Ding Dong (x 5)
"Who is it?! Do you know what time it is to disrupt this old man's slumber? Geez, who?!" Professor Luo Xia tied his robe and answered the door. An impatient middle aged woman stood by the door with her finger still pressing on his doorbell.
She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, "I heard you had spare ribs for dinner. Was it yummy?"
Professor Luo Xia gulped at her question, "Ahahaha, Zi Yan! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!"
"It's obviously not a coincidence for me to show up in front of you, dad. So, from the guilty tone of yours, you must have eaten the juicy meat for dinner, huh? Shall I remind you that you had an open heart surgery a few years ago? At your age, did you think such oily and greasy food was suitable for your body?" With her hands on her hips, she stomped into his luxurious hotel room.
"Didn't the doctor already give me a thorough body check? I had great results, and he said that I had already recovered. I could eat meat somewhat once in a while." He tried to find a proper argument to refute hers.
"Dad! The reason why mom left you long ago and gave birth to sister and me secretly is because of your diet! She threatened you to quit all your bad habits because she was afraid that you would die early. At the end, what happened? You should know the rest of the story!" Zi Yan threw her purse onto the couch and poured herself a cup of tea.
"I know. I know. That is why I've been trying my best to keep my diet limited to mostly vegetables. It is only because I am on this trip that I crossed the borderline a bit." He whined like a child who had his lollipop taken away from his mother.
"I'm only nagging you this much because I love you, care about you and want you to live long. My words may be harsh, but it is definitely for your own good. I already called the doctor to come over to check your body condition. Before he gets here, there are some things that I must clarify." Her voice was trembling with mixed emotions flying everywhere.
When she mentioned that she wanted to talk about something else, the atmosphere tensed up. He already saw this coming when she made her appearance this late at night. "Fine, fine. I can't believe you dragged the doctor along on your private jet just to keep my ass in shape. I'm guessing that you came here not only for the spare ribs that I ate earlier but also for her."
"Well, of course I am here for you, at first at least. Let me take a conclusive guess from what I've heard from my birdies. From their description, you've helped a girl named Yin, Susu gain justice from her spiteful step sister. Correct?"
"Mhmm. Accurate chirping birdie you have there." She wiped another tea cup with a tissue before pouring tea into it for him.
"Meaning, you've seen her already. The last time I've seen her was when she was like what? Five years old? Hah, kind of stupid now that I think about what I've done in the past." She held the teacup using both hands to keep her right arm from shaking. Slowly, she sipped her tea.
"I've not only seen her, but met her long ago. I should have known back then when she gave me a feeling of familiarity. If I would have known about her, I would have registered her to Paris Institute at all costs." Regret and guilt crept through his heart.
"It's not your fault that you didn't recognize her. You only saw her in the baby picture that I showed to you. Who knew that she would grow up to look so much like Zi Lan? This child had it the hard way, but with us here now, nobody can harm her anymore. Those who do will have to get through me first."
She chugged down the cup of tea and placed the cup back on the table as her shaking right hand felt her racing heart. Her fingers gripped the shirt with all its strength, but the shirt barely wrinkled. Her eyes were similar to blazing fires where endless explosives sparked like fireworks.
"I heard Yin Zin Leung went bankrupt, and nobody dared to hire him because his other daughter caused a ruckus at a socialite event. Of course, he doesn't know that... yet. Susu is dating Chen Corporations, CEO. He is a very good boy and has great potential."
"I'm quite surprised that the Yin bastard lasted this long with his ridiculous personality. Even dogs know how to be loyal to their owners. This guy? Forget it. He would take your share of your bowl of noodles and then flip the bowl upside down."
"Also, it sounds like Chen boy passed your test, but it doesn't mean that he will pass mine. We will see whether he passes my exam. Men are full of sweet words, but how many of them actually meant it? Just like wedding vows. Everyone says it and no matter how pleasing it is to ones ears, who could guarantee that they wont break apart in the future? I'd love to meet him."
She cracked her knuckles and neck when she mentioned Yin Zin Leung. Professor Luo Xia nodded, "Bankruptcy is only the beginning for him. I'll treat him to a free taste test called misery, very soon. Also, it's always good to be more cautious. We've already missed her entire childhood. We can't trust anyone that easily."
"I wanted to find the perfect opportunity to meet up with Susu, but you beat me to the first move. She must be suspicious about your identity now. I wanted to finish some business with those parasites before seeing her, but I guess we could make things sooner than expected." A smile appeared on her natural healthy skin.
"To be honest, I'm quite scared to face her. What if she doesn't accept us? I mean we technically abandoned her in a way." He leaned back on the couch and rubbed his temples with his eyes closed.
"We had no choice. She has the right to learn about the truth. She also has the right to be angry at us. It was our fault back then, but we can make it up to her however she wants us to. We owe it to her." Zi Yan breathed deeply and exhaled with a trembling chest as she relaxed. The doorbell rang at the perfect timing and Zi Yan went to let the doctor enter the hotel room.
"Doctor Chen Nan, how are you doing?" Professor Luo Xia got up from his seat to give the middle aged man a hug.
"Grandfather Xia, I've been well. If the second miss didn't interrupt my honeymoon with my wife, it would have been even better. But, the main culprit was you. So~ Let's take a look at your body condition. I still have to report back to my wife after making sure everything is fine with you."
Professor Luo Xia looked like a wronged child as he obediently listened to Chen Nan's instructions. After a full body check, only a blood test needed to be done. The results came back within the same day, and everything was normal. Zi Yan could heave a sigh of relief and apologized for taking him from his wife during their honeymoon.
Obviously his wife would be unhappy being kidnapped midway from a beautiful honeymoon destination to China with her husband. When Zi Yan told her secret team to locate Chen Nan and bring him and his wife to her, she forgot to tell them to do it politely. Therefore, her secret team ended up tying them up, wrapping them in garbage bags and carrying them from the airport to Zi Yan's private jet.
Although the members from the special team apologized to them, it still scared the wits out of Chen Nan's wife, Ariana Xu. She could only blame her husband for being the private family doctor for the Zi family.
Zi Yan offered to compensate gifts to Chen Nan and Ariana, but he refused.
"Are you sure your wife would be alright with you going back to the room empty-handed?"
"My wife is used to it. Or else she wouldn't have fled with me back then when I was still a nobody. Hahaha, don't worry. It's been a long time since I've seen my brother as well. It's time to pay them a visit, so I'll treat this as your wedding gift for me." He waved his hand and walked down the hall with the hotel pass card in his hand.
Zi Yan shook her head and showed a small smile on her face, "This man is still the same as ever." She made sure to send hidden bodyguards to protect Chen Nana and Adriana while they stayed in China. After making a call, she went back into Professor Luo Xia's room.