Chapter 46
“Who is he?”
Zhou Cheng did not say a word, only watched her silently ;in his eyes there was a trace of… pity.
.
It was so cold, Yan Liang could not help shivering.
As if mysteriously and inexorably guided by an unseen force, Yan Liang was pulled towards the picture on the tombstone. The silence and the biting cold interweaved together to form a trap from which Yan Liang could not escape. In a broken voice, she asked,”Is he really…”
“ Jiang Shi Jun visited him yesterday,” a familiar female voice sounded, interrupting Yan Liang’s words.
Yan Liang looked back and saw Xu Ziqing.
The inexplicable anger she was holding in her heart suddenly burst forth when she saw Xu Ziqing standing in front of her ,” How is Jiang Shi Jun’s friends any of my business? You made Zhou Cheng bring me over because of this ?”
As she said these words, Yan Liang could not help glance at Zhou Cheng on the side, but he had his head down in silence.
As she witnessed this scene, Yan Liang felt like laughing. How could she forget that this man’s world always revolved around Xu Ziqing, what had she expected ?
There was no need to say anymore. She turned to go back when her foot was nailed in place by Xu Ziqing’s next comment…
“ Dont you think the eyebrows”, Xu Ziqing raised her chin towards the photo on the tombstone, “ resemble that of another person?”
＂……＂ “…”
“Someone you and I are very familiar with…”
*** ***
As soon as the taxi stopped, Yan Liang paid the fare to the driver and rushed out , running all the way to the door. She ran through the vestibule garden , straight into the house. Aunt Liang had just sent off the staff of the funeral company and Yan Liang bumped into her.
Finally when she regained her balance, she looked at Yan Liang with surprise. Yan Liang had just left the house a few hours ago and was already back ? She asked ,”Why did you come back ?”
Yan Liang was panting. She waved her hand , had no time to answer any further and bypassing aunt Liang , ran towards the stairs.
She reached the study in the second floor where they had earlier gathered to read the will. At this moment the study was empty. From her memory, she knew there was a safe under the desk in the study. She squatted there, wondering what the password to the lock was.
Suddenly she got and went to the door. Looking downstairs, she shouted, “ Aunt Liang, call my mother ..”
As soon as she stopped talking, she could see her mother come to the stairway.
Yan Mu looked up to see her daughter standing on the second floor landing.
“ Aunt Liang told me you have returned..” Yan Mu frowned , “ what happened ?”
Yan Liang did not want to explain so much, she asked ,” What is the password to the safe ?”
As soon as she got the answer, she at last opened the safe. She hurriedly took out all the files in the safe. Yan Mu watched her and asked, “ What are you looking for ?”
She did not seem to be interested in the contents of the files. She was just focusing on the last page to see the final signatures on the document. But even after a long time , she could not find what she was looking for
The desk was scattered with several contracts. Yan Liang rose, and while she continued to rummage through the contracts she asked , “Mom , have you ever heard of a man called Song Ji Peng?
“Song Ji Peng?”, Yan Mu frowned for a long time and then shook her head,” no I haven’t .”
Yan Liang’s brain flashed the three words on the epitaph, ‘Song Ji Peng.’ She suddenly felt her head ache, after a pause, she looked at the next document, “ I seem to remember seeing the name in one of the documents Dad had, are they all in the safe ?”
“ Do you want to go to the company’s archives to see the files stored digitally ?”
“ I think this was years before the company implemented the digitisation of files.”
Yan Mu wanted to help but was powerless, “ I don’t always intervene in the matters of the company.”
Yan Mu also helped her look through some documents but they did not find the name they were looking for.Suddenly she realised something and put the file down,” You may wish to ask Secretary Liu. She worked for your father for decades, she may be able to help you.”
Secretary Liu?
Yan Liang did not give up till she saw the last contract.
Looking at the table littered with files, Yan Liang sighed. Then she took out her phone and tried to dial the number of Secretary Liu.
After being dismissed by Xu Jin Fu, Yan Liang only had a private number to contact her. But the number was picked up by her son who said she had gone back home to visit her relatives.
“When will she come back ?”
“……” “…”
Her son was obviously not co operative and kept silent. Yan Liang paused, but she could only press on and tried to change her tone to a more reasonable one,” Or..can you give me a number where I can immediately contact her ?”
There was a sneer at the other end, and then he spoke mockingly, “ My mother spent her entire life for the Xu family, then you abruptly dismissed her and did not even speak to her. Now you are suddenly so anxious. I’m sorry. I do not want her to be disturbed by her old life again.”
“I am really sorry about that, but I have some urgent…”
She heard a ‘snap’ on the other side, the phone had been banged down.
**** ****
Finally Yan Liang found the whereabouts of Secretary Liu two days later.
These two days, Yan Liang was still saying with her mother in the mansion. She was determined to accompany her mother so Jiang Yu Nan no longer forced her.
Today was the day Xu Jin fu would be buried.
Yan Liang stood beside her mother , meeting the guests. Most only said one sentence ,” We are sorry for your loss.” She was indifferent to what they were saying and was only immersed in her own thoughts.
As she looked at the people walking towards her, she suddenly thought she saw a glimpse of Secretary Liu. Almost subconsciously, she looked at Secretary Lee and Jiang Yu Nan.
As Yan Liang had not disclosed her marriage, Jiang Yu Nan had come with the others in the role of a company CEO attending the funeral of the company chairman. Like the other employees, he was also a guest. Someone handed him a white chrysanthemum while reminding him to put it on the coffin, just like the other guests were doing.
Jiang Yu Nan did not speak, holding the white chrysanthemum in his hand, he walked towards Yan Liang.
He nodded slightly at Yan Mu. Yan Mu gave him an apologetic smile,”Yu Nan, since after all, you did not have a wedding, taking into account the rules, we could not allow you to attend the cremation.”
“It does not matter.”
His behaviour was very generous, and Yan Mu was very satisfied with his answer. Yan Liang stared straight at her husband. Yan Mu looked up and saw several acquaintances at the entrance and said, “ I will leave you two young people to talk alone.”
Yan Liang looked at Jiang Yu Nan’s eyebrows. She was occupied by her thoughts for a few seconds after her mother left. Then she pulled herself up, and knitted her eyebrows and asked him,” What is the situation in the company for the past few days ?”
Jiang Yu Nan shook his head.
“ Did you not sleep well these few days ? Your face has become thin”, Jiang Yu Nan raised his hand and touched her cheek.
( Miumiu : see see.. he cares ! He cares ! Logical side of Miumiu’s brain .. he’s just acting! )
Yan Liang tried to smile at him, although her smile appeared reluctant. Till her gaze landed over Jiang Yu Nan’s shoulders; not far away Xu Ziqing was standing.
“ I heard Jiang Shi Jun call Jiang Yu Nan about going together to the grave..”
Jiang Shi Jun called Jiang Yu Nan about going to the grave together …
Yan Liang’s smile instantly disintegrated.
Fortunately at this time, both of them heard the phone ringing. Yan Liang’s mouth stiffened and as she bowed down her head, under the cover of her hair , her expression changed . She took the phone out of her pocket.
She signalled at the phone and took two steps away to answer it.
This was a strange number. Yan Liang picked up the phone ,”Hello”
The other party called her with the usual title, “ Miss Yan?”
Yan Liang was stunned, “ Secretary Liu?”
Miumiu : So we wait for the next chapter to figure out what the mystery of Song Ji Peng is.
