The competition wasn't imminent, leaving Cheng You with ample time to prepare.
With priorities in mind, Cheng You left the office and rushed to find Xu Nanxi.
She ran into Cheng Tao at the school gate.
Cheng Tao was walking with her head down, carrying something unknown, not watching where she was going.
After bumping into Cheng You, the item in her hand fell.
"Cheng Tao, what are you holding?"
Cheng You recognized it as a bottle of medicine but couldn't discern what kind.
Cheng Tao hastily shoved the item into her pocket, hiding it, and retorted angrily, "What's it to you!"
Cheng You wasn't inclined to bother with her affairs, but if Cheng Tao intended to harm the Feng elders, she couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"Xu Nanxi is not a good person. You need to be careful. Listening to him will eventually lead to you being completely consumed, leaving nothing behind."
Cheng Tao snorted, "I don't need you to tell me what to do!"
Cheng You's intentions were far from benevolent.
"I'm not trying to control you, just advising you not to follow in your mother's footsteps. Song Yulian is unlikely to ever get out of prison at her age. But if it were you, serving twenty to thirty years, you'd be in your forties or fifties when you got out. By then, Xu Nanxi would likely have grandchildren?"
Cheng You watched her with a mocking smile.
If there were real benefits, why wouldn't Xu Nanxi do it himself? He was simply finding someone to take the fall.
Cheng Tao's grip on the medicine bottle tightened. Watching Cheng You's retreating back, she ultimately discarded the medicine from her pocket.
She was already the Feng family's granddaughter. She could take her time. Even if she outlived the Feng elders, she would still inherit their possessions.
Meanwhile, Cheng You entered the school to find Xu Nanxi.
She had intended to go directly to his classroom, but halfway there, she saw Xu Nanxi struggling with someone by the bushes.
The person was Li Fen.
Cheng You narrowed her eyes slightly. She had long been curious about the relationship between these two and why they were so close.
She tiptoed closer, stopping a short distance away.
The ancient, thick tree conveniently concealed her small figure.
"Second Brother, give me a definite answer. How can I bring your elder brother's daughter back?"
Xu Nanxi impatiently brushed her hand away. "I've told you many times, my name is Xu Nanxi now! Stop calling me Second Brother! And how can you be so sure that's truly my elder brother's daughter? Did he ever mention it to you before he died?"
Yuan Yongguo and Li Fen traveling all the way to Yancheng was something he had never anticipated.
Li Fen lowered her head and cried, "She must be! Your elder brother is dead. We can't dig him up to ask, can we? He had no children. Zhenzhen is our only hope. You're called Xu Nanxi now, but your future son won't be able to carry the Yuan surname..."
The Yuan family would then be without an heir.
Hearing this, Cheng You was immensely shocked.
She suppressed her excitement and quietly turned away.
Only after leaving the school grounds did she breathe a sigh of relief.
This "Xu Nanxi" was not the real Xu Nanxi but an imposter.
Then the question arose: where was the real Xu Nanxi?
Cheng You couldn't help but recall the fourth unidentified skeleton found in the dilapidated Xu family house, and a chill ran down her spine.
She quickened her pace, eager to return and inform Xu Boyan of this matter.
Back at the military compound, she felt like a child clutching gold bricks, her heart beating uncontrollably faster.
Cheng You ran all the way back to the Qi residence.
Sister Lin saw her and said with a smile, "Cheng You, you've come at the perfect time. Mr. and Mrs. Feng are also here."
Entering the house, Cheng You realized how many people were present.
Just as she came in, Sister Lin heard a knock at the door and went out to answer it.
Song Qinglan saw her. "Where have you been? You're sweating so much."
Seeing Qi Chengyan there, Cheng You's heart settled, and she sat down beside him.
"I went to school to find Xu Nanxi today, and I discovered something..."
Cheng You recounted the secret she had just learned.
Xu Boyan's expression turned grim, his clenched fists the only outward sign of his emotions.
He gritted his teeth and asked, "So, Cheng You, you think Nanxi is actually long dead?"
Cheng You hesitated, but eventually had to admit the truth.
Qi Yang said dazedly, "No wonder... no wonder Boyan heard from people in the countryside that Nanxi and that Yuan family's second son bore at least a seven-tenths resemblance."
They became good friends because of their similar looks.
No one would have suspected that this Yuan family's second son would be bold enough to impersonate Xu Nanxi and live his life.
Everyone fell silent, their shock evident.
Xu Boyan lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, "So after my Xu family was sent down, they all died."
Cheng You guessed that since Xu Nanxi entered the Feng family, he had coveted the items Mr. Xu had entrusted to the Fengs.
It was likely that knowing about these items prompted the Yuan family's second son to develop ambitions.
But impersonating Xu Nanxi wouldn't have been easy.
Naturally, one would have to eliminate his closest relatives so that no one would recognize him.
Sister Lin suddenly called out, "Cheng Tao, aren't you coming in?"
She said she was here to see her maternal grandmother, but had been standing at the door for a long time, doing who knows what.
"No, I have other things to do. I'm leaving!"
Only her voice was heard; she wasn't seen.
Cheng You stretched her neck to look outside, catching only a fleeting glimpse of Cheng Tao's retreating figure.
She curved her lips into a cold smile.
"Do you think she might be driven to desperation?"
The Feng elders, understanding her words, instantly looked unhappy.
Even after recognizing their granddaughter, she still seemed to matter less than an outsider.
Moreover, after today, Cheng Tao should have recognized Xu Nanxi's true colors.
Song Qinglan said, "I'm not saying this to be harsh, but if this child is ungrateful, perhaps it's best to send her away. We can offer occasional support."
The two elders had lived a peaceful life at the Cadre School.
Ever since Xu Nanxi and Cheng Tao arrived, so many troubles had arisen.
The old lady fell silent.
It was easy to say, and logically sound.
But the thought of her daughter being her child, separated for years, made it difficult for her to be heartless.
Elder Feng sighed. Although he seemed more resolute than his wife, he also couldn't bring himself to turn Cheng Tao away.
Hearts are made of flesh and blood. Since Cheng Tao arrived, he had been focused on compensating the child.
He couldn't bear to drive her away.
"Let's wait and see. Perhaps she won't do anything like that."
Song Qinglan didn't press the issue. They would have to wait for something to happen before they could truly see Cheng Tao's nature.
Cheng You sighed, lamenting the twists of fate.
Whether recognizing Cheng Tao was a blessing or a curse for the Feng family remained to be seen.