Volume One, Chapter 11: Are You Satisfied with How It Turned Out?

Ling Jianfu had gained quite a bit of weight, his belly as round as the Laughing Buddha’s. With a cheerful smile, he waved at Qin Che, beckoning him over to greet, “This is Qin Che, General Manager of Pan Ocean Group. You two might have a lot of business dealings ahead…”

In truth, the two had met long ago, but neither mentioned it now.

“I don’t have a sister. My mother only gave birth to me,” Ling Dongyan replied stubbornly.

Ling Jianfu’s face flushed red with embarrassment. He had already tried to give him an out, but Ling Dongyan ignored it completely.

His son was impossible to coax or flatter; their father-son relationship was precarious at best. He had heard that Ling Dongyan had been doing well abroad these past years and now was unsure of how deep that success ran—he dared not offend him lightly.

Clearing his throat twice, he changed the subject. “So, what brings you here so early?”

He certainly did not think Ling Dongyan had come to congratulate Ling Sisi. There was no such thing as a casual visit; either one did not come at all, or came with a purpose.

“What? Do I have to report to you when I come to my mother’s house?” Ling Dongyan retorted.

The Ling family villa was his mother’s dowry. Back when Ling Jianfu was a poor young man, Ling Dongyan’s mother had added his name to the property during their wedding to spare his pride.

And yet now, Ling Jianfu was living comfortably here with his mistress, while his mother suffered alone elsewhere!

Ling Dongyan’s eyes grew cold; he showed no deference despite Ling Jianfu being his father.

His shirt was dampened by the tears of the person in his arms, reminding him there were more pressing matters at hand.

He suppressed the rising agitation within and gently patted Nie Xingyan’s back.

“Wait here for me. After I get what we need, I’ll take you home,” Ling Dongyan said softly, his expression easing.

Everything had been chaotic just moments ago. Jiang Junmei hadn’t had a chance to think clearly. Now, calming down, she hurried to have Madam Wang cancel the ambulance. After all, this was a family matter, and the Half-Mountain villa community was home to many prominent figures of Beishi City.

If an ambulance arrived, the whole Half-Mountain area would know, and considering Ling family’s engagement the day before, an ambulance the next day would surely spark all kinds of rumors.

“Mom, it hurts so much. What if I’m left with scars?” Ling Sisi had always been afraid of Ling Dongyan. With him around, she dared not act out, only pleading silently with Jiang Junmei.

Glass shards had cut her all over, some small fragments already embedded in her flesh.

“Sisi, hold on a little longer. Mom will get you the best doctor,” Jiang Junmei said cautiously, watching Ling Dongyan go upstairs. Once his figure disappeared around the corner, she turned and glared fiercely at Nie Xingyan. “Is this what you wanted?”

She had nowhere else to vent her fury but on Nie Xingyan.

See? The true face had finally been revealed.

This time, there was no pretense left.

Nie Xingyan was numb by now.

She had grown up this way—no matter how well she behaved or how outstanding she was, praise from Jiang Junmei was nearly impossible to earn. Verbal abuse was mild; beatings and scoldings were frequent.

Whenever she was in a bad mood, whether her fault or not, Jiang Junmei always blamed her, sneering and mocking. Sometimes Nie Xingyan herself could not understand the depth of Jiang Junmei’s hatred.

She had once naively thought it was simply her nature, but after little Ling Sisi was born, she saw Jiang Junmei could speak gently and kindly.

Perhaps the hatred was from the very bottom of her heart.

Nie Xingyan turned and left the Ling residence, listening to the soft voices of the mother and daughter behind her. Jiang Junmei had never spoken so softly to her before.

When she was little and tried to get close, Jiang Junmei would impatiently tell her to find her father, then coldly watch her as if seeing through her to someone else.

Hate her if you must; she had never expected anything else.

Whether it was an act or genuine emotion, it no longer mattered.

“Forget it,” she told herself.

What use was it to dwell on this now?

Her father was gone, and she could hold onto nothing.

The sky was dark and dreary, heavy black clouds looming, promising a downpour.

Unaware, Nie Xingyan wandered forward aimlessly.

The winding mountain road mirrored her life.

The path lay ahead, yet she kept circling, unable to reach where she intended.

“Third Brother, since Miss Nie has been walking like this since leaving the Ling residence, should we ask her to get in the car?” Mu Yuan drove, while Ling Dongyan sat in the back seat, following at a cautious distance.

Ling Dongyan rested his chin on one hand, his gaze fixed intently on Nie Xingyan. He shook his head. “She still has things to sort out in her mind. Let her be alone for a while. Just follow her.”

Descending from the mountain, Nie Xingyan bought a bouquet of sunflowers and some fruit at the roadside and took a taxi away.

After following her for so long, her final destination was the cemetery.

On the tombstone was a smiling photo of Nie Xiangheng, taken in the prime of his life. Nie Xingyan reached up to brush away the dead leaves clinging to the stone’s edge, then placed the fresh sunflowers and fruit as offerings before sitting down beside it.

“Dad, I haven’t come to see you in a long time. Are you alright? Lately, I hardly dream of you anymore,” she said, her nose tingling as tears streamed down her face.

“I know… maybe you’re blaming me for failing to protect Huaibei Street, so you don’t want to visit me in your dreams anymore. I’m sorry, Dad.”

The wind stirred the fallen yellow leaves in a restless circle, the only reply to her words.

Her fingers traced the photo, staring at the smiling face, her heart aching as tears blurred her vision.

“Dad, do you regret it? Jiang Junmei has long since forgotten you completely.”

She knew that when her father had jumped, he wanted to erase his debts in death and spare both Jiang Junmei and herself from a life burdened by debt.

He had thought everything through so thoroughly. Seeing Jiang Junmei’s disgusting behavior with his own eyes—if his spirit were watching from heaven—would he regret it?

Now even the memories of Huaibei Street were gone. Nie Xiangheng had worked hard all his life, yet grasped nothing in the end.

“I hate them, but… but I can’t do anything…”

After a long, gloomy silence, thunder finally cracked, cold wind howled, and rain poured down like a torrent, drenching her instantly.

Here it was quiet, undisturbed by anyone. Nie Xingyan crossed her arms over her knees and buried her head, like an ostrich, letting the wind and rain rage as she cried out loud.

The rain washed away her sorrow, and gradually, though the sound of wind and rain persisted, no raindrops fell upon her anymore.

Her eyes caught sight of a pair of rain-speckled leather shoes.

Slowly, she looked up. Someone held an umbrella over her.

“You—why are you here?” Her voice was hoarse after crying for so long, her eyes clear as if freshly washed, the redness at their corners stirring sympathy.

Ling Dongyan knelt down gently, warm fingers wiping away the remaining tears. His voice was soft and filled with concern, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me? Why did you run off again?”