Late at Night
In one of Beijingâs top-tier apartments, a drunk man stumbled his way back to his place. His hands were trembling heavily as he searched for his keys. It took him a long while before he finally managed to open the main door.
He zig-zagged into the apartment, before subconsciously turning on the lights.
The newly renovated space was revealed in its full glory, under the chandelier was a man struggling to stand his ground.
The man held on to the walls and furniture as he made his way to the balcony. He then uncorked a half-filled whiskey bottle and gulped it down his throat.
Amber fluid splattered all over his Versace shirt, but he had no intention of stopping.
After several huge mouthfuls, the man choked on the whiskey before he coughed and collapsed onto the ground.
âGuodong?â
Around this time, a middle-aged woman came through the unlocked door and witnessed the barely conscious young man on the ground who was covered in dirt.
Luo Cuishan rushed over to check on her son. Since her departure from the police station, she had been trying to reach Ning Guodongâs number, but to no avail.
Anxious, she instantly made her way to her sonâs apartment, only to find him in such a pathetic state.
Luo Cuishan was heartbroken at the sight of her son. She rolled up her sleeves and threw her bag aside to help him up. For a mother to see her only son in such a sorry state was a nightmare to say the least.
After much effort she managed to help him over to the couch, before she rushed to the bathroom for a wet towel and cleaned his face.
Ning Guodong on the other hand had hardly moved an inch while his mother was cleaning him up.
The sight of her sonâs sorry state made her eyes tear up as she lamented, âGuodong, how can you be so ignorant of your own wellbeing. I know the pain you are feeling right now. But as a man, you have to learn from your mistakes and be the bigger person. Look at yourself.â
Ning Guodong lifted his head, to fuzzily stare at his mother. Sneering, he said, âMom, I kneeled in front of all those people. I kneeled to that son of a bitchâŠâ
At this point, tears flowed down his cheeks as he wept in front of his mother, like a child who was bullied at school.
Luo Cuishan held her tears as she sat down by his side, holding his hand. âI know, but it is because of that you have to stay strong. Youâre the young master of the Ning clan. Sweet revenge is never too big a goal for you to achieve. Mom knows that deep inside you, there lies a confident kid waiting for his time to shine. He will definitely make his comeback.â
Ning Guodong pushed his motherâs hand aside as he self-deprecatingly laughed. âYoung master? Whatâs the point of that? I canât even get the thing I desire the most. What use does this âYoung Masterâ title even do? Besides, who knows if Iâm actually going to be the successor of the Ning clan?â
Luo Cuishan shook her head as she tried convincing him. âThatâs not true Guodong. Youâre the only legitimate son between your dad and me. He has no choice but to pick you as his successor. So come home with me now. Formally apologize to your father. Iâm sure heâll stand by you. Come home with me alright?â
Ning Guodong stiffly shook his head. âNo Mom, Iâm not going back. That douchebag pointed a gun at me for that whore. Heâs not my father, not anymore. No chance in hell am I apologizing to him.â
Luo Cuishan was emotionally drained as she closed her eyes, teardrops trickled down her cheeks.
âMom, can you tell me why that Yang bastard even deserves all those women, but I donât? How could he disgrace me like that? Who does he think he is? Why is he able to get his whole harem while I canât even get the one girl I truly want?â Ning Guodong was on the brink of emotional collapse.
Luo Cuishan took a long, deep breath before she continued, her hands shaking while she caressed the face of her son. âGuodong, are you really that desperate to get that girl?â
Ning Guodongâs alcohol-ravaged eyes were filled with fury and hatred. Clenching his teeth, he taunted, âI want to slowly torture her to let her know her place in this world. I want to torture her in front of that Yang bastard bit by bit until she wished she was dead. I want to suck her blood dry...â
But before he could properly conclude his sentence, he dozed off on the couch.
Luo Cuishan was in shock. She delicately coaxed her son into sleeping, but her eyes were shrouded by uncertainty of the future.
⊠âŠ
Over at the Lin residence, ever since Lin Zhiguoâs premature âdeathâ, it had gradually faded away from the attention of many. Other than the remaining servants in the house, there werenât many people.
The Lin residence was modeled in a vintage design, as it resonated the ambience of the fifties. The interior however, was paved with a more modern design.
In an accommodation located at the backyard, Hui Lin was dressed in a white silk nightgown which she put on after her shower. Her fair shoulders were exposed to the night breeze. She sat on the side of her bed, her peachy legs gently hovering in the air.
Even after all this time, despite Hui Lin being away from the house for quite some time, the electronics in her room were still modern and contemporary. Regardless of Lin Zhiguoâs absence, the financial status was still very much sustained, albeit a change in core management. It wasnât enough to change the life of the only family heir.
Hui Lin, however, had no interest in the possessions she had in her room. She sat in a corner, occasionally chuckling, but subsequently frowned as prolonged thoughts went through her head.
Her room door at this moment was slowly opened from the outside, as Abbess Yun Miao, in a pearl-white nightgown, strolled towards her. After her prolonged stay in the city, she had intentionally reduced the use of her traditional outfits, potentially to better adapt to a contemporary lifestyle.
Abbess Yun Miao noticed that the lights in her granddaughterâs room were still on, so she went in to check on her, only to find her daydreaming at the corner of her bed.
âHuiâer, what are you smiling foolishly about?â Abbess Yun Miao was a little confused as she made her way towards her.
Hui Lin was startled at first, before she immediately became embarrassed at herself. She mumbled, âGrandma. Itâs nothing at all. IâIâm not thinking about anything, it must be the fatigue that got me in daze.â
âHmph, silly little girl. I know that youâre thinking about that kid Yang Chen again.â Abbess Yun Miao was fast to point that out before she casually sat by her side of the bed.
Hui Linâs jaw dropped upon hearing what she said. Her face turned bright red as she kept her silence.
Abbess Yun Miao sighed lightly and continued, âActually, Iâve always known that you like him.â
Hui Lin remained quiet but her heart rate quickened.
âWhatâs the big deal?â Abbess Yun Miao affectionately pinched Hui Lin on the face. âBack then in Tibet, when Yang Chen was leaving on that helicopter, I saw you hiding in a corner quietly watching his departure. You were raised by me. How long do you think you can keep that from me? Despite how little I like this fellow, if he really is the one you like, I will play my part in supporting you.â
âGrandma, donât say that. I canât...â Hui Linâs face went bright red as she stuttered.
âWhat do you mean no? Look at you, when he dropped you home, you stood there like a tree until he left your sight. Never once had you even done so for me you silly girl.â Abbess Yun Miao rolled her eyes at Hui Lin. âFrankly speaking, I donât get whatâs so special about this kid. It baffles me to think at why all these girls flock to his side.â
Hui Lin pouted her lips as she softly replied, âBrother Yang might seem happy-go-lucky most of the time, but when you really need him, heâll always pull through for you. Heâs just trustworthy and reliable in that way. I guess thatâs why Elder Sister came to like him.â
âIf you continue to call Lin Ruoxi âelder sisterâ, you will only drift further and further away from Yang Chen. Silly little girl, if you were a tad bit older I would have urged you to get married and have a family. Who knows how long I have left in this world.â Abbess Yun Miao frustratedly continued, âYou know how desperate our Lin clan has been ever since your parents were sacrificed by that maniacal grandfather of yours. You are our only seed left. If youâre always going to hang around Yang Chen for nothing, then our family tree will soon die off, wouldnât it? Iâm sure you donât hope to see that.â
Hui Lin lifted her head, her bright pupils rolled in doubt, as she held on to Abbess Yun Miaoâs palm. She replied with a warm smile, âGrandma you look at most only in your forties. Why would want to be a great-grandmother so soon? People think that we are mother and daughter as of now. Who would have thought that you are my grandmother!â
Abbess Yun Miao instantly felt overjoyed after Hui Linâs blatant praise of her youthful appearance, even if she didnât voice it out. She replied, âI allowed you to be a singer, but all you picked up was the sweet talking. Alright alright, donât you have work tomorrow morning? Go to bed early tonight, Iâll go prepare herbal ginseng chicken soup for your breakfast tomorrow.â
âAlright. Rest well too Grandma,â Hui Lin obediently replied.
Abbess Yun Miao stood up before she lovingly caressed her granddaughterâs head, with a helpless yet satisfied smile.