Do Not Speak Ill of My Mother!

Chapter 715: Chapter 645: Ji Li Visits Qin Youran (2)

Her emotions were agitated, she leaned forward, her voice very low, with a bewitching tone: "Little Leh, do you remember? In Canglong Village, Aunt had already noticed you! You were so smart, so sensible... Aunt wanted to personally come and pick you up, but Yan Yueqing got there first! She took away the good deed that should have belonged to Aunt and also slandered Aunt! Little Leh, you must believe Aunt, Aunt is the one who truly cares for you! Once Aunt gets out, she will definitely..."

"Aunt Qin!" Ji Li suddenly interrupted her, his voice trembling without him realizing, "You... you said you noticed me a long time ago? In Canglong Village?"

Qin Youran was taken aback for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Yes! Aunt has been watching over you! You and your grandmother..."

"But Canglong Village is at the Southwest Border, thousands of kilometers from the Imperial City." Ji Li’s voice was very light, yet each word was clear, "How did you ’watch’ over me? Have you been to Canglong Village? Have you seen my grandmother? Do you know... what flower my grandmother liked to plant at the courtyard gate?"

Qin Youran’s expression froze instantly.

She opened her mouth, her eyes starting to dodge: "I... I heard it from Director Tang... your grandmother, she... she liked to plant... roses?"

Ji Li’s heart sank bit by bit. Grandma never planted flowers, there was only a cluster of wild, nameless blue grass at the courtyard gate.

Director Tang? Director Tang never mentioned the details of Canglong Village in front of Qin Youran!

These were all contents from the "dream," fragments of memories in another world where Qin Youran had "helped" him.

But the Qin Youran in front of him even said the most basic details wrong.

He remembered Yan Yueqing’s cold question: "To bet time, effort, and vast resources on the unpredictable future of an eight-year-old child? Do you think this approach is smart? Fits the logic of a businessman in your heart?!"

At that time he snorted, certain that it was Yan Yueqing’s sophistry.

But at this moment, Qin Youran’s care full of loopholes, compared to Yan Yueqing’s real arrangements for his schooling, his grandmother’s convalescence, and even respecting his opinion on skipping grades, formed a glaring contrast.

"Aunt Qin," Ji Li lifted his head, confusion and pain intertwined in his eyes, but there was a trace of clarity, "You said Aunt Yueqing took your good deed... but as far as I know, Aunt Yan was the one who first found me and grandma. She got grandma treated, sent me to school... these are things that really happened. And you... besides in the ’dream,’ and in photos from old newspapers, what help have you given me?"

Qin Youran turned pale, trying to argue: "That... that’s because Yan Yueqing acted fast! She... she is scheming! Little Leh, you must not be deceived by appearances! Aunt is the one who..."

"Aunt," Ji Li interrupted her, his voice frighteningly calm, "Before you went to prison, what was the thing you regretted the most?"

Qin Youran was taken aback, reflexively answered: "Regret... regret not exposing Yan Yueqing’s true nature sooner! Letting her harm so many people!"

"Including me?" Ji Li pursued.

"Of course including you! She is using you!" Qin Youran said urgently.

Ji Li was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head...

No, it wasn’t like that...

The Aunt Qin in his heart was gentle and considerate, would frown when encountering troubles, but wouldn’t act like this now... hysterical finding problems in others!

Ji Li remembered when Aunt Qin had encountered a very big problem, she was really very anxious.

But she was always solving the problem... clear-headed, suppressing emotions, finding solutions, solving it step by step...

This was the strong... or organized side Aunt Qin showed him...

In any case, it was not this hysterical person in front of him, only focused on finding problems in others...

Ji Li felt like the sky was falling...

A person’s character may change due to major shifts, but would a person’s core nature change?

Like grandma, early widowhood, middle-aged loss of her only son, and in her twilight years having only him by her side, she faced so many upheavals but never became unfamiliar or dreadful like the Qin Youran in front of him.