Chapter 133 — Madam Gao Visits Her Son

As a consequence, the reports on both of them were very short. One particular sentence about his grandfather caught his eye: Ex-military man who had very close ties with the previous government.

Han Leifeng went into deep thought. For sure, there would be dirty secrets hiding in that corner. He only needed to proceed with caution.

About his father, the report speculated that Han Likang was involved in bribing city officials for government contracts. It was mere speculation because there was no proof at present, but he resolved to dig into it discreetly at the company.

Once he had all the evidence, he would have enough power. He would then be able to reunite with his family without putting them in danger.

It was lost on him that he was already morphing into a version of himself that no one, not even himself —much less Pei Yueran— could recognize.

Besides, so much had changed already. Would the beautiful picture he was dreaming of ever come true?

As he continued to study more about the Han family, the clock ticked steadily as time flew by. Morning was near, and the new day was going to be fraught with its own set of dangers.

******

Once Han Jingse finished her work for the night, she hurried to her dressing room in excitement, her heels clicking loudly on the polished floors.

SJ News was not the biggest news station in City M, but it was the oldest in the Capital, and they prided themselves on delivering the hotest news first, due to their extensive network. As a result, they were running a very prosperous trade.

Her assistant accidentally walked too close to her, but she didn't even reprimand her. She was in too good of a mood to care. She impatiently removed her makeup and then proceeded to doll herself up again.

Gao Tinghua finally called her this afternoon. And he wanted them to go on a date!

It was the first time he was taking the initiative ever since they started their relationship, so she was undeniably excited.

If things moved on fine, she was planning to bring up marriage talks. The earlier their marriage plans were finalized, the better.

She dawdled while picking a dress for the date. She wanted to wear something that would make him drool.

She knew he hated it when girls threw themselves at him, but she just wanted to attract his attention. Besides, if he came on to her because of what she wore, it would not be her fault. It would be because he lacked self-restraint.

She smiled at the thought.

After walking back and forth inspecting the closet, her eyes finally settled on a gown. It was cream in color and form fitting. It was probably left by one of the celebrities that came to shoot for a sponsorship ad the other day.

When she finished dressing up, she posed in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. Looking at the result, she smiled in satisfaction. Superb!

Gao Tinghua had already texted the address to her. It was the dinning section of CM Luxuries, a five star hotel in the Capital. Despite being relatively new, it had already become famous as a hotspot for young lovers looking for good food and terrific ambience.

Many companies also loved booking a suite there for their international business partners, because it painted their company in a good light, not to mention how conducive the environment was for hosting business meetings.

She could not wait. The night ahead was surely going to go beautifully. As she drove, she kept fantasizing about the future. Once they were married, she would make sure she had him firmly within her grasp. She was determined to transform him into the perfect husband.

*****

"Sir, your mother is here." Tong Zhian informed him after letting himself into his office.

Gao Tinghua frowned so much that his brows disappeared. So just because he had not gone home since he got back, she came to his office? Was he still a kid? "What is she doing here?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Tong Zhian asked inwardly, but he didn't dare say it out. Instead, he put up an appropriately confused look, as if to say 'I really cannot understand either'.

"Useless." was Gao Tinghua's careless comment. "Whatever, let her in." He was still slouched over his seat as he played with a fountain pen, twirling it over and over.

That was the picture that greeted her eyes when Qiao Mingran walked in. She was not a very tall woman, but she exuded grace and elegance. The only thing was that her limpid brown eyes carried a perpetual look of sorrow that always made them look teary.

In her youth, it was that pair of almond eyes that attracted her husband and got him infatuated with her.

Now, it was this same pair of eyes that made him feel so guilty that he could not bear to spend a moment in her company.

It was also this same look that usually exasperated her son. Why was she always looking like she would cry in the next second? He wondered. Why couldn't her eyes carry the same spark and fire he usually saw in another pair of brown eyes?

Come to think of it, their eyes were shaped the same way, and both had long lashes that fanned when they blinked. Somehow, their—

"Tinghua, are you listening to me at all?" Qiao Mingran asked gently. Her son had been staring intently at her for the past few seconds without speaking. What was he thinking about?

Her voice jolted Gao Tinghua back to the present. "It's nothing Mother, make yourself comfortable."

Qiao Mingran sat down on one of the plush sofas in Gao Tinghua's room. Tong Zhian reappeared a few minutes later to serve her a glass of plain milk tea. This sort of menial task had now fallen on him since Gao Tinghua's secretary left. They were still in the process of hiring another secretary.

At least he got paid for the extra labour.

Once he went out, Qiao Mingran started speaking, "Tinghua, I thought you would come home immediately you arrived. I didn't even know you had come back until I heard you speaking to your sister on phone yesterday."

Gao Tingxiu—his younger sister was really the only person he had a decent relationship with in that family. She was a B-list actress, so she was also very busy and was rarely home these days.

'Here we go again.' Gao Tinghua groaned inwardly before saying, "Sorry about that Mother, I've been very busy."

Qiao Mingran looked sad, "Too busy to come home? Your father too always claims to be busy. Even your sister goes out more frequently these days. What are you all so busy doing?" She asked, her eyes becoming even more teary.

Gao Tinghua averted his gaze, suppressing his irritation.

"There is a lot going on with the company at the moment Mother, that's why everyone is so busy. Maybe you need something to keep you busy as well?"

The implication was that if you had something doing, you would not be so idle as to go around disturbing everyone.