Her mother’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her. “Xiao Yu, these poems are Mommy and Daddy’s treasured possessions. One day, this will be our gift to you when we’re gone. They’ll keep you safe for the rest of your life.”
“Why won’t Mommy and Daddy stay? What do you mean by the gift?” Qin Yu naively asked.
“One day, Mommy and Daddy will be gone and you’ll grow into a beautiful adult. If you need it, you can use the connections and wealth we’ve kept for you,” her mother said with a smile.
Qin Yu looked serious. “I don’t want Mommy and Daddy to go, I don’t want to grow up!”
Her mother kissed her on the cheek and didn’t say anything.
If only she could stop time, she wanted to spend the rest of her life in that moment.
Yet, the only constant was change. Perhaps her parents had a hunch.
That fateful day, Qin Yu, who was playing with Beany, was hurriedly carried back to the villa by the servants.
Her mother stuffed a candy into her mouth and made her swallow it. Then, she was hidden in the closet by her mother, who told her not to remain still and quiet no matter what happened.
Qin Yu thought it was a game devised by her mother. Hidden in the closet, Qin Yu could see what was on the other side of the closet door.
However, after eating the candy, her entire body froze. She could not speak nor move.
She watched helplessly as a group of people barged in and grabbed everybody, including her parents and servants, at home.
The person leading the pack sat on a chair with his back facing Qin Yu.
“Keirin? So that’s your code name, huh, Qin Sheng? How impressive! I never expected someone insignificant like you to hurt us at the end of the day!”
Qin Sheng calmly asked, “Forgive me for I don’t know what you’re saying, Second Master .”
The man continued, “Keep up your act. Your identity as an undercover police is uncovered. What else do you have to say? We trusted you all these years but you sold us out behind our back. That’s why business was bad, it was you, the traitor!”
Qin Sheng’s expression did not change. “Second Master, please speak only with evidence. You can’t just accuse me out of the blue. Let’s go and meet the Grandmaster, shall we? Follow the rules and justice shall prevail.”
The man sneered. “Justice? Rules? Qin Sheng, we have contacts in the police bureau and this game never stopped. You ought to have thought of the consequences when you began your journey, am I right? I don’t speak justice or rules with you!”
Zhu Yi struggled and wedged herself between Qin Sheng and the man. “Second Master, whose order did you receive? When did Qinhe Gang requires your presence to clean up our internal affairs? Whoever Qin Sheng is, pertains only to our internal affairs. Be it a traitor, or a spy, he should not fall under your jurisdiction. You’re overstepping your line here!”
The man sneered. “Zhu Yi, you’re wrong. The alliance formed by the Five Evils signifies that we always watch out for our allies. It might not have been a serious matter but a traitor deserves to be judged by everybody. You can’t let him go just because he’s your man.”
Zhu Yi said calmly, “That’s right, a traitor deserves public judgement. However, you can’t just blindly accuse anyone of betrayal, and why Qin Sheng instead? Where is your evidence? Are you perhaps leaning onto somebody else’s authority? I don’t think you want me to reveal your secrets.”
Zhu Yi was firm on her ground. Even though her arms were being twisted and clipped by these people, she was still calm and composed, emanating an aura of dominance.
The man flew into a rage out of humiliation. “Zhu Yi, know your place! What if you’re the lady heiress of Qinhe Gang? You won’t fare any better now that we know Qin Sheng is a spy. The Qinghe Gang will have to compensate our families for our losses!”
Zhu Yi spoke imposingly, “No problem, we’ll sort this out in front of Grandmaster!”
That person thought for a moment and softened his tone. “Shu Yi, we don’t have to make things awkward between us. Everything is on the table as long as you’re willing to cooperate. We’re, after all, allies, right?”
Zhu Yi wasn’t convinced. “You know me well, Second Master. I don’t care what your motive is, I demand a reasonable explanation for today! It’s not an outrageous demand, right? There are rules to cooperate, but never take Qin Sheng hostage!”