When she gave birth to Xiao Bao and Little Star, she felt like she finally found the reason to live. Her heart that had long remained cold and unfeeling was overwhelmed with unconditional love for her children.
It didn't matter who fathered her child because the moment her eyes set on the pair of twins, Tang Moyu knew she could never love someone or anyone as fiercely as she loved them.
But how come her mother looks at her and treats her like a stranger? No. Tang Moyu corrected herself. They treated strangers better than her; their own flesh and blood.
She escorted her grandfather inside and they were welcomed by the homey and inviting atmosphere the interior offered. It was the kind of place one would like for comfort.
It seemed like everyone was already here as she saw children playing near the grand piano, with the adults crowding the living area while her uncles were in the garden roasting meat on the grill.
If she didn't know this was a family meeting, Tang Moyu would have thought that they were throwing a house party right now. More of her relatives whose names she'd forgotten arrived.
The lunch started without preamble and while her relatives conversed on how to save the company, Tang Moyu remained silent. She excused herself after finishing her meal and went to the garden to clear her mind.
Her aunts and uncles, as well as her cousins, arrived today only to be informed of the grave situation the company was. She recalled some of them needed their share of the profits to maintain the lifestyle they were accustomed to. There's no doubt that they wouldn't be happy with the news they received today.
"Sister Moyu? What are you doing here?"
Tang Moyu turned around and saw her cousin, Lu Tianxin walking towards her with a young boy clinging on her skirt.
"Tianxin," she gave her cousin a curt nod. "How have you been?"
Lu Tianxin, her cousin who was at least three years younger than her, had classic beautiful features compared to Tang Moyu's cold beauty. She could have been a popular model with that kind of face if it wasn't for her smaller stature at 158 centimeters, which could barely reach Tang Moyu's shoulder who was obviously taller at 176 centimeters.
Lu Tianxin had a smile that reminded Tang Moyu of a Cheshire cat. When they were younger, Tianxin was always caught up with mischief with Li Meili and it was Moyu who had to clean after their mess.
"Darling, why don't you play with your cousins first? Mommy need to talk to Auntie Moyu for a bit." Lu Tianxin told her child.
They watched as the boy joined the other children fooling with a golf club several meters away from them. They made a big deal of it, taking a wide stance, practising their stance as if they were pro players.
Their swing was wrong and none of their balls reached enough distance though hit in the right direction. Tang Moyu winced. Whoever their coaches were should resign from their post if this was what they've been teaching children these days.
During their childhood, Elder Tang hired one of the top coaches in the country to teach her and Lu Tianxin how to play golf. It was because of this, Tang Moyu was able to use her golf skills which gave her an opportunity to win the approval of her clients throughout her career.
Several businessmen admired her long drives and ability to hold her liquor during their meetings. Perhaps, if her drink wasn't spiked that night five years ago, Tang Moyu would be able to drink more without getting wasted.
"It's been years hasn't it?" Lu Tianxin broke the silence between them. "I mean when you and Meili used to play and practice golf with me when we were younger." She added.
Tang Moyu hummed and crossed her arms over her ample chest.
Two years before her self-exile, Tang Moyu heard that Tianxin had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and it was a big scandal within their family back then. Her cousin refused to name the father of her child, which added to the frustrations of their elders.
"I don't know," Lu Tianxin admitted as she rubbed her arm with her right hand, sighing dejectedly upon hearing the news. "Is it true that you're taking charge of the company?"
"Yes," Tang Moyu replied. There's no point denying it anyway.
"Then, do you think you would be able to save the company?" Lu Tianxin asked with a conflicted expression on her face.
Tang Moyu raised a brow. While the Tang family was popular for producing and raising perfect wives for several prominent men in the country, their family business wasn't flourishing in spite of the influence it gathered from their married daughters.
In fact, none of the Tang men were interested in running the business and only expected to receive their share from the profits.
"I can't do it alone," Tang Moyu looked heavenward, noticing the dark clouds covering the bright blue sky. "But there's a possibility to save it if I could find enough investors to fund the projects that haven't started yet."
There was a moment of silence between them as Lu Tianxin let the news sink in her mind.
"Moyu, how bad is it?" She asked, pertaining to the situation of the company.
"Beyond worse." Tang Moyu sighed as she leaned her back against one of the ivory posts in the garden. "It's only a matter of time before we file for bankruptcy." She admitted.