Chapter 21-A Miaos Choice (2/2)
”What are you going to do?” A Miao hugged her bag close to her.
Shen Xinglan looked at her thoughtfully. ”Why aren't you feigning a pitiful look anymore? Hand it over.”
”I don't have any money...” Before A Miao could finish her words, Shen Xinglan had already snatched her bag and fished out her purse. He took out all the money inside.
”You can't do that!” A Miao tried to snatch her money. ”That's all I have!”
Shen Xinglan tossed the empty purse back to her and flicked the money in his hands. ”I'll consider this payment for my appearance tonight.”
”Then you sure are cheaply-priced!” A Miao was like an enraged cat. That money was her living allowance for next month.
Shen Xinglan closed the car door. Before the car began to move, he lowered the window. ”Didn't you like putting on an act? Go and cry in front of your grandfather. Who knows if he'll give you some money?”
The car then drove off. A Miao angrily picked up a stone from the road and threw it after the car. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Shen Xinglan's parting words struck a chord in her. She would never admit that she had anything to do with the Xia family.
Even if Xia Yongqiang died in front of her, she would not shed a single tear. Her tears had been wrung dry back when her mother passed away.
She rapidly ran back home, rushed into her room, and took a shower. She must think carefully about how she could steal the bronze mirror as soon as possible. There was a limit to Shen Xinglan's patience for her.
When she was done showering, she found Xia Wan sitting on her bed.
”Don't you knock when you enter someone else's room?” A Miao stared at her.
Xia Wan's smile was unlike her usual smile. She pursed her lips and spoke in a probing tone, ”Where did you go?”
”I'm seeing my friend off!” A Miao laughed. ”What's wrong?”
Xia Wan was suppressing a bellyful of anger. Not only was there an abrupt blackout during her birthday banquet, but Shen Xinglan had disappeared afterward as well. Meanwhile, Xia Mei had been going around, crying about how A Miao brought in a random stranger.
”Why did it take you so long?” Xia Wan was suspicious of her. Someone saw Shen Xinglan's car circling around the area twice.
A Miao put on a look of astonishment as she wiped her hair. ”The minibus was late, so we waited for a bit.”
Xia Wan frowned. Seeing the confused look on A Miao's face, she thought that she might be overthinking. Why would Shen Xinglan have anything to do with this illegitimate child?
”Did something happen?” A Miao purposefully asked.
”Oh, nothing!” Xia Wan stood up. ”Rest early!”
Instead of returning to her room, Xia Wan made her way to the study where Xia Yongqiang was waiting for her.
”See, I didn't lie to you, did I? Shen Xinglan is so much better than the youngster from the Bai family.” The old man had a shrewd face and there was a calculative look in his eyes. ”If you're able to marry him, we'll be able to enter the Ji family's company...”
He did not complete his sentence. He had even thought of making the Ji family's business his. His greed continued to expand with each passing day and he had long become unsatisfied with his current circumstances.
”We barely exchanged a few words before the sudden blackout.” Xia Wan continued in a dejected voice, ”It's improper for me to be too direct when he has a celebrity as his companion.”
Xia Yongqiang was unhappy. ”You didn't even get his number?”
”I didn't get the chance and he's nowhere to be found after the power failure,” Xia Wan complained. ”Grandfather, why isn't the fuse wire fixed beforehand if there's an issue with it?”
”I didn't expect it either.” Xia Yongqiang massaged the space between his eyebrows. ”I've already asked your father to get someone to fix it.”
During breakfast time the next morning, Xia Haixin entered the dining hall and said, ”The repairmen said they'd need to fix the entire circuit so I told them to fix it over the weekend. Since there won't be electricity the entire day, why don't we stay in the holiday villa?”
”I don't want to go with her!” Xia Mei slammed her hand onto the table, creating a loud banging sound.
Yao Lili cried, ”Do you want to go, A Miao?”
”I...”
”Have you caught up with your schoolwork for when classes begin?” Yao Lili interrupted her. ”Why don't you stay home and revise your studies?”
A Miao shrugged expressionlessly. ”Okay.”
On Friday morning, Xia Wan spoke to her before leaving. ”Let's go out for dinner tonight. Stay home and wait for me to pick you up!”
”Why?” A Miao could tell that Xia Wan was up to something.
Xia Wan did not reply and left in a rush. A Miao deliberately took her time getting ready at night and by the time she left the room, she saw that Xia Wan's expression was a little dark. ”Why are you so slow?”
”I've got an upset stomach. Why don't we have dinner some other day?” A Miao sized her up. Xia Wan was wearing a purple dress. Evidently, she had put the utmost care into her appearance today.
”Let's go! I've already booked a table for us.”
In the car, A Miao could see that the corners of Xia Wan's lips were upturned as if she was suppressing some sort of emotion. ”Is it going to be just the two of us?” she asked, trying to gauge Xia Wan's reaction.
Xia Wan turned her head to look at her. ”That's right!” When she got no response from A Miao, she smiled and continued, ”We'll be going on a holiday tomorrow, leaving you alone at home. So I'm going to treat you to a feast today!”
”Is that so? Thanks then!” A Miao smirked. Deep inside, she was sneering at this woman. ”I'd be a fool if I trust you...”
When the car took a turn into a street, the driver suddenly said, ”Miss Elder, that's the Bai family's car.”
”Oh?” Xia Wan got near to the car window. ”That's Youran! Hurry up and stop the car.”
Bai Youran was standing on the roadside while making a call. When he saw them, he happily said, ”Xia Wan! What a coincidence.”