Chapter 228: Reality Strikes Him Hard

Sheng Zexi learned about Li Shuyao’s situation from Hua Zhenrong.

In the capital, Li Shuyao’s affair was no secret.

After all, that night, in the middle of the night, many people saw Li Shuyao from the Li family being taken away.

These days, everyone had been keeping a close eye on Li Shuyao’s case.

Or rather, Li Shuyao herself wasn’t that important, but because of her surname Li, and the people behind her—Old Master Li and Li Tingxuan—she became significant.

It was just that, for a while, no one could find out what the outcome was.

Now, at last, the result was out.

But this result left everyone utterly stunned.

Especially the Li family, who were even more shocked by the outcome.

At this moment, Li Tingxuan was in the hospital, dressed in his military uniform, looking at the elderly man sleeping on the hospital bed.

It was only now that Li Tingxuan truly realized his grandfather was really old.

So old… that he couldn’t take any more blows.

Thinking of Li Shuyao—no, the fake Li Shuyao—Li Tingxuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes reddening.

Although Li Tingxuan and his younger sister Li Shuyao had never been that close,

Although Li Shuyao had always been rather spoiled and difficult to get along with,

Whenever something happened, Li Tingxuan still cared for his sister.

He never imagined that the Li Shuyao he had lived with for nineteen years wasn’t his real sister at all.

And that his real sister had been swapped at birth by people from Country R, and had even died young.

The Li Shuyao who grew up with him was a fake, a person from Country R, even an enemy spy.

At first, he couldn’t believe it.

But thinking it over, some things finally made sense.

For example, in his dreams and in this life, he had spent three lifetimes investigating the reason for a certain mission’s failure.

The reason he developed PTSD…

He knew there had been a leak.

But who was the mole?

He had never been able to find out.

Now, if that person was Li Shuyao,

Then everything fell into place.

Actually, he had suspected her before, but he always thought, Li Shuyao was his real sister—even if she was spoiled and reckless, she couldn’t possibly do such a thing.

After all, if the mission failed, he, her brother, would be facing death.

Even if they weren’t close, blood was still thicker than water.

But reality had struck him hard.

After ruling out all other possibilities, the only one left—no matter how impossible—was the truth.

What hurt him most, though, was learning that his real sister had died not long after birth.

Li Tingxuan’s parents had both died of illness.

His mother fell seriously ill when he was seven and passed away within a year.

His father, who had loved his mother deeply, declined both physically and mentally after her death.

When Li Tingxuan was ten, his father finally couldn’t hold on and followed his wife.

Before they died, his parents’ only wish was for him to take good care of his little sister.

Li Tingxuan had promised them.

But now…

His sister had long since died.

If his parents knew in the afterlife, how heartbroken would they be?

And his grandfather…

Li Tingxuan’s gaze fell on the old man in the hospital bed.

He knew that, in his grandfather’s heart, the Li family was everything.

He, as the grandson, was important too.

But that didn’t mean Shuyao, as the granddaughter, wasn’t important.

Otherwise, Shuyao wouldn’t have lived so freely all these years, and Grandpa wouldn’t have tried to arrange a marriage for her.

He even spoke to Sheng Zexi’s father, Commander Sheng, when he learned Shuyao liked Sheng Zexi.

So, when Grandpa found out Shuyao wasn’t his real granddaughter, and that his real granddaughter had died long ago, he was devastated and hospitalized again.

This time, although the truth about the fake Li Shuyao had been uncovered and it was clear that neither Grandpa, himself, nor anyone else in the Li family was related to her,

The fact remained: this Li Shuyao had come from the Li family.

So, the Li family was bound to be affected.

The specifics were still unclear.

But for now, they couldn’t act as they pleased.

For example, he should have been able to transfer to the Northwest Military District recently, but because of this, his movements had been restricted.

Looking at his grandfather’s graying hair, Li Tingxuan felt a deep ache in his heart.

He could only hope this ordeal would pass soon.

—

Meanwhile, Sheng Xinhao was still fuming over his unfilial son having twins without telling him.

Then, he suddenly heard about Li Shuyao’s situation.

Sheng Xinhao was dumbfounded.

After all, he had always thought highly of Li Shuyao and wanted her to marry Sheng Zexi as his eldest daughter-in-law.

He believed only someone of Old Master Li’s granddaughter’s status was worthy of his son.

Only she could help Sheng Zexi’s future.

Unfortunately, that boy refused and married a country girl instead.

Sheng Xinhao had always thought Sheng Zexi would regret this decision one day.

But now…

He realized that maybe he was the one who should regret it.

Because the country girl Sheng Zexi married turned out to be so capable.

And the Li Shuyao he had chosen was actually an enemy spy.

If Sheng Zexi had really married her, then…

Just look at the Li family now.

Whether it was Old Master Li or Li Tingxuan, their futures would definitely be affected.

If Sheng Zexi had married Li Shuyao, as her husband, the consequences would have been even more severe.

He might have been taken away for investigation, and his career would have been ruined.

For the first time, Sheng Xinhao felt grateful that Sheng Zexi hadn’t followed his wishes.

Could it be…

Sheng Zexi’s choice was right?

And his own was wrong?

The truth was right in front of him, but Sheng Xinhao just didn’t want to admit it.

Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to admit his mistake to his own son either.

“Hmph, that boy was just lucky, that’s all.”

—

Gu Jianing had given birth to twins, and by rights, she should have had a two-month postpartum confinement.

But Gu Jianing felt she had recovered well, so she only did one month before ending her confinement.

Finally stepping outside, Gu Jianing felt refreshed and invigorated.

After a month of being stuck indoors, even though she wasn’t the type who loved to go out, she was still going stir-crazy.

At this moment, Yao Chunhua and Grandma Sang were in the kitchen cooking, while Gu Jianing was playing with the now one-month-old Xingxing and Yueyue in their cradle.

In just a month, the two little ones, who were already fair and delicate at birth, had grown even cuter. Their features had become more defined: the older brother looked more and more like Sheng Zexi, especially when he frowned—he was the spitting image of his serious father.

Yueyue, on the other hand, looked more and more like Gu Jianing.

Both babies had chubbed up a bit over the month.

Everyone who saw them said they looked like little immortals.

Especially Zhang Shuwan, who compared them to her own two little boys.

Her sons looked like skinny little monkeys—no comparison at all to Xingxing and Yueyue.

Of course, even if her boys were skinny little monkeys, Zhang Shuwan still loved her hard-won sons dearly—they were her own flesh and blood, after all."