Hua Xian rushed out, and the car Chi Meng usually drove was indeed gone.
“She would not have gone to see Chi Xiaohai by herself, would she?”
Hua Xian was consumed by anxiety. She grabbed an umbrella, rushed into the rain, and flagged down a taxi by the roadside.
“To Mujing Manor.”
Hearing the destination, the driver looked back at her, then slowly started the car and drove toward Mujing Manor.
Although Chi Meng was reluctant to discuss her family affairs with her, Hua Xian could guess a thing or two. The manor was left to her by her grandmother and had nothing to do with Chi Xiaohai.
Chi Xiaohai had not only usurped the inheritance left by Chi Meng’s grandmother but had also continuously exploited Chi Meng and sucked her dry using a possibly fake heirloom as leverage. Chi Xiaohai was half-responsible for the severity of Chi Meng’s illness.
She feared he had no good intentions this time either.
She had worked so hard for so long, only managing to slightly improve Chi Meng’s condition. If Chi Xiaohai did anything to provoke her again…
Hua Xian’s face instantly turned cold, and the hand hanging by her side slowly clenched into a fist.
She would not allow anyone to hurt Chi Meng, not even her father. Besides, Chi Xiaohai did not deserve to be Chi Meng’s father at all.
The car drove on the road, and the rain seemed to intensify. Hua Xian was desperately anxious, urging the driver to go faster. The driver said helplessly, “Miss, I also want to get you there quickly, but the rain is too heavy. There’s still standing water on the road from last night’s downpour. Driving too fast would be dangerous.”
A sudden, inexplicable twist tightened Hua Xian’s heart. She kept dialing Chi Meng’s number on her tablet. At first, it connected, but later it gave the “power off” notification.
She might have already met Chi Xiaohai. In confrontations between father and daughter, Chi Meng had never won, because Chi Xiaohai knew exactly how to manipulate Chi Meng’s weakness.
The journey that normally took half an hour took a full fifty minutes today. When Hua Xian got out of the car, she felt completely numb.
Mujing Manor was nestled against the mountains and near the water, a prime location. After the cleansing rain, the surroundings looked exceptionally beautiful, but Hua Xian was in no mood to appreciate it.
She ran with her umbrella, completely oblivious to the fact that half her body was drenched. When she reached the villa gate, the security guard stopped her.
“May I ask who you are looking for?”
Hua Xian pulled down her mask, and the uncle recognized her.
“Oh, it is Miss Hua. Are you looking for the eldest miss? She already left.”
Hua Xian frowned: “When did she leave?”
The uncle thought for a moment and replied, “About twenty minutes ago.” He looked around and added, “She might have argued with the old master. She looked quite upset when she left. You should hurry and find her to talk her out of it.”
Hua Xian did not doubt his words, as he was likely the only person left here who still showed a shred of concern for Chi Meng.
She thanked the uncle, gave the manor a long, deep look, and then turned to leave. Her vision was blurry from the rain, and she thought she saw someone standing in the courtyard, but Hua Xian had no time to investigate. She only wanted to find Chi Meng quickly; she did not know what might happen if she was late.
Hua Xian hurried forward. Her clothes were nearly soaked. She did not rush to hail another taxi but carefully considered where Chi Meng might go.
If she had gone home, Hua Xian would have encountered her on the way. That left the other two roads—one leading to the city center, and the other…
The cemetery.
The moment this possibility crossed her mind, Hua Xian was certain.
In the past, when they were together, Chi Meng had taken her to see her grandmother. She had said many things that day.
Chi Meng once said that before she met Hua Xian, her grandmother was the only person who loved her. So, whenever she was in a bad mood, she would go to the cemetery and stay with her grandmother.
Hua Xian immediately tried to flag down a taxi, but the rain was simply too heavy, and the location was somewhat remote. After a long wait, only a few cars passed, and those that did drove straight past, unwilling to stop.
Hua Xian had no choice but to brave the rain and walk with difficulty toward the cemetery. The umbrella in her hand was as useless as a decoration; she was thoroughly soaked.
Her clothes clung tightly to her body, and her face was splattered with rain. Hua Xian’s visibility was poor, and she almost collided with a car driving in the opposite direction.
Hua Xian took two steps back and stumbled to the ground. The driver stopped the car, got out, and walked over to Hua Xian through the heavy rain, asking with concern, “Are you all right?”
Hua Xian got up from the ground, shook her head, and continued walking. The person caught up with her and grabbed her arm.
“Your arm is bleeding. Are you really okay?”
Hua Xian followed her gaze and saw blood flowing from her arm and palm, but strangely, she felt no pain.
“I’m fine.” Hua Xian did not want to waste time with her, shook off her hand, and strode forward.
“Are you going to the cemetery?” The person followed her, her voice sounding ethereal in the rain: “Do you plan to walk there in this heavy rain?”
Hua Xian remained silent; she did not want to waste time on a stranger. But the person grabbed her again.
“Get in. I’ll take you.”
Hua Xian: “…?”
“The cemetery is too far. You would be walking until midnight on just your two legs.”
Hua Xian looked up at the woman in front of her, finding her familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before. In the end, she did not refuse the offer and got into the car, dripping wet.
“Thank you for driving me. I will pay for the car wash fee.”
Hua Xian did not know much about cars; her only knowledge came from the cars in her home garage. She had briefly glanced at the car emblem before getting in and happened to recognize it, as Chi Meng also owned a similar one.
To describe it as “valuable” might be an understatement. Since it was a globally limited edition, only a handful of people owned one. Such cars were usually kept in the garage for show; very few people drove them, especially in this weather.
With this clue, the identity of the person was easy to guess.
“Are you… Jian Rou?”
“You finally recognized me? I thought my face was not that memorable.”
Hua Xian: “… I apologize for my poor eyesight. Thank you for taking me. The car maintenance fee…”
“That is enough. Do not keep talking about money. If you really want to thank me, why don’t you terminate your contract with Li Ai and sign with me instead?”
Hua Xian did not know if she was joking or serious. After a moment of silence, Jian Rou changed the topic, letting the matter drop lightly.
“Why are you going to the cemetery in such heavy rain?”
“To find someone.” Hua Xian did not want to elaborate, but replied out of courtesy.
Jian Rou did not press further. She stepped on the gas, and the car instantly shot forward, parting the curtain of rain.
Soon, the two arrived at the cemetery. Hua Xian rushed straight to Chi Meng’s grandmother’s grave. Jian Rou followed her unhurriedly, holding an umbrella.
Before she got close, Hua Xian saw a figure huddled by the tombstone. She immediately ran over and pulled the person tightly into her embrace.
Chi Meng’s body was frighteningly cold, her face as pale as paper, and her lips turning blue. It took her a long while to come back to her senses, and she asked Hua Xian blankly, “Why are you here?”
“I came to take you home.”