Dongmei had no option but to stop speaking, she was hopeless. She walked up to the receptionist and woke her up, "Hey...don't get in trouble because of me. I won't be able to take the responsibility."
The receptionist stretched her arms and yawned, she looked around with her half-closed eyes and said, "What is the time?"
Dongmei replied, "How am I supposed to know that?"
"Look at your screen."
The receptionist looked at her phone and it was half-past one. Her eyes widened with horror and she grabbed Dongmei's hand and hurried back to the lift.
"Let's Go! I left my post for too long."
"I will be scolded if my supervisor found out."
Dongmei was reluctant to back into that huge machine box, but the door was already closed.
Hopefully, nothing bad happened to the elevator. They came down and found not a single soul in the lobby.
The receptionist went back to her post and took a long breath of relief as Dongmei returned to her room.
She went back to her bed and tucked herself in as if she was never gotten off the bed.
She could not sleep and wonder about what her grandfather said. Was she a taboo?
"When did I go from the lucky charm to being a taboo?"
This question kept flashing in her mind all night, even in her dreams.
…..
Here in London,
Jin was at his grandfather's place with Mumu and William. They were standing at the entrance; Jin was taking a good look at the magnificent gate of Thousand Spring Villa.
The nostalgic smell of roses and lychees was not found in this cold winter but he could still smell it as albums of memories flashed before him. He felt a stone between his lungs and was burdened with regrets.
"Why did you bring this brat here?" William asked poking Jin's arm.
"I am not a brat!"
"You are a big brat, crazy mad dog!" Mumu said looking up at the big man standing on Jin's left side.
"Mumu, you are using abusive language?" William asked, trying to make him feel ashamed and reminding Jin that he needs to teach him.
Mumu was holding Jin's right-hand index finger with his fingers wrapped around it. He pulled the corner of his coat and said, "Jin Ge, where are we?"
A gust of chilled wind passed by hitting Jin's stiff face as he replied, "Grandpa's place!"
He walked in with heavy steps and was welcomed by an old butler and his nephew, John and James.
John was the most loyal servant of his grandfather even after his death, he begged Qian Min not to sell this Villa. However, Jin had to pursue John to give it out on a lease.
James, his nephew of the same age as Jin and also a friend offered to take the villa. He was one of the children whose studies were funded by Jin's grandfather.
Not only that, James was one of those who had built their career with his connections. They were like his foster children. He cared for them and financed their startups and research. He found them brides and grooms and helped them in getting settled.
Qian Kun was for than a Santa and a grandfather for them, He never let them feel left out. He was cherished by the poor kids, they had families but were either poor or toxic.
James was one of those who founded a successful company of textile with Qian Kun's help and he grew up in the mansion with his uncle John. He did not want to leave it.
"You have lost weight," James said mocking him.
Jin looked at William and complained, "Now who is an old Chinese woman?"
William could not understand and looked at James with a confused expression.
John laughed and said, "He is just worried about you master." He invited them in and gave a stare at James.
William and Mumu settled themselves down in the living room and Jin went straight to his Study.
He entered the room, touching the vase and the table kept beside the entrance. He looked at the huge rosewood table.
The inkstone which had the carving of the phoenix was dried up and so were the brushes hanging beside it on the holder.
The large handmade floral paper had a half-written poem in mandarin. He ran his figure along with the characters, as a tear dropped on one of the characters.
"Hey, young man! What are you doing? Leave! Don't spoil my artwork."
Qian Jin heard a grumpy voice and he looked up startled but found nothing.
"Don't act like I am invisible to you."
The voice again drew his attention, He looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man sitting on a chair.
He picked up his brush and looked at him, "Don't stare at me! Grind the ink."
"Grandpa? Why are you here?" He asked bewildered.
"Look at your audacity, It's my house. Who you want here to be other than me."
"Your unfilial father?" There was a disappointment in his voice as he dropped the brush to the ground.
"Tell me why are you here?"
"What do you want this time?" He asked furiously.
Jin moved closer and tried to touch his hand but his fingers went past his body. The old man laughed and said, "What are you thinking? I am dead!"
"I guess I can't give you anything now." He laughed and his laughter made Jin sadder. He wanted to pour his heart out but couldn't.
Qian Kun's illusion looked at his grandson who was trying hard not to cry but the tears kept flowing down.
"Will you fulfill my last wishes?" He asked.
Jin nodded with a straight face, pretending the tears did not exist. "My poem is left unwritten."
"Can you complete this?" He asked picking up the brush from the floor and keeping it on the floral paper.
Qian Jin asked the illusion of his grandfather, "Do you have any other wish?"
The illusion looked at him blankly and slowly disappeared, Jin cried out, "NO!!!!!"
But the illusion left him just like his actual grandfather did. Leaving him all alone in a cold room filled with warmth.
Just then a thought crossed his mind, "The Diary!"
"It must have something he wanted to do. But could not." Saying this to himself, he excitedly started searching for it.
From one drawer to another, but he could not find it anywhere. He was frustrated and marched out of the room.
With a deep, frustrated voice he asked, "Mr. John, Have you seen my grandfather's diary?"
"The one he used to carry around."
John nodded and pulled out a little, brown leather-covered diary with a lock. He then handed his pocket and said, "Old master wanted me to hand this to you."
Jin was elated and opened it, going through each page carefully. He found nothing which could reveal what his wish could be.
He then found a list in end after several blank pages. The list had only three items-
'1. Found a Company for Jin in China.
2. Get him married - (21st Century Rapunzel)
3. Write a poem to pass down as a legacy.'
Water filled in his eyes as he laughed, "This old man had me in his mind all the time."
"Even his last wishes...is about me...." He said moaning.
William and James thought of giving him space and left, followed by John.
Jin sat down on the floor and folded his legs as his fingers pinched his temples, "Everything in this diary is about me."
"What is this? A biography?" He said as tears did not stop.
…...
At night, At the dinner table.
"Jin Ge? Are you okay?" Mumu asked fidgeting his legs. Qian Jin nodded as his eyes were puffed up.
"Jin, Can I ask you for something?" William asked hesitantly.
"You want the wood statue of Tulip?" Jin said slurping the soup and wiping his face with a tissue.
William was shocked and mumbled, "How did you know?"
"You kept looking at it since we arrived," James said laughing teasingly.
"Was it obvious?" He asked scratching his neck in embarrassment.
All of them nodded at the same time. "You all are ganging up on me?" William pointed his fork at the laughing faces. Jin however was in a serious mood.
"You can take it...." Jin said with eyes closed.
"Thank you so much. Buddy!!!!" said William interrupting him.
"Congratulation William!!!" James shook his hands with him.
Jin was done with them and, "I wonder who are ganging up on whom." He said gulping down another spoonful of the soup.
A silence emerged and they continued eating without a pause.
Mumu was playing with his food and created a mess of himself. William looked at him in disgust which did not stop Mumu from making the fries volcano.
"Mr. John, can you ask someone to clean this little devil?"
John nodded as he pressed a button on the called remote. "A man please!"
"He has some sort of women phobia." He spoke.
"I don't!" A soft pitchy angered voice defended himself.
James was now enjoying William fighting with a kid. While Jin showed no interest in the conversation.
"Prove it!" William said making weird mocking faces.
"I will when I find my brother a good girlfriend." He said pouting and leaving the dining table. John followed him to get him clean up.
"What a brat!" William said as the little boy disappeared with John.
He took a few bites of fritters and asked, "Jin, didn't you say, your grandfather has a photo of a girl?"
"He was not willing to show you before you promised to marry her only?" William remembered Jin telling him this at the hospital.
Jin's eyes widened as he remembered that he did not find the photo. His heart sank, thinking he might have lost it.
"A photo?" James asked, "What photo?"
"Nothing..." Jin said as he continued eating.
William thought Jin was unwilling to share the picture with him, so he kept quiet and signaled James not to talk about it.
…..
The next day, Jin woke earlier than the birds and was searching for something all around the house. After an hour, John came up to him and asked very politely.
"Master, are you looking for something?"
Jin nodded and said, "A photo of a girl."
"My grandfather had it in his diary."
John smiled and stood there silently.
"Do you, have it?" Jin asked finally realizing. John nodded and handed him the photo, Jin grabbed it from his hands and looked at the chubby fair face of the girl.
Then, pressed the corner of the photo and gazed at it, He noticed her peculiar thin lips that had a strange smile filled with affection and innocence.
The sincere yet loving look of her eyes; in simple words gave out a calming vibe. Just by looking at her photo, one's worries can be dissipated and frustration will vanish giving a smile on the face.
"This photo is of Bai Dongmei."
"The only female descendant born in 200 years in the Bai Clan," John spoke to pull his master out of losing himself away.
"The richest family in China?" Jin was awestruck. John nodded and continued the introduction.
"She must be 21 or 22 this year.Miss Bai is the 21st Century Rapunzel." He said reminding him what he had read in the diary was her reference.
"What's up with the nickname?" he asked curiously, he thought his grandfather was referring to a woman having long hair.
"Miss Bai has never left her mansion before if she did in the past month. I can't guarantee that. My men have been keeping an eye in case she leaves."
"I can't understand you? What do you mean?" He asked as his eyebrows furrowed.
"Miss Bai was restricted to leave the house and was homeschooled.She has never stepped out of the house after she entered it when she was 15 days old."
"On top of that, not many people know her existence.She is the 21st Century Rapunzel."
Jin started laughing mockingly and said, "Are you serious?
Such a girl, exists?
Are you making up stories?"
John looked at him with a straight face and said, "Master, I have no reason to lie."
"You can search it!" He bowed his head a little and walked away.
Jin took it seriously and looked up for it up on the internet.
/ Bai Family heirs/ ~~~~ He typed it on the search bar.
The result showed----
Bai Qi
The only son of the richest man in China, Bai Wenqi. He is also the second richest man in China and the husband of the richest lady in China, Bai Shouyi. He is the CEO of Bai Group and vice-chairman of Shen Company.
…..
NEWS
(Bai Qi is reported to be in the hospital. The health condition has been kept private. Is the rumor true or he really is on a vacation) article.
(Bai Qi – startup program funds gave rise to the economy of China, The entrepreneurs thank him) View article.
…..
More questions---
[Who is the Richest kid in China?] Jin pressed on it accidentally.
(Bai An, the six-year-old son of Bai Qi has been given the title of the richest kid under the guardianship of his grandfather, Bai Wenqi.)
Jin was taken aback by the information as he cleared the search bar and typed again.
"How many children does Bai Qi have?"
The search result showed A big [1] at the top and then a medium-sized font. [Bai An] followed by tiny font sentences.
He could not believe it and he thought that the photo must be an imaginary girl after he found ~nothing found~ when he typed {Bai Dongmei}
"He must be playing with me.
Grandfather must be referring to a long-haired girl.
There is no way such a girl exists."
He said laughing. The laugh was trying to assure his point, but he just could not trust.
"I have to go back as soon as possible." He said to himself, filled with determination.