Chi Wan just smiled and played dumb. "I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Besides, I don’t believe we’ve met?"

She had to admit, Song Baihan’s appearance was certainly well-maintained. No wonder he had managed to stay by He Yunzhen’s side for so many years. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which suited his scholarly looks. Unlike most men his age, he hadn’t put on weight. If Chi Wan hadn’t guessed his identity, she never would have known he was nearly sixty years old.

Song Baihan, however, spoke unhurriedly. "I thought you would have learned my identity when you were investigating the He Family."

This was as good as directly revealing who he was.

Chi Wan dropped the pretense. "I’ve never actually seen your face. After all, you seem to be quite well-protected."

After marrying into the He Family, Song Baihan rarely appeared in public and kept a very low profile.

The file Zhou Huai’an had given her focused primarily on the He Family. Although it contained a few photos of Song Baihan, they weren’t clear, which was why Chi Wan hadn’t recognized him at first glance.

’It’s strange, though,’ she thought. ’Did Song Yangming inherit only the worst traits? How does he look nothing like Song Baihan?’

When he heard Chi Wan say he was "well-protected," a crack appeared in Song Baihan’s expression for a split second.

But he quickly composed himself. "Miss Chi, you truly are bold. It’s no wonder that boy, Ling Feng, is so taken with you."

Chi Wan laughed. "You must be joking, Grandpa Song. An ordinary person couldn’t possibly handle He Lingfeng’s kind of attention. Why don’t we talk about why you were really looking for me? It can’t be because of my uncle, who’s still lying in a hospital bed, can it?"

Chi Wan genuinely couldn’t guess Song Baihan’s motive. He didn’t seem to hate her, so it was unlikely he was seeking revenge for Song Yangming.

’Besides, even if he did want revenge, I wouldn’t be his target, would I?’

Song Baihan studied Chi Wan for a long moment, then suddenly smiled as well. "That’s fine, too. The bolder you are, Miss Chi, the easier our plan will be to carry out."

Seeing him like this, an incredible thought flashed through Chi Wan’s mind, but she said aloud, "I wasn’t aware that you and I were on the same side, Grandpa Song. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. Mr. Xu Sr. is waiting for me."

"Don’t you want to see the He Family fall, Miss Chi? That way, He Lingfeng would no longer be a threat to you."

Hearing his low voice, Chi Wan’s smile froze. She gave Song Baihan an odd look, unable to figure out what he was up to.

"I don’t quite understand what you mean by that, Grandpa Song. He Lingfeng isn’t a threat to me. Besides, the He Family is your family. What are you doing?"

She glanced at the cluttered surroundings, a corner that seemed to have been deliberately cleared out. ’But to say such things in a public place... Is Song Baihan really not just baiting me?’

’Or is this some new trick He Lingfeng came up with?’

Song Baihan seemed to guess what Chi Wan was thinking and proactively explained, "I’m one of the sponsors for this exhibition. He Yunzhen knows that my only hobby all these years has been tending to my orchids. This is the only place where her surveillance isn’t so strict. On top of that, with the trouble the main He Family is in, she doesn’t have the energy to reach over here lately."

"Miss Chi, I am completely sincere about cooperating with you. You want to be free of He Lingfeng, but as long as the He Family stands, he will never be restrained. The He Family excels at breaking their targets’ wings. I imagine you understand that better than anyone."

’There’s a lot to unpack in what Song Baihan just said...’

Chi Wan could no longer hide her astonishment. "Grandpa Song, since you know how my family went bankrupt, you should also understand that I have no power or backing whatsoever. Asking me to work with you seems a bit fanciful."

’What sane person would ask a college student, not even twenty years old and whose family just went bankrupt, to help them take down their own family?!’

’This Song Baihan must be pathologically obsessed with hating the He Family.’

Unexpectedly, Song Baihan shook his head meaningfully. "You’re selling yourself short, Miss Chi. To have maneuvered around He Lingfeng for this long, you must be quite capable. Besides, you have the Zhou family and the Xu Family behind you. Even Xiahou Yu seems to be paying close attention to you..."

"When I discovered that after dealing with Song Yangming, He Lingfeng’s real target was actually you, I did a little digging and found some very interesting things."

Chi Wan’s eyelid twitched.

What she had done back then hadn’t been particularly covert. After all, she had no experience at first, and the most she could think to do was try to avoid attracting attention.

But if someone was truly determined to investigate, it would be easy to notice her unusual activities.

That’s why she had asked Zhou Huai’an to help cover her tracks a little.

Furthermore, these abnormalities weren’t impossible to explain away. To minimize any holes in her story, Chi Wan had obediently paid taxes on all the valuables she pawned.

Still, Song Baihan’s perceptiveness surprised her. ’Could he really have started paying attention to me that long ago?’

Knowing that his words had sunk in, Song Baihan didn’t press the issue. Instead, he changed the subject. "That’s why I said there’s no more suitable partner for me than you. We can each get what we want."

"Most importantly, He Yunzhen would never imagine that I would have any sort of connection with a ’powerless’ young woman other than ’keeping’ her."

"I can tell you don’t take He Lingfeng seriously in the slightest, while that idiot is still smugly convinced he’ll have you completely under his control one day. I must say, the He Family’s arrogance and pride are truly passed down through the generations."

A strange look flickered in Chi Wan’s eyes. "If I recall correctly, He Lingfeng is your biological grandson, isn’t he?"

’But judging by Song Baihan’s attitude, could it be...?’

Yet, even though she had braced herself, Chi Wan was still stunned by what Song Baihan said next.

Song Baihan let out a deeply sarcastic laugh, his expression a mixture of frankness and relief. "Biological grandson? You might laugh when you hear this, Miss Chi, but I had a vasectomy before I ever got together with He Yunzhen."

What?!

Chi Wan swore she was trying her best to remain composed, but this news, so far beyond her expectations, still managed to shock her for a moment.

"You mean... then Song Yangming is also...? No, that’s not right. Then why did you help my parents so you could secretly look after Song Yangming? You knew he wasn’t your son."

Song Baihan said expressionlessly, "So, Miss Chi, how do you think He Lingfeng discovered Song Yangming’s existence in the first place?"

Chi Wan froze.

After reading Zhou Huai’an’s investigation report, she had simply assumed that He Lingfeng discovering Song Yangming and He Lingfeng targeting her were interconnected events.

But hearing Song Baihan’s words, she realized that wasn’t right. Even if He Lingfeng had investigated her back then, it wouldn’t have been that easy to connect Song Yangming to Song Baihan.

It was Song Baihan!

He deliberately revealed Song Yangming’s identity!

Even though it was fake.