Free Web NovelChapter 282: Revelation
Zheng Jianjun pressed his lips together, not saying a word.
His father and older brother were right. What Li Yuan and Li Aiguo had done was not only illegal but had also breached all moral boundaries. They had destroyed an innocent person’s life in their pursuit of wealth and status, and that was something the Zheng family could never condone. To do so would make them accomplices.
In fact, Zheng Jianjun had only found out when he called Li Fenghuo earlier today that the Li family already knew everything. They had even found Li Wan and her daughter, and Li Aiguo had been taken into custody. It was clear that Li Yuan’s actions had long been exposed, right under the Li family’s noses. They had just been busy collecting evidence and hadn’t made a move against her yet. In that moment, Zheng Jianjun was incredibly relieved that he had heeded his father and older brother’s advice. Otherwise, there was no telling how the Li family might have dealt with the Zheng family.
But deep down, Zheng Jianjun still felt a trace of guilt toward Li Yuan. After all, for more than a decade, even though Li Yuan had been impersonating Li Wan and had done those things to her, she had been completely devoted to him and their two sons. Over the years, their marriage had been harmonious; they had almost never argued. If not for this, they could have grown old together.
In Zheng Jianjun’s eyes, Li Yuan was not a good person, but she had been a good wife and mother. It was just...
Zheng Jianjun sighed inwardly. He listened to Li Yuan scream invectives at him but didn’t retort, just silently taking it. He supposed... he owed her that much.
"If you won’t talk, how about I talk for you?" Li Fenghuo said coldly to Li Yuan. "Tell us how you took my biological sister’s place, and how you abused her."
Song Qingwen was utterly astonished. She looked at Li Yuan in shock. "Little Yuan, did you... did you really..."
Song Qingwen didn’t know what to say. For years, she and Li Yuan had been the closest because they were similar in age. She had always thought Li Yuan was good-natured, not fussy and difficult like other sisters-in-law. They could talk about anything. And yet, this very sister-in-law, who she had told everything, was hiding such a massive secret.
Li Yuan resented Zheng Jianjun to the core. She now understood that she had been deliberately lured back today to be confronted about her impersonation. Realizing there was no escape, she decided she had nothing left to lose and let her hatred extend to the Li family as well.
"Yes, I took her place! But it was just a moment of weakness! Besides, haven’t I done well enough over the years?" Li Yuan felt incredibly aggrieved. "All these years, I’ve been a devoted and filial daughter to Mom and Dad, I’ve gotten along well with my brothers and sisters-in-law, and I’ve doted on all my nephews and nieces. What did I do wrong? Haven’t I done enough? I’ve been so good to all of you, so why must you cling to this one little mistake? I’ve worked myself to the bone trying to be good to every single one of you, and this is what I get in return! Look at you! Look at the way you’re all looking at me! Am I some heinous criminal?"
Mrs. Li’s gaze was so cold it could have been filled with shards of ice. "You think you’re a good person? Do you think anyone in your family is a good person? Back then, my husband and I had to go to the battlefield. We had no choice but to entrust Xiao Wan to your family’s care. We even left you a considerable sum of money—enough for your entire family to live comfortably for more than a decade. I thought you were decent, kind-hearted people. But how did you treat my biological daughter?"
Mrs. Li’s stare made Li Yuan flinch. The old woman had always been lukewarm toward her, never showing any real affection. Li Yuan had always assumed it was because she hadn’t been raised by her side, so their bond just wasn’t that deep. But now, seeing the look in Mrs. Li’s eyes, she understood. It was a look of pure indignation on behalf of her real daughter. The anger and pain in that gaze made Li Yuan’s heart seize.
’So, it wasn’t that we weren’t close because she didn’t raise me,’ she thought. ’It was that innate bond between a mother and daughter. The old woman must have subconsciously felt that I wasn’t hers, and that’s why she could never get close to me.’
At this thought, Li Yuan was overcome with jealousy for Li Wan, nearly grinding her teeth to dust. She had fawned over the old woman for so many years and had never received a single warm glance in return.
"I... I..." Li Yuan trembled. She felt isolated and helpless. She couldn’t leave—Elder Li’s guard was standing right by the door. She couldn’t escape even if she tried. So, she burst into tears. "I’ve been with you all for so many years. Don’t you have any affection for me at all? I wasn’t in my right mind when I made that mistake, but I’ve spent all these years trying my best to make up for it! I was just a child. I had to do what my family told me. What choice did I have?"
