Chapter 388: City A, the Zhang Family
The next day, two private planes took off from Su Man’s manor. Third Young Master Ye and Cheng Anya returned to City A whilst Ye Wei, Eleven, and Bai Ye brought the young kid with them back to Rome.
While Cheng Anya felt somewhat reluctant, she still sent the young kid off with a smile.
Su Man was instead calm and left his contact with Third Young Master Ye so that he could be informed whenever Cheng Anya did not feel well.
The only thing that was of comfort to Cheng Anya was how the First Terrorist Organization brought over Zhang Bo’s ashes. Cheng Anya was extremely happy. She had told Ning Ning about it when she returned and Ning Ning told her when they were in Rome that somebody would search for it.
She did not expect it to still be present.
She could recognize Zhang Bo’s ring that was in it.
After spending a month away from City A, Cheng Anya was finally back in City A. She felt a huge mix of emotions. The past month felt like a long decade to her.
The plane, which belonged to the terrorist organization, landed on Third Young Master Ye’s private parking apron. The Dragon Gate deployed more than twenty elites to provide security, and Black Eagle and Number Six were international aces who were able to manage whatever situation that was thrown at them.
This was clearly different from the past. To prevent history from repeating itself, Black Eagle personally made arrangements for security to ensure that they would not be shell-shocked. While being captured on one’s turf once could be attributed to carelessness, a second time would imply a lack of ability.
Once Cheng Anya returned to City A, she immediately went to Daddy Cheng to inform him she was alright. When she was in Rome, she had already called Daddy Cheng to inform him she was traveling and would only return after some time. Her return fulfilled the lie she made. She was extremely thankful Louis did not have any designs on her father. If not, he would have caught her at her weakest.
Daddy Cheng asked about Ning Ning and she lied to him by telling him that Ning Ning had gone overseas for an exchange program and was unsure about when he would return. Given how meticulous Ning Ning was, she would have him call home in a few days to fulfill the lie.
Given how frail old men were, they did not need to be honest in many things they told them.
As she looked at her familiar home, Cheng Anya was short of cheering to express her elation. She was really extremely happy.
Once they alighted from the car, they saw a young mother pushing a stroller as she took a walk in the park. She saw Cheng Anya and smiled whilst waving at her. There were four exorbitantly priced mansions that shared a park and a golf course.
Cheng Anya only recognized one of the neighbors. They were a young couple whose child was a few months old. As they did not have many chances to meet during normal hours, they more often met during morning exercises and would exchange a few words with each other.
They were neither very familiar with each other nor strangers.
“Miss Cheng, you’re back! It’s been a long time since we met.” The young mother smiled as she waved at her. Given how spectacular happenings were some time ago, not to mention that Third Young Master Ye was a famous person in City A, who would not recognize her?
“We went out for a tour.” Cheng Anya smiled as she played with the child. “Xiaotong’s looks are showing, and she sure is one young beauty!”
The two women exchanged pleasantries with each other and Cheng Anya then entered the home. Black Eagle and company secured the perimeter of the mansion. The young mother, noticing them, knew something was amiss and she pushed her daughter around for a while before they went home.
Once Cheng Anya stepped into the house, Third Young Master Ye hugged her and closed the door with his long arms. He pinned her against the door and kissed her.
“Ah Chen, to… do that… three months ago was not too feasible.” She sounded slightly embarrassed and shy.
Third Young Master Ye softly roared in frustration as he murmured something by her ear. Cheng Anya broke into laughter and Third Young Master Ye helped her tidy up her clothes.
As people would regularly clean up the room, it was not messy but instead felt a little deserted since nobody stayed in it for a month. Cheng Anya smiled. With Ning Ning away, there was much less laughter.
Third Young Master Ye went up to the study room on the second floor and contacted Lin and Fourth Young Master Tang. Too many things had happened to the Dragon Gate in recent times. They had to study possible measures in response to these happenings. Third Young Master Ye arranged for a meeting with them tomorrow afternoon.
MBS International was a thing of the past. Third Young Master Ye had fought a very beautiful battle with his brilliant strategies that stunned everybody. With An Ning International about to resume normal operations in the meantime, Third Young Master Ye was planning to return to work tomorrow.
It was time he revealed himself.
Third Young Master Ye initially did not agree to Cheng Anya being his principal secretary as she was pregnant with an unstable child. He was afraid that things could go wrong. Cheng Anya, however, insisted, and Third Young Master Ye’s reconsideration along with how she ensured she would not leave his sight 24/7 led to him agreeing to Cheng Anya being his principal secretary.
The two of them tidied up the house and Cheng Anya suddenly recalled something. She looked out of the window. It was already dusk.
“Ah Chen, I would like to visit the Zhang’s residence.” She had promised Zhang Bo before, so she must inform the Zhang family about Zhang Bo and confess her mistake.
Third Young Master Ye slightly frowned and calmly replied, “You are actually not in the wrong.”
It was an accident.
“Whether I am in the wrong or not is no longer important,” Cheng Anya said, a thin veil of sadness covering her face. “The person is gone, and that’s a fact. Besides, I had promised Zhang Bo.”
Third Young Master Ye softly acknowledged after a moment and said, “I understand. It’s already late and you have had a long flight today.”
“I think we should visit them today.”
Third Young Master Ye was unable to convince Cheng Anya otherwise. When they reached the Zhang’s residence, the sky had turned dark and it was adorned with lights.
Cheng Anya carried Zhang Bo’s ashes, and she remained silent throughout with a hint of slight pain in her eyes.
Black Eagle led some people to secretly escort them to prevent shocking them.
As Cheng Anya looked at the dignified Zhang’s residence, she felt sorrowful. Even summer evenings could be so mournful.
‘Zhang Bo, I have brought you home.’
‘May your spirit out there remember the way home.’
Once she reported her name, the Zhang’s residence butler led them into the Zhang’s residence.
There were four generations of the Zhang family and Old Master Zhang was almost ninety. His two sons were accomplished in the marketplace and politics and were of advanced age. He had four grandsons. Two of them had already started their families. One was studying his Ph.D. and one was one of the infamous playboys in City A.
Third Young Master Ye, Third Young Master Zhang, and Fourth Master Zhang were around the same age and were in the same social circles. They knew each other and their friendships were neither deep nor shallow. They were able to get along with each other.
The in-laws of the second grandson gave birth to a pair of mixed-sex twins.
When the two entered, the Zhang family was bustling with laughter as they just had dinner and were enjoying each other’s company. Looking at the atmosphere in the Zhang family, the family was extremely close-knit and the relationship between the brothers was extremely cordial.
Zhang Bo, who was the grandson of Old Master Zhang’s eldest son, was also the eldest great-grandson in the Zhang family.
When they came over, Third Young Master Ye had mentioned how Zhang Bo was the great-grandson whom Commander Zhang doted on the most.
Knowing that they wanted to meet Old Master Zhang, everybody in the living room was about to leave. Third Young Master Ye softly told Fourth Young Master Zhang something and he frowned. He had everybody in the Zhang family remain present and not shy from the meeting.
Everybody felt weird.
Cheng Anya felt a heaviness in her heart. She could not bear to inform them of Zhang Bo’s death, but…
“Third Young Master Ye, what’s going on?” Everybody could tell that Cheng Anya was not holding some good luck charm. That, along with her solemn look left everybody puzzled. Who would visit somebody with such a look on their face?
Commander Zhang, who had seen much of the world, felt uneasy and had a bad omen.
Cheng Anya respectfully put the ashes on the table and slowly said, “There are ashes.”
Everybody gasped and looked at her differently. As Commander Zhang was just playing with his great-grandson, his slightly-red face turned slightly white. Cheng Anya then said, “Zhang Bo’s ashes.”
A deathly silence fell upon the living room.
There was no other sound except for the sound of children playing. Cheng Anya did not dare to look up and see how everybody in the Zhang family looked. She suddenly heard an urgent beckoning, “Dear wife, dear wife…”
“First sister-in-law…”
Zhang Bo’s mother had fainted and chaos ensued in the great hall.
Cheng Anya bit her lips and looked up to see a young mother collapse in her husband’s embrace with a terribly pale face. She looked at Cheng Anya perplexedly. Fourth Young Master Zhang quickly pulled Third Young Master Ye aside and worriedly asked him what was going on.
Amidst the chaos, Commander Zhang picked up the ashes. Everybody could see how the old man’s hands were gently trembling.
When the cover was opened, his eyes burned with an excruciating pain upon seeing a ring. When he took out the ring, three women wailed out.
Commander Zhang’s hands trembled even more.
“Say, what exactly is going on!” The old man ordered in a deep voice. He sounded conflicted and urgent.
Without hiding anything, Cheng Anya described everything that happened once over without missing a single detail. When she was done, she bowed to the Zhang family and flatly said, “I am sorry.”
As she wanted to kneel, Third Young Master Ye held her and shook his head.
“Bobo, my poor child…” Zhang Bo’s grandmother grieved loudly. On the other hand, Zhang Bo’s mother was in a daze and almost fainted when she saw the ring. With the adults holding back their tears, the family was mourning.
“Damn, Louis! I will f***ing kill him! How dare he hurt my nephew!” Second Young Master Zhang hit the table and stood up in rage.
Hatred arose as the grief passed.
Old Master Zhang took a while to recover his senses. Witnessing one’s own children depart from the world was gut-wrenching.
As all his children and grandchildren consoled him, chatter ensued.
Old Master Zhang raised his hand and beckoned his family to quiet down. He then flatly asked Cheng Anya, “Miss Cheng, did he leave behind any last words?”
As Cheng Anya endured the heartache, she repeated Zhang Bo’s last words.
Apart from the infant twins, everybody else in the Zhang family teared.
“Bobo, your grandfather will seek justice for you!”