Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The city is too big, and all the buildings seem the same. Song Pearl stood at the intersection, raised her head to look at the towering skyscrapers, paused for a moment, and decided to go to Song Shiting's new home first.
After they moved here, they gave her the address and invited her to come over whenever she had time. Although she wasn't very busy, she had never visited due to a growing distance in her heart.
Song Pearl hailed a taxi at the intersection. After getting in, she provided an address. The driver glanced at her and said, "That's the Villa Area where wealthy people live. It was just built last year. Are you visiting relatives?"
Song Pearl smiled but did not respond. She took out her phone and dialed the number that Song Shiting had given her.
The phone rang twice before being answered. Song Shiting sounded very excited upon hearing Song Pearl's voice.
"Great! My mom and I will meet you at the door."
When the car arrived at Hua Garden Villa, Song Pearl saw Song Shiting and Liu Cuiying waiting at the entrance before she even got out of the car.
That feeling was not unfamiliar; instead, it felt warm. Her eyes suddenly became a bit moist. Perhaps it was because she felt particularly helpless at that moment, and the long-lost sense of familiarity surged in her heart.
Getting out of the car empty-handed reminded her that she had forgotten to buy a gift. She showed a shy smile.
"Pearl, you must be exhausted from your journey! Come in quickly. Your dad and I were so happy to receive your call that we waited right here at the door! Now that our family is all together, you're the only one we've been thinking about..." Song Pearl's identity had changed, but the familiar way of addressing each other remained unchanged; it seemed no one paid attention to this detail.
Liu Cuiying came over, took Song Pearl's hand, and walked with her toward the yard. "We still have to walk a bit more; that yard with the Hua Bird is just ahead!"
In just a few months, Liu Cuiying's face had become much paler, and her hands had turned soft and smooth, no longer rough as before. Clearly, she no longer had to do any heavy work now, while Song Shiting still looked the same.
"I came in a hurry and didn't have time to buy anything."
"You are not an outsider; it's great that you can come. We don't lack anything at home, just someone to talk to." Song Shiting and Liu Cuiying walked closely beside Song Pearl, appearing very friendly.
Liu Cuiying thought for a moment and asked, "Qing Wenyu didn't come with you? This time the house is big and spacious; you can stay here longer."
"No, he has a lot on his plate. I came this time because of my dad's company," Song Pearl replied.
The new house that Wu Yuqian bought was a three-story villa with a large area. The three of them sat down in the living room on the first floor. Liu Cuiying took a fruit knife to peel an apple, while Song Shiting brewed some tea.
"Your dad's company?" Song Shiting asked. "Wu Qiang has already resigned; is there still something he hasn't handed over? Did he come too?"
"Yes, it involves some accounts, and my dad came as well. Is Treasure coming back after work?" Song Pearl asked.
"You must be exhausted from the trip; have an apple to soothe your throat. Why didn't Wu Qiang come to my house? But he has plenty of places to stay, so we don't need to worry." Liu Cuiying handed over the apple. "With such a big house, if Treasure stays with us and doesn't have any business trips or social engagements, she will come back for dinner every day. She hasn't had much of my cooking in all these years; now she should enjoy it properly and make up for what she missed."
When Liu Cuiying said this, there was a hint of sentiment in her expression, as if Song Zhenbao had suffered a great injustice.
"So now I change up my cooking every day, waiting for Treasure to come back to eat. It's just that the vegetables and meat here don't taste like those from Song Family Village."
"Back then, your mom wouldn't even use oil when frying dishes, yet they tasted so good!" Song Shiting interjected. "Now that we're here, we have all kinds of seasonings, but it still doesn't taste good!"
Song Pearl smiled. "Once I go back, I'll pick some fresh vegetables from the Ecological Aquaculture Farm and bring them over."
"That would be too much trouble; they won't be fresh by the time they arrive. Treasure is very picky; she wants both nutrition and freshness. The vegetables here are also organic ecological vegetables, which are even more expensive than meat."
While the three were talking, they heard a horn honking outside. Through the transparent glass window, Song Pearl saw a red Ferrari driving into the yard. Wu Yuqian elegantly stepped out of the car, carrying an expensive bag on her arm.
Wu Yuqian kicked her high heels to the side as she entered, changed into a pair of comfortable slippers, and then lifted her gaze to look at the people in the living room.
"Song Pearl." A smile appeared on her lips, completely unfazed, as she saw Song Pearl, as if she were greeting a long-lost best friend. She warmly said, "I knew you might come over these past two days. It's been a while since we sisters got together; let's go to my room later and have a little chat!"
She playfully winked. Her voice was sweet and gentle, her demeanor affectionate, and her eyes sparkled with joy. Song Shiting and Liu Cuiying exchanged glances upon seeing their daughter like this, revealing smiles of contentment.
The couple often found themselves in conflict; sometimes they felt guilty towards Song Pearl, and other times they thought Song Zhenbao had been wronged. Now, seeing the two girls acting like close sisters naturally made them happy.
“Mom, don’t cook tonight. Since Pearl is here, let’s all go out to eat!” Wu Yuqian said as she sat between Liu Cuiying and Song Pearl.
“What’s good to eat outside? Aren’t the dishes from outside made with gutter oil and unsanitary?” Liu Cuiying pretended to glare at Wu Yuqian in mock anger. “Since Pearl is here, let your dad cook this meal. Don’t you both love your dad’s cooking?”
Then she started reminiscing again, “Thinking back to those times when I couldn’t move my legs and had to rely on you two sisters for help; those days were tough for your dad. I don’t know how he got through it!”
“Alright, alright, we won’t go out. Let’s wash the vegetables and cook. Let Pearl and Treasure chat for a bit,” Song Shiting noticed that Song Pearl seemed distracted after Treasure arrived, as if she had something to say to her.
However, Liu Cuiying was not perceptive enough at that moment to stop reminiscing about the past and busily urged her to go cook.
“Mom, then you help me with dinner! I want that sweet potato with syrup and sweet and sour fish. Pearl, what do you want to eat?”
“Pearl isn’t picky like you; she can eat anything!” Liu Cuiying laughed as she stood up and walked toward the door.
Wu Yuqian chuckled and exchanged a glance with Song Pearl, exaggeratingly saying, “My mom keeps talking about how great you are in my ear; sigh! I’m so jealous!”
Song Pearl didn’t have such acting skills; she simply smiled normally without saying a word.
"Let's go to my room," Wu Yuqian said as she pulled Song Pearl upstairs.
She followed Wu Yuqian into her bedroom, which was larger than the one in the Jin Family residence, but the decor was completely different.
"I have a very specific taste; this room is decorated just like my original house," Wu Yuqian introduced to Song Pearl. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Song Pearl nodded, realizing this, so she decided not to waste any more words and got straight to the point.
"Wu Yuqian, you should understand why I'm here, right?"
"What is it?" Wu Yuqian appeared surprised, running her fingers through her hair. "Is it about the Resort? I can tell you clearly that it's not me who wants to acquire Jinshan Resort; it's the shareholders of Jinmai Group who have decided that."
Song Pearl stared into Wu Yuqian's eyes and shook her head. "That's not what I want to discuss. I'm glad you see the value in the Resort, but I'm here to ask about my dad. What's going on? You can't possibly not know."
"Your dad? Uncle has something going on?" Wu Yuqian seemed confused; she not only didn't know but appeared completely unaware.
"You really don't know?" Song Pearl looked at Wu Yuqian's innocent expression. If it weren't for their previous interactions and events, she might have believed her.
"My dad has been accused of embezzling company funds during his tenure. As a senior member of Jinmai, how could you not know?"
"How could this happen! Who made the accusation?" Wu Yuqian stood up, pacing back and forth in the room, her brows furrowed as she murmured, "Uncle is honest and upright; he would never embezzle funds. There must be some mistake. What about him now? Is he okay? He mustn't let this upset him!"
"He has already been detained for investigation. Since you didn't know before, now that you do, can you please find a way to help clear my dad's name?"
"Why are you saying this? If it's about Uncle, I would naturally help! But I'm afraid I can't do much because I haven't heard anything about this."
Wu Yuqian responded innocently.
"If you help with this, you can propose any conditions, and I will agree to them," Song Pearl said. Both of them were sensible people, and there was no need for pretense.
"Any conditions?" Wu Yuqian's gaze suddenly turned cold, and the facade on her face was torn away. "What qualifications do you have to negotiate conditions with me now? Song Pearl, you stole my fiancé during our engagement and made me look bad in front of my sisters. I'm not holding it against you now, but what status do you have to talk about conditions with me?"
She was somewhat aggressive. "Are you planning to leave Qing Wenyu, give up the Resort, or clarify to the outside world that it was all just a misunderstanding? You are not Wu Qiang's daughter; I am!"
Wu Yuqian smiled coldly. "Let me tell you, it's too late! You have no right to negotiate conditions with me. I don't want what others have discarded! However, I will not let those who take my things off easy!"
A sharp glint appeared in Song Pearl's eyes, but her tone remained calm. "Wu Qiang has always treated you like his own daughter, providing for your education and sending you abroad for the best schooling. Even if he recognizes me as his daughter, his feelings for you are genuine. Just like my relationship with Uncle Aunt. Out of respect for this bond, you should find evidence that is beneficial to him."
"Is he good to me? Then why did he give the Resort to you?" Wu Yuqian laughed so hard she almost bent over.
"If you want the management rights of the Resort, I can give them to you. If you want to marry Qing Wenyu, I can return him to you, as long as you stop pressing me and making things difficult," Song Pearl said as she locked eyes with Wu Yuqian, determination shining in her gaze. "However, if you insist on pushing me to the edge without leaving any room for negotiation, don't think I will sit back and do nothing! If pushed too far, I will make sure you lose everything!" (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count