"Sir, whom are you looking for?"
Huang Guilan opened the small gate of the large iron gate of the courtyard and looked curiously at the young man pressing the doorbell, and the middle-aged man standing beside him wearing glasses, with a neat hairstyle, a square face, and who appeared to be around fifty years old, but his features were sharp, his eyebrows were thick, his eyes were large, and he had a distinguished demeanor. He was dressed casually in white and was playing with a pair of beads of unknown material in his left hand, giving off an air of refinement and gentleness.
"We're looking for Miss Kong!"
The young man, named Yu Feng, was the middle-aged man's assistant. He smiled at Huang Guilan and said.
"Miss Kong?"
But Huang Guilan's face showed confusion. She shook her head at Yu Feng and the others, saying, "We don't have a Miss Kong here. If you're looking for our Mr. Wan, I'm sorry, he just went out and will be back in about a week..."
"Taoist name Zi Qing!"
The middle-aged man interrupted Huang Guilan, making her expression freeze. She looked at the middle-aged man and said, "Oh, you're looking for her. Okay, I'll go ask."
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded, "Thank you."
Huang Guilan didn't let them in and closed the door to go back. Just then, Lan Xin was playing with Wan'er in the living room of the villa, while her second sister-in-law, Wang Chulin, and Duan Yingying were packing things in another room...
"Aunt Lan, who is it?"
Lan Xin looked up and asked Huang Guilan, who had returned. She said, "Two men came, saying they were looking for your master, Zi Qing."
"Looking for my master, who is it?"
Lan Xin's bright eyes widened in confusion. Logically speaking, only a few senior uncles and aunts from the Wudang Sect knew that she and her master had come down the mountain to Hua Du City. Even other disciples were unaware.
"Could it be my master's senior brothers or junior brothers?" Lan Xin said in surprise.
But Huang Guilan shook her head and said, "Their attire doesn't look like it."
"Then who is it?"
Lan Xin's expression was stunned, and she immediately said, "Aunt Lan, you take care of Wan'er, I'll go see..."
Lan Xin quickly ran out and opened the small gate. She saw Yu Feng standing honestly outside, while the middle-aged man beside him was observing the surroundings of Wan Yunting's villa...
"You, aren't you my master's father?"
Lan Xin's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the middle-aged man. He was Zi Qing's biological father, Kong Jingguo!
In the tea pavilion in the front yard, Kong Jingguo sat cautiously on the stone stool. Wearing his glasses, his eyes were secretly observing Zi Qing, who sat serenely in front of him, appearing naturally dazed. Yes, they were father and daughter.
"Mr. Kong, you two chat."
Yu Feng brewed a pot of tea and placed it on the stone table, then retreated, leaving the father and daughter to talk...
Meanwhile, at the villa's main entrance, Lan Xin, along with Wan'er, even second sister-in-law Wang Chulin and Duan Yingying, were all drawn out. The group peeked at the father and daughter in the tea pavilion from behind the courtyard door. Lan Xin frowned, feeling a bit worried.
"Yi Jin, it's been over a year, and you've gotten thinner."
Kong Jingguo's gaze softened as he looked at his daughter sitting before him, trying to keep his emotions calm.
Zi Qing's naturally dazed phoenix eyes looked at the teacup placed on the stone table in front of her. Amber-colored tea steamed, and her expression was very calm. She said in a soft, melodious voice, "Do you need something?"
Faced with her daughter's calm attitude, an invisible wall stood between the father and daughter, which made Kong Jingguo's heart tremble. He felt very uneasy, but he tried to smile without showing his emotions and said, "I was originally going to Wudang Mountain to see you, but I heard you came to Hua Du City. Since I'm also coming to Hua Du City to attend a charity auction, I came to see you."
Zi Qing still appeared dazed and demure, nodding slightly. She remained silent and still.
An awkward silence fell between the father and daughter, but Kong Jingguo was used to it. He smiled and began to talk to her about some of the recent affairs of their Kong family in Beijing over the past year...
Duan Yingying, second sister-in-law Wang Chulin, and Huang Guilan, who were hiding at the villa entrance watching the excitement, couldn't help but say, "Lan Xin, is your master having a conflict with her father? Why is the atmosphere so strange?"
Duan Yingying and Wang Chulin immediately looked at Lan Xin. She shook her head slightly and frowned, "Actually, I'm not too sure, but I heard from my senior martial brother that my master and her father don't get along because of my master's mother!"
"What happened to her mother?" Duan Yingying asked.
Lan Xin turned to them and said, "My master's mother passed away over ten years ago!"
Wang Chulin's belly was already slightly protruding, showing obvious signs of pregnancy. She exclaimed, "Doesn't that mean your master and her father have been in conflict for over ten years?"
Lan Xin nodded and said, "Before I went up the mountain, my master was already in the sect. I had never seen her father before. It was only a few years ago that my master's father appeared. In the following years, he would visit my master at Wudang Mountain every few months or once a year."
"But my master ignored him, so every time they met, it was like this."
Second sister-in-law, Duan Yingying, and Huang Guilan understood and sighed, "It seems that this father and daughter have a rift because of her mother's death."
Wang Chulin nodded in agreement, "Perhaps there are other reasons we don't know."
Duan Yingying nudged Lan Xin's shoulder and said, "Why don't you ask your master?"
Lan Xin turned and glared at her with her bright eyes, annoyed by Duan Yingying's nudge. She snorted, "My master has a quiet temperament and a peculiar temper. If she doesn't want to talk about something, she won't say it even if you put a sword to her neck."
"Tch."
Duan Yingying snorted disdainfully and turned to go to the backyard, saying, "There's nothing to see..."
Wang Chulin and Huang Guilan smiled at each other and stopped watching the excitement, continuing to pack their things...
Wan'er, wearing a cute princess dress and a jacket, saw Duan Yingying carrying a long sword towards the backyard. The little cutie followed. Lan Xin remained standing at the villa entrance, frowning worriedly, and kept her eyes fixed on the father and daughter in the tea pavilion. Yu Feng also avoided them, standing in the corner of the right wall of the front yard, looking at the pond in the rockery, where a school of ornamental carp were swimming freely...
Kong Jingguo was still impatiently telling Zi Qing about the recent family matters. She listened blankly and without speaking. After Kong Jingguo paused and took a sip of his tea, he looked at his daughter's silent and indifferent expression and sighed, "Yi Jin, I know you blame me for your mother's incident..."
Suddenly, Zi Qing stood up. Her soft, melodious voice instantly became icy and chilling. Her naturally dazed phoenix eyes turned cold at this moment. She looked at Kong Jingguo and said coldly, "Shut up, you are not worthy of mentioning her!"
With that, Zi Qing turned and walked out of the tea pavilion, heading back to the villa...
"Yi Jin..."
Kong Jingguo was anxious and immediately stood up to chase after her, saying, "Alright, alright, I won't say it. I came to ask you to come back to the family with me. You're a girl, and staying in Wudang Mountain indefinitely is not an option. You're not young anymore, and it's time for you to get married. I've found a talented young man for you. Since you've come down the mountain now, why don't you come home with me to meet him..."
Zi Qing continued to head back to the villa, completely ignoring Kong Jingguo behind her. As she stepped across the threshold of the villa gate, Kong Jingguo remained at the door and shouted after her, "Yi Jin, do you really want to stay in Wudang Mountain for the rest of your life and become a Taoist nun forever?"
Zi Qing flung back without looking, "I am willing."
"You..."
Kong Jingguo, standing at the door, watched Zi Qing go upstairs, leaving him helpless.
Lan Xin, who was hiding nearby, saw Kong Jingguo look at her, and she quickly lowered her head and hurried upstairs as well...
Watching his daughter's figure disappear at the top of the stairs, Kong Jingguo finally sighed helplessly. He received the same treatment every time he visited Wudang Mountain, which made him feel powerless, but he didn't want to give up because he felt he owed his daughter.
The helpless Kong Jingguo stood at the door for three minutes before finally turning to leave. His assistant Yu Feng immediately came forward and opened the large iron gate for him. Huang Guilan also quickly came out to see them off. After Kong Jingguo got into the car, Yu Feng drove away, making a U-turn towards the entrance of the villa community. He glanced at the tired-looking Kong Jingguo in the rearview mirror and asked, "Mr. Kong, are we returning to Beijing now?"
"Mm."
Kong Jingguo nodded, then suddenly asked, "What is Wan Yunting going to Beijing for?"
Yu Feng replied, "The National Traditional Chinese Medicine Conference is in two days. He should be attending it."
Kong Jingguo narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected his daughter to suddenly descend Wudang Mountain and come to Hua Du City, let alone stay at Wan Yunting's place. Could it be that his daughter was interested in him?
"Investigate Wan Yunting's information. Also, when we get back to Beijing, report his every move to me!" Kong Jingguo commanded.
"Understood."
Yu Feng, who was driving, nodded. The car drove out of the villa community and headed towards the airport...
At this moment, Wan Yunting was on a flight to Beijing. He naturally didn't know that the middle-aged man who had bid four hundred and fifty million for his cursive calligraphy work at the charity auction that night was Zi Qing's biological father...
It only took over three hours to fly from Hua Du City to Beijing. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the plane slowly landed at the airport. Wan Yunting picked up his luggage and walked out of the plane. A biting wind greeted him, and dressed so lightly, he felt the cold.
He followed others out of the plane and through the passageway to the airport. At the arrival hall, he saw Lu Hong, the old butler of Gu Yuanbai, and a young man waiting. Seeing Wan Yunting emerge, they waved. He walked over quickly, nodded politely to Lu Hong, and then looked at the young man standing beside him, finding him somewhat familiar.
Gu Zichen smiled and said, "Dr. Wan, my grandfather and I met you when we visited Hua Du City last time."
"I remember now."
Wan Yunting looked at him and smiled, "You are Mr. Gu's grandson."
"Yes, Gu Zichen."
Gu Zichen extended his large hand, and Wan Yunting politely shook it and then released it.
Lu Hong nodded with a stern expression, "Dr. Wan, the master sent me to pick you up. Let's go back."
"Okay."
Wan Yunting and Gu Zichen nodded. The three of them walked out of the airport. Gu Zichen got into a car directly. Lu Hong opened the rear door to let Wan Yunting in first, then followed and closed the door. Gu Zichen, who was driving, started the car and slowly drove away from the airport, heading towards Yuhang Park in Beijing...