Chapter 44 - She Is Going Down

Liu Lifen was just finishing applying lotion on her skin when she heard someone hurriedly knocked on her door. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, madame. But Young Miss Xuan is home."

Her hands immediately stopped moving and she reached to crack the door open. "Why?"

"She said she needed to speak with her father. They are in his study now."

Liu Lifen pushed past the househelp and rushed down the hallway to her daughter's bedroom. She didn't even bother to knock and just came inside. Liu Meilien was on the bed, her bedroom at a freezing temperature and almost every inch was covered in yellow, she was busy popping corn in her mouth while her eyes are glued to the television.

"Meilien!" she called.

"Yeah?" her daughter lazily replied.

"Xuan is here."

"I don't really care, mom," the girl drawled.

Liu Lifen stood in front of the television, fists on her waist. "You get up! We have to find out what they are taking about."

Liu Meilien's forehead creased. "Mom, I honestly don't have a sliver of care about what's going on in her perfect life."

"Her life's not perfect that's why she's here! It's not like her to come here without sending word before her arrival! Come on! Get up! And turn the sound low."

Liu Meilien angrily pressed the pause button on her remote. "What do you want me to do?"

"Come here!" Liu Lifen said and pushed open the balcony doors. On the other balcony was Feng Lizhao's study. "Jump."

"Mom, are you crazy?!" Liu Meilien exclaimed. "I am not going to jump!"

"Oh please, it's a short distance. You can easily step on the ledges."

Liu Meilien's eyebrows shot upwards. "Mother, you are going crazy. If you want to listen to their conversation, then go do it yourself." She was about to turn away when her mother grabbed her arm.

Liu Lifen's grip tightened on her slim flesh. "I did not give you long legs so you could waste them having photographed. Step over the ledge!"

Liu Meilien grumbled something under her breath that her mother couldn't hear. They were on the second floor and to be honest, she was not even that scared of crossing to the other ledge. She had photoshoots done in far more dangerous circ.u.mstances. All for the art, as they said.

Still, her stomach dropped to her ankles as she climbed the railing and steadied herself on top of it. There was a flower box just a little above her head and she used that to help support herself to the other ledge.

She took a deep breath before successfully landing lightly on her feet. Liu Meilien pressed herself against the wall. Her step-father's study's glass windows were open and she could hear their faint discussion.

Liu Meilien strained her ears to listen and she felt her heart chipped a little when she heard a continuous sobbing inside the room. She edged towards the glass windows and saw that Feng Xuan was crying right by her father's feet.

"Please, father. Help me."

"Now, now, child," Feng Lizhao's voice was sad and big.

"I can't lose him. I don't want to. Help me. I don't know what to do."

"It's not something we can really control, Xuanxuan. If she is really carrying Qing Chen's child then we can do no harm to the baby."

Liu Meilien couldn't help but gasp. Feng Lizhao's head turned to the window but Liu Meilien was already stepping on the ledge back to her bedroom, almost slipping to her death in the process.

She roughly pushed her mother inside, out of the view, before closing her own glass doors.

"What?! Why are you back so quick? What did you hear?!" Liu Lifen pressed.

She turned to her mother, her heart beating loud in her chest. "Someone's pregnant."

"Feng Xuan's pregnant?"

"No. Qing Chen got somebody else pregnant."

And just like her, her mother also gave an audible gasp. Her eyes were filled horror at first before mirth replaced it. "He got someone pregnant?"

Liu Meilien nodded slowly, she was actually feeling bad for Feng Xuan. Nobody deserved to be in a situation like that. "I guess."

Her mother tilted her head upwards and laughed maniacally. Liu Meilien only rolled her eyes. Her mother loved her theatrics.

"Funny how the world works," her mother said softly. "Feng Xuan's name would be destroyed. And the Qings'! Feng Lizhao might actually be the next powerful man in Chengshi." Liu Lifen took her daughter's hands in hers. "Then, suitors will flock our doors. And you will find a rich and handsome husband."

Liu Meilien's lip curled. She didn't want to get happy in another person's demise. "Go and celebrate somewhere else, Mother. I have to get back to my dramas."

Liu Lifen frowned at her lack of enthusiasm before leaving her bedroom. Liu Meilien pressed play on her remote.

**

Feng Xuan was back in her car. It seemed like her father didn't want to step over the Qings. But Feng Xuan couldn't just leave her husband under the claws of that Li Zongying.

Call her stupid or blind in faith but she just really feels in her gut that there was something underlying all of this. She needed a good cry to let her fears out--there was no one else she could cry to than her father. She felt a moment of hopelessness when they got the doc.u.ment verifying Li Zongying's pregnancy. She looked outside her window and thought that maybe she was only digging her own grave. Maybe she was only grasping at straws here.

But that was better than just doing nothing. But what could she do? The rest of his family couldn't really move out in the open with the risk of exposing this dark secret. Her father didn't want to endanger a pregnant woman.

Feng Xuan had no resources. She did not know Chengshi that much. She swallowed at her own helplessness. But there was one person she could always come running to.

"Please take me to Wang Yimin's house. I have to speak to my cousin," she said to the driver.

Wang Yimin's house, like hers, was up on a hill, isolated from most of their neighbors. In a huge house, she was with the housemaids. When Feng Xuan arrived, Wang Yimin was by the pool with some of the help just hanging out with her.

Feng Xuan could see the smile on the women's faces and wondered if she ever became a housewife, would she be this close with the people around her? She wish she would be. But for now, she had to save that house with Qing Chen.

"Hello, cousin," she said.

Wang Yimin was on the lounge chair, a huge pair of sunglasses sat on her nose. Her bright abstract swimsuit seemed as bright as the afternoon sun. "Cousin!" she got up and pulled Feng Xuan in a warm hug. "I was wondering where you were. You were pretty absent the past few days. Are you that busy being a wife?"

Feng Xuan pulled Wang Yimin's thin arms off her. "I missed you, cousin. But I really need to speak to you, privately."

"Oh," she said and asked the maids to prepare some snacks for all of them. Once they were alone, Wang Yimin sat next to her on the chair. "Are you alright?" the woman asked, pushing the glasses to the top of her head.

"Oh, Wang Yimin," she sighed with a shake of her head. "I wish I could tell you. But I just really need help right now."

Wang Yimin held onto her both shoulders. "You can tell me, Xuan. I would take it to my grave."

Feng Xuan raised her head and gave her cousin an apologetic look. "I can't tell you. It's not my secret to share. But please, lend me your help."

Wang Yimin was taken aback for a second. Was the secret that grave that her cousin wouldn't tell her?

"I promise, I'll tell you everything once this is all over."

"Just tell me one thing, then," Wang Yimin said. "Are you safe? Are you in danger?"

Feng Xuan shook her head. "No, I am not in danger. I am completely fine. But Qing Chen…" she did not dare finish the sentence.

Wang Yimin needed not to hear the rest. As long as she knew her cousin was alright, she'd give her help. "What is it that you need?"

"I need a private investigator," Feng Xuan said and cleared her throat. "I need files on Li Zongying. She's Qing Chen's secretary."

Dozens of theories erupted in Wang Yimin's mind but she pushed them down. "Okay. I'll make a call. Stay here. Here, have some lemonade and calm down."

Wang Yimin went inside the house and retrieved her phone from the kitchen. She dialed a number and as she was waiting for a phone call, she watched Feng Xuan. She seemed a little down; her back was hunched and her eyes hooded. She was wearing a light pink coat but it didn't really help to add color to her.

"Hello?"

"Hello," Wang Yimin said to the receiver. "This is Wang Yimin. I need files on a certain Li Zongying. Find me everything there is to that girl and the people around her. I need it ASAP."

"Request received. An investigator will contact you soon. Thank you."

The call clicked and Wang Yimin took the lunch tray that was already prepared on the counter. She walked out by the pool and found Feng Xuan lying on the chair, her face was covered by her arm and at the sound of her footsteps, a ghost of a smile appeared on her cousin's face as it should. Wang Yimin's lemonade was laced with a little of vodka. It should bring a little happiness of some sort.

"Here's some lunch, cousin," she said. After refilling Feng Xuan's glass she sat down and raised her own. "Whoever this Li Zongying woman, best believe, she. is. going. down."