Papa and Mama Wang had never visited the capital before. The prosperous metropolis opened their eyes. Towering buildings rose far higher than those in Shanhai City and seemed to be everywhere, while pedestrians and cars hurried along the streets. Though both were past fifty, they could not resist looking around curiously.
“Dad, Mom, why did you come so suddenly? Why didn’t you let us know?”
Wang Ning’an felt somewhat relieved once he had collected his parents. But after calming down, he sensed something wrong. His parents had barely left Shanhai City in half a lifetime. They had always refused his invitations to visit the capital. Why would they suddenly decide to come without telling either son?
“Eh? Didn’t Chengcheng tell you?” Papa Wang asked in surprise.
Wang Ning’an froze. “You mean Chengcheng asked you to come? When did that happen?” The notion made no sense. His brother was leaving the country today. Why would he summon their parents while he was away?
The elderly couple did not notice his unusual expression. Papa Wang explained, “Just yesterday. Chengcheng suddenly sent us a message saying something had happened to you, and it was connected to my origins. He asked us to come at once and even bought our plane tickets. Your mother and I were worried, so we rushed here. But when we tried calling Chengcheng, his phone was switched off. We thought something might be wrong and called you instead.”
Wang Ning’an’s expression darkened. “Before that, did the person say someone would be waiting at the airport to pick you up?”
“Yes, he did.”
“Ning’an, has something happened?” Mama Wang was more observant. She quickly noticed his expression.
“Dad, Mom, I’m afraid you’ve been tricked. Whoever arranged this trip was definitely not Chengcheng. He and Chu Yifeng left the country this morning. He would never have arranged for you to come at this time. When you called him, he was on the plane. Someone else must have wanted you here. It’s a good thing you called me. They probably saw me arrive and decided not to show themselves.”
Papa and Mama Wang stared at him in disbelief.
Wang Ning’an was right about one thing. Someone had deliberately impersonated Wang Cheng and brought his parents to the capital while he was leaving the country. He also suspected that person might be behind the attempts to steal the pendant. If so, his parents could be in danger.
The first part of Wang Ning’an’s deduction was correct. The second was mistaken.
At four that afternoon, the apartment doorbell rang. Through the peephole, Wang Ning’an saw a well-dressed, middle-aged man in a suit. He did not look ill-intentioned. Papa Wang noticed his son had gone to answer the door but had not returned and came over. Just then the bell rang again.
“Ning’an, who is it?” Wang Ning’an shook his head and finally opened the door, though he kept the security gate closed.
The man outside did not mind. Seeing Wang Ning’an and Papa Wang, he nodded politely. “Mr. Wang Ning’an, I apologize for disturbing you. My name is Lu Yi. I am the Gu family’s steward, here on the instructions of Old Mr. Gu. He would like to invite you and your father and mother to dinner. We very much hope all three of you will honor his invitation.”
“Ning’an, what’s going on? What Gu family? Do you know this man?” Papa Wang was completely bewildered. They had only just arrived in the capital. Why would someone want to invite them to dinner?
The moment the stranger explained himself, Wang Ning’an understood. The timing was far too convenient. The person who had pretended to be Chengcheng and summoned his parents to the capital must be Gu Shouzhuo, the elderly man who was very likely his grandfather. Chengcheng’s guess had been right after all: Gu Shouzhuo had known about them for some time.
“Please wait outside for a moment,” Wang Ning’an said. Without waiting for Lu Yi to answer, he closed the door. If possible, he wanted to keep his parents far away from the complications of a wealthy family. They had spent most of their lives farming. They were barely accustomed to the thought of living in the capital, much less entering the world of a great clan.
He Ping had gone to a training class. Sensing the tense atmosphere in the living room, Guan Meifang quietly went to the kitchen of her own accord.
Papa and Mama Wang sat on the opposite sofa, looking expectantly at their eldest son.
Wang Ning’an explained as simply as he could. “Dad, Chengcheng and I have actually found out where the jade pendant Grandmother left you came from. The man outside was sent by someone who may be my grandfather, the Old Mr. Gu he mentioned. He knows you exist, although he may not be completely certain of your identity. That’s probably why he wants to meet the three of us.”
Papa Wang had already become anxious when his son spoke that morning. Now his own birth father had suddenly entered the picture. He finally understood how his younger son must have felt when learning his true origins. But he was not mentally prepared for any of this.
Understanding her husband’s state of mind, Mama Wang asked, “Ning’an, what do you think? Should we go or not?”
Wang Ning’an considered it. “I think we should go. But Dad, if it’s too difficult for you, we don’t have to.”
He was not interested in Gu Group’s fortune. He simply feared what the other Gu family members might do if they refused the invitation. This time, if the person behind the scheme had not been Old Mr. Gu, his parents might genuinely have been in danger. If meeting him made those people understand that Wang Ning’an’s family knew about the Gu connection, and that Old Mr. Gu was aware of them too, the others might finally back off.
“If Ning’an wants to go, then let’s go,” Papa Wang said, suddenly coming to a decision. He had to think not only of himself but of his sons as well.
“Dad, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Wang Ning’an knew immediately what his father was thinking. Deeply moved, he stood up. “All right. Let’s go.”
Papa Wang hurriedly asked, “Ning’an, should we change into something nicer?”
Wang Ning’an smiled. “No need. We’ll go just as we are. If Old Mr. Gu looks down on you because of your clothes, there’s no reason for us to acknowledge him.”
Outside, Lu Yi had not taken offense at having the door shut in his face. On the contrary, he waited patiently with the same mild smile. When Wang Ning’an and his parents emerged, his expression had not changed. Downstairs, they climbed into a luxurious stretch limousine and set off for dinner.
Wang Ning’an had expected an ordinary restaurant. Instead, the limousine stopped before the gates of an old-fashioned estate. Massive iron gates slowly opened, and the vehicle drove inside, turned past a flowerbed, crossed the courtyard, and came to a stop.
Lu Yi stepped out and opened the doors for Papa and Mama Wang. “We’ve arrived.”
“What is this place?” The couple looked up in surprise. The building before them was clearly a mansion, nothing like a restaurant.
Wang Ning’an came over. He already knew where they were. Unless he was mistaken, this had to be the Gu family’s main residence. He had not expected Old Mr. Gu to invite them into his own home for dinner. Still, the gesture showed that the elderly man took their meeting seriously, which reassured him a little.
Lu Yi asked the three of them to wait in the sitting room while he fetched the master of the house.
Papa and Mama Wang looked around. They felt rather out of place, but they liked the antique architecture. It lacked the restless quality of modern buildings, and there was wood everywhere. They had never seen a residence like it before and found it quite beautiful.
“Do you like it here?” The couple were so absorbed in looking around that they did not notice an elderly man approach. Only when he spoke did they turn in surprise.
Gu Shouzhuo was seventy-nine this year, several years older than Old Master Chu. Yet he was in good health and did not need a cane. He had entered from outside, which was why the couple had missed his arrival. Wang Ning’an alone had noticed.
Papa Wang looked uneasily at the elderly man, who had already taken a seat. He was more than fifty himself, and now he was expected to acknowledge his biological father. It felt terribly strange. He had seen such scenes in television dramas, but the people discovering their birth parents were usually his sons’ age.
At that moment, Lu Yi brought Gu Shouzhuo a photograph. The old man glanced at it and said in a voice heavy with memory, “Your daughter looks very much like your late mother. They could have been made from the same mold.”
He handed the photograph to Lu Yi, who passed it to Papa Wang.
Papa Wang accepted it with a mixture of hesitation and curiosity. It was an old photograph, perhaps from the 1950s or 1960s, with yellowing edges. In it stood a beautiful woman dressed in a qipao, with a shawl draped across her shoulders. She wore a gentle smile and looked both elegant and dignified. But what caught Papa Wang’s attention most was her face.
She resembled Wang Ziyu by seventy or eighty percent. The woman in the photograph seemed to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, while Wang Ziyu was only nineteen and looked considerably younger. Whatever doubts Papa Wang still had vanished when he saw the picture. If there were no blood relationship, how could his mother look so much like his youngest daughter?
Papa Wang gently touched the photograph, overcome with longing. So this was what his mother had looked like. Ever since learning the truth of his origins, he had wondered about the woman who gave birth to him. He had never met her, but he knew she must have been extraordinary. She had given her own life so that he could live.
Wang Ning’an was surprised to witness his father’s reaction. When he turned his gaze, he met Old Mr. Gu’s eyes. The elderly man gave him a kindly smile.