1109 Perplexed and Smitten 169

Seeing that An Xiaoning was avoiding the topic, the elderly patriarch decided not to probe any further.

"Before I came in, I overheard you telling your grandchild that your ancestors had found a letter and two portraits in Yin Cun's coffin. Do you still have those things with you?"

"We didn't dare to keep them, lest we bring about unnecessary trouble. I've long burned them into ashes."

Soon, Yin Shi and his father returned with a thick book of ancestral records.

"Ms. An, you may take this," the patriarch said, staring at the ancestral records on the table.

She picked it up and flipped through the pages carefully before saying, "I shall wait for your family to issue a declaration, then. I'm sure you know the reason, Sir. I would then not impose on you any further."

"Ms. An, did you especially rush here from A Nation?"

"Yes, I'm heading back now."

"Why don't you stay here for a night? You may leave tomorrow morning."

"I won't impose on you. Sir… if an anonymous person contacts you after you issue the declaration, please contact me immediately. That's the only way you can survive. Bear that in mind," said An Xiaoning.

"Got it. Yin Shi, see Ms. An out."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Yin Shi left together with An Xiaoning. When their footsteps could no longer be heard, the patriarch took out a pen and a piece of paper on which he wrote a few messages for his son. Astonishment was written all over Yin Shi's father's face the moment he read the words.

—

"Young Madam, what's the matter? Why did you change the plan all of a sudden?" Fan Shixin asked without hesitation the moment he saw An Xiaoning.

An Xiaoning closed the door and handed him the book of records in her hands. She explained, "I broke the spell that the patriarch had put outside the door. All of a sudden, I realized that there was an easier solution that would save us time and energy. After hearing the conversation between the patriarch and his grandson, I decided to execute my plan."

"But, Young Madam, aren't you afraid that the patriarch would be a blockhead…"

"Regardless of how dense and senseless he may be, he will understand the need to weigh the pros and cons."

"However, we've now already alarmed them…"

"They've been alarmed long ago. Before I entered the mansion to meet them, that old fellow already found out that I'd been looking into the information about the Yin family." An Xiaoning took a seat and continued, "Fortunately, the owner of this apartment had signed a nondisclosure agreement when I rented it back then. So far, we're the only ones who know about this. The Yin family has no idea that we're monitoring them from here. They thought that I would return to A City after getting this book of records."

"Could these records have been falsified?"

"I doubt it. Although they were already alarmed before my visit, you must understand that they had no idea that we were after the ancestral records. How could they have possibly prepared a false set beforehand? Besides, the ancestral records aren't that important to them. They wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to prepare an extra set that'd been falsified. There's no need for him to do so either since he doesn't know what I'm planning to do with the records. Am I right?"

Fan Shixin nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, but, Young Madam, I still can't figure out what you need their ancestral records for."

She told Fan Shixin about the conversation she had overheard, after which she asked, "Do you believe the patriarch's words?"

"About finding the portraits of you and Young Sir in Yin Cun's coffin?"

"Yes."

Fan Shixin speculated, "I don't think he's lying. If what he said was real, Yin Cun must have instructed his family members to place those items in his coffin with the sole purpose of letting his descendants discover them in the future. What else could his purpose be? Yin Cun had confessed to killing thousands of lives in the letter that he had penned personally. The patriarch has also verified that Yin Cun was indeed the one who wrote it, according to the ink stamp. Since he had written that himself, there was no way they would keep it because it would only bring about disadvantages to the Yin family. On top of that, it was the Yin family's best bet to burn the portraits of you and Young Sir."

An Xiaoning nodded and continued looking through the ancestral records with him.

The further they read, the greater of a shock they got.

Unable to contain his bafflement, Fan Shixin said, "They Yin family started off with more than a thousand family members and yet the number of descendants plunged to such a pathetic number."

"That's right, the patriarch has two sons, both of which had a son each. So far, neither of his grandsons have married yet."

"If something happens to both his grandsons, the Yin family's bloodline is bound to cease."

"I reckon so."

An Xiaoning and Fan Shixin finished reading all the records.

"Young Madam, if the declaration statement that the Yin family issues tomorrow doesn't meet our expectations… what do we do next?"

"Rest assured. Even if Yin Cun had already passed away centuries ago, Xihou Jiaping is not going to sit back and do nothing. We shall see if Yin Cun has really died… If he still exists, he'll definitely be terrified to know that I had taken away the ancestral records. He'd be afraid that I'll kill all his remaining descendants."

"Young Madam, aren't you afraid of Xihou Jiaping?" Fan Shixin asked, looking at her.

"Is there a purpose in fearing him? If there isn't, why must I fear him?"

Fan Shixin smiled and agreed with a nod, "Yes, you're right, Young Madam."

—

"Daddy, can I discuss something with you?" Jin Yiheng asked in a sweet and affectionate tone, snuggling up to Jin Qingyan with a wide smile on his face.

"What is it?"

"Daddy, could you buy me a new mobile phone? I'm talking about those that you see on the latest commercials."

Jin Qingyan turned to face him and asked, "What are the benefits of buying you that mobile phone?"

"Benefits?" asked a dumbfounded Jin Yiheng.

"Of course."

"Daddy, we're father and son. Teacher told us that our parents are our closest kin. Daddy, I'll be filial to you and take care of you when you're old. When you're bedridden and immobile, I will do my best to look after you."

Keeping his eyes fixed on the book in his hand, Jin Qingyan said bluntly, "Quit telling me all those irrelevant things. I won't buy it for you if there are no benefits."

"What must I do to make you agree…?"

"How about… you sing me 'Only Fathers Are the Best In This World'…"

Jin Yiheng said with a pout, "Daddy, it's wrong to change the title of the original song as and whenever you'd please."

"Are you going to sing or not?"

"Yes!" Jin Yiheng exclaimed. He then began crooning to the song, "Only fathers are the best in this world… Children who have fathers are so pitiful…" Sensing that Jin Qingyan was glaring at him menacingly, Jin Yiheng immediately corrected himself, "I mean, they're so lucky! Bliss is hard to find once you leave your father's embrace… Daddy, I'm done singing."

"Your singing skills were satisfactory, but I guess there's no chance for you to be a singer in the future. Narrate an essay that's titled 'My Best Daddy' right now."

Jin Yiheng subconsciously rolled his eyes at Jin Qingyan, after which he immediately brainstormed for a solution to fulfill the latter's request.