Ying Qingcangâs hesitation lasted only for a split second. Right when he was about to crush the pill again, Xin Qing suddenly held up a tablet and showed him the words that she had written on its screen.
âI wonât make a sound. Please donât go. And donât let me fall asleep. I⌠I miss you.â
Having read those words, Ying Qingcang felt his heart splintering asunder and shattering into pieces. How did he allow things to come to this? How could he drive his woman to such a piteous state? What about the promise of happiness and protection that he had once made to her? Was it just empty talk?
As if she had read his mind, Xin Qing quickly wrote more words on the tablet.
âNone of this is your fault. Iâm just glad that you made it back alive!â
Xin Qing continued writing, âTo me, seeing you alive is a feeling more powerful than anything else. As long as youâre alive, Iâm glad. Even if it temporarily prevents you from loving me!â Xin Qing stared at him, her eyes blinking several times; that was the exact moment when Ying Qingcang felt a sudden and powerful rush of emotion to his brain. The next thing he knew, liquid heat streaked down his cheeks.
He did cried once when he was kidnapped all those years ago. He had never cried again after that incident. Regardless, embarassment was the last thing he was feeling at the moment. Instead, he allowed his tears to streak down his cheeks freely as he opened his arms for his little woman.
Xin Qing covered her mouth with her hands and dove right into his waiting arms. For a moment, they just hugged each other. After what felt like ages, Xin Qing raised her head and saw Ying Qingcang showing her what he had written on the tablet.
âBabe! Youâre amazing. Thank you for trusting me!â
Xin Qing wrote quickly and stared at him once she was done.
âXiao Rui was the one who found out about the listening device inside your body. But we all knew that youâre being coerced even before he found out. We all trust you!â
Ying Qingcang nodded and wrote another line.
âSheâs got the old man and the chieftain. I canât just leave them alone. The root cause of your headache hasnât been removed yet. The chieftain cannot die.â
Xin Qing swiped her tears and began writing again.
âBoss Wan has already found out where they are being kept. Heâs working out a way to rescue them.â
Ying Qingcangâs face changed slightly. He quickly wrote another line.
âNo. Now isnât the right time to launch a rescue mission.â
Xin Qing stared at him. Was there something else that Ying Qingcang was hiding from her?
Ying Qingcang wrote, âOh, what the hell⌠Just ask him to be careful!â Ying Qingcang sighed soundlessly. All of a sudden, his eyes grew several shades darker.
Following his gaze, Xin Qing glanced down and blushed at what she saw. She had completely forgotten about the fact that she was still dressed in her lingerie. Right now, she was practically half-naked in Ying Qingcangâs arms.
Ying Qingcang frowned and wrote out a line, balling his fists when he was finished writing, âAre you trying to seduce me with that outfit?â
D*mn it to hell! He could see but not touch. He was holding the woman he loved the most in his arms, and yet he could not touch her. All of a sudden, a savage glint flashed inside his eyes. âRong Siman! One day will come when I make your f*ck*ng life a living hell!â
Then, Xin Qing suddenly wrote down his name, âAh CangâŚâ
Moments later, Ying Qingcang watched as Xin Qing tapped on the tabletâs screen a few times. The melody of a symphony filled the room. Thank heavens for the roomâs soundproof walls; otherwise, the tunes would have woken Wangwang up.
Blushing, Xin Qing wrote another line, âShe canât hear us now, right?â Ying Qingcang smiled suddenly and nodded. In the next second, he shifted their positions so that she was lying flat on her back with him on top of her.
His kisses rained down on Xin Qingâs body, never missing a single spot of skin. Like a pair of burning torches, his hands roamed her body, setting her skin on fire.
Moans and gasps were masked by the symphonyâs tune. Then and there, a soundless act of lovemaking played out, slowly raising the temperature of the room.
Xin Qing was woken up by Wangwangâs voice.
âMother, mother! Whatâs wrong? Are you okay?â Having heard her sonâs anxious yells, Xin Qing used every ounce of her strength to open her eyes. In an instant, all her senses came flooding back to her. She felt so sore and tired that she did not feel like moving an inch.
âMother, where are you hurting? Iâm calling a doctor right now.â
Xin Qing reached out and grabbed the boy. âIâm fine. I just didnât sleep well last night. Will you help me tell Aunt Monica that I wonât be going to the company today?â
âOh,â Wangwang said. Then, he gave his mother a suspicious glance. âMother, were you bitten by something?â
That question put Xin Qing in a momentary daze. After that, she glanced down and noticed the kiss marks lining her arms.
âAhem! Ahem!â She quickly shoved her arms back under the covers. âI have an allergic reaction. Go on, now! Go downstairs to have your breakfast!â
Wangwang strode off and mumbled to himself, âHave to ask Brother Xiao Rui later if he has a way to fix this. That looked like some serious allergy that mom has.â
After the boy left, Xin Qing strained to shift her body into another position. A glass of water sat beside the bed, on the nightstand. She took the glass and drank a few mouthfuls. Then, she picked up the tablet. Indeed, the screen showed the message that Ying Qingcang had left for her.
âIâm sorry, babe. I have to leave first. Please give me more time. Love you!â He added another line after that, âOh, and stay the hell from that army neanderthal!â
Hahaha! Xin Qing read the message over and over again for a few times, sporting a massive grin on her face all the while. Then, she felt a sticky sensation in her crotch, which brought another blush to her face. She climbed out of bed with difficulty and went into the bathroom to clean up.
Zhang Mi came to check on Xin Qing in the afternoon. Zhang Mi walked into the house to see a certain someone sprawled on the couch, grinning stupidly at the TV screen where some lame show was playing.
âSay, arenât you supposed to be sick and unwell?â Annoyed, Zhang Mi plopped down beside Xin Qing on the couch. âIt turns out that youâre just slacking off at home so that you can watch a bunch of stupid rom-coms.â
Xin Qing lowered the volume, picked up a bag of potato chips, and started munching. âI am unwell, thatâs why Iâm watching rom-coms to cheer myself up!â
âYou havenât done this type of thing for quite a while, you know,â Zhang Mi said, opening a new bag of chips. While munching on chips, Zhang Mi gave Xin Qing a sidelong glance. âHey, I suddenly feel like youâve been treated like a slave for far too long. I canât even remember the last time you ate chips in front of the TV.â
âHere!â Xin Qing said, tossing another bag of chips to Zhang Mi. âThen I shall refresh your memory today.â
Xin Qing had planned to give herself a few daysâ break. Then again, that plan bit the dust when she received a call from Boss Wan that night.
âWe still canât find a way to infiltrate the place.â
Boss Wan was referring to the private residence where Ying Hao and the chieftain were being held captive.
Xin Qing felt a bit puzzled. âYou canât get in? Not even with all your tricks?â
âOther than getting groceries every day, that woman doesnât leave the place much. Also, weâve found out that sheâs actually mute and deaf, so we canât even approach and interact with her.â âAt first, I thought we could plant a bug on her. But sheâll have to go through security clearance every time she returns to that place, so that wonât work. I donât want to risk spooking the enemy and let them know that theyâre being watched.â
What were they supposed to do now? They would never be able to free Ying Qingcang from Rong Simanâs control if they did not somehow find a way to rescue Ying Hao and the chieftain. Xin Qing clawed at her hair in frustration.
âWeâll find another way, donât worry.â After that, Boss Wan said a few more lines before he hung up.
Xin Qing went to the company the next day, wanting to discuss the problem with everyone and come up with a solution together. When she arrived, Ah Nan handed her a white card.
Xin Qing took the card and realized that it was a thank-you letter sent by the foster home that she had funded on behalf of Randa. Apart from expressing their gratitude, they had also invited Xin Qing to be their guest whenever her schedule was clear. She would receive a card like this every year; it was how the people from the foster home expressed their gratitude to her.
âRemember to wire the money to them on time this year,â Xin Qing said. She glanced at the card again before putting it in her drawer.
Ah Nan was just about speak when he saw Xin Qing suddenly taking the card out from the drawer. Then, she jumped to her feet.
âIs something wrong?â
Xin Qing smiled and pointed at the address printed on the card. âMake the arrangements. Weâll be going to France.â
Three days later, Xin Qing, Zhang Mi, Young Master Shen, and Ah Che hopped on a plane and arrived at a small town in southern France.
This town was where the foster home was. At the same time, it was also where Ying Hao and the chieftain were being held.
Xin Qing would visit the foster home as its benefactor, after which she would make a donation to help rebuild the entire foster home. She was also here so that she could personally select the new site to set up the foster home.
Regarding Xin Qingâs visit to the small town, the townsmen were nothing but thrilled. The townâs mayor had even come to welcome their arrival in person.
On the night of their arrival, they met up with Boss Wan.
âWhat exactly do you have in mind?â Boss Wan asked her.
Xin Qing grinned at him and said, âIâve checked. The people of this town earn their keep through farming. Also, most people who remain in this town are either senior citizens or children. Other than a foster home, Iâm planning to set up a school and a library as well.â
Everyoneâs eyes were on Xin Qing as they waited for her to finish.
âIâm a Chinese businesswoman, and China is a place where Feng Shui is highly emphasized. Which means that Iâll be calling the shots regarding the location we use to establish those facilities.â Xin Qing met everyoneâs gazes. âWe know that Ying Hao and the chieftain are both being held captive inside a private residence in this town. Now, if we include that entire residential area as part of our list of sites to choose from and then announce to everyone that weâll be using that area to set up a library, weâll have a legitimate excuse to gain access to that place. Weâll give out compensation fees to the existing residents and then provide free housing for them. If we do that, nobody will reject the offer, right?â
Boss Wan nodded. âThatâs a good idea.â
âDamn, youâre brilliant!â Young Master Shen exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up. âOur Xiao Qingqing has truly grown. Now sheâs even capable of coming up such devious schemes.â
Zhang Mi kicked his shin. âItâs called being clever!â
Rong Siman was in the middle of her beauty treatment when she received a phone call. When she answered the call, she nearly leaped off her seat.
âAre you sure that the person is called Xin Qing?â
The person on the other end said something that filled Rong Simanâs face with a look of pure hatred. âI understand,â Rong Siman said. âYou guys should watch yourself. Donât rouse any suspicion.â
She rushed to the company after hanging up. When she got there, Ying Qingcang was still in a meeting. As she paced around Ying Qingcangâs office, a sudden calmness washed over her.
âWhat if itâs all just a conicidence?â Rong Siman thought, calming herself down. âNo, I should do some digging first,â she said to herself. âI need to verify that she had indeed been making donations to the foster home all this while.â Then, Rong Siman suddenly slapped the surface of the desk. She was an idiot. Why on earth did she come to Ying Qingcang for help? The man had no idea that she had been holding Ying Hao and the chieftain captive.
When Rong Siman hypnotized Ying Qingcang, the idea she had implanted into Ying Qingcangâs subconscious was that Ying Haoâs anger at Xin Qing had led Ying Hao to his death. What she was doing now was practically self-sabotage!
Just then, the door opened and Ying Qingcang strode into the office. âIs there something you need?â
âI came to see you!â Having recovered from her earlier discomposure, Rong Siman leaned towards him sultrily. Ying Qingcang sidestepped her and sat down behind his desk. âHave you read todayâs paper?â He said, picking up the newspaper from his desk and handed it to her.
Rong Siman took the newspaper and saw an article about Xin Qingâs overseas trip in support of charity.
âWhat a coincidence indeed. Thatâs the place we used to stayed at,â Ying Qingcang said with a cryptic smile. âI wonder what was on your mind back then. Why did you pick such a small town?â
âAh! It was because of the nice environment there! Itâs quiet. Itâs a good place for recuperation,â Rong Siman said nervously.
Ying Qingcang nodded. âI wonder what Xin Qing is up to this time. Why donât we return to check things out?â
âIâm thinking the same!â Rong Siman said quickly. âBut I can return on my own. You shouldnât trouble yourself with trifling matters like this.â
âButâŚâ Ying Qingcang stood up and walked until he was standing in front of Rong Siman. Then, he lowered his head to look at her. âI canât bear to part with you. Iâm used to having you around every day. Itâll feel weird if I donât get to see you for even a day. You know what? Forget it! You should forget about going back and just ignore them.â
The corners of the manâs lips tugged into a seductive smile as he stared right into her eyes. Dazed, Rong Siman nodded and said, âFine, ignore them.â
âLet me treat you to something nice. What would you like?â Ying Qingcang picked up his jacket. Only then did Rong Siman recovered her senses. âThai cuisine?â Ying Qingcang asked.
âAh Cang, why are you suddenly interested in symphonies?â Rong Siman had caught a glimpse of the symphony playing on Ying Qingcangâs computer when they left the office.
âI havenât been able to fall asleep recently. The doctor told me that listening to symphonies might help. I got used to listening to them at night, so I kept them playing during the day, too. Why? Do you like them too?â