Zhang Jiren only needed a few weeks before he could finally graduate from high school. Although his grades weren't as spectacular as the young empress's, he was able to pass and was known as a runner in their school.

  He had just gotten home late at night from his last training session for his upcoming competition, the last one he would be participating in before he graduated. He was careful not to make any noise as he made way upstairs towards his bedroom.

  As he tiptoed through the dim lit hallway, Zhang Jiren saw that the door of his father's study was slightly ajar. The soft light coming from inside told him that Zhang Xianzhe was still inside.

  As he carefully tried to tread forward, hoping his father wouldn't notice his late return, Zhang Jiren froze when he heard Zhang Xianzhe's slurry words, as if he was talking to someone.

  "Yan Qiuyu, I've saved your children, didn't I? How much longer are you planning to torment me like this?"

  From the way his father spoke, Zhang Jiren realized that his old man was drunk again. His father's wife had long been dead, even before his arrival, so Zhang Jiren never knew the woman or what she was like.

  But Yan Qiuyu? That was certainly not the name of his father's wife. This was the first time Zhang Jiren heard of that name. As far as he knew, none of the Zhang family members had mentioned anything about this Yan Qiuyu?

  Who was this woman who was able to affect his father like this? Young Zhang Jiren thought.

  "I wasn't able to save you in time, but I saved your son. You don't know how hard it was for me to choose between you and my sister."

  Huh? Zhang Jiren was confused. His father only had one sibling, and that was his aunt, Zhang Wuying. So his Aunt Wuying was involved with this Yan Qiuyu? What was going on?

  Zhang Jiren mustered all the courage he had at that moment and took a peek from the slightly ajar door to see who his father was talking to. He stilled for a moment when he saw Zhang Xianzhe with his back on him, holding a photo in left hand, while the other was holding a glass of alcohol.

  He only needed a moment and saw a woman in the photo Zhang Xianzhe was holding as he continued to drown himself in alcohol.

  "I cannot save your daughter. It's been more than fifteen years now, Yan Qiuyu." He heard his father laugh as if he was mocking himself. "Your son is here with me now. You should be happy, right? But then why are you still tormenting me even in my dreams?"

  Zhang Jiren felt like he was striked by lightning, forbidding him to move an inch from where he was standing. He didn't need to become a genius to understand what his father was saying under the influence of the alcohol.

  All this time, Zhang Jiren thought that his biological parents abandoned him and Zhang Xianzhe took him in out of sympathy. So in the end, even this old man had lied to him.

  'I cannot save your daughter…'

  Did this mean he had a sibling? Zhang Jiren didn't know what to think or to believe anymore. He remained still just outside his father's study, unmoving. He wasn't sure how long he remained standing there, but when he snapped back in reality, Zhang Xianzhe was already dozing off on the couch inside the study.

  Zhang Jiren took this chance to take a better look at the woman in the photo. He carefully went inside the study and took the photo on top of the coffee table. His eyes widened upon seeing a young woman in her twenties, smiling at the camera.

  The woman was wearing a nurse uniform, but what shocked Zhang Jiren the most was the uncanny resemblance between Yan Qiuyu, his supposed birth mother and the young empress, Tang Moyu.

  The daughter his father mentioned earlier… Did he mean that it was Tang Moyu? Was Tang Moyu his sister?

  Several thoughts crossed his mind, but Zhang Jiren was too confused with all the details he had heard tonight. If his father was keeping this a secret, perhaps he should hire a private investigator to find out the details about this Yan Qiuyu that Zhang Xianzhe was talking about.

  Zhang Jiren came to his room and slumped on the floor, thinking hard of the possibility of what could have happened and what he should do if Tang Moyu was really his sister.

  From what he knew about the young empress, Tang Moyu was Tang Lixue and Zhang Wuying's daughter, and she had an older sister and a younger brother living with her.

  There were so many questions in his mind, but he could only wait until he could have the answers he needed.

  Zhang Jiren wasn't able to sleep peacefully that night. Morning came and he was already at the school's running track. He wanted to scream at how unfair his life was.

  He was alone and sad growing up as a child, only to find out that he truly had a family somewhere living a comfortable life. He wanted to get mad, but he couldn't find it in himself to hate Tang Moyu.

  "Goddamnit! Why is it so unfair!" He yelled heavenwards as he tried to catch his breath. Since it was too early, Zhang Jiren didn't think there were any other students on the running track except for him.

  "So loud." He heard a soft feminine voice coming from the bleachers. "Do you really have to yell so early this morning?"