Paying Respects
The 30th floor of the building where Miyue Bar was located.
The bar’s owner, Yue Chuanzhu1, looked at the woman tasting wine in front of the floor-to-ceiling window so early in the morning and frowned slightly: “Miss, you only just arrived not long ago……”
The woman she called Miss, Wen Lin2, turned her head. Her expression was placid, but a closer look revealed an indescribable annoyance in the depths of her eyes: “If it weren’t for this incident at your bar, my uncles3 would not have told me to go back now.”
Hearing the accusation in Wen Lin’s words, Yue Chuanzhu lowered her head, her expression not looking good.
A few days ago, the Pink House4 had been searching for young men and women as usual. Who knew that this time—
At the mention of this, Yue Chuanzhu’s teeth itched with hatred. The one who had to clean up the mess and smile obsequiously to curry favor5 was naturally her, the manager.
She had gone through great effort to smooth over this matter, but word had still leaked out. For now, Yue Chuanzhu had no choice but to cease operations and behave quietly for a while.
But in the end, it had failed to let the Wen family’s Eldest Miss, her backer6, enjoy herself to her heart’s content.
However, upon hearing the word “uncles” from Wen Lin’s mouth, Yue Chuanzhu’s pupils shrank, and she didn’t dare to say anything more to persuade her to stay.
Wen Lin, who was also the woman wearing the fox mask on the night Zhao Manxiang and Lin Xingzhu had argued over Shang Cengrou, irritably drained the wine in her glass, turned around, drew the curtains, and walked back.
“You need to know your limits. Recently, it’s a critical time for my uncles. You’d better not have any links in the chain break on your end7,” Wen Lin warned, looking at the bowing Yue Chuanzhu.
The Pink House was originally established for the purpose of amassing wealth, specifically serving a special clientele. But as it grew larger, involving more people and money, the secrets also grew, as did the power transactions under the cover of darkness. At this point, the protective umbrella above it that allowed it to stand firm was naturally not composed of ordinary people.
The Pink House had existed for several years, but back then it hadn’t been on such a large scale, nor were its internal arrangements so refined. It was Wen Lin who, after learning of its existence, helped fuel its continued development.
This time, she had originally planned to come here to have some fun, but as the Eldest Miss of the Wen family, with this kind of incident occurring at Miyue Bar and the Pink House, she had no choice but to obey her family elders’ arrangements and temporarily return to S City to prevent leaving behind any handle8 against them.
Thinking of this, Wen Lin said hatefully: “Hide it for me, and hide it well!”
“But I estimate I won’t be gone for too long.” Wen Lin frowned in thought and said: “My uncles are calling me back probably to understand some of the situation in person. I will come back again then.”
Yue Chuanzhu’s eyes lit up: “Miss, rest assured, everything you like will be prepared for you.”
Wen Lin gave a reserved nod. She had no other hobbies, but enjoyment definitely took up the largest share.
As a person with special privileges, Wen Lin was confident that she was stronger than the original host whose soul she had accidentally replaced since the embryonic9 stage. At the very least, she didn’t forcibly snatch things from others.
Aside from a life of living as if drunk and dreaming as if dead10, Wen Lin was also very satisfied with the temperament and appearance built up by the gold, silver, and treasures of this life. She would absolutely not allow everything she currently possessed to turn into nothing.
She had grown accustomed to enjoying a life of being high and above others. And the source of all this, aside from the Wen family’s own financial support, was most importantly the support of her uncle’s power.
Therefore, Wen Lin herself didn’t really dare to defy her uncle’s words.
“By the way, do you know who the person who caused the trouble this time is?” Wen Lin suddenly asked, having thought of something.
Yue Chuanzhu nodded: “You’ve heard of them before, Miss. It’s someone from the Lin family.”
Wen Lin frowned: “Someone from the Lin family?”
She was not yet very familiar with the circle of wealthy and powerful families in A City.
Yue Chuanzhu explained in a timely manner: “The Lin family’s Lin Xingzhu. It seems we abducted her cousin this time.”
No wonder.
Wen Lin’s brow smoothed out.
It was just that she felt this name seemed a bit familiar, but when she thought about it again, she had no impression of it.
Wen Lin thought for a few seconds but couldn’t figure it out, so she casually tossed the matter aside again.
Perhaps it was a name she had accidentally heard somewhere when getting acquainted with others.
“Saturday and Sunday?” Lin Xingzhu looked at the person before her, rubbing her chin in contemplation: “I have time.”
Bai Xiying breathed a sigh of relief, “Then accompany me on a trip to S City.”
The words were a question, but the tone was a straightforward statement.
As if she was certain that Lin Xingzhu would agree.
Lin Xingzhu pondered for a moment. She could take this opportunity to bring Jiang Yeye along and escort her back home.
“Alright, let’s bring Jiang Yeye along,” Lin Xingzhu said deliberately.
Bai Xiying: “?”
Her expression was momentarily unwilling.
After all, she had her own purpose for this trip; bringing a third person would be such a hindrance.
Catching the faint smile in Lin Xingzhu’s eyes, the words on the tip of Bai Xiying’s tongue took a turn, “Where is your cousin’s family from? Doesn’t she need to go to school?”
The orange sunset clouds in the sky rolled on, magnificent and boundless. Lin Xingzhu lay on the rocking chair on the balcony, looking at Bai Xiying’s cheeks, which were tinged with a warm orange color under the twilight, and said with a smile: “You clearly already guessed.”
Bai Xiying also smiled: “Am I not just cooperating with you?”
Since Lin Xingzhu was taking Jiang Yeye home, then it was fine.
The two looked at each other and both couldn’t help but give a faint smile.
After laughing, Bai Xiying then said seriously: “Actually, it’s because the results for my preliminary review work11 are out. Very luckily, I passed.”
Lin Xingzhu turned to look at her.
“To celebrate, let’s go on a short trip.”
Lin Xingzhu was naturally willing, “I remember your home is also in S City, right?”
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
Although she didn’t really want to poke Bai Xiying’s scar12, in order to make her earlier words plausible, Lin Xingzhu still asked naturally: “You can take the opportunity to go back and see your family?”
The corners of her lips flattened. Bai Xiying unenthusiastically hummed in agreement.
If that was the case, the time they could spend together seemed to have shortened again.
But on second thought, she wasn’t going back to see Han Cuiying at all. She was going back to pay respects to her deceased father and mother.
Thinking of this, Bai Xiying’s lips curved, and she said “okay” again.
“Actually, I no longer have any living family members.” Bai Xiying smiled, her expression as light as the wind and as pale as the clouds13, “So this time when I go back, I’m afraid I’ll need you to accompany me to buy a bouquet of flowers.”
Looking at her calm appearance, Lin Xingzhu’s heart suddenly dulled with a pang.
“As long as you want, I can be your family too,” she said.
Bai Xiying shook her head, “No.”
Family is family, but Lin Xingzhu was going to be her wife.
A wife and family are not the same.
Lin Xingzhu was slightly taken aback, frowning in confusion for a moment, but she couldn’t read anything from Bai Xiying’s expression.
Perhaps family holds a different meaning in her heart, Lin Xingzhu thought, lost in thought.
On Friday night, Lin Xingzhu supervised Jiang Yeye as she packed her luggage for her return home tomorrow.
At noon, taking advantage of Father Lin being at home, she had already taken Jiang Yeye out for lunch, as a farewell.
In the evening, while Jiang Yeye was packing her luggage, she was still a little excited. Her hands were busy, but she didn’t forget to ask Lin Xingzhu for information: “Have you already found a school?”
Lin Xingzhu nodded: “It’s been found.”
The school she found was one invested in by the Lin Corporation; they still had that much say.
It was only during the investigation these past two days that Lin Xingzhu learned that the Chu Tiantian Jiang Yeye spoke of was Chu Xiaxia’s younger sister.
Xia Tian, Xia Tian, it really sounded like they were from the same family.
But why was one in A City while the other ran off to S City?
Pushing aside her confusion, since Lin Xingzhu had investigated the background, everything was easy to handle. It was enough to put Jiang Yeye into the school invested in by the Lin Corporation and give the school an instruction.
Since Jiang Yeye herself didn’t plan to retaliate and just wanted to hide far away, Lin Xingzhu didn’t do anything extra.
On Saturday morning, the three of them set off on time.
After getting off the plane at the airport, the three of them first took a taxi to Lin Xingzhu’s residence in S City. It was a large villa with its own garden, looking exceptionally luxurious and beautiful.
After taking a car out of the garage, Bai Xiying first rested at the villa, while Lin Xingzhu drove to take Jiang Yeye home.
Mindful of Bai Xiying who was still waiting for her at the villa, Lin Xingzhu declined her maternal uncle and aunt’s persuasion to stay, and after sitting for only a short while, she drove away again.
“Go buy flowers now?”
Lin Xingzhu asked, looking at Bai Xiying who was dressed in a plain white dress.
She nodded and opened the car door to sit in the passenger seat14.
When they arrived at a flower shop near the cemetery, Lin Xingzhu got out of the car with Bai Xiying. She watched her silently pick out flowers in the shop, which was full of clusters of flowers and piles of brocade15, and couldn’t help but step forward.
It seems that by inserting myself like this, I can dilute the loneliness shrouded in sorrow.
Lin Xingzhu really did accompany her in picking out two bouquets of flowers.
“This will be fine.” Bai Xiying’s lips curved into a smile. “Don’t think that I’m very sad. Actually, I’m already used to it.”
“Sometimes, to die is not necessarily not a kind of freedom.”
“Although they died in an accident, how is it not another path of return that avoids the misfortunes of their future lives?”
Lin Xingzhu frowned; what Bai Xiying said was a bit too pessimistic.
The tombstones stood in rows, each one symbolizing a living person who was now in their long sleep here.
Lin Xingzhu was holding the flowers and was about to follow Bai Xiying in when she was suddenly stopped by her.
“Let me go by myself,” Bai Xiying said. “It’s enough that you accompanied me to pick out the flowers.”
Lin Xingzhu looked up at her, not saying a word.
Bai Xiying bent down and leaned closer, taking the bouquet from her arms and holding it in her own. With one on each side, her face, nestled in the cluster of flowers, gave a slight smile: “I want to say some quiet words16 to them.”
“……”
Lin Xingzhu didn’t insist anymore.
She watched as Bai Xiying stepped onto the stairs, climbing up step by step, and then disappeared from her line of sight.
Inside the cemetery.
Bai Xiying held the flowers, found the tombstone belonging to her parents, and squatted down to place the flowers she and Lin Xingzhu had picked out together in front of the grave.
“……I’ve been doing very well recently, you don’t have to worry. Life is going smoothly, and I’ve even had a harvest in my love life.”
After saying a lot, when mentioning her love life, Bai Xiying smiled slightly: “She is a very good person, a very persistent person. I believe in my eye-light17.”
It’s just that she was too good, too persistent, which could occasionally be a little vexing.
Bai Xiying thought of the desires in her dreams, the restlessness in the early mornings. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked levelly at the two smiling people in the photograph before her: “So I’ve decided to take some measures to achieve my wish. You will support me, right?”
Bai Xiying thought of the past instances where her vague seductions had been fruitless, and she frowned in frustration.
“After all, if I rely on her to thoroughly have her aperture opened18, when will I ever be able to resolve the desires I think of and thirst for day and night?”
Love and desire are intertwined, inseparable.
The deeper the love, the heavier the desire.
Bai Xiying stared straight ahead and said calmly yet obsessively: “I can’t wait any longer. I believe, you will support me.”
“Everything will go smoothly.”
And everything must go smoothly.
A gust of wind blew, and the flower petals fluttered.
It seemed as if something in the unseen world19 was answering.
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