In her memories, Sun Ruying could remember how her sister rolled down the stairs and ended with a b.l.o.o.d.y head on the cold floor. She could remember the cry her older sister made as it happened and how the suffocating atmosphere stopped them from moving from the scene.
As the blood oozed out from Sun Meixiu’s head wound, Sun Ruying heard her calling out her daughter’s name.
‘Xin’er… my little Xinxin is waiting for me…’ It was Sun Meixiu’s last words before her eyes faded into the darkness together with her consciousness. The entire scene was horrific at least for Sun Ruying’s opinion.
Sun Ruying blanked out for a few seconds until she snapped back to reality and stumbled beside her sister and held her hand.
“Meixiu!”
“Ruying, leave her alone.”
Hearing her elder sister say those cold words, Sun Ruying’s face blanched.
“But sis! We have to hurry! Call an ambulance! She’s still alive. What will Father say if we abandon her like this?” She questioned not only her sister’s motive but her sanity.
Sun Mingai lifted her chin and stared down at their youngest sister full of ruthlessness. Even if Meixiu died that night, it wouldn’t be enough. She’d never be satisfied as Shen Jinxiu’s life would never return.
“You didn’t see anything today. Meixiu left the estate tonight alone and got in a car accident. Do you hear me?”
“I…”
Seeing her sister’s lips curved into a chilling smile left Sun Ruying speechless. There was something on Sun Mingai’s eyes that told her that she could suffer the same fate as Meixiu if she dared to disagree with her.
That was the breaking point of Lu Xinyi’s patience. She lunged towards her aunt, but before her hands could strangle the old woman, her bodyguards stepped in and held her back.
“Miss, please calm down!” Zhang Qing exclaimed. She could understand how painful it was for Lu Xinyi. Just thinking about how Lu Xinyi grew up alone without her parents looking after her hit Zhang Qing hard. She and Zhang Sheng also lost their parents at a young age; however, unlike Lu Xinyi who had Grandma Lu to look after her, they had nothing.
“And you let her die just like that?!” Lu Xinyi yelled. “You even went as far as staging a fake accident to hide the truth!”
Lu Xinyi refused to believe that her mother didn’t have a chance to survive. If Sun Ruying intervened and rushed her mother to the hospital and didn’t conspire with Sun Mingai, her mother wouldn’t have died.
“Murderers! A bunch of crazy murderers!” She cried out and fell on her knees. Although she tried to prepare herself and expected that whatever she would hear today would hurt her, Lu Xinyi’s heart sank deeper into nothingness as she realized how her mother suffered in the hands of her conniving sisters.
Jiao Jiao and Zhang Qing’s grasp on her arms loosened as she continued to cry. Xiao Bai stood and nudged Lu Xinyi’s chin up and licked her wet cheeks. It was his way of rea.s.suring her that she wasn’t alone anymore.
Lu Xinyi lifted her head in a daze before wrapping her arms around the white tiger’s neck, lowering her head as she continued to cry. She thought she was ready, but the unbearable pain and sorrow that filled her chest were suffocating.
There was a scream from deep within that forced its way from her mouth; it was as if her grieving soul had unleashed a demon out. She knew that her parents’ death wasn’t as simple as it was. It was just out of their characters to meet an accident due to carelessness, especially her father. But hearing the truth about her mother’s death from Sun Ruying’s mouth felt like the scabs from her wounds had been torn out to make her bleed again.
“She was still your sister! My mother shared the same blood that runs through your veins! Are you even a human?” Hate and enmity welled up in her heart, fury itself burning her up. She must be looking like an emotional wreck right now, but Lu Xinyi didn’t care.
Sun Ruying quietly sobbed. If it was out of guilt or because of Sun Qiushan, Lu Xinyi didn’t know; but she didn’t care. The Sun family didn’t deserve her pity at all. The older woman was refusing to meet her eyes.
For the next minutes that pa.s.sed, only Lu Xinyi’s silent cry could be heard from the greenhouse. Zhang Qing thought that it was a good thing that Shen Yi wasn’t around, or he might not be able to let Sun Ruying out alive.
Sun Ruying felt like the time had slowed down as she waited for her niece to calm down. She’d already expected her reaction but somehow confessing what she witnessed years ago had made her feel better. There was nothing else she could do to change the past anyway.
After crying her heart out, Lu Xinyi slowly went back to her feet with Jiao Jiao’s help. She turned to Zhang Qing gesturing to her aunt.
Sun Ruying panicked and stood up from her seat. She stepped back as Zhang Qing took confident steps and held her arm in a tight hold.
“Lu Xinyi! I already did the part of our deal! What are you planning to do?!” She tried to pull her arm away from Zhang Qing’s hand, but the latter’s hold was tight as a vice grip.
“Madam, you needed not to worry. Our miss is a benevolent person,” Zhang Qing said with a hint of sarcasm. “Please allow me to bring you to Miss Sun. Our miss has done everything she could for her.”
“What’s going on? What are you talking about?” The old woman asked confusedly. She looked behind Zhang Qing and saw her niece drying her tears. Giving Lu Xinyi a good look, she only now realized how this woman resembled her dead sister every time she saw her.
With Lu Xinyi’s hair draped over her right shoulder styled in wavy curls, the simple white blouse she wears paired with a black pencil skirt. On her feet was a pair of cream-colored shoes that added at least two inches on her height. Looking at her niece, it was as if her sister Meixiu hadn’t died.
However, the moment Lu Xinyi opened her mouth, she was dragged back to the reality that she wasn’t a saint like her mother.
“I said this before. Like mother, like daughter. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree. Qiyan is indeed your daughter.” She then turned her back and started walking away after Jiao Jiao placed a thick coat over her shoulders.
Sun Ruying frowned, not knowing what Lu Xinyi meant. She was forced to move when Zhang Qing pushed her forward with a force that surprised her. It felt like someone had punched her back, and yet Zhang Qing only tapped her hand. Just what kind of people Lu Xinyi hired to protect her?
She was forced to walk side by side with Zhang Qing with Lu Xinyi and Jiao Jiao leading the way. Outside the greenhouse stood the Fu siblings that had expected their departure, prepared two private cars for them to use.
They slipped inside without a word with Lu Xinyi, taking the first car with Fu Shuren and Jiao Jiao while Zhang Qing kept Sun Ruying close with Fu Rui. The cars left the Shen premises and headed to a private cemetery within the capital.
Sun Ruying panicked as she looked outside. Why did Lu Xinyi bring her here?