Chapter 331: Reunion (26)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Staring at the couple from behind, Chi Rui’er could not help but feel that something was different about An Xiaoning, though she was not sure what it was exactly.
An answer flashed across her mind. It was the expression in her eyes, all right.
Chi Rui’er snapped out of her thoughts and entered.
Just as Jin Qingyan was done ordering the dishes, he caught sight of Chi Rui’er, who asked, “Do you mind having a meal together?”
Glaring at her coldly, Jin Qingyan answered, “I mind it very much. Get out.”
Chi Rui’er had no choice but to leave.
—
“Say that again!” Sun Weiwei barked, her eyes widened with anger as she flew into a rage.
“Sis Weiwei, calm down. I’ve already verified this matter. It’s true,” said the assistant, who was trying her best to placate Sun Weiwei.
“I can’t believe it. This Mo Li must really be something. Not only is she still alive, she’s even given birth to the child and about to marry Brother Xiaotian,” Sun Weiwei sneered begrudgingly.
“Yeah, I didn’t expect all of this to be real too. But, Mr. Ye has yet to announce this news to the public. I reckon he’s going to do so very soon. Sis Weiwei, everything is set in stone now. I’m afraid we can no longer try to change anything.”
Sun Weiwei spat in contempt before saying, “I didn’t know that little vixen Mo Li was still alive and kicking. Had I known earlier, how could I have possibly allowed her child to be born? I was really being too careless and negligent.”
“Sis Weiwei, what do you plan to do next?”
Sun Weiwei remained silent and pondered for a few minutes before answering, “What do I plan to do? I doubt I can do anything by the time she gets married. Once she becomes Brother Xiaotian’s wife, she will definitely sow discord and come in between him and me. He’s going to start ignoring me when that happens. Isn’t it obvious? It’s happening all too quickly. I need some time to think.”
The assistant was rather worried and troubled too, for Sun Weiwei had managed to take many shortcuts in her career path due to the broad network of connections she enjoyed, all because she was Ye Xiaotian’s godsister. However, once she loses this status, she would be bound to face many obstacles.
A silence filled the air in the car. Sun Weiwei was distraught, and her spirits were dampened.
She took a look at the time to find that it was past nine o’clock in the evening.
“Head to Ming Yuan Estate, I’m going to go see Mo Li.”
“Sis Weiwei, it’s better if you don’t go. Mr. Ye must be at home now for sure. If you go there now, not only will it not make a difference, you can’t do anything to Mo Li in front of him either. So, you’d better not go. Let’s hatch a plan to kill Mo Li, like how we did for Bai Ranran. Everything would be perfect then. Once she dies, wouldn’t it be a piece of cake to kill the child?” the assistant advised.
“It’s not that easy to kill her right now. She’s in the midst of her post-natal confinement period. She won’t be leaving the house for at least a month. It’s impossible to kill her in Ming Yuan Estate. This is giving me such a headache,” Sun Weiwei groused.
“Sis Weiwei, I think it’s a tall order too. She seems to be declaring that we’ll be annihilated should there be any slip-ups or loopholes in our plot. I’m afraid we would lose everything then. So you must be very careful and stringent.”
“I know that, of course. I don’t need you to teach me what to do. Seems like I have to do it myself this time,” said Sun Weiwei.
The assistant froze in fear and asked worriedly, “Sis Weiwei, are you planning to make me go…”
“It’s not like you’re allowed to step foot inside Ming Yuan Estate. What’s the point of letting you go? Don’t forget, one of those servants around Mo Li is a snitch I planted. This time, I can’t make her die because of a viral infection like Bai Ranran did. Otherwise, it’s going to be too suspicious, and we will be at a disadvantage if Brother Xiaotian suspects something. So, we have to come up with something else.”
“How?”
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but you don’t have to care. I’ll have my own plans.”
Squinting out of the window, Sun Weiwei asked, “Is it raining outside?”
The assistant opened the door and stuck a hand out of the car. “Yes, Sis Weiwei. It’s raining now. Let’s rush back to the set. You still have a night scene to film tonight.”
“Ugh, how annoying. Let’s go back.”
—
Upon arriving home after dinner, Jin Qingyan instructed Gu Xiaoning to head upstairs to get some rest while he remained in the living room for a long while.
His mind was completely blank.
Perhaps because he had yet to go upstairs even after some time, Gu Xiaoning walked towards the corridor and called out to him, “Qingyan, come and get some rest.”
He looked up and said smilingly, “Right away.”
Jin Qingyan closed the bedroom door and removed his jacket. Realizing that the rain seemed to be getting heavier, he proceeded to draw the curtains and laid on the bed. Gu Xiaoning snuggled up beside him and said, “Qingyan, I can’t sleep. Will you tell me a story?”
“Okay.”
An Xiaoning had never asked him to tell her stories again ever since she heard his twisted fairytales – he was simply ruining fairytales for her.
However, he was not quite keen on telling other stories. Thus, he decided to narrate the story of Snow White again.
“Once upon a time, there used to be an evil queen who asked the Magic Mirror, ‘Who’s the fairest of them all?’ The Magic Mirror answered, ‘You are. But Snow White is even fairer.’ Thus, the evil queen was filled with hatred and jealousy and swore to kill Snow White, because only then will she become the most beautiful woman in the world…”
He paused and looked down at her. “What do you think of the opening of my story?”
“Great, keep going. I want to hear the rest of the story. I’ve never heard it before,” Gu Xiaoning answered.
Jin Qingyan’s eyes lit up as he recalled clearly how An Xiaoning was reluctant to hear the rest of the story after listening to his opening.
“Why did you stop? Continue the story, quick,” Gu Xiaoning urged him.
“Thus, the Queen then sent Snow White to the forest to be killed by an assassin. However, a hunter who passed by managed to save her…”
The bedroom was filled with silence. Jin Qingyan stopped narrating once he heard her rhythmic breathing.
He got down from the bed and tucked her underneath the blanket before turning off the night lamp. He then picked up his jacket and left the room.
He entered the master bedroom.
He pushed the door open and was greeted with the sight of An Xiaoning’s photos plastered across all the walls as soon as the lights were switched on. He continued to gaze at the photos for a long, long while.
Even though he had her clone with him, he still missed her dearly.
He had never once visited her grave again ever since her burial.
He was living in denial and repeatedly told himself that she was not dead and still alive.
He wanted the clone to further prove his belief.
However, deep down, he knew clearly that he saw her die with his very own eyes.
Jin Qingyan was not sleepy at all.
He exited the master bedroom and headed downstairs.
“Young Sir, where are you going?” Fan Shixin asked.
“To the mountains.”
“Young Sir, it’s pouring heavily and it’s late at night now. Go tomorrow instead.”
“I miss her.” With a black umbrella in hand, he began walking towards the garage.
Fan Shixin quickly caught up and followed him to An Xiaoning’s burial ground on the mountains.
They parked the car at the foot of the mountain and made their way up by foot.
After treading through the rain, the two arrived at the back of the temple.
There were three tombstones.
Standing by An Xiaoning’s tomb, Jin Qingyan began to speak. “Xiaoning, I’m here to see you. Do you hold it against me, taking this long to visit you?”