Li Xiuying: "Yes."The door flew open and Yao Changying and Ren Daiyu rushed in.
Yao Changying"s voice contained anger and worry: "What the h.e.l.l Xiuiyng? How did you become like this?"
Li Xiuying was slightly startled to see Yao Changying and Ren Daiyu. She collected herself and made her expression grow indifferent.
Ren Daiyu: "Xiuying. What"s going on? Are you okay? Someone called us to tell us you were in the hospital. Why didn"t you let one of us know?"
Li Xiuying: "No reason."
Yao Changying: "No reason what? No reason for you not calling or you have no reason to call us?"
Li Xiuying nodded.
Ren Daiyu frowned deeply: "Do you know what you"re saying? Why are you being like this?"
Li Xiuying: "I"m behaving normally."
Yao Changying: "Li Xiuying you had better tell us what"s going on inside that brain of yours."
Li Xiuying said nothing.
Ren Daiyu: "You don"t want to tell us what"s going on?"
Li Xiuying: "None of it concerns either of you."
Yao Changying: "What did you just..."
Ren Daiyu put an arm out to block Yao Changying: "Your business has nothing to do with us?"
Li Xiuying: "Exactly."
Ren Daiyu: "We hold no importance to you that"s why you didn"t see a point in calling us? Our friends.h.i.+p means nothing?"
Li Xiuying: "Fleeting moments."
Ren Daiyu: "So all this time? Everything you said, the time we"ve spent together."
Li Xiuying shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly: "Fun at the time but tiresome and draining."
Ren Daiyu: "I see. So you"re just like all the rest, using people and discarding them whenever you please. People like JingJing and Li Yu Yan? Was this just an experiment for you? You just wanted to play with our emotions?"
Li Xiuying: "Think what you like."
Yao Changying: "We will. Then we"ll give you what you want; leave you with that hurtful mind of yours for company. You shouldn"t waste the time of others in the future; Just stay like you have been cold, indifferent, emotionless just like a machine."
Ren Daiyu: "Let"s go Changying."
Yao Changying followed Ren Daiyu out of the room before she had fully exited she said: "Once we leave that"s it. We won"t come back."
Li Xiuying looked at their departing figures and said nothing.
Once the door was closed she looked at the tv screen once again. She imagined their footsteps getting further and further away from not only the door but from her life.
Li Xiuying said to the empty room: "I guess I"m truly alone now." She didn"t even realize as her tears spilled down her face.
Suddenly, the door to her room was pushed open so hard the handle hit the wall with a loud thud.
Li Xiuying jumped a little and her eyes widened with shock.
Ren Daiyu had tears in her eyes: "YingYing."
Li Xiuying tried to sort out her emotions and return to her previous cold expression.
Yao Changying: "You look ridiculous. Stop trying to pretend to be tough. Did you really think you could push us away? We know you too well, you are the type of person who cares the most about the people closet to them. Do you think by pus.h.i.+ng us away you"re protecting us? Whatever happened to the children it wasn"t your fault. In fact, if you hadn"t have been there all the children may not have come back. You saved their lives and saved their parents from knowing true suffering. Why do you feel guilty even after sacrificing yourself?!"
Li Xiuying looked at Yao Changying in shock.
Yao Changying: "What you think you"re the only one with connections? This place is a living breathing gossip machine."
Li Xiuying frowned a little.
Ren Daiyu: "We share everything from now on. We will support each other. We make the good days better and the hard days easier. The world is unpredictable but if you have good people around you, at least it is filled with warmth."
Yao Changying took off her shoes and laid on the right-hand side of Li Xiuying bed an just stared at the TV.
Ren Daiyu did the same and climbed to the other side. She pulled some snacks our of her bags.
Yao Changying grabbed a handful of chips and stuffed them in her face: "By the way YingYing this was all Daiyu"s plan to make you be honest. Plan A was we ask you outright, plan B was the play we enacted and plan C is not worth mentioning."
Ren Daiyu was confused: "What was plan C?"
Yao Changying: "Using your pheromones."
Ren Daiyu: "Changying! Stop mentioning pheromones this and that!"
Yao Changying: "So you"re not denying this was all your plan?"
Ren Daiyu: "Hmph. Its YingYing"s fault for not being honest."
Li Xiuying found a smile tugging at her lips.
Yao Changying: "In the future, you should take me, the dark Alpaca wherever you go for protection."
Ren Daiyu quirked a brow: "And what would you have done mighty Dark alpaca? Bribed them with a knitted sweater?"
They all settled comfortably on the bed, not speaking further.
Li Xiuying spoke in a small voice: "I"m sorry."
Ren Daiyu placed her hand on top of Li Xiuying"s and Yao Changying leaned her head slightly against Li Xiuying"s. Nothing more needed to be said.
Li Xiuying looked to her left and right and then at the Tv "These are the lights in my life. In order to protect them, I will become stronger than anyone could have thought was humanly possible."
....
Cao Shen: "I have received word they have arrived at the hospital."
Qin Song got out of the car: "Let"s settle business, Dad is waiting."
Qin Song walked with a predatory grace towards what appeared to be an abandoned block of flats. There was scaffolding outside and the tarpaulin was being blown about in the wind. He and Cao Shen walked to the second floor and towards the third room on the left. The door was unlocked and Cao Shen entered first.
Suprinsgly, in contrast to the outside of the building this flat was well lite and the decor was simple and elegant.
Qin Song found his father in the living room.
Elder Qin was sitting in a chair: "Song you"re here?"
Qin Song: "I"m sorry I kept you waiting." He offered no further explanation and simply glanced at his father who looked exhausted and weary.
Elder Qin nodded and shuffled a few papers in his hands: "You"re here now. Why did you want to do the meeting here exactly?"
Qin Song: "You will see."
Elder Qin: "Fine, the background check has been done. Do you want to have a look?"
Qin Song: "No need. I"ve already gotten the infomration I require already."
Cao Shen: "She"s in the flat directly opposite."
Qin Song stood up a darkness flitted through his eyes. Elder Qin followed behind with Cao Shen.
Unlike the flat just now, this flat was desolate and bleak. It had dim lighting, broken furniture and the floor even had rat droppings. The cold night air could be felt through the broken windows.
They walked into one of the rooms. In the center, a s.h.i.+vering maid sat on a crooked chair that appeared as if it could break at any moment. A bodyguard stood behind her.
Qin Song smiled with malice: "Miss Dan Caihong. So what do you think of this location?"
Dan Caihong looked down as fear crawled up her spine. She told herself to just remain quiet as instructed and not say anything.
Qin Song spoke nonchalantly: "This flat doesn"t look like much right now but we"re going renovate the entire building. The cost of materials has gone up quite a bit though. For instance, the cost of cement has gone up by 3.9%."
Dan Caihong lifted her head slightly, she met Qin Song"s cold eyes.
Qin Song continued: "Cement is a necessity so I can"t do much about it. Although, I did have an idea today about how to get a second use out of it so I get my money"s worth. You see Shen"s father is an undertaker, he mentioned before that people are always looking for novels ways to have funerals and places to scatter ashes, etc. And I thought that there may be people who wouldn"t mind being mixed with the foundations of a Qin enterprise building."
Dan CaiHong"s s.h.i.+vering increased, she felt fear chocking her rendering her unable to speak. She felt like she was looking into the eyes of a demon.
Qin Song looked directly at her: "Shen how many people do you think we could bury around the building I estimate about 68? A family of many generations."
Dan CaiHong"s resolve to stay silent crumbled. She tumbled to the floor and got on her knees when she heard the exact number of her family members, including herself. She begged: "Please Eldest Master don"t kill me. Don"t kill me. Please let my family go, I"ll do anything."
Qin Song narrowed his eyes and looked at her with disgust. "So weak-willed. A small threat and she broke." Qin Song would never kill anyone to achieve his goal. Firstly, it was against his bottom line. Secondly, death was far too easy; it was better to make someone experience a living h.e.l.l.
Dai CaiHong stammered on: "It wasn"t my fault. I was forced into it. I"ll do anything to..."
Qin Song: "First, tell us from beginning to end how you got involved with Zhou FengMian."
Elder Qin"s eyes slightly widened with shock. "Zhou FengMian?"