Xin Qing's name was once again cast into the limelight. TV stations, the press, or any other forms of media now had their sights set upon this woman.
That night after the dinner party had ended, the public had assumed that it was this woman who was behind her husband's disappearing and who had then claimed Ying Enterprises as her own. Xin Qing was now seen as a woman who had climbed her way to her current status via despicable and vile means. In a blink of an eye, Xin Qing had become a public enemy. Everyone blamed her.
They could very well just ignore the opinion of the general public, but the problem was that Xin Enterprises' shares were starting to decline. Because of that, Monica and Ah Nan were starting to feel worried. If they did not come up with a plan soon, Xin Enterprises would be finished the next time Ying Qingcang made his move.
"Have you found her yet?" Zhang Mi asked anxiously. Young Master Shen shook his head. "Nobody saw her," Young Master Shen said. "I've already sent my people to all the places that she might go to."
Monica released a sudden scream. "Could it be that Xin Qing saw no way out of everything and then she... well, you know..."
"Shut your trap!" Ah Nan glared at her. "The young miss would never do that."
This morning, everyone had discovered that Xin Qing was missing. When they arrived, the house was empty except for Wangwang who had been sleeping soundly like a log. The sky was almost dark now, yet they were still unable to locate her.
Zhang Mi's phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and listen to the few lines on the phone. "Alright! I understand!" she said suddenly.
"I know where she is!" Zhang Mi announced.
During nightfalls, it was like the sea had removed the warm and bright jacket that it had worn during the day. Right now, its pitch-black darkness almost seemed as if it could swallow up anything.
Zhang Mi and Shi Qianqian shouted Xin Qing's name as they ran. Zhang Mi pointed at somewhere in front. "There! Right there! That's the place they had their wedding."
Shi Qianqian pulled out her phone and, through the light emitted from it, saw a human-shaped shadow huddled up behind a small sandbag.
"Xin Qing?" Shi Qianqian called out tentatively. The shadow shifted slightly. That was when Zhang Mi burst forward and threw her arms around the dark figure. "Xin Qing! Are you trying to scare us to death?"
May's weather had an icy bite to it. Like it had always been during this time of the year, the wind at the beach was frigid, entirely capable of chilling anyone to the marrow. Still, they noticed that Xin Qing was barely reacting to the cold.
"Xin Qing? Xin Qing?" Shi Qianqian realized that Xin Qing was hugging something to her chest. When Shi Qianqian tried to pry the object away from Xin Qing's arms, Xin Qing suddenly pushed her hands away. "Don't touch it. This is something Ah Cang and I had buried here together. He said that we should dig it up once we're both old. It's meant as a reminder that he was the one who had bought me that year."
Xin Qing suddenly lost her footing and ended up keeling over into the sand. The object in her arms fell away from her arms. It was the agreement that Xin Qing had signed with Ying Qingcang when they first met each other. Xin Qing panicked and scrambled over to make a grab for the fallen object. Shi Qianqian was quicker and the agreement was now held in her hand.
"You stayed here all day just because of this thing?" Shi Qianqian pointed a finger at Xin Qing. "Take a good look at yourself! Is this really your idea of defending Ying Qingcang's legacy until he returns? You refused to believe us when we told you that he's dead. But now, he's alive and back, yet here you are, acting as if your life has just ended, as if you've lost the will to live. Is this what you've waited three long years for?"
Xin Qing remained kneeling on the sand as trembles coursed through her body. Slowly, the trembles became more and more intense. Finally, a loud and heart-wrenching yell tore from her throat and pierced through the sky: "But he doesn't remember me! He doesn't know me! He won't even look at me..." Sobs shook Xin Qing's body. "I've waited for three years. Three years.... wuwuwu..."
"Oh, Xin Qing, Xin Qing, come on. Don't do this, please!" Zhang Mi said, also in tears at that point. Shi Qianqian held back her own tears and raised the agreement, holding it in before Xin Qing's face. "Look at this. Look carefully," Shi Qianqian said. "That man isn't Ying Qingcang, okay? The real Ying Qingcang is still waiting for you. He's waiting for you to save him. Are you just going to give up?" Shi Qianqian cupped Xin Qing face and raised it slightly. "Is this your way of loving him? Do you really wish for him to live in a world without you and be filled with regret until the day he dies?"
Xin Qing shook her head wildly as she sobbed. "I know. I know that man isn't really him. But I can't take it, damn it! I can't bear it when he looks at me like that! I can't stand the sight of him having another woman in his arms! Every day for the past three years, I've told myself that he must be alive somewhere, that he will return to me one day. Now he has returned, but only to shatter my hopes into dust." Xin Qing raised her head and glanced skyward with tears streaking down her face. "Why are you doing this to me?! Why, damn it?! Why?!"
"Xin Qing!" Zhang Mi screamed and caught Xin Qing's body.
"Quick, ask Young Master Shen to bring the car over here. She's having a fever."
Ying's residence. Chen Huan descended the stairs. "She's alright now. Gave her some medication, and the fever's now gone."
Zhang Mi released the breath she had been holding. "I'll return Qianqian's call and let her know."
Young Master Shen nodded. Waving the note at Chen Huan, Young Master Shen asked, "Someone sent this over today?"
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have known where Xin Qing was."
Monica stretched out her hand. "Let me see it."
"This handwriting..." Monica said. "This is a child's handwriting!"
"A child around ten years old," Chen Huan said. "He knocked on the door and then ran off after handing me the note."
The note contained only a few words: She's at the beach where the wedding ceremony was held.
"It has to be that someone had asked the kid to write it," Zhang Mi said decisively after a brief glance at the note.
"I've already sent the surveillance footage to Boss Wan. He should be able to ID the kid." Chen Huan paused, blinking a few times. "Do you guys have any suspects in mind?"
For a long while, everyone just shared looks with each other without saying anything.
"It has to be someone who knows Ah Cang!" Xin Qing's voice sounded from behind them. Chen Huan glared at Xin Qing. "Hey, who told you to come down. Go back to bed!"
Xin Qing ran over to them. "I'm fine now. I think it's someone working for Ah Cang," she said, looking at everyone. "You guys think the same, right?"
Young Master Shen suddenly laughed. "Yes. But I really can't be certain."
"Wait a minute, if Ah Cang sent someone to deliver the note, then it means that he isn't hypnotized. If so, why didn't he recognize Xin Qing?" Monica questioned.
"Don't be too optimistic, you guys," Chen Huan huffed out in annoyance. "The biggest problem right now isn't about whether he's hypnotized, but the fact that his stance is clear whether the hypnosis is real or not. He has made it clear that he wants to start a war with Xin Qing."
"Indeed!" Ah Nan said in agreement. "Young miss, if you aren't up to it, I suggest you leave for a while and let us handle things."
Everyone's eyes fell on Xin Qing right then. Slowly, Xin Qing's eyes turned cloudy until they glazed over entirely.
"You should think about it carefully," Young Master Shen said, his eyes never leaving hers. "If you keep acting like the way you did today, there's no chance in hell you're able to defend Xin Enterprises." Young Master Shen avoided Zhang Mi's swat before he shot a glare in Zhang Mi's direction. Turning back to Xin Qing, he said, "I'm saying this for your own good, okay? In the present situation, none of us knows what Ah Cang is really up to. The only thing we can do right now is to match him move per move. Are you able to do that?"
At Xin Qing's silence, Chen Huan added, "You have to face Ying Qingcang's coldness, his verbal attacks, and also his intimate acts with another woman."
Then, Zhang Mi waved everyone off. "You know what, let's all head to bed! Let her think it over."
When Xin Qing came downstairs the next morning, Wangwang had yet to leave the house. When Xin Qing picked Wangwang up, he planted a loud kiss on her cheek. "Mommy, good morning!"
"Good morning, my son!" Xin Qing smiled and kissed his plump cheeks. "Hey, Wangwang, mommy's going to ask you a question, okay? If daddy somehow forgot the way home, do you think we should go fetch him?"
Wangwang glanced up at Xin Qing in surprise, his eyes sparkling brightly. "Is daddy coming home?"
As far as Wangwang knew, Ying Qingcang had gone off to a faraway place to work. Now that he heard daddy was coming home, he was extremely overjoyed. "Then we should go fetch daddy! It's okay if he forgets the way home. Wangwang always forgets where he puts his lollipops too!"
Xin Qing hugged him to her chest. "Oh, my sweet Wangwang. Go on, then. Follow Uncle Ah Che to kindergarten!"
After sending Wangwang off, Xin Qing glanced at Chen Huan and Monica. "I've made up my mind." There was a look of unwavering resolution in Xin Qing's eyes. "I've had my fill of tears yesterday. I won't shed any more tears from now on. I'll be brave and strong. I want to stay by Ah Cang's side and guard his possessions until he returns for real!"
"So you've done your thinking, huh?" Chen Huan smiled.
Monica gave Xin Qing a worried glance. "You don't have to force yourself to be brave, you know..."
"No. Ah Cang has his reasons for his actions, I'm sure of it. I need to be brave for him as well as for us!" Xin Qing patted Monica's head. "Don't worry!"
That afternoon, the top executives of Xin Enterprises received a notice which summoned them for a meeting. The meeting would be chaired by none other than President Xin who had yet to make a public appearance for quite some time.
Soon, everyone came up with a plan in response to the PR crisis that the company was facing. Through her attorney, Xin Qing released a statement to the press declaring that it was Ying Qingcang himself who had voluntarily transferred all of Ying Enterprises' assets to her. She had even provided the relevant documents supporting her claim, including the solicitor's certificate as well as the transfer documents containing Ying Qingcang's signature.
At the same time, Zhang Yafei was a participant in a show hosted by a TV station. Right now, the show's host was interviewing her on this particular subject.
"Miss Zhang, although Miss Xin is currently your superior, but are you willing to get to the heart of the subject by stating your own views?"
Zhang Yafei smiled sweetly at the camera. "I believe that everyone has already read the papers. President Ying had indeed given Ying Enterprises to President Xin that year. Her lawyer can attest to that fact." Zhang Yafei paused briefly and let out a sigh. "President Xin is a mother who raised her children all on her own. In this respect, we're both somewhat alike. Which is why today, I would like to state my views regarding this matter from a mother's perspective."
Zhang Yafei went on, "Here's a woman in her early twenties, raising three kids all on her own. So what if she's wealthy? It still doesn't change the fact that she has suffered and endured so much for the past three years. I've witnessed every step of her struggles. She was alone when she was ill. She spent her birthdays alone. Nobody showed their concerns for her. Nobody was there for her. Haha..." Zhang Yafei laughed. "You guys might say that she could have anything she wanted since she's so wealthy. But it isn't the same. No matter how wealthy she is, she's still just a human being. She's a woman who had lost her man."
Sitting in front of the TV, Xin Qing, Chen Huan and Monica watched Zhang Yafei's red-rimmed eyes on the screen.
"What incredible acting skills!" Monica praised.
Chen Huan spat out shell of a sunflower seed. "She's stating the truth, although it's slightly exaggerated."
"I trust that all mothers who are watching this on TV feel the same way I do. We'll all stand behind this woman because we are all mothers!"
The sentiments of sympathy were most easily invoked among women. By appealing to the general public through a mother's perspective, Xin Enterprises' shares began to rise the next day. Soon, the tides were turned completely; a lot of women began criticizing Ying Qingcang for being unfaithful and disloyal. The public's stance on the matter had taken a complete 180.
At the same time, Jiang Qianren had returned from his deployment. Having heard about everything when he was with his unit, he anxiously sought out Xin Qing upon his return. He arrived at the company just in time to see Xin Qing coming out from the building's entrance.
"Xin Qing!" Jiang Qianren waved at her from beside his car. Xin Qing raised her head and saw the man standing across the road. Xin Qing smiled at the man and was just about to walk across the road. But all of a sudden, she saw Jiang Qianren sprinting towards her.