Xie Jinghu felt no gratitude at all.
Even if his elder brother wanted Zhuo Chen and Zhuo Yue to officially acknowledge their ancestry and return to the family, he could have chosen any other day. It did not have to be today.
Unfortunately, Xie Yuping did not care about Xie Jinghu’s feelings in the slightest. After all, when Xie Jinghu had his affair, he had never considered Xie Yuping’s feelings either, nor had he? He had never thought about how others would mock the Xie family.
Zou Weijun remained completely silent throughout. How many illegitimate children Xie Jinghu had outside no longer mattered to her at this point, because she only had one son.
After some time, Zhong Yong returned.
“Leader, I’ve brought them.”
Xie Yuping nodded slightly. “Any trouble?”
Zhong Yong told the truth. “A little. The older one didn’t want to come. He said his surname is Zhuo, not Xie, and you have no authority over him. The younger one lit up the moment she heard she was going to meet you. She was extremely eager and cooperative.”
It was Zhong Yong’s first time meeting Zhuo Chen and Zhuo Yue in person.
In terms of looks alone, although Zhuo Chen was better-looking than the average person, he paled in comparison to Xie Qian. Neither his bearing nor his appearance could match Xie Qian’s.
Zhuo Yue, however, despite her young age, was already strikingly beautiful.
Zhuo Yue looked far more like a child of the Xie family.
Of course, Zhong Yong’s judgement was based purely on appearance. He had a poor impression of Zhuo Chen. He had not seen much ability, only arrogance.
What was there to be proud of as an illegitimate child?
If he really wanted to be noble, he should not spend Xie Jinghu’s money.
If he really wanted to be noble, he should draw a clear line between himself and the mother who had been a mistress.
Zhong Yong’s first impression of Zhuo Yue was equally negative. He felt her gaze looked improper.
Well, when you thought about it, these siblings had a mother who was a mistress. It was impossible for proper children to come out of that.
Naturally, Zhuo Chen’s reluctance and Zhuo Yue’s enthusiasm made no difference to the outcome. Xie Yuping wanted to see them, so Zhong Yong had to bring them.
Since Xie Yuping had not asked to see Sara Zhuo, Zhong Yong also had to find a way to keep her away.
That was why, even though Xie Jinghu had already flown from Beijing to Shanghai and reached the hospital first, Zhong Yong had only just managed to bring the siblings.
Xie Yuping had not expected the Zhuo siblings to show two completely different attitudes.
The younger one desperately craved recognition from the Xie family, while the older one acted so aloof?
Whether it was eagerness or aloofness, Xie Yuping found both utterly repulsive.
He glanced at the dejected Xie Jinghu, swallowed a cold laugh, and said, “Let’s go. Resisting now is pointless. These two children are the stones in your marriage to Weijun that you can neither spit out nor swallow. It is time I met them.”
Zhong Yong did not bring the Zhuo siblings upstairs. He felt Zou Weijun would not want to see them.
Xie Yuping had no intention of meeting them in front of the ICU ward either.
Xie Jinghu’s feet felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. He dawdled, unwilling to go downstairs.
“Weijun…”
His voice was faint.
Zou Weijun treated him as though he were air.
With no choice, Xie Jinghu could only drag his heavy steps behind Xie Yuping. Before leaving, he looked once more at the ICU ward door.
Trading one for two was not the outcome Xie Jinghu wanted. He genuinely had not wished for anything to happen to Xie Qian.
Perhaps because Xie Jinghu had done too many unforgivable things in the past, neither Xie Yuping nor Zou Weijun believed he still had any paternal love left for Xie Qian.
…
In the hospital rest room, Zhuo Yue was anxiously twisting her fingers.
If Sara Zhuo were present, she would definitely have stopped her, complaining that Zhuo Yue lacked poise and could not hold up the scene.
But Sara Zhuo was not there, and although Zhuo Yue had some scheming nature, she was still too young.
Young enough that when Zhong Yong suddenly appeared before the siblings, she could not hide her true feelings. She had always resented the fact that the Xie family could reject her yet ought to accept her brother Zhuo Chen.
What had her brother done wrong?
Her brother had been born before Xie Qian, back when Daddy had not yet married Zou Weijun.
That was why, when Zhuo Chen refused to come, Zhuo Yue was determined to come.
Even if the Xie family ultimately could not accept her and despised her illegitimate birth, she was determined to secure what her brother Zhuo Chen deserved.
Zhuo Yue had never imagined Xie Yuping’s secretary would bring her and her brother straight to a hospital.
How strange. They could have met anywhere. Why a hospital?
Also, the Xie family had always rejected her and her brother. Why had they suddenly softened their stance?
Smelling the hospital disinfectant, Zhuo Yue could not stop her mind from racing. She felt some unease, but far more excitement. She whispered to Zhuo Chen, “Brother, what do you think Big Uncle is like? I bet he’s very stern, a proper old-fashioned patriarch.”
Zhuo Yue had seen plenty of the world abroad.
Sara Zhuo’s social circle was wide, and Zhuo Yue had always attended private schools where her classmates came from at least upper-middle-class families.
She had met many wealthy people overseas.
But at her age, whether abroad or at home, she had hardly ever dealt with politicians.
The environment in China was different from abroad. Foreign politicians were covered by all kinds of media and, to win votes, they even sought exposure.
It was completely different here. Apart from the Foreign Ministry spokespersons, everyone kept an extremely low profile.
All publicly reported news was serious and focused on events themselves, never on how charismatic a certain leader was.
So Zhuo Yue found it impossible to learn about Xie Yuping through public reports.
The more mysterious Xie Yuping remained mysterious, the more Zhuo Yue longed to be acknowledged by the Xie family. If she could gain Xie Yuping’s approval, even if she could not openly call herself a Xie, she would have entered their circle.
Seeing his sister’s flushed cheeks, Zhuo Chen knew exactly what she was thinking.
He truly had not wanted to come.
The Xie family had always treated him and his sister with contempt. Xie Yuping suddenly wanting to see them was unlikely to be good news.
Zhuo Chen had wanted to ask Mummy’s opinion, but when Zhong Yong arrived with his men, Sara Zhuo was not present.
The moment Zhuo Chen reached for his phone, Zhong Yong firmly reminded him, in a very polite tone, that he would not advise doing so, because Xie Yuping had not invited Sara Zhuo.
“Turning up uninvited is extremely rude. I hear the Zhuo family used to be respectable. Surely Ms Zhuo lady would have taught you two the most basic etiquette?”
Zhong Yong spoke politely and used refined language. He did not curse, yet Zhuo Chen could not retort.
If Zhuo Chen went against him, Zhong Yong’s assumption would be proven: as expected, illegitimate children have no upbringing.
He could not win an argument, and using force was impossible either.
Sara Zhuo had taken one bodyguard with her when she went out. The remaining one was subdued the instant Zhong Yong’s people arrived.
So regardless of Zhuo Chen’s own wishes, he could not refuse Zhong Yong’s “polite invitation”.
Zhong Yong brought the siblings to the hospital and temporarily confined them in a rest room.
Their phones had been taken away long ago.
As time ticked by, not only was Zhuo Yue nervous and excited, even Zhuo Chen, thinking about meeting Xie Yuping soon, found it hard to stay calm.
He felt trapped, tormented.
Then Zhuo Chen heard movement outside the door.
The siblings turned together and saw Xie Yuping.
Zhuo Yue shot to her feet. Although Zhuo Chen felt repulsed, Xie Yuping’s presence was so commanding that he involuntarily stood as well.
“Gr… Grandpa… I’ve missed you so much.”
Zhuo Yue did not know how to address Xie Yuping. She had wanted to say “Uncle”, but seeing his stern face, she did not dare.
Thank goodness Xie Jinghu was right behind Xie Yuping. Zhuo Yue suddenly felt she had someone to lean on.
She wanted to pour out how much she had missed her daddy. It had been so long since she last saw him. She really missed him.
However, Xie Jinghu looked utterly distracted and had no mood to entertain his young daughter’s coquettishness.
At the critical moment, Zhuo Chen was more composed. He greeted “Mr Xie” first, then acknowledged Xie Jinghu.
Xie Yuping had no interest in watching these two bastards put on an emotional display. His gaze swept coldly over them, then several medical staff entered and surrounded the siblings.
Xie Yuping did not say a single word to Zhuo Chen or Zhuo Yue. He spoke only to Xie Jinghu. “I had them brought here to confirm once and for all whether they are actually yours. I will have blood drawn from all three of you. You can choose which hospital does the test, or we can use several institutions at once. Whatever you choose, I will have it rushed. Until the results are out, these two are not leaving.”
Xie Jinghu nodded numbly.
Xie Yuping despised Xie Jinghu’s weakness. Fearing he might later deny the results, Xie Yuping insisted Xie Jinghu oversee the entire process personally.
“I will have blood drawn in front of you, and you will watch every step of the testing.”
Xie Jinghu did not object.
Zhuo Yue was overjoyed.
The Xie family wanted her and Daddy to do a DNA test?
This was wonderful!
If they were not planning to acknowledge her and her brother, why bother with DNA at all? They could have just continued ignoring them as before.
Zhuo Chen, however, felt deeply insulted.
When he was little, Zhuo Chen had believed his father was the old overseas Chinese businessman, and that man had indeed treated him well.
But the moment the old man died, Zhuo Chen instantly became a child with no known father.
When he had acknowledged Xie Jinghu, Zhuo Chen was already several years old. He had memories. He remembered that he and Xie Jinghu had already done a DNA test abroad, so doing another one now, with Xie Yuping watching, was not about acknowledging him and his sister. It was pointing at their faces and calling them bastards.
“I refuse!”
Zhuo Chen had a bellyful of things he wanted to say, but Xie Yuping would not waste words on an illegitimate son. He simply ordered the blood to be taken.
With Xie Qian still lying in ICU, Xie Yuping’s heart was burning with rage.
Any mercy shown to illegitimate children was cruelty toward Xie Qian.
To do right by Xie Qian, Xie Yuping had the staff draw five full tubes of blood from each of Zhuo Chen, Zhuo Yue, and Xie Jinghu.
Zhuo Chen was forced, Zhuo Yue cooperated willingly.
Zhuo Yue wanted the results more than anyone.
After the world.
Once the blood was taken, Xie Yuping left, followed by Xie Jinghu. Only the Zhuo siblings remained in the rest room.
Until the results came back, they were going nowhere.
Some inconsiderate person had even turned off the air conditioning. Zhuo Chen felt hot and deeply agitated.
Zhuo Yue felt hot too.
Her heart was burning and pounding like the weather.
She moved closer to Zhuo Chen and whispered as softly as she could, “Brother, everything that’s happened today is so strange. Big Uncle’s attitude toward us hasn’t changed at all, so why suddenly call us for a DNA test? And Daddy looks wrong too. Do you think… could something have happened to Xie Qian?”
Xie Qian was the biggest obstacle standing between her, her brother, and official recognition by the Xie family.
If Xie Qian were gone, no matter how much the Xie family loathed her and her brother, they would have to hold their noses and accept them.
Zhuo Yue suspected something had happened to Xie Qian.
Several hours later, Xie Jinghu returned to the hospital clutching three paternity test reports.
He had sent samples to five institutions in total. Two were slower, so he simply did not wait. The three reports he already had were more than enough to shatter him.
Xie Jinghu did not even want to face Xie Yuping again.
It was futile.
He had watched the testing process himself, and Zhong Yong had watched him.
When Zhong Yong appeared alone before Xie Yuping, his expression was complicated and colourful.
“…Of these two siblings, one has a biological relationship with President Xie, the other does not.”
