Chapter 1646 — An Extra Cousin

"How could that possibly work? Our cultivation methods are completely different—you would freeze him to death! Let me think about it a while first... Never mind that for now..." Bingtang shook her head with a helpless air. She understood well enough that Wei Zhao had run into trouble, but pride kept him from saying so; her junior sister Feng Xiaoxiao, though, had cooperated nicely and spoken up for him.

"Oh, right—let us go inside before we say anything more!" Feng Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered the main purpose of this visit: to have Aunt Xiaoming and Bingtang acknowledge their kinship. She said so at once.

When Bingtang appeared, Tang Yun had stood at a distance watching her, and felt a strange familiarity, as if they had met somewhere before—though she was quite certain they never had. If this woman was Feng Xiaoxiao's senior sister, then she must be the Palace Master of the Ice Palace; how could Tang Yun possibly know such a lofty, untouchable figure?

But the instant Xiaoming and Xiaoqing stepped out of the car not far away, Tang Yun's gaze froze and fixed upon Xiaoming. The feeling in that moment nearly stopped her breath. If Bingtang had merely seemed familiar, like someone half-remembered, then this Xiaoming who came after stirred in Tang Yun a closeness of shared blood—a kinship rising from her very bones, from the depths of her heart—so that for a time she stood rooted there, staring at Xiaoming, utterly at a loss.

From first to last, Xiaoming's gaze had never left Tang Yun. No one needed to introduce them, no confirmation was required—she was already certain that this girl was her daughter, Tang Yun. The sense of closeness was even stronger than what she had felt upon first seeing Bingtang.

Had she not been held back by caution, Xiaoming would have rushed forward then and there to throw her arms around Tang Yun and weep. Nearly twenty years—and this was the first time Xiaoming had seen her own flesh and blood. Her child was alive, and like Bingtang, so beautiful. Xiaoming was so overcome that she could scarcely walk steadily.

Xiaoqing, quick of eye and hand, caught and steadied Xiaoming, then led her toward where Wei Zhao stood.

Even as Tang Yun marveled inwardly, she was more astonished still that Xiaoming seemed to be watching her as well—she looked at Xiaoming, and Xiaoming's eyes were fixed on her.

"Yaoyao... look at that woman..." Tang Yun, a little uneasy, took Gu Mengyao's hand and gestured with her eyes toward Xiaoming.

At first Gu Mengyao had noticed nothing, but now, prompted by Tang Yun, she followed her gaze to Xiaoming in some surprise, then turned to look at Tang Yun—and at once a strange expression came over her face.

"She... and you..." Gu Mengyao did not know how to put it. The two of them, at a casual glance, were remarkably alike...

Wei Zhao had noticed Tang Yun's oddness too, and followed her gaze to Xiaoming. His brows knit at once, and he turned to Feng Xiaoxiao beside him. "Xiaoxiao, what is going on? That person..."

"Husband Wei Zhao, let us go inside first and talk there!" Feng Xiaoxiao did not know how to begin either. This was a matter better discussed once they were indoors and seated.

Wei Zhao nodded. By intuition, he felt that Bingtang's sudden arrival this time was no simple matter... Visiting relatives—visiting what relatives? Thinking of Xiaoming and Tang Yun, Wei Zhao was struck by a sudden shock. Could Bingtang's so-called visit be directed at Tang Yun?

Ever since Tang Yun had become entangled with the Hidden Tang family, Wei Zhao had grown wary and suspicious of everything. Ordinarily he would not have dared to make such a bold conjecture—after all, the gulf between Tang Yun's station and Bingtang's was a hundred thousand li wide. How could there possibly be any connection between them?

But now—if Tang Yun could have ties to the Hidden Tang family, then ties to Bingtang were by no means impossible!

Everyone entered the sitting room and took their seats in turn. Bingtang drew a deep breath. Even as Palace Master of the Ice Palace, she was nervous now. But Xiaoming had seen even less of the world, so at this moment it was most fitting for Bingtang herself to speak and explain.

Yet to explain, she needed an opening, a topic to begin with. Bingtang could not help looking to Feng Xiaoxiao for help.

"Heh heh, Senior Sister, leave it to me—but you have to help with Husband Wei Zhao's matter!" Feng Xiaoxiao seized the chance to drive a bargain.

"Fine, fine, I will find a way!" Bingtang had been blackmailed, but she could only accept it.

"Husband Wei Zhao, Sister Tang Yun, Sister Yaoyao, Xiaoshu, let me introduce everyone. This is my senior sister Bingtang; this is Aunt Qing, an Elder of our Ice Palace; and this one is Sister Bingtang's aunt..." Feng Xiaoxiao first introduced everyone's identities, then went on: "This time, Sister Bingtang and Aunt Xiaoming have come to visit relatives, and I came along to see everyone on the way..."

"Visit relatives, an aunt?" Wei Zhao frowned slightly. "Before, back at the Ice Palace, did not Palace Master Bing say that you were an orphan? How is it you have an aunt now—and one you have come to visit?"

"Yes... Through the Hidden Tang family, I learned of my own origins. This time I came because I wanted to see my birth parents, and also the one who should have been my aunt's daughter but, by a strange twist of fate, became the younger sister of my parents' daughter..." As she said this, Bingtang felt somewhat guilty, and her gaze went to Tang Yun...

Tang Yun seemed to sense something. She gave a start, looked at Bingtang in disbelief, then at Xiaoming, and a vague guess took shape in her heart. Could it be that Bingtang was speaking of her? Were Bingtang's parents her parents? And was Xiaoming her mother?

Bingtang's implication was plain enough now; Tang Yun could hear it, and naturally Wei Zhao could too. He smiled and tightened his grip on Tang Yun's hand, signaling her not to be nervous, and asked mildly, "Palace Master Bing, you do not mean to say that Yunyun is your younger sister?"

Tang Yun's expression shifted slightly, and Bingtang drew another deep breath. At this point Feng Xiaoxiao cut in: "That is really all there is to it. Sister Bingtang is Sister Tang Yun's true elder cousin, and Aunt Xiaoming is Sister Tang Yun's birth mother. It is a very simple matter!"

What had seemed a tangled relationship became much simpler once Feng Xiaoxiao laid it out. Yet in that instant everyone fell silent—especially Tang Yun, the one at the center of it all, who clung to Wei Zhao's hand, utterly at a loss.

Xiaoming and Bingtang were in better shape—they had already weathered the shock, and having come here, they were mentally prepared. But the hardest to accept was Tang Yun. Out of nowhere, a birth mother had appeared, and along with her a sister who was the Palace Master of the Ice Palace!

"I... I..." Tang Yun truly did not know what to say. She looked anxiously at Wei Zhao and managed only two "I"s.

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