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Three months before that incident, everything was alright and no one could fathom that the death of the heiress to the Yin family, Yin Zheng Zhen was anything close by.
Grandfather's Yin most bitter regret in this life, he used to say, was that he only had one child. A useless child. The man was hard and cold, others may also say unfeeling but Yin Zheng Zhen, for having grown by his side, knew that he had his own way of showing his emotions. No matter what though, as disapproving as he was of his child, he never remarried after the death of his wife and just tried harder to correct his son's ways.
However, knowing that no matter what he did his father could never disown him, Yin Zhi Ming ran after women and spent his time in clubs. When one had the money one shouldn't be stingy and should know how to spend it, we are young only once, that was his motto. He was enjoying life without a care in the world. In a way, how he turned out to be, was a bit his father's fault. His father didn't have time for him and the people he would hire to take care of his child would be threatened by the latter so they didn't dare make him do what he didn't like. Alcohol, drugs, jail time, nothing was left untested by this person.
When he turned twenty-seven and still didn't know how to behave, an ultimatum from his father was laid. If he didn't mend his way, before dying, grandfather Yin would really give his properties to associations and leave him penniless. The document was already drafted by the lawyers and was just waiting for a signature. For once, he was serious. Indeed, the threat was heard. For a whole year Yin Zhi Ming behaved and the old grandfather Yin could breathe. Seeing his child finally sensible, he arranged a wedding between his heir and his friend's daughter, Tian Chen. Both parties approved and before long, Yin Zhi Ming and Tian Chen were wedded. A year later, a daughter was born, Yin Zheng Zhen. But who knew that once more, Yin Zhi Ming would start fooling around again. Tian Chen put up with his first infidelity and chased away the woman, she did so with the second but at the third, she hurriedly signed for a divorce; she didn't care anymore if ties between the friendly families were broken.
In a fit rage, grandfather Yin disowned his son and chased him out of his house saying that he will raise his granddaughter to be his heiress, he didn't need such a person anymore. The ties between Yin and Tian families weren't broken and the young baby was left to the care of the grandfather. Under him, Yin Zheng Zhen really became a worthy successor, learning from scratch and working hard. He started bringing her to the company ever since she was small making her do menial tasks and she slowly climbed the ladder to the point where when she was eighteen she was already at the head of many projects. If grandfather was strict with his employees he was stricter with her, expecting nothing short of perfection though not forgetting to praise her when it was due. As such, Yin Zheng Zhen grew up never really knowing her father. From her paternal side of the family, she only had her grandfather. That was until her nineteen years old birthday. A child of twelve years old was brought back by her grandfather who said that this was her half-brother, Yin Luo Xue, as well as announced to her the death of her father, someone she rarely saw.
Even though she herself wasn't affected by that death, her grandfather deeply was. She knew that even though he chased his son out himself, it was as though, he was waiting for the day when his child would come back to him. However, the latter never did and grandfather Yin was too proudful to be the one to extend his hand first. In the end, that Yin Zhi Ming died while drunkenly driving and it seemed that when she heard this, the mother of this Yin Luo Xue hurried to Yin company to inform the CEO that he had another heir, lusting for the biggest amount of money she could gain and even though she first tried to play the good mother, in the end, grandfather Yin named a figure she couldn't say no to, and Yin Luo Xue was brought back to be raised under the Yin family's tutelage.
Following that, the ever healthy grandfather started having a decline in health and a couple years later, died. Yin Zheng Zhen, the only one left to care for this teenager, could only teach him what she had been taught her whole life but before long it appeared to her that Yin Luo Xue was unwilling to follow her steps and didn't even want to hear about Yin family's business matters. Yin Zheng Zhen was quite helpless about this and could only let him do as he wished. It was fine, no matter what, he was her brother and also family, her grandfather had appealed to her to always care for him and she herself quite liked this young brother, no matter what he wanted to do or not do, as long as it wasn't unreasonable, she would indulge him.
Now, looking at the same Yin Luo Xue with red eyes from crying and blood all over his clothes from having hugged 'her', Yin Zheng Zhen, for once in her life, felt her nose a little soured and a sudden desire to cry. She had just regained consciousness and the first thing she saw was his face. He was sitting by her left side, wearing casual clothes a previously white and blue shirt with blood stains now and blue jeans. He was staring at her, but his expression was far from welcoming.
"Bai Shan," he said slowly, in a cold voice, "you really have courage."
Faced with the frost in his face and voice, even Yin Zheng Zhen herself, started doubting her own identity, why was it that she was once called Bai Shan again?
Bai Shan. The first time she heard that name was three months ago.
***
As they were walking towards the elevators, the phone on the small pile of papers started vibrating. Glancing at the caller’s ID, the man in vest took it from his documents and directly gave the communication device to the woman ahead. She immediately gave the papers she was looking at, to another man beside her before taking hold of her phone. With the slightest smile, she connected the call and before she even got to salute her brother, the other’s frosty command cut her,
“Why are you so suborn, stop investigating her already!”
Her amiability was immediately lost and on her face, her usual sternness.
“My, my," she said mockingly, "I have yet to receive the data but you’re already this fretful, do you have anything to hide?”
With her head, she motioned her personal assistant to call the elevator and stepped inside with him in the empty cage as the other man beside them gave the papers he was previously given to the personal assistant, adding to his already long pile of documents.
“We’ll be cut for a while,” Yin Zheng Zhen informed and there was a sigh of frustration at the other end of the line though she didn't care.
Yin Luo Xue could only vaguely hear as his sister was briefed by Liang Feng on the advancements of some projects, the sound intermittent. When the elevator opened at the latest floor, she murmured one “go on” to him.
The man’s voice returned, more docile now, having calmed down,
“She is nothing like the previous girls ok, I really love this one and she’s in love with me too. Can’t you let us rest a bit?”
“Let you rest? You suddenly announced to me that you’re engaged and you want me to let you rest? Yesterday, I still didn’t even know you were seeing someone!”
“…” Yin Luo Xue could only bite the bullet,
“My men? I always hire professional ones, who know their job. No rookie who would leave traces behind. Thus, someone else is investigating her, which means, she's trouble.”
Yin Luo Xue groaned, and in the end, could only refute with "she's a good person and I love her, isn't it enough for you?"
Yin Zheng Zhen’s lips lift in mockery. Yin Luo Xue really inherited their father's passion to love women left and right.
“Wasn’t Fei Mu also a 'good person', I still remember you being arrested because of her. Drugs found on her I believe which she then put on your name to get out of this mess. Or wasn’t Su Yu a good girl too, who knew why she tried running away with my diamonds…."
"Elder sister, please,"
"I’m checking ahead, what’s wrong with that?”
There was another sigh at the other side and walking behind, the assistant pretended not to hear anything that was said, focusing on walking at the same pace as his boss. Less work would he have if the young brother really succeeded though, so he mentally gave his encouragements to continue to the person, even if he doubted the youngster would change this woman’s mind.
Yin Zheng Zhen opened the door and stepped inside, the assistant following behind,
“Dinner,” she proposed,
“What?”
“I want to meet your girlfriend, of course, invite her for dinner tonight, seven sharp. I will then decide if investigating her background is necessary.”
By now, she was already sitting behind her desk and had already turned on her computer; when her brother agreed, she wished him a good day and disconnected the call. Her assistant was still standing in front of her, having already put the pile of paper on her desk, just waiting to be dismissed now.
“Did the documents arrive?”
Even though she was looking at her screen, Liang Feng knew he was the one talked to, so he took out the large envelope which was on the pile of documents he was previously carrying and put it in front of her.
“Here. They didn’t go inside out since it was an order issued yesterday night but it should still have her background and her personal and criminal records.”
She was first met with the name 'Bai Shan' on the cardboard. Tearing it, inside, the first things to be seen were the multiple photos of a woman in different angles. A young woman of twenty-five with long hair. She had a fair skin and long black hair with dark eyes. Even though she couldn't be considered average, she was still far from being the most beautiful woman in the world. For Yin Zheng Zhen, this person didn't seem to possess anything extraordinary. But then again, Yin Zheng Zhen had never been a fair judge when her brother was concerned.
Calm and composed, the assistant didn't utter a sound as she went through the report. She was vaguely mumbling as she read,
“Orphaned... actress... No record on drugs...,” after a while she frowned, "it doesn't say where they met."
“… It's just about her, should I ask that team to investigate deeper?”
Yin Zheng Zhen tapped lightly on her desk, observing the smiling woman on the photo. To investigate or not?
"Not yet," she ended up saying, either way, meeting her first won't be bad, she could still order a more detailed investigation later.
"Yes," Liang Feng acknowledged expressionlessly. Yin Zheng Zhen suddenly lift an inquiring gaze at him when she saw that he had his eyes still lingering on the woman on the photo.
“Now that I think about it, it’s been some time since I last saw you with a woman. Are you dating someone now?”
The assistant kept his professionalism, and just reordered his framed glasses on his face though just the gesture suggested he was annoyed by the question and having being with him for so many years, Yin Zheng Zen knew so.
“No.”
“Really, when you started here I remember I could see them flocking around you.”
The man wasn't ugly and he certainly didn't lack the money, at the time, he didn't lack the arrogance either,
“....I learned a lot since then.”
Yin Zheng Zhen leaned on her desk and with a small smile asked,
“Is that so?”
Eyes narrowed, she reminded,
“Your father keep saying that I kidnap his son when it’s you who won’t go.”
“I still feel that there are many things I could learn.”
She didn't continue to argue, he was already a twenty-seven years old man, he should know his own mind, instead, she redirected the conversation to the woman on the photograph,
“You’re a man, tell me, this woman, is she beautiful?”
Without hesitating, he said,
“She is.”
“Would you bed her?”
His lips twitched at the crude question but he still answered,
“Depending on our compatibility why not?”
“…”
“…”
Yin Zheng Zhen looked at the small photo framed on her desk, it was a photo taken a couple of years back with both her grandfather and her little brother.
"Bai Shan," she once again tested the name on her tongue. “compatibility, huh, let’s see what kind of woman he brought us this time.”
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