Hearing that her father had specifically written about her mother in a diary made her feel even better.
Yang Cancan spoke up. "My mom had a cultivation failure. She tried to force a breakthrough into the Martial Artist Realm and damaged her foundation. Thatâs why sheâs always been weak."
Wang Yueâs brow furrowed. Ordinary illnesses were easy to fix with modern medicine, but a damaged martial foundation was something even a divine doctor like Miao Qingluan struggled with.
If Su Nuanyue had a high level of cultivation, a damaged foundation would just mean her progress stopped. But she failed at the very start. This meant she was essentially a regular human, but with a physical constitution far weaker than a normal personâs.
He had just found his aunt; he didnât want to lose her so soon. Unless...
Su Nuanyue herself was quite at peace with it. She smiled and said, "Donât worry, Iâve gotten used to it over the years. Cancan, go to the market and get some groceries. Your cousin is here; weâre going to have a nice meal tonight."
Now that his identity was confirmed, Yang Cancan had zero hostility toward him. Having lived as just a duo for so long, she was actually quite happy to have a cousin. She headed out immediately.
Wang Yue didnât refuse their hospitality. He stayed behind to chat with Su Nuanyue, mostly asking about her life.
Su Nuanyue didnât have a shred of Yang Cancanâs toughness. Her personality was just like her body: incredibly gentle. She took an instant liking to her newfound nephew. Without Wang Yue even having to pry, she poured out the story of her and her daughterâs lives.
Her life had been incredibly hard. Born without a father, she grew up being whispered about. Her mother had to move constantly to escape the gossip and the harassment of local creeps.
When she reached her teens, she started practicing a manual her father had left behind, only to fail her breakthrough and destroy her foundation. Not long after, her mother passed away from a broken heart and constant worry. It was truly a case of "when it rains, it pours."
Luckily, she eventually met Yang Cancanâs father.
He was a hardworking, kind man who treated her wonderfully. They werenât rich, but he was steady and opened a hardware store that provided a decent life. However, five years ago, he died in an accident, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves.
Su Nuanyueâs health meant she couldnât do heavy labor, so fifteen-year-old Yang Cancan had to drop out of school to take over her fatherâs shop. As she grew up and became more beautiful, she attracted too much unwanted attention.
In desperation, they moved hereâwhere no one knew themâand opened a new shop. Cancan had been intentionally dressing down and hiding her looks ever since.
After hearing the story, Wang Yue couldnât help but feel a deep sense of pity, both for his aunt and his cousin.