Chapter 049: The Mystery of Origins

The following story is entirely a work of fiction.

Ma Shengwei was just about to reveal the mystery surrounding Xiao Yi’s parentage, but then he hesitated.

“Hurry up and tell me, brother! I’m dying of anxiety here. If I don’t do something soon, Xiao Yi will end up with someone else,” Lu Jiahui said impatiently.

“End up with someone else? Whose family?” Ma Shengwei asked.

“Don’t worry about whose family. The point is, it’s not mine. I have this feeling that Xiao Yi is my goddess!” Lu Jiahui exclaimed.

“Goddess, my foot. Fine, I might as well tell you the truth. That girl is your biological niece. That’s why you can’t be with her. Is this reason convincing enough for you?” Ma Shengwei finally gave in under Lu Jiahui’s relentless questioning.

Lu Jiahui was left dumbfounded. He never imagined the woman he loved was actually his niece. He was so stunned, he didn’t know what to say.

“Her mother had been married for years without conceiving a child. Her husband was one of my subordinates. During a mission, he was injured, and as a result, his sperm count was too low for her to get pregnant. Her mother came to me, asking for a divorce. We were both upset at the time and ended up drinking. That led to a one-night stand. Just that one time, and your niece was conceived. Her husband still doesn’t know, and neither does your niece. You must keep this secret, no matter what—don’t let it slip,” Ma Shengwei warned.

Lu Jiahui nodded repeatedly. Then, as he thought about it, he realized his elder brother had never had children, and his sister-in-law was infertile. Who would have thought his brother already had such a grown daughter outside the family? Now that it was clear she was his niece—a fact that could never be changed—he gave up on his thoughts of a romance with Xiao Yi. Forcing a smile, he said, “Brother, that’s really something to be happy about! When do you plan to acknowledge your daughter?”

“Acknowledge her? In my position, with my career at its peak, you want me to admit to having an eighteen-year-old illegitimate daughter? You fool,” Ma Shengwei snapped.

“Yes, yes, brother. I was just too happy and got carried away. You’ve never had children, and mother keeps worrying about our family line dying out. I should tell her the good news so she can see her lovely granddaughter before she passes.”

“Don’t meddle! Right now, just focus on doing your job well. As for women, you’re still young. Once you’re powerful and wealthy enough, you’ll have plenty of women to choose from.”

“I understand, brother. At last, our family has a successor. I’ll hurry to mother and let her know the good news—she’ll be so happy.” With that, Jiahui rose to take his leave.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yi had been at the bar for hours, but the man she longed for was nowhere to be seen. She sat at the counter, brooding over her drink, her spirits low.

Her gaze was hazy, and though she was already tipsy, she kept drinking.

When she realized her bottle was empty again, she called out loudly to the bartender, “Bring me another bottle!”

“Miss, you’re already drunk. You can’t drink any more,” said one of the bartenders, who knew her and was concerned.

“Cut the nonsense and bring me a drink,” Xiao Yi said, her eyes closed, waving her hand impatiently. “Hurry up.” With that, she collapsed onto the bar and made no further sound.

Around midnight, the bar was at its liveliest. Every night at this hour, Gao Yating would make her rounds through the bar before heading to the billiards room, where she liked to check on the players herself.

She spotted Xiao Jin’s daughter drunk at the bar again and asked the bartender, “Has she been here since noon?”

“Yes, Ms. Gao. She hasn’t left since noon. This is already her second bottle. Should we call her father to come get her? He’s in the billiards room with Mr. Leng,” the bartender replied.

“I see. I’ll go to the billiards room,” Gao Yating said, turning to another bartender. “Come here. Keep a close eye on her—don’t let anything happen.”

“Don’t worry, Ms. Gao,” the bartender replied with a bow.

With that, Gao Yating headed up the spiral staircase.

Her footsteps echoed on the wooden steps, the sound of her heels striking the planks so distinctive that many players sensed the presence of the company’s formidable woman before she even arrived.

As she entered the billiards room, several players turned in unison, their eyes following her across the room.

They all knew she was a billiards expert, having come to HZ from MC Entertainment. Because of her connections with headquarters, especially with Will, she would occasionally let slip some inside tips about the matches when she was in a good mood. Of course, she never divulged direct information, but sometimes the players gained unexpected windfalls. Though the men were gathered with Leng Junfeng and Xiao Jin, they couldn’t help but be drawn to this mysterious woman.

Leng Junfeng and Xiao Jin were deep in discussion, analyzing an upcoming match. Leng Junfeng wasn’t surprised to see Gao Yating, though she had arrived earlier than usual. He tugged at Xiao Jin’s sleeve, signaling for him to stand and greet her.

Xiao Jin, seeing her, straightened up at once, showing her the utmost respect.

“You’re both here, and Officer Xiao is as well. Your daughter is yet again passed out drunk in our downstairs bar. What’s going on with her lately, always coming here to drink at such a young age? I’m worried she’ll get taken advantage of by some unsavory types. If something happens to her here, it won’t look good for any of us. Officer Xiao, you really need to keep your daughter in check to prevent any trouble down the line,” Gao Yating said, careful to keep her tone measured.

“You’re right, Ms. Gao. There are all sorts of people in society these days, especially in a place like yours. Every kind of character can be found here. But I won’t let my daughter go astray. As far as I know, she’s infatuated with your assistant, Dai Yunjie—he’s not young anymore, and I hear you’re quite fond of him. Just keep him in line and don’t let him mess with my daughter,” Xiao Jin replied, a bit combative.

“I don’t need you to tell me how to live my life, Officer Xiao. You’re not qualified. Dai Yunjie is indeed someone I like, and he’s more or less my man now. If your little girl has a crush on him and wants an older man, there are plenty out there. Why fixate on mine? I know you’re Director Ma’s subordinate and you’re always with Leng Junfeng, but I don’t want this to affect our relationship. Our only goal here at Dahe is to make money. I’m sure both here with Leng and with your superior you understand what benefits you get out of it. Any unnecessary complications, we should nip in the bud. Just keep your daughter in line,” Gao Yating said, showing a rare touch of arrogance and clear disdain for Xiao Jin.

Leng Junfeng, sensing the tension, tried to mediate. “Look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding here. Let’s all say a little less—there must be some mistake.”

“Mistake? Stay out of this. You bear inescapable responsibility for how things turned out. Last time, your guys bullied that girl, but because Dai Yunjie knew she was Officer Xiao’s daughter, he moved her to his hotel room. Then you tricked me into coming to Dai Yunjie’s room for a meeting, where I found the two of them together. Don’t think I don’t know what you were up to. I didn’t call you out because I trust Mr. Dai Yunjie—he wouldn’t betray me for some naive girl,” Gao Yating said confidently.

Meanwhile, in the office of Lu Jiahui at Duhao Company, Lu Jiahui was troubled by the fact that Xiao Yi was his biological niece.

He became irritable, and when a debt collector came to report, he exploded upon hearing the debt hadn’t been collected, throwing a folder at the man. “Is this all you’re good for? How many tasks have you actually completed? Last time, that painting you collected, ‘The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,’ was a fake—did you know? You keep bringing back worthless forgeries. Are you just here to eat for free?” Lu Jiahui raged.

The collector picked up the folder and returned it to the desk.

“There’s something else to report!” the collector said nervously.

“Well, spit it out!” Lu Jiahui glared.

“Today, I collected a treasure—a prayer bead bracelet made of African rhino horn. I did some checking; it’s priced by the gram—over ten thousand per gram. That string weighs two kilograms. We’ve hit the jackpot! The guy only owed a hundred thousand, but this bracelet is worth much more!”

“Jackpot, my foot! If it’s another fake, I’ll have your head! Get an expert to look at it tomorrow. If it’s fake, act quickly—don’t let them get away like last time,” Lu Jiahui ordered.

“Understood, Boss Lu. I’ll get on it right away,” the collector said, leaving the office.

(To be continued)