Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Gu Yanran stood outside the door, her expression unreadable behind her sunglasses.
Tang Tang frowned, clearly displeased. “What are you doing in my house?”
Gu Yanran seemed completely unconcerned about Tang Tang’s attitude, a slight smile playing on her full red lips, as if there was no unpleasantness between them. “What? Aren’t you going to invite me in? Is this your way of treating guests?”
Tang Tang, though good-tempered, wasn’t one to be bullied. She’d already been humiliated enough last time, so she had no intention of letting her in. “Sorry, you’re not welcome in my house.”
“Heh.” Gu Yanran’s smile suddenly became meaningful. “Are you sure this is your house?” She emphasized the word ‘you.’
“What do you mean? If this isn’t my house, is it yours?”
“Don’t you know what I mean? Don’t you know best whether you’re the owner of this house or not?”
Tang Tang’s heart skipped a beat, her pupils contracting. Her intuition told her that Gu Yanran knew something.
But how could that be?
Seeing Tang Tang’s stunned expression, Gu Yanran smiled and reached for the door. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Tang Tang subconsciously let go, and the door opened easily.
Gu Yanran walked into the house, her gaze sweeping around. Seeing Ji Xiaozhuo and Wen Nuo, the two little ones, assembling a model on the coffee table, she walked straight towards them, squatted down beside them, and asked with a smile, “Xiao Zhuo, are you assembling a model with your friends?”
Ji Xiaozhuo then noticed Gu Yanran’s arrival, grinning and calling out, “Aunt Yanran, you’ve come to my house as a guest?”
“Yes, Aunt Yanran is here as a guest, and just wanted to see you.” Gu Yanran said, patting Ji Xiaozhuo’s head. Ji Xiaozhuo was very familiar with Gu Yanran and naturally didn’t reject her.
Tang Tang’s expression darkened at the sight. She didn’t understand what Gu Yanran had come for today, but at that moment, a strong sense of unease suddenly welled up inside her.
Her intuition told her that something was going to happen tonight, and it wouldn’t be anything good for her.
Tang Tang suppressed her unease and said, “What brings you here? Just say it.”
“Don’t rush, Ji Yan hasn’t come back yet. We can talk about it when he gets back.” Gu Yanran simply sat down cross-legged like Ji Xiaozhuo and Wen Nuo, studying the model with them. Her leisurely demeanor was completely opposite to Tang Tang’s.
Tang Tang pursed her lips, knowing that Gu Yanran was doing this on purpose. She simply went back to the kitchen and buried herself in making dinner, trying to avoid seeing her.
A few minutes later, Ji Yan returned. As soon as he entered, he heard noises coming from the kitchen. He guessed that Tang Tang was busy cooking again. He smiled helplessly and went straight into the kitchen. He immediately saw that slender figure busy at the stove as usual, and the kitchen was filled with the tempting aroma of food.
“Didn’t I tell you not to work during this time? Why are you disobeying me again?”
However, Tang Tang continued working as if she hadn’t heard Ji Yan’s words, without even turning her head.
Ji Yan, puzzled, stepped forward and supported her waist. “Tang Tang?”
“Ah!” Tang Tang was startled by the touch on her waist, almost dropping the kitchen knife in her hand. Luckily, Ji Yan caught it in time, otherwise it would have been dangerous.
Ji Yan frowned, put the knife away, and pulled her away from the stove. He looked her up and down. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Tang Tang breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was Ji Yan, then shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong, it’s just…” Tang Tang pointed outside, “…Gu Yanran is here.”
Ji Yan paused, turned to look outside, and sure enough, he saw Gu Yanran standing in the living room, smiling at him. She had been squatting, hidden by the sofa, so he hadn’t noticed her.
Ji Yan pursed his lips, pulled Tang Tang over to Gu Yanran, and cut to the chase, “What brings you here?”
Ji Yan’s tone was unusually indifferent. Although he hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic towards her before, he certainly hadn’t been this distant. A hint of hurt flashed in Gu Yanran’s eyes, and she clenched her fists tightly to suppress her sadness. She forced a smile and said, “Brother Ji Yan, I think you must have some misunderstanding about me. I wanted to explain, but you wouldn’t answer my calls or let me into your team. I couldn’t find you, so I had to come here to find you. Brother Ji Yan, could you please listen to my explanation?”
Ji Yan’s expression remained unchanged. “No change,” he said, his tone indifferent. “I have no misunderstandings about you, and there’s nothing to explain between us. I think your brother has told you everything I needed to say. His meaning is mine. You’re a smart person; you should know what to do from now on.”
Gu Yanran’s eyes flashed, and she almost lost her smile. She took a deep breath to remain calm and said, “Brother Ji Yan, I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. If you’re happy, I won’t disturb you, but I really can’t bear to see you being deceived by others.”
The word “others” was pointed at; everyone except the two children knew who she was referring to.
Tang Tang was about to question Gu Yanran about what she had lied to Ji Yan about, but Ji Yan grabbed her hand and spoke first, “Gu Yanran, I can tell whether someone is deceiving me or not. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Brother Ji Yan!” Gu Yanran hadn’t expected that just knowing she liked him would cause his attitude to become so cold and unapproachable. They used to be so close.
Why was he treating her like this now?
Gu Yanran’s smiling face vanished instantly, her piercing gaze turning coldly towards Tang Tang. It must be Tang Tang’s fault that Ji Yan acted this way.
Tang Tang was already angry, and now, inexplicably glared at, she immediately mirrored Gu Yanran’s reaction, glaring back fiercely!
Ji Yan was amused by her defiant attitude, and squeezed her hand. “Alright, take Xiao Zhuo and Nuo Nuo back to their room to play.”
Tang Tang understood he didn’t want her and the children involved. She pursed her lips, gave Gu Yanran one last glare, and then took the two children back to their room. However, she didn’t stay with them; instead, she immediately returned to Ji Yan’s side.
Since today’s events involved her, she had to face them head-on, no matter how bad the situation.
Ji Yan understood the determination in her eyes and had no choice but to agree to her involvement.
Gu Yanran’s heart bled from the unspoken intimacy between the two. A surge of anger raged in her chest. She unzipped her bag, pulled out a stack of documents, and placed them on the coffee table. “Brother Ji Yan, I know words are meaningless, and you won’t believe me without evidence. Look at these, and you’ll understand my good intentions. She’s just lying to you!”
Tang Tang’s heart skipped a beat again. Her eyes were fixed on the stack of documents, the contents of which she didn’t know. Her unease grew stronger.
Ji Yan showed no change in expression, nor did he look at the stack of documents. He simply said, “Gu Yanran, your brother and I are good brothers, and I’ve always treated you like a sister. But I don’t want you to do anything beyond that relationship, including slandering my wife. Otherwise, we can only be strangers.”
Ji Yan’s words deeply saddened Gu Yanran, her eyes immediately reddening, and her voice trembling with tears, “Brother Ji Yan, even if you don’t like me, you shouldn’t doubt my sincerity towards you. We’ve known each other for so many years, would I harm you? I didn’t slander her. I have evidence, and this is the evidence I found. It all proves that the person standing next to you right now is not the real Tang Tang. She’s an imposter!”
The last sentence exploded in Tang Tang’s heart like a bolt from the blue. Her face turned pale, her body went limp, and only one thought occupied her mind: It’s over, she’s been found out to be an imposter.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yan’s face darkened completely, his eyes even colder than before, so cold that Gu Yanran trembled. Despite her fear, she mustered her courage and continued, “Brother Ji Yan, she said she had amnesia, but her medical records at the hospital clearly show that she only had superficial injuries and her brain wasn’t damaged at all, so she wouldn’t have amnesia. Besides, no matter how much an amnesiac changes someone, they will still show similarities to their pre-amnesia state. But as for her, I think you’ve noticed, right? She’s completely different from before, almost like a completely different person. Am I right?”
Ji Yan remained silent, and Tang Tang couldn’t say anything either.
“Actually, I initially suspected she was faking amnesia to deceive you, hoping to continue exploiting you. So I investigated her background, and the results shocked me: I discovered she wasn’t faking amnesia at all; she was a complete imposter, Tang Tang!”
Gu Yanran said, opening the stack of documents and placing them in front of Ji Yan. “Brother Ji Yan, look! It shows that Tang Tang never knew how to make pastries before, nor had she ever learned, yet she makes Chinese pastries with unparalleled skill. Using ‘learning on the spot’ as an excuse simply doesn’t work! Also, remember when we were on vacation at the villa? She brewed tea exceptionally well, even better than Brother Zhuo Ji, but the real Tang Tang never learned how to brew tea! Can amnesia really give someone new skills?”
Tang Tang’s hands were trembling slightly, and despite the cold weather, her back was covered in sweat. She now deeply regretted not clarifying things before doing those things; now she was being suspected.
Ji Yan noticed her unusual expression, his eyes darkened, and he reached out and firmly grasped her hand.
Tang Tang desperately wanted to look into his eyes, but she didn’t dare, afraid of seeing the same doubt in them.
Gu Yanran also saw Ji Yan holding Tang Tang’s hand and assumed he still didn’t believe her, so she blurted out her reasons, “Brother Ji Yan, if you think what I’ve said isn’t convincing, then I’ll tell you the most convincing one.” With that, Gu Yanran pulled out several photos, all featuring Tang Tang— the original Tang Tang from before.
The photos showed the original Tang Tang drawing, writing, and eating— just everyday snapshots; it was unclear where Gu Yanran had gotten them.
“Did you see that clearly? This is a real photo of Tang Tang from her university days. Every time in the photo, she is using her left hand because she’s left-handed!”
Tang Tang was startled and looked up to examine the photo closely. She confirmed it was true; every time in the photo, she was using her left hand.
She, on the other hand, was a normal right-handed person.
“Tang Tang’s roommate said that her right hand wasn’t as dexterous as her left; in fact, it was quite clumsy. But you—” Gu Yanran pointed at Tang Tang, “you’re the complete opposite. You’re a full-fledged right-handed person. Even with amnesia, one can’t forget their instincts. Yet you can use your right hand freely as soon as you wake up, but not your left. How do you explain that?”
Tang Tang couldn’t explain it at all; her heart sank to the bottom. Originally, she thought this secret would never be known, but unexpectedly, it was eventually discovered.
Gu Yanran turned to Ji Yan again, “Brother Ji Yan, do you believe me now? The person next to you is definitely not Tang Tang; she’s an imposter. Her face has definitely been surgically altered. I know this idea is too far-fetched for you to believe, and I found it hard to believe at first, but that’s the truth. We can’t deny it, otherwise, how can we explain all her abnormalities?”
Gu Yanran paused, then continued, “Actually, proving whether she’s an imposter is very simple. Just take her and Xiao Zhuo for a paternity test.”
Huh?! Tang Tang’s heart, which had just plummeted to rock bottom, rebounded instantly because of her words, and she was completely stunned.
Gu Yanran didn’t mean she had been reincarnated, but rather that she was impersonating the original owner?
It was all a false alarm!
It must be said that Gu Yanran’s reasoning and analytical abilities were quite strong, but what Tang Tang couldn’t understand was, since she had such complete evidence, why did she only think of an imposter and not reincarnation?
What Tang Tang didn’t understand was that this world valued scientific materialism, and most people believed in atheism, thinking that ghosts and gods didn’t exist. Gu Yanran was a staunch materialist; she considered ghosts and gods to be nonsense, so how could she possibly think of reincarnation? Thinking of impersonation was already her limit; it took her a long time to process even that.
Just as Tang Tang was still reeling from the shock, Ji Yan, who hadn’t spoken until now, finally broke the silence. “Whether she’s my son’s biological mother or not, I know better than anyone. There’s no need for a paternity test because there’s no question of impersonation. Life isn’t a TV drama; your imagination can’t run wild.”
“Brother Ji Yan! You still don’t believe me? I—” Gu Yanran was about to say something when Ji Yan interrupted her. “Gu Yanran, if you don’t want to leave now, I’ll call your brother and have him come pick you up.”
“Don’t call!” Gu Yanran quickly stopped him. She was terrified that her brother would find out. If he did, he would definitely tell her parents, and she probably wouldn’t even be able to leave the house.
She had gone through so much trouble to collect this evidence, begging countless people for it. She had thought that presenting this evidence would convince Ji Yan, but instead, he thought she was just making things up. This time, Gu Yanran was truly desperate. Tears streamed down her face, heartbroken and hopeless. The person she most wanted to be cared for remained unmoved, even showing a hint of disgust in his eyes.
How could the proud and arrogant Gu Yanran bear this? Not wanting to lose face in front of Tang Tang any further, she grabbed her bag and ran out the door, her confident demeanor completely gone.
On the coffee table, the evidence Gu Yanran had brought remained quietly laid out.
Tang Tang looked down at her feet. Although it was a false alarm, she still didn’t have the courage to look at Ji Yan, much less speak to him. Although he had just said he didn’t believe Gu Yanran, the evidence was undeniable. He was so intelligent; how could he not be suspicious?
But if he asked her to explain the points of doubt Gu Yanran had listed, how could she answer?
Before Tang Tang could figure out what to do, Ji Yan spoke first, “Go call the two children out for dinner; they must be hungry.”
“Huh? Oh, oh,” Tang Tang pursed her lips, not understanding what he was thinking.
Dinner went on as usual, and Ji Yan didn’t ask about what had just happened. He remained silent until they finished washing up and were about to go to bed, his calmness almost unsettling. The calmer he was, the more uneasy she felt. If it weren’t for the evidence Gu Yanran had brought still on the table, she would have almost thought Gu Yanran hadn’t come at all.
Didn’t he have any questions? Why wasn’t he asking anything?
Tang Tang couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild: Was he not asking because he had no suspicions at all, or was he planning to investigate thoroughly before dealing with her? Or was he already suspicious and just thinking about how to punish her?
Tang Tang was terrified by her own thoughts, completely forgetting that she had originally planned to ask Ji Yan about his feelings for her that evening.
When Ji Xiaozhuo pulled her hand and told Ji Yan they were going to sleep in another room, Tang Tang, who had initially thought it was a bad idea, suddenly thought it was a great suggestion.
Ji Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Ji Xiaozhuo. “You want to sleep in that room alone with Mommy?”
Ji Xiaozhuo felt uneasy, but still nodded bravely, offering the reason he had racked his brains to come up with: “Daddy, Mommy doesn’t sleep well. She rolls away in her sleep, and these past few days she’s been rolling over to your side, which disturbs your sleep. So we’ll move over there.”
It was clearly this little guy’s possessiveness at play; it was truly impressive that he had come up with such a plausible reason. Ji Yan snorted inwardly and said, “Mommy didn’t disturb Daddy’s sleep. On the contrary, Daddy sleeps very well every day. So you don’t need to move over there to sleep.”
The reason he’d painstakingly come up with was thus dispelled. Ji Xiaozhuo scratched his head in frustration, stammering, “Well, I don’t sleep well, I’ll disturb your sleep, so it’s better to move over.”
Ji Yan continued mercilessly, “Then wouldn’t I sleep better if you moved over alone? That way you won’t disturb your mother, and we can both sleep well.”
Ji Xiaozhuo: “….”
Having racked his brains, Ji Xiaozhuo couldn’t think of any more solutions. Realizing he couldn’t win against his father, he scratched his head in desperation and had to turn to Tang Tang, who was also playing the coward.
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