“My assistant can handle the rest,” Li Zhuohui explained, his eyes fixed on Qi Chengyue. “Where are the three of you headed to?”
“My wife and I plan to go to the 4S shop to look at the cars they have. Qi Chengyue is going back to Qilin,” Qi Chengzhi stated.
Qi Chengyue shot a glance at Qi Chengzhi. She had not said anything, yet he had answered on her behalf.
Even though Qi Chengzhi did say that he was going to bring Song Yu to look at cars, Qi Chengyue did not know he intended to go straight after lunch. He was obviously creating a window of opportunity for Li Zhuohui.
Since when was her big brother so eager to help others?
“Oh? It seems like Miss Qi did not drive here. Why don’t you let me take this opportunity to send her back?” Li Zhuohui did not even try to hide his intentions. It was all exhibited in plain sight.
“No—” Qi Chengyue could only utter a single word before Qi Chengzhi interrupted her.
“Thank you, Director Li.” Qi Chengzhi nodded and even gave him one of his rare smiles.
Qi Chengyue was left with no choice, so she called out in a panic, “Big Brother!”
Qi Chengzhi glanced at his wristwatch and said, “Lunch break is almost over. Even though you’re my sister, it will still go on your record if you’re late.”
Qi Chengyue was speechless.
Song Yu nodded at Li Zhuohui, then left with Qi Chengzhi.
Qi Chengyue waited until Qi Chengzhi drove away in his Jaguar before saying, “Li Zhuohui, you must be busy. I can take a cab back.”
“Miss Qi, you frequent this area. I’m sure you know that it’s rather difficult to get a cab here,” Li Zhuohui pointed out with a smile. “Miss Qi, are you avoiding me because I have offended you in some way?”
“No, I just don’t want to trouble you, Director Li.” Qi Chengyue could only say that.
Li Zhuohui abruptly turned to her and said with a smile, “‘Miss Qi’, ‘Director Li’. We’re acting so distant. We are from the same social circle, and we always see each other. Besides, we were schoolmates. I was your senior and you, my junior. Addressing each other in such a formal manner feels odd.”
Qi Chengyue did not say anything. She did not want to open herself up to him.
“How about you call me your senior while I call you my junior? It’s not too distant but not too close either, so it should be appropriate,” Li Zhuohui suggested with a grin. Without waiting for Qi Chengyue’s reply, he continued, “Let’s go. Sending my junior back is my pleasure. It’s no trouble at all.”
In the car, Li Zhuohui asked, “Why are you so quiet? Do you feel uncomfortable when you’re with me?”
“No, I don’t. I just can’t believe Director– My senior would remember me,” mumbled Qi Chengyue.
“How can I not remember you? Even though I wasn’t at school much during my senior year, every time I went back, my roommates and classmates would tell me about this gorgeous new student in freshman year. She looked like a doll. She stole many boys’ hearts, but, sadly, her expectations were so high, no one could meet them.
“You may not know this, but at that time, my roommate pointed you out to me once. Once you graduated, though, you got a boyfriend, so it was too late for me to ask you out. I regret not doing so earlier,” Li Zhuohui confessed.
Qi Chengyue was silent.
“I don’t want to admit it, but, at that time, I was afraid you would reject me.” Li Zhuohui laughed in self-mockery.
Qi Chengyue grimaced. Composed, she said, “Back then, I truly was very snobbish and pompous. I had a horrible personality. If you had pursued me, you might have been put off by my sarcasm and bitter personality. You wouldn’t only have stopped liking me, you would have ended up hating me too.”
“If that’s the case, it seems like I got lucky,” Li Zhuohui chuckled.
…
…
“Miss Jiang, I apologize for wasting your time. The truth is, there’s someone I like.” Cheng Dongge stated calmly.
They were currently at Shengyue. He was afraid that if they were at a restaurant near Qilin, some colleagues might see them and start spreading rumors again.
Cheng Dongge understood what Qi Chengzhi was trying to achieve, but he had decided that he did not want to use such methods. He already had someone he liked, yet he went on a blind date solely to provoke Qi Chengyue. It was unfair to his date.
Moreover, he did not see Qi Chengyue get upset.
When he first heard the idea of a blind date, he did not believe it would work. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiyao seemed to genuinely like him, as she had come directly to Qilin to see him. He had no choice but to clarify things immediately.
Jiang Xiyao was taken aback. She turned to face the window, gazing out without uttering a word. Suddenly, she murmured, “Yesterday night, I saw you chasing an Audi TT when you left. The person you like is the girl in the car, isn’t it?”
Cheng Dongge did not reply. Jiang Xiyao smiled faintly. She stared at her hand, which was holding a cup and slowly rubbing the handle. “I should be mad at you. You like someone else, yet you came on a blind date. Hearing you admit it so frankly, though, I somehow can’t be mad.”
Jiang Xiyao looked at Cheng Dongge earnestly. “Truthfully speaking, my expectations for men are high. I look into various aspects, Not only status and capability, character and many other traits are important too. The reason I agreed to meet you was that I’ve heard about you before. In spite of that, after going out with you just once, I was quite impressed. You met all of my criteria, so I wanted to try developing a relationship with you. Can you tell me who the girl you like is?”
“No, I can’t,” Cheng Dongge replied without hesitation. “I’m still trying to pursue her. Honestly, I only went on a blind date to provoke her, but, in the end, I’m the one whose heart is aching. Even so, it’s my business, I don’t have to reveal anything to others.”
Seeing Cheng Dongge’s stubborn personality, Jiang Xiyao surprisingly kept her cool.
Jiang Xiyao smiled and said, “Since you’re still trying to pursue her, that means anything can happen. This girl you like… it’s Qi Chengyue, isn’t it?”
Cheng Dongge did not expect her to guess right on the first try. He nodded and admitted, “Miss Jiang, how astute of you.”
“I saw that it was Qi Chengyue driving that car yesterday. Besides, when she saw us this afternoon, her expression was ghastly. The things you said to the reporters that day… I first thought it was because Qi Chengzhi commanded you to help her out, but, after hearing what you said at the end, I realized you were speaking from the heart.” Jiang Xiyao took a deep breath, stood up, and sighed heavily.
“Since you like Qi Chengyue, now I know who my love rival is. I think I have a chance to compete with Qi Chengyue. Although the Jiang family cannot compete with the Qi family in terms of wealth, she has three brothers while I only have one. If you look at how property is going to be split amongst siblings, I would get as much as she does. When it comes to looks and character, it’s not for me to decide. I won’t bring up her divorce– that would be vile– but the reality is that I’m better than her in that regard.”
“Since I’ve finally met someone I like, I will give it my all to pursue you. You two aren’t together yet, so now’s my chance to compete with her fairly,” Jiang Xiyao announced confidently.
Cheng Dongge stood up without saying anything. He did not comment on her words, but merely said, “I’ll send you home.”
“My car is parked at Qilin. You can just fetch me back to Qilin,” Jiang Xiyao replied.
…
…
Cheng Dongge stopped at the parking lot in front of Qilin. A black Barbus happened to have stopped there as well. After a while, he saw Li Zhuohui getting off and walking toward the passenger seat. Li Zhuohui opened the door and Qi Chengyue emerged from the car.
Jiang Xiyao got out of the backseat and took a glance at Qi Chengyue and Li Zhuohui from a distance. She saw Cheng Dongge get out and stare at Qi Chengyue conspicuously.
Jiang Xiyao smirked. “It seems like you have a love rival too. I hear that Li Zhuohui and Qi Chengyue were schoolmates.”
Cheng Dongge took a quick look at her and simply said, “Miss Jiang, be careful on the road.”
After that, he left.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were on their way to the 4S shop. It was the same shop in which his car was sent to be fixed.
In the car, Song Yu was visibly uneasy. She turned to Qi Chengzhi. His face gave off a righteous feeling.
When they stopped at a red light, Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Do you remember the day I had lunch with Jian Yi to celebrate me receiving the Qilin Hotel project? The day Chengyue confronted me?” asked Song Yu. The light turned green, so Qi Chengzhi shifted his gaze back onto the road.
“Uh-huh,” he answered.
“You told me you didn’t know about Jian Yi and Chengyue’s relationship back then, yet just now you mentioned that, when Jian Yi was pursuing her, a bunch of other young men from different families were going after her too. If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean you knew from early on that she was in a relationship with Jian Yi?” It had been on Song Yu’s mind for a long time but she did not want to confront him in front of Qi Chengyue. So she had kept it in until they were alone.
Qi Chengzhi had accidentally let it slip. He had not expected her to notice.
“Say something,” Song Yu prodded. From his silence, she could tell what was going on in his head.
She guessed that he had known about Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue’s relationship since the very beginning. Even so, he had not told her. He had wanted her to find out for herself.
Song Yu felt that she was extremely foolish back then. Especially since she found out that Qi Chengzhi knew about it the entire time, yet she still had sincere feelings for Jian Yi. It was all too embarrassing.
“Why are you still so caught up with that? Now you want to hold me accountable?” Qi Chengzhi looked at her composedly.
“What are you saying?!” Song Yu hissed, “It was so humiliating. If you knew back then, why didn’t you tell me? You could have saved me all that shame.”
Qi Chengzhi chuckled. His elegant hand reached for hers. Holding her hand, he pointed out, “If I did tell you, would you have believed me? Wouldn’t you have thought I was sabotaging your relationship with Jian Yi?”
Song Yu paused. Hastily, she said, “It’s in the past, let’s not think about it.”
Qi Chengzhi was rendered speechless.
Was she not the one who had brought it up to begin with?
When they reached the 4S shop, the manager thought Qi Chengzhi was there to check their progress on his car. Hurriedly, he explained, “Mister Qi, we have started working on your car, but the damage is quite severe. Even so, we will get it done next week.”
“I’m here to look for a new car,” Qi Chengzhi said coolly.
“Then the car…?” the manager asked.
“It still needs to be fixed,” Qi Chengzhi clarified.
“Oh, all right!” The manager was delighted to hear that. Eagerly, he asked, “Mister Qi, what car would you like to see?”
“Another Range Rover. Can we get the car immediately?” Qi Chengzhi asked as he brought Song Yu inside.
“Yes. Yes, you can.” The manager nodded. “Once you have chosen your car, we can go through the required procedures immediately, so you can bring the car home right away.”
Qi Chengzhi looked for a car similar to the one he had. In the end, he settled for the deluxe version in the same series. Since he had been driving the car for four years, the one he bought was a new model.
Even though it was a new model, there were only minor differences in the configuration. Overall, there were not many variations.
Qi Chengzhi rang Chang Lai and asked him to drive the new Range Rover to get it registered. It was registered with the old car’s license plate number. After Chang Lai was done, he could pick Song Yu up after work with the new car.
That afternoon, they still had to drive the Jaguar back. Song Yu thought of the car that was being repaired. “How is the investigation into the accident going?”
“There’s not much to go on. Besides, it has only been a few days. The car did not have a license plate. From the footage of Viewpark Residence’s security camera, we can barely make out that the vehicle was a Hummer. Even so, there are many Hummers in B City. Besides, there’s no way we can link the vehicle to Jian Yi. It’s almost definitely a smuggled car or belongs to a leasing company, though the latter is unlikely. Cheng Dongge has looked into every single repair workshop in B City, but the culprit must have gone to an illegal workshop. What I fear the most is that they may have sent the car out of the district. The country is massive. We would be looking for a needle in a haystack.
“Chang Lai is investigating smuggled vehicles. If it’s from one of the larger organizations in B City, things would be much easier,” QI Chengzhi explained, “As for Jian Yi, we know he would not have done this himself. Besides, our private investigator has a confirmed alibi for him on the night of the accident. We can only wait to see if he hired someone to do it.”
Song Yu did not expect it to be so complicated. Every passing day that the culprit was left unchecked, she worried. She was afraid that the culprit might appear again and harm Qi Chengzhi, or even…
“Don’t worry.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ve hired someone to keep an eye on Jian Yi.”
…
…
At the Jian family’s home, Zhou Mingyan had two guests over. They were her colleagues. She had retired last year, but, since the two were two years younger than her, they were still working.
They lived nearby. The whole area was almost entirely populated by Zhou Mingyan and Jian Shifu’s colleagues.
These few buildings were staff buildings constructed by Jian Shifu’s team 30 years ago. At that time, housing prices were not as ridiculous as they were now, so many people in the team took advantage of their staff privileges and bought units there.
Zhou Mingyan and her group were allocated the units at the back. It was very close to where she lived then. Back then, she did not buy any, but her two colleagues did.
The two of them had heard rumors that she and Jian Shifu wanted a divorce. She was not sure whether they were here to console her or to laugh at her.
Zhou Mingyan had not agreed to the divorce yet. Their family register was still firmly grasped in her hands. She did not want a divorce.
“It’s nothing,” Zhou Mingyan said with a fake smile. “We just don’t agree on some things, so we had an argument. It’s true that it was quite a bad fight, but Lao Jian is just throwing a tantrum. Let him cool his head for a few days, then everything will return to normal. We have been husband and wife for decades. I know his temper well. This has happened before, but didn’t we push through it just fine? There’s no couple in the world that has never fought before. The threats tossed out in the heat of an argument; how could anyone believe them?”
“Aiyah! That’s right, I need to call my daughter-in-law.” Zhou Mingyan took out the new phone that Guan Xiaolin had given her before Jian Yi’s divorce.
“Daughter-in-law?” Zheng Cuilan was stunned. “Isn’t Jian Yi divorced? Even so, you’re still so close with your daughter-in-law?”
“Not that one,” Zhou Mingyan said rather smugly, “Jian Yi is quite a lovable man. Isn’t there another young lady from a rich family who wants to be with him no matter what?”
“Oh, now I remember. It’s that Guan Xiaolin who was on the news, isn’t it?” Zhang Huizhi said, “In the news, it is said that she was already together with Jian Yi before his divorce. The Qi family found out about it so they wanted a divorce, isn’t it?”
“There’s no such thing!” Zhou Mingyan’s expression was suddenly thunderous. “How can you trust the news! Isn’t the Qi family just trying to keep their name clean, so they distort the truth and drag my Jian Yi through the mud?! My Jian Yi has no money or power; of course he can’t win against them!”
At that moment, Guan Xiaolin answered the phone. Zhou Mingyan instantly beamed with happiness. In a curiously tender voice, she said, “Xiaolin! It’s me, Jian Yi’s mother.
“No, I just missed you, so I decided to ring you up. You haven’t come to visit for quite some time. I miss you.
“What? You’re feeling unwell? What’s wrong? Should I pay you a visit? Whatever you feel like eating, your aunt will make it for you.
“Oh, I see. All right, rest well!” Zhou Mingyan hung up. She guffawed with delight. “I already see this child as my daughter-in-law. She respects her elders and knows how to read the room before saying anything, unlike the previous one– always getting on my nerves! To get on Jian Yi’s good side, Guan Xiaolin is very nice to me. This phone I’m holding was a gift from her.”
“She told you she’s feeling unwell?” Zheng Cuilan asked. In those words, she hid her own agenda.
“Why do you ask?” Zhou Mingyan responded curiously.
“Oh, isn’t my girl working as a nurse in the Chutian Hospital?” Zheng Cuilan was always ecstatic when talking about her daughter.
Zhou Mingyan did not like it when she did that. Ever since her daughter was accepted by Chutian Hospital, she had been blowing her own horn every day.
“Due to the news the last few days, Guan Xiaolin is now quite well-known. When she was accepted into the hospital, the news spread like wildfire among the doctors and nurses. My girl told me that Guan Xiaolin was there for an abortion surgery. Since she’s feeling unwell, I’m guessing that it’s because she’s still in the hospital recovering from the surgery. I heard that she’ll be discharged tomorrow and that she’ll be headed to the confinement center behind the hospital.” Zheng Cuilan suddenly came to a realization. Her expression changed as she turned to Zhou Mingyan. “That child isn’t Jian Yi’s, is it?
“Wait, that’s not right. You claimed Jian Yi got together with her after his divorce, but the divorce was only a few days ago!” Zheng Cuilan looked at Zhou Mingyan with some empathy in her eyes. “Could it be that she had a child with someone else then got dumped? That’s why she hastily ran into Jian Yi’s arms. Didn’t you say she wants to be with Jian Yi no matter what? Maybe I’m right. Otherwise, why would a rich lady like her—”
“What are you saying! That child is Jian Yi’s!” Zhou Mingyan interrupted Zheng Cuilan furiously.
“Ah, that means they were together before Jian Yi’s divorce? So she’s a mistress! Jian Yi was having an affair! How indecent.” Zheng Cuilan shook her head and said dejectedly, “Even so, why did they throw away the child? Their relationship is going well, right? Is it because they’re too young? Jian Yi is approaching 30 years old; if he still doesn’t want a child, then when will he want one?”
Zheng Cuilan blinked. She scooched to the edge of her seat and leaned toward Zhou Mingyan. “Or… the Guan family doesn’t agree?”
Zhou Mingyan could not take it anymore. She leapt from her seat, grabbed her bag, and yelled, “I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you two here any longer!”
Zheng Cuilan and Zhang Huizhi exchanged glances and snickered. “It’s about time we left, too. We’ve got some stuff to do.”
…
…
Clutching her bag, Zhou Mingyan was wrathful. She called a cab instead of taking the public bus and went directly to Chutian Hospital. She asked for Guan Xiaolin’s room number and was surprised to learn that she was still in the hospital.
With a downcast expression, Zhou Mingyan stormed into the elevator. Once she reached Guan Xiaolin’s room, she looked into the window and saw that there was only Guan Xiaolin and a maternity matron.
The matron that the Guan family employed was a Hakka lady, so she knew plenty about foods that help the body recover.
In that moment, Guan Xiaolin was drinking chicken soup with wine that her matron had stewed for her. Suddenly, the door swung open. Guan Xiaolin looked up and saw Zhou Mingyan entering the room. Taken by surprise, she asked, “Auntie, why are you here?”
“Didn’t you say you were sick? I came to visit you,” Zhou Mingyan responded coldly. “What kind of illness do you have? You look fine to me.”
Guan Xiaolin placed the bowl on her bedside table but did not say a word.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you too ashamed to talk to me? Too ashamed to look at me?” Zhou Mingyan hissed, clenching her teeth.
“It looks like you already know. That’s right. I had an abortion.” Guan Xiaolin was in no mood to deal with Zhou Mingyan. Zhou Mingyan was not the only one infuriated– Guan Xiaolin was doubly so. The Qi family pushed her to the point where she had to abort her own child. How could she possibly accept that?
Seeing Zhou Mingyan have the nerve to interrogate her as if she was some common criminal, she was all the more enraged.
She had never liked Zhou Mingyan. She had only put up with her to get on her good side.
“It’s all because of the Qi—” Just as Guan Xiaolin was about to say the word ‘Qi’, she was slapped by Zhou Mingyan’s bag.
The bag had a metal base. As the bag swung toward her, the edge of it hit her face, tearing a cut near her temple.
Guan Xiaolin was overwhelmed with pain; she did not realize how weak she was from the surgery. Her face was pale. From a single hit from Zhou Mingyan, she collapsed back on the bed.
Before she could sit back up, Zhou Mingyan’s bag swung again.
Zhou Mingyan had lost it. She did not hear a word Guan Xiaolin said after that. She grabbed her hair, pulled her head up, and continued hitting her with her bag.
“How could you abort Jian Yi’s child?! How could you abort my Jian family’s child?! How could you abort my grandchild?! You couldn’t even tell me– do you think you’re so great just because you’re rich?! You didn’t even discuss this with Jian Yi, did you? When I called you, you didn’t even think about informing me! Aborting your own child, just how wicked are you?!” Zhou Mingyan had gone crazy with rage. She kept hitting and hitting her.
Guan Xiaolin’s matron knew that things were escalating too far. She rushed to get help, but, by the time she returned, Zhou Mingyan had dragged Guan Xiaolin down from the bed. Guan Xiaolin was sprawled flat on the floor.
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“My assistant can handle the rest,” Li Zhuohui explained, his eyes fixed on Qi Chengyue. “Where are the three of you headed to?”
“My wife and I plan to go to the 4S shop to look at the cars they have. Qi Chengyue is going back to Qilin,” Qi Chengzhi stated.
Qi Chengyue shot a glance at Qi Chengzhi. She had not said anything, yet he had answered on her behalf.
Even though Qi Chengzhi did say that he was going to bring Song Yu to look at cars, Qi Chengyue did not know he intended to go straight after lunch. He was obviously creating a window of opportunity for Li Zhuohui.
Since when was her big brother so eager to help others?
“Oh? It seems like Miss Qi did not drive here. Why don’t you let me take this opportunity to send her back?” Li Zhuohui did not even try to hide his intentions. It was all exhibited in plain sight.
“No—” Qi Chengyue could only utter a single word before Qi Chengzhi interrupted her.
“Thank you, Director Li.” Qi Chengzhi nodded and even gave him one of his rare smiles.
Qi Chengyue was left with no choice, so she called out in a panic, “Big Brother!”
Qi Chengzhi glanced at his wristwatch and said, “Lunch break is almost over. Even though you’re my sister, it will still go on your record if you’re late.”
Qi Chengyue was speechless.
Song Yu nodded at Li Zhuohui, then left with Qi Chengzhi.
Qi Chengyue waited until Qi Chengzhi drove away in his Jaguar before saying, “Li Zhuohui, you must be busy. I can take a cab back.”
“Miss Qi, you frequent this area. I’m sure you know that it’s rather difficult to get a cab here,” Li Zhuohui pointed out with a smile. “Miss Qi, are you avoiding me because I have offended you in some way?”
“No, I just don’t want to trouble you, Director Li.” Qi Chengyue could only say that.
Li Zhuohui abruptly turned to her and said with a smile, “‘Miss Qi’, ‘Director Li’. We’re acting so distant. We are from the same social circle, and we always see each other. Besides, we were schoolmates. I was your senior and you, my junior. Addressing each other in such a formal manner feels odd.”
Qi Chengyue did not say anything. She did not want to open herself up to him.
“How about you call me your senior while I call you my junior? It’s not too distant but not too close either, so it should be appropriate,” Li Zhuohui suggested with a grin. Without waiting for Qi Chengyue’s reply, he continued, “Let’s go. Sending my junior back is my pleasure. It’s no trouble at all.”
In the car, Li Zhuohui asked, “Why are you so quiet? Do you feel uncomfortable when you’re with me?”
“No, I don’t. I just can’t believe Director– My senior would remember me,” mumbled Qi Chengyue.
“How can I not remember you? Even though I wasn’t at school much during my senior year, every time I went back, my roommates and classmates would tell me about this gorgeous new student in freshman year. She looked like a doll. She stole many boys’ hearts, but, sadly, her expectations were so high, no one could meet them.
“You may not know this, but at that time, my roommate pointed you out to me once. Once you graduated, though, you got a boyfriend, so it was too late for me to ask you out. I regret not doing so earlier,” Li Zhuohui confessed.
Qi Chengyue was silent.
“I don’t want to admit it, but, at that time, I was afraid you would reject me.” Li Zhuohui laughed in self-mockery.
Qi Chengyue grimaced. Composed, she said, “Back then, I truly was very snobbish and pompous. I had a horrible personality. If you had pursued me, you might have been put off by my sarcasm and bitter personality. You wouldn’t only have stopped liking me, you would have ended up hating me too.”
“If that’s the case, it seems like I got lucky,” Li Zhuohui chuckled.
…
…
“Miss Jiang, I apologize for wasting your time. The truth is, there’s someone I like.” Cheng Dongge stated calmly.
They were currently at Shengyue. He was afraid that if they were at a restaurant near Qilin, some colleagues might see them and start spreading rumors again.
Cheng Dongge understood what Qi Chengzhi was trying to achieve, but he had decided that he did not want to use such methods. He already had someone he liked, yet he went on a blind date solely to provoke Qi Chengyue. It was unfair to his date.
Moreover, he did not see Qi Chengyue get upset.
When he first heard the idea of a blind date, he did not believe it would work. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiyao seemed to genuinely like him, as she had come directly to Qilin to see him. He had no choice but to clarify things immediately.
Jiang Xiyao was taken aback. She turned to face the window, gazing out without uttering a word. Suddenly, she murmured, “Yesterday night, I saw you chasing an Audi TT when you left. The person you like is the girl in the car, isn’t it?”
Cheng Dongge did not reply. Jiang Xiyao smiled faintly. She stared at her hand, which was holding a cup and slowly rubbing the handle. “I should be mad at you. You like someone else, yet you came on a blind date. Hearing you admit it so frankly, though, I somehow can’t be mad.”
Jiang Xiyao looked at Cheng Dongge earnestly. “Truthfully speaking, my expectations for men are high. I look into various aspects, Not only status and capability, character and many other traits are important too. The reason I agreed to meet you was that I’ve heard about you before. In spite of that, after going out with you just once, I was quite impressed. You met all of my criteria, so I wanted to try developing a relationship with you. Can you tell me who the girl you like is?”
“No, I can’t,” Cheng Dongge replied without hesitation. “I’m still trying to pursue her. Honestly, I only went on a blind date to provoke her, but, in the end, I’m the one whose heart is aching. Even so, it’s my business, I don’t have to reveal anything to others.”
Seeing Cheng Dongge’s stubborn personality, Jiang Xiyao surprisingly kept her cool.
Jiang Xiyao smiled and said, “Since you’re still trying to pursue her, that means anything can happen. This girl you like… it’s Qi Chengyue, isn’t it?”
Cheng Dongge did not expect her to guess right on the first try. He nodded and admitted, “Miss Jiang, how astute of you.”
“I saw that it was Qi Chengyue driving that car yesterday. Besides, when she saw us this afternoon, her expression was ghastly. The things you said to the reporters that day… I first thought it was because Qi Chengzhi commanded you to help her out, but, after hearing what you said at the end, I realized you were speaking from the heart.” Jiang Xiyao took a deep breath, stood up, and sighed heavily.
“Since you like Qi Chengyue, now I know who my love rival is. I think I have a chance to compete with Qi Chengyue. Although the Jiang family cannot compete with the Qi family in terms of wealth, she has three brothers while I only have one. If you look at how property is going to be split amongst siblings, I would get as much as she does. When it comes to looks and character, it’s not for me to decide. I won’t bring up her divorce– that would be vile– but the reality is that I’m better than her in that regard.”
“Since I’ve finally met someone I like, I will give it my all to pursue you. You two aren’t together yet, so now’s my chance to compete with her fairly,” Jiang Xiyao announced confidently.
Cheng Dongge stood up without saying anything. He did not comment on her words, but merely said, “I’ll send you home.”
“My car is parked at Qilin. You can just fetch me back to Qilin,” Jiang Xiyao replied.
…
…
Cheng Dongge stopped at the parking lot in front of Qilin. A black Barbus happened to have stopped there as well. After a while, he saw Li Zhuohui getting off and walking toward the passenger seat. Li Zhuohui opened the door and Qi Chengyue emerged from the car.
Jiang Xiyao got out of the backseat and took a glance at Qi Chengyue and Li Zhuohui from a distance. She saw Cheng Dongge get out and stare at Qi Chengyue conspicuously.
Jiang Xiyao smirked. “It seems like you have a love rival too. I hear that Li Zhuohui and Qi Chengyue were schoolmates.”
Cheng Dongge took a quick look at her and simply said, “Miss Jiang, be careful on the road.”
After that, he left.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were on their way to the 4S shop. It was the same shop in which his car was sent to be fixed.
In the car, Song Yu was visibly uneasy. She turned to Qi Chengzhi. His face gave off a righteous feeling.
When they stopped at a red light, Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Do you remember the day I had lunch with Jian Yi to celebrate me receiving the Qilin Hotel project? The day Chengyue confronted me?” asked Song Yu. The light turned green, so Qi Chengzhi shifted his gaze back onto the road.
“Uh-huh,” he answered.
“You told me you didn’t know about Jian Yi and Chengyue’s relationship back then, yet just now you mentioned that, when Jian Yi was pursuing her, a bunch of other young men from different families were going after her too. If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean you knew from early on that she was in a relationship with Jian Yi?” It had been on Song Yu’s mind for a long time but she did not want to confront him in front of Qi Chengyue. So she had kept it in until they were alone.
Qi Chengzhi had accidentally let it slip. He had not expected her to notice.
“Say something,” Song Yu prodded. From his silence, she could tell what was going on in his head.
She guessed that he had known about Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue’s relationship since the very beginning. Even so, he had not told her. He had wanted her to find out for herself.
Song Yu felt that she was extremely foolish back then. Especially since she found out that Qi Chengzhi knew about it the entire time, yet she still had sincere feelings for Jian Yi. It was all too embarrassing.
“Why are you still so caught up with that? Now you want to hold me accountable?” Qi Chengzhi looked at her composedly.
“What are you saying?!” Song Yu hissed, “It was so humiliating. If you knew back then, why didn’t you tell me? You could have saved me all that shame.”
Qi Chengzhi chuckled. His elegant hand reached for hers. Holding her hand, he pointed out, “If I did tell you, would you have believed me? Wouldn’t you have thought I was sabotaging your relationship with Jian Yi?”
Song Yu paused. Hastily, she said, “It’s in the past, let’s not think about it.”
Qi Chengzhi was rendered speechless.
Was she not the one who had brought it up to begin with?
When they reached the 4S shop, the manager thought Qi Chengzhi was there to check their progress on his car. Hurriedly, he explained, “Mister Qi, we have started working on your car, but the damage is quite severe. Even so, we will get it done next week.”
“I’m here to look for a new car,” Qi Chengzhi said coolly.
“Then the car…?” the manager asked.
“It still needs to be fixed,” Qi Chengzhi clarified.
“Oh, all right!” The manager was delighted to hear that. Eagerly, he asked, “Mister Qi, what car would you like to see?”
“Another Range Rover. Can we get the car immediately?” Qi Chengzhi asked as he brought Song Yu inside.
“Yes. Yes, you can.” The manager nodded. “Once you have chosen your car, we can go through the required procedures immediately, so you can bring the car home right away.”
Qi Chengzhi looked for a car similar to the one he had. In the end, he settled for the deluxe version in the same series. Since he had been driving the car for four years, the one he bought was a new model.
Even though it was a new model, there were only minor differences in the configuration. Overall, there were not many variations.
Qi Chengzhi rang Chang Lai and asked him to drive the new Range Rover to get it registered. It was registered with the old car’s license plate number. After Chang Lai was done, he could pick Song Yu up after work with the new car.
That afternoon, they still had to drive the Jaguar back. Song Yu thought of the car that was being repaired. “How is the investigation into the accident going?”
“There’s not much to go on. Besides, it has only been a few days. The car did not have a license plate. From the footage of Viewpark Residence’s security camera, we can barely make out that the vehicle was a Hummer. Even so, there are many Hummers in B City. Besides, there’s no way we can link the vehicle to Jian Yi. It’s almost definitely a smuggled car or belongs to a leasing company, though the latter is unlikely. Cheng Dongge has looked into every single repair workshop in B City, but the culprit must have gone to an illegal workshop. What I fear the most is that they may have sent the car out of the district. The country is massive. We would be looking for a needle in a haystack.
“Chang Lai is investigating smuggled vehicles. If it’s from one of the larger organizations in B City, things would be much easier,” QI Chengzhi explained, “As for Jian Yi, we know he would not have done this himself. Besides, our private investigator has a confirmed alibi for him on the night of the accident. We can only wait to see if he hired someone to do it.”
Song Yu did not expect it to be so complicated. Every passing day that the culprit was left unchecked, she worried. She was afraid that the culprit might appear again and harm Qi Chengzhi, or even…
“Don’t worry.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ve hired someone to keep an eye on Jian Yi.”
…
…
At the Jian family’s home, Zhou Mingyan had two guests over. They were her colleagues. She had retired last year, but, since the two were two years younger than her, they were still working.
They lived nearby. The whole area was almost entirely populated by Zhou Mingyan and Jian Shifu’s colleagues.
These few buildings were staff buildings constructed by Jian Shifu’s team 30 years ago. At that time, housing prices were not as ridiculous as they were now, so many people in the team took advantage of their staff privileges and bought units there.
Zhou Mingyan and her group were allocated the units at the back. It was very close to where she lived then. Back then, she did not buy any, but her two colleagues did.
The two of them had heard rumors that she and Jian Shifu wanted a divorce. She was not sure whether they were here to console her or to laugh at her.
Zhou Mingyan had not agreed to the divorce yet. Their family register was still firmly grasped in her hands. She did not want a divorce.
“It’s nothing,” Zhou Mingyan said with a fake smile. “We just don’t agree on some things, so we had an argument. It’s true that it was quite a bad fight, but Lao Jian is just throwing a tantrum. Let him cool his head for a few days, then everything will return to normal. We have been husband and wife for decades. I know his temper well. This has happened before, but didn’t we push through it just fine? There’s no couple in the world that has never fought before. The threats tossed out in the heat of an argument; how could anyone believe them?”
“Aiyah! That’s right, I need to call my daughter-in-law.” Zhou Mingyan took out the new phone that Guan Xiaolin had given her before Jian Yi’s divorce.
“Daughter-in-law?” Zheng Cuilan was stunned. “Isn’t Jian Yi divorced? Even so, you’re still so close with your daughter-in-law?”
“Not that one,” Zhou Mingyan said rather smugly, “Jian Yi is quite a lovable man. Isn’t there another young lady from a rich family who wants to be with him no matter what?”
“Oh, now I remember. It’s that Guan Xiaolin who was on the news, isn’t it?” Zhang Huizhi said, “In the news, it is said that she was already together with Jian Yi before his divorce. The Qi family found out about it so they wanted a divorce, isn’t it?”
“There’s no such thing!” Zhou Mingyan’s expression was suddenly thunderous. “How can you trust the news! Isn’t the Qi family just trying to keep their name clean, so they distort the truth and drag my Jian Yi through the mud?! My Jian Yi has no money or power; of course he can’t win against them!”
At that moment, Guan Xiaolin answered the phone. Zhou Mingyan instantly beamed with happiness. In a curiously tender voice, she said, “Xiaolin! It’s me, Jian Yi’s mother.
“No, I just missed you, so I decided to ring you up. You haven’t come to visit for quite some time. I miss you.
“What? You’re feeling unwell? What’s wrong? Should I pay you a visit? Whatever you feel like eating, your aunt will make it for you.
“Oh, I see. All right, rest well!” Zhou Mingyan hung up. She guffawed with delight. “I already see this child as my daughter-in-law. She respects her elders and knows how to read the room before saying anything, unlike the previous one– always getting on my nerves! To get on Jian Yi’s good side, Guan Xiaolin is very nice to me. This phone I’m holding was a gift from her.”
“She told you she’s feeling unwell?” Zheng Cuilan asked. In those words, she hid her own agenda.
“Why do you ask?” Zhou Mingyan responded curiously.
“Oh, isn’t my girl working as a nurse in the Chutian Hospital?” Zheng Cuilan was always ecstatic when talking about her daughter.
Zhou Mingyan did not like it when she did that. Ever since her daughter was accepted by Chutian Hospital, she had been blowing her own horn every day.
“Due to the news the last few days, Guan Xiaolin is now quite well-known. When she was accepted into the hospital, the news spread like wildfire among the doctors and nurses. My girl told me that Guan Xiaolin was there for an abortion surgery. Since she’s feeling unwell, I’m guessing that it’s because she’s still in the hospital recovering from the surgery. I heard that she’ll be discharged tomorrow and that she’ll be headed to the confinement center behind the hospital.” Zheng Cuilan suddenly came to a realization. Her expression changed as she turned to Zhou Mingyan. “That child isn’t Jian Yi’s, is it?
“Wait, that’s not right. You claimed Jian Yi got together with her after his divorce, but the divorce was only a few days ago!” Zheng Cuilan looked at Zhou Mingyan with some empathy in her eyes. “Could it be that she had a child with someone else then got dumped? That’s why she hastily ran into Jian Yi’s arms. Didn’t you say she wants to be with Jian Yi no matter what? Maybe I’m right. Otherwise, why would a rich lady like her—”
“What are you saying! That child is Jian Yi’s!” Zhou Mingyan interrupted Zheng Cuilan furiously.
“Ah, that means they were together before Jian Yi’s divorce? So she’s a mistress! Jian Yi was having an affair! How indecent.” Zheng Cuilan shook her head and said dejectedly, “Even so, why did they throw away the child? Their relationship is going well, right? Is it because they’re too young? Jian Yi is approaching 30 years old; if he still doesn’t want a child, then when will he want one?”
Zheng Cuilan blinked. She scooched to the edge of her seat and leaned toward Zhou Mingyan. “Or… the Guan family doesn’t agree?”
Zhou Mingyan could not take it anymore. She leapt from her seat, grabbed her bag, and yelled, “I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you two here any longer!”
Zheng Cuilan and Zhang Huizhi exchanged glances and snickered. “It’s about time we left, too. We’ve got some stuff to do.”
…
…
Clutching her bag, Zhou Mingyan was wrathful. She called a cab instead of taking the public bus and went directly to Chutian Hospital. She asked for Guan Xiaolin’s room number and was surprised to learn that she was still in the hospital.
With a downcast expression, Zhou Mingyan stormed into the elevator. Once she reached Guan Xiaolin’s room, she looked into the window and saw that there was only Guan Xiaolin and a maternity matron.
The matron that the Guan family employed was a Hakka lady, so she knew plenty about foods that help the body recover.
In that moment, Guan Xiaolin was drinking chicken soup with wine that her matron had stewed for her. Suddenly, the door swung open. Guan Xiaolin looked up and saw Zhou Mingyan entering the room. Taken by surprise, she asked, “Auntie, why are you here?”
“Didn’t you say you were sick? I came to visit you,” Zhou Mingyan responded coldly. “What kind of illness do you have? You look fine to me.”
Guan Xiaolin placed the bowl on her bedside table but did not say a word.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you too ashamed to talk to me? Too ashamed to look at me?” Zhou Mingyan hissed, clenching her teeth.
“It looks like you already know. That’s right. I had an abortion.” Guan Xiaolin was in no mood to deal with Zhou Mingyan. Zhou Mingyan was not the only one infuriated– Guan Xiaolin was doubly so. The Qi family pushed her to the point where she had to abort her own child. How could she possibly accept that?
Seeing Zhou Mingyan have the nerve to interrogate her as if she was some common criminal, she was all the more enraged.
She had never liked Zhou Mingyan. She had only put up with her to get on her good side.
“It’s all because of the Qi—” Just as Guan Xiaolin was about to say the word ‘Qi’, she was slapped by Zhou Mingyan’s bag.
The bag had a metal base. As the bag swung toward her, the edge of it hit her face, tearing a cut near her temple.
Guan Xiaolin was overwhelmed with pain; she did not realize how weak she was from the surgery. Her face was pale. From a single hit from Zhou Mingyan, she collapsed back on the bed.
Before she could sit back up, Zhou Mingyan’s bag swung again.
Zhou Mingyan had lost it. She did not hear a word Guan Xiaolin said after that. She grabbed her hair, pulled her head up, and continued hitting her with her bag.
“How could you abort Jian Yi’s child?! How could you abort my Jian family’s child?! How could you abort my grandchild?! You couldn’t even tell me– do you think you’re so great just because you’re rich?! You didn’t even discuss this with Jian Yi, did you? When I called you, you didn’t even think about informing me! Aborting your own child, just how wicked are you?!” Zhou Mingyan had gone crazy with rage. She kept hitting and hitting her.
Guan Xiaolin’s matron knew that things were escalating too far. She rushed to get help, but, by the time she returned, Zhou Mingyan had dragged Guan Xiaolin down from the bed. Guan Xiaolin was sprawled flat on the floor.
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