Lin Xinyan ran off in the rainbow of starlight. The past year had been a remarkable year with many happenings, and each of them was beyond her expectations. It might have been a lucky year or a lousy year, but one thing for sure, it had been a year full of surprises.
She stood in the whirling snow, holding the hands of her two children, looking up at the blaze of colors bursting in the sky.
Zong Jinghao, on the other hand, stood watching them from not far away.
This year had no doubt been a surprise to him as well.
Chinese New Year’s Eve was all about staying up late. After having a fun time outside, they were greeted by a whiff of warm air as they pushed the door open. Zong Qifeng and Cheng Yuxiu were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV while Aunt Yu and another maid had prepared a table of fruits.
The two children had probably stayed too long outside and digested their dinner because they started munching again while watching TV as soon as they entered inside.
At twelve o’clock, the Chinese New Year bell tolled.
The kids were so excited that they refused to sleep, and they ended up spending the first day of Chinese New Year in bed.
On the second day, it was Lin Xinyan’s birthday.
Lin Xichen had bought her a huge cake.
After giving birth to two children, Lin Xinyan never celebrated her birthday. She understood that it was the day to celebrate her mother instead who had undergone excruciating pain in giving birth to her.
Therefore, every year on her birthday in the past, she wouldn’t buy a cake nor remind anyone, but she would buy a gift for her mother.
The huge cake Lin Xichen bought had eight layers, and sitting on top of the cake was a doll in a wedding dress.
It didn’t look like a birthday cake but a wedding cake.
“Do you like it?” Lin Xichen asked.
Lin Xinyan nodded. “Yeah, but it’s a little weird.”
“You mean her?” Lin Xichen pointed at the doll.
Before Lin Xinyan could say yes, he went on explaining, “You’re a fashion designer. You’ve designed many wedding dresses for others, but you’ve never worn one yourself. I want you to wear it once too, and I think you’ll look best in it.”
Lin Xichen had heard it from Zhuang Zijin that Lin Xinyan had never worn a wedding dress.
There was once when Lin Xinyan had designed a beautiful wedding dress for a customer, but Lin Xichen had said, “Mommy would definitely look better in it.”
Zhuang Zijin, at the side, had a gloomy expression on her face.
After making a few discreet inquiries, it dawned on Lin Xichen that Lin Xinyan had never worn a wedding dress despite being married, and he had despised Zong Jinghao for that.
At this moment, Zong Jinghao was on the phone with Shen Peichuan. The results reported that Lin Guoan didn’t die a sudden death but was poisoned, having consumed nitrites.
“According to the maid’s confession, Zhuang Zijin had been preparing three meals a day for Lin Guoan. She had the opportunity and the motive to poison him. Zhuang Zijin has been officially detained and is currently waiting to be investigated.”
Zong Jinghao shifted his gaze toward the living room.
“I can’t condone such things as a criminal police officer. But of course, I know who she is, so I can try to make it a case of manslaughter. I won’t let her suffer too. Lin Guoan was surely at fault, but what she did has violated the law. As for Xinyan…”
There was a big difference between intentional homicide and manslaughter.
“Just keep it from her for now.” He didn’t know how to approach Lin Xinyan with this news. More so, he didn’t want to disturb nor destroy their happy moments, seeing as they were having a good time.
“Got it,” Shen Peichuan said.
Zong Jinghao hung up the phone and cast his gaze on the doll on the cake as he walked over.
“Daddy.”
“Hmm?”
Lin Ruixi beckoned him over. “Bend down. I want to tell you a secret.”
Zong Jinghao did as he was told, leaning his ear toward her.
“The secret is…”
She stretched out her hand from behind her back and smacked Zong Jinghao’s face with cake.
“The secret is that I want to smear your face with cake. Hehe…”
Zong Jinghao froze for a moment before picking her up. “Why, you little…”
The little girl giggled.
“Aren’t you getting mommy something?” Lin Xichen asked deliberately, thinking that Zong Jinghao didn’t know about Lin Xinyan’s birthday.
Lin Xinyan was somewhat looking forward to it upon hearing her son’s words.
Zong Jinghao pondered for a while before answering, “I didn’t prepare anything.”
Lin Xichen’s face instantly fell. “Hmph! Don’t think that my mommy belongs to you now.”
Lin Xinyan was a little disappointed as well. But considering that a man like him would probably never prepare a gift for someone, she thought it would be surprising if he did.
Zong Jinghao looked at Lin Xinyan and chuckled, “Who would dare to take her away from me?”
I’m gonna skin that person alive if he does.
“All right, all right,” Lin Xinyan piped up and brought the kids who were covered in cream to wash up.
“But I still want to eat,” Lin Ruixi whined.
“I’ll clean her up later,” Aunt Yu said.
Seeing that there was no other choice, Lin Xinyan went up to change her own clothes instead. There was no one in the room. She found some clean clothes from the cupboard, then took off the cream-stained clothes she was wearing, not at all realizing that Zong Jinghao was on her heels.
Right then, Zong Jinghao pushed open the door. He saw her topless and that the bruise around her waist hadn’t completely faded. And because her skin was so fair, the patch was especially noticeable. Very quickly, she put on a sweater, blocking his view.
Lin Xinyan adjusted the collar and turned around to see Zong Jinghao standing at the door. “When did you come up?”
“I came up when you did,” he replied nonchalantly.
Lin Xinyan frowned.
Does that mean he saw me when I was changing? I mean, yes, he has seen me naked, but still…
Zong Jinghao walked in and closed the door. Looking at her slightly flushed face, he ran his fingers through her hair and said, “Are you blushing?”
“No.” Lin Xinyan looked away.
“Oh, don’t be shy. I’ve seen every part of you.”
Why, you!
Lin Xinyan shot daggers at him. “Can you be any more shameless?”
“Shh, I won’t let you suffer.” With a stretch of his long arms, he pulled the woman into his embrace and whispered in her ears, “I’ll prove it to you tonight.” No sooner than Lin Xinyan threw a fit, he shoved a blue velvet box into her hands.
“What is this?” She looked down at the simple yet elegant-looking diamond-shaped box.
“Why don’t you open it and have a look?”
Lin Xinyan blinked in confusion. “Is this for me?”
“Mm-hmm…” he uttered seriously.
Lin Xinyan opened the box under Zong Jinghao’s blazing gaze. What laid inside was a huge diamond ring, oval in shape and pink in color.
“The Pink Star?”
“You know this?” Zong Jinghao asked in shock.
“I’ve seen this at the jewelry auction of the century. It was named ‘The Pink Star’ for its shape, color, and its flawless craftsmanship. It was bought by a famous jewelry mogul in 2017 for a whopping seventy-one point two million. How did it end up in your hands?”
