Su Qinian smoothly took over the conversation. Aunt Ying's impression of Su Qinian was only from the big screen. Seeing Lin Jinran sitting quietly beside them, with her chin resting on her hands like a little rabbit, she couldn't help smiling.
Seizing the opportunity, Aunt Ying asked Su Qinian about other aspects, fearing that Lin Jinran might end up with the wrong person just like her mother. Su Qinian answered sincerely with deep emotions.
Aunt Ying was quite satisfied. As night fell, she asked, "Shall we go out for a midnight snack?"
"No, no. Su Qinian and I can't eat too much." Lin Jinran grabbed Aunt Ying who was about to get up, feeling both amused and helpless.
Song Langqing explained for her, "Yes, Mom. Have you ever seen any star eat so much? They have a hard time losing weight."
"Look at my head. It's getting less and less useful as I get old." Aunt Ying patted her head, smiling.
The phone in his pocket vibrated. Su Qinian took it out and saw it was a call from his secretary. Aunt Ying told him he could answer it in the kitchen. He excused himself and left first.
In the kitchen, Su Qinian clicked to answer.
Secretary: "Mr. Su, I've tracked down Dongwei Duan's whereabouts as you instructed. He's hiding in a very remote village in the city next to Wannancity. The transportation there is poor and there are few people."
"Okay. Arrange my itinerary for me after tomorrow. The sooner the better." Su Qinian gave the order and asked the secretary about other tasks. There was no news for the time being.
He hung up the phone, left the kitchen, and returned to the happy living room, surrounded by warmth.
"It's a pity that I've been investigating for so long but still haven't found out where Dongwei Duan has gone. Whenever I got a clue and followed it up, it would inexplicably break off. Ten years have passed. I don't know if we can still find Dongwei Duan."
Aunt Ying sighed and looked at Lin Jinran guiltily. Her long speech fell into Su Qinian's ears.
Su Qinian sat beside Lin Jinran. After pondering for a while, his beautiful black eyes showed seriousness. "Aunt, do you think it's possible that Jinran's parents know you're investigating and deliberately block it?"
Aunt Ying was slightly stunned. Su Qinian continued, "I'm just making an assumption. Suppose Jinran's mother was killed by her father. When the storm was at its height, they must have been very cautious to prevent any news from getting out."
"You're Jinran's aunt, and behind you is the Xiang Group, once the leading enterprise in Wannancity. Naturally, you're the top priority that Lin Cheng is keeping an eye on. So whenever there's any news from you, Lin Cheng will surely cut it off immediately."
Su Qinian lowered his eyes. His well - defined fingers wrote the name "Lin Cheng" on the table stroke by stroke. His voice was soft but carried the calm confidence of being in control.
"I asked my secretary to secretly investigate Dongwei Duan a week ago. Nearly ten years have passed. Most of the clues have disappeared. Lin Cheng has gradually let down his guard, thinking that after all these years, no one would still be persistent in the investigation."
"Jinran has been constantly suppressed in the entertainment industry. She's neither popular nor unpopular, and it's very difficult for her to find someone to speak up for her. Lin Cheng doesn't know me. On the big screen, I'm just a very popular star. He would think I'm insignificant and then be careless."
"Just now, my secretary called and said that Dongwei Duan has been found. He's in a very remote town in the neighboring city. The inconvenient transportation means it's very difficult for any news to spread out."
"Really? Dongwei Duan is really found?" Lin Jinran widened her eyes. She was in a daze for a while, and then reacted and excitedly grabbed his arm.
Su Qinian nodded with a smile and gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her. "We've found him. We'll go there immediately after Xie Wanyu's wedding."
Aunt Ying watched their familiar actions with a smile. "You two should pay attention to your safety."
I'm waiting for the day when the truth comes out. Aunt Ying silently thought to herself. The Xiang Group has declined, while the Lin Group is thriving. She doesn't have the ability to compete with it. Her younger brother has been struggling to keep it going. She can't ruin her parents' hard - won achievements for her own selfish desires.
Lin Jinran, Su Qinian, Aunt Ying and Song Langqing chatted for a while. As the night grew deeper and it seemed about time, the two got up to say goodbye.
Su Qinian took Lin Jinran to the hotel and then left to go back to his parents' home.
Before 5 o'clock the next morning, Lin Jinran rushed to Xie Wanyu's parents' home early. Tao Wan and several girls she didn't know were chatting around Xie Wanyu noisily.
Seeing Lin Jinran enter the house and take off her mask, a strange girl widened her eyes. "Wanyu, is this your friend? Why does she look so much like the star Lin Jinran whom I disliked some time ago???"
Lin Jinran was very generous. "Hello. I'm the Lin Jinran you're talking about."
The girl who started the topic was stunned. After reacting, she quickly waved her hand. "No. I've since changed from a hater to a fan. You're really much prettier than on TV."
Lin Jinran smiled slightly and said nothing.
Tao Wan bypassed the strange girl and put her arm around Lin Jinran's shoulder. She said proudly, "This is our high - school classmate. There'll be something even more shocking when the ceremony officially starts."
"What is it? Is Su Qinian coming too?" The girl's eyes sparkled. "A few days ago, Crazy Heartthrob ended. Is Su Qinian your boyfriend? Are you really together?"
"Yes, we're together. We were classmates in high school." Lin Jinran admitted generously. "He's gone to Jiang Xiubin's house now. You can see him later."
"Wow. It's so romantic. I'm starting to believe in love again."
Xie Wanyu, who was putting on makeup, saw the relatives and friends behind her through the mirror. She joked, "Don't you believe in the campus love between me and Xiubin? He chased me from high school to college and then we got married."
"Believe, believe."
After Xie Wanyu finished her morning robe makeup, she pulled her friends to take photos together. Then she changed into the traditional Chinese wedding dress and took another round of photos.
Nearly 7 o'clock, the bridegroom came to pick up the bride. Xie Wanyu's bridesmaids played with Jiang Xiubin's groomsmen generously. When it seemed about time, they let the bridegroom in to pick up the bride and go to the bridegroom's house for the morning ceremony.
After a few hours of busyness, Lin Jinran was drowsy. Su Qinian said, "Are you too sleepy? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Yes. I'm not used to sleeping in a new environment. I'm a bit particular about the bed." Lin Jinran murmured softly.
"Then you can lean on my shoulder and sleep for a while. Xie Wanyu and Jiang Xiubin's morning ceremony has just started."
There were bridesmaids and groomsmen around, and Su Qinian was a public figure. Lin Jinran quickly glanced around. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "I'll hold on. Otherwise, it'll sound bad if it gets out. You know, a single photo can start rumors. I've just gained some popularity and I don't want to lose it."
Farther back, in high school, she had been rumored about by Lin Tingnian and Zhang Qiaozhi. The past memories had faded, and Lin Jinran could hardly remember the specific process.