Chapter 94: Truth or Deception?

Is Section 4 True or False?

Hearing how seriously Ouyang Xinlai described the matter, Madam Shan and Shan Ziyao were somewhat frightened. At last, Shan Ziyao finally understood why her illness, which had lasted nearly ten years, could never be cured. With so many harmful elements involved, it seemed that, aside from Caicai, no one in this world could have healed her.

Madam Shan, now seeing Shan Ziyao healthy, was so moved she didn’t know how to properly thank Ouyang Xinlai.

After some thought, Madam Shan even knelt before Ouyang Xinlai. “Caier, I know you don’t care for fame or fortune. My husband is a man of stature, seven feet tall, and he cannot kneel to you. But this debt of gratitude we owe you, the Shan family cannot repay in this lifetime. Let me, on behalf of the Shan family, kowtow to you.”

Madam Shan had always been wary of Ouyang Xinlai.

Although until today all her concerns had not been fully explained, she now clearly understood one thing: no matter who Ouyang Xinlai was or why she came to Fan City, she would not harm their family of three.

Without Ouyang Xinlai, Shan Yuanxi would have long been dead. Without her, Shan Ziyao’s health wouldn’t have improved, nor would they have discovered Li Yinxin’s sinister schemes. Madam Shan might have lost her daughter shortly after her husband’s death, falling victim to the malevolent hands of that vile doctor, Li Yinxin.

As a woman who had lost her husband and was without offspring, the mere thought was unbearable for Madam Shan. Losing Shan Yuanxi and Shan Ziyao meant losing all hope, and naturally, the courage to live on.

So Madam Shan understood in her heart that without Ouyang Xinlai, their family of three might soon cease to exist in this world.

What Madam Shan thought, Shan Yuanxi surely did too. Originally, Shan Yuanxi also wanted to kneel to Ouyang Xinlai, as to their family, she was like a savior reborn.

“Caicai, thank you,” Shan Yuanxi said, unable to kneel but speaking with full sincerity. “I’m a grown man; I can’t kneel to a girl like you — it’s a matter of pride. But thank you, Caicai. Without you, my father wouldn’t be alive, nor would my illness be cured. Caicai, it’s truly wonderful to have you!”

Shan Ziyao might not fully comprehend as deeply as Madam Shan did, but she knew that Ouyang Xinlai’s kindness to their family was beyond words.

“That’s enough. I’m neither a bodhisattva nor a shaman. Why kneel to me?” Ouyang Xinlai was speechless. She had never thought Madam Shan was this kind of person; seeing Madam Shan kneel, and Shan Ziyao following suit, was baffling.

“Alright, get up. Don’t make Caier uncomfortable.” Shan Yuanxi could tell that, for them, this immense gratitude might not mean anything to Ouyang Xinlai. She simply did not need their thanks, and that left Shan Yuanxi feeling powerless.

Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay.

Yet for such a monumental debt, Ouyang Xinlai never intended for Shan Yuanxi to repay it.

Faced with the world’s deceit, Shan Yuanxi could not claim he had never done wrong or betrayed people when convenient. After all, one must respond to others according to their nature. But when it came to Ouyang Xinlai, Shan Yuanxi could neither become a villain nor commit wrongdoing.

Looking at Ouyang Xinlai’s calm, unassuming face, Shan Yuanxi always wanted to do something for her. Seeing Ouyang Xinlai felt like seeing a second daughter in his life.

People, once compared, are terrifyingly different.

Goods compared are discarded; people compared might perish.

This truth was painfully clear. With Ouyang Xinlai’s silent, unpretentious nature, who acted as if they did nothing despite doing much, compared to Shan Qing’er who would claim credit for nothing, who was good or evil, who was loyal or treacherous—did it really need careful distinction?

“Caier, would you be willing to recognize us as your parents?” Shan Yuanxi thought about it. They had even raised a scoundrel like Shan Qing’er; how could they not accept such a good girl as Caier?

“Yes, yes! That way, I have another elder sister. Wait, Caicai, are you older than me or younger? Could you be my little sister?”

With Shan Qing’er as an elder sister, Shan Ziyao, tired of being the younger sibling, longed to be the elder.

Hearing Shan Ziyao, Ouyang Xinlai replied, “You’re the younger sister!” How could she be younger than Shan Ziyao? Given Shan Ziyao’s childish nature, a sensible child like her could be called sister or brother without hesitation.

Ouyang Xinlai’s words were actually a mild insult, but the naive Shan Ziyao did not understand. Hearing “You’re the younger sister” made her overjoyed. “Father, mother, did you hear? Caicai is younger than me! I have a little sister!”

Unlike Shan Ziyao’s innocence, Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan knew without asking that Ouyang Xinlai was definitely older. That phrase “You’re the younger sister” was understood by them as Ouyang Xinlai teasing their daughter to comfort her.

It was a beautiful misunderstanding.

It also explained why Ouyang Xinlai’s expression, changed by her new face, was so minimal. Being lazy, she found making expressions exhausting. Thus, Ouyang Xinlai always bore a faint, almost invisible smile. Other expressions were rare.

Combined with her unostentatious tone, no wonder Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan misunderstood.

“Ziyao, stop fooling around. Caier is naturally older; she’s your sister,” Madam Shan said, glaring at Shan Ziyao. Though all were girls, how could Ziyao be so much less mature than Caier? For such a clever girl to be accepted by them was indeed a gain.

“Ahem…” Ouyang Xinlai coughed twice, hearing the Shan family make decisions on her behalf.

“I told Shan Ziyao before that I came to the Suzaku Kingdom seeking refuge because I was in trouble, not as a joke. But my father is still alive, so this matter of becoming god-parents must wait. Whatever happens, it must go through my father’s consent, or else he’ll surely beat me up!”

Ouyang Chenfeng, her rebellious father, had plenty of tricks.

When she was with the Ouyang family, she suffered no small amount under that rogue father’s hand.

“Caicai, is your father very fierce?” Hearing this, Shan Ziyao instinctively thought Ouyang Chenfeng was hard to get along with.

“He’s okay with others, but very fierce with me.” She’d never seen the rogue father harshly treat others in the Ouyang family. Even Ouyang Dong had shouted at him and yet lived comfortably. “Luckily, I escaped to seek refuge. Without this trouble, if I’d stayed home, I might have died either by our enemies or by my father’s hand.”

Recalling those days at the Ouyang family made Ouyang Xinlai shudder.

What father would do such a thing as to kick his sleeping daughter into a deadly five-element formation? It was as if he wanted her dead.

“Oh my, Caicai, your father is so terrifying?” The innocent Shan Ziyao was completely frightened by Ouyang Xinlai’s words. “Caicai, you’re really pitiful. You might as well not go back to that family. With my father and mother here, he won’t dare harm you. You’d better just recognize my parents.”

Hearing this, Ouyang Xinlai almost spat out her drink.

Alright, she wouldn’t deny exaggerating, but Shan Ziyao was far too gullible.

Ouyang Xinlai shook her head. “They say, ‘Once a teacher, always a father.’ Besides, he is my real father. No matter his faults, as his daughter, I owe him filial piety. So, this god-parent thing, better to hold off.”

Far away in the Genbu Kingdom, Ouyang Chenfeng suddenly sneezed violently. He couldn’t recall the last time he had sneezed.

Rubbing his nose, he wondered, “Could someone be thinking of me right now?”

As he thought that, Ouyang Xinlai sneezed as well.

If anyone doubted their father-daughter relationship before, no one would now.

“Caier is right; this matter must first be reported to Caier’s father,” Shan Yuanxi said kindly, appreciating Ouyang Xinlai’s respect for her father.

How many in this world would not be blinded by wealth and status? Faced with the Shan family’s temptation, Ouyang Xinlai’s mind was firmly on her fierce father at home—such genuine feeling is rare indeed.

If Ouyang Xinlai knew what Shan Yuanxi was thinking, she would say that more beautiful misunderstandings would indeed make the world more lovely.

“Miss, I heard that the master and mistress have arranged a separate courtyard for Miss Caier at the Shan residence, exclusively for her,” Shan Qing’er’s servants, who were always spying on Shan Yuanxi and the others, reported.

“What? Who does she think she is to have a place in the Shan family!” Upon hearing this, Shan Qing’er’s jealousy flared.

Years ago, when Shan Ziyao was three, Shan Qing’er was older by a fair margin. Since entering the Shan estate, she had spent countless hours tiptoeing, fearing that a single misstep would cause Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan to abandon her.

Although Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan had taken her in, she was treated only as an ordinary guest. She was not lacking in food or necessities, but her status was only slightly above a maid. Before the maids, she never received the respect a mistress deserved.

Until that person appeared, teaching her how to establish herself in the Shan family. That person had pushed Shan Ziyao into the chilling lotus pond in March and then jumped in after her to pull her out. Young Shan Qing’er had fallen ill for three days and nights before her fever subsided.

One could say she had risked her life to fight for everything she had today.

So this Caier had done nothing, yet she could have what Shan Qing’er had earned with her life? Unfair—too unfair!

“Miss, I heard the master and mistress want to recognize Miss Caier as their goddaughter,” the maid lowered her voice.

“Goddaughter? Ha ha ha…” Shan Qing’er went mad with jealousy. What was so special about Caier? Not only had she immediately won Shan Ziyao’s favor, but even the suspicious Madam Shan accepted her. Now even Shan Yuanxi recognized Caier.

Why? Why?

Those three useless assassins!

She had spent so much silver, only to get such a humiliating result.

Thinking of this, Shan Qing’er narrowed her eyes. She had thought this time she would succeed, yet Caier was truly a hidden expert, able to kill those three famous assassins.

It seemed Caier was a person full of secrets. If Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan knew what kind of person Caier really was, would they still be willing to accept her as their goddaughter? Would they still think her a most extraordinary girl?

While Shan Qing’er schemed to expose Ouyang Xinlai’s murderous side, Ouyang Xinlai told the Shan family a shocking revelation.

“Caier, what did you say? You said Shan Qing’er never really had an illness all along?”

Hearing this, Shan Ziyao jumped up in protest.

Ouyang Xinlai shook her head. “I didn’t say Shan Qing’er never had an illness all along. I only said that when I first saw her, I didn’t think she was truly sick.” Ouyang Xinlai’s words were precise, with no ambiguity.

She hadn’t examined Shan Qing’er’s pulse, only her complexion, so her diagnosis was preliminary: Shan Qing’er showed no signs of disease—not that she was definitely not ill, nor that she was faking it.

“That doesn’t make sense. Why then?” Shan Ziyao was baffled. If Shan Qing’er was not ill, why pretend to be? And she looked so weak. “Because Shan Qing’er and I are both physically weak, we each have our own holy doctors treating us.”

“Yeah, your Li Holy Doctor has been deceiving your whole family with a piece of celestial meteorite. Are you sure the holy doctor treating Shan Qing’er is really good?” Ouyang Xinlai laughed, finding Shan Ziyao naïve.

“Actually, we must bear some responsibility for Shan Qing’er’s condition. Caier, since you helped Ziyao recover, why not help Shan Qing’er as well?” Madam Shan said without hesitation, choosing to trust Ouyang Xinlai.

Ouyang Xinlai nodded—talking to sensible people was rewarding.

Meanwhile, a maid reported some happenings in the study to Shan Qing’er, and another maid came in, “Miss Qing’er, the master and mistress are requesting your presence.”

Upon hearing Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan wanted to see her, Shan Qing’er’s head throbbed painfully.

“Do you know what they want to see me about?” Shan Qing’er took a breath and weakly looked at the maid.

Lowering her head, the maid replied, “The master and mistress are concerned about Miss Qing’er’s health and would like her to come and be examined.”

Hearing this, Shan Qing’er felt somewhat reassured; after all, it was not the first time.

“By the way, did father and mother invite that previous Holy Doctor Zhou?” As a child, Shan Qing’er had been very ill.

Later, under that man’s guidance and after consuming some rare fruit, she gained the ability to cultivate supernatural powers. So six years ago, she had fully recovered. But to stay in the Shan family and use their status to marry Ye Zifei, Shan Qing’er had been pretending to be sick all along.

Naturally, she would have bribed Holy Doctor Zhou.

“I don’t know, Miss,” the maid replied. She had no memory of any other holy doctors besides Li Holy Doctor arriving. The master and mistress only sent her to fetch Miss Qing’er and didn’t explain further.

“Alright, I understand. Lead the way.” Hearing it might be Holy Doctor Zhou, Shan Qing’er’s heart fluttered with panic, but she quickly thought of Ouyang Xinlai. Ouyang Xinlai was also skilled in medicine—could it be that today, instead of a holy doctor, Caier would examine her?

Thinking this, Shan Qing’er grew anxious. What if Caier examined her and declared she was not ill? Even if she invoked Holy Doctor Zhou’s name, with Shan Yuanxi and Madam Shan’s current attitude toward Caier, the Tong family couple might believe Caier and not her.

If that happened, she would have to resort to other means!

“Father, mother, what do you want with your daughter?” As soon as Shan Qing’er entered the room, she saw Ouyang Xinlai standing harmoniously with the Shan family.

Jealousy welled up inside her. She had arrived at the Shan family earlier than Ouyang Xinlai but had never truly belonged.

“Caier knows some medicine. Today, she treated Ziyao’s illness with results far better than Li Holy Doctor. So we immediately thought of you; you should let Caier examine you too,” Madam Shan said.

Shan Qing’er’s brows furrowed; as expected.

“Caier has already examined your sister and must be tired. Holy Doctor Zhou has always understood your condition well, so there’s no need to trouble Caier,” she said, trying to avoid close contact with Ouyang Xinlai regardless of her actual abilities.

“No problem. Let Caier examine you,” Shan Yuanxi said coldly.

If Shan Qing’er’s illness was clearly cured but Holy Doctor Zhou claimed no significant progress, Shan Yuanxi naturally recalled Shan Ziyao’s case.

He was desperate to find the culprit who wanted to harm his beloved daughter.