“You have a way to find her?” Her shaky voice betrayed her emotions.
“Of course, Miss Zheng. I have a way to find her. It is just… I don’t understand some of your actions.”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Lu,” Zheng Yue replied, but she wasn’t confused. She could already guess what Lu Feiran wanted to ask.
Lu Feiran sighed and straightened up on his seat, planting both legs back on the floor.
“Miss Zheng knows her real name and her mother’s but refused to tell it to the orphanage that took you. You only provided your birthday and showed them the clothes you were wearing and the silver moon pendant in your possession when your mother abandoned you in a public market…
“So I wonder why Miss Zheng refused to talk about her mother when she was younger.”
Zhen Yue lowered her eyes.
“I’ll tell you the truth, Mr. Lu. It is because I hate and resent my mother. I hate the name she gave me; I hate being her daughter. I couldn’t understand why she left me. Did she hate me that much? Am I a burden to her back then?
“Whenever I try to remember her, it was those times I happily enjoy eating omelet rice with her is what I could think of. I know we were so poor back then, and she can only make me some omelet rice to ease my hunger.”
At this time, Zheng Yue burst into tears. Lu Feiran kept his silence and didn’t dare to move. Zheng Yue’s a.s.sistant thought he would pity her, but she couldn’t see a trace of pity or sadness on Lu Feiran’s eyes.
“I entered the modeling industry when I was fifteen. I worked hard and accepted small jobs until I was discovered as a singer. I spent years making a name for myself, burying myself in work to achieve whatever I have now, and hoping that she’ll recognize me in every magazine or TV show I was in… but what did I get in the end?” She laughed bitterly.
“I couldn’t remember what she looks like. As for my real name, she and I only know about it. A selfish woman like her who could abandon her child on a busy street isn’t competent to become a mother!”
Lu Feiran waited until Zheng Yue calmed down. Her a.s.sistant giving her a hanky to dry up her tears.
“I’m sorry for troubling you, Mr. Lu. Like I said I don’t want to be the one who should seek her first; however, I want to know if she’s alive or not.” She pulled out the silver moon jewelry from her clutch bag and placed it on the coffee table between them.
“This is my mother’s necklace. She gave this to me the same day she left me. I could only remember my given name,” she said and place a small sheet of paper with her given name, birthday, and her mother’s name.
“My mother… she’s not a native of this country, and I doubt the name I know was her real name. Mr. Lu didn’t need to let us meet. I do not have the heart and courage to face her. If you can a.s.sure that she’s safe and alive then, I wouldn’t mind becoming your next amba.s.sador.”
“Thank you for this, Miss Zheng,” Lu Feiran said after his long silence, “Rest a.s.sured that we’ll find your mother before this week ends. I’ll ask Miss Xia to prepare a contract then.”
Zhu Qianrou, Zheng Yue’s a.s.sistant, was speechless on Lu Feiran’s confidence. Before the week ends? The country was a huge one; many people even shared the same name. How was he able to find Zheng Yue’s birth mother from the ocean of people?
How in the world would he do it in a short span of time?
Zheng Yue thanked Lu Feiran and left with her a.s.sistant. Xia Yuhan and w.a.n.g Zhuyi came back to the office and found Lu Feiran over the phone, with a sheet of paper in his hand.
“Yes, that’s her real name. Also, do you think you can find the person who bought jewelry based on its serial number?” Pause. “Alright, I’ll send you a picture of the pendant. I need your report tomorrow. We’ve already wasted enough time to prepare for this campaign.” He ended the phone call.
“Did Zheng Yue agree?” Xia Yuhan asked as she tidied up the used teacups on her coffee table.
“She has no other choice but to agree.” Lu Feiran shrugged. “Alright, now that it’s settled, I’m going home. I need to go, or someone might get mad again.”
Xia Yuhan giggled when she heard what her boss said.
“I thought you’re the one wearing the pants in the relations.h.i.+p, Boss?”
Lu Feiran snorted. “You think I’m easy to bully, Xia Yuhan?”
The woman shook her head. She knew better if Lu Xinyi was easily bullied. When she first met her, she thought that she was like other women who only flocked on Shen Yi’s side to gain something. Later, she realized that she was wrong about this woman, and she—herself—was the one who tried to take advantage of Shen Yi.
Easily bullied? Ha! If Lu Xinyi was a pushover, Flair Apparel wouldn’t have a good comeback that had made Starlight Collection lost a chunk of sales over the past few weeks.
He made his way to the door and waved goodbye to both women.
When Lu Xinyi arrived home, she removed her ash-blond wig and her coat, throwing them at the couch before going to the kitchen. She found her husband there, waiting for her. She continued to her plan and filled up the kettle with water before placing it on top of the stove.
“How was work?”
Shen Yi let out a neutral sound.
“Almost done with the last contracts,” He stretched his legs out under the table and suddenly felt that their home wasn’t as lively when the Shen twins were around. Their custody case was about to be finalized in a few days.
If he was successful, he and Lu Xinyi could keep the twins; and their birth father would lose all the rights over them. However, if they won, Shen Yi could not a.s.sure the safety of the twins. Their father had a bad reputation already as an alcoholic man and a gambler.
“Did you want a snack or something while I prepare dinner?” Lu Xinyi asked as she made way to the fridge and rummage through it to find something to cook.
Shen Yi declined and watched his watch busy herself with their dinner. Lu Xinyi placed the meat and vegetables on the counter. Her eyes scrutinized his face. He kept his gaze on her before turning away.
Lu Xinyi almost snapped on him. She knew something was up.
She strode towards the dining table and pulled the chair across him with a loud screech and plopped herself to the seat. Shen Yi was a bit startled on her actions.
“Alright. Spill it out. What happened this time?”