Zhou Zinya was busily preparing lunch in the kitchen when she heard footsteps behind her. She hurriedly cleaned her hands thinking it was her son but she turned around only to see a face she would never have expected to see in this house.
"Jin Ah...", Zhou Zinya moved forward and pulled her long lost daughter into a tight embrace.
"Aunt...", Han Jin let down the tears she had been holding back the moment she stepped into the house.
"Jin Ah... are you back?", Zhou Zinya pulled out of the embrace and carefully wiped away the tears on Han Jin's face.
"Aunt, I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. It's been so difficult for me ever since that day, I've always been living in guilt", Han Jin wanted to kneel but Zhou Zinya held her back.
Zhou Zinya sighed as she clearly remembered the scene from two years ago.
Two years ago, Han Jin had betrayed their family and bore false witness to something she had actually never seen. Zhou Zinya had never expected that from someone she had treated like her own child. The Han family had then kicked Zhou Zinya and her family from the Han family house and called them traitors.
There were only two people who knew that Zhou Zinya was innocent of what she had been accused of, it was Han Jin and Han Jingxi, the legitimate daughter of the Han family.
Han Jin was actually the illegitimate daughter of the Han family but she was lucky that she and her biological mother were accepted into the family.
Her father, Han Jinzi was already married and his wife already had a son and was pregnant once more.
Back then, everyone thought the baby her mother carried was a male because her mother had lied about it to the family.
The Han family had then accepted her mother into the family though the real mistress was there.
Later, her mother had given birth and everyone realized that she had lied to them, her baby was actually a female.
By this time, everyone already knew about Han Jin and her mother so the Han family could not kick them out in order to retain their image.
Although they were not kicked out, Han Jin and her mother were never treated as part of the family.
Han Jin however grew close to the eldest legitimate daughter of the Han family, Han Jingxi who was only a year older than her.
Despite the warnings from their mothers, the two were as close as twin sisters.
Han Jin and her mother were given some small portion of the servants quarters to live there.
It was Zhou Zinya, who was the head of the servants back then who helped them with foodstuffs and clothing.
Zhou Zinya, her husband, Lin Xu the butler of the family and her son became extremely close with Han Jin's mother and Han Jin.
"Jin Ah...I already forgave you the moment you did that. There's no way I can ever hate you because you're just like a daughter to me, no, infact you're more than that to me. I've always been waiting for you to come back here.", Zhou Zinya smiled and pulled Han Jin to sit down on a small stool.
"You've grown much more lean, has the Han family been treating you badly?", Zhou Zinya sighed and caressed Han Jin's cheeks.
"No Aunt, everything is fine. I...I just missed you so much", said Han Jin and this time she managed to smile.
Lin Ming, who stood not too far away almost smiled at the scene he was witnessing but regained back his emotionless composure.
"Where's uncle Lin?", Han Jin pouted a little, she missed him too and wanted to apologize to him as well.
"He's travelled to meet his family in the countryside, he'll be back soon. Are you hungry? Why don't you stay for a while and have a taste of my food", said Zhou Zinya in a pleading voice.
"I really wished I could but I have to hurry back, mom might get worried. I promise to come over tomorrow too", Han Jin stood up and embraced Zhou Zinya for a while before she turned to leave.
Her eyes fell on Lin Ming who stood in the corner and ignored her.
"Brother Ming, I'm leaving. I'll come back to visit soon", Han Jin sighed and walked out.
Zhou Zinya chuckled after Han Jin stepped out and turned to her son who was staring at the door.
"Why are you still standing there? Chase after her if you want to", Zhou Zinya sighed. She knew how much her son liked Han Jin despite how he acted cold and ignorant towards her.
Han Jin had just turned around when she bumped heavily into someone's hardened chest.
"Ouch...", Han Jin winced and rubbed her forehead which hurt just a tiny little bit. She slowly lifted her head and her eyes met with that of his.
"You...", Han Jin immediately took a step back out of fear and frowned immediately.
'He...was he following me?'
There was a family which had been very close with the Han family for many years even before Han Jin was born.
This family, the Zhan family had a son who had been the childhood friend and sweetheart of Han Jin, Zhan Lingmi was his name.
Zhan Lingmi was a man of beauty who had many girls in the city falling in love with him because of his rich background and handsomeness.
Han Jin had the courage at the age of fourteen and confessed her feelings to Zhan Lingmi.
"Han Jin, I like you too but we can't be together because our families wouldn't agree. Let's date in secrecy", said Zhan Lingmi to Han Jin.
That was how Zhan Lingmi and Han Jin had started dating in secrecy until this very day.
Zhan Lingmi saw the look of fear on Han Jin's face and frowned as well.
"Why do you seem scared? Did you do something wrong?", Zhan Lingmi took a step forward and grabbed her by the hand.
"Let me go!", Han Jin was furious and struggled to escape from him but he did not allow her to.
Zhan Lingmi felt like something was wrong because Han Jin never acted this way towards him.
"What's up with you? Calm down, it's me Zhan Lingmi", Zhan Lingmi advanced forward and tried to calm her down.
Hearing this name made Han Jin turn more furious, it was this name and person which disgusted her the most.
She couldn't believe she had been so stupid in the past and allowed him to take advantage of her. In the end, all he did was repay her with pain and death.
It was because of this same person that she was sentenced to death for murdering someone she didn't.
'Zhan Lingmi, how dare you appear in my life after all you did to me in my past life?'
"Han Jin, what's wrong? Calm down and tell me whatever happened. Why are you behaving like this? Did I do something wrong, are you angry with me? I'm sorry for whatever I did then. Please don't be like this", Zhan Lingmi turned to soft mode and pleaded.
'Sorry? Sorry? Do you think this mere sorry of yours can repay whatever you did to me? This mere sorry which isn't even from your heart.'
Lin Ming chased after Han Jin only to find her in the arms of Zhan Lingmi in a compromising position. From where he stood behind them, it looked like they were kissing.
'Maybe mom and I were wrong, I made the wrong decision to have chased after her'
Lin Ming turned around and run back to his home with his heart broken into pieces.