Sheng Zexi had no idea that his father, who had been proud and arrogant for most of his life, was now plunged into self-doubt.
From Hua Zhenrong, Sheng Zexi learned about the interrogation results after Li Shuyao’s arrest. As he listened to the crimes Li Shuyao had committed, his expression darkened. He then relayed the news to Gu Jianing, who was still in her postpartum confinement.
“Ningning, you guessed right. Li Shuyao is indeed an enemy spy, and she used that cat to transmit intelligence. And…” Sheng Zexi paused before continuing, “And this Li Shuyao is not the real Li Shuyao!”
Gu Jianing was puzzled.
What did that mean?
Seeing her confusion, Sheng Zexi explained, “This Li Shuyao isn’t actually a member of the Li family. She isn’t the real Li Shuyao—she’s from R Country.”
“The real Li Shuyao died long ago!”
Gu Jianing was shocked!!!
Through Sheng Zexi’s account, Gu Jianing finally understood the full story.
It turned out that the Li Shuyao they had known was not the true bloodline of the Li family but a citizen of R Country. It was all part of R Country’s scheme.
Nineteen years ago, when the real Li Shuyao was born, she was secretly swapped. Enemy agents from R Country, who had infiltrated Jia County, replaced her with one of their own infants.
As for the real Li Shuyao? To ensure their scheme wouldn’t be discovered, she was killed shortly after the swap.
The fake Li Shuyao then grew up under this stolen identity.
When she reached a certain age, R Country made contact with her, revealing her true origins and coercing her into working for them.
Because of her heritage, the fake Li Shuyao had no choice but to comply, stealing intelligence under their threats.
She used the cat as a means to transmit information, employing a set of commands to communicate with and direct the animal.
“The reason they chose Li Shuyao’s identity was because her grandfather, Elder Li, held a high-ranking position.” This provided her with ample cover, making it unlikely for anyone to suspect her.
And indeed, that’s exactly what happened.
If not for Gu Jianing’s tip-off this time, who knows how much longer Li Shuyao would have remained hidden, continuing to wreak havoc.
After hearing everything, Gu Jianing fell silent. “I never imagined R Country could be so ruthless!”
Back then, the real Li Shuyao had been nothing more than a helpless newborn.
Sheng Zexi gripped Gu Jianing’s hand, his expression grim. “They truly are merciless. Because, in their plans, Li Shuyao was just one of many…”
“One of many?”
“Yes.”
R Country’s scheme had been set into motion over twenty years ago. The valuable infants they targeted for swapping weren’t limited to just Li Shuyao.
This information came to light during Li Shuyao’s interrogation.
“So now, the higher-ups are conducting a secret investigation.”
“They know there must be others like the fake Li Shuyao still lurking—they just haven’t been uncovered yet.”
“And now, it’s time to root them all out.”
Gu Jianing: Indeed. If left unchecked, each of them would be like ticking time bombs, ready to explode at any moment.
After a moment of thought, Gu Jianing said, “If R Country targeted infants from influential families like Li Shuyao’s, doesn’t that mean others could be in the same situation?”
She looked up at Sheng Zexi. “Brother Xi, you grew up in a prominent family too.”
Moreover, her cheap father-in-law also held a high status.
“You make a good point, but…” Sheng Zexi paused, “but it’s impossible for me.”
“Though I hate to admit it, my looks do bear some resemblance to that man.”
Gu Jianing: That was certainly true.
However, this topic reminded Sheng Zexi of his stepmother’s son—that kid didn’t look much like his father at all.
Surely that couldn’t be the case, right?
The thought flickered briefly through Sheng Zexi’s mind before he dismissed it.
There was no way the old man could be that stupid, right? Would he really not know whether his own son was his?
Sheng Zexi didn’t dwell on it. In any case, the higher-ups were investigating, and the old man’s family would undoubtedly be scrutinized.
“What will happen to Li Shuyao?” Gu Jianing asked.
“That’s unclear, but she’ll definitely never see the light of day again. As for the Li family… their situation probably won’t be great either.”
Even though this was a fake Li Shuyao, she had still grown up in the Li household. And neither Elder Li nor Li Tingxuan had noticed anything amiss.
That was negligence on their part.
“By the way, Ningning, do you remember that human trafficker? The mastermind behind it was none other than Li Shuyao!”
“And the leak during my mission—that was also her doing!”
At the time, Li Shuyao hadn’t yet returned to the capital, so she had hired that trafficker to abduct Gu Jianing when she left the house.
Recalling what Hua Zhenrong had told him about Li Shuyao’s words during the interrogation, Sheng Zexi’s expression darkened.
“Although I had a mission, I genuinely liked Sheng Zexi. Yet he never gave me a second glance.”
“He ignored me but fell for some country bumpkin! He treated her so tenderly—why?!”
“I couldn’t stand seeing them so happy. If that woman were kidnapped and gone, Sheng Zexi would surely turn to me. Sheng Xinhai also wanted me as his daughter-in-law anyway.”
“That woman deserved to be sold off, to be ridden by thousands, used by all…”
…
Li Shuyao’s words were venomous, dripping with malice. Even relayed through Hua Zhenrong’s summary, Sheng Zexi could feel the sheer hatred behind them.
If not for the fact that Li Shuyao was now under strict government custody, her fate would have been far worse.
Sheng Zexi would never have let her off.
And then there was his previous mission…
During that operation, one of their team members had been pursuing Li Shuyao.
Li Shuyao had taken advantage of his simple-minded devotion to extract classified information, which she then leaked to R Country.
That was why their mission had been ambushed by R Country’s forces.
Fortunately, thanks to Gu Jianing’s warning, Sheng Zexi had remained vigilant throughout.
He had also brought universal hemostatic bandages and wore concealed bulletproof gear. Otherwise, their fate would have mirrored what Gu Jianing had foreseen—heavy casualties, with even himself severely wounded.
Sheng Zexi leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Gu Jianing.
“Ningning, you’re my guardian angel.”
“Because of you, I’ve escaped disaster again and again.”
“No—not just me. You’ve saved so many people.”
Whether it was that mission or the countless patients she had treated… Gu Jianing had saved countless lives.
“Ningning, how lucky I am to have married you.”
Hearing his words, Gu Jianing’s eyes softened.
“Brother Xi, I’m just as lucky to have married you.”
What the future held, Gu Jianing couldn’t say.
But from the moment she married Sheng Zexi until now, she had been happy.
And deeply content.
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