The two heads off with Li ZiChen's car. She began to stare at the night sky, her smile appearing wide as she recalled again the look of fear, shame, and anger across all the Jiang Family members. It was one step of the revenge plan she made as she wanted them to suffer in points of no return. She wanted to see them lose all their dignity as that family might survive being poor but not survive being looked down by others.
But as she recalled all the faces of shame on their face,she felt her heart sting recalling the past.
She turned back at him, "How do you know me? By a simple glance?"
Tapping his armrest, Li ZiChen chuckled faintly, "I remember your face before. We've talked in the past."
"Really?" AiLin looked at him suspiciously. She couldn't have forgotten this handsome face even if she try can she? His face was so impressive that it would leave a mark on anyone's head including AiLin who always has confidence in her strong memories.
"I will be honest," Li ZiChen rested his back on the seat and turned at her, "I knew you would leave the prison today. I also knew you would be going to Jiang NianNian's birthday party. I also wanted to come with you."
"That explains everything," AiLin crossed her arms, "But why?"
"Do you know Li Family?" Li ZiChen inquired and AiLin looked at him before shaking her head.
She had indeed heard Li Family before but back then she was too focused on being the perfect daughter so she would escape being punished. How would she know anything about the socialites? Usually it would be Mrs Jiang who took care of such matters.
"Li Family is a descendant of a nobility. It's partly the reason our family would have such a wealth that everyone wishes to have," Li ZiChen said with a smirk. "I can tell you aren't sure of the amount of wealth I have now but you will soon find out if you look into it."
"I see but what does that have to do with me?" AiLin inquired again as she still didn't get his point.
"Do you know your birth parents, AiLin?" Li ZiChen looked at her face and saw the raw surprise that cross her face.
She pursed her lips, "No," but she added, "I do know they abandoned me."
"They did but for a reason."
AiLin truthfully didn't know much about her birth parents but she knew a few things. Such as the fact that the maid who had switch her and Jiang NianNian as a baby confessed that they were asked by her parents to do the crime. She asked why her parents would abandon her in such a roundabout way but the maid could only tell that it was for her sake.
That was why when Li ZiChen told her that her parents abandon her for a "Reason" it annoyed her even more.
"What reason is there to abandon a child?" She pressed her tone so she wouldn't sound as angered. "Not only that, they also abandoned me to a family that would abuse me. To make it worse, they had abandoned me by having a maid switch me and Jiang NianNian. I lived in constant fear of being abandoned when I was young, do you know how fearsome that is?"
"I know, being abandoned is scary and it leaves a deep scar. I was also once abandoned," said Li ZiChen that made AiLin startled. She looked at him who was still smiling but she could feel the weight of his words and how it had hurt his heart.
"I'm sorry," she replied and he shook his head.
"It's nothing. I also don't agree in telling you that you should forgive your parents but I feel that you should know the truth."
"Truth of my birth?" And she saw him nodding his head. His finger went into the loop of his necktie before he pulled it downward and loosened his collar by a few buttons.
"While your parents were joyous seeing you, your grandmother doesn't want you," Li ZiChen replied and he took a deep breath, "Back then your grandmother didn't only want you to leave the family, she wants you to be gone for good, to die. She has a very important role in Beijing and even your parents couldn't stand a chance against her."
AiLin stared at him and she narrowed her eyes, "I can't seem to feel that this is real." All that she heard sounds genuine and true but she doesn't feel like it's her life or it's about her story. She thought she had done her birth parents a favor by never looking for them; considering that they had abandoned her first.
But now to hear that the truth was different? That she wasn't abandoned willingly and her grandmother was the one who had caused this all?
AiLin felt confused and she couldn't grasp anything into her mind even though Li ZiChen had explained it so well and simply for her. She just simply couldn't comprehend the fact that she also has another family.
Pursing her lips, AiLin blinked her eyes and asked again, "But don't they think it's crazy? To switch your child with someone else's, they could have me be adopted by someone else instead of switching me."
"They want to prioritize your safety as much as possible. Your grandmother had the power that allow her to look into doctor documentations, and she would also be able to look into any child's birth certificate to locate you. Your parents didn't want that to happen so they had no choice but leave the child to be switch by someone else's child. In return they take care of the child that was switch, in this case Jiang NianNian, to live a blissful life by being adopted by their wealthy cousin. On your eighteen birthday you were supposed to be brought back to your family."
Back in high school, Jiang NianNian was indeed an adopted child by a wealthy family. Everything fits even if she try to deny it.
"You said earlier that my family name is Hua," she said as she recalled when Li ZiChen introduced her on the stage earlier.
"Yes, your family is Hua Family. Your full name is Hua AiLin," Li ZiChen confirmed as he smiled, "Your parents have gathered enough power to find and help you now, it's up to you whether you would like to see them or condemn them. They weren't exactly innocent for your sufferings but— your grandmother is still alive and she's someone I really have a matter to clean up with."
Finally AiLin understood. The reason why Li ZiChen had been following and helping her was because he needs her for his own purpose.
The purpose was to get to her grandmother, isn't it?
"What matter do you have with my grandmother?" She asked while looking at his expression. His smile faded, his lips stretched into a smile, his eyes then turned crescent as he let out a melodious chuckle.
"Revenge," Li ZiChen the leaned closer to her, his eyes peering through her soul with a brightness of a burning star, "I want revenge. Just like how you want revenge to the Jiangs, I need revenge to that old hag. So join with me. I promise I will make your revenge more than you could ever dream for. So take my hands, let's play the devil in their nightmares."