He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

"What did you say?" Sang Jiuning stood up abruptly, her palms instantly sweating, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "What makes you say that? Why should I believe you?"

She was both shocked and hesitant to believe it.

Fu Yanchen spoke slowly, his tone resolute: "Your father always believed that your mother died in childbirth, but that's not true at all. After giving birth to you, your mother suffered an accident and became a vegetable, remaining unconscious ever since. That's why he lied to the outside world, saying she had passed away. She only recently regained consciousness a couple of years ago, but her mental state has never been very good. I think that if she could see you, her condition might improve."

These words were so shocking that Sang Jiuning stood there, her mind blank, unable to recover for a long time.

If this is true, then has the father never forgotten his mother all these years of being single?

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her chaotic emotions, and said in a low voice, "Okay, let's add each other on WeChat. Send me a photo of my mother and a recent video so I can confirm it first."

Without evidence, she would never easily believe it.

Soon, the WeChat friend request was accepted. The other person's profile picture was completely black, and their WeChat nickname was as simple as just the character "辰", which conveyed a sense of aloofness and indifference.

A short while later, Fu Yanchen sent a photo and a video.

With trembling hands, Sang Jiuning opened the photo. The photo showed a young woman with gentle features, stunning beauty, and a refined temperament. This face was exactly the same as the old photo that her father, Sang Yanyan, secretly treasured on his phone and occasionally looked at alone!

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that her eyebrows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to the woman in the photo, evoking a strong sense of familiarity and shared blood ties.

She opened the video again. In the video, the woman looked to be in her forties. She was thin and had a sickly pale complexion from years of not seeing the sun. She was wearing a hospital gown and sitting quietly on the hospital bed, holding a plastic doll tightly in her arms. She had a faint, gentle smile on her lips and was coaxing it softly. Her eyes were full of the tenderness that comes with motherhood.

Seeing this scene, Sang Jiuning's eyes instantly reddened, and she felt a sour and bitter feeling in her heart, an indescribable sadness.

At this moment, Fu Yanchen's WeChat messages popped up one after another, recounting in detail the events of that year.

Back then, my aunt, your mother Fu Xulan, eloped with your father Sang Yanyan against the Fu family's wishes. When she was brought back by the Fu family, she was already nine months pregnant and gave birth to you not long after.

[Old Master Fu, my great-grandfather, forcibly sent you away, falsely claiming you had died young, and pressured your mother into an arranged marriage. Your mother refused and jumped from the fifth floor of the hospital. Although she survived, she became a vegetable and has been in a coma at the Fu family sanatorium ever since.]

My great-grandfather passed away a few years ago, and I took over the Fu family business. That's when I discovered my aunt's existence and brought her out to care for her. Recently, her condition has been deteriorating, so I sent someone to investigate and found out you're at University A. We live in the same city.

Would you like to meet your mother? She really cares about you.

After reading all the text, Sang Jiuning was stiff all over and her heart was in turmoil. It turned out that her father had been deceived all these years, and her mother had suffered so much.

She made a video call to Fu Yanchen almost without hesitation.

The screen connected, and a man appeared on the other end. He had a high nose bridge, a cold and stern face, and sharply defined, deep-set features. He exuded a cool and aloof aura, giving off an oppressive feeling that kept strangers at bay. It was Fu Yanchen.

Sang Jiuning took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions surging in her heart. Her fingertips tightened slightly, and she looked directly at the person on the screen with clear and firm eyes. She softly replied, word by word, "I promise you, I will go with you to see my mother."

On the other end of the video call, Fu Yanchen's expression remained unchanged. His cold and sharp features were still indifferent and icy, his face devoid of any extra emotion. He exuded a chilling aura, and his voice was deep and cold, devoid of any warmth: "Okay. I'll drive over to pick you up. Half an hour from now, across from your school gate. I'll send you the license plate number on WeChat."

"Okay, sure."

With just two brief words, the video call ended abruptly, without any unnecessary pleasantries or gentle instructions, only Fu Yanchen's usual imposing aura of keeping strangers at bay.

Sang Jiuning put down her phone, her heart pounding.

She didn't want to go at all, but since it involved her mother, she had no choice but to comply. She also longed for her mother's love, so she had no choice but to go, even if it meant forcing herself to go.

the other side.

Wen Zhaoci leaned against the corridor railing at the entrance of the laboratory, her fingertips slowly tapping on her phone screen, sending a message to Sang Jiuning:

[Shall we have lunch together? And while I'm at it, let's see what your summer vacation plans are.]

The message was sent successfully, but it disappeared without a trace.

One minute, ten minutes, half an hour passed.

Sang Jiuning didn't reply at all from beginning to end.

Wen Zhaoci's brows furrowed slowly, and a hint of barely perceptible irritation and disappointment appeared in his eyes.

They were praising me just a moment ago, but now they won't even acknowledge me with a single word.

Is she angry? Or is she deliberately avoiding me?

Or... is she with someone else and doesn't have time to pay attention to him?

Various thoughts swirled in his mind, and the boy felt inexplicably depressed and restless.

He couldn't wait any longer, so he strode straight down to the girls' dormitory building.

He wanted to go to her in person and ask her directly.

Just as I reached the dormitory building, a slender figure hurried down the stairs.

It was Sang Jiuning.

She walked hurriedly, her expression flustered and preoccupied, paying no attention to her surroundings, and failing to notice Wen Zhaoci standing not far away.

Wen Zhaoci subconsciously stopped in her tracks, without calling out to her.

He stood quietly in place, his gaze fixed on her, silently following behind her.

He wanted to see where Sang Jiuning was rushing off to and why she wasn't replying to his messages.

Following her out of the school gate, Sang Jiuning walked straight across the street.

A black Porsche Cayenne, exuding an air of refined elegance, was parked quietly there, its understated luxury immediately revealing its distinguished status.

The car door slowly opened.

Fu Yanchen stepped out of the car.

The white shirt is neat and crisp, paired with slim-fitting black suit pants, making the figure appear tall and slender.

With a high and deep-set nose, sharp and distinct facial features, cold and indifferent eyes, and a cool and aloof temperament, he exudes a powerful sense of pressure that keeps people at a distance, possessing the unique nobility and fierceness of a wealthy CEO.

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, he walked straight to the passenger side, bent down slightly, and personally and gently opened the car door for Sang Jiuning.

His movements were natural and practiced, displaying a patience that others had never seen before.

Fu Yanchen nodded slightly and uttered only two words: "Get in the car."

Without hesitation, Sang Jiuning lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you for your trouble."

He then bent down and sat in the passenger seat.