Chapter 72 Abducted (1/2)
Xin Qing did not expect to run into Chen Ming at the mall.
”Yours?” Chen Ming wore a look of complete surprise when he saw Xin Qing pushing a stroller.
Xin Qing smiled. ”No! My friend had an accident. Ying Qingcang and I have decided to adopt this baby.”
”That surprised me. I thought you got married and didn't even tell me about it.” Chen Ming glanced around the area and pointed at a coffee shop nearby. ”Take a break. We can use the time to catch up.”
Xin Qing thought for a moment before she nodded. ”Sure. How've you been?”
”Same old, I guess. Company's not bad. Making steady progress.” Chen Ming ordered a cup of coffee for her. ”What about you? Didn't you go visit Ying Qingcang's parents last time? Have you guys set a date yet?”
Xin Qing looked at him. ”I'm still studying! How am I supposed to get married?”
”Why not? A lot of university students are married nowadays. Besides, you guys could always get engaged first.” Chen Ming stared at her for a while. ”Is it because Ying Qingcang's parents don't approve?”
Xin Qing smiled. ”You shouldn't worry about me. Instead, let's talk about you. Where did you go for your honeymoon?”
”We didn't go anywhere.” Chen Ming was not in the mood at all to discuss his life.
”How come?” Xin Qing looked at him wide-eyed. ”And she just agreed?!”
Chen Ming's lips pulled into a contemptuous smile. ”So what if she doesn't agree. She knew all along who I truly love, yet she still decided to marry me. Now she can bear the consequences.”
”This isn't fair to her.” Xin Qing avoided Chen Ming's gaze and frowned. ”Since you're married to each other, you should try to have a good life with each other.”
Chen Ming reached out his hand before stilling it in mid-air. He put down his hand and looked at her a little helplessly. ”You know very well that in my heart I...”
”Chen Ming,” Xin Qing said, standing up. ”You're a married man. Don't make me lose my respect for you.”
Chen Ming chuckled. ”But what about you? Ying Qingcang won't marry you. I'll keep waiting for you until the day you leave him, or until he abandons you.”
Chen Ming stood up and approached her. Xin Qing pushed the stroller in front of her, keeping it between Chen Ming and herself. ”I guess there's nothing else we can talk about. Goodbye.” ”He didn't even have the decency to wish me well.” Xin Qing thought a little angrily.
Chen Ming watched Xin Qing's hurried departure. He stood there unmovingly, his eyes watching Xin Qing's figure as it drifted further and further away.
It did not take long for Xin Qing to completely forget about her coincidental meeting with Chen Ming. She did not even tell Ying Qingcang about the incident.
A week went by. One afternoon, a photo suddenly appeared in their university's bulletin board. It was a photo of Xin Qing carrying the baby while having a conversation with a man.
There was even a sentimental caption below the photo, which labelled Xin Qing as a mistress and a home wrecker. It went on to say that Xin Qing had seduced a married man, that she even had a child with said man. In an instant, everyone in the university began pointing fingers and whispering behind her back.
The university took immediate action and removed the photograph from the bulletin. Before Xin Qing could even pull herself together, the same photo popped up in an article published in the evening papers. The article had similar contents, just that it contained one extra section. The section claimed that Xin Qing was the sugarbaby of a wealthy man but had pretended to be a university student in order to seduce a married man.
When class ended, Xin Qing noticed that the university's entrance was already teeming with reporters. She had not been in this kind of situation before, so she was panicking a little. Then she saw Ah Che and Young Master Shen flocking Ying Qingcang on both sides, pushing the reporters aside. Ying Qingcang walked up to her and pulled her into the car.
When the reporters noticed Ying Qingcang, they immediately pointed their cameras at their car and began snapping pictures like there was no tomorrow. Ah Che started the car and drove off swiftly. Aggrieved, Xin Qing looked at Ying Qingcang. ”What is it this time?”
”Who gave you the permission to meet that guy?” Ying Qingcang said harshly.
Tears flowed down Xin Qing's cheeks.
”I ran into him at the mall and chatted with him for five minutes. What did I do? You won't ever run into someone while you're out? You never had a coincidence before?” Xin Qing shouted at Ying Qingcang. She held nothing back. Others might not know. But how could he not know her?
Ying Qingcang felt a little jealous when Xin Qing had not told him about her meeting with Chen Ming. He did not expect her to have this big of a reaction so he was surprised at her outburst.
”That's right. Xiao Qingqing was right to scold you.” Young Master Shen gloated. ”She's already scared out of her wits and you think yelling at her is a good idea?”
Ying Qingcang gave him a kick. Then he reached out to hug Xin Qing only to have his hand forcefully shoved away. ”Don't touch me!”
”I didn't mean it. You already know I'll be pissed whenever I hear his name. Also, you didn't tell me about meeting him. I only found out when I read the papers today.”
Ying Qingcang tried desperately to soothe Xin Qing. His plans were about to be set in motion. He could not afford to get into a fight with Xin Qing right now.
Xin Qing gave him a sidelong glance. ”How was I supposed to tell you when I didn't even remember?”
”Okay. Okay!” Ying Qingcang leaned towards her. ”My attitude was terrible. Don't be mad.”
Xin Qing's eyes had gone red. ”I'm not angry at you... I just... I...”
”I know, I know!” Ying Qingcang hugged her. ”We're working on it. We'll find out who's behind all this soon.”
Young Master Shen looked at Xin Qing. ”You never once suspected that this could be Chen Ming's doing?”
”It's not him.” Xin Qing denied flatly. Ying Qingcang glanced at Young Master Shen and said, ”I told you it won't be him.”
”You two know him that well?” Young Master Shen asked, his lips down turned.