Chapter 345: You’ve Got Good Eyes, At Least
“Thank you, Mister Xu,” the imposter said then. “I really didn’t lie intentionally… thank you for your understanding, I really, really wasn’t aiming for your wealth—I just wanted to help this brother here.”
Still, those words mean nothing now.
However, Papa Xu didn’t make things difficult for the man, and allowed him to leave without much fuss.
That in turn left Xu Yihong on DEFCON level one.
It turned out that his younger brother really had luck on his side—left thousands of miles away from home and yet still finding his way back? Such toughness.
“Dad, you should bring Third Brother home since you’ve found him…”
Papa Xu gave him a long look before answering, “There’s no need to rush. We still have to find out the culprit who left my son in Jianchuan all those years ago.”
Didn’t that mean his younger brother didn’t remember what had happened? Xu Yihong thought.
If that was the case, there was still a chance to salvage this.
“That’s okay. We can’t have my brother suffering out there for nothing over so many years. I hope I could meet him soon, though, because I really want to apologize—it’s not like his brother had given up on him, but I’ve only come up with that idea because Mom’s mind was really not well.”
“He would understand.” Papa Xu said, rising to his feet. “I’ll talk to your mother so you don’t have to explain anything, or she would feel hurt just remembering it.”
“I understand. I’ll be upstairs to rest then, Dad.” Xu Yihong replied. He was now calmer as his rationality slowly recovered as well.
But since his younger brother had surfaced, he would naturally have to meet him.
On the other hand, Papa Xu couldn’t tell a thing from Xu Yihong’s reaction, not to mention that his wife had been really emotionally unstable around the time the impostor approached them. Therefore, the story that Yihong had arranged the whole playacting for his mother’s mental illness was an impeccable story.
“You really let the impostor go?” Mama Xu asked Papa Xu afterward.
It was only after Papa Xu explained things that her worries were put to rest. “I can forgive Yihong if he really did all that for my illness. Moreover, the impostor didn’t give us any trouble after coming to us, and didn’t ask for money either.”
“However, who could have left Feng’er at Jianchuan? Could your eldest brother really have abducted him to get back at you?”
“I’ll have to ask him about it.” Papa Xu said. “We have to get to the bottom of this.”
“Of course. We’ll have Yiheng and Feng’er meet tomorrow, and let the brothers bond a bit.”
***
The Xu couple had allowed the impostor to leave only because Xu Yihong had taken all the blame.
But Sheng Xiao was not going to spare such a wonderful resource without using it.
After leaving the Xu house with his reward, the impostor naturally went home.
The reason he had behaved nicely when he was with the Xu family was because of Xu Yihong’s strictness, but now that he was already rewarded, he certainly wouldn’t shoot for the Xu family’s entire wealth. After all, wouldn’t he be left with nothing if Xu Yihong exposed him?
Nonetheless, Sheng Xiao had already ordered his capture.
Jing Yun naturally seized the right moment. Having gotten the dirt on the impostor over the last two days, it was only obvious from how he was leaving with his luggage so late in the night that Papa Xu had played his hand.
What followed would naturally be the interrogation.
“Who are you people?!” The impostor couldn’t help being shocked to find several people in front of him after his blindfold was removed. “Is this a kidnapping?”
“Don’t you know whose ident.i.ty you were faking over the last two years?” Sheng Xiao asked in return.
The impostor did a double take before coming to a realization. “You are the real youngest son of the Xu family?”
Sheng Xiao shook his head and pointed to Jing Yun behind him. “He is, but do tell me why you were used as a replacement two years ago. I’ll double what Xu Yihong gave you.”
The impostor was immediately interested. “You won’t do anything to me, will you?”
“Why should we do anything since you are already exposed?” Sheng Xiao asked in return as he laid back into his sofa.
The impostor kept silent for a beat before nodding. “I admit it. Xu Yihong told me to replace the youngest son of the Xu family by tattooing a birthmark on my ear so that I could fool everyone, and even faked a DNA test.”
“Madam Xu was quite ill at the time from missing her son, which was why Xu Yihong sought me out.”
“What else do you know?” Sheng Xiao pressed.
The impostor paused for a moment to search his mind before adding, “It looks like Xu Yihong really doesn’t want to know about his own brother and planned for me to take his place for the long term. He even withdrew any information Madam Xu gathered in her search.”
“That makes sense for the Xu couple since they wouldn’t need to search everywhere with their son found, but that’s not the case for Xu Yihong. He knew all along that I was fake.”
“There’s nothing unusual aside from that… Oh, wait, there’s something else. Xu Yihong’s eldest uncle had come to visit Xu Yihong once before. His parents were out at the time and Xu Yihong a.s.sumed that I was as well, but I was actually hiding quietly in my room. I able to prevent any suspicion by jumping out the window and pretending I came back from the front door.”
The impostor’s audience knew something right then.
“You may go. But to ensure that you won’t contact Xu Yihong ever again, we’ve recorded our conversation just now.”
“Bro, I’m just in this for the money. Since everyone paid up, I won’t ask for more—I know what’s best for me.” The man’s response was utterly down-to-earth. “No worries, I’m leaving the country as soon as I get my money. I’ll even message you for confirmation.”
“If it turns out that you revealed to Xu Yihong that you told us all that, we will find you even in the ends of the earth.”
That was when the impostor had a good look at Sheng Xiao, who seemed more familiar with every pa.s.sing second.
Eventually, he pointed a finger at Sheng Xiao. “You… You… You’re Sheng Xiao, the Crown Prince of Huang Yao.”
“You’ve got good eyes, at least.”
The impostor’s jaw hanged open as if finding a new continent, unable to say a thing in his shock.
He was certainly more afraid of Sheng Xiao compared to Xu Yihong—the man’s infamy was too well-known.
“No worries. I would never cross the Crown Prince even if I had ten more guts.”
***
Since there was no use keeping the impostor, Sheng Xiao naturally let him free, although he had also sent people to keep an eye on him.
Now, it was clear that Xu Yihong was the key to everything, but Jing Yun was still investigating him.
“How much longer?” Sheng Xiao asked.
“Two days.” Jing Yun replied. “Young Master, I have a hunch that Xu Yihong won’t sit around twiddling his thumbs. He would definitely try to meet me.”
“Then meet. Maybe it would jog your memories and get you to remember something.”
That being said, in his own mind, Sheng Xiao had already pinned the crime on Xu Yihong.
“And we’ll find out why he did all that!”