Qin Residence, Hong Kong
“How could this have happened?” Old Man Qin furrowed his brows as he listened to his men report the details of the explosion. “Our security is pretty tight! There is no way that a bomb could even get inside our facilities, okay! Qin Hao will take care of everything once we return to China! Keep me updated,” he said before he ended the call. His face was dark as he shifted his gaze to Zhang Yifei.
“What was that all about, Yifei?” he asked.
“Father… what are you… I don’t understand.” Zhang Yifei’s tears appeared instantaneously. She blinked and streams of tears instantly fell down her cheeks. She grew pale while her eyes grew red and a sorrowful expression was plastered all over her face. “She was the one who slandered my father like that. She does not even show respect for the dead. How… how could she?”
“Yifei…” Qin Hao instantly consoled his woman as he stroked her back. He badly wanted to hug her right now and protect her from the world, but they could not show their affection in front of Old Man Qin. “You should stop crying and think about how to make that woman pay instead.”
“Hao… she blames me and I understand that. I truly do. I, too, grew up without my parents. But… she wants to ruin my reputation and even worse, she wants the people who raised me to abandon me. I can’t… I don’t know… I am afraid. I am afraid of what Lily might be capable of.”
“We cannot underestimate her,” Old Man Qin said with a sigh. “You and Qin Hao should go home tonight. I want this resolved in three days at most. I don’t want this incident to attract the government’s attention.”
“What about you, Father?” Qin Hao’s face instantly showed an expression of alarm. Did his father plan to stay here? Did he plan to have a conversation with Lily? Qin Hao instantly frowned at the thought of them meeting. He would never allow that to happen!
“I will wait for Qin Chuan,” Old Man Qin said. “Lily is very dangerous. I want to see that my son is safe and sound before I return to China.”
“But Father… you just said it: Lily is dangerous and unpredictable. She is extremely ruthless and completely crazy. You shouldn’t risk your safety by staying here. How about you go back to China while I stay here and ensure that Elder Brother is safe?”
“Father, I think Qin Hao has a point. You are still our patriarch. Your safety is our top priority. We should not…”
“I already said what I wanted. Go home. I can handle this myself,” Old Man Qin said, cutting Zhang Yifei off. “I would also like to see what kind of person this Lily is. She is still my granddaughter after all.”
“But…”
“No buts,” Old Man Qin interrupted Qin Hao again. “You and Yifei are to go home and make sure that everyone is safe. You and Mimi should manage the company well at times like this. I am counting on you and your daughter to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”
A sinister glint instantly flashed in Qin Hao’s eyes as he lowered his head. Could he really allow his father to talk to Lily and discover the truth? He knew that the old man already suspected something. Qin Hao mentally swore at Lily as he gritted his teeth. “Alright, I’ll do as you suggest…,” he agreed as he raised his chin and gave his father a serious look, “…but if anything happens to you, I swear… I will kill that Lily and whoever is helping her,” he declared, his voice full of conviction. He had already made up his mind and was planning to use this to win the war against Lily.
After Qin Hao agreed to his plans, the old man nodded in understanding before sending the two out of his room. He wanted to rest – and of course – call his contacts to investigate. A person who as influential as Lily Qin would never act irrationally or risk wasting her time without a valid reason. There is just no way that Lily would do this to them just because she wanted to ruin them.
For some reason, the old man recalled Lily’s smile and instantly remembered Qin Chuan’s blank expression. When Lily took Qin Chuan, his son didn’t even bother to say anything. He just lowered his head, his face completely unfathomable. Did that mean he’d been expecting this to happen?
What about Qin Yuanfeng? Does Lily also know about her twin brother? If so… is it possible that she already has him in captivity?
….
Meanwhile, the atmosphere between Lily and her father was completely awkward. While Lily was smiling as she ate the peeled grapes offered by Zhuo Jingren, Qin Chuan merely stared at her. No words, no tears, no interaction whatsoever. It was as if he was trying to memorize her features, her actions and everything about her.
“Aren’t…”
“How…” Lily’s words came to a halt when both of them spoke at the same time. Seeing Lily pause and slowly nod at him, Qin Chuan continued. “How did she die? Your… Your mother… Bec, how did she die?”
Lily arched a brow at his question. No ‘hello’s or hi’s… no how are you’s either. He didn’t even ask if she was aware of who he is?! But what did she expect from someone with Qin blood? Aren’t they all crazy when it comes to their lovers?
“Do you want me to lie to you to make you feel better? Or hurt you with the truth?” Lily asked in response. Lily sighed as Qin Chuan continued to look at her blankly. “I don’t know,” she said, earning a small reaction from her father. “They only gave me her ashes. I don’t know if she died of blood loss or from the impact. Or if they took her heart out of her. I really don’t know,” Lily said as she met his eyes.
“The only thing that I know for certain is that she was murdered due to a case of mistaken identity,” Lily added. Her words were cold and detached as if she were relaying facts to someone that she didn’t know. Like a stranger. And as expected, her words caused Qin Chuan to frown immediately.
“Was it Zhang Yifei?” he asked, his jaw clenched.
“Yes.” Lily nodded. “It was her.”
“Where is Yuanfeng? Is he alive?”
“Yes…” Once again she nodded. This time, Qin Chuan’s eyes showed gentleness as he gave Lily a nod of approval. “It has been so long- I can’t even remember the last time that I felt relieved. Knowing that you and your brother are together and alive is enough for me. I would like to retire now. If you don’t mind, please leave me.”
“That’s it?” Lily asked. Seeing her father remain silent, Lily balled her hands into fists and rose from her seat. “I will talk to you once you are ready,” she said before walking out of the room with an unfathomable expression on her face.
Once upon a time, when she was a little girl, all she wished for and all that she wanted was to be happy, marry a prince, give birth and take care of her parents. Obviously, her life story was not like those fairytales that her mother used to read to her.
Now that she thought about it. Lily felt that was alone. She had no one. Everyone who cared for her was dead and now, her brother and father… well she could not even see a tinge of emotion from their eyes.
A small tear slowly made its way down her cheek as she walked until she hit something hard. Lily was about to swear when she realized that she had bumped into Zhuo Jingren. She met his dark brown eyes as she swallowed all of the emotions that were erupting inside her. She felt him wipe the tear from her cheek and lift her chin a little higher.
“You have me,” he said. “I have you.” Then he smiled at her, his eyes gentle, full of unspoken emotions. “We already have each other. That is enough.”
