Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

I left Handy's residence and planned to go back to River Oak Park to confront Qiaoqi.For the first time since my mother's death, I was so turbulent, but my appearance was unusually calm.It can't be true.I don't want it to be true. If Qiao Qi was Jia Ling's father... I thought of our starvation and gritted teeth, and she asked me why she was not like when her classmates all had fathers.All I could do was show her a picture of my dad and say, "This is our dad," and how much he loved her, even though he lived in heaven.I think of her birthdays, the various holidays, when she was sick, all the things she wanted and couldn't get...

If Qiao Qi is Jia Ling's father, he doesn't owe me anything.But he owed Jia Ling more than heaven and earth. Before I could think it through, I realized I was pulling into the parking lot at 1800 Main Street.The guard asked to see my driver's license and I thought maybe I should tell him I was going the wrong way.But I finally let him see it, and drove into the residential area to park.I want to see Gage, though I don't know if he's home. My hands trembled when I pressed the elevator to the eighteenth floor. A small part was fear, but most of it was anger.I've heard that Mexican women are known for being hot tempered, but I've been pretty peaceful all my life.I don't like being angry, and I don't like the bitter adrenaline that comes with it.But right now, I'm about to explode.I want to throw something.

I strode up to Gage's door, knocking so hard my knuckles were bruised.When there was no response from inside, I simply raised my fist and punched hard, and almost fell in when the door opened inward. Patch stood there as calm and omnipotent as ever. "Lipper..." He raises the last syllable to express his doubts, and looks at my flushed face.He reached out and pulled me in, and I shook off his hand and strode across the threshold. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" I can't stand the tenderness in his voice, let alone my strong need, even at this time, I still want to throw myself into his arms.

"Don't pretend you care about me," I said, throwing the purse on the floor. "I can't believe you're doing something like this when I tell you everything!" Paqi's expression was calm, and his voice was not unhappy. "If you don't tell me, how will I know what's going on?" "You know exactly why I'm angry, you paid people to follow me. You've been spying on me and I don't understand why. I didn't do anything wrong to be treated like this—" "Can you calm down?" Men just don't understand. To calm down a woman who is angry is simply adding fuel to the flames.

"I don't want to be calm, I want to know why you do this!" "If you keep your word," Gage pointed out, "you don't have to worry about anyone watching you." "So you're admitting to having someone stalk me? Oh my god, that's really you, I can tell by your face. Damn you, I didn't have sex with him. You should have trusted me." "I've always believed in an old saying: "Trust but also verify. " "Maybe it works in business," I said in a murderous tone, "but not in relationships. I want you to stop now, and I will never be followed again. Tell him to go away!"

"well." I didn't expect him to agree so easily, I looked at him vigilantly. Paqi looked at me with a strange expression, and only then did I realize that I was trembling.The anger had flown, but the despair that made me want to gag filled my body.I have no idea how I got caught in a tug-of-war between two tyrannical men... and now I'm adding Qiao Qi.I'm so tired, so tired of everything, especially with so many unanswered questions.I didn't know where to go or what to do with myself. "Lipper," he began cautiously, "I know you didn't have sex with him, and I really trust you. God, I'm so sorry. When I want something so much, no, someone, I There's really no way to just sit by and wait, I can't let you go without a fight."

"Is it just a matter of winning or losing? Is this just a game for you?" "No, it's not a game. I want you, and I want something you might not be ready to hear right now. But what I want most right now is to hold you so you can stop shaking." His voice Hoarse with anxiety. "Lipper, let me hold you." I stood still, wondering if I could trust him, praying that I could think things through.Then I looked at him and saw the anxiety and need in his eyes. "Please," he said. When I stepped forward, he hugged me tightly and whispered softly: "Good girl." I buried my face on his shoulder and took a deep breath of the familiar smell.Feelings of slack welling up, I desperately want to squeeze in more, need as much of him as I can hold in my arms.

Patch finally let me lie down on the couch and kneaded my back and buttocks.Our legs are entangled, my head resting on his shoulder, and if the couch wasn't so hard, I'd think we'd be in heaven. "You need some cushions," my voice muffled. "I hate clutter." He shifted, looking down at me. "You have other troubles. Tell me, and I will solve it for you." "impossible." "Try my ability." I am eager to tell him about Qiao Qi and Jia Ling, but I still have to keep it a secret.I didn't want Gage to handle it for me, which he would have done had I told him.

This is between me and Qiaoqi. So I just shook my head, but I couldn't help but burrowed deeply into his arms.Gage stroked my hair and said, "Stay here tonight." I felt fragile and fragile, with wounds all over my body.My neck rests on his arms, and I long to feel his hard muscles, the protection of his warm body. "Okay," I whispered. Paqi looked at me intently, holding my side face with infinite tenderness in his palm.He kissed the tip of my nose lightly. "I have to leave you early in the morning. I have to go to Dallas for a meeting and then rush to the Research Triangle" Out of the research park, hundreds of high-tech research companies are concentrated here.)

"where is that?" He smiled and drew lazily on my face with his fingers. "North Carolina. I'll be away for a few days before I get back." He looked at me like he was asking me something, but he didn't.With one smooth movement, he pulled me to my feet. "Come on, you need to go to bed." I followed him to the bedroom, which was dark except for the painting of the ocean illuminated by a single lamp.Embarrassed, I undressed, put on the white T-shirt Gage handed me, and gratefully slipped into the fine-quality sheets.The lights go out and I feel Gage's weight sinking the mattress.I turned around and got into his arms, stretching my legs to hook him.

The body is so tight, I can't help noticing his firmness against my leg. "Leave it alone," Gage said. Although physically and mentally exhausted, I couldn't help smiling.My lips brushed against his throat secretly, and the warm manly scent on his body was already enough to make my pulse beat wildly in a sensational moment.I brush my toes lightly over the slightly rough surface of his hairy skin. "It seems a pity to waste so much." "You're exhausted." "Quick battle and quick decision." "I never make quick decisions." "I don't mind." I scrambled onto him with fervent determination, my breath coming short of breath as I felt the strength of his body stretching. There was a chuckle in the dark, and Gage pinned me down with one smooth movement. "Don't move," he whispered, "let me take care of you." I was obedient, only shivering when he pulled the hem of the T-shirt off.The gentle heat in his mouth covered my erect nipples, and I made a pleading sound and went forward. He wanted a big cat to step up, and his half-opened mouth traveled across my chest, gently biting the collarbone that opened like wings, looking for my frantic carotid artery, and pacified it with his tongue.And then it goes down, to my taut midriff: every lazy probing kiss burns into flames, down makes a lot of unspeakable pleasure, makes me writhe, as passion surges and shatters around me When, he held me tightly. I woke up alone wrapped in sheets that smelled of sex and skin.I crawled further into the bed and watched the dawn climb through the window.Spending a night with Gage stabilized me and gave me the strength to deal with the difficult problems ahead.I slept next to him all night, not hiding but accepting shelter.I've always managed to find strength in myself, and now that I can draw strength from others, it's actually another inspiration for me. I got out of bed, walked past the empty apartment into the kitchen, picked up the phone and called back to the Choi mansion. Jia Ling picked up the receiver when the phone rang the second time. "Hey?" "Honey, it's me. I'm spending the night at Gage's, sorry I didn't tell you first because I figured it out late." "Oh, never mind," my sister said. "Grandma Kaiqian made popcorn, and then she watched an old movie with singing and dancing with me and Qiao Qi. It was so funny." "Are you ready for school?" "Get ready, the driver said he was going to take me there in a Bentley." Hearing her indifferent tone, I shook my head helplessly. "You look like a River Oaks girl already." "I have to hurry to breakfast, my grains are softening." "Okay. Jialing, tell Qiao Qi for me that I'll be back in half an hour. I have something very important to talk to him about, is that okay?" "why?" "My lord's business. I love you." "I love you too, bye!" Qiao Qi was waiting for me near the fireplace in the living room, so familiar, yet so strange.He's the man I've known and relied on the most in my life, in short, the closest thing to a father figure in my life. I love him. He has to tell some secrets, or I'll kill him. "Morning," his gaze searched like a searchlight. "Morning, how are you?" "OK. How about you?" "I don't know," I said honestly. "I'm a little nervous, a little angry, and a lot of confused." Facing Qiao Qi, you don't have to use the trick of going forward.As long as he has something to say, he can handle anything.Knowing this made it easy for me to go straight to him and reveal my problem. "You know my mother," I said. The fire crackled with a gust of wind. Qiao Qi's answer has amazing self-control. "I love your mother." He gave me a moment to fully absorb the message before nodding decisively. "Lipper, help me to sit on the sofa, the wheelchair seat is very uncomfortable." Moving from the wheelchair to the couch requires balance, not force, so I can do well and we both use the time to gather our thoughts.I grabbed an armchair and pulled it over, lifted his cast-covered leg onto it, and tucked a few small padded pillows between his body and the armrest.When he sat comfortably, I sat down next to him and put my arms around my waist. Qiao Qi took out his wallet from his shirt pocket, searched for it and handed me a black and white photo with fuzzy edges.It was my mother when she was very young, beautiful as a movie star, with her writing on the back: "To my dear bridge. Love, Dinah." "Her father, that is, your grandfather, is an employee of my company," Qiao Qi said, and he took the photo back, holding it gently in his palm as if it were a religious relic. "When I met Dinah at the company picnic, my wife had passed away and Gage was still very young. He needed a mother and I needed a wife. From the beginning, she seemed to be the wrong person, too young, too beautiful, too young. Enthusiasm. But I don't care about any of that." He shook his head, his voice hoarse, a little dazed by the memory. "My God, I love that woman." I stared at him with wide eyes, unable to believe that Qiaoqi was opening a window for me to get to know my mother.That was something she never mentioned. "I mobilized everything I had and pursued it intensely," Qiao Qi said. "I used whatever I thought would appeal to her." I told Dinah quickly that I wanted to marry her.She was immediately surrounded by a lot of pressure, especially her family.They were middle-class, and they knew very well that if Dinah married me, everyone around them would get a lot of benefits. ’ he added, boldly: ‘I made that very clear to Dinah, too. " I try to imagine a young Qiao Qi, pursuing a woman by any means. "My God, what a horrible circus." "I played both soft and hard ways, using both high-pressure methods and money bribes, and then sweet words to coax her to love me, and finally I managed to get her engaged to me." He chuckled, but it sounded rather cute. "As long as you give me time, anyone will be influenced by me." "Does my mom really love you, or is it just acting?" I don't mean to hurt, but I have to know. Qiao Qi is Qiao Qi, and he will not misunderstand. "There were moments when I believed she loved me. But, in the end, that love wasn't enough." "What happened? Is it Gage? She doesn't want to be a mother so soon?" "No, those are irrelevant. She still seems to like him, and I promise to hire a nanny and housekeeper, any help she needs." "Otherwise what? I can't imagine why she... ah!." My father was the offending branch. Immediately, I began to sympathize with Qi Qiao, and felt immense pride in my father, whom I barely knew, for having managed to snatch my mother away from someone much older and much richer and more powerful than he was. "That's right," Qiao Qi seemed to have the ability to read my mind. "Your father is the complete opposite of me, young and handsome, the man my daughter Haifen would say "disenfranchised" when she sees it." "Still a Mexican." Qiao Qi nodded. "That's what pissed off your grandpa the most. In those days, a brown-white marriage was still considered unappreciative." "You're putting it mildly," I know it's degrading to be relegated. "However, from what I know of my mother, perhaps it's this Romeo and Juliet taboo that appeals to her the most." "She is romantic by nature," Qiao Qi agreed, carefully putting the photo back in her wallet. "But she really has a lot of enthusiasm for your dad. Your grandfather warned her that if she followed him, she wouldn't have to go back. She knew very well that the family would never forgive her." "Just because she fell in love with the poor?" I asked angrily. "It's true that her family is wrong," Qiaoqi admitted. "But the environment is tough for everyone." "It's not an excuse." "Dinah came to see me the night she eloped to get married. Your father was waiting for her in the car and she came to say good-bye and give me back the wedding ring. I wouldn't take it and asked her to sell it and buy a wedding present. Then I begged her to come to me if she had any difficulties." I know all too well what a big heart it takes to say something like that, especially from someone as proud as he is. "When my father died," I said, "you were married to Eva." "That's right." I calmed down and searched in my memory.Poor mother, struggling independently among many difficulties.She could neither turn to her family nor have anyone to help her.But she occasionally disappears for a day or two, and then there will be something in the refrigerator, and the creditor will stop calling for a while... "She came for you," I said. "Even though you're married. You give her money, you've been helping her for years." Qiao Qi didn't need to say anything, I saw the truth in his eyes. I cocked my shoulders and forced myself to ask the most important questions. "Is Jia Ling your child?" His face flushed immediately, and he glared at me angrily. "You think I'd be that irresponsible? Let her grow up in that horrible trailer camp? No, she's definitely not my child. Dinah and I never had that kind of relationship." "Come on, Qiao Qi, I'm not an idiot either." "Your mother never slept with me, do you think I would do that to Arva?" "Sorry, but I don't believe it. Especially since she took your money." "Honey, I don't care what you believe," he said quietly. "It's not that I don't want to, but I haven't cheated physically. This is the least respect I should have for Ai Hua. It's okay if you want me to do a DNA test." This statement made me believe him. "Well, I'm sorry, I apologize. I just... have a hard time accepting that my mother has been taking money from you all these years. She is so emphatic about not accepting handouts, and how I should grow up to be self-reliant. Turns out she is the biggest hypocrisy." "She just hopes that her child can do her best, and she does her best. I want to give her more, but she refuses." Qiao Qi sighed, as if suddenly exhausted physically and mentally. "But the year before she died, I didn't see her." "She's dating a shitty guy and has been entangled." "Chalouis." "She told you?" Qiao Qi shook his head. "I've seen the investigation report on the car accident." I watched him, studied him, and thought of his love for ostentation. "You're watching the funeral from a distance in the black limousine," I said, "and I've never been able to guess who it was. And the yellow roses...the flowers that have been sent over the years." He didn't speak, and I gradually pieced the picture together. "Sales on coffins," I said slowly. "That's you, you paid the money, but let the undertaker say that to me." "That was the last thing I could do for Dinah," he said. "The other thing is, keep an eye on your daughter for her." "How to pay attention?" I began to doubt. Qiao Qi shut his mouth.But, I know him all too well.One of my projects here is to help organize inquiries from all over the place.He pays close attention to business, political issues, and personnel affairs in various places. He often sends envelopes in brown paper bags with nothing written on them. "Aren't you spying on me too?" I asked, thinking: My God, these men from the Cui family have made me paranoid. He shrugged slightly. "I won't use that kind of statement, I just check your situation occasionally." "I know you too well, Qiao Qi, you don't check occasionally, you will disrupt the situation. You..." I suddenly took a deep breath. "The scholarship I got from cosmetology school...that's your hand, isn't it?" "I want to help you." I jumped up from the couch. "I don't want any help! I can do just fine on my own. Damn it, Qiao Qi! You were Mommy's sweetheart daddy, and then you volunteered to take me under the banner, but I didn't even have the chance to say no. You know, it makes Do I think what a big fool I am?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "All your achievements are still achieved by your hard work with your hands. It has little to do with what I did for you. There is almost nothing." "You shouldn't interfere at all. Qiao Qi, I swear you have to get back every penny you spent on me, or I won't talk to you." "That's fair. I'll deduct the scholarship from your salary. But not the money for the coffin. That's what I did for Dinah. It's none of your business. Sit down, I have something to tell you." "Fine." I sat down, my head was buzzing anyway. "Does Gage know?" Qiao Qi nodded. "He followed me one time when I was driving to meet your mother at the St. Regis." "You met her at the hotel, and you never—" His displeasure made me stop. "Okay, okay, I believe you." "Gage saw us having lunch," Bridge continued, "and later he confronted me. Even though I swore I'd never cheated on Aihua, he was still very angry. But because he didn't want to make Aihua sad, he promised to keep it secret. .” I think about the day I moved in. "Gage recognized my mother from the picture of my room," I said. "Yes, we talked about it." "I believe." I watched the fire. "How did you start going to One Salon?" "I want to meet you. I am very proud of your decision to stay with Carina and raise her on your own no matter how hard you work. You are Dinah's daughters, and that is enough to make me fall in love with you, but after meeting you, I love you for yourself." Tears made me unable to see him clearly. "I love you too, though you're such a nosy old man." Qiao Qi stretched out his arm, asking me to get closer.I lean into the reassuring father scent of beard, leather and shirting. "My mother can't forget my dad," I said absently, "and you can't forget her." I sat back and looked at him. "I used to think that "finding" the right person was important, but in fact the focus was on "choosing"...know how to make a real choice, and then put your whole heart on it." "Easier said than done." I don't think it is difficult, at least I have suddenly realized. "I need to see Gage," I said. "When did he not go on business, he chose the most terrible time." Qiao Qi frowned. "Son, Gage didn't mention the reason for this impromptu business trip to you?" His tone made me wary. "He said he had to go to Dallas and the Research Triangle, but didn't say why." "If I tell you, he will be angry," Qiao Qi said. "But I think you should know that there was a problem at the last minute with the Medina refinery agreement." "My God, no way," I asked concerned, knowing how important this was to Gage's company. "What happened?" "There was a security breach in the negotiation process. No outsiders should know about this. In fact, everyone at the negotiating table signed a non-disclosure agreement. But your friend Conhandy somehow found out, and he went to the upstream oil supply in Medina Victory Petroleum, and now they're putting pressure on Medina to back out of the whole plan." The air in the lungs was sucked out in an instant. "Oh my God, it's me," I paralyzed, "I told Handy about their agreement, I didn't know it was highly classified. I didn't think he would use me like this. I have to find Gage and tell him It was my fault, I didn't mean to—" "He already guessed, boy." "Gage knows I'm the leaker? But—" I'm cold with panic.He knew it last night, but he didn't say anything.I started to queasy, and raised my hands to cover my face, and the sound came from between stiff fingers. "What should I do? How can I make amends?" "Gage is doing his best to clean up the aftermath," Bridge said. "He's going to Medina this morning to put out the fire, and then he's going to study the company in the Triangle and convene the research and development team to deal with the follow-up issues of biofuels. Don't worry, kid, everything will be resolved." "I have to do something, I...will you help me?" "No problem," he replied immediately. "You try to avoid it."