Chapter 123: The Illegitimate Daughter

Chapter 123: The Illegitimate Daughter

While Bai Ze Shao and his group continued their search for Li Huihui, the Wen family was also in a state of unrest.

The search for Li Huihui had stirred quite a commotion; beyond the necessary personal connections, it had also incurred significant financial costs.

The Wen family wasn’t particularly concerned about the money, but what truly puzzled many of them was the exact nature of the relationship between Li Huihui and the Wen family.

Among those in the dark was Wen Xiaowan, the eldest daughter of the Wen family. Early that morning, after breakfast, she went straight to Wen Zongwei’s study.

“Dad, you’ve heard about what’s been happening outside these past couple of days, haven’t you?” Wen Xiaowan asked, looking at Wen Zongwei.

“What matter?” Wen Zongwei put down the documents in his hand and looked up.

“What else could it be?”

“What exactly are you referring to?”

“Dad, you don’t need to pretend—I don’t believe you don’t know,” Wen Xiaowan said, pouting. “It’s about the search for that Li Huihui.”

“Oh, that. Yes, I know about it,” Wen Zongwei replied, lowering his head, ready to continue reading.

“Dad, I’m talking about her relationship with our family,” Wen Xiaowan pressed, her eyes fixed intently on Wen Zongwei.

“There’s no relationship,” Wen Zongwei said casually.

“Dad!” Wen Xiaowan called out sharply, then mischievously circled around him before suddenly blurting out, “Dad, could Li Huihui be your illegitimate daughter?”

Cough, cough, cough!

Wen Zongwei, who had been nonchalant moments before, nearly choked on those words.

“Dad, I understand. Men tend to change once they have money—you don’t need to get so worked up,” Wen Xiaowan said, patting his back with a smile.

“Enough! You little rascal say the most outrageous things. I have absolutely nothing to do with that Li Huihui you keep talking about. An illegitimate child? You might imagine it, but I certainly wouldn’t dare act on it,” Wen Zongwei said, laughing and shaking his head at his daughter.

“Then why is our family putting so much effort into finding this person?” Wen Xiaowan asked curiously.

“It’s Uncle Qi. He has some connection with Li Huihui. Now that the girl is in trouble, the Wen family has to intervene. He just told me about it. That’s all there is to it,” Wen Zongwei explained.

“So that’s how it is,” Wen Xiaowan nodded.

“It really is that simple. You think it’s more complicated than that?” Wen Zongwei smiled at his daughter.

“Dad, do you know exactly what kind of relationship Uncle Qi has with Li Huihui?” Wen Xiaowan asked further.

“A little. Apparently, she’s the daughter of a sworn brother or sister of his. The relationship is very close, but I didn’t ask for more details,” Wen Zongwei said indifferently.

“Oh, I see,” Wen Xiaowan nodded again.

“Enough about this. Let’s talk about you. What’s going on between you and Gu Hai? What are you thinking?” Wen Zongwei asked directly.

“What else could it be? Just what you saw—we’re only friends,” Wen Xiaowan replied nonchalantly.

“Really?” Wen Zongwei smiled warmly.

“If not, I wouldn’t have let him stay at our house so long. We still have to avoid suspicion. But he gets along well with Uncle Qi; they often play chess together,” Wen Xiaowan added casually.

“Well, enough about others. Let’s talk about you,” Wen Zongwei shifted the topic back to his daughter.

“More about me?” Wen Xiaowan asked, puzzled.

“Xiaowan, you’ve been back for almost half a month now. Have you thought about your future?” Wen Zongwei stood and walked toward the door, his expression serious.

“Dad, what do you want me to do?” Wen Xiaowan teased.

“The world is chaotic nowadays. I only want you to live a safe, peaceful life—and find someone you love, to walk through life together.”

Wen Zongwei sighed deeply, then composed himself and continued, “But I know your nature. You would never settle for a quiet life. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have studied abroad and then given up your studies to return home.”

“Dad,” Wen Xiaowan called out, voice catching.

Wen Zongwei gently patted her shoulder. “No need to be like that. Tell me your plan. You must have one.”

“Dad, I’ll be frank—I want to join the army to serve my country,” Wen Xiaowan said hesitantly.

Surprisingly, Wen Zongwei didn’t reject her outright. Instead, he asked, “Where do you want to enlist? What branch of the military? Have you thought it through?”

“I want to join my second brother’s unit as a medic. It suits me since I studied medicine,” Wen Xiaowan said boldly.

“Have you considered what you’d do if I don’t approve?” Wen Zongwei smiled.

“That won’t happen. When my second brother enlisted, he just mentioned it briefly to you, and you agreed right away,” Wen Xiaowan said decisively, then muttered quietly, “If all else fails, I’ll become a spy.”

“Nonsense! The intelligence agency is a place you’ve heard about—they deal in all sorts of unsavory business. We, as countrymen, must serve our nation with honor, not by engaging in petty, dirty dealings,” Wen Zongwei exclaimed angrily.

“Dad, I was just saying. Even if I wanted to join the intelligence agency, they might not even accept me,” Wen Xiaowan whispered.

“Ah,” Wen Zongwei sighed. “You only know that I immediately agreed when your second brother wanted to enlist. But you don’t know he spent the entire night kneeling by the bed in my study that night. What choice did I have but to agree?”

“What?” Wen Xiaowan was stunned.

“You heard me right. Our family is now prosperous, and there are many ways to serve the country besides enlisting. We can donate money or goods, or help disabled veterans find work,” Wen Zongwei said sadly.

There were things Wen Zongwei didn’t want to share with Wen Xiaowan—his second son, Wen Xiaojun, had suffered three major injuries since enlisting, each time barely surviving. Fortunately, fate had spared him, but it was a close call.

“Dad, so do you approve of me joining the army?” Wen Xiaowan pressed earnestly.

“No, I don’t. I’d rather you hate me than bury your parents in grief. If you truly want to serve the country as a medic, then join the military hospital in Yaren. They treat many soldiers returning from the frontlines every day,” Wen Zongwei said firmly.

This time, he would not allow Wen Xiaowan to enlist. One son was already enough to keep him on edge. More importantly, in such turbulent times, a woman’s life was far more vulnerable.

Even if Wen Xiaowan resented or blamed him, he didn’t care. All he wished for was the safety of his daughter.