The Person I Love Who Has Been Missing For Three Years - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Today’s Matter is Not Over; There Will Be a Future…

The bar was not located in a busy area. It was quietly tucked away. After turning off the pedestrian street and navigating two small alleys, the ancient-style sign and door frame appeared.

“The bar usually only opens in the evening, but because the owner has recently become famous online, they opened an afternoon session,” Zhou Xintong explained, leading the way.

Her familiar manner piqued Song Xiangwan’s curiosity: “Do you know the owner?”

“Of course… she was my college roommate,” Zhou Xintong said with pride.

However, they were stopped at the door. The waiter was polite, lowering his stance, and quietly explained: “Customers, I apologize, but due to the large flow of people these past few days, everything is reservation-only now. The afternoon reservations are full. If you do not have a reservation, I am sorry, but you cannot enter…”

Fortunately, Zhou Xintong didn’t completely lose face. She managed to call the owner and was allowed into the bar. They were seated at the spot closest to the performance area.

But the owner was preparing for the performance and didn’t come out to greet them.

In the past, Song Xiangwan was a frequent visitor to bars, but this was her first time at an ancient-style one. She looked around, her eyes full of interest.

Warm yellow glass lamps hung beneath the carved beams. The light filtered through thin, silken gauze, spreading scattered patterns on the blue brick floor.

The entire wall was painted with distant mountains in ink wash and diagonal-flying returning geese. The partitions were made of hollowed-out rosewood, carved with intertwining lotus patterns, allowing faint glimpses of the adjacent seats.

Strings of dried flowers and lanterns hung from the columns. Deep purple forget-me-nots and vermilion palace lanterns created an intriguing contrast. A faint scent of alcohol drifted in the air, creating a rich classical ambiance.

At this moment, it wasn’t yet time for the afternoon performance, but guests were already sitting down in small groups.

In the center of the performance area was a red cowhide drum, over a meter in diameter, adorned with golden copper nails, with a circle of red gauze attached to the edges.

The breeze passed through, causing the red gauze to sway slightly. Combined with the faint scent of alcohol and the soothing instrumental music playing, the atmosphere was already highly evocative.

The person on stage wore a golden osmanthus-embroidered bodice (dudou), with a pale silk shawl gently slipping off, revealing exquisite shoulders and neck. She twirled a round fan in her hand, covering half her face, then gently lowered it, revealing a pair of delicate eyes that seemed to speak, filled with a charming smile.

The person under the spotlight walked to the edge of the drum. With a light roll, she landed on the drum surface. Her neck pressed down, and the shawl she held in her teeth fell, vaguely obscuring her figure.

She was incredibly beautiful. Song Xiangwan watched with bright eyes, already planning whether to buy a drum for her home.

The dance studio was large enough… there were many more games they hadn’t played yet…

Zhou Xintong and the younger girls watched with intense enthusiasm, but Lu Peiling felt a little uneasy. She turned to Song Xiangwan and asked, “You young people like this?”

“I like it,” Song Xiangwan said, taking out her phone to record a section.

This seemed to be a new dance, one she hadn’t seen before. She wanted to record a tutorial to learn later.

After recording, she hesitated, then reluctantly pressed delete. Better not. She would be found out.

The person on the drum had come down and was walking around the tables, interacting with the guests to the rhythm of the music.

A slender, pale hand held an exquisite small wine pot. The other hand picked up a small cup from the table, poured a drink, and held it to the guest’s lips. Her smile was radiant, and her eyes were close.

The female guest was already blushing profusely. She drank the cup of wine from the dancer’s hand.

The dancer spun lightly in front of the guest. The shawl brushed gently across the guest’s face, making the girl blush even more.

Seeing that she was about to reach their table, Zhou Xintong quickly waved to Song Xiangwan: “Here, here, here! Sister Wan, the interaction spot is here.”

“Ahem…” Song Xiangwan pursed her lips and said, “Forget it. I don’t want it. You guys go ahead.”

“CEO Ming has strict house rules, huh?” Lu Peiling leaned closer, whispering in Song Xiangwan’s ear, her tone slightly teasing and playful.

“Teacher Lu, even you…” Song Xiangwan looked at Lu Peiling warily. She must have spent too much time with these young people. A good teacher had been corrupted.

Lu Peiling likely inferred the relationship between Song Xiangwan and Ming Jin from the recent public opinion and the insider information she knew.

But this time, Song Xiangwan wouldn’t be provoked by that comment.

She still had a good memory and knew her limits.

If she was just found at the bar, she could charm her way out.

But if she dared to do this… if she were discovered, she would surely be punished severely…

Seeing the dancer approach, Song Xiangwan even shrank back, pretending to be a quail.

Zhou Xintong happily went to meet her. Since they were already familiar, she wasn’t embarrassed at all. She grabbed the dancer’s shawl, almost starting an impromptu duet.

The cup of wine was naturally fed to Zhou Xintong, who, usually a well-behaved girl, was laughing like an infatuated emperor.

Song Xiangwan thought it was over, but unexpectedly, it wasn’t. After feeding the wine, the dancer smiled and moved past the crowd, heading straight for Song Xiangwan.

Song Xiangwan instantly tensed up, subtly leaning back.

The dancer poured a cup of wine and handed it over, but without the closeness she had shown before. She offered it formally, holding it near Song Xiangwan’s hand.

“Teacher Song, I’m your fan. You must drink this cup of wine.” She didn’t press further. With a swift turn to the music, she left.

It seemed that when they were stopped at the door earlier, Zhou Xintong had called her and mentioned the identity of her companions.

A lingering scent of the Talauma flower remained in the air, along with a faint aroma of wine.

The drink was a very light fruit wine, smooth and sweet as it slid down her throat.

“She’s truly beautiful.” Zhou Xintong looked at the first-person video she had just recorded. “Question the tyrant, understand the tyrant, become the tyrant, surpass the tyrant…”

“What are you mumbling about?” Lu Peiling couldn’t help but laugh at her.

“I brought you guys to a good spot, didn’t I?” Zhou Xintong giggled, pouring wine for everyone at the table. “Isn’t this more fun than playing video games?”

“Definitely.”

“Absolutely.”

Shen Yi and Zhao Qingxue quickly agreed.

Song Xiangwan: “…”

When the performance ended, Zhou Xintong borrowed dice from the bar. In terms of gambling skills, everyone at the table was surprisingly no match for Zhou Xintong.

This young girl seemed to have been around for a while and was also good at creating atmosphere. Even Lu Peiling was roped into the game.

Song Xiangwan was no exception. She lost a few rounds and drank a few cups.

She was competitive. Seeing that Zhao Qingxue hadn’t lost a single round, she got interested: “Xiao Xue, let’s play a round…”

“Mhm…” Song Xiangwan only felt a slight weight on her arm. She was pulled back to her seat. Turning back, the smile on her face instantly froze.

She pursed her lips and called out obediently: “Ah Jin~”

“CEO Ming.” Lu Peiling recognized her and stood up to greet her.

The younger ones didn’t recognize her. They watched, dumbfounded, as Song Xiangwan walked out with her head bowed, well-behaved and cautious, like a docile cat.

Zhou Xintong nudged Shen Yi with her elbow, whispering: “Roommate’s sister?”

Shen Yi: “Sister Wan can be this obedient?”

They had all been backstage at Dancing Convention. They had seen Sister Wan’s fearless attitude, ready to fight anyone, multiple times.

This seemed like a fake Song Xiangwan.

Such a coincidence?

An encounter again?

How is that possible?

Is it because of some bad luck today?

She couldn’t figure out how Ming Jin could always catch her.

It was as if Ming Jin had a pair of eyes on her.

Song Xiangwan decided to prioritize being good first. She obediently crouched down, reaching out to touch Ming Jin’s waist, smiling sweetly: “Why did you come here now? Are you tired from a whole morning of meetings? Does your waist hurt from sitting so long?”

Ming Jin didn’t stop her, allowing the cat to rub her waist coaxingly. She didn’t speak, but her nose caught the scent of alcohol on Song Xiangwan.

She had looked up this bar on the way.

The bar owner only interacted with girls, but the interaction was quite intimate—the way she offered the drink was seductive and close.

“Did you drink?” Ming Jin’s tone deepened slightly.

Song Xiangwan hadn’t realized the impending danger. She just looked at Ming Jin eagerly and said, “I only had a few cups. I drank a little when I lost the game.”

“You know I can hold my liquor well.”

“I can drink a thousand cups. What I drank today is nothing to me.”

“The wine the owner gave you, did you drink that too?” Ming Jin asked.

How did she know that too… Song Xiangwan paused her movements and whispered, “I drank it. Just a tiny cup.”

“Let’s go home.” Ming Jin reached out and dropped her hand.

Ignoring Song Xiangwan, she waved her hand. The assistant, who was waiting at the alley entrance, jogged over and pushed the wheelchair toward the parking spot.

Oh no, oh no. I only had two cups of wine. What’s wrong?

In the past, Ming Jin often came to bars to catch her, controlling her so she wouldn’t drink too much and get a stomachache.

This time, she really hadn’t drunk much…

Song Xiangwan trotted along, catching up to the car, carefully assessing Ming Jin’s expression.

She leaned in, trying to rub against her, but was stopped by Ming Jin’s knuckles pressed against her forehead: “Sit properly.”

Ming Jin was terribly serious, but Song Xiangwan still had the courage to charm her: “Ah Jin~ It really was just a small cup. She offered it to me, so I drank it.”

“She said she was my fan. I couldn’t just reject her directly, could I?”

“But I only had a small cup, really. It’s nothing…”

She tried to argue further, but she saw Ming Jin’s lips suddenly lose color, and her eyes looked over with a slight, ominous darkness.

“What’s wrong? Are you having heart discomfort? Where’s your medicine? Do you have your medicine with you?” Song Xiangwan didn’t care if she would be pushed away. She was terribly anxious.

After the surgery, Ming Jin’s heart condition had been well-controlled, and her overall health had slowly improved. This was the first time it had worsened so abruptly.

Ming Jin didn’t answer about the medicine, but a dark surge churned in her eyes: “She handed it to you, and you drank it?”

How was it offered? Those videos she saw online… did some almost involve their mouths touching?

She felt her emotions were uncontrollable. Her clenched fingers pressed a painful sensation into her palm.

This is nothing?

Did Song Xiangwan just dismiss it so lightly?

Even the blind date didn’t make Ming Jin’s heart tighten more than this situation. She knew Song Xiangwan didn’t like men, but this bar owner…

“I was wrong, I was wrong. I really won’t do it next time. Where is the medicine? Please don’t scare me!” Song Xiangwan was terribly worried.

She finally fumbled, finding a small bottle in Ming Jin’s pocket. She took out a pill, intending to feed it to her, but Ming Jin reached out and pressed it away.

Ming Jin’s breathing was now rapid. She was almost unable to speak. That feeling of near-death, as if her heart was suddenly being squeezed, hadn’t happened in a long time.

Perhaps the emotional fluctuation was genuinely severe this time.

It might be because there had been too many recent events, and Song Xiangwan was the kind of person who didn’t learn her lesson.

A soft pressure was on her lips, carrying a slight scent of wine. The tip of her tongue parted Ming Jin’s lips, pushing the bitter-tasting pill into her mouth.

Song Xiangwan held Ming Jin tightly, panicking endlessly. She spoke directly to the driver: “Go to the hospital, Haicheng Hospital. Now, immediately, drive quickly.”

“No need.” A faint voice emerged from her embrace. Ming Jin’s voice was weak but unquestionable: “Go home.”

“Ah Jin…” Song Xiangwan pleaded softly. “Can we go to the hospital, please? I’m scared, I’m so scared…”

As Song Xiangwan spoke, tears streamed down uncontrollably.

Even though Ming Jin’s condition had been stabilized by the medicine, the fear in her heart was endless.

Having nearly lost Ming Jin before, she was terrified now.

“Sit back, fasten your seatbelt.” Ming Jin gently pushed her away, then turned her head to look out the window, leaving only her back to Song Xiangwan.

However, they didn’t successfully go home.

Just as they reached the street where the Ming house was located, and could even see the house in the distance, Ming Jin’s phone rang.

“Mhm, okay, I understand. I’m coming now.”

“About…” She glanced at the time. “Forty minutes.”

After hanging up, she immediately said, “Turn around. Go to the Airport Business Tower in the new district.”

“What’s wrong?” Song Xiangwan was full of worry. “You just had an episode… go back and rest now…”

“I’m fine. Ah Yan has some situation. I need to go see. I’ll drop you off ahead…” Ming Jin said.

“No, I’m coming with you.” Song Xiangwan immediately reached out and grabbed Ming Jin’s arm, her attitude firm.

She absolutely wouldn’t trust Ming Jin to go alone in this condition.

“I know you’re angry with me. Can we put that aside for now? Just let me stay with you. I truly can’t be at ease. I’m scared, Ah Jin…” The little cat’s voice was pleading. She held on tightly, showing that she wouldn’t let go no matter what.

The worry in her eyes, the glistening tears, and her determination… Ming Jin sighed softly, and her eyes softened: “Okay.”

An hour’s drive to be covered in forty minutes. The car drove almost at the edge of speeding, rushing along the road.

Following Ming Jin, Song Xiangwan was always told to drive slowly and carefully. She had never seen such a fast speed.

But they still stopped when they entered the new district. The navigation showed a five-kilometer traffic jam ahead due to an accident, with an estimated passage time of twenty minutes.

“CEO Ming, I know a path that should bypass it,” the driver said at this moment. “But it involves taking small country roads…”

“Go. As fast as possible.” Ming Jin immediately made the decision.

The car turned off the main road at the next intersection, entered an alley, and then, after several turns, entered a small path in the countryside.

The new district was a high-tech area, but its development was not yet complete in the past two years. Many areas still belonged to the city outskirts, with farmland and villages.

Bumps were inevitable on such roads.

Ming Jin kept urging the driver to go faster. The entire car felt like a ship sailing on waves, bouncing so hard that people felt like throwing up their dinner from the previous night.

Song Xiangwan felt dizzy and sick. She was even more worried about Ming Jin’s condition and reached out to hold Ming Jin’s hand tightly.

It felt predictably cold and damp.

“Slow… slow down…” Song Xiangwan finally spoke.

She whispered, “Ah Jin, Ah Jin…”

“I’m fine.” Ming Jin opened her eyes. The color on her lips was pale, but her tone was calm and soothing. “Go faster. Ah Yan is still crying.”

“What exactly happened?” Song Xiangwan couldn’t help but frown. Xu Zhiyan was crying?

Wasn’t the Haicheng Economic Summit being held now? Xu Zhiyan was a participant. Did something happen?

They finally reached the destination again. Song Xiangwan got out of the car and immediately collapsed, squatting next to a tree, vomiting until she was completely dizzy.

She had already had a bit of wine, and now the vomiting made her stomach cramp painfully.

“Wanwan…” Ming Jin was startled and quickly came over to rub her back, offering her a water cup.

Song Xiangwan turned her head and shook it. She took a deep breath: “I’m fine. I’ll rest for a bit. You hurry up and find Ah Yan.”

Ming Jin left the driver behind and hurried off with her assistant.

Song Xiangwan squatted on the ground, retching for a while, and then rested. She had squatted for too long, and her legs were numb. When she stood up suddenly, her vision instantly blacked out.

Fortunately, she was next to the tree and grabbed it, managing to catch her breath.

“Miss Song…” The driver quickly came over to support her.

“I’m fine. I’ll sit for a bit.” Song Xiangwan got into the car, leaving the door open. She lay down across the seat and closed her eyes, recovering from the sharp stomach pain.

She clenched her jaw, not making a sound. She came here to take care of someone, but she almost caused trouble instead.

After lying down for a while, she groggily opened her eyes to check the time on her phone. Half an hour had passed, and there was still no news.

The pain wasn’t so intense anymore. She turned over, intending to sit up, but at that moment, she saw a flashing red light under the seat.

What is that…

Her mind was also slow.

She had little strength in her limbs. She propped herself up and looked closely but couldn’t make out what it was. It looked like a small black electronic device.

She reached out, intending to take it off and examine it, when she heard footsteps outside.

Xu Zhiyan got into the car, closing the door with a thud. Her eyes were red, clearly having just cried.

As soon as she sat down, tears began to stream down her chin again, like broken strings of pearls, completely uncontrollable.

Song Xiangwan ignored the object under the seat and offered a tissue, wiping Xu Zhiyan’s tears, frowning: “Who bullied you?”

Her tone was hostile, laced with anger.

Xu Zhiyan was now included in her family circle. Seeing her so bullied naturally made Song Xiangwan angry.

Xu Zhiyan just shook her head, wiping her tears with a tissue, but the tears seemed endless, constantly flowing.

“Tell me who bullied you, and I’ll go get justice for you right now.” Song Xiangwan was furious.

She wasn’t one to suffer in silence.

No matter who it was, even Mayor Zheng, she would dare to point a finger and curse them back.

“Sister-in-law…” Xu Zhiyan lunged forward, hugging Song Xiangwan’s waist, unable to control herself. She sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for breath.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here. Sister-in-law is here. Sister is here. We’ll stand up for you.” Song Xiangwan gently patted Xu Zhiyan’s back, her heart softening.

On the other side, Ming Jin also got into the car, sighing softly, and lightly patted Xu Zhiyan’s back in comfort.

“Let’s go.” Ming Jin’s voice was also steeped in coldness.

The driver started the car and drove out of the parking spot. But at that moment, someone outside began pounding on the car window.

Song Xiangwan looked up. Through the car window was Lin Rong’s anxious face.

“CEO Ming…” The driver hesitated. Someone following the car at speed was very dangerous.

“Go.” Ming Jin’s tone was indifferent, completely ignoring the person knocking on the window outside.

“Yes.” The driver lightly pressed the accelerator. As the speed increased, Lin Rong stumbled, nearly falling to the ground, but she quickly sped up to chase the car.

“Sis…” Xu Zhiyan lifted her head. “Listen to what she has to say…”

Ming Jin’s eyebrows didn’t move. The cold light in her light brown eyes was like a sword drawn from its sheath, carrying a heavy sense of oppression and sharpness, indicating she was unmoved.

“Sis…” Xu Zhiyan called out again.

Ming Jin finally couldn’t be heartless. She sighed and said, “Stop.”

The window rolled down. Outside, Lin Rong looked like a condemned prisoner who had been granted a reprieve. Her face was full of urgency: “CEO Ming, Ah Yan, please let me explain.”

“I didn’t know my mother came to Haicheng this time to cause trouble for the Ming family.”

“If I had known, I definitely would have told you in advance to try and avoid your meeting.”

“Should we hide from her?” Ming Jin spoke, turning her gaze over, her eyes cold. “Your Lin family is a prestigious house. Is my Ming family someone you can just bully?”

“If she wants to bully us, we should hide? Miss Lin, what kind of logic is that?”

“It seems I’ve been recovering for the past two years, making outsiders think that I, Ming Jin, have a good temper and that my family can be bullied easily.”

“I don’t wish to be enemies with the Lin family, but I’m also never afraid to be enemies with anyone.”

“Miss Lin, trying to brush this incident aside with an ‘I didn’t know’ is too insincere.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Lin Rong’s hands pressed against the door frame, gripping tightly. Her entire arm was slightly trembling.

Her face was completely devoid of color, and she looked utterly distraught, unable to stand properly. She just bowed her head and said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, truly sorry…”

“I apologize for what my mother did. I should. I’m sorry, truly sorry…”

Song Xiangwan had never seen Lin Rong so distressed. She was usually so lazy and carefree, as if she was just playing around in the world. Now, she was frantic and lost.

“Lin Rong, you…” Xu Zhiyan also noticed her strange state and tried to say something, but Ming Jin interrupted her.

“Miss Lin, today’s matter is not over. There will be a future.”

“Roll up the window. Go.” Ming Jin’s tone was commanding.

However, Lin Rong’s hand was gripping the window. The window wouldn’t roll up. The driver glanced at Ming Jin’s expression, sharply turned the steering wheel, making an abrupt turn that shook Lin Rong away, then rolled up the window, stepped on the gas, and sped away.

Xu Zhiyan immediately sat upright, looking back through the rear window: “Sis…”

“Don’t look. Don’t look back,” Ming Jin said coldly. “Ms. Lin is still watching. The more you care, the more she will manipulate you.”

“But…” Xu Zhiyan whispered, “I feel like she’s also powerless.”

“If she wants to provoke you, she shouldn’t be powerless,” Ming Jin said. “Ah Yan, I don’t want you to be wronged.”

“Since childhood, I’ve never laid a hand on you. How dare she?” Ming Jin’s emotions were visibly volatile. Her face was slightly pale.

Song Xiangwan was immediately anxious, but Ming Jin stopped her with a look. Ming Jin closed her eyes, regulated her breathing, and said, “Ah Yan, rest at home during this time. Leave the company matters to me. You won’t be allowed to be willful about this.”

Xu Zhiyan landed at noon and rushed over for the meeting in the afternoon. Because Ming Jin went to catch Song Xiangwan, she hadn’t given her any time to rest.

She was dusty from travel and had no time to recover.

The result was running into Lin Shan.

Lin Rong thought Lin Shan came this time to take her back, but she never expected that her target was the Ming family, specifically Xu Zhiyan.

Xu Zhiyan was completely off guard. Lin Shan called her to a secluded area, and before she could react, a slap landed on her face.

“Rongrong was a good child since she was little. Only after meeting you did she completely change.”

“She ran away from home, wanted freedom, and even said the person she loved most wasn’t her mother—it was you.”

“Ridiculous. She’s my flesh and blood. She has to obey me. Now she’s defying me for you.”

“Xu Zhiyan, what kind of demon are you? I advise you to stay away from Rongrong. Otherwise, it won’t be just one slap in the future.”

Xu Zhiyan was stunned by the slap. She had been protected by her sister since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation.

Everyone present was also shocked. In this setting…

Fortunately, the venue’s interior was confidential, and no cameras recorded it, or it would have been headline news instantly.

It was Mayor Zheng and Deputy Mayor Liu who rushed over, pulling Lin Shan and Xu Zhiyan apart and urgently calling Ming Jin.

Lin Rong was somewhat disheveled. She was more distraught than ever before, slumped on the ground. Her palm was scraped from when the car sped away, throwing her to the ground.

Her fingers slowly tightened. Her whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

But then, she was tightly embraced from behind by a familiar voice: “Rongrong, does your hand hurt? It’s okay. Come home with Mommy.”

“Let go.” Lin Rong bit her lip hard, feeling a slight metallic taste in her mouth.

Beneath her arched eyebrows, her eyes were filled with panic, helplessness, and the despair of utter defeat.

She knew Ming Jin’s character. Ming Jin hadn’t stopped her from pursuing Xu Zhiyan before, but now, everything was ruined.

And Xu Zhiyan—she had been a little princess since childhood. Being slapped like that, her pride and arrogance wouldn’t allow her to look back.

“Rongrong…” Lin Shan frowned slightly and said softly, “It’s okay. Mommy forgives you. I won’t hold anything you did against you.”

“Come home with Mommy. Come back with me…”

Lin Rong felt like she had fallen into an ice cave. Her throat felt clenched, unable to breathe. She wanted to struggle free, but she couldn’t muster an ounce of strength.

She needed a sedative, but… there was none… none… Only the familiar voice near her ear… pulling her deeper and deeper into an endless abyss.

“Rongrong, Rongrong, what’s wrong?” Lin Shan finally realized Lin Rong’s abnormal state.

“Someone, an ambulance! Quickly call an ambulance!” She hugged Lin Rong tightly, holding her one and only precious daughter.

The Ming family. It’s those two Ming sisters who ruined her originally perfect, beautiful family.