Chapter 303: Ironclad Evidence

After arriving at the office, Ma Qianjun made no pretense and took a seat opposite Xia Yu and Li Qian, while Li Wuming sat to the side, his eyes narrowed, ready for any situation.

"Qianqian, pour us some tea."

"Okay!"

Li Qian obediently nodded, then picked up the teapot to pour tea for Xia Yu and Ma Qianjun.

Ma Qianjun took the cup with a sincere smile, wanting to say thank you but feeling it might be inappropriate, so he could only smile and nod at Li Qian.

This was Ma Qianjun's first time drinking tea brewed by his longed-for sister, so even though the tea tasted a bit bitter, he found it to be sweet and soothing.

After finishing the tea, Ma Qianjun placed the cup down, and Li Qian promptly refilled it. His gaze remained fixed on Li Qian, making her feel quite uneasy.

Seeing this, Xia Yu frowned slightly. Although Ma Qianjun might be Li Qian's brother, Xia Yu still felt uncomfortable with the way he was staring at Li Qian.

"Mr. Ma, you were the one who knocked on the door and left the notebook last night, right? Forget about scaring Qianqian; now that she's here, if you say she's your sister, what evidence do you have?"

"A single notebook is not enough. With your capabilities, it wouldn't be hard for you to forge it!"

Xia Yu looked at Ma Qianjun calmly, speaking in a neutral tone.

When Xia Yu spoke, Li Qian became alert, her eyes fixed on Ma Qianjun, eager to hear his response.

She had grown accustomed to being alone and to the identity of being an orphan, but that didn't mean she didn't hope for her own family.

She had longed day and night, even dreaming of finding her relatives!

Now, though her suddenly appearing brother made her anxious and uncertain, her heart was filled with intense hope.

The time had come for the truth to be revealed—was Ma Qianjun really her brother?

Li Qian waited nervously in silence.

"I have evidence, of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so certain that Qianqian is my sister!"

"I also have a photo!"

Ma Qianjun said slowly, glancing at Xia Yu, then smiling at Li Qian. He pulled out a yellowed photograph from his jacket pocket, instantly capturing the attention of Xia Yu, Li Qian, and the others. Li Qian's heart was even in her throat.

Ma Qianjun gazed dreamily at the photo for a moment, then snapped back to reality and placed the photo gently on the desk in front of Xia Yu and the others, saying, "This is the only family portrait of us four. You'll understand when you see it."

Xia Yu didn't say anything and picked up the photo, examining it with Li Qian.

When they saw the people in the photo, Xia Yu distinctly felt Li Qian's body shudder. He then saw her cover her mouth, showing an expression of disbelief.

Xia Yu understood Li Qian's emotions, as he was also shocked.

The photo showed two adults and two children.

A boy of about five or six years old stood beside an adult male, while an adult female held a child under one year old in her arms.

The key detail was that the boy looked like a younger version of Ma Qianjun, clearly the young Ma Qianjun.

As for the two adults, they were even more surprising. The adult male resembled Ma Qianjun to a large extent, and the adult female looked so much like Li Qian that Xia Yu nearly mistook her for Li Qian's twin!

Undoubtedly, these two adults were Li Qian's parents!

"Are these my parents?" 

Li Qian's eyes reddened as she looked at the photo, tears welling up.

"Xia Yu, this is my mom and dad…"

Li Qian murmured tearfully.

Seeing Li Qian cry so sorrowfully, Ma Qianjun's expression was complex, his eyes filled with both pain and hope as he looked at her, raising his hand as if to comfort her but withdrawing it after a moment.

"Qianqian, here, wipe your tears."

Xia Yu gently wiped Li Qian's tears with a tissue. He could understand her feelings; she might have no memory of her parents' appearance, and seeing their photo suddenly must be overwhelming.

In fact, when this photo appeared, Xia Yu was already certain that Ma Qianjun was Li Qian's brother.

This was not the internet era filled with deceptive techniques; this yellowed old photo was undeniably authentic!

"What were my parents' names?"

Li Qian asked through her tears, looking at Ma Qianjun.

"Dad's name was Ma Junshen—'Jun' as in gentleman, and 'Shen' as in cautious. Mom's name was Su Yun."

Ma Qianjun answered softly.

"Ma Junshen… Su Yun… So that was their names…"

Li Qian nodded slightly, murmuring to herself as she continued to gaze at the photo, gently touching it as if trying to feel their presence.

The poignant and powerless feeling of longing was palpable, and Xia Yu could fully sense it.

"What happened to Mom and Dad? Why didn't they come to find me?"

Despite her suspicions, Li Qian still harbored a sliver of hope, looking at Ma Qianjun with hopeful eyes.

Ma Qianjun's expression was complex, his teeth clenched, then he said, "They passed away 20 years ago. I only found this photo five years ago."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian's tears flowed again. Xia Yu quickly comforted her by patting her back. He too felt deeply moved, unable to imagine that Li Qian's parents had passed away.

To learn about her parents for the first time, only to discover they had been gone for twenty years—such a mix of joy and sorrow would be overwhelming even for the most steadfast person, let alone for a fragile woman like Li Qian.

"Since Mom and Dad are gone, why did you only come to find me now? You started leaving money at my window and under the door two years ago. If you had found me then, why didn't you come to meet me?"

Li Qian cried as she asked.

She had finally pieced together some things. For the past two years, she had always found money at her window or on the floor after opening the door, and she had wondered who was leaving it. Now she suspected it was her brother, Ma Qianjun.

But if he had found her two years ago, why didn't he come to meet her then?

Xia Yu's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ma Qianjun.

Hearing his sister's grievance, Ma Qianjun felt deeply uncomfortable. Since Xia Yu was present, he hadn't wanted to disclose too much, but he also didn't want to disappoint his sister. After some hesitation, he said, "At that time, I was in a very dangerous situation. If others found out that you were my sister, you would have been in danger too. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"So you mean there's no danger now?"

Xia Yu asked sharply, as he had to take any threats seriously.

"There isn't. The enemies who knew what I looked like are all gone. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to find my sister."

Ma Qianjun said with certainty.

"What were you doing before?"

Xia Yu pressed for details.

Ma Qianjun frowned and didn't answer directly, saying, "The past is the past. I just want a peaceful life now."

Xia Yu gave Ma Qianjun a deep look, saying meaningfully, "Once you enter the world of conflict, you can't just live peacefully. Don't put Qianqian in danger!"

"Don't probe me further. When it's time to tell you, I will."

Ma Qianjun said, his eyes meeting Xia Yu's.

Xia Yu nodded slightly, understanding Ma Qianjun's resolve, and didn't press further.

Looking back at Li Qian, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, Ma Qianjun's lips moved as he hopefully asked, "Qianqian, do you believe I'm your brother now?"

Li Qian glanced at Xia Yu, then back at Ma Qianjun, nodded vigorously, hesitated a few times, and mustered the courage to call out, "Brother…"

"Haha… I finally reunited with my sister…"

The long-awaited moment had arrived. Ma Qianjun's eyes were a bit misty, but he was overjoyed, laughing heartily. The genuine happiness he felt was evident to everyone around.

"Mom and Dad, I finally found my sister. Rest assured, I will take good care of her!"

...

After the siblings were reunited, Li Qian hesitated for a moment but chose to sit back beside Xia Yu. Although Ma Qianjun was her brother, she trusted Xia Yu more.

Li Qian's choice left Ma Qianjun feeling quite unhappy, but he could understand.

However, Ma Qianjun was now faced with a dilemma. Since his sister Li Qian was clearly Xia Yu's woman, he could no longer take her away. Instead, he was uncertain about what to do next.

Ma Qianjun realized that some things couldn't be rushed and he could only take things one step at a time.

Fortunately, he had successfully reunited with his sister today, which was a significant accomplishment and fulfilled a major wish.