Chapter 4: Worried about her

"You don't know the place. You don't have a car. How are you going to go to where you're headed? If you get lost, I might kill everyone who fails to find you. This place is huge. There are no places I don't know. Even if I find you myself, I'll still kill them", said Chu Ying in a whisper. Xiao Xing froze in sight.

Suddenly, Xiao Xing felt him lifting her up princess style. "What are you doing? Let me go!" Chu Ying opened the door and carried her to his car, where he placed her in the front passenger seat. He got into the driver's seat and revved the engine. The car moved in a few seconds.

The ride was awfully quiet. Then, Chu Ying decided to engage in conversation. He began with a rather unpleasant topic.

"That night, what were you doing there, in my room, holding a key card to my room? Who sent you?" Xiao Xing looked at him, surprised. "If you think I was arranged by your family to have sex with you in order for you to take responsibility for me, you're wrong. Not everything's about you and your family."

Chu Ying was intrigued. No one could speak to him like that, not even his mother. After Chu Ying's grandfather died, Chu Ying was the only man in the family. Chu Ying's father was a jerk who left his Chu Ying's mother after he found out she was pregnant. He had found another woman he loved, claimed that Chu Ying's mother was too controlling and too demanding. What could you have done if you were a woman in her shoes? If you knew that your husband was a cheating scumbag that you loved? Wouldn't you have protected him by preventing him from seeing other women?

"Why did you bring me here?", asked Xiao Xing. A question Chu Ying knew very well she would ask. Well, he couldn't really tell her about love at first sight now, could he? Maybe if he did, Xiao Xing would've been captivated by the word love and be with him, knowing very well that she did not love him, she loved someone else. He knew Xiao Xing was in a very emotional situation at the moment, and he could not afford to do that to her.

"You are collateral to me. Beautiful collateral. I don't want to put you to waste. You will do everything I say you'll do, even if I ask you to kiss the floor."

Xiao Xing was disgusted. He was a psycho. Ask me to kiss the floor!

After ten minutes of silence, Chu Ying asked where she was going. She said she was going to see her uncle. Chu Ying immediately felt repulsed as she said that. It was like he knew what was going on but led her to the wolf himself. Xiao Xing told her the address and he drove straight to the house.

Soon, they arrived at Xiao Xing's former home. It did not look as Chu Ying remembered anymore. It was too fancy for a modest family. So, the Xiao couple had died, leaving their only daughter all alone. After Xiao Xing went in, Chu Ying went to work.

Just as Xiao Liming walked downstairs, he saw Xiao Xing standing in the lounge, waiting for him. "What are you doing here, Xiao Xing? It's been such a long time, you do not even consider giving your uncle a hug?" Xiao Xing slowly walked towards him, feeling a bit hesitant. As she got close enough, Xiao Liming hugged Xing tightly. He traced his hand from her back slowly down her spine to her buttocks, where she gently squeezed one buttock. Xiao Xing felt uncomfortable that she broke the hug immediately.

"Why, don't you miss your uncle? You quickly broke our hug. Is something wrong?" Xiao Xing shook her head. "No. Nothing's wrong." Xiao Xing sat down on the couch nearest to the window. "Why have you come to visit your uncle so suddenly, without telling me?"

"Well..." Xiao Xing hesitated. "I've come for my inheritance. I would like to have it back please."

"Oh", Xiao Liming replied. "But, you're no longer a daughter of the Xiao family. You're married. Why would you want the Xiao family's inheritance?"

"Uncle, that inheritance was left to me by my parents. I need to get it back", she said as she stood up, annoyed by Xiao Liming's sudden question. Xiao Liming looked at Xiao Xing with his eyes raised up. "Listen here, girl. Do you want to take my brother's business and give it to your lousy husband? Do you want it to be the Sang's family business, not the Xiao's?", Xiao Liming asked as he crossed his legs while seated. He knew that was not what she had meant but he said it anyway.

Xiao Xing looked at her uncle in a stunned manner. "No! That's not what it is. Please, uncle. I need my inheritance back to me. Please let me have it."

"I cannot give it to you. 23 years is still a young age. Besides, you are not experienced in business. How could I allow you to run the family business?" said Xiao Liming as he stood up and left. Xiao Xing was left all alone, thinking of what to do next.  What about Snag Ji, then? He will still drown in debt. Just then, two bodyguards came to escort her out. 

Just outside the house, Xiao Xing caught a cab. She wanted to go and see Sang Ji, just to check up on him. See how he was. 

As she neared to his house, memories kept on coming to mind. Memories of the two of them together, in love with each other. At that time, Sang Ji was infatuated with Xiao Xing that she sometimes got irritated by his infatuation. 

She stood in front of the main gate. She breathed heavily. Her heart pounded fast. She got nervous.  What if he has another woman inside the house? I know I'll not be able to handle the sight in front of me and the pain it will bring me. Making the final decision, she swung the gate open and entered inside.

As she walked through the driveway, she saw his car parked just outside. He was there. He had not gone anywhere. She walked towards the main door. She stood right there, hesitant. Should I get in? Will he perhaps be angry seeing me? Clearing all doubts, she opened the door and slowly walked in.

She ran her eyes around the house. It was dark, and the curtains were closed. The strong smell of alcohol surrounded her. She walked towards the lounge, and found him sitting in the dark, bottles of alcohol all around him. "Sang Ji", she called out to him. Sng Ji slowly looked up and raised his eyes. "Xiao Xing, you shouldn't be here", he said. Xiao Xing watched him stand up and wanted to help him but did not want to make him feel like a loser. Sang Ji stood up but fell back to the couch. "You should leave. That man Chu Ying has his guards all around me, watching me 24/7. If they found out you are here, the both of us are dead." Tears trickled down her face. "How did you become like this? How much money do you owe him? Why did you borrow the money from him?", she asked him. Sang Ji chuckled sadly. "It doesn't matter why I borrowed it from him. You need to leave. Leave, please. Leave!" Xiao Xing looked around the room and heard voices outside the driveway. "What about you, Sang Ji? What will you do?" she then asked him. "If they found you here, they will kill the both of us. Now go!" Xiao Xing rushed out of the house, crying. She managed to get away before getting caught.

All day, Xiao Xing hadn't called Chu Ying to go and pick her up. Chu Ying was worried that he was pacing around all day. It was already midnight and Xiao Xing was still not back.

"Don't worry, young master. Ms. Xiao will soon come back", Liam said, trying to console him.

"How will she know the way back? She has only been here for a day and has only gone out of this house once!", shouted Chu Ying. Liam had never seen Chu Ying so worried. Chu Ying knew Xiao Xing was going to get molested but he still allowed her to go. He felt himself being stupid.

"Have you already tracked her phone?", he asked. "Yep", Liam asked. "It's last location seems to be in a bar just near the Xiao household."

Chu Ying grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. "Drive." Liam obediently followed behind him and closed the door.

Space Bar

"Waiter!', Xiao Xing called out to the waiter standing in front of another table next to hers. The waiter walked to her. The waiter bowed at a 30 degrees angle. "What should I get for you, Miss?"

"Huh! Miss? I forgot. I am getting a divorce", Xiao Xing said in a low voice. The waiter was confused as he heard what she was saying but did not understand a thing.

"Oh. I would like another shot of whisky. Actually, four shots of whisky." The waiter bowed. "Coming right up."

Xiao Xing waited for a while. As she saw that it was taking long, she asked what was wrong, why hadn't her drinks coming. Just then, someone handed her a glass. Xiao Xing raised her head to see Chu Ying standing in front of her, handing her a glass of whisky. Her heart raced in an instant. Chu Ying sat next to her and placed the glass of whisky on the table. She could only shift her chair. Chu Ying noticed something wrong with her clothes. The buttons of her blouse were in the wrong order and an earring was missing from her ear. He moved to her face and saw that her make-up was messed up.

"Why did you not return home? Were you here all this time?", he suddenly asked. Xiao Xing did not say anything. She was quiet.

"Why are your clothes all messed up?", he continued asking. Xiao Xing took the glass and shoved it in her mouth. "None of your business." Chu Ying grabbed her wrist and tightened his grip on it. Xiao Xing felt immense pain. "What are you doing?",she shouted. "You are my asset. If I didn't begin to lok for you now, a lot of people would've died already. Quick reminder. If you ever pull such a stunt again, a lot of people will die." Xiao Xing was disgusted by his behaviour, the way he carried himself. As if he was kings and ecveryone else was his servant. Xiao Xing wrestled her arm off his grip. "Let me go!"

Suddenly, Chu Ying stood up and dragged her chair backwards. "What are you doing?", she asked. Chu Ying did not reply with anything and only picked her up from the chair. Xiao Xing felt like screaming was the only way to get him to put her down but it did not work. Chu Ying gracefully exited the bar with Xiao Xing in his arms. She was really uneasy and uncomfortable. As he stepped out of the place, the door was opened by the chauffeur. Chu Ying tossed her on the backseat and sat next to her.