Zhu Li Qiang called Xue Jinxu to meet one day in December. From Hangzhou, he left in a devastated state that morning, upon the realization that he had indeed reached a pointless case there.

Xue Jinxu's words p.r.i.c.ked Zhu Li Qiang's already swollen heart. His eyes flickered with unshed tears as he was losing hope.

'Where can she be?'

Still not having been able to recover and return to earth from being a winner at the top of the world from his recent engagement with Teng Man Rui, the young man's world crumbled when one day, he had found Teng Man Rui's letter delivered by the bodyguard a.s.signed to her, all bruised up. Unsuspectingly, it dropped at him like an atomic bomb – so destructive with less to almost no hope for salvage.

Teng Man Rui's letter was concise and loving yet painful, with the gist of saying goodbye. 

The contents were as follows.

Dear Zhu Li Qiang,

I love you.

Nothing can ever describe or quantify the amount of happiness that you brought to my life just by being there beside me. For that, I am in deepest grat.i.tude. I cannot thank you enough for accepting everything that I am and I am not, and for everything that has transpired. I am sorry that you came to my life at a crucial time when I'm not as free to previous affiliations as I would want to be. It's not your fault, and rather it's my fault and mine alone that you have been dragged into my mess. Because I love you, I wouldn't want to drag you any longer into a bigger mess that I created. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

And so, Zhu Li Qiang, my love and my sanctuary, I am setting you free now. I couldn't relay my apologies with words nor could I say these in person that's why I am writing this letter instead. That being said, please pull out your men that are guarding me if you truly care about my welfare. I would appreciate it if you can give me my full privacy.

Zhu Li Qiang, my dear, I have learned to love you. I love you. I am sorry we have to end it at this point. I am really sorry I cannot enter matrimony with you. I am sorry for going against my words and my commitment to you.

Though it pains my heart, I will pray that another woman with a good reputation will fill the position that I am vacating in your life. You deserve all the greatness in life, those things which I cannot give you. Please believe my words as this is difficult for me too. 

Don't look for me, please.

Always be safe. Take care. I love you.

Xiao Rui.

The letter ended there. Incorporated in the white envelope was a red cloth bag which contained the moonstone engagement ring Zhu Li Qiang gave Teng Man Rui just a few nights back. The young man swallowed hard to dissolve the forming lump in his throat and closed his eyes in self-control. 

---

Zhu Li Qiang allowed Xue Jinxu to read the letter when they met in a restaurant one afternoon in December. 

Although Teng Man Rui told him not to look for him, he still went out of his usual way and did it – search for her and all, or even try to inquire about her with her friends and family.

Xue Jinxu shook her head. Teng Man Rui could be soft-spoken and lady-like, but similar to herself, the lady was such an impulsive young miss.

'I wonder if she even has a solid, proper plan. She didn't even tell me or come to me. What are you thinking, Man Rui?!'

Xue Jinxu could only heave a deep, deep sigh in exasperation.

"Is it why you would be interested to go into a merger with my family? Do you know about it? Even as kids several years back we were educated with the basics of a merger. It's not just a union of companies but families too." Xue Jinxu charged nonchalantly, introducing another topic for discussion. In actuality, she had agreed to meet with Zhu Li Qiang with this specific matter in mind. She felt bad for her friends, too, but she couldn't simply let the matter pa.s.s in silence too. It's too big of a deal for her to do so.

"What are you blabbering about, Jinxu?" Zhu Li Qiang's face scrunched without the slightest sign of comprehension.

"The merger. Your family showed interest in our Xue s.h.i.+pping. I recalled you mentioned the same intent a year or two ago." Xue Jinxu glowered at him. She didn't want to grill her friend, but her actions came out too aggressive. Perhaps it was the outcome of experiencing her ordeals.

"I won't give a d.a.m.n about any merger. Jinxu, your friend is missing. You can still think of a merger in this situation?!" Zhu Li Wiang went frantic.

"Zhu Li Qiang!" Xue Jinxu retorted almost feistier. "MY husband is missing too. AND THEN, this matter of a merger came by. Is this just a coincidence?"

"Are you somehow relating the two distinct situations together? Are you somehow getting suspicious of me? I came here with good intentions. I learned about what happened to Chen Linyun a little bit later. I am currently helping in the search too!" Zhu Li Qiang slammed the tabletop with his palm and propped himself with it as he stood up. Some people in the restaurants turned their heads to their direction.

"About the merger, I don't know anything about it. As I've heard, it's a matter already settled, so what are you fussing over at? I'm here only for Teng Man Rui and nothing else. I came here as a friend who's genuinely asking for some help and support for her. For us."

"Perhaps you need to re-read the letter, mister. Teng Man Rui doesn't want you to be looking for her. Maybe you did something wrong to her. Can't you just respect her wishes?" Xue Jinxu was able to maintain her calm demeanor but her cheeks and neck heated up. She crossed her arms in front of her, still seated in her chair, in an imposing manner like a true queen. Even if Zhu Li Qiang was standing and hovering over her, she didn't get intimidated nor shaken by his glare. Instead, she glared back with equal intensity. Afterwards, she tore her gaze as if her actions meant in the lines of, 'We're done talking.'

Zhu Li Qiang sat down again in resignation.

"Just so you know, I'm not the only Zhu in our family. My uncles and aunts were on the move, as always, and were vying for the clan's top spot for years. In behalf of my clan, I relay my apologies for my family's bad move. Your business and your empire are your responsibility and yours to protect, and I have mine too. Other than that I cannot guarantee that my other family members will not stop from there. My main concern now is finding Teng Man Rui even if she doesn't want me to. I have a bad feeling about it. I trust my gut-feel. We were happy, Jinxu. I saw the glimmer of hope and enthusiasm in her eyes that night when I popped the question. I simply cannot understand what has gone wrong."

Xue Jinxu gradually returned her gaze that had transformed into softness with the young man's words, to the person seated before her. "I understand. If I hear anything from her or about her I'll inform you."

"I'm sorry too. I had been edgy for days since…" Xue Jinxu sighed without finis.h.i.+ng her sentence.

"I know."

Zhu Li Qiang tapped Jinxu gently by the arm as a gesture of goodwill and understanding. "He will be found. Both of them, even Man Rui."

***

In a cool, secluded garden resthouse in the outskirts of Beijing, a lady gazed far far away through the floor-to-ceiling window while sitting comfortably in her rocking chair. Her earthly body, kept warm with a thick shawl draped around her shoulders, was there at that place, but her mind and soul wandered elsewhere.

The door to the drawing-room where the lady was staying opened gently with a slight creak.

"How have you been, milady?" A low, deep, soothing baritone voice emanated from him.

The lady did not move nor flinch from the query or sound. She remained stoic as she looked far away.

I have gifts. The guy handed the lady stack of photos of guess who – Zhu Li Qiang and Xue Jinxu talking privately in a restaurant. "I hear Zhu s.h.i.+pping lines relayed interest to Xue s.h.i.+pping and a merger is underway. They look good together. HAHAHAHA!!!!"

The lady slowly tore her gaze from the window, looked at the man, and peeked slightly on the pictures. Then she returned to her previous activity of looking out of the window with not much of a reaction.

"Shut up." She retorted without care nor feelings.