Chapter 28 - Are You Curious?

Li Qin Yao managed to steer away from the mother and daughter until the banquet started.

The chairman of QL Group, Li Ren Xin, made his appearance alongside her wife, Mu Lingxi. Soon, someone pushed out a trolley with a big birthday cake to the center. The guests started to sing a birthday song, and Li Ren Xin blew on the candles while complaining that he was too old for such a lively celebration.

Li Ren Xin went to the center to thank the guests for coming to his birthday banquet. Then, he spoke a little bit about the company, those standard speeches they might have heard a thousand times.

The birthday banquet continued as Li Ren Xin invited his guests to eat and drink while mingling with others. A few of QL Group's business partners walked towards him for a toast

Li Qin Yao greeted her relatives politely before she retreated outside, thinking that she should get a bit of fresh air alone. She had shown her face before her elders, and that should be enough.

Just as Li Qin Yao was about to enjoy her time alone and away from the crowd, she heard footsteps heading towards her. Li Qin Yao clenched her fist, thinking that if anyone were trying to harm her, then she would not be polite to this newcomer.

She turned around swiftly, and her expression changed in a blink of an eye. It was her cousin, Li Mu Bai. He sauntered towards her casually with both hands in his pocket.

"Oh, it's you." Li Qin Yao said.

"What with that face?" Li Mu Bai narrowed his eyes.

Li Qin Yao took a deep breath. Not too long ago, she had to deal with Li Mu Bai's mother and sister. And now that Li Mu Bai came to look for her, of course, she was not happy.

"Why are you here?" Li Qin Yao asked with hostility.

"I saw you were heading out here and decided to come with you to have a chat," Li Mu Bai said.

"Doesn't it occur to you that the reason I escaped the party alone to avoid people?" Li Qin Yao rolled her eyes.

Li Mu Bai stared at his cousin's for a long time. By now, he was used to the way Li Qin Yao would treat him.

"Say it. What do you want?" Li Qin Yao asked with a lazy tone.

"You didn't agree to grandfather's proposal to let you return to QL Group headquarters," Li Mu Bai said after a few seconds of silence.

Hearing his words, Li Qin Yao felt her heart skipped a beat. She had discussed with her grandfather and agreed to take over the project in B City with a few terms. One of them was that her grandfather would not say anything about her involvement in the project to the shareholders.

Since the project was still in the planning stage, Li Ren Xin had agreed to the terms. Her grandfather was not someone who would break his promise.

Moreover, Li Mu Bai only mentioned coming back to the headquarters. With that thought, Li Qin Yao convinced herself that her cousin knew nothing about the project in B City.

"Didn't I tell you that I have no intention to come back to the headquarters?" Li Qin Yao tilted her head sideways and smiled. "My life in B City is pretty good. Why would I want to change that?"

Li Mu Bai was silenced for a while. "I thought you might want to return and clear up your name from the incident two years ago."

"Tried that, but it didn't work out."

Li Mu Bai felt a surge of anger when Li Qin Yao answered to his question casually as if clearing her name and innocence was not a big thing. "I didn't know that you're someone who can give up easily," he snorted. "Li Qin Yao, you have changed too much."

Li Qin Yao was surprised that the man in front of her would get angry. She studied his face and asked, "Li Mu Bai, do you believe that I was innocent? That I had nothing to do with that incident two years ago?"

"I asked some people to look into the matter."

Li Qin Yao smiled. "But you couldn't find anything to prove my innocence, right? Because if you did, we wouldn't be here talking about it."

Li Mu Bai was not the only person who investigated the matter. Grandfather had mentioned that he had looked into the matter. Since someone as her grandfather could not find the truth, then Li Mu Bai might have failed too.

"It seemed like you know who was the one who set you up." Li Mu Bai said after he had dissipated his anger and cleared his mind.

Li Qin Yao replied to him with a mysterious smile.

"Who was it?"

"Are you curious?" Li Qin Yao let out a chuckle and straightened up her pose. "Li Mu Bai, I advise you to stop looking into this matter to prove my innocence. Some things will be better if you didn't know about it, or else, the truth will only hurt you."