7 Kai Ming's sadness

Huang Min stood on the yacht's deck with the sea breeze tousling her hair. Her hairpin had momentarily come loose, and she was fixing her hair with a calm and composed demeanor when an elegantly dressed lady approached her.

With a friendly smile, the lady greeted Huang Min, "Good evening, Mrs. Lei."

Huang Min's lips curved into a haughty smile, but she maintained her poise. She appreciated the formalities but felt the need to clarify, "Sorry, but I am not Mrs. Lei. I am Mr. Lei Gang's secretary."

The lady, momentarily taken aback by Huang Min's response, quickly apologized for the assumption, "Oh, I am sorry."

Kai Ming, elegantly attired and with a sense of quiet dignity, stood in the shadows, observing the exchange between Huang Min and the lady. Her presence had gone unnoticed, and her heart ached as she witnessed the encounter unfold.

As she watched Huang Min correct the lady's assumption about her marital status, a deep sense of sadness and heartbreak welled up within her. Kai Ming had long been aware of the nature of Huang Min's relationship with her husband and thus her reaction was not unexpected. 

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, as she raised a small bottle to her lips. It contained the familiar, numbing liquid that had become her constant companion. She took a long sip of the alcohol, the fiery burn in her throat momentarily dulling the emotional pain she felt.

In the last few years, Kai Ming had indeed turned to alcohol as a means to escape the overwhelming sorrow and loneliness in her life. Her husband's ever-increasing closeness to his secretary, Huang Min, had left her feeling neglected and unloved. The fact that Lei Gang seemed to favor Huang Min over her, both professionally and personally, had eroded her self-esteem and fueled her dependence on alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Kai Ming's eyes, clouded by a mixture of sadness and inebriation, stayed fixed on the party unfolding on the yacht, when Huang Min walked towards her. She taunted, "You should not have been here in this state, Kai Ming."

Kai Ming laughed sarcastically, "And you should not have been here in any state, Huang Min."

Huang Min smiled, "Kai Ming, I am a very important part of your husband's life. Everybody else has accepted this fact and you should also accept it now."

"Really?"

"Mrs. Lei," Another lady greeted Kai Ming, "How are you?"

Kai Ming smiled, "I am fine, Mrs. Wei. What's going on with you?"

"We were just talking about your husband. His obsessions with cars and all," Mrs. Wei asked, "By the way, I was really curious. How many cars are in Mr. Lei's possessions?"

Kai Ming replied, her words sharp and aimed directly at Huang Min, "You know, Mrs. Wei, men and their toys…They play with them for sometime and when they get bored, such toys are just thrown away."

Huang Min, provoked by Kai Ming's taunts and fueled by her own desire to assert her influence, then made her way toward Lei Gang, who was engrossed in a phone call. As she approached him, she wore a seductive smile and a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Reaching Lei Gang, Huang Min gently placed her hand on his chest, her fingers tracing a slow, suggestive path over his suit. Lei Gang paused in his conversation, looking slightly taken aback by her bold move. He responded with a subtle but appreciative smile as Huang Min's hand caressed his chest. 

Kai Ming, who had been watching the interaction with a mixture of jealousy and anger, felt her heart sink as she witnessed Huang Min's blatant attempt to provoke her. Moreover, her husband's reaction was like a knife that stabbed her chest violently.

…

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the yacht in a gentle, moonlit glow, the atmosphere on board changed. The mood shifted from opulent revelry to one of reverence and tradition. 

In a quiet corner of the yacht, a priest, dressed in traditional ceremonial robes, stood before a framed portrait of late Lei Boqin. The portrait exuded an air of authority and history, a testament to the family's deep-rooted traditions. 

Gathering the Lei family members around, the priest began to speak solemnly, reminding them of the significance of the moment. His voice carried a weight of tradition as he declared, "Tonight, the heir to the Lei family will be determined. The grandson who lights the incense in front of their grandfather's portrait will be recognized as the rightful heir, carrying on the legacy of the Lei family."

The room fell silent as the gravity of the situation settled in. While Lei Gang and Yi Chunhua waited for their own sons to ascend the title of heir of Lei family, Lei Zhong and Kai Ming's hearts turned anxious as they did not wish for their family to have any more conflicts.

The priest then asked, "So, who is the heir of the Lei family? Lei Junshan or Lei Juncheng?"

…

Meanwhile, Lei Wan found herself cornered by a group of persistent press members who were determined to extract a statement regarding the outcome of the incense lighting ceremony, fully aware of the significance of the moment. They wished to know about who would be crowned as the heir of the Lei family.

Cameras flashed, microphones were thrust in her direction, and questions were fired rapidly. Lei Wan felt the pressure from the reporters bearing down on her.

The yacht's deck, once bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight, was suddenly transformed into a frenetic and blinding display of flashing camera bulbs. Reporters, armed with microphones and recording devices, surrounded Lei Wan, their persistence evident as they jostled for the best position to capture her response.