436: Let's do a DNA test

Let's do a DNA test

Fang Zichen felt truly grateful to have someone like Han Cheng as her husband. Even if she fell ill frequently, he did not get tired of catering to her. In fact, he took care of her from all his heart. The love and care for her was evident in his eyes.2

Moreover, he also knew that she could not conceive a child for him. Still, he did not look for other women. If it was any other person of his status, it was rare for him to stay faithful. 

Han Cheng smiled at Fang Zichen gently and got seated with her. On the opposite side, Xi Ting also got seated with Qin Yan. 

As the four of them sat comfortably around the table, the soft glow of the restaurant's ambient lighting casted a warm and inviting aura. The menu, an exquisite presentation of culinary possibilities, was elegantly placed in front of each guest.

"Let's order first?" Han Cheng glanced at Xi Ting.

"Okay," Xi Ting nodded.

Xi Ting, his gaze fixed on Qin Yan as they shared an affectionate smile, picked up his menu. He flipped through the pages, his finger tracing the descriptions of dishes that rarely intrigued him. Qin Yan leaned in, their heads almost touching, as they discussed their preferences calmly.

On the other side of the table, Han Cheng and Fang Zichen shared an easy camaraderie, their eyes meeting with a knowing understanding. Han Cheng, a slight smile playing on his lips, gestured for the waiter with a discreet nod. The waiter, attuned to their unspoken cues, approached the table with a graceful step, ready to take their orders. Everyone placed their orders one by one.

The waiter, attentive and respectful, nodded in acknowledgment as each order was placed. He jotted down notes on his pad, ensuring every detail is captured accurately. With a final smile, he collected the menus and departed, leaving the quartet for their discussions. 

As the waiter departed, Han Cheng turned to his wife and said, "Zichen, today I have called Miss Qin and you here for a special reason."

Fang Zichen was surprised, "What reason?"

Han Cheng took a deep breath, "Don't you find Miss Qin familiar? You told me that you do when you first saw her."

"Yes, I do. However, I don't understand why," Fang Zichen frowned in thought.

"You find her familiar because she looks exactly like you," Han Cheng words were measured and sincere, "Exactly like how you looked when you were of her age."

Fang Zichen's eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of emotions washing over her features. Her gaze shifted towards Qin Yan who was sitting opposite to her silently. Her gaze turned introspective, as if she were mentally overlaying images of her younger self onto Qin Yan's features. The realization began to settle in, like a puzzle piece clicking into place, connecting the present with the past.

The shock of the revelation ebbed, replaced by a profound sense of connection and nostalgia, "You are right, she looks like me."

Han Cheng then glanced at Xi Ting and Qin Yan, "I assume that both of you have already noticed this?"

"Yes," Xi Ting replied on the behalf of him as well as Qin Yan.

"However, Zichen doesn't have any relatives or any child. So, for Miss Qin to look exactly like her, there must be something wrong," Han Cheng said.

"Mr. Han," Xi Ting said, "I suggest that rather than deducing anything on our own, we should first conduct a DNA test between Mrs. Han and Qin Yan."

"But I don't have any relatives. And many people look similar to each other. If you find any person similar to you, it does not mean that we conduct DNA tests with every such person," Fang Zichen voiced out her thoughts.

"Mrs. Han," Xi Ting replied, "I agree with what you are saying, however, I have a reason to suggest this. If I didn't find that Qin Yan's parents were acquainted to you, I would not have thought of this."

"What?" Han Cheng and Fang Zichen both were dumbfounded.

Even Qin Yan was completely shocked. 

Looking at their reactions, Xi Ting snickered, "Shocked, right? If I am not wrong, Mrs. Han was known as Su Cen previously. However, her name was changed after some time."

Han Cheng and Fang Zichen's eyes widened. How did Xi Ting find about this? Han Cheng had concealed this fact so tightly for so many years. How did Xi Ting unearth this information?

Seeing their expressions, Xi Ting was sure that his information was absolutely correct. 

He said, "Don't try to think about how I found out all this. That's not important right now."

Xi Ting glanced at Fang Zichen, "Mrs. Han, do you remember a person named Qin Yicheng?"

Fang Zichen frowned. She felt that she had heard this name, however, she could not recollect any information about the said person.

However…

The expression on Han Cheng's face changed. Hearing the name of Qin Yicheng, his face was full of disdain. 

"It seems that Mr. Han does remember this person?" Xi Ting smiled.

"Yes, I do. He was an admirer of Zichen in our college. He was head over heels on her. Out of all the boys who liked Zichen, he was the most persistent. Zichen didn't even look at him, but he was extremely arrogant and felt that Zichen was avoiding him on purpose. He felt that Zichen liked him and she avoided him so that she would not fall deeply in love with him. He was a crazy man," Han Cheng scoffed.

"Oh! This man you are speaking of is Qin Yan's father," Xi Ting said.

Han Cheng and Fang Zichen, both were surprised. Even though Fang Zichen did not remember Qin Yicheng, but from how Han Cheng described him, Fang Zichen could not believe that an intelligent and smart girl like Qin Yan was the daughter of that man.

Xi Ting continued, "Qin Yan has never been treated well by her parents. Even though Qin Yicheng did not harm her, but he didn't care for her either. However, Qin Yicheng's wife Lu Yaran had tried hard to harm Qin Yan in every way. And I don't think that any mother would do such things with her daughter, no matter how much she hated her."

Xi Ting then proceeded to tell the Han couple about everything that Lu Yaran did with Qin Yan.

Fang Zichen's heart ached badly hearing Xi Ting's words. She looked at Qin Yan and for the first time in her life, she felt anger surging inside her for this person named Lu Yaran. Why could someone treat their daughter in such a way! 

Even Han Cheng, who didn't care about anyone other than his wife felt bad for Qin Yan.

"So, this is the reason why I am suggesting a DNA test between Mrs. Han and Qin Yan. I don't know what happened back then, but I suspect that Mrs. Han is Qin Yan's biological mother," Xi Ting concluded.

Upon hearing Xi Ting's words, a cascade of emotions swept over Fang Zichen, leaving her momentarily speechless. A sense of longing and yearning welled up within her, accompanied by a touch of sadness. She could never have children of her own, yet here was the possibility of a connection she hadn't anticipated.

Tears filled her eyes, but she held them back. No, it was not possible.

"This is not possible. My child…My child back then…was stillborn," She revealed.

The room seemed to hold its breath as her words hung in the air, the gravity of her revelation sinking in. Her fingers trembled slightly, her grip on her glass tightening as she wrestled with the emotions this conversation had stirred within her.

A tear escaped Fang Zichen's eye as she said this harsh truth of her life. This was the truth that she could not face even now, a truth that she was still running from, a truth that she was not able to accept even after all these years.

Han Cheng's hand found Fang Zichen's other one under the table, his presence grounding her in this whirlwind of feelings. His reassuring touch and the warmth of his gaze gave her the strength to process the flood of emotions. She met his eyes, and within them, she saw his understanding, his support, and his readiness to stand by her side, no matter what.

Xi Ting and Qin Yan exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting a mixture of shock and empathy as they absorbed the weight of Fang Zichen's revelation. Both of them did not utter anything else. Xi Ting just looked silently at Han Cheng. 

Han Cheng's understood Xi Ting's gaze. Being in the business field for so long, he understood that something was definitely wrong. He didn't have enough information to connect the dots, however he still felt that the truth was something else.

He pressed Fang Zichen's hand making her look at him. Then he held her hand and said, "Zichen, let's do a DNA test."

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