"Can you help me with my father"s case?" Xue Guangli asked.
Long Huojin turned off the engine of his car; the air around them became silent. He faced her, his eyes solemn. "I will help you, but it"s not easy," he said.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"There are leads, some I would rather not risk. Xue Li, you"re dealing with powerful people. Some people could have been after him or your family," he responded. "If it puts you in the slightest bit of danger, I would rather do the findings on my own."
"Long Huojin," she began. "I"ve been dealing with powerful men and women since I was young. It was required of me since I"m the daughter of Xue Gao."
Her father was a colonel in the military; he was also a rich heir of several enterprises, but he had given it to his younger brother so he could join the military. Therefore, it made her family vulnerable; they weren"t as wealthy as Long Huojin, w.a.n.g Weimin, Yin Shou and the others. But that didn"t stop her from stepping down. He taught her to be brave for being around powerful men.
Long Huojin smiled, "I knew you would say that," he said.
Xue Guangli suppressed a smile. "So will you help me?" she asked.
Long Huojin took a deep breath. He nodded. She could see he was reluctant, not because he didn"t want to help, but because he was afraid of any consequences she may face ahead. But she was prepared well enough.
"I will help you," he said, sincerely.
Long Huojin had gone to visit some of the sites of the projects he funded. Long Group mainly focused on technology interconnected with mechanics. His position was both demanding and draining.
He would start in the morning, as early as 7. And at the end of the day, when the sun begins to set, he would pick up Xue Guangli on his way home.
He began to notice that her initial stillness in the car and silence gradually transformed into casual conversations and relaxation. She would now sit in her seat, lazily. Sometimes, she would close her eyes and rest, lowering her guard, trusting him.
He felt that as long as she trusted him, friended him, then it would satisfy him enough, as long as she no longer hated him.
But he didn"t blame her for hating him. He was cruel during their early days.
When he walked into his house, he found Long Bolin in the living room wearing headphones, blasting his music.
He then heard a shout and slam of the door from upstairs. His mother came running down the stairs; her face angry and furious, face hot with tears.
"Mother," he called out.
His mother went through the liquor cabinet, drinking away some hard alcohol; he reached out to take it from her. But she slapped him across the face before he could. His face stung; his head hung low.
He held his head up high, watching her as he looked at him with an expression of hatred. Long Huojin knew she didn"t hate him, but she hated how much he looked like his father.
"Why don"t you leave him?" he asked her once when he was a child.
"I can"t. You don"t understand," his mother responded.
"It"s me," he said to her.
His mother"s expression softened, and her tears welled again. "Jin?" she called out, finding some rea.s.surance.
"Mhm," he said.
"I"m sorry," she spoke softly.
"It"s all right, mother."
His mother reached out to embrace him, but he flinched, and she noticed, backing away guiltily.
When he was a child, she hadn"t been around much in his life, though she tried, and it worsened when he got older. She began to lash out to him, and he let her, so long as she didn"t attack his younger brother, Long Bolin.
He saw then noticed Long Yuntian, his father, descend the stairs. His dark hair stark as ever, his eyes a cold, pale blue like arctic ice. He had eye bags that creased, and furrowed brows that expressed his anger.
His father ignored him, grabbing his mother"s wrists forcefully. Long Huojin started towards them, trying to stop him. But his father had slapped him on the same cheek his mother hit earlier, splitting his skin.
Long Huojin didn"t stagger back. He hit his father back in the face, for the first time, ever.
Long Yuntian looked at him, his eyes wide and wild, full of dangerous intent.
"If you lay a hand on her, I will call the police," Long Huojin declared.
"Get out!" his father roared.
"I won"t leave until you let her go."
His mother looked at him, worryingly. "Don"t Jin. You will only make things worst."
"But he"s a real son of a b.i.t.c.h," Long Huojin said.
His father came forward.
"Stop!" His mother yelled, hysterically. She stepped between them; her arms stretched out.
"Go," she turned and said.
"But—" he began.
"Leave," she stared at him. "And don"t call the police or I won"t forgive you," she said. By her expression, she meant it.
She was one of the reasons why he never moved out sooner, and Xue Guangli was the other.
Long Huojin glanced at Long Bolin who looked at them, startled. He glanced at his parents once more, turning, and left through the front door. He turned on the engine of his car and drove away.
Xue Guangli had stepped from the store, where a car with tinted windows waited for her. It wasn"t Long Huojin. The driver had stepped out and strode towards her.
"Miss Xue," he began. "Mr. Long had sent me to take you home."
Xue Guangli narrowed her eyes. "Where is he?" she asked him.
The driver was an older gentleman; his face appeared to be soft and gentle, but still.
"Mr. Long was held up."
Xue Guangli took her phone and called Long Huojin. He answered immediately. "Did you send a ride for me?" she asked.
"Yes," he responded. "I"ve been held back with work. The driver will give you rides from now on."
"All right," she responded and hung up the call.
Xue Guangli wasn"t sure how to explain it. But she felt disappointed. But all he did was take her home? And of course, he would be busy; he wasn"t an ordinary man.
She held on the magazine that she received that day; the two of them ended up on the front cover. Once she had her hands on it, she couldn"t stop staring at the photo of the two of them. Both of them looked like they were together, naturally. She wanted to show him, praise his work. But she didn"t see him.
Xue Guangli went home, looking out her window by her living room, she waited for him. But he didn"t come back. He didn"t show the next day or the day after that. It puzzled her.
One morning, she saw Long Bolin leaving the house, and she chased after him.
She accidentally startled him.
"Sorry," she said.
Long Bolin chuckled. "You have a habit of surprising people, Guangli."
Xue Guangli smiled.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.
Xue Guangli nodded. "I haven"t seen your brother in days..." she trailed off. She did not want to confess that she was worried about him. "And he"s supposed to help me with something," she added.
Long Bolin smiled grimly. "My brother moved out," he broke the news to her like that.
Xue Guangli"s lips parted opened, shocked. "What?"
Why was she even surprised? He was twenty-six years old. He was old enough to live on his own.
But she didn"t expect him to go and not tell her anything.
"All right," she said, accepting the fact. Perhaps she could find Long Huojin in his company, but all she had to do was speak to the secretaries, book an appointment.
Long Bolin then said, "Do you have your phone?"
Xue Guangli nodded, taking it out. He took it from her hand, typing in something.
"I added my phone number in case you need anything. But also, I typed in his new address. If you need to see him, you will have better luck there, I can a.s.sure you."
"Thank you," Xue Guangli said to him.
She glanced at her phone, wondering if she should see him. She had a day off from work, so she decided to suck it up and find him.