Assistant Lin gave Qin Hai a puzzled look. "Did I say it was Qin Sheng?"
Qin Hai was stunned. "You mean to say it was Rou'er who caused the trouble?"
Assistant Lin nodded, unwilling to waste more words, and promptly returned to his office.
As Qin Hai exited the HD Group building, his mind was in a whirlwind of confusion. How could Qin Churou have offended the president of HD Group? She was always so amiable and courteous, leaving everyone she interacted with speaking highly of her. She was not the kind of person who would easily offend others, let alone someone as powerful and influential as the president of HD Group.
Qin Hai couldn't bring himself to push Qin Churou under the bus like he had with Qin Sheng. Qin Churou was his hope, the one he counted on to secure the future of the Qin family.
Later that evening, after Qin Hai returned home, both Qin Sheng and Qin Churou arrived one after the other.
As they sat at the dinner table, Qin Hai brought up the matter. "The HD Group has seized a piece of land from me, claiming that one of my daughters offended their president."
Qin Churou's lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile as she glanced meaningfully at Qin Sheng. "Sister, I heard you've been mingling with the most notorious students at school. Could it be that you accidentally offended someone important?"
Qin Sheng, accustomed to being treated as invisible within the Qin household, remained silent, her expression indifferent.
Qin Hai's face showed a hint of embarrassment. "Rou'er, the assistant specifically mentioned it was you who caused the offense. Think carefully—have you done anything recently that might have upset someone?"
Qin Churou's face paled, but before she could say anything, Lin Shuying stood up in defense of her daughter. "Qin Hai, are you suggesting that Rou'er has done something wrong?"
Qin Hai sighed deeply, massaging his temples in frustration. "Offending the president of HD Group is no small matter. This isn't just about losing a piece of land; that land was crucial for our company's growth and future."
"Is the company's future more important than your own daughter?" Lin Shuying retorted sharply, her voice tinged with anger and disbelief. To her, Qin Churou was everything; she couldn't fathom that Qin Churou would ever offend someone so significant.
Turning her accusatory gaze towards Qin Sheng, she demanded, "Qin Sheng, was it you who did this?"
Qin Sheng calmly placed her chopsticks down, her gaze cold and mocking. "It's already been made clear that it was Qin Churou. She's your beloved daughter, and apparently, I am not. Are you trying to shift the blame onto me now?"
Lin Shuying's face froze, her eyes darting away uneasily.
Qin Sheng was her biological daughter, but ever since discovering the truth, Lin Shuying had never considered acknowledging her. Having Qin Churou as her daughter was more than enough. She didn't want Qin Sheng returning and taking away what belonged to Qin Churou.
Seeing his wife's irrational behavior, Qin Hai's face darkened. Though he clearly favored Qin Churou, he wasn't blind. It was evident that this matter had nothing to do with Qin Sheng. The president of HD Group wouldn't make such a mistake.
"This has nothing to do with Sheng'er. Stop causing unnecessary drama," Qin Hai said sternly.
Realizing she was at a loss, Lin Shuying fell silent, unwilling to continue the argument.
Qin Hai then turned his gaze to Qin Churou, his tone demanding. "Rou'er, explain yourself."
Ever since Qin Hai had mentioned that she was the one who offended the president of HD Group, Qin Churou's mind had been blank. The only thing she could recall was spreading a malicious rumor that Qin Sheng was being kept by an older man. But how could that possibly relate to the president of HD Group?
A sudden realization struck her, and she quickly shook her head in denial. How could that man be the president of HD Group? And how could Qin Sheng possibly know such a prominent figure?
As Qin Hai pressed her for an answer, her eyes welled up with tears, her expression pitiful and innocent. "Father, I really don't know. Could it be that there's some misunderstanding?"
"Forget it. What's done is done, and there's no way to fix it now," Qin Hai said with a weary sigh, feeling utterly helpless. He couldn't even secure a meeting with Fu Hanchuan; there was nothing more he could do.
But this wasn't over…
The thoughts in his mind turned darker as he contemplated the next steps he might need to take. He knew that offending someone as powerful as the president of HD Group could have disastrous consequences for his family and his business. He needed to find a way to make amends, no matter the cost.
The tension in the room was palpable, everyone feeling the weight of the situation. As the family dinner ended in silence, each person was lost in their own thoughts, unsure of what the future held.
(End of Chapter)