Yang Lin walked to the other side of the casket directly facing Niu Xiao."Ms. Niu, I know you are grieving, but you are going about it the wrong way."
The tone Yang Lin used was as though he was begging her to be reasonable, without pa.s.sing any judgment. Niu Xiao raised her head to face those of Yang Lin, looking angry and defeated.
"Miss Zhang is dead...hahaaaha! Does that even make sense?!"
It wasn"t as though she was expecting a response to what she asked, this time the tears trickled down her cheeks. Staggering back when she could no longer see the face of Zhang Mi through her tears.
"The body of the Young Miss has to be laid to rest, please respect the Zhang family even when you are grieving, if you look around there is no one that is delighted by your presence. You have paid your respect, it is time you leave."
Niu Xiao turned to see the faces of everyone and what she saw was almost the same, in them was revulsion, dislike, curiosity, arrogance, fright, sadness?
The last emotion that she was questioning came from one face she picked up during Zhang Mi"s prison visit, remembering that the woman was an heiress just like her, "Hong Ru?..Hong.."
Niu Xiao absentmindedly spoke while facing the direction of Hong Ruolan, as she racked her brain to recall the name she saw on the visitor"s register. The moment her eyes met those of Hong Ruolan, the tears that seem to fall, came to an abrupt end.
"You mean Hong Ruolan?"
Surprised that Yang Lin provided the full name of the woman whose emotion was evidently different from the rest, it was like looking at a dove among eagles, that was what came to the mind of Niu Xiao when she looked at how bright the Hong heiress s.h.i.+ned in her eyes.
"She reminds me of Miss Zhang, very much like Miss Zhang. Are those people are family?"
"Yes, that"s President Hong, Madam Hong and their son Vice President Hong."
The two conversed easily amongst themselves, while Zhang Tianyu stared at the back of Niu Xiao and the face of Yang Lin with fury that burned brightly within him.
"Was she adopted?"
"I"m sorry Ms. Niu, but that is how far I can share details from the Hong family. It will be inappropriate to do otherwise."
The reason why she questioned the birth of Hong Ruolan was that, during her years of working as a correctional officer, she had met so many people, be it bound or free and she could tell whether a person was genuine or fake. Hong Ruolan struck the warden general as someone whose innocence will be stepped all over by the ones she held dear to her, may be she was starting to be sentimental because of the pa.s.sing away of her first love, but Niu Xiao could not help but feel pity for what she instinctively felt may befall the Hong heiress.
"I"ll like to see what type of person she will turn out to be? Will she die with her innocence intact or will she be dyed to their color and become just like them. "
"Excuse me? But are you still talking about Miss Hong?!"
Yang Lin had a look of confusion on his face, he couldn"t understand the sudden fixation that Niu Xiao had towards the heiress of Hongsheng Holdings.
"It"s all good, I will pay my respect to Miss Zhang again, before taking my leave."
"Please do so."
Yang Lin watched as Niu Xiao didn"t make a move to touch Zhang Mi, but gave a stiff bow that reached the waist, before straightening up to walk away, not sparing a look in the direction of the Zhangs by the coffin.
"Good day, Hong Ruolan."
Stopping by where the Hongs stood which was by the Duans and Zhang executives to the very far end was Madam Cui and a.s.semblyman Ji, the distance was meant to clearly mark the cla.s.s between them.
On the left side was other celebrities, Director Ko, Zhangs and top shots from other companies. That was the only greeting that Niu Xiao said on her way out. The heiress of Hongsheng Holdings had a look of surprise for being singled out to be greeted in a large room full of high profile figures. There was no time to return the greeting as Niu Xiao had already left. Duan Feng watched the woman whose presence sent waves of shock, he was about to chase after her and demand why she came to Zhang villa, when he felt a tight hold on his arm, looking down to see it came from his mother.
"Please! Don"t go after her!"
Madam Duan voice sounded as though there were unshed tears in them, while pleading for her son not to do what will publicly disgrace their family. Not to far from them a storm was about to rise at the Hongs.
"Ruolan! Confess now! How do you and the Warden general know each other."
"I don"t remember if we met during my visit to see Zhang Mi in prison, or maybe I did? I can"t remember much from that time."
"You foolish child! See what happens when you do things behind my back?! You can"t even look after yourself well!"
"Liena, we are at a funeral for heavens sake! Continue the discussion at home!"
Madam Hong wore a look of annoyance, while Hong Lian ran a hand up and down against the back of his "sister" who looked like she needed rea.s.surance from the worry that took over her face. Hong Yongrui was not too pleased by his wife"s lack of tact in handling their daughter"s issue in public.
"I want to formally apologize for the delay in carrying out the "body" of Miss Zhang Mi. It is now five minutes after nine and we are now set to leave for the final resting place."
After facing the room to give the announcement, this was followed by a formal bow to the waist that lasted a few seconds. Everyone in the room with no exception turned in the direction of the casket which lay at the head of the room to give their final bow to the heiress of Zhang Corporation.
"It is now time to head out."
The four pallbearers from LiangKo funeral home stood at the end of the room more to the center, they came as early as six in the morning on receiving the call from their boss. They made their way to where the casket was, to place the cover over it.
One by one the people that came in left in their cars, as the last to leave the room was not the pallbearers but Yang Lin as he had to make sure that there was no one was left behind, before calling out the head butler and faithfully maid from the kitchen to keep an eye on the place until he returned from the lying-in-state.
On getting out, the coffin was already in the backseat of the decorated limousine, Yang Lin sat by the front pa.s.senger seat, while Director Ko drove in accordance to the previous arrangement they made on the day of their first meeting. The pallbearers took the funeral car they came in with and rode in front while the silver luxurious car belonging to Zhang Tianyu rode closely behind the car bearing the "body" of his niece out of Zhang villa.