Hidden Marriage

“Because they couldn’t make it back to the city in time, she was sent to the only hospital in Spring Wind Town. That night, another pregnant woman was also sent in…”

“What happened then?” Lu Tingxiao asked, even though he had roughly guessed what had happened next.

Ning Xi shrugged, “It caused a drama! That small hospital had very few staff and a disorganised system, so the two female babies were swapped… and this mistake continued for 18 years! Did you know? Ning Xueluo even has the same blood type as me, so this matter stayed hidden!”

“Then how was it discovered later on?”

Ning Xi turned and smiled at Lu Tingxiao, “This, well, I should thank that unbridled uncle of mine!”

“Ning Yaobang? Lu Tingxiao had some impression of him, but didn’t know much. He only knew that he was one of the more well-known people amongst the younger generation back then in the capital.

“That’s right. My uncle was a playboy. Even after marriage, he continued sowing his wild oats outside and even caused quite a few deaths… He has one son and three daughters in total!”

“Perhaps there’s something wrong with the fengshui at the Ning family. When it came to their generation, for some reason, both Ning Yaohua and Ning Yaobang weren’t able to birth legitimate sons. My uncle’s bastard son became the only male successor for this generation of the Ning family.”

“My uncle was rather cocky at that time and thought that he could finally become the successor to the family. However, in the end, they discovered that that only male son wasn’t even his, he had been cheated on by that girl he had outside, haha! Can you guess what happened next?”

Lu Tingxiao was completely in love with that bright sparkle in her eyes. He seemed to ponder the question before answering, “Then your grandfather forced all the Ning family’s grandchildren to go through a DNA test, and found out that Ning Xueluo wasn’t even part of the Ning family?”

Ning Xi showed a gloomy expression, “Can’t you play along? There’s no point in trying to keep you in suspense!”

Lu Tingxiao smiled gently, “Sorry, I’ll improve next time.”

Ning Xi harrumphed once before she continued narrating, “Anyway, once they started investigating, they found out that I had been swapped with Ning Xueluo at the hospital back then, so I was brought back to the Ning family!”

Hearing her speak of this matter so casually, Lu Tingxiao stroked her head lightly, “They treated you badly?”

She hadn’t thought much of it at first, but for some reason, upon receiving that gentle pat from Lu Tingxiao, she suddenly felt like she had suffered a major grievance.

As expected, it was only when someone cared about you that you would feel aggrieved. If no one cared about you, who would you complain to?

Seeing the girl’s downcast appearance, Lu Tingxiao magnanimously spread open his arms, “I can lend you my embrace.”

Ning Xi’s expression turned a little startled before she turned away, “I don’t want it! You’re trying to entice me into committing a crime, you know?”

Lu Tingxiao didn’t say anything more, but continued looking at her with his full attention, “What about your adopted parents? Did they treat you well?”

Speaking of her adopted parents, Ning Xi recovered a little of her spirit, “My grandmother favoured sons over daughters and didn’t like me a lot. When I was born, she almost tossed me into the river to drown. She did throw me in the river once, but my dad picked me up and took me home. My mum… she treated me very well. I also have a very sensible and obedient little brother!”

Hearing that she had almost been thrown into the river to drown, Lu Tingxiao’s heart clenched. When she mentioned her mother, her expression didn’t seem right, but he didn’t ask any further.

“I really liked my original home. When they told me I wasn’t their biological child, it felt like the sky had just fallen on me. However, with the Ning family’s power, I didn’t even have the freedom to choose. If I had resisted with all my might back then, perhaps there would have been a shred of hope that I wouldn’t have had to leave, but…”