Of course, this was all an act, Qin Hao’s way of expressing his fake grief. He couldn’t just smile and say that he was happy about his father’s death in front of everyone. He couldn’t leap into the air with glee and thank the heavens that his father had died without discovering the facts about Lily and Qin Chuan.
“I…” Qin Hao clutched his chest dramatically. “Father? Are you saying that my father is dead?” As if on cue, a single tear instantly rolled down his cheek.
“Mr. Qin? Are you alright?” the doctor asked. His concern evident from the expression on his face. “Go get Mr. Qin a glass of water,” he instructed the maid. As the maid raced off to do his bidding, the doctor asked again, “Mr. Qin? Are you alright?”
“I… I need some air,” Qin Hao said as he staggered towards his office. “Find the butler and try to call Zhang Yifei. Inform them of the Patriarch’s death. Aside from them… I don’t want anyone else to know yet,” he said before disappearing down the hallway.
“What do you think will happen now?” one maid asked another as they looked at the now deserted hallway.
“I don’t know. The Second Master seems to be grief stricken by the death of the Patriarch. The only thing that we can do now is wait,” she replied.
….
“Really?” Lily asked. “You had him killed?”
“Him dying while still wondering what went wrong was the best outcome,” Zhuo Jingren shrugged dismissively. “I am no God, but his behaviour and actions towards his son after he became disabled were a big indication that his death would not be a loss because the world can stand to lose one more greedy jerk who also happens to be a bad father. I mean… I know that most people would choose a talented and able-bodied person over a disabled one even while knowing how biased and prejudiced that way of thinking is, but he was a father and Qin Chuan was not just any ‘cripple’, he was his son.” He made a paused as he stared at Lily’s reaction. Seeing that there is none, he continued.
“The Old Man should have been the first person to support Qin Chuan, not the first person to dismiss his intelligence with the ignorant misconception that a broken body equates with an inferior intellect. He was supposed to act like a father, especially at a time like that. How could he believe a stranger over his own son? How could he neglect and discard his own child? If Old Man Qin didn’t exist then Zhang Yifei’s manipulation and Qin Hao’s lying would come to an end.”
“Well… I trust you on this. Really.” Lily answered. “But… you know… I still think that it would have been better if he had survived. Imagine the look on his face once…”
“There you go again, hatching scenarios and playing games,” Zhuo Jingren said seriously. “At this point. I’m not gonna let you start with all that again. I agree, my methods are different from yours but my way will save us time, effort and brain cells. Nevertheless, we both know that the outcome of your plan and mine are pretty much the same. I don’t think you’ll regret allowing me to take the lead in this matter.”
“I’m not going to regret it,” Lily replied swiftly. “I was just… a little surprised, that’s all.”
“Hmmm,” Zhuo Jingren nodded. “At the time of his death, I sent Zhang Yifei a few messages that prompted her to leave the mansion. Then I transferred the shares that I was able to obtain to her name. If Qin Hao is smart, he will connect the dots and think that it was Zhang Yifei who killed his father, acquired the stocks, and ran away. This will incite him to chase after her. I also made Zhang Yifei think that it was Qin Hao who kidnapped her family.”
“Perfect,” Lily responded with a nod. “And Qin Wuyang?”
“I’m not sure if you’ll still be interested in talking to him. It’s been two days since we caught him and… he has been suffering,” Zhuo Jingren said.
“Oh…What about the others?”
“Dead,” he answered without batting an eye. “Qin Mimi, Zhang Chen, and his daughter Ziyi, aka Qin Yuanfeng’s fake girlfriend. They were all pawns, pawns who were given a knife by Zhang Yifei which they then wielded against others. All of them deserve one thing… one ending.”
Zhuo Jingren’s words left Lily speechless. She stared at his serious expression as she bit her lower lip lightly. “So what are we going to do next?” she asked. Lily couldn’t deny that Zhuo Jingren was capable – very capable. And for some reason, him being so protective of her was making her feel something she didn’t recognize.
Maybe it was wrong- hell. She knows it was wrong. Him killing people to protect her. This was all wrong! But for some reason it made her feel emotions that she didn’t know she was capable of feeling.
Lily remembered how helpless she had been seven years ago. After that, she had learned not to rely on anyone, but then Zhuo Jingren’s words floated through her thoughts: ‘You can always rely on me to meet you halfway.’ This statement seemed to have given her the assurance that this relationship, this marriage, and this partnership would not be one that would suppress her. Instead, it will enhance her work and her life. This relationship is capable of multiplying her blessings, leaving Lily rich in wealth and rich in love.
“What’s next? You decide,” Zhuo Jingren said in all seriously. His task is done. Now it’s his wife’s turn to decide. “I have taken care of the people who could cause you the greatest harm. Now… it’s your turn to decide.”
“Ohhh… then I guess you already know what I want, don’t you?” Lily laughed softly as he eyes drifted to the beautiful painting of her which graced their living room. She lazily leaned back, her head resting on the back of the couch. Unhurriedly, she shifted her gaze towards Zhuo Jingren, who was steeping tea in front of her.
“You want the Qin Group,” he stated as his lips lifted into a smile. “How will you manage all of these companies? You have been running around and working your ass off with the Facci Group. You are about to obtain Wang Construction, followed by the Qin Group,” Zhuo Jingren paused to make sure that he had her full attention. “With this schedule it will be hard to maintain a good relationship. When will you find time for me?”
“Oh… Shut up!” Lily rolled her eyes as she burst into laughter. “You sound like a white lotus wife and please…. Please stop pouting! Please don’t…” She held her hand up as she looked at his pouty face and laughed even more.
“What else can I do? Once you have another company under your umbrella… When will we find time to… cultivate our marriage?” he asked. His melancholy could be heard in his tone of voice but a small smile was playing on his gorgeous lips. “You still owe me a marriage. Don’t forget that.”
“Excuse me?” Lily asked as she dramatically widened her eyes. “Aren’t we already married?”
“Ah… so you think a marriage on paper is enough to pay for my first?” he said as he sat next to her. “You promised to marry me all over the world, my dear.” He pulled her towards him and kissed her temple. “If you’re managing another company as big as the Qin Group, how will you find the time to marry me on every continent on the planet?”
