Chapter 28：How times change

Xinyi said, "I don't tolerate her. I understand her. We were good friends but she equally liked Caihong. Everybody thought they were perfect...even myself. But then suddenly it was me by Zhiyuan's side. Not Caihong that everybody expected to see," she gave an empty smile.

"So, in her place, anybody else would be angry too. Yunru. Things are already strained in between us. I don't want to make it any more tense. Grandpa is enough for me to handle. Zizi only hates me because she cares about Zhiyuan as his sister and you know how he was...those years back in his depression. She hates and blames me for that which is right."

She clutched her dress. "If it had been Caihong with him, Zhiyuan wouldn't have had to go through all that."

Yunru snorted. "Oh please. Stop speaking like you broke them apart like some man-snatcher that she calls you. You could never do that."

Xinyi sighed. "Please Yunru. I want to mend things with her, but it will be impossible if you force her to do things against her will when she already hates me."

"I am not gonna promise anything."

She smiled. "That is still enough."

Then she said, "You never told me about your girlfriend."

"Well, it's complicated."

She frowned. "Since how long have you two been together?"

"Seven…"

"Oh, I see. Seven months-"

"Years."

She widened her eyes. "Huh? Seven years! And you didn't tell me or Dad until now?"

"It's complicated."

Xinyi felt she had so many things to say but…

"What is complicated? Maybe I can help you. Seriously, you didn't share anything with me," she pursed her lips in disappointment.

Yunru smiled. "You don't share things either, sis."

Her brow slightly twitched. "What?"

"Don't pretend. I know there is something you are keeping in your heart. I don't know what but it's painful. Sometimes, you look...lost and empty. You smile even though you don't mean it. You are also hiding things from me, sis. You are doing just the same as me."

Xinyi felt anxious. "No, I…"

Yunru patted her cheeks. "It's alright. I understand. It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. Honestly, I don't want to talk about my relationship either. Just know that I am all ears whenever you need me."

Xinyi hugged him. "Yunru. When you feel you are ready to tell me about her, just call me, okay?"

He pecked her forehead. "Yup, sis."

---

Zhu villa.

Xiaosi was lazily resting on the couch and swirling the wine glass in his hand when he got a call.

"What?"

"Sir. Han Zhiyuan is doing his best to find out about you. It doesn't seem he would give up until he gets his hand on Young mistress's details."

He narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "I didn't expect anything less from him. He is a stubborn and annoying man. Until he gets his answers, he won't step back."

"What should I do?"

"Let him do whatever he wants. I won't let him know about me until I want it."

Xiaosi tilted the glass and the wine spilled on the floor.

"It's not for long anyway. Because we are going to meet again very soon."

---

Inside her room, Caihong finally called her father after thinking for a long time.

"Caihong, my daughter! I was just going to call you," An Guoting chirped from the other end.

"Have you packed your stuff? I will send a car to pick you up."

"Dad. I will have to postpone my visit."

"What? Why so suddenly?"

Caihong's expression contorted in anger. "Xiaosi wants to take me on a cruise trip for a business meeting. I can only come after that."

Silence.

"Caihong. Is that really the truth?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...is it because of Meiying that you…"

Caihong raised her brow. "Why would I postpone my visit because of my step-mother?"

He anxiously said, "Caihong, don't say it like that. She is your mother but you still address her as your step-mother."

"Because she is my step-mother. Dad, she is your wife. I get it. It doesn't mean I have to make her my mother too. I think we had this conversation before. You made your choice. I made my own."

"So, it's really not because of her?"

She sneered. "I am the most desperate to come back, Dad. But Xiaosi isn't letting me."

"What?" She heard him gritting his teeth through the other end. "That man... Caihong, is he forcing you again? If it is then tell me. I will talk to him right now! Is he purposely doing this?"

Caihong snorted. "You should know how he is, Dad."

An Guoting said, "Caihong, I really wish I could take you out from that man's place!" His breaths were angry and uneven as he spoke. "That Zhu Xiaosi...I won't let him do as he wants! He has already hurt you so much! If I just get one chance…"

Caihong understood his helplessness. There was one time when Xiaosi was nothing in front of the An family's power.

And now, the An family was nothing in front of his power.

'I will destroy the An Corps if you don't listen to me. Your father and stepmother wouldn't be so happy to be reduced to begging on the streets now, now would they?'

"Forget it, Dad. Anyway. I am hanging up. I will visit the week after the next."

On the other side, An Guoting pressed his brows. He felt a soft hand on his head.

"Meiying."

An Meiying gently smiled. Even in her late forties, she had maintained herself quite well. She was his second wife and he married her after his first wife, unfortunately, died in an accident.

"Was it Caihong?"

"Yes."

He told her the conversation.

"A cruise trip?" Her eyes glinted with an unreadable expression.

"Yes. So she can only come the week after the next."

"I see. I was really worried if she refused because of me," she sadly lowered her gaze.

An Guoting held her hand. "Don't worry. It's nothing like that."

"But she still hasn't accepted me…"

An Guoting hesitated. "She will, she will. When she returns from the trip and comes here, make sure to spend a lot of time with her so you two can get closer."

"Of course, I will. But I hope she gives me that chance."

"Of course she will."

As An Meiying stepped out of the room, she quickly dialed a number. "Shuang. It's me. I want to talk to you about something."