"Right after I learned about it I already told Grampa that s.h.i.+ Fan Hai was behind the MT Dragon Heart incident but he did not listen to me. He thought that I was only making excuses to beg off from the engagement."
"That's why we need solid evidence." Xue Jinxu pointed out. She pointed out on Butler Lee's gadget.
"Alright, Xu-jie. I'll try to find more evidence. There's a vlogger onboard The Great Adventurer. I might be able to get something from that person."
While waiting for Xue Jinxu to calm down, Chen Linyun had been busy doing something that seemed to be of immense importance in the laptop. They were still at the COO office.
He appeared frustrated too. His brows were knitted, with mats of sweat drooping on his forehead. He let out a deep sigh.
"I can't find anything about that s.h.i.+ Fan Hai. I always meet a dead end. Don't worry, I'll help too. I'll widen my horizons. I won't allow that evil person do what he wants to you and your family."
"Are you fine now, Jinxu?" His eyes were engulfed with gentleness and worry.
"Yes. I wish to go home. Are you done?" Xue Jinxu asked about his activity with the laptop.
"Yes, sure. But there's somewhere else I want us to go." Chen Linyun grabbed Xue Jinxu's hand and led her out of the office.
"We'll leave first." He informed the other two – Butler Lee and Xue Guangxi.
When they were in the car, Xue Jinxu could not contain her inquisitiveness. "Where are we going?" She tilted her head to look at her mysterious husband.
"To the Chen Family home." He said simply while buckling up. It was around five in the afternoon, the day almost at close. The sunset was slowly turning into the darker hue of dusk.
"What?! Now? I'm not prepared!" Xue Jinxu's eyes popped and shook her head in all directions, checking her dress, and her face in the car's mirrors. She got her press powder from her handbag and re-touched.
"Sorry, dear. It's a bit rushed. Actually, they are not expecting us. But I cannot rest overnight if I won't visit today."
Chen Linyun was being enigmatic. She had no idea what he was talking about. She could only keep her silence and observe from the sideline.
The truth was she was extremely nervous. She did not know whether they will welcome her or not. The silence in car did not help ease her sentiments. She turned the radio on. She gave a gentle hesitant laugh. "Hehehe. It's fine if I turn it on? The air is awkward."
"Y-yeah. Sorry I'm a bit out of it today. I'm a little frustrated." He admitted, giving her a side glance.
"Was it about the phone call?"
"That's part of it. But I think the bigger chunk of the reason lies on the concern related to your safety. The guy said that he deliberately planned it such that you weren't on board the cruise s.h.i.+p. In the future, what would he have done next?" He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and narrowed his eyes.
"What's frustrating is that the resources available to me at the moment are limited. It's not enough to pin him down." This time the traffic was on halt. He looked intently at Xue Jinxu. "That's the main reason why we are going to the Chen household tonight."
Xue Jinxu tilted her head towards his direction. He seemed to be explaining but she still could not get it. She blinked several times. 'Is there something wrong with my head? I still cannot understand.' She shook her head but did not pry. Her husband was in a bad mood.
The Chen Family home was located on the outskirts of Beijing, somewhere in the North. It took them around an hour of driving. It was a few mintues past six in the evening.
The lights inside the house were turned on. It was a good sign that there were people inside.
He rang the doorbell. Truth betold, he had not visited this house since he arrived in Beijing. The last time he was there was around twenty years ago.
A lady in her fifties welcomed them. "How may I help you? Oh-oh!! Aren't you Linyun?" The lady was ecstatic. She opened the gates and let them in.
"Aunty. Have you been well?" Chen Linyun greeted her with a huge warm smile.
Once they pa.s.sed the gates, she hugged him tight. "My dear nephew! It's rare to see you! How have you been? Where's Wenbin?" She looked around them. "Who's this pretty lady?" She grabbed Xue Jinxu's hand and squeezed it tight.
"Aunty, she's Xue Jinxu. She's my wife. We got married recently." He blushed. He still had not gotten the hang of introducing her to other people as his lawfully wedded wife. He was not even given the chance to introduce her as his official girlfriend before. He scratched his head awkwardly. His other hand did not leave Xue Jinxu's waist. The wife also had her glowing rosy pink cheeks. She shared the same sentiments with Chen Linyun.
Aunty Mo was flabbergasted. "Married?! How come we did not know anything about it? You did not inform us?! Oh child, how could you not inform us!" Aunty Mo was spanking him. Chen Linyun could only laugh. "Aunty, relax. It was sort of rush, it's only between the two of us. We'll be having a wedding ceremony. We will invite you for sure."
The topic of a much bigger wedding ceremony with all their friends and family present had made Xue Jinxu blush further. She was being silent and lady-like. She's letting Chen Linyun take charge. After all, the place was officially his territory.
She gave Xue Jinxu a hug. "Pretty daughter-in-law, Jinxu, welcome to the family, dear."
"Thank you ma'am." Xue Jinxu retorted politely.
"Call me 'Aunty'!" She smiled generously.
"Let's get inside the house now!" She ushered them in.
"How have you been Aunty? You don't seem to age. You look the same from twenty years ago." He started bootlicking his aunt. "Where's father? Is he home?"
Aunty Mo was still cupping her cheeks from the previous praise. "Not yet, but he'll be home soon. Both of you, eat dinner here alright? I'll go check the food in the kitchen. Feel at home, son. This is your home. Welcome back." She gently smiled while hurriedly heading towards the kitchen.
"I was born and raised in this house…" Chen Linyun explained to Xue Jinxu who had this interested look for a while now. "…until I was around four or five when my mother and I left for Country D. I had not been back ever since."
"I see." She grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. She liked it when he's opening up about his life to her.