Hello, Heir

Si Zhengting walked briskly, following Zhuang Nainai out of the event.

The Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing was situated near the 2nd Ring Road. Stepping out of it was to step into bustling nightlife and to encounter a smoky night sky with the crescent moon peeking out from behind the clouds.

He quickly spotted her. The proud poise she had been carrying during the event was now gone, and even though she was still standing straight, it was obvious that the energy had left her body.

Feeling his heart ache for her, he increased his walking speed in an attempt to catch up with her. Yet, just as he was about to reach her, her cell phone suddenly rang.

—

Zhuang Nainai walked out of the hotel, the unfamiliar surroundings making her feel a bit uncomfortable.

She hung her head low, an inexplicable feeling rising in her heart.

Heaven knows how stirred she had been when he had suddenly come forward to ask her to dance just as the crowd was pointing fingers at her.

He had been the hero riding on celestial clouds, coming to save her from the bind she was in.

She had felt an outburst of joy just like anyone else would have and had almost teared up.

Afterward, when she had been put on the spot by the reporters, he had grabbed her hard and pulled her into his embrace, protecting her…

In the past five years, she had been working hard and had been wronged occasionally. Even so, she had never spoken a word of her injustices whenever she lay in her mother’s arms.

Yet tonight, she had felt an unprecedented sense of safety through him.

It was impossible to not be touched by how he still protected her even though he didn’t believe her.

But… she didn’t want to be touched.

Zhuang Nainai lowered her head and sighed.

With her expression empty, she wondered what was going to happen to Si Zhengting and her from now on.

They had been talking about getting a divorce earlier, but could she really bear to do that?

Just as she was struggling with herself, her cell phone rang. Snapping back to reality, she fished out her cell phone and saw that it was Lin Xi’er who was calling.

As she picked up the phone, Lin Xi’er’s clear voice came over. “Nainai, let me tell you a piece of good news. Remember how you got me to rush the visa processing? They’re really awesome! I got it for you today. Where are you now? I’ll come by and pass it to you.”

Zhuang Nainai unconsciously answered, “Xi’er, I’m heading home now. Let’s just meet at Xibali village.”

Lin Xi’er stammered, “Umm… I’m not going home today. Where… where are you now? I’ll just come and pass it to you.”

Zhuang Nainai was stunned. “Why aren’t you going home?”

Lin Xi’er’s voice became upset. “It’s my mother… she doesn’t approve of me getting together with Zhang Zhuo because he’s from Henan, and he doesn’t have a household registration account tied to Beijing. She should have said so earlier; now she’s trying to hook me up with someone she says is rich.”

Zhuang Nainai tried to comfort her, but Lin Xi’er grew impatient. “Okay, Nainai, where are you? I’ll come over. I won’t be home for the next two days because I’ve decided to elope with Zhang Zhuo! I’m going to make my mother anxious!”

Zhuang Nainai was speechless.

Lin Xi’er had been spoiled as a child, and even though she had a good temper, she always had the tendency to have little bouts of insolence.

Zhuang Nainai knew that Lin Xi’er meant it when she said she wasn’t going to go home. But did she really want Lin Xi’er to find her where she was right now?

Surveying the lavish setting of the Shangri-La Hotel around her, Zhuang Nainai felt extremely out of place.