novelraw Chapter 496 - 413 It’s the one
Chapter 496 - 413 It’s the one
Jin Jiachao and his son arrived quickly. Li Si even noticed that Jin Jiachao was barefoot and wearing slippers, showing just how urgent this was to him.
This gave her a good first impression of Leng Ning’s future father-in-law. Her instinct told her that this was an interesting old man.
Upon seeing Li Si, Jin Jiachao was visibly emotional. He had originally thought that the resemblance in the photos was striking, but seeing her in person now—the shape of her lips was so similar to his second sister.
"Can I take a look at that Jade Pendant?" Jin Jiachao’s trembling voice reflected his excitement. For decades, he had poured his energy into searching.
Who could have imagined it would turn up like this?
Yet he dared not draw conclusions immediately—was it truly what he thought it was?
Above all, he feared being left with nothing but empty joy.
Especially seeing Li Si, he felt an inexplicable sense of kinship. Perhaps this was the kind of bond that runs deeper than blood.
However, glancing at his son and Leng Ning next to him, he sighed softly in his heart.
If this turned out to be true, the relationships would become incredibly complex...
When Li Si handed the Jade Pendant to Jin Jiachao, his face displayed an astonishing mix of emotions—shock, joy, regret, nostalgia—all tangled together.
He could never have imagined that it really was his sister’s pendant—the piece he had searched for half his life. Who would have thought he’d live to see it, and even find his sister’s child?
The old man burst into tears, overcome with emotion. Jin Yichen quickly patted his father’s shoulder lightly, comforting him, urging him not to get too worked up.
Though the old man was robust for his age, ultimately his years weighed heavily on him, and his heart wasn’t strong. A sudden surge of joy could prove disastrous!
Jin Jiachao wept openly, his tears streaming. "Yes! It’s exactly this! I’ve been looking for it for so many years!"
As he gently stroked the pendant’s intricate patterns, it was as if he were reminiscing about the past. Scenes from yesteryears played vividly in his mind, yet in the blink of an eye, everything had changed with time.
"Child, this Jade Pendant..."
Suddenly, Jin Jiachao remembered hearing recently that Li Si’s father had passed away. A wave of sorrow surged within him. If she truly was the child, it meant he had missed the chance to meet her father.
Still, he summoned his fortitude and asked, "Can you tell me the history of this Jade Pendant?"
Li Si, sensing the sincerity and grief in his tone, felt a pang in her heart. Slowly, she replied, "This pendant was found when I was sorting through my father’s belongings, but I don’t know where it came from."
She didn’t believe this Jade Pendant alone could prove anything.
Jin Jiachao nodded. "Could I see some photographs of your father?"
Before Jin Jiachao arrived, Li Si had already gathered her father’s old photos.
There weren’t many—some black-and-white shots from when Li Guofu and his siblings were around five years old, a few pictures from his college years in Beijing, and the rest were mostly photos with Li Si...
Seeing these old photographs, Li Si’s eyes turned red. Those buried memories felt as vivid as if they had occurred yesterday. To send her to piano lessons, her father would ride his large bicycle with a straight crossbar, always placing her on the front bar—rain or shine.
She still remembered sitting on the rear rack once. On a cold, slippery day, with ice on the ground, her father accidentally fell. The bicycle pressed on her.
Since then, she always sat on the front crossbar. As her father explained, at least sitting there, she wouldn’t be thrown off or pinned under the bike if he fell.
This was paternal love—manifested in the smallest details of life.
Sadly, even though she was reborn and capable now, she could no longer repay this nurturing love.
She could only hope that in the next life, she could still be her father’s devoted daughter.
Jin Jiachao put on reading glasses and carefully examined the old photos. In his heart, his suspicions grew stronger—perhaps she really was his sister’s child.
She resembled that Chen Shimei so much!
Yes, his sister’s husband was named Chen Songxi. Less than a year after his sister’s death, Chen Songxi married a widowed woman who already had a son!
Rumor had it that the despicable couple had been carrying on for years, waiting for his sister to pass away to make room for her.
Back then, Jin Jiachao was outraged. What nonsense about maintaining relationships—this was why the Jin Family severed ties with the Chen Family.
His sister had died so young—not just from the abuse and struggles during public criticism but also because losing her child deeply impacted her.
When she gave birth, none of her relatives were in Beijing—the distance rendered them powerless. By the time they learned the news and rushed to her, it was already too late. Despite mobilizing so many resources and people, the child was never found.
At the time, only Chen Shimei was by her side in the hospital ward. Later, her mother-in-law blamed his sister for losing the grandson, citing her temporary absence to get food. Instead, she reproached his sister for not keeping a closer watch on the baby!
The confrontation between the two families escalated to near violence.
It was his sister’s weak plea that calmed them down—she said, "What good will fighting do now?" Even as a boy of only ten, Jin Jiachao could feel how deeply disheartened his sister had grown, how utterly disappointed she was with Chen Shimei and his family.
Afterward, most of the family’s energy was spent searching for the child. But then came those turbulent years, during which their family’s "background" placed them at a disadvantage, making their efforts harder to undertake publicly.
The child was never found, and his sister eventually succumbed to exhaustion and heartache, passing away too soon.
Jin Yichen and Leng Ning were also flipping through the old photos. Leng Mochen held Li Si close in his arms, gripping her slightly chilled hand to provide her strength.
Jin Jiachao took off his glasses. "Child, you’ve endured so much all these years! Perhaps your father was my sister’s lost child, meaning you’d be her granddaughter!"
The words caught in his throat as he struggled to continue—how would he reconcile Yichen and Xiao Ning’s relationship in terms of familial hierarchy?
Jin Yichen and Leng Ning also nervously looked at Li Si, awaiting her response anxiously.
Leng Ning even started pondering how she might address everyone in the future if this were true.
Li Si, however, responded calmly: "I am living a very happy life now. My father has already passed away, so regardless of whether he was or wasn’t, I won’t recognize it. Things are fine as they are—why complicate matters?"
Her carefully rebuilt peaceful life shouldn’t be disturbed by these sudden, so-called "relatives."
Besides, Leng Ning and Jin Yichen were happy together. Why would she want to mess up a simple relationship?
With her father now gone, what meaning was there in chasing down his origins?
She had already survived death once. Now, what truly mattered to her?
Only Leng Mochen and Buding mattered.
Recognizing them formally would only throw Buding’s understanding into chaos. How should the child address people in the future?
Would her aunt become a grandmother figure?
Today had already been an incredible day for Jin Jiachao, just to have found this connection. He could understand Li Si’s reluctance to acknowledge him. In fact, even he found the situation difficult to wrap his head around!
But time changes everything, and everyone would gradually adapt.
Jin Jiachao’s face carried a rare smile, no longer filled with sadness. "Child, I understand your decision not to recognize us. But could you tell me more about your father? Did the Li Family have any relatives in Shandong or move to North City?"
He was desperate to know how the boy had lived all these years.
Even though he knew his nephew had already passed away, he wanted to hear the whole story—to share it at his sister’s grave.
Moreover, he had an idea in his mind, though it was not yet the right time to voice it.
(To be continued. If you like this story, please visit Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets—your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)