Chapter 72 - Your secrets.

Tang Chunlan felt stifled with the current atmosphere sitting down with such people. The sounds of knife grinding on the ceramic plates made her head spin and the aromatic smell of food was not helping her problem. She could feel the undisguised tension in the air, all three men pretending that they were having a civil dinner when it was clear that this was a feast filled with predators. She put down her napkin and stood up. "Please excuse me, Papa. I don't feel so well so I will be retiring for the night."

Tang Huizhong nodded, grateful for his daughter's sensitivity and thoughtfulness. "Okay, dear. Goodnight."

Jihai also stood up, stretching his hand out to help her. "Let me help you to your room. Please excuse us, Father-in-law."

Tang Chunlan turned to the old man sitting by her left side. "Goodnight, Grandpa Wen. Please excuse me."

Wen Qiqiang smiled after drinking his glass of water. "Goodnight, dear. Take care of yourself and send my regards to your junior sisters."

Chunlan said. "I will."

The couple left the room and began carefully climbing the stairs as they talked. Chunlan placed a small key and a piece of paper in Jihai's palm and whispered. "Here is the new location my father is keeping your uncle. You must rescue him before the week ends, okay?"

Jihai's frowned when he stared at the key. "It seems like you already knew that my uncle will be moved ahead of time. How come?"

She smiled. "As his heir, I know my father very well." Plus, I am a woman who has been reborn, she silently added. If the laws of heaven and earth didn't work against her, there was no one right now who could defeat her.

"I see. Thank you." He tucked the items in his pocket and wrapped his hand around her own, guiding her through the stairs.

"You are welcome. Tell me about Shen Ji. Where is he now?" She asked.

Jihai replied. "I initially thought she was staying in Brazil but surprisingly, I met her during my business trip in Macao. I saved her from an foreign drug lord and brought her back. Right now, she is currently staying with me in my house."

"In your house?" Chunlan glared at him, her fingernails digging into his palm.

He paused to look at her, his lips curving into a smile as he explained. "I only kept her there because I wanted to be able to watch over her personally. Plus, it will be more convenient for her to treat Bingwen."

"Bingwen? What's wrong with him?"

Jihai's smile fell. "He was poisoned before he travelled abroad. We have been looking for an antidote."

Chunlan became dazed as her mind took her back to her past life, her hand falling away from his own.

She remembered how Menxiang was forcefully married against her will to Mo Bingwen immediately after her graduation in order to save her family's dying business. Their marriage was full of bitterness and resentment and no matter how hard Bingwen tried, he couldn't win her love.

One day, she couldn't take it anymore and begged her third brother, Su Ying Pei to find a way to help her leave the marriage. Su Ying Pei didn't even attempt to refuse her but instead poisoned Bingwen on their third year anniversary. Poor Bingwen died four months later, crippling the whole Mo family and sending his weak father into his own deathbed. Her friend was torn between guilt and the dėsɨrė to pursue her first love who was married to her cousin. Unable to choose, she began to blame Chunlan for not helping her win him over and accused her for leading him away from her.

The rest is history.

Jihai watched her turn pale, standing in a daze. "What's wrong? Lan'er, are you alright?"

She mumbled in despair with her eyes wide. "He is already poisoned?!"

"What do you mean? Do you know who did this?" Jihai's sharp eyes stared at her, willing her to talk.

Realizing she had spoken out loud, she mentally hit herself. "How would I know anything about this? Can't you see I am blind?"

Jihai narrowed his eyes and deepened his voice. "Tang Chunlan."

She glared at him when he called her name. "Enough! I said I don't know anything about what happened to your friend, why are you interrogating me like this? Are you helping me go back to my room or not?!"

Jihai kept quiet and helped her to her room, leaving them in their own thoughts. He knew that Chunlan had changed, suddenly into a woman with many secrets. Now that he thought of it, it had started a while back when they were in college but it was more apparent now.

He watched her open her door and say. "Goodnight." Closing the door in his face.

He stood there, standing in front of the door with complicated feelings. After a while, he spoke up. "Lan'er, I know that there are things you are keeping from me, secrets that you are hiding but I really don't mind. I won't care as long as those secrets don't get in the way of our plans and happiness. I trust you because I know that your secrets won't be bigger than our love, right?"

Chunlan only opened the door when she realized that he had left. She held in her emotions and whispered. "Don't worry, Jihai. I will make sure we get our happy ending, I promise."

She sighed in relief. By now, her father hopefully would have succeeded in chasing away Wen Qiqiang in order to prevent any bloodshed from occurring in their house.

But that wasn't the case.

When Tang Huizhong had finally managed to get the old man out of the house, he suddenly collapsed on their way to his car. After calling the doctor and being advised to let him rest in the house, he realized that the sly old fox was just stalling for an opportunity to talk with his son-in-law.

He was right.

When they saw Jihai coming downstairs, the old man abruptly stood up straightening his body like a thirty year old ȧduŀt. "Huizhong, I told you that I was alright, why do you keep insisting that I should rest instead? Its getting late, I better take my leave."

Wen Qiqiang raised his head to glance at the young man approaching them. "Oh, you are leaving too? Then let's go together, I am sure you don't mind escorting this old man, do you?"

Bai Jihai nodded, smiling at him with unrestrained amusement. "Of course not. Let's take my car instead.. Its much safer that way."