The Bittersweet Days of Our Youth

Tao Tao’s body was carried back to the Ye family at dawn. The third yitai saw her daughter’s tragic condition and fainted with a cry of grief. Father looked gloomy as the family sat in the hall crying and sighing, Qin Shiyue sat on the sofa, his brows furrowing in thought. The butler entered with red eyes and said, “Little Miss’s funeral hall has been arranged, please rest assured, Master.”

Father nodded, took off his eyeglasses, and wiped them carefully with a soft cotton cloth, squinting his eyes. I knew father was just trying to hide the tears that were about to gush out. He was the head of the family, if he appeared too dejected at this time, it would only make the women in the family more scared.

“Mr. Qin, thank you for bringing my daughter back. After such an incident, the Ye family can’t entertain the guest right now. Please don’t take offense, Mr. Qin.”

“Uncle Ye, don’t feel too bad. If there is anything I can do to help, I will do it.”

“My daughter, Ye Guangrong, cannot die in vain, I must find out this murderer, he must pay in blood!” Father slapped the table in anger and tea splashed out immediately, scaring the women in the hall to scurry together, curb their cries and sob cautiously.

“Uncle Ye, I heard Bingqing say that the 50,000 dollars requested by the murderer have been deposited into the bank. Generally, kidnapping is for money, but he won’t tear up the ticket and get into trouble for himself after getting the money. Now it seems that there are only two possibilities. First, the murderer has a grudge against the Ye family, and their purpose is to create panic and empty the Ye family’s wealth. If it is the first case, then the murderer will likely not stop here–” Qin Shiyue meaningfully looked at me and said,  “The next target is likely to be your other daughter– “

The women in the hall cried even more. Mother was scared about losing more people. “Then, Yujie and Bingqing are in great danger?”

Father gave Mother a stern look and said to Qin Shiyue, “Nobody should interrupt. Didn’t Mr. Qin say there is also a second possibility?”

Qin Shiyue curved his mouth. “Aunt Ye, don’t worry. The probability of the first possibility is still smaller. If Uncle Ye has an enemy, it must be a rival in the market. The Ye family has strong financial strength in business. The first lady’s husband’s family has power and influence, and the second lady’s fiance’s family has connections both ways. This almost accounted for the timing, location, and people. If it is really the business opponent, he would never even dare to think about it.”

I sulked and said, “Don’t keep us guessing, go straight to the point.”

“The second possibility is a little simpler. That is, this murderer and the Ye family are very familiar. He knows the whereabouts of the Ye family, so it is easy to find the opportunity to take the little miss. After the murderer got the money, most likely the little miss saw his face. Because the murderer is an acquaintance, he was afraid that the little miss will reveal his identity, so he had to silence her.”

I stood up from the chair, pulling Qin Shiyue on the way out. My mind suddenly flooded with broken and messy images.

The letter asked for money, the bank account, the 50,000 present dollars, and the oddly colored cloth tied to Tao Tao’s body.

Tao Tao’s funeral hall was located in the backyard. The housekeeper had written a letter of mourning for the servants to send back home to several grandfathers. In accordance with the ancestral tradition of the Ye family, if the unmarried daughter, unfortunately, died prematurely, she had to be buried in the ancestral grave of the Ye family. But, Tao Tao being the daughter of a concubine, could not enter the ancestral shrine, nor could she set up a spiritual hall. Father insisted that the spirit must be kept for seven days and then sent back home to the ancestral tomb for burial. I’m afraid that when those old stubborn grandfathers would know, they would definitely make things difficult.

Seeing me startled, Qin Shiyue comfortingly patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t be sad, your last gift to Tao Tao now is to find her killer and avenge her death.”

I nodded, dried my tears, and said to the housekeeper, “Where did you throw the little lady’s torn clothes?”

The housekeeper sighed and said, “It has been burnt according to instructions given by the second lady. Why do you want it?”

Qin Shiyue held my shoulders and said, “You mean the cloth that tied Tao Tao’s hands and feet? I remember the color of the flower. If I see it, I will be able to recognize it. We should go to the bank now to check that account to see if the money has been withdrawn.”

I knew that what I needed right now was not sadness, but to use sadness to inspire inner strength. Qin Shiyue’s good-looking eyes swirled like the moon. Although I still couldn’t figure out the mystery in him, I firmly believe that the answer would be rewarding. I couldn’t help but smile at him with tears in my eyes.

I believe in him. This fact opened up my own eyes.

Dwelling on established concepts is a prison that prevents the search for the truth, and the key to the prison is the heart, not the eyes.

“I thought who could make my fiancée laugh this time, it turns out to be Mr. Qin.” Lu Xingjiu, who I didn’t know when he stood behind us, said that the words he uttered were not as friendly as the smile on his face. “Qin Shiyue, a French-Chinese, how many secrets do you still have in you? If those secrets will bring you death, I advise you to hide them for a longer time.”

“Are you threatening me?” Qin Shiyue’s smile intensified. “I am a French citizen. Chinese laws can’t bind me yet. I am protected. If I run back to the consulate now and yell that the young master of the Lu Mansion has shot at me, guess what will happen?”

Lu Xingjiu narrowed his eyes. “You’re afraid?”

“I’m just afraid that you’re not capable.”

“When the rat is hiding from the cat, he also has to be careful of the rat traps in the corners and the rat poison on the bread.” Lu Xingjiu said, “Something happened to the father-in-law’s family, so I won’t keep you much longer. Mr. Qin, please.”

“Qin Shiyue and I are going to the bank.” I raised my chin to respond to him coldly, “Young Master Lu, just keep your father-in-law company!”

“My little Bingqing is finally going to show her claws, but they need to be sharpened. Now they are so dull that they can’t hurt anyone.” Lu Xingjiu’s evil face fiercely enlarged in front of my eyes, his eyes were full of desire. Before I could look away, his lips quickly grazed my forehead.

I was so angry that I turned blue seeing him go to the hall with a smug face.

It was like being, kissed by a pig.

I was so disgusted that I wiped it with my sleeve roughly and awkwardly dragged Qin Shiyue outside. 

Lu Xingjiu, I will let you know one day, even if you are a cat and Qin Shiyue is a mouse,  I, Ye Bingqing, is not a fish in your mouth.

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