Crazy (Lily ABO) - Chapter 35

[BREAKING! Good News from Hai City Real Estate: Xin Corporation and Huashi Real Estate to Form Marriage Alliance!]

[Xin Corporation Vice Chairman’s Daughter Engaged to Huashi Real Estate CEO Liu?]

[Who is the Xin Corporation Heiress? Why Has She Never Shown Her Face? The Secret Past of a Wealthy Daughter Revealed!]

“Brother, why wasn’t I informed about this marriage alliance?” Xin De’en burst into the office, panting. The internet was flooded with news of the alliance, yet she knew nothing about it.

Xin Deming sat still in his chair, calmly responding while engrossed in his documents, “Do I need to report every decision I make to you?”

“But this concerns Ruofan. How could you make such a decision on your own?”

“Why couldn’t I?” Xin Deming lifted his eyelids, his gaze as piercing as an ice pick. Even without any pheromones, Xin De’en was intimidated by his aura. “I’ve given her enough freedom. She’s had her fun; it’s time for her to return to the Xin family.”

“But you know she has someone she loves, and they’ve already…”

“So what?” The man’s low voice interrupted her. “A mark can be washed away. Besides, CEO Liu doesn’t mind.”

Xin De’en slammed her hands on the desk, gritting her teeth. “You’re selling her like a commodity.”

“Didn’t you also take the Zhou family’s Omega as a commodity?” Xin Deming sneered, continuing, “That’s just the rule of this society. No matter how outstanding an Omega is, they will ultimately be mere accessories to an Alpha. Their genes and nature dictate that they can only obey for life. To be honest, I somewhat regret giving her so much freedom back then. If I had kept her in the country, she wouldn’t have caused so much trouble.”

Xin De’en: “Enough…”

“You don’t need to get so agitated. If your blood pressure rises and something happens, you won’t even have time to resist.”

Xin De’en’s eyes widened, a cold sweat slowly breaking out on her back as she looked up at the cold smile on the man’s face. That’s right, how could she forget? Her dear brother’s eyes always see only profit. He loves to arrange everyone around him on a chessboard and manipulate them at will. As long as they lose their usefulness, even his own son can be discarded like trash.

Xin Deming leaned back against his chair, his tone contemptuous. “Or are you saying that after all these years with this child, you’ve actually developed feelings for her?”

Hearing that, Xin De’en’s body trembled uncontrollably, her suddenly constricted pupils filled with unease and fear.

“De’en, I’ll answer your question now. Of course, I can make decisions regarding Ruofan. Don’t forget, I am her father.”

••••

Inside the restaurant private room,Teng Lin sat stiffly, her gaze fixed on the cutlery. The woman sitting opposite her took a small sip from her teacup, her slightly graying temples gently falling beside her ears.

Xin De’en scrutinized Teng Lin several times before finally speaking, “You’ve grown up.” The youthful awkwardness she remembered had faded; the girl’s face was no longer round, and her matured features gave her a cool, distant demeanor. Xin De’en vaguely recalled that the last time they met, the girl had been filled with a sense of despondency, her eyes dull and lifeless, like a zombie following her sister. Now, although the woman opposite her didn’t look up, those dark eyes were no longer cloudy, glinting with tiny sparks of light.

She knew very well that someone had brought vitality to this once-despondent woman.

“How is your sister, Teng Fei? Is she doing well?”

“Very well, thank you for asking, Auntie.” Teng Lin replied courteously. Her mood at the moment was a bit complicated, even a little nervous. After all, the elder in front of her was her lover’s mother. Such a meeting typically meant meeting the parents.

Teng Lin took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, her voice trembling slightly, “Auntie, Ruofan and I are together.”

Xin De’en calmly said, “Yes, I know.” There was no angry scene as she had anticipated, nor any harsh reprimands. However, Xin De’en’s composure made Teng Lin even more uneasy.

“Since you’re together, cherish each other well.” Xin De’en’s expression was pensive, her index finger slowly caressing the cup. “Ruofan is very much like her mother. She’s brave and persistent, but sometimes she can be quite willful and impulsive. You need to watch over her carefully.”

Teng Lin looked up. Xin De’en’s eyes seemed to be looking at her, yet also looking through her to a distant place. Teng Lin nodded, looking directly into the other’s eyes, and said firmly, “I will.”

Hearing this response, Xin De’en smiled gently. Teng Lin was indeed different from her.

“You must have seen the news about the marriage alliance, right?” Xin De’en dropped her smile, slowly picking up the teapot beside her, pouring tea, and speaking unhurriedly. “Xin Deming has already started to act. He will definitely find a way to bring Ruofan back and will use every means to ruin you. You two need to be careful.”

“He has sent many people to track your lives, including this meeting, which is also under his surveillance. Soon, I will end up just like Xin Yufei.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t offer you any help.” Xin De’en pushed the freshly poured teacup towards Teng Lin, her eyes showing apology.

Teng Lin glanced at the teacup in front of her, her pupils contracting slightly, then calmly picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

“Auntie, will you be in danger? Is there anything I can do?”

Xin De’en shook her head, her brow furrowed with fatigue. She curved her lips, giving Teng Lin a helpless smile. “Take care of my daughter.”

••••

Teng Lin walked out of the restaurant and got into a black business car. This was the security vehicle Xin Ruofan had recently arranged for her; two bodyguards would always accompany her on every outing.

Teng Lin leaned back in her seat, staring blankly at the SD card in her hand. This inconspicuous miniature card had been tucked under the teacup Xin De’en had given her earlier. A premonition of unease stirred within her.

The contents of this SD card were like Pandora’s Box; once opened, there would be no turning back. Teng Lin shook her head. From the moment she and Xin Ruofan had reconnected, there had been no turning back. She didn’t know if she had enough courage to face it all, but she wanted a future with Ruofan, a future that belonged only to them.

“Miss Teng Lin, are we heading to the fashion show venue next?” The bodyguard, noticing Teng Lin hadn’t spoken since getting into the car, asked.

Teng Lin paused, then replied as if waking from a trance, “Mhm, yes please.”

On the back seat was a gift box containing a Western-style dress. Tonight, there would be a grand fashion show. Xin Ruofan would be the finale model, her first time on a domestic runway since returning to the country. Teng Lin picked up the invitation on top of the box, her fingers gently caressing the hot-stamped, embossed lettering. This was her first time openly attending one of Xin Ruofan’s fashion shows. She no longer needed to buy overpriced tickets from scalpers or push through crowds to watch from afar.

Finally, she could be a little closer to Ruofan. She wanted to engrave every dazzling moment of Xin Ruofan on stage deeply into her mind.