Chapter 184: A Scene at Every Step
Zhao Zhaodi hesitated and turned her pleading gaze toward Xu Youyou.
Xu Youyou nodded at her and smiled, saying, “We have to focus on the auditions, so we can’t accompany you. It’s rare that Mrs. Lin is willing to help, so you should go with her. I’ll have Xiao Wang go with you.”
Seeing that there would be a bodyguard accompanying her, Zhao Zhaodi completely relaxed, and the plan to visit Suzhou was settled.
Mrs. Lin’s expression visibly softened, and she added, “Miss Xu, you have so many important matters to handle, and I don’t want to trouble you. We’re hosting a dinner party the night after tomorrow. Please be sure to come.”
Xu Youyou nodded in agreement.
Mrs. Lin was very particular about things. That evening, when she sent Zhao Zhaodi back to the hotel, she personally handed Xu Youyou an invitation to the dinner.
The invitation made it clear that the dinner was “specially hosted.”
Xu Youyou asked Zhao Zhaodi about her time spent with Mrs. Lin during the day.
Zhao Zhaodi immediately perked up and chattered away like a little sparrow.
“First, Aunt Lin and Uncle Zheng were with me. Then Uncle Zheng had to go to work, and Aunt Lin’s eldest daughter, Zheng Jie, came to join us.”
“Boss, you absolutely can’t imagine who Zheng Jie is!”
“Zheng Jie won the Winter Olympics skiing gold medal! A person like her, yet she’s so kind, just like Aunt Lin.”
“They took me to the Suzhou Museum. I don’t know how to scan QR codes, but they didn’t laugh at me. Zheng Jie patiently taught me.”
“They also took me to an old courtyard to listen to Pingtan. The place seemed familiar, maybe I’ve been there in a dream. Pingtan is so beautiful, I really wish I were from Suzhou.”
“For lunch, Aunt Lin took me to a small alley for authentic Huaiyang cuisine. She even took me home to nap.”
“Aunt Lin’s house is really big, and I heard it was designed to resemble the Master of the Nets Garden. Oh, and during the nap, I told her I couldn’t sleep. She stayed by my side and sang a lullaby to help me fall asleep. It sounded so nice.”
The more Xu Youyou listened, the more she understood. Although the paternity test results hadn’t come out yet, Mrs. Lin had been so close to Zhao Zhaodi, she likely already considered her her daughter, and they were just waiting for the official results to confirm.
“Do you like them?” Xu Youyou asked.
Zhao Zhaodi nodded vigorously. “I really hope I’m their daughter. But they’re so amazing, and I’m so silly. I must not be their child.”
Xu Youyou comforted her by patting her shoulder, saying, “You’re always first in your exams. You’re not silly at all.”
Children are easily soothed, and hearing the praise, Zhao Zhaodi couldn’t help but smile.
Suzhou is very close to Shanghai. The reason Xu Youyou had organized an audition in Suzhou was very simple—Lin Daiyu was from Suzhou.
She thought that people from the same place might be more suited to the role, but she hadn’t expected to find Lin Daiyu in Luoyang instead.
However, the Suzhou auditions went smoothly. In just two days, seven girls were selected, and one girl who resembled Wen Shiyan was immediately chosen as a candidate for the role of Lin Daiyu.
That evening, when heading to the dinner, Mrs. Lin was very formal and sent her eldest son and daughter to pick them up.
Mr. Zheng and Miss Zheng were twins, and they looked very alike.
Clearly, the Lin family had raised these children well. Mr. Zheng was handsome with remarkable presence, while Miss Zheng, perhaps due to her past as an athlete, had a slightly darker complexion but radiated a healthy energy.
Both of them looked at Zhao Zhaodi with eyes full of pity.
Zhao Zhaodi and Xu Youyou shared a car, and along the way, the little girl chattered nonstop, praising Zheng Jie’s abilities, praising Zheng Da-ge for being so smart, and of course, praising Mrs. Lin the most.
“Boss, I just found out that Aunt Lin used to be a university professor. After she lost her child, she quit her job and started a charity foundation to help parents find their children. She’s helped a lot of parents reunite with their kids. She really is amazing at everything she does.”
Xu Youyou smiled as she listened to the little girl’s admiration and said, “She’s helped so many people. One day, she’ll surely find her own child.”
Zhao Zhaodi nodded eagerly and said, “The parents looking for their children listen to her so attentively because she truly helps them. She always tells them that they need to live well even while looking for their kids. If they can’t take care of themselves, how can they care for their children when they come back?”
Xu Youyou recalled the parents she had seen in Suzhou. While they were sad, most of them kept their dignity, and she hadn’t expected it to be Mrs. Lin’s doing.
The car drove for an hour and a half, gradually heading into a more remote area. Finally, it followed the Zheng family’s car and slowly entered a large open gate.
The car stopped not far from the entrance, and everyone switched to walking. As they went deeper into the courtyard, Xu Youyou’s surprise grew. The family’s wealth was beyond her expectations.
The whole way was lined with Suzhou-style architecture, with pavilions and halls, each step offering a new view, leaving people in awe. After walking a few hundred meters, they reached a uniquely designed courtyard with a gate bearing the words “Small Reunion” written in bold, powerful calligraphy by a famous artist.
This courtyard wasn’t the end; behind it was a landscape with artificial mountains and flowing water. Xu Youyou guessed that the banquet was held here to accommodate guests and avoid making them walk too far.
Mr. Zheng and Mrs. Lin were already waiting at the gate.
Mrs. Lin wore a simple-colored qipao with a light pink silk shawl draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was exquisite, and her long hair was styled with a jade green pin.
Xu Youyou’s gaze dropped to Mrs. Lin’s wrist, where she wore a matching green jade bracelet. Xu Youyou had sold similar jade before—this was the finest imperial green, and a bracelet like this could easily cost tens of millions.
After some pleasantries, they walked into the courtyard.
Once inside, Xu Youyou’s eyes immediately fell on two green peacocks that were kept in the yard. As they continued, she was shocked to find that the room was filled with people—this was clearly a big family.
Mr. Zheng’s father, Zheng Laozi, sat in the main seat, surrounded by Mr. Zheng’s two younger brothers and a sister, each with their own families. The room was bustling with activity.
Everyone was looking at Zhao Zhaodi, their gazes warm and restrained.
“Don’t look at her all at once. One by one, don’t scare the child,” Xu Youyou heard Zheng Gu’s low voice as she passed by, reprimanding her son and daughter.
Xu Youyou thought to herself… It strangely felt like she and her group were being observed like monkeys at the zoo.
