Chapter 183: Red Jade Pendant
The restaurant had been booked out for the day, and in the grand, empty space, only Pei Qingji remained.
Lian Li’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably, a bad premonition stirring in her heart.
She hoped it was just her own self-pity, not her sixth sense.
Lian Li walked over, forcing a polite smile, “Brother Qingji.”
“You’re here, sit.”
Pei Qingji stood up, unhurriedly fastening the buttons of his open vest. His jade-like fingers wore a silver ring that glinted with a gentle light.
Lian Li’s gaze swept over it subtly—the ring’s style and where it was worn were different; it wasn’t a wedding ring.
She had thought Pei Qingji might have quietly gotten married while doing important things, but it wasn’t the case.
Within their circle, it wasn’t uncommon for people to marry discreetly due to their sensitive identities and statuses.
Pei Qingji wore a refined shirt and vest, exuding a gentle, gentlemanly aura from head to toe, unlike Jin Shi Yue who changed his demeanor frequently.
Lian Li collected her thoughts and sat down. Pei Qingji instructed the restaurant manager to serve the dishes. The food was prepared swiftly, and soon everything was laid out.
“Let’s eat first and talk after you’ve filled your stomach,” Pei Qingji said.
Lian Li agreed, picked up her knife and fork, and slowly cut her steak.
Pei Qingji was a workaholic; she figured he had specifically carved out his lunch break to meet her.
Did workaholics not even have time for dating? Were they just waiting for a marriage alliance?
Lian Li pondered for two seconds but couldn’t come to a conclusion, so she decisively gave up.
It was impolite to speculate about others’ lives without reason.
This was Lian Li’s first time dining alone with Pei Qingji, and she felt no discomfort, calmly and composedly savoring her food.
After they had eaten most of their meal, the servers cleared the plates and brought them pastries and drinks. Lian Li glanced over; Pei Qingji was drinking something red… carrot juice?
She almost dropped her jaw in surprise.
The Pei Family Crown Prince lived an incredibly healthy lifestyle.
Lian Li thought of her Senior Sister, who could party for three days and nights straight in nightclubs and was passionate about adventures. She couldn’t help but sigh: it was truly not easy for them to be friends for so many years, given their vastly different lifestyles.
Pei Qingji handed Lian Li the document bag on the table, “The information is highly confidential; please burn it after reading.”
Upon hearing this, Lian Li’s hand holding the document bag paused slightly. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Okay.”
Hearing Pei Qingji’s instructions, the unease in Lian Li’s heart intensified.
The information about powerful aristocratic families known to the outside world was only what they allowed. In other words, if those people didn’t want something known, others couldn’t find it out.
What kind of background did her red jade pendant bracelet have to warrant Pei Qingji personally overseeing its destruction after reading?
Lian Li unstitched the seam and took out the contents of the document bag. Besides a piece of black-and-white documented information, there was also a yellowed, black-and-white old photograph.
Lian Li picked up the photo. It showed a young woman in Republic of China-era clothing with two braids, wearing a jade pendant bracelet on her wrist that strongly resembled cherries.
The person in the photo wasn’t her Mother… the age didn’t match.
Lian Li raised her eyelashes and looked at Pei Qingji, “Is it okay to ask where this photo came from?”
She wanted to ask directly who the person in the photo was, but it was too presumptuous, and her remaining reason held her back.
Pei Qingji saw through Lian Li’s unspoken question. He usually pretended not to understand, but his friend’s words, “Don’t make her sad,” were still vivid in his mind.
Besides, his Junior Sister wasn’t the type to blab things carelessly.
After a moment, Pei Qingji spoke unhurriedly, “The person in the photo is the late Old Madam of the Zhong Family.”
Old Madam Zhong…
The jade pendant came from the Zhong Family; could her Mother be a member of the Zhong Family?
Lian Li felt a bit dazed, her fingertips trembling unconsciously. She didn’t ask Pei Qingji further, deciding to read the information first.
The first few pages of the document detailed the origin and composition analysis of the red jade pendant. Lian Li skimmed through it; the rarity and expense of the jade pendant didn’t strike her as outlandish.
She quickly flipped through, discovering that the later pages of the document recorded parts of the Zhong Family’s genealogy and the résumés of corresponding individuals.
The résumés were incredibly detailed, akin to the most classified archives.
No wonder it needed to be burned after reading.
Lian Li didn’t check immediately. Instead, she looked up at Pei Qingji, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and doubt.
Would Pei Qingji get into trouble by showing her these things?
They weren’t that close; there was no reason for Pei Qingji to take such a big risk for her. He wasn’t a reckless young master who didn’t understand the situation; having been involved for thirty years, he was well aware of the stakes.
Pei Qingji knew Lian Li’s concerns but didn’t explain. He spoke softly, “Twenty-five years ago, do you know about the marriage alliance between the Zhong Family and the Duan Family?”
Lian Li honestly replied, “I only know the marriage alliance was between the Fourth Miss Zhong and the second son of the Duan Family.”
Xue Shufan had told her that the Zhong Family and the Duan Family formed a marriage alliance to try and weaken the Jin Family’s power. However, something happened later, the family disputes subsided, the second son of the Duan Family was transferred, and he moved abroad with Zhong Yingyi.
After Lian Li finished speaking, she flipped through the pages and found another photo hidden within. It was also an old photo, but this one had four people in it.
The four flowers of the Zhong Family.
Lian Li examined them from left to right, then carefully from right to left. The four young ladies of the Zhong Family were all beautiful, each with her own distinct charm.
However… none of them were wearing the red jade pendant bracelet on their wrists.
The black-and-white text described Zhong Yingyi’s social network, such as her relatives, friends, and work partners.
She and her husband were assigned to Shanghai at the beginning of the year; her son, twenty years old, with short, naturally curly hair, handsome and refined, was currently studying at Oxford University…
Zhong Yingyi’s excessively detailed personal information was like an air pump; the more Lian Li learned, the more the balloon of unease in her heart expanded.
Could it be…
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her breathing became difficult.
Just then, Pei Qingji made a decision, his gentle voice ringing out, “Before Old Madam Zhong passed away, she gifted the red jade pendant to the Fourth Miss Zhong.”
Instantly, a pang of sorrow surged through her. Lian Li unconsciously clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her flesh, leaving deep crescent marks.
She had considered countless possibilities, including her Mother starting a new family after leaving her and her father, and being happy in that new family, unwilling to look back.
She thought she had been prepared long ago and wouldn’t lose emotional control, but when reality presented itself, pain and torment surged forth, desperately trying to suppress her heart but unable to control her body’s reactions.
During a performance in Shanghai, Zhong Yingyi had attended her concert and they had met once.
Zhong Yingyi heard her name but remained indifferent; was it because she didn’t remember her and Lian Jingcheng? How could she forget…
Strands of hair fell by Lian Li’s ear. She didn’t brush them away because her palms were covered in fine sweat, and lifting her hand would reveal it.
Pei Qingji’s gaze calmly rested on Lian Li. He subtly observed her; her expression hadn’t changed much, and she even appeared more composed.
Lian Li had never met her Mother since birth.
Her Mother, absent for twenty-two years, should have had a negligible impact on her.
Was Jin Shi Yue worrying too much?
Regarding Lili’s background, a brief explanation （preview?）
In my novel, the female lead will never be an illegitimate child/canary.
