Daughters of the Elite - Chapter 101

Qian Meigui woke up in a familiar room; it was the very place that she felt safest; it was Song Sheng’s bedroom in his apartment. Her head hurt from the amount of sleep she had.

The window of his bedroom was open. It was nearly nightfall. The curtains swayed, as well as the front strands of Song Sheng’s jet-black hair. He was sleeping on an armchair next to the bed, sitting up with his arms crossed. Qian Meigui smiled slightly as she reached out to grab his hand, stirring him awake.

Song Sheng’s almond-shaped eyes lidded open, his expression held some exhaustion and relief. She then pulled him, nudging him to join her. Song Sheng smirked, but he went under the covers, caressing her head, running his fingers through the strands of her hair.

“What happened?” she asked him.

“You fainted,” he responded, stroking her head.

Qian Meigui exhaled deeply; she hoped that what happened that morning was a dream. But what he told her confirmed that it wasn’t. “How did I end up here?” she asked him. Song Sheng paused, propping himself up with an elbow, gazing at her.

“You were at the hospital,” he began. “But I asked Song Ren to discharge you, and I snuck you out while you were still sleeping. Your family was waiting for you, but I didn’t want them to bother you until you were ready,” he said sincerely.

Qian Meigui was grateful. She felt so overwhelmed within such a short time that she wasn’t sure what to do. But without their knowledge, Song Sheng stole her away; she felt warm.

“You were dehydrated and only needed more rest,” he said to her. “Which is why I brought you here instead of home.”

Qian Meigui looked out the window, where the sky changed colour, deepening into an indigo-blue. Qian Meigui turned back to face him once more appreciatively. Since it was late and neither of them was tired, the two decided to stay up watching films. They wanted to forget their troubles and worries by spending time with each other, even if it were small things that they were doing. But in the middle of the movie, Song Sheng told her, “Do you know how they would find you” he asked.

Qian Meigui froze. She felt terrible for not bringing up the person she suspected. She glanced up to him, but his face darkened. He resembled a brewing storm, ready to destroy anything in its path, but his anger did not direct towards her.

“Umm…It was Yu Qingge,” she told him cautiously. Song Sheng gazed into her eyes with a complicated expression. He shook his head; his lips twitched as if hearing her name was venomous, poisoning to the ears. But after a moment, he said, “I saw her coming out of the office while you were in there, and my office camera showed me that you two were speaking, but I could not hear a word. But I suspected.”

Qian Meigui was puzzled. “Then why did you not tell me?” she asked. Song Sheng gave her a perplexed look as if he could ask her the same question. She then pouted when he chimed, “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t do anything, yet.” Qian Meigui raised a brow. His face maintained a lethal expression as if he promises some imminent doom; she shivered.

Qian Meigui’s lips parted, her eyes gaped. What did he mean by that? Song Sheng read her face very well, answering her unspoken question. “She’s oblivious of my knowledge about anything, but that makes it better when she gets what she deserves,” he said darkly.

Song Sheng felt her shiver again, so he rubbed her arms, thinking she was cold. Qian Meigui chuckled, snuggling into his embrace by leaning against him as they continued to watch their movies. They both embraced until Song Sheng they fell asleep again.

The next morning, Qian Meigui purposely woke earlier than him. She brushed a gentle kiss on his lips when a tear slipped from her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she spoke softly before she rose without stirring him awake. Song Sheng continued to sleep before she slipped out of the apartment quietly.

She exhaled deeply, her heart aching and clenching. She walked, not to the mansion, but to the outside barriers of her home where someone she did not know waited. “Hello,” she said to the man.

It turned out he was a butler for the Lin family, her mother’s maiden name. He drove her to their home, with her permission, where an overwhelming feeling and a large, old-fashioned, traditional house that screamed old money welcomed her.

She walked in when others welcomed her home. Her aunt, Lin Anni, the twin of Qian Aiguo, formerly Lin Aiguo, waited for her in the living space of their home. The walls and furniture were the colour of deep burgundy, almost like dark red with matching divider screens. Most of the furniture and decorations were antique. Qian Meigui was afraid to touch anything since most of the interior had little contemporary furniture.

Lin Anni granted her a gentle smile; she wore the practical clothing of a doctor. “Hello, Qian Meigui,” she said to her. Qian Meigui gave her back a grim smile. But Lin Anni seemed to have read her attitude well. “My dear, I don’t want to scare you. You’ve had many frightful things happy in your life,” she said gently. Lin Anni gazed at her, making sure that she felt more comfortable. “Come walk with me,” she said, rising from her seat.

Qian Meigui followed her out of the house where the brightness of the outdoors overpowered the low-lit house. They walked out to a beautiful garden where there were bushes and aisles of flower bushes and ones rooted to the ground. Children ran through the steps in between chasing each other. Qian Meigui had a surreal feeling, and she recalled this place as a child, perhaps when she was five years old.

As they walked through the labyrinth of paths through the massive garden, Lin Anni said, “You know, it was devastating when we received the news of your parent’s untimely deaths, but most importantly, yours. You were only a child,” she recalled solemnly. “How are you?” she asked her sincerely.

Qian Meigui exhaled deeply, then breathing in the fresh air and scent of the garden. “I am well,” she began. “The Song family took care of me, I can assure you,” she said.

Lin Anni’s lips twitched as if she wanted to curse them. “The Song family are nothing but self-righteous people who don’t do anything but meddle into other affairs.” Qian Meigui paused, turning to face her aunt. Her hair was wavy and brown, like hers, like her mother. But the youthful face that she remembered wasn’t there. Lin Anni had eyebags that weighed her down, and wrinkles began to form despite her middle age, but she was still beautiful. Qian Meigui narrowed her eyes to look at her, “The Song family took care of me, and that’s all that should matter.”

Qian Meigui began to walk ahead of her when Lin Anni spoke behind her, “Song Rui robbed you from a real family, a real chance at your blood relatives. You are only grateful to him because he conditioned you into believing so. He’s an awful man who most likely killed your parents.”

Qian Meigui gritted her teeth. “My parent’s trusted Song Rui to take me in,” she retorted. “Perhaps you could explain to me why they’ve made that decision? Why didn’t they trust neither the Lin’s nor the Qian’s?” she questioned.

Lin Anni’s face appeared to be perplexed and puzzled. “Song Rui wiped your name and identity off the edge of the earth. How were we supposed to know you were alive? Also, you’re parent’s had always been in danger, on the run. It is no mistake that they would probably give you to someone unexpected. But that doesn’t make it right. Song Rui should have told us,” she said to her firmly.

Qian Meigui sighed, and Lin Anni composed herself. “I’m sorry,” she began. “This is not how I wanted one of our first encounters to be. I’m angry and quite frustrated. You are the only thing that is left of my baby sister, and when I found out that you were with them. I was angry at Song Rui.” Lin Anni is the older twin.

Qian Meigui understood where she was coming from, but that did not assure the fact that she could immediately trust her. She just wanted more information, more details. She knew why her parents were murdered, but who killed them? She was still confused about everything and didn’t know what to think of it.

“Is it all right if I stay here for a few days?” Qian Meigui blurted.

Lin Anni smiled brightly, happily. “Of course,” she said. “You can stay here as long as you like.”

—

Song Sheng woke up, rising, startled. The woman he brought home did not greet him; his shirt was cold, not warm by her embrace. He searched and scoped out the entire apartment. She was gone.

He tried to call Qian Meigui several times over the phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

He called the main house, but Yang Rei informed him that she never came home.

Song Sheng ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

Where is she?