As soon as she knocked on the door, someone from within answered the door. Zong Yanxi sprinted over and wrapped her arms around Zong Jinghao’s leg the moment she saw him. “Daddy!” She greeted her father lovingly.
Zong Jinghao was overjoyed. He had always enjoyed her daughter’s presence and the feeling of being needed by her.
He leaned over and lifted his daughter, inviting Qin Ya to join them, “Come on in. It’s my treat tonight. Feel free to order anything you want.”
“If that’s the case, I definitely won’t…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence the moment she saw the other figure that was present in the dining hall.
She darted a glance at Zong Jinghao as though she wanted him to explain himself and the reason the other man was present in the room.
Why is Su Zhan here?
“He’s here on his own,” Zong Jinghao explained. He wasn’t lying either because he wasn’t the one who had asked Su Zhan over.
Nevertheless, Qin Ya didn’t seem to be convinced at all.
Su Zhan, who had been in a foul mood throughout the day, lifted his head and looked in their direction. The moment he detected Qin Ya’s presence, he thought to himself for a few seconds before greeting, “Hey, aren’t you the one who’s in the exhibition?”
Meanwhile, Qin Ya tried to calm herself down and put on a nonchalant front as she entered the dining hall. She pretended as though she didn’t hear him and took a seat at the table.
She picked up the menu and asked, “Shall we place our orders?”
“Aunt Yanyan, feel free to order whatever you want! It’s Daddy’s treat tonight!” Zong Yanxi broke the silence and got ahead of everyone before others could respond.
Zong Jinghao pinched her daughter’s cheek in return once they took a seat together. She grinned, baring her flawless teeth as she asked, “Is it fine, Daddy?”
“Sure!” Zong Jinghao assured her daughter.
He had always given in to the request of his daughter. Hence, he wouldn’t turn down such a trivial request of hers.
“If that’s the case, I definitely won’t hold back!” Qin Ya flipped through the menu casually.
Zong Yanxi did Qin Ya’s heart good by praising her, “Please suit yourself, Aunt Yanyan! You deserve it because, all this while, you have been taking good care of us!”
In the dining hall, things were odd. Su Zhan leaned against the chair and couldn’t stop staring at Qin Ya and Zong Yanxi because he had never once encountered a woman by the name of Qin Yanyan.
Ellen was the one who had always been by Lin Xinyan’s side back in the day, but she had since made her way back to country A after the operation of the clothing store was terminated.
Upon seeing the attires made out of Tea Silk, Su Zhan immediately thought of Lin Xinyan. However, he had no solid evidence to confirm the latter’s involvement in the exhibition.
Finally, he could affirm his thought. Lin Xinyan was the mastermind behind the exhibition, and she had been pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t figure out the identity of the woman in front of him.
Qin Yanyan? Qin Ya? Qin? Is it a coincidence?
Actually, it sounds too much to be a coincidence! It sounds like Qin Ya has changed her name instead!
Since Qin Yanyan is a close acquaintance of Lin Xinyan and the kids, it’s obvious she’s Qin Ya!
Meanwhile, Zong Yanchen was an observant little boy. He managed to grasp the situation almost instantly. Apart from Su Zhan, everyone was aware of Qin Ya’s identity.
Whenever he recalled the misery Su Zhan had brought upon Qin Ya and caused her to undergo such a major facial reconstruction surgery, he felt reluctant to tell him the truth.
If he’s serious about Aunt Yanyan, he has to prove himself worthy!
Su Zhan knitted his eyebrows because he noticed the so-called dinner wasn’t a causal dinner. Zong Jinghao seemed to be up to something.
No matter how much of a fool he was, he could at least rule out the relationship amongst the parties present.
He suppressed his emotions and put on an ordinary front. In an attempt to figure out the truth, he engaged in an ordinary conversation with Zong Yanxi because she was the only innocent one in the hall.
“Ruixi, do you still remember me? It has been quite some time since we last met. Do you miss me?”
Zong Jinghao didn’t bring up the fact that the kids had changed their name. Therefore, Su Zhan wasn’t aware they addressed themselves differently nowadays.
Zong Yanxi wasn’t against the way Su Zhan addressed her as Ruixi because she had gotten used to it as well.
Zong Yanxi wrapped her arms around Zong Jinghao’s neck and brought herself up. She turned around, staring at Su Zhan as she beamed her reply, “Of course!”
“Do you miss me?” Su Zhan leaned over in another attempt to win the little girl over.
“I miss Daddy!” Zong Yanxi shook her head and asserted.
Occasionally, she would kiss Zong Jinghao. Since she had grown up, she finally learned the proper way to kiss and stopped drooling everywhere.
Zong Jinghao had gotten used to wiping her daughter’s lips clean because she would drool whenever she tried to kiss back in the day. Thus, it had become one of his habits.
In the meantime, Su Zhan was rendered speechless because he had run out of ideas to continue the conversation.
“How could you say that? Have you forgotten that Aunt Qin Ya and I were the ones who had taken care of you back when you were in Baicheng?” Su Zhan took a peek at Qin Ya as he finished his sentence, but Qin Ya had a poker face as though she couldn’t relate herself to the incident he had brought up.
In fact, Su Zhan brought up the incident on purpose because he was certain if the woman in front of him was Qin Ya, she would at least flinch.
After all, they had shared a lot of memories in Baicheng back in the day.
Having said that, he was disappointed once again because Qin Ya didn’t even flinch.
“I didn’t forget,” Zong Yanxi replied in a serious manner.
Su Zhan wasn’t discouraged at all. He decided to give it another try.
Suddenly, Zong Yanchen broke the silence, interrupting Su Zhan and Zong Yanxi’s conversation. “Uncle Su, you’re trying to figure out Aunt Qin Ya’s whereabouts, right?”
Everyone turned around and had their eyes glued to the little boy. Some were delighted, some were anxious, and some couldn’t wait to figure out the outcome of the session.
Su Zhan was the delighted one because he felt as though he was one step away from his ultimate goal. “Yes! Do you know where she is?”
“I do.” Zong Yanchen decided to interrupt their conversation because he was afraid his sister would accidentally spill the beans. She had always been an innocent girl. Perhaps she would tell Su Zhan the one he had been looking for was right in front of him.
Meanwhile, Qin Ya, who was beside Zong Yanchen, couldn’t keep her composure anymore. She started behaving differently as their conversation took place.
Deep down, she struggled because she had been granted a brand new identity. She didn’t want Su Zhan to barge into her brand new world anymore. Qin Ya had long moved on from him.
She held Zong Yanchen’s hand firmly under the table, gesturing him to keep Su Zhan in the dark.
In return, Zong Yanchen tapped on Qin Ya’s hand to assure her he had everything under control while staring at Su Zhan. “You used to hurt Aunt Qin Ya and brought upon her misery. Do you think she’ll forgive you? What good will it do even if I tell you her whereabouts?”
“I have reflected upon my actions! As long as she’s willing to see me, I’m willing to do anything to beg for her forgiveness!” Su Zhan, whose bloodshot eyes had widened, replied in a hoarse voice.
Although he avoided Qin Ya’s gaze as he finished his sentence, it was evident that he had directed his reply to her.
“Are you going to prove your sincerity?” Zong Yanchen probed once more.
“Of course!” Su Zhan replied without a second thought.
He would surrender his life to Qin Ya if that were what she sought.
In short, he would do whatever it would take to earn himself the opportunity to return to her side.
If Zong Yanchen was aware of Su Zhan’s plan, he would definitely ridicule him for the absurdity of his plan.
Suddenly, the waiter knocked on the door and served them the dishes. Qin Ya didn’t order a lot of dishes, but the dishes she ordered were the premium ones. It would easily cost over tens of thousands.
Since Qin Ya figured out Zong Yanchen wouldn’t expose her identity in front of Su Zhan, she heaved a sigh of relief and returned to her usual calm and collected self.
She looked at Zong Jinghao and asked, “What do you think of the dishes I have ordered?”
Your son is much more reliable as compared to you! Although you haven’t exposed me in front of him, it doesn’t make any difference, does it?
“As long as you’re able to finish the dishes, feel free to order as much as you like,” Zong Jinghao beamed his reply.
He was aware he had offended Qin Ya. Hence, tens of thousands was a small price to pay to patch things up with her.
“Can you please pass me that pot?” Zong Yanchen pointed at the lavish-looking pot with a golden touch at its side and asked the waiter because he found the design of the said pot interesting.
“Yanchen, why do you want a pot?” Zong Yanxi looked at her brother in confusion.
“Look at the handle of the pot. Don’t you think it looks like the ears of an animal?” Zong Yanchen replied casually.
Actually, it was a premium pot. However, Zong Yanchen managed to change everyone’s opinion regarding the pot through his description.
“Can you please get us one?” Qin Ya turned around and asked the waiter. Unaware of Zong Yanchen’s actual plan, she thought the little boy was merely curious about the design of the said pot.
“Sure. I’ll go get it immediately.”
Before long, the waiter returned with another similar pot. He walked out of the dining hall after he handed it over to Qin Ya.
Zong Jinghao took a peek at Su Zhan silently because he managed to see right through his son’s evil scheme. He was certain his son was up to no good and would pull Su Zhan’s leg soon.
Nevertheless, he thought it was a brilliant idea. As long as Qin Ya got to vent her anger, she might forgive him.
“What’s so great about this pot? Shall we get one as well?” Qin Ya asked as she passed the pot over to Zong Yanchen.
“Sure! It has such a special design!” Zong Yanchen nodded.
“Uncle Su, are you serious when you say you’re willing to do anything it takes to figure out Aunt Qin Ya’s whereabouts?” Zong Yanchen turned around and looked in Su Zhan’s direction.
“Yes!” Su Zhan nodded vigorously.
“As long as you prove your words, I’ll tell you,” Zong Yanchen told Su Zhan.
“How should I prove my words?” Su Zhan stared at the pot Zong Yanchen had in front of him. He had a bad feeling about it.
