Chapter 171: Reunion with Xin Nianzu

Time: 5:46 PM. Thirty-one hour, forty-four minutes left.

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*Xin Lei*

"Lei Lei."

I jumped into Dad's embrace when I saw his figure clad in the familiar black suit and trouser. I buried my face in his chest and hugged him hard.

We landed Dongcheng just twenty minutes ago and immediately headed to where Dad was. Meeting him again felt as if such a long time had already passed. I rushed as soon as I stepped out of the car. Every step I ran made towards the room made me even more eager than ever to meet him.

He chuckled. "Hey, big girls don't cry now."

I pouted and looked at him. I thoroughly checked him from head to toe to check if he was alright.

He wiped a tiny tear from the corner of my eye with his thumb. "I am fine, my sweet candy."

That was like music to my ears. Dad sometimes called me candy because, well, I love to eat candies. My eyes turned sore again with tears, hearing that after so long.

This wasn't a dream. Dad was finally in front of me.

I signed.

"I missed you so much!"

He smiled and patted my head. "I missed you too, dear."

"Such a baby." I heard bro snicker and glared at him.

"Will I not get a reunion hug from my son?" He glanced at bro.

Bro shrugged. "You seem fine, Dad. Too fine, I guess. And I think Lei Lei has given you my part of the hug, too, with how tightly she was choking you to death."

I furiously typed. "I wasn't choking him! It was an emotional hug! You have no delicacy at all."

He sneered. "Sure. I think Dad was safer with Gen Gen than you. At least, he was still alive there."

I bit my lip, and Dad burst into laughter. "Ahahaha, I missed your brother-sister banter."

"Heh! Who is her brother? I am not a brother of any idiot sister."

Dad snorted. "Same old and cold Zhen Zhen."

Shi Ruiling suddenly burst into laughter. "Zhen Zhen. That is so cute."

Dad's gaze brightened. "Isn't it? Lei Lei and Zhen Zhen. Such cute nicknames, but Zhen doesn't like it. Clearly, he doesn't have any naming sense."

She furiously nodded.

"In the future, he shouldn't take part in deciding names for his children. He will choose boring names, just like his personality."

Shi Ruiling suddenly coughed hard. Bro seemed impassive as if he wasn't shocked at all.

"Oh, dear. Are you alright?" Dad asked, concerned.

"Hahaha...I am fine. T-that just took me by surprise."

"Hoooo...why so?"

I blinked my eyes at Dad's curious smile. 

Wait, he cannot know about her pregnancy, right? Why do I feel that he does?

As expected, Shi Ruiling seemed nervous. "N-no particular reason, Mr. Xin."

"Pah! Mr. Xin is too formal, Shi Ruiling. Call me, Uncle."

"Oh. Okay. If you don't mind... Uncle."

Dad nodded. "That's right. I am happy now. So, back to the question. Why did it take you by surprise?"

Shi Ruiling's expression was so damn funny that I had to hold in my laughter. It was like I could hear her thoughts.

He hasn't forgotten yet?

She peeked at Bro for help, but he didn't bother to help her at all. He even glanced away from her as if this had nothing to do with him.

Sometimes, I really pitied her for a boyfriend like Bro…

Shi Ruiling smiled. "Oh, that…I mean, I just cannot imagine Zh- Xin Zhen having a girlfriend, much less children. He is so cold, heartless, and definitely NOT HELPFUL at all. Which girl would like him? She must be an idiot to fall for a log of wood who is so NOT HELPFUL at all. Haha."

Bro's expression turned from worse to ugly.

Dad laughed back too. "Haha! Well, you are right. What can I say? I always thought I raised both my children the best I could, but why did he turn so cold, I wonder? Zhen, this is high time you change yourself, or how will I get my grandchildren? This is my age to play with lots and lots of them. You are thirty-one already. Find someone sensible like Shi Ruiling and hook up with her already."

This earned a series of coughs, including me.

Well, Dad was always quite forward. 

"Clearly, old age has gotten to your head, old man," Bro sneered.

Dad ignored him and then looked at me. "Well, my son is hopeless, but I still have a capable daughter."

Wait. What?

"So, all my hopes are onto you, Lei Lei. When are you and Bai Li giving me a grandchild?"

***

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At the same time, in Ying Yue's home.

Rodey's grip on Xue Jingjing's neck was so tight and cruel that she could hardly move her head.

Ying Lan and Xue Xiying, who stood frozen at first, finally snapped back into reality.

Xue Xiying sprung on her feet, but before she could scream, Rodey took out his gun and pointed at her head. "Utter a fucking annoying scream out of your mouth, and you will be dead right this instant."

She gulped back her shrill in horror. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her voice could hardly come out. It was almost a whisper now. "W-who are you?"

Rodey burst into evil laughter. "Who am I? Somebody who you shouldn't mess with, yet you did. Somebody you shouldn't have pissed off, yet you did it anyway."

Xue Jingjing choked, and she struggled to speak. "I don't understand…What are you t-talking about?"

He chuckled. "Your brain is in the dump, right? Otherwise, how would you have forgotten our short morning meeting today?"

Xue Jingjing was breathless. She painfully furrowed her brows, but then she suddenly widened her eyes. 

"Seems like now, you remember."

Is he the thief? No wonder I felt as if I heard his voice somewhere before!

Ying Lan cautiously said, "What do you mean?"

"Y-you already stole all the money I had *cough* I have no more! M-mom... please help…" she started sobbing, "He stole all the money from me...at gunpoint."

Xue Xiying was shocked. "What! T-then why did you come back again? You have already robbed her."

Rodey clutched her neck even harder, and she furiously coughed.

"Jingjing! Please let her go." Xue Xiying cried.

"Whose money was it, bitch?"

Xue Jingjing paled. She was barely able to think. "I-I already said it was mi-"

Rodey pulled her head up, holding her neck, and banged it hard on the table again.

"Ah!!" The pain made her dizzy, and tears came rolling down. "*Cough cough*."

"Jingjing!" Her mother shrieked. Rodey's gun made her unable to move from her spot.

Ying Lan was a little afraid too now.

"Whose. Money. Was. It?" He growled.

"Y-Yue! It was Yue's money!" She confessed.

Ying Lan was aghast. "Yue? How did you get her money?"

Rodey smiled. "Ding ding! Right answer. Now answer her question, bitch."

She bit her lip hard. "I-I took it from her...last night…"

"Took it? Took it!? Or stole it! You stole money from my daughter!" She tremblingly pointed her finger at her.

Xue Xiying quickly said, "No. It must be a misunderstanding, Lan. My Jingjing would never do this."

"I fully understand what your daughter is capable of! You can be this shameless! You both are only here for the money that my Yue earns with hard work! You just want-"

"Save your family drama for sometime else." Rodey snarled. "I am not done yet." He looked down at Xue Jingjing and gave that cold smile again that could give chills to anyone.

She shivered involuntarily.

He lowered his head and said, "Now that you have beautifully confessed to stealing, tell me another thing, bitch."

"W-what?" She sobbed as she whispered.

"Ten years ago, when your cousin was hit by the car and almost fatally injured herself in that accident, it was you who pushed her onto the road, right? Sneakily from behind?"

She froze. It felt as if blood stopped flowing in her body.

Xue Xiying turned pale. Both of them looked white as if they saw a ghost.

Ying Lan rapidly blinked her eyes as her mouth formed an 'O' in disbelief. "What?"

Rodey ignored her and kept sneering at Jingjing. "It was one sunny morning or evening. Whatever. You were playing together with your friends and Yue. Then while heading back home, you reached the main street. Yue was walking in front of you. You saw a car coming. So, you thought, why not? How would she know that you pushed her?"

He continued, ignoring their horrified looks. "So, with the hatred and loathe that your twelve-year-old self had for a ten-year-old Yue because your father liked her maybe more than you and I mean, why not? You are just trash and bitch from the inside out. Who would like you anyway? So, you shoved her on the road and bam!"

"No!" Xue Jingjing finally found her voice. "No! Lies! All lies! She fell by herself, tripping on her foot."

"Yes!" Xue Xiying stood up for her defense. "How can a nobody stranger like you accuse my daughter? Jingjing did no such thing! What evidence do you have?"

Rodey laughed. "Evidence? I don't need evidence. I have seen enough bastards and sluts like her to know what happened. I don't even have to guess anymore.

"That's why your father coughed up that amount of money for her surgery. He knew that you pushed her, right?"