"Erm… Mr. Zhuo, this…" Tang Lingyun stuttered.
"Daohu, secure the gifts. Remind me to put them up for a charity auction." Zhuo Jingren interrupted Tang Lingyun before he turned towards Lily. "See? Don't be mad anymore alright?"
At Zhuo Jingren's command, Daohu took the jewelry away from the husband and wife and stood behind Zhuo Jingren and Lily obediently.
"Mr. Zhuo… there seems to be a misunderstanding here… when did we say that opal brings bad luck. Jinghua, how could you put words into our mouths?" Though Tang Lingyun was flustered, it didn't stop her mind from scheming against Lily.
"Are you saying that I am a liar?" Lily asked.
"Jinghua… didn't we accept your gifts happily and thanked you for them? We were even concerned that you might not have found a job here and invited you to work for the company..."Tang Lingyun's eyes had reddened and her head hung low. Since Zhuo Jingren was not around earlier, Tang Lingyun could always rebut Lily's words and spin a different story that would put them in a better light. After all, it would be the words of two against one as Qin Mo would surely back Tang Lingyun up and not Qin Jinghua, his own daughter.
"Mr. Zhuo, I am truly sorry for this misunderstanding on our very first meeting. I apologize for my daughter's manners. I have not raised her well. I just want to make it clear that we never berated Jinghua or called her malicious. She misunderstood our words. Please forgive us." Tang Lingyun's words might have sounded regretful but anyone could tell that she was indirectly putting the blame on Lily in her 'apology'. She was accusing Lily of bending their words which created this misunderstanding.
Tang Lingyun then rose from her seat and gave Zhuo Jingren a low bow. She thought that her humility would placate Zhuo Jingren. Instead of acknowledging Tang Lingyun, Zhuo Jingren only looked at Qin Mo and said, "My wife is not malicious. Make sure that this does not happen again next time or else...your company will suffer with your family."
Qin Mo instantly paled at his words before he awkwardly eyed his wife who was still maintaining a low bow. Since Zhuo Jingren hadn't acknowledged Tang Lingyun or accepted her 'apology', she hadn't straightened up from her bow. Wouldn't it be too awkward for her to lift up her head now? It would be too embarrassing!
"Mr. Zhuo, please do not misunderstand. Qin Jinghua had been living abroad for years and only got back recently. After being apart from each other for years, it's only naturally we have grown apart a little. But I would never call my own daughter malicious. The truth is, we actually loved your gifts. Before you arrived, the atmosphere was very harmonious. The waiters could attest to that." Qin Mo decided to back up his wife's story. Just like Tang Lingyun, Qin Mo also thought that no one could corroborate Lily's story.
After all, the private room they were in was sound proof and he was sure that no one was present in the room when he berated her. Moreover, even when the attendant came in to serve their food earlier, he had kept quiet and only continued their conversation when the attendant left.
"Are you saying that my wife is lying?" The coldness in Zhuo Jingren's voice sent some chills down Qin Mo and Tang Lingyun's spine.
"I am saying that it was all a misunderstanding," Qin Mo answered bravely, with confidence in his tone. Though, Zhuo Jingren's presence intimidated him, he would not cower in fear in front of him.
"I hope you could put this unhappy matter behind us. Please forgive my daughter for kicking up a fuss, she is still young. As her father, I thought that I should let you know that my daughter has insecurities and she craves love and attention. Sometimes she would disrespect us just to gain our attention. When she ran away from us seven years ago, we were devastated. We didn't expect her to take things so far. But it's all in the past now that she's back. Please have a big heart and be patient with my daughter." Qin Mo really sounded like a concerned father.
After listening to all that her father and Tang Lingyun had said, Lily really wanted to laugh out loud. Really? Did these people think that they could just slander her and that she would not fight back? She was not the same woman as she was seven years ago. Without a warning, tears immediately flowed down Lily's cheeks, her face full of sorrow. Her sobs, instantly gained the attention of both Qin Mo and Tang Lingyun.
At some point while Qin Mo was explaining things over to Zhuo Jingren, Tang Lingyun straightened her back and stood at the side awkwardly while listening in.
Both of them wondered why Lily would suddenly cry.
"Jingren… I feel so wronged. I told you that I didn't want to see them, but you insisted on meeting them." Lily dramatically wiped her tears with Zhuo Jingren's handkerchief. "See? This was why I asked you to buy me a voice recorder earlier. So that I could record our conversations and prove to you that what I said were all true."
Qin Mo's eyes almost jumped out of its socket when he saw Lily fetching a small rectangular device from her bag. Voice recorder?
Lily immediately played the recorder and the recording started from the moment that Lily gave them the jewelry. If Qin Mo's guess was right, then Qin Jinghua must have turned the recorder on when she took the gifts out from her bag. His face immediately turned into a scowl when he heard himself on the recorder berating Lily. Qin Mo worriedly looked at Zhuo Jingren and noticed that his face seemed to have turned even darker.
Tang Lingyun's face ashened when she heard the contents of the recorder. It was as if her soul had plunged deep into the cold abyss. She was the one who came up with the idea to lie and spin a story in favor of them. Now that the truth is out, she could not imagine how Zhuo Jingren would react towards their treachery.
"So this was what happened…" Zhuo Jingren gave a cold laugh.
"Mr and Mrs Qin, today is an eye opener for me.Even after knowing that it was the Qin family who had abandoned Jinghua years ago, I thought that we should put the past behind us and I even convinced Lily to reconcile back with you all. We bought gifts to show our sincerity but not only were there no word of thanks, you berated my wife." Zhuo Jingren clenched his jaws. He rose imposingly from his seat and looked coldly at Qin Mo and Tang Lingyun who were already cowering in their seats.
"My lawyer will visit your office tomorrow. I want my wife to be removed from your family registry. She is now a Zhuo not a Qin." Then without another word, Zhuo Jingren lifted Lily up from her seat and carried her in his arms, walking towards the door.
At the door, Zhuo Jingren did not forget to leave behind some threatening words, "This is not a request. Refuse and your company will go down with you."
In the comfort of Zhuo Jingren's arms, Lily flashed Qin Mo and Tang Lingyun a provoking smile. The first step of her plan to cut all ties with the Qin family was now complete. It was time to move on to the second step of her plan.
Conquer Qin Industries.
Editor: Swaning
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