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The private jet arrived at Shenghai Manor that very day, carrying nothing more than an affordable ice cream dessert.
However, Xia Yuan was no longer at the manor.
Butler Wang grabbed the pilot’s hand and anxiously asked, “What’s the young master so busy with that he can’t answer his phone?”
The pilot scratched his head. “Uncle Wang, you’re asking the wrong person. I only fly the young master’s plane—I don’t know his exact schedule.”
Butler Wang had no choice but to let go of the pilot and try calling Yang Yi and Pei Jingchen, but neither of them could get in touch with Qin Mohuai either.
Yang Yi told Butler Wang, “Someone might have tampered with Mohuai’s phone number, which is why we can’t reach him.”
Who could have the power to meddle with Qin Mohuai’s phone? The answer was obvious.
Butler Wang suddenly thought of someone who might have the ability to bypass the old master and contact the young master. However, that person had already left the Qin family and started his own business.
That person was Old Master Qin’s youngest son, Ninth Master Qin, a man just as rebellious as Qin Mohuai, though he was only thirty-five years old.
Old Master Qin had also forbidden Ninth Master Qin from marrying the woman he loved, and in response, the Ninth Master turned against the Qin family. Yet that woman mysteriously disappeared.
Yang Yi reassured him, “Mohuai will be back in a few days. Once he’s back, everything will be resolved. Don’t worry too much.”
Butler Wang couldn’t help but worry. After witnessing the Ninth Master’s tragic experience, how could he not be concerned?
He feared that Miss Xia might disappear just like that woman, or that the young master would leave the Qin family and strike out on his own.
Although Ninth Master Qin’s business was now booming—his Deepsea Group rivaling the Qin Corporation—his obsessive search for that woman had caused chaos, leaving him a shadow of his former self.
Unable to think of a better solution, Butler Wang decided to first deliver the ice cream dessert to Xia Yuan and instructed the bodyguards to secretly keep an eye on her.
That evening, Xia Yuze returned home with a suitcase. His boss and manager had given him an extended vacation, which was really just a euphemism for being benched.
Old Master Qin was truly ruthless, showing no mercy.
Xia Yuan, burdened with her own troubles, sat on the balcony, venting her frustrations by picking at the flowers.
The orchid’s green leaves were sharp like a gentleman’s sword, and its lush foliage surrounded the full, pristine white blooms in the center. Xia Yuan tugged at the white petals while muttering curses under her breath.
Sitting behind her in a wicker chair was Xia Yi, who kept opening his mouth as if to speak but then stopping himself.
Xia Yi, though over forty years old, was a handsome man who seemed to be aging gracefully. Other than a few fine lines around his eyes when he smiled, his youthful energy and bright demeanor remained as striking as ever.
Xia Yi loved orchids. When Xia Yuan first came into this world, she thought her biological father was a refined, ethereal man. But after spending time with Qin Mohuai, her opinion of her father changed.
Xia Yi wasn’t some delicate, soft-hearted man easy to push around. Though he appeared cheerful and sunny, deep down, he was a man with a dark streak. Now in middle age, though still holding on to that darkness, he had also gained a sense of calm and acceptance.
Though Xia Yi wasn’t actually afraid of the dark, he had pretended to be for over twenty years in front of Liang Min, which meant that wherever Liang Min went, she always brought him along. If the power ever went out at home, the first person Liang Min would comfort wasn’t the children but the supposedly “afraid of the dark” Xia Yi.
“Little Yuan, I know you’re upset, but this orchid is innocent,” Xia Yi said with a smile as he picked up the flowerpot and lightly tapped Xia Yuan on the forehead with his long, slender fingers.
Xia Yuan lowered her head. “Dad, I’m sorry. This time, I’ve dragged all of you into this mess.”
With a gentle voice, Xia Yi replied, “Families always owe each other something, but as long as we work together, there’s no obstacle we can’t overcome.”
When Xia Yuze got home, he didn’t just sit idle. Since he could cook, he was put in charge of dinner.
Meanwhile, Liang Min was busy crunching numbers. Even though the two storefronts had been shut down, she still had to pay the construction team because of the contract. And with the restaurant sealed off, the Xia family had lost their source of income and was now sinking more money into it.
Xia Yuze handed over several of his bank cards to his mother. “I’ve saved up some money over the past two years. If we’re frugal, the four of us will be able to get by.”
Liang Min refused the offer. “You just bought a house, and the mortgage alone is tens of thousands every month. If you give us your cards, how will you pay your loan?”
“Waiting to die? Then we really would be just waiting for death.”
“I’ve always wanted to work to learn about hotel management. Now I finally have the time. I’m thinking of applying for a job as a chef or a cleaner at a hotel. At least I’ll have some income, and we’ll get by.”
Liang Min’s appearance could only be described as plain, but her resilient and gentle nature made her shine.
Xia Yi was staring at her in awe.
“Wife, I’ll apply for a job as a chef or cleaner with you.”
Liang Min looked at her husband’s face and burst out laughing. “If I were the HR manager, I’d definitely put you at the front desk.”
Xia Yi laughed along with her. His aura became even more refined and otherworldly—fake yet ethereal—making it impossible to read his true emotions.
But without a doubt, he deeply loved Liang Min and would die for her if needed.
Xia Yuan looked at her dad, then at her mom. Outside, the world was in chaos, but here at home, their family was warm and happy. This feeling was wonderful.
After Xia Yuze finished cooking, he casually placed the dishes on the dining table. Xia Yi, who had a bit of OCD, noticed and immediately straightened the plates.
Back when their small restaurant was still open, some people in the community gossiped that Xia Yi lived off his wife since it was always Liang Min who bought the groceries, cooked, and did the heavy lifting.
But they didn’t know that Xia Yi took care of all the cleaning at both the restaurant and home because of his OCD.
Seeing her father’s obsessive behavior, Xia Yuan couldn’t help but think of the novel, where her parents died of gas poisoning.
With Xia Yi’s OCD and his habit of handling all the housework, how could he possibly forget to check the gas valve? As long as Liang Min was doing well, Xia Yi would be fine. So, it seemed more likely that Liang Min had lost all hope in life, and Xia Yi decided to die with her.
Liang Min glanced at the table and noticed the Kung Pao chicken. She chuckled. “It seems that every time something big happens in our family, there’s always Kung Pao chicken on the table.”
Xia Yuan asked curiously, “Why is that?”
Liang Min explained, “Because the day your father and I decided to get married, we had this dish. We were poor back then, so we only ordered one dish of Kung Pao chicken and two bowls of white rice. After eating, we decided to get married.”
Burying his face in his bowl, Xia Yuze looked up. “Then when I want to marry someone, I’ll make her Kung Pao chicken too.”
…….
The next day, Liang Min and Xia Yi went out to look for jobs, and Xia Yuan did the same. She planned to find work at a restaurant and learn how to bake cakes in the meantime.
She walked into a French restaurant for an interview, and the manager immediately offered her the job.
“Manager Sun, I don’t speak French,” she confessed.
“No worries. Ninety-nine percent of our customers are Chinese, and for the remaining one percent, you can just use English.”
Xia Yuan started her job that very afternoon. Manager Sun had initially thought she was a spoiled rich girl just looking for a taste of working life. But to his surprise, Xia Yuan handled waiting tables with ease, like she had done it before.
The ‘Xia Yuan’ from the book had loving parents and had never known hardship, but this Xia Yuan had been working to support her family since she was young. Not only had she waited tables, but she had also swept streets, handed out flyers, washed cars…
She had even been tempted to work at a construction site because the daily wages were high, but the foreman thought she was too weak and dismissed her as just fooling around.
A week later, Qin Mohuai returned to Shenghai Mansion on his private jet.
The combination of intense work and insomnia had made him irritable, though his handsome face still wore a smile. He was looking forward to holding Xia Yuan and finally getting a good night’s sleep.
But… where was his wife?