The revolving restaurant on the rooftop of the Emperor Hotel.
Chen Yang and Han Lingfei leaned against the railing, gazing at the myriad lights of Beijing. Not far away sat Han Lingfei's secretary, Chen Xiuqi, while two bodyguards vigilantly scanned the surroundings.
The restaurant wasn't crowded at night. The sight of Han Lingfei and his entourage in military uniforms attracted the attention of a few coffee drinkers, but seeing the bodyguards' posture, they only dared to steal a glance or two from a distance, leaving Han Lingfei and Chen Yang in a relatively empty area.
Chen Yang held a cup of coffee, took a sip, and looked at the bustling traffic on the Third Ring Road in the distance. He said calmly,
"Political Commissar Han, you can speak now."
Although their relationship was basically clear, Chen Yang still didn't want to call Han Lingfei "Uncle." After his rebirth, Chen Yang quickly developed a strong sense of identification with Han Xuehua, and calling her "Mom" came naturally to him. However, the stronger this sense of identification grew, the deeper his resentment towards the Han family became. If Han Lingfei hadn't spoken so sincerely, Chen Yang wouldn't have bothered to communicate with him at all.
Han Lingfei sighed, glancing at Chen Yang, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Han Xuehua. A mix of emotions welled up within him. His voice tinged with sadness as he spoke:
"Chen Yang, this story begins twenty-five years ago. Back then, your mother's name was Han Xiaohua. She was my third sister, and that year she was studying Chinese Literature at Beijing University..."
Han Lingfei gradually became immersed in the past, recounting everything that had happened. As Han Lingfei spoke, Chen Yang's attention gradually focused. He turned his gaze from the distance and listened attentively.
"My younger sister was exceptionally talented back then, a renowned scholar at Peking University. Coupled with her outstanding looks and illustrious family background, she had many suitors..." Han Lingfei's gaze softened as he recounted Han Xuehua's past glory. He smiled and said, "One of her suitors was Yu Xingye from the Yu family... Oh, his son is named Yu Haohan, you should have met him today!"
Chen Yang immediately pictured the spoiled brat who followed Fan Zijian closely, and nodded slightly, saying:
"I know, you're talking about Deputy Commander Yu from the Qionghai base!"
Han Lingfei glanced at Chen Yang with slight surprise. He knew Chen Yang's background, but he hadn't expected Chen Yang to seem so knowledgeable after only mentioning a name. This surprised Han Lingfei. He nodded and continued,
"Back then, Yu Xingye's pursuit of your mother was also quite intense, even utilizing the power of his family. Our Han family, for political reasons, felt that a marriage alliance with the Yu family was more suitable, so my father took it upon himself to agree to the marriage."
Chen Yang couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile upon hearing this. Political marriages—this truly was an eternal topic among aristocratic families! It seemed that not only their generation, but the previous generation had also gone through this process.
Han Lingfei pretended not to see Chen Yang's sneer and continued,
"But your mother was very rebellious from a young age, and her resistance to the family's arrangements was also fierce. Moreover, at that time, she already had a male friend with whom she both had mutual feelings…"
"Commissar Han, this male friend must be my father!" Chen Yang suddenly interjected.
Han Lingfei nodded and said, "Yes...actually, this matter wouldn't have escalated to what it became. It's just that everyone was young and impulsive back then. After the two families agreed on the marriage, Yu Xingye became even more persistent in pursuing your mother. It was around this time that he discovered your father, Fang Zhiyuan, and so Yu Xingye resorted to some unscrupulous means, leading to your father being expelled from school..."
At this point, a complex expression appeared in Han Lingfei's eyes, clearly recalling painful memories. He clenched his fists tightly, took a deep breath, and continued, "Your mother was furious when she found out. She secretly brought several skilled guards from the family to find Yu Xingye and ordered them to beat him severely. Your mother even...even personally kicked Yu Xingye hard in the groin..."
Chen Yang's expression became increasingly complex upon hearing this. In his memory, Han Xuehua had always been a gentle, virtuous, and thrifty woman. He never imagined she would have such a willful side in her youth.
However, upon further reflection, it was quite normal. Han Xuehua was a pampered heiress from a wealthy family, showered with love and affection; it was no wonder she developed a spoiled nature. The Han Xuehua Chen Yang remembered had long since left her family and was now struggling to make ends meet; the pressures of life had completely transformed her into a different person.
Chen Yang suddenly recalled a detail from Han Lingfei's words and, suppressing a strange laugh, asked:
"Political Commissar Han, so… does that mean Deputy Commander Yu's sexual function is…"
Han Lingfei glanced at Chen Yang and silently nodded.
Chen Yang raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but laugh, saying,
"That Yu Haohan... wow! There's so much information here, I need to digest it all..."
Han Lingfei glanced at Chen Yang helplessly and said,
"Yu Haohan is indeed the son of Yu Xingye's wife, but we shouldn't delve too deeply into the details, as this is a family matter..."
At this point, Han Lingfei realized that he had been led astray by Chen Yang, and inwardly grumbled, "It seems this little nephew isn't exactly a peaceful fellow either; he's quick to jump to conclusions when it comes to this..." "Gossip, that wicked grin on his face..."
Han Lingfei cleared his throat and continued seriously:
"Yu Xingye's... there, he did indeed suffer severe injuries. Even the leading experts at the time were helpless with the injuries. So this matter caused a huge uproar, and our marriage alliance with the Yu family naturally fell through. Moreover, because of Yu Xingye's injury, our Han family and the Yu family became bitter enemies. And for a long time afterward, the Yu family and the Han family were constantly at odds, all because of the aftereffects of this incident."
Chen Yang nodded involuntarily upon hearing this. The Yu family's reaction was understandable. After all, Han Xuehua had gone too far, directly aiming to kill off their lineage. And large families place great importance on continuing the family line. Yu Xingye's injury was nothing short of a disgrace to the Yu family. No one could swallow this insult; it would definitely be a fight to the death.
Han Lingfei continued,
"Because of this, the old man was furious, severely reprimanded your mother, and punished her heavily. He was angry at the time, and his words may have been a bit harsh, and your mother, being a strong-willed person, couldn't think straight and, taking advantage of a moment when the family wasn't watching closely, left a letter with resolute words and ran away from home..."
At this point, the pain in Han Lingfei's eyes deepened. He paused before continuing,
"In the letter, your mother said that she was severing all ties with the Han family, cutting off her father-daughter relationship with the old man, and would never again implicate the Han family. She also said she wanted to wander the world with your father, living happily ever after. In short, she said many resolute things..." After reading the letter, Grandpa fainted from anger…
When he woke up, he refused to mention your mother, as if he had never had such a daughter. We, her children, dared not even utter her name. I remember once, my second brother inadvertently mentioned your mother, and Grandpa flew into a rage, beating him mercilessly. From then on, in the Han family, the name 'Han Xiaohua' became an absolute taboo; no one dared to touch it…"
Chen Yang was somewhat skeptical. Grandpa's fiery temper was understandable, but couldn't Han Lingfei and the others, as his mother's brothers, even secretly take care of their sister without Grandpa's knowledge? With the Han family's power, if Han Lingfei and the others had simply looked after Han Xuehua a little, she wouldn't be living such a miserable life. Moreover, his father, Fang Zhiyuan, died young because he was seriously ill and couldn't afford treatment. If Han Lingfei and his siblings had shown even a little brotherly affection, his father might not have died so young.
Han Lingfei seemed to see through Chen Yang's thoughts. He sighed and said,
"Although the old man has this attitude, I have never stopped searching for your mother. Your father was from Chu Nan Province. I have sent people to your father's hometown many times to search, but to no avail. Until recently, by a very accidental opportunity, I found out that your mother has been living in Nanpu County, Southeast Province for many years. Southeast Province has always been the traditional sphere of influence of the Fang family. I think that your mother chose to settle down there because she was hiding from us. That's why I haven't been able to find her all these years..."
Hearing this, Chen Yang, knowing that Han Lingfei had been searching for Han Xuehua, felt less hostile towards him. His tone softened, and he asked,
"So, "So you arranged for Brother Dahai to take up a post in Nanpu?"
"Brother Dahai?" Han Lingfei was slightly surprised by Chen Yang's address, but quickly recovered and nodded, saying, "Yes, I made this arrangement for two reasons. First, if anything happens to your mother, Wenhai, working in Nanpu, can take care of her immediately… Of course, I haven't told Wenhai about your mother yet. As for the second reason…"
At this point, Han Lingfei sighed deeply, a sorrowful expression on his face. He said,
"The second reason is for political considerations. Originally, it would have been more appropriate for Dahai to be demoted in a year or two, but now it has to be brought forward…"
Chen Yang's mind raced. He thought of a possibility and exclaimed, "Is it because of the old man?"
"Is it because of the old man?"