Chapter 151 - Not For Free
Han villa.
Xinyi tiredly sat on the couch. Ah Cy and Zizi were beside her too, anxiously waiting for Zhiyuan to give any news. Xinyi had not drunk even a sip of water ever since Siying disappeared. Every moment made her paler than before. Soo Enlai urged her to eat some fruits at the very least, but she simply shoved the plate aside.
"I don't even know if Siying has eaten yet or not. How can I eat before I see him alright?" She trembled and tears rolled down her cheeks.
At the corner, Han Guang and Han Mingli were enjoying her plight. It was almost night now and it would be impossible to find him once it's completely dark. Plus, it was at this time that all the criminals and illegal activities would be at their peak. It wasn't impossible for Siying to get into somebody's bad hands and disappear for good.
"Xinyi!"
Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice. To their shock, it was Caihong and Xiaosi. He left Chyou at home with the maids to take care of her.
Caihong rushed to her side and asked, "What happened to Siying? H-How did he disappear?"
Ah Cy asked, "How did you know?"
Xiaosi chuckled. "Well, Xinyi's mighty husband told me himself."
"Huh?"
Han Guang and Han Mingli were stunned too.
Why Zhu Xiaosi?
Xinyi looked at him in shock. "You…?"
"To beg for my help of course."
"Help? What help? D-Did he find Siying? Do you know where he is!?"
Xiaosi raised his brow and understood by looking at her that Zhiyuan didn't tell her about the kidnapping.
Caihong quickly said, "Xinyi, calm down."
"I cannot calm down!" She broke into tears, "Siying is so small. Where would he be in this big city all alone?"
Caihong's eyes turned misty too and she hugged her. "We will find him, okay? It's just a matter of time," she glanced at Xiaosi as she said that.
He snorted. Just then, Zhiyuan stepped out. "Xiaosi."
Xiaosi smiled. "Ah my dear friend is here."
Xinyi went up to him. "Zhiyuan! What happened? You found Siying right? Where is he? He-he is alright, right?"
Zhiyuan quickly said, "Xinyi, we are really close to finding him. Just give me a little time. I promise I will find him, okay?"
Her shoulders slumped and she almost collapsed. Soo Enlai caught her. "Xinyi!"
"Dad. Please take her to our room. Don't listen to her and just make her rest on the bed somehow."
He wanted to be with her but finding Siying was more important now.
Soo Enlai nodded. He held Xinyi's shoulder. "Come, dear. You need rest."
"I...I won't rest until Siying…" she mumbled. He took her away anyhow with Zizi's help.
Zhiyuan said, "Come with me."
In the study, as Xiaosi stepped in, Yunru slightly stiffened. But he didn't show any change in his expression. Han Huizhong narrowed his eyes and went silent. He was against Zhiyuan asking Xiaosi for help. But before Siying's safety, Zhiyuan didn't budge at all.
Xiaosi smiled as he saw him. "Ah, Grandpa Han. Long time."
Han Huizhong didn't respond.
"I can see how irritated you are right now. Is it because Siying hasn't been found yet or is it because I am here?"
He said nothing.
"What's wrong Grandpa Han? Aren't you the fierce Han Huizhong who could destroy anyone at the snap of his finger? Why are you so weak now that you couldn't find his great-grandson?"
He said nothing.
"I mean there are so many instances where people might have begged before you, but you would have stepped on them anyway, didn't you?" He smiled. "And now that same Han Huizhong is begging me of all people to find Siying?"
He walked towards him and whispered, "Say, Grandpa, how does it feel to be the one on the begging end for a change?"
Han Huizhong sneered. "Pull yourself off from your high horse. It's Zhiyuan who begged you. I, Han Huizhong, would never beg in front of someone like you."
He clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Is this the attitude you have for someone who is here to help you?"
He angrily laughed. "You are free to leave. Get lost. Not like you are to help anyway. You? And help Siying?"
Xiaosi sighed. "Ah. I wasn't interested either. But how could I miss the chance of making Zhiyuan indebted to me? Also, you should fix your attitude, Grandpa." He smiled. "If I leave right now, your last hope of finding Siying will be...whoosh! Disappear," he chuckled.
Han Huizhong gritted his teeth. No matter how much he hated Xiaosi, he couldn't deny it.
"And then the blame will fall on you for never being able to find Siying. Just like…" he narrowed his eyes, "there is so much other blame on you, isn't there?"
He didn't seem to be much perturbed by that.
"You know, Grandpa. I came here but that doesn't mean I will help you for free, right? After all, the Han family is my enemy. I don't have such a big heart to help you out of nothing in return."
Han Huizhong sneered. "You showed your true colors after all."
"I have learned it from you, after all," He smiled.
"And? What do you expect me to do? Let me hear it as well."
Xiaosi tilted his head. "Tell Zhiyuan the truth in exchange of my help."
Silence.
"Of course, you know what I am talking about right? Grandpa is still fit and healthy. There shouldn't be any memory loss problem, right?"
Han Huizhong kept quiet.
"Hmm, ~~ If you tell everything, then I might think about helping Siying."
Zhiyuan impatiently said, "Xiaosi, please. This is not the time."
He didn't know what he was whispering to Han Huizhong, but he was taking too long.
Yunru said, "Mr. Zhu. I advise you to please keep your personal grudges out of the picture here. We don't have time for that," he clenched his fingers into a fist.
Xiaosi narrowed his eyes. "Hooo…" he sighed. "Well, it's not me. Grandpa Han wants to share something with us."
Zhiyuan furrowed his brows. "Grandpa?"
Han Huizhong slightly stiffened.
Xiaosi squinted his gaze and smirked. "I think he needs some time to sort out his thoughts, right Grandpa?"
Han Huizhong glared at him.
Zhiyuan gritted his teeth and grabbed his collar. "Enough! Are you here to waste time?"
Xiaosi shook his hand. "Don't talk to me like that, Mr. Han, or I might leave right now."
Liang pressed his brows as he sighed.
"But well considering the urgency, I can compromise a bit. How about I find Siying and until then Grandpa Han will think about how to sort out what he wants to say."
Yunru had a perplexed expression on his face. Zhiyuan and the others had no clue what he was talking about while Han Huizhong was still impassive.
Xiaosi took a seat and opened his laptop. He glanced at Yunru. "Send me the file. Let my magic begin now."
---
Natsukashi.
Siying seriously thought about what Nana said. For all of her questions, Siying had only positive answers to give about Xinyi.
Nana said, "The time you spent with your Mama until now only has happy memories in it. She will never hate you because of just one incident even if it might be big because she knows that you didn't do it on purpose. When you say that she doesn't love you anymore, did she say that in front of you?"
Siying said, "No…"
"Did you hear her talking to someone else that she doesn't doesn't want you?"
He hesitated. "No…"
"Did she scold you after the picnic?"
"No. Mama Dada not scold Siying. They say that they will always love me."
Nana smiled. "So why do you think they are lying to you?"
Tears pooled in his eyes. "T-that…Mama Dada wants to...send me away...Or-orphanage…"
Nana looked at him, shocked. "Orphanage?"
He nodded. "They don't like me anymore because I hurt them. So they send me away. Mama…" he cried, "Mama don't pick me in school. She not come to take me home…I-I sat and waited. But Mama not come at all."
She was puzzled.
This part of the story didn't seem to fit anywhere. It was impossible for his mother to decide to send him to an orphanage.
"Maybe your Mama got stuck in some work so she got late in picking you up?"
Siying had no answer.
"As for the orphanage, who told you that she is sending you away? Did you hear her talking to someone?"
Siying thought about it. "Not me. Grandaunt. She said she hears Mama Dada talking and they said that they send me away where other orphans live. They not love anymore because Siying did a bad thing."
Nana found this Grandaunt to be really suspicious. His mother's personality didn't match that would make her send her son to an orphanage.
"I think there is a misunderstanding, Siying. Your Mama would never send you away."
The twins evilly giggled. "This Grandaunt seems a fun target to play with~~"
Jun rolled his eyes. "You are so dumb. You got fooled again! By your Grandaunt first. Then the two kidnappers. Gosh."