CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261 FU BING, I HAVE NEVER BEEN A GOOD MAN OR A BELIEVER

Fu Bing withdrew her gaze.

Only after the He Family’s car drove away did Xiaomei, her face pale, lower her hand.

Fu Bing signaled to Qin Jinhai to leave first.

Qin Jinhai didn’t hesitate, driving his car back to his garage.

Fu Bing wiped Xiaomei’s tears. "Why are you crying?"

Xiaomei looked delicate and cute. But that was just the surface. The resilience she possessed was unmatched by many. She had experienced homelessness that most people couldn’t endure, wandering when she most needed adult protection. When she was no longer homeless, she was well able to accept the affection of others. When Fu Bing had needed Xiaomei to hold down the fort, Xiaomei had waited without any complaint for Fu Bing’s release from prison. Xiaomei was also the person who gave her courage when she found herself in the dark. And after seeing the darkness in the world, Xiaomei was still a warrior who could passionately embrace the world and its people. Her tears were always few. When she cried, it was definitely something serious.

Xiaomei shook her head. "No, it’s nothing."

"If you don’t want to talk, I won’t force you. But if you’re really feeling bad, you must tell me."

"Mhm," Xiaomei looked at Fu Bing with wet, large eyes. "Sister, you weren’t hurt, were you?"

"No."

"I said a lot during the live stream, some of which might have been inappropriate. Do you want to do crisis management again?"

"I respect anything you said in the live stream. You must have spoken out for me in that critical moment because you love me."

After returning home, Fu Bing posted on Weibo.

"I went to the mountains these past few days and didn’t bring my phone. Thanks to the whistleblower for letting me know who my family is. What my sister Xiaomei said is also what I want to say. Thank you all for your concern. The cards I mentioned sending are all written and will be sent out in the next couple of days. Friends who are to receive them, please watch for delivery information."

Many people noticed that Fu Bing had been absent for several days.

Even though Fu Bing had almost retired from the spotlight, in everyone’s eyes, she remained the most dazzling actress, an existence others couldn’t compare with.

After posting on Weibo, Fu Bing drove to the cemetery.

She brought a bottle of liquor and her mother’s favorite lilies; the scent of the lilies was distinct even from a distance.

Fu Bing poured a glass for Fu Ya and then poured one for herself.

Since she was thirteen, her mother had made her drink a glass of white liquor every day. Over the years, her alcohol tolerance wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either. They used to drink together quite often.

Fu Bing touched the photo on the tombstone. "Mom, I’ve found my family. It’s Uncle Su Chu’s Su Family."

"Did you and Uncle Su Chu already know about this?"

Of course, nobody answered her.

Her memories of Uncle Su Chu were faint; he was always seriously ill in her recollections. Yet her mother liked him very much, always looking forward to his visits even though, when he came to their home, he was often so gravely ill that he spent most of his time in a deep slumber in his room. Many times, she would sit on a small stool in the living room, looking out of the small window at the sky, listening to her mother hum softly in the room. When Uncle Su Chu was feeling well, he would talk softly with her mother. That was her first impression of love and marriage. If she was a member of the Su Family, and eventually brought home by her mother and Uncle Su Chu, then her having gone missing wasn’t simply due to jealousy from other girls; it meant the highest authority in the Su Family at the time was trying to get rid of her. Uncle Su Chu’s death and her mother’s sudden illness might also be related to this matter. Her mother, being such an intelligent person, must have known something. Yet she said nothing. Because she was a member of the Su Family, her mother knew she would one day return to the Su Family. Thus, her mother planted no seeds of hatred in her heart. Her mother, acting on behalf of Fu Bing’s biological family, had given her enough love, ensuring that even if her reunion with her kin wasn’t close, she would have no regrets.

Fu Bing held her glass and gently clinked it against the cup in front of the tomb.

"Mom, be at peace with Uncle Su Chu and stop worrying about me. My family has never been based solely on blood ties; we are always family. Your illness wasn’t just from overwork, was it? You were poisoned, right?"

A gentle breeze brushed past her ear.

Fu Bing’s voice caught. "Even if you don’t want me to investigate, I will."

She should have realized earlier that her mother was poisoned.

Fu Bing called Qin Jinhai.

Qin Jinhai’s lazy voice soon came through the phone. "Changed your mind and missed me?"

"Was my mom poisoned?"

Qin Jinhai didn’t answer. Instead, he listened carefully to her voice, picking up the sound of wind.

"Are you at the cemetery?"

"Answer me first."

"Yes."

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"When I met you, the poison had already seeped into her bones; no one could save her. Telling you would only have made you sadder."

"Who poisoned her?"

"I don’t know."

"You must know."

Qin Jinhai was almost amused by her persistence. "Asking me for clues comes with a price!"

"Fu Bing, I have never been a saint. My love has hurt you, but I have been hurt as well. I don’t feel like I owe you anything in this relationship!"

"I gave you space to cool off, but this doesn’t mean you can appear before me whenever you want and demand things from me."

"If you want to know more, first let’s agree on what you are willing to offer."

Fu Bing’s response was to hang up the phone.

Qin Jinhai’s lips curled slightly, his eyes still full of a desire to dominate.

For every bit of pain he had caused her, he had suffered manifold himself. Ever since reappearing before her as Qin Jinhai, he had not intended to give her many opportunities to hate him. She couldn’t really hate him anyway. Why should they allow their relationship to stagnate indefinitely? They might not be a couple in the short term; they might have no contact. Yet, he wouldn’t let her completely escape from his life. He would accompany her step by step towards the direction she wanted.

Qin Jinhai spoke with Mu Lin, asking him to post the news of his return online, using his popularity to suppress the buzz about Fu Bing being Su Qinnuan.

Suddenly, the internet went crazy.

The news that Qin Jinhai was still alive completely overshadowed the news about Fu Bing.

Qin Jinhai watched the online situation for a while and was very satisfied with it.

When Su Junxian saw this news, his face turned even uglier.

Qin Jinhai’s action indicated that he did not wish for Fu Bing to return to the Su Family, or perhaps it was Fu Bing’s own desire. Regardless of whose intention it was, Fu Bing would not be returning to the Su Family anytime soon.

Su Junxian irritably ruffled his hair.

At that moment, he only wanted to dominate the business world. In the business world, interests were clear, and everyone’s goal was the same: to maximize benefits as much as possible. Collaboration could almost be visualized. Who held grudges against whom, who was at odds with whom—it could all be managed well. Family matters, however, could drain a person so much that they scarcely resembled themselves anymore.

Su Junzhe noticed that his older brother’s expression was off.

"Big brother, go back to the hotel and rest. You’ve been up all day and night; you must be exhausted."

Su Junxian rubbed his eyes. "The trending searches are all about Qin Jinhai. Do you realize what this means?"

Su Junzhe’s expression changed.

"He doesn’t want Xiaobing to come home."

"Exactly. He could have surfaced earlier or later, but he specifically chose to trend now."

Su Junxian had always had a bit of an aversion to people who were overtly sharp-edged, especially Qin Jinhai. Back when Fu Bing was sent to prison, he had been very dissatisfied with Qin Jinhai’s actions. Now that Fu Bing was his sister, he could not sit idly by.