“So are you going to Mainland China?” Lily asked this time.
“Yes.” Zhou Jingren answered without batting an eyelid. At this point, knowing the identity of their hidden enemy was the top priority.
“When?”
“Tonight. But don’t worry, I will be back by the end of tomorrow and Qin Yuanfeng will stay with you for tonight.”
“Oh.” She turned silent. “But you will accompany me in the Qin Mansion, right?”
“Of course.” He held her hand. “I will leave with Go Jichen after dinner.”
“Alright.” She smiled and turned towards the road. “What about Zhou Huifang?”
“Bei Tian is watching him. Once Zhou Huifang finds out that Qi Xia’s was not one of the casualties who suffered from the explosion, he might try to escape. Once he does that, Bei Tian will apprehend him.”
A sigh escaped Lily’s lips. She truly hoped that this would be over soon.
…..
Qin Mansion, Hong Kong
“Are you not planning to sell this house?” Qin Yuanfeng asked the moment they stepped out of the car. He eyed the huge house in front of them.
“I am planning to sell this. However, I am so busy that I didn’t have the chance to check this place out. I know both my grandmother and grandfather have vaults, and I wanted to check them, personally.”
“Eh? Are you hoping that they left some gold or money in their vaults?”
“Diamonds.” She smirked. “But you were close. Keep trying.” She chuckled and walked hand in hand with her husband towards the mansion.
“So, when they left they didn’t take the furniture with them?”
“The furniture is a part of this house. Taking them would make it look like they can’t afford to buy new ones. I mean, they wouldn’t want everyone to think that they don’t have any money.” Lily explained to her husband. “It is a matter of pride.” She eyed the grand interior of the house. “I lived in the back of the mansion. In the servant’s quarters with — my mother.”
“Mother?” It was Qin Yuanfeng. “In servant’s quarters?”
“Hmmm. At first, I had my own room, which was not even half of Qin Fei’s room, but mother wanted us to at least stay with each other. Of course, I didn’t have a problem with that. But… they had a problem having her stay inside the mansion. So instead of her moving into my room… I moved into her room.” Lily smiled. It was as if she could see her past self running around the living room. “Of course… This was a secret. Not one of Tang Lingyun’s socialite friends knew that I am living at the back of the mansion.”
“So… when you stopped going to school you were staying in a dilapidated space with your mother?”
“Hey! It’s not dilapidated!” Lily retorted. “It was a small house but not to the point that we can call it dilapidated. It had some small holes on the roof, but it’s not a big deal since it was not directed to our beds. So we could still sleep even when it rained.” She beamed. “And I didn’t think too much about that. I was pretty simple back then.”
“Yeah, I remember.” Zhou Jingren chuckled as they advanced towards the second floor of the mansion. “You were pretty simple.”
“And cute too.” She smiled. “Don’t forget about that.”
“Of course, you are cute. A little underweight, but cute.”
“Hey! I am not skinny!”
“You are!”
“Am not!”
“Skinny and short.”
“Are you calling me a dwarf?”
“Who said that you were a dwarf!?”
“You just said it now!”
Qin Yuanfeng could only shake his head inwardly as he watched the couple argue back and forth. He knew that Lily didn’t have a grand life growing up. However, he didn’t know the specifics of her past. Now that he thought about it, hers was actually more tragic than his life.
While Qin Yuanfeng was sitting in a mansion being treated like a true young master, Lily had to live in a small space with their mother. Slowly irritation flashed in his eyes. Bec Facci was really selfish to let her daughter suffer like that just because they scared her into hurting him. Was it alright for Lily to suffer so that he could live a comfortable life?
In the end, that life may sound luxurious on the outside, but Qin Yuanfeng knew how horrible it was to live with his controlling stepmother and indifferent father. But… was that really the only reason why Bec refused to go home and see her mother?
What if there was another reason for her options back then? Surely, if Bec loved Lily, she would not have condoned all those cruel things that were done to her daughter. What if… Bec loved Lily so much and that was the reason why she refused to contact Lilian? What if, at the end of the day, Lilian was actually their greatest enemy?
Qin Yuanfeng shook his head. He immediately made a mental note to stop reading mystery novels in his free time. It is not very healthy for his brains, ah.
“Alright! We’re here.” Beaming, Lily turned towards them as she opened the huge wooden door of the study. “Gentlemen… please enjoy yourself inside my grandparents’ study.”
Both Zhou Jingren and Qin Yuanfeng just followed Lily inside.
“I thought you were going to check out their room?” Qin Yuanfeng scanned the study before looking at Lily.
“The study first before the room.” She sat on the leather chair behind the mahogany table. “My grandmother seldom stayed inside this room. But Grandfather used to do all his work in here all the time.” She said. “Grandfather was very strict back then, and he doesn’t really like me.”
“And yet, you are smiling.” Qin Yuanfeng said. When talking about terrible memories, one generally did not smile. Some people cried, some people got angry, and some just refused to talk about it.
“What do you mean?” Lily raised an eyebrow. “If I was not treated horribly back, then… I wouldn’t have turned out the way I am now.” She answered. “I have helped thousands of women overcome the trauma of abuse from their childhood, marriage, parents, and relationships. And that is because… I knew what they experienced before.” She said, her face turning serious before she shrugged at him. With a smile, Lily added. “Because I was once like them.”
Having a bad internet connection today.
Mass release Monday.
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