She turned and walked away. Su Zhan caught up to her, “Wait.”
Qin Ya responded impatiently, “What?”
Su Zhan handed her a business card, “Call me if you need anything. If I have any news on my side, I’ll head down to the shop to let you know. You’ll have to take care of the shop for the time being.”
Qin Ya raised her head and looked at Su Zhan. There was a tinge of seriousness on his face. She had just returned to the country and was unfamiliar with the people and places. She would have to rely on them to find Lin Xinyan, and she also had to know their progress at that.
She took the business card from Su Zhan. “Thank you. Ms. Lin has been good to me. I’ll make sure to look at the matters at the shop while she’s away.”
Su Zhan nodded, and thought, Should I come up with a reason to give her a lift home?
“How did you get here? Need a lift?”
“I drove here.” Qin Ya put away the business card, bade him goodbye and walked towards her car.
Su Zhan grabbed his hair and sighed, Why is it so difficult to chat with her?
Picking up girls wasn’t that challenging for him in the past.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the unwarranted thoughts, and headed towards the elevator. He was about to step in when the elevator doors opened but stopped in his tracks when he saw who was inside.
“You?” His voice was cold, “What are you doing here?”
He Ruixing grinned, “That’s none of your business, isn’t it?”
The He family was past their prime. Nevertheless, a lawyer like him could not match up to their reputation and status.
Su Zhan frowned and shot him a cold glance as he walked into the elevator.
He Ruixing fixed his suit and strode out.
He paid no heed to Su Zhan.
Su Zhan was sure that Zong Jinghao was going to almost kill He Ruilin. He Ruixing couldn’t have known that Zong Jinghao was the one behind his sister’s lock up.
That begs the question – what’s he doing here?
Is he going to clash head on with Zong Jinghao, or is he here to beg for leniency?
Before Su Zhan could make heads or tails, the elevator doors opened. The entire office seemed shrouded in a somber atmosphere as he walked past.
Were they plagued by the President’s bad mood?
Though it wasn’t cold, Su Zhan couldn’t help but shrug.
He knocked at a door. Upon hearing “Come in”, he pushed open the door.
The large office was quiet and cheerless. He would have thought it was empty if not for the person sitting behind the desk.
Su Zhan closed the door behind him. He stopped in front of the desk and asked, “What was He Ruixing doing here?”
Before Zong Jinghao could answer, he continued, “Looking for trouble?” However, he thought back He Ruixing’s past actions and decided he wasn’t that gutsy to declare a war against Zong Jinghao.
If He Ruixing were gutsy enough, the He Ruixing wouldn’t have fallen into decline.
Zong Jinghao looked up and placed a pile of documents before Su Zhan.
Su Zhan flipped through the document. It was a Letter of Intent. Since they were in the business trade, the letter wasn’t surprising; what was surprising was that it was signed by He Ruixing, and it involved a piece of He family’s land.
The He family owed a few pieces of land in B City, which were handed down the family for generations. Although the mansion had been abandoned, the location was good.
“He wants to collaborate and build a shopping complex on this land?” Su Zhan was confused.
Instead of treating Zong Jinghao as his nemesis, he was actually offering a piece of land and asking to collaborate?
“I used to hear this saying about the business scene – you can be fierce competitors one minute and be on good terms the next minute for the sake of interests. I’ve finally seen it for myself today. Anyway, did you agree to it?”
“Why not?” Zong Jinghao stood up and walked to the French window, his tall shadow was cast on the floor.
He Ruixing had initiated this collaboration. If the He family were to interfere with He Ruilin’s matter, he’d take them down in one fell swoop.
He had been making preparations ever since he knew that He Ruilin was involved in Lin Xinyan’s disappearance. The He family was going to be his first target.
After all, He Ruilin was from the He family. Who knew if they’d come at him without any room for negotiation?
Now that He Ruixing had reached out to him, he could leave Shen Peichuan and Su Zhan to deal with He Ruilin, and he’d have time on his hand to look for Lin Xinyan.
Time was not on his side in his search for Lin Xinyan.
He couldn’t waste any more time on the He family.
“That’s some sacrifice you’re making.” Su Zhan scorned in disdain, “Are all wealthy families this cold and heartless?” He stole a glance at Zong Jinghao as he spoke.
Zong Jinghao’s mother came from a well-to-do family too. It was a joint marriage of two powerful families back then, but there wasn’t really any love to speak of between them.
Not long after she passed away, Zong Qifeng remarried.
It was something that had been bothering them.
Zong Jinghao shot him a sideways glance.
Su Zhan let out a dry cough. He shouldn’t have mentioned that. He assumed a serious countenance, “Peichuan and I have it all planned out. You needn’t worry yourself over it. Peichuan has been hard at work, but she’s tight-lipped all right. She’s not letting me in on Ms. Lin’s whereabouts.”
Shen Peichuan had tried every means.
Su Zhan thought, Can a woman’s jealousy be so destructive?
He didn’t know He Ruilin wasn’t just jealous.
She believed Lin Xinyan had snatched everything away from her – including Zong Jinghao. She was indignant and resentful for it.
Buzz…
Zong Jinghao’s phone rang. Su Zhan took a look at the phone on the desk and said, “It’s Guan Jing.”
He picked up the phone and passed it to Zong Jinghao.
Zong Jinghao took the phone and answered the call. “Mr. Zong…” Before Guan Jing could finish the sentence, the phone was snatched away from him.
It was ‘Lin Xinyan’, “Jinghao, where are you?”
Su Zhan stretched his neck as he tried to make out what the caller said.
Zong Jinghao shot him a cold glance and handed the phone over to him, “Why don’t you answer it?”
Su Zhan gasped. He shook his head and said meekly, “You go ahead.”
To prove that he wasn’t intending on eavesdropping any longer, he took a step back, away from Zong Jinghao.
“When are you coming back? I miss you.” On the other end of the call, ‘Lin Xinyan’ was standing around in the hotel room, drawing circles on the table. She sounded aggrieved, “Guan Jing’s stopping me from seeing you. What’s the matter with him?”
Zong Jinghao remained expressionless, his voice cold, “Put him on the phone.”
‘Lin Xinyan’ thought Zong Jinghao was going to chide Guan Jing, and she couldn’t help but feel proud of herself. She handed the phone to him and said, “Well, let me remind you that it won’t do you any good to offend me.”
Guan Jing stared at her. How could their personalities be so different even though they look the same?
Well, a doppelganger can’t compare to the real thing.
He took the phone. “Mr. Zong.”
“Got it.” His expression turned serious after hearing what the other caller said.
‘Lin Xinyan’ thought he had been lectured by Zong Jinghao. She settled down on the sofa and said, “See? I told you. Jinghao cares about me. Be careful of how you treat me, or else I’ll tell you when I see him.”
Guan Jing put down the phone and said, “Go ahead. I’m not stopping you. Come with me now.”
In fact, Guan Jing paid no heed to her words.
She was merely a doppelganger. She’d come to regret being all high and mighty.
‘Lin Xinyan’ was wild with joy at the thought of seeing Zong Jinghao. She forgot about the pain in her leg and stood up from the sofa at once. “Is he waiting for me?”
Guan Jing pursed his lips, “Mm.”
“Had a nasty shock, didn’t you? That’ll teach you not to look down on me. Now you know where I stand in Zong Jinghao’s heart. I bore two kids for him. I’m the mistress of the Zong family. A word from me and he’ll send you packing.” ‘Lin Xinyan’ was getting ahead of herself. Guan Jing had forbidden her from going out, and he had been rude to her.
Lin Yuhan had always been overbearing. Ever since she got together with Zong Jinghao, she has become more arrogant. Instead of treating her with respect, Guan Jing hadn’t been friendly to her at all, and she was extremely unhappy about that.
However, her mind was telling her that time wasn’t ripe; otherwise, she would have asked Zong Jinghao to fire Guan Jing right then.
Guan Jing watched as she threw her weight around and laughed, “Well, let’s see about that.”
‘Lin Xinyan’s expression froze. She secretly made up her mind that the first thing she’d do once she gained power was to give Guan Jing the sack!
“Help me out. Can’t you see I’ve hurt my leg? You work for Jinghao, don’t you know any better?”
Guan Jing didn’t want to waste his breath on her. He held out his arm for her to hold on to it.
They took the elevator to the hotel lobby. They walked through the lobby to the carpark outside the hotel, and before Guan Jing got in the car, ‘Lin Xinyan’ said sarcastically, “Do you have any idea where you stand?”
Guan Jing turned his head around and thought, What bone does she have to pick this time?
She glared at him. “Open the car door!”
Guan Jing’s eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds before opening the car door for her.
‘Lin Xinyan’ let out a cold snort and got in the car.
“How does a fool like you manage to become Jinghao’s assistant?”
Guan Jing clenched his teeth and smiled wryly.
Let’s see how arrogant you can get when we get there.
He started the engine.
In order to remain by Zong Jinghao’s side without arousing suspicion, ‘Lin Xinyan’ did a check on the people around Zong Jinghao. She knew a thing or two about them and Wanyue Group.
This isn’t the way to Wanyue.
She frowned, “Jinghao not in office? Where are you taking me?”
Guan Jing shot her a cold glance from the rear view mirror. “You’ll know when we get there.”
Not long after, the car stopped. ‘Lin Xinyan’ saw where they were and her heart tightened. She asked with a slight shudder, “Why did you bring me here?”
