🔘Chapter 76 — Free Of Malice
"Are you short of breath, Mr. Alfonsi?"
Asked a woman who waited for the man to desperately wiggle his body before she pulled his head out from a drum full of water.
"F*ck you, B*tch! You and your b*tch boss will pay dearly for ...." The woman did not wait for the guy to finish his sentence as she slammed his head on the water again.
"How dare you bad mouth CEO Wang?! Tsk! Such an idiot! Can't you see the deep sh*t you're in?! Yet you still have the audacity to give us a threat?!"
She then pulled the guy's head out of the drum and dragged him by the hair to the corner of an abandoned warehouse.
"Arghh!" The man cried in pain when his back hit the concrete wall.
"Mr. Alfonsi, my boss already spared your life, right? Why did you have to dig your own grave?"
The woman asked while squeezing the man's face with her fingers as she gagged his mouth with a rag.
"Silly me! Why am I even speaking with a dead man?" A loud chuckle escaped from the woman's mouth.
"Don't worry, Mr. Alfonsi. I'll end this quick since I need to fly to Beijing to assist CEO Wang."
The woman smiled as she stabbed the man's eyes with a syringe containing strychnine¹.
==================
"Are we there yet?" Europa's excited voice was like music to her mother and uncle's ears.
"We're almost there, sweetie." Wang Reiji said as she gently squeezed Europa's smooth palms.
"I'm excited to meet Chairman Qin and to see Uncle Sho and Uncle Rong again." The little girl said as she rested her head on her mother's left arm.
"Don't worry, we'll be there soon" Wang Yuvin spoke as he stared out the window to look at the scenery.
==================
Qin Sho was already standing in front of their mansion's main entrance.
As he stood up, his toned body frame underneath his dark blue polo shirt demanded attention like he was a living artwork.
His phoenix eyes were locked on the gate as he waited for the arrival of the precious visitors.
After waiting for a couple of minutes, he saw a convoy of black Mercedes Benz entering the wide gate of their property.
His face immediately lit up, as happiness flashed in his eyes.
Soon after the second car stopped by the entrance, Qin Sho quickly walked towards it and opened the door.
He was about to greet the people inside when a pair of smooth looking legs got in his way.
Unconsciously, his eyes started to admire them.
They were not the typical supermodel legs but they were inviting, making any man want to worship them ASAP.
His mind started to drift toward dreamland when a soft and innocent voice startled and pulled him back to reality.
"Uncle Sho!" The voice came from none other than Europa.
Qin Sho cleared his throat first before giving the little girl his reply.
"Wow, is that you Europa? You have grown a lot!"
He then turned his eyes to the owner of the legs.
"Hi, it's been a while." He said as he extended his right hand, offering her assistance.
Wang Reiji smiled as she took Qin Sho's hand and stepped her right foot out the car first and was gracefully followed by her left foot.
As soon as she was completely out, her red and yellow cheongsam with a dangerously high slit shone under the sunlight.
Her long auburn hair that she styled into a cool laid back half ponytail was held by an elegant hair barrette with a gold feather design.
"Yes, it's been a while." She said, letting go of Qin Sho's hand but two smaller hands quickly clasped them, stopping her.
Qin Sho and Wang Reiji looked at Europa at the same time.
That was just a coincidence, right? Europa's still an innocent girl and free of malicious thoughts.
However unknown to them, a guy with black stud earrings was looking at them through the lens of his binoculars.
"Good job, Europa!"
¹ a highly toxic, colorless powder that can be mixed in a solution.
🔘Chapter 77 — No Sister, No Brother
Yesterday, Europa threw a terrible tantrum when Wang Yuvin refused to take her with him in his meeting with Chairman Xu.
Though the chairman seemed nice and warm, he still had to be wary of him.
Besides, he must be extra careful on who he should trust.
"Bad uncle! Meanie! Meanie!" Europa yelled at the top of her lungs.
"I am really sorry, sweetie. Uncle has to go there by himself. Don't you worry, uncle will go home early to play with you. But for the meantime, sister Ai and sister Bai will keep you company." Wang Yuvin said as he gently stroked Europa's head.
"Meanie! Meanie! I want to go home! I don't want to stay here in Beijing anymore! Since we moved here everyone became busy! Uwaaaaaah!"
Wang Yuvin clenched his chest.
Europa might be very lonely here in Beijing. Back in the west, Europa was never lonely.
She had an army of playmates, the kids of their previous subordinates.
Also when their father was still alive, Europa was always with him wherever he went.
"Don't you want to play with sister Ai and sister Bai?" Wang Yuvin frowned.
"I want to play with them too but we can't play all the time because they have work to do!" Europa said, crying louder.
Wang Yuvin massaged his aching temples, this was the first time he witnessed how this sweet and obedient niece turned into a super stubborn kid.
Should he persuade his sister to find a man and give Europa siblings or should he find a wife and give Europa a playmate? Huh! Both solutions were easier said than done.
"Uwaaaahh! Bad Uncle! Meanie!"
Europa was at it again. It seemed like this little devil ehmm angel had no intentions of giving her uncle a break.
When Wang Yuvin's eardrums felt like bursting because of Europa's unceasing wailing, a savior came.
"Young master Yuvin, young master Rong had arrived," Ai said
"He is waiting for you downstairs," Bai added.
Qin Rong's name was like a magic spell, the instant Europa heard it, she immediately halted her sobs and wiped her tears dry.
She rushed down to see her other uncle.
"Problem solved!" Wang Yuvin exclaimed as his eyes twinkled.
==================
"Uncle Rong! Help me! Uncle Yuvin's being a meanie." Europa said as she wrapped her chubby arms around Qin Rong's right leg.
"Aww, what happened? Why are your eyes like that? Did your uncle bully you?"
Europa gently nodded her head.
"What's the problem? Come on, tell Uncle Rong." Qin Rong said, trying to comfort Europa.
"He doesn't want me to go with him in his today's trip."
"Ahh." Qin Rong said.
He was about to open his mouth to speak again but Wang Yuvin's loud voice overpowered his.
"Bro, please look after Europa for me. I'm late for my meeting with Chairman Xu." Wang Yuvin said as he patted Europa's head.
"Sorry, sweetie. Uncle Yuvin will make it up to you, promise." He then directed himself outside the door.
"Oi, oi, I haven't agreed with this yet." Qin Rong yelled.
"Uncle Rong, are you going to be a meanie too?" Europa looked up and flashed her best puppy eyes as she made eye contact with him.
"Kyaahh! So cute!" Qin Rong can't help but fell victim to Europa's trap.
"Let's play, Uncle Rong! Come, I'll show you my toys!"
"Okay! Let's go." Qin Rong said as Europa removed her arms from his leg and pushed him toward the staircase.
As soon as they got inside Europa's playroom, the little miss immediately took her toy tea set out.
"Uncle Rong, please take a seat and make yourself comfortable while I make you some tea."
"Okay, thank you." Qin Rong answered with a smile.
With a swift move, Europa poured a cup with tea, pretending that there'a liquid inside.
She then carefully placed the cup on the tray and brought it to Qin Rong.
"Here's your cup of tea. It's hot! Be careful not to burn your tongue."
"Wow, this smells nice." Qin Rong said as he sniffed the cup as if there's an actual tea in it. He then drank the contents of the cup. "It's delicious."
Europa smiled, but Qin Rong noticed a trace of sadness in her eyes.
"Aren't you happy playing with me?" He asked.
"I'm happy Uncle Rong. But I miss my playmates. And sorry, if your entire butt can't fit the chair." Europa said, looking down.
"Haha, it's okay. Don't worry about that. Anyway, thanks for the tea, shall we play another game?" Qin Rong suggested, however, what Europa said next stunned him.
"I want a sister. A brother would be fine too."
"Eh?"
"Mama calls Uncle Yuvin bro and Uncle Yuvin calls mama sister. But no one calls me sister, and I have no one to call sister or brother."
"Well, how about you call me brother and I call you sister?" Qin Rong joked.
"Nah! You're too old. So you are still an uncle." Europa rejected his idea right away.
"Listen, young girl, this uncle is still young, okay? Uncle Sho is the old uncle."
"Uncle Sho is your brother, right uncle Rong?"
"Uh-huh. Yes, he is my older brother."
"Are there kids in your house?"
"None, I'm the youngest person in our family." Qin Rong answered as he paused for a while when a crazy idea suddenly popped out his mind.
"You said you want a sister or a brother, right?"
"Hmmm yes."
"I have an idea." Qin Rong said as his lips formed a wide smile.
🔘Chapter 78 — Sweet Smell
"I have an idea. I will help you get a brother or a sister, in return, you have to help me get a niece or a nephew."
Europa gave Qin Rong a confused look.
"Erhmmm, how should I say this. Hmmm."
Qin Rong went silent for a while as he thought of a decent explanation.
He was concentrating really hard that small beads of sweat started forming on his forehead.
"Ehem... Ehem..." Qin Rong cleared his throat and took a deep breath after wiping his sweat.
"Listen, your future sibling will only appear if your mother, big sister Reiji, receives love from an old uncle." Qin Rong slightly nodded his head, seemingly pleased with his explanation.
However, Europa didn't speak right away. She just stared at Qin Rong with a bewildered look.
Because of her reaction, Qin Rong assumed that the little girl did not understand him.
So he took a deep breath again, closed his eyes and wracked his brain for another possible explanation.
"Hmmm love from an old uncle? Like your older brother?" Europa asked all of a sudden.
Qin Rong opened his eyes, smiled at her and said,
"Wow! Such a wise girl, indeed!" He then patted her head.
Europa chuckled, feeling proud of herself.
"Yes, you are right about that sweetie. If sister Reiji received love from my brother, you will get a sister or a brother."
Europa's gloomy face brighten up with Qin Rong's words.
"Wow! Can you help me tell Uncle Sho to give my mama love so I can get a sibling?" Europa's eyes twinkled with excitement.
"Sure! But you should help as well, okay?"
"Yes. I will help too, Uncle Rong!"
====================
Back to the present...
An air of awkward silence settled over Qin Sho and Wang Reiji.
The tension in the atmosphere thickened as they continued casting uneasy glances at each other.
"Both hands are so warm," Europa said as she brushed her plump cheeks on the back of their hands.
Wang Reiji was about to pull her hand away from Qin Sho's hand when she felt a pair of phoenix eyes on her.
Her eyes automatically searched for those eyes.
As soon as she looked up, she caught Qin Sho staring at her.
For an unknown reason, she got nervous, so she quickly turned her head away to hide the red glow on her cheeks.
'What's with him? Why was Qin Sho staring at me? Do I look funny?
Or Do I smell bad?' Wang Reiji thought as she discreetly sniffed her armpits.
When she was about to check the smell of her breath, she heard a soft giggle. She looked around to search for its source.
To her surprise, she saw a male chest a few inches away from her face.
'He is too close!' Her brain yelled.
Qin Sho was standing so close to her that she started inhaling the smell of his cologne.
'He smells good!' Wang Reiji's olfactory screamed the moment her nose got hit by Qin Sho's masculine scent.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare at you. I know that's impolite. But it's just that my eyes seemed naturally attracted to you." Qin Sho paused for a while.
He then smiled and said, "And don't worry, you don't smell bad, you smell really sweet." Qin Sho said as he gently squeezed Wang Reiji's hand before he let go.
"I bet my hand is warmer than your mother's."
Qin Sho immediately turned his gaze to the little girl as if he was avoiding the awkward situation.
"I think my mama's hands are warmer. But you probably have stronger arms."
"Of course, come here, let me give you a lift." Qin Sho said as he carried Europa in his arms.
"Ah, you don't have to do that. Europa's kinda heavy. Let me carry her." Wang Reiji said as she tried to take Europa from him.
"It's okay. Let's just say that this is my punishment for staring at you."
Qin Sho smiled as he turned away and walked toward the mansion's entrance.
Wang Reiji did not insist further the moment she saw how the two looked like a perfect pair of a loving father and an adorable daughter.
The heavens knew how she longed for something like this to happen.
How she longed to give Europa a complete family.
'Tsk'. She twitched her lips and smiled bitterly.
If Zhang Chenric wasn't stupid enough to believe other people's lies, they could have been a family.
"Just because something isn't happening for you right now, doesn't mean it will never happen." Wang Yuvin said as he put his arm around her shoulder.
"B-bro..." Wang Reiji's voice crackled.
"Great things take time to happen. But for now, let's just head inside before we die of heat stroke."
Wang Reiji smiled as her brother's words calmed her heart down.
Yes, no need to feel disappointed. It's not the end of her story yet. It was just the beginning.
🔘Chapter 79 — Meow!
As soon as Qin Sho and Europa stepped inside the mansion, they immediately saw Chairman Qin waiting for them.
"Welcome, little one!" With a warm smile and loving gaze, the old man approached them.
"Good day, Chairman Qin. Thank you for inviting us."
The little girl lowered her head down to show her respect to the elder.
"It's my honor to have you as my guest, little one."
The smile on Chairman Qin's face grew brighter with Europa's politeness.
"Anyway, where's your mother and uncle?" Chairman Qin furrowed his brows as his eyes looked for the siblings.
Soon after he asked his question, the pair showed up behind Qin Sho.
"Greetings, uncle Luo. Thank you for inviting us for lunch." Wang Reiji said, sounding very much polite.
"I should be the one thanking you for accepting my invitation. I heard that you are busy with your hotel's pre-opening, yet you find time for this old man and his sons." Chairman Qin said, trying his best not to sound sentimental.
Sensing a trace of loneliness from the old man's voice, Wang Reiji held the chairman's hands.
"You are already a part of our family, uncle Luo. And family members should make time for each other no matter how hectic their schedule is."
"I'm deeply touched by your words, Reiji." Teary-eyed, the old man gently squeezed her hands.
"But I'll be much happier if you become a part of the Qin household."
Wang Reiji slightly blushed upon hearing his words.
Chairman Qin was indirectly saying that he wanted her to become his daughter-in-law! But how should she react to this dilemma?
Wang Reiji started to contemplate as her mind analyzed the best response she can give to the chairman.
"Hehehe." In the end, she chose what she thought was the safest answer.
Chairman Qin did not attempt to reiterate his words.
For him, her reaction was enough to confirm that she didn't want to have that sort of conversation.
Though disappointed, he did not lose hope. As long as the two stayed connected, anything can be possible.
"Excuse me, Chairman Qin. Everything is set. The two chefs are ready as well." Butler Quan abruptly interrupted the conversation.
"Very well." The chairman replied.
"Let's now transfer to the terrace." The old man said as he led everyone to the area.
Since the lunch was more intimate this time and the guests were treated like family members, they decided to have lunch in the terrace to enjoy the overlooking view of the city.
Chairman Qin and his eldest son made sure that their guests felt comfortable so they chose the best outdoor furniture for the terrace.
They also hung some vibrant pink necklace plants on the railings.
Shade awnings were also installed to shield everyone from the blazing sun or a possible heavy rain.
As soon as everyone settled down, Europa started to become uneasy.
Like her mother, the little girl was wearing a cheongsam, the style was vintage though.
Unfortunately, her dress had no pockets, so where did she place the cookies for the Chairman?
"Darling, what's wrong? What's bothering you?"
Her mother asked the moment she noticed that she was moving her head from left to right as if looking for something.
With a worried expression on her face, Europa turned her gaze to her mother.
"C-cookies... Missing..."
Wang Yuvin who was sitting beside Wang Reiji heard their dialogue and decided to transfer beside Europa.
"Are you looking for this?" He then took out a round tin cookie container with scribbles that say 'For Chairman Qin'.
The worried look on Europa's face partially disappeared. She reached out for the container, suspicious.
"Don't worry, I did not take any cookie." Wang Yuvin chuckled.
The little girl smiled as she held the cookie container in her small hands.
"Do you want to give that to the chairman now?"
Europa frowned while staring at the scribbles on the container.
Sensing her daughter's disappointment on her not so impressive handwriting, she did what she must.
"It's that thought that counts. Don't worry about your handwriting, it can still be improved. What's important is that you are thoughtful enough to make cookies for the chairman."
The little girl nodded her head as she understood her mother's words.
"Thank you, mama."
"You're always welcome, sweetie. Now go ahead and give that to Chairman Qin."
Without delay, the little girl stood up and walked toward the old man's location, carrying the container in her arms.
The siblings were watching her, silently rejoicing over her achievement.
"Is this for me?" The chairman asked.
"Yes, this is for you Chairman Qin. I hope you'll like them."
"What a sweet child! Thank you." Chairman Qin then signaled his youngest son to come over them.
After a few moments, Qin Rong walked over to them carrying a lilac point Himalayan cat.
"Meow." The cat purred as it slightly raised its lavender-pink leather nose up.
Europa can't help but stare at the cat with amazement.
The cat had a glacier white body color with frosty pinkish gray points and pink paw pads.
Around its neck was a pink silicon name tag.
Though her writing skills were not yet polished, her reading skill was advanced for her age.
Thus, she was able to read what was written on the tag.
"Misha!" Europa uttered with excitement.
"Hahaha! What a clever girl. Yes, that cat's name is Misha." Chairman Qin sounded very impressed with the little girl.
"Misha is my gift to you." Europa's eyes widened and her jaw dropped the moment she realized that she was now Misha's guardian.
"However, you have to call me grandfather Luo from now on. Also you have to finish eating lunch first before you can play with Misha." Chairman Qin said.
"Yay! Thank you, Chair-- grandfather Luo!" Europa can't help but hugged the old man.
The chairman felt so touched that he also hugged Europa back.
"So, shall we eat now?" Chairman Qin directed his question to everyone.
Everyone nodded in uniform as they waited in anticipation.
Soon after Chairman Qin gave his signal, the two chefs together with their staff marched in the terrace and started preparing everyone's lunch.
🔘Chapter 80 — One True Love
The two executive chefs and their assistants wasted no time preparing the meals.
Chef Maxima and her sous-chef were in charge of the appetizer and the main course while Chef Violet and her assistant took care of the side dishes and dessert.
As the two executive chefs started to get serious with their cooking, a smell of rich promising delightful taste wafted into the air.
After some few minutes or so, the appetizer was served and the other dishes followed shortly.
The tray of butter garlic crab rolls looked tasty and the grilled steak was mouthwatering.
The huge platter of roast duck stuffed with herbs and nuts was a must-to-eat.
The varieties of seafood drizzled in sauces and the mixed salad were as equally impressive.
There were also waterfalls of chocolates, beautiful apple crisp served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup on top.
A basket of minted fresh strawberries lay beside a platter of creme brulee.
The moment her eyes spotted the apple crisp with the scoop of vanilla ice cream, Europa's mouth watered.
Apple was her favorite fruit, and vanilla was her favorite ice cream flavor, having two of her favorite flavors fused in one dessert, it made her feel like she was in cloud nine.
Noticing that her daughter was eyeing the dessert, Wang Reiji blocked Europa's view of the apple crisp.
"Sorry, babe. But the apple crisp will have to wait. You need to eat your meal first."
Europa frowned and turned her head to Wang Yuvin who was sitting beside her.
With her best puppy eyes, she looked at him, silently pleading.
Wang Yuvin swallowed a lump in his throat. Why must this pair of mother and daughter torture him?
Seeing no clear reaction from her uncle, Europa took the pleading to another level, she pouted her lips and fluttered her long eyelashes at Wang Yuvin.
'Must resist!' Wang Yuvin silently battled with himself.
However, since Europa's charms were so powerful he was forced to give in.
He then found his hands reaching out for a slice of an Apple Crisp. But instead of placing it on Europa's plate, he placed it on his plate.
"Bro!" Wang Reiji gave him a deadly stare.
"I am sorry sis. She's just too powerful." Wang Yuvin whimpered.
"Don't worry, I'll just give her one spoonful." He added.
Wang Reiji sighed. It seemed like she needed to talk to her brother about spoiling Europa or else her authority over her own daughter would be jeopardized.
Europa's eyes twinkled the instant she tasted the delicious apple crisp.
She wanted more but Wang Yuvin remained firm about giving her only one spoonful of the dessert.
"You can eat the rest of it later. If I give you more, your mother's gonna strangle me to death." Wang Yuvin explained.
The little girl gently nodded her head as she silently gave the apple crisp a see you later look.
Soon after all the dishes were completely served and everyone started eating, Chairman Qin called the chefs and asked them to introduce themselves.
After the chefs had finished introducing themselves and their recipes, they excused themselves.
Chef Maxima needed to fly back to Italy and Chef Violet had an event to attend to.
Everyone thanked the chefs and showered them with praises.
X---------------------------x
Once the satisfying lunch was done, Chairman Qin invited Wang Reiji and Wang Yuvin for tea in his study room.
He then instructed his youngest son to look after Europa who was busy playing with her pet, Misha.
While Qin Sho headed to his room to fetch some documents before getting inside Chairman Qin's study room as well.
As soon as the siblings have settled inside the study room, Butler Quan who followed after them served the tea and immediately exit the room.
"Let's just wait for Sho before we start our discussion." Chairman Qin said before taking a sip of tea.
While waiting for Qin Sho, Wang Reiji scanned the chairman's study room.
The floor of the study was covered with lotus abstract carpet while the walls were full of Chinese landscape and calligraphy paintings.
A beautiful Chinese style square led ceiling light made from wood hung perfectly above their heads and the pile of documents on the chairman's solid wood desk was neatly arranged beside an old photograph.
Noticing Wang Reiji's gaze was on the photograph, the chairman lifted it up and handed it over to her.
"It's okay, take a closer look."
"Thank you, Uncle Luo." Wang Reiji said as she took the photograph from the old man's hand.
Curious as his sister was, Wang Yuvin also examined the photograph.
The photograph looked old, probably around 40 years or more.
It was a photograph of the two patriarchs, standing side by side when they were still in their prime.
Basing from the photograph's background, it was taken somewhere near the floating torii gate or the Itsukushima Shrine in the Island of Miyajima.
"It was taken before your father left Japan. He was 25 back then and I was only 21 years old." Chairman Qin started narrating the story behind the photograph.
"That was the day he sailed to Beijing to look for your mother, Skyla. They were lovers at that time but unfortunately, Skyla's mission here in Beijing tore them apart." Chairman Qin continued as his lips formed a bitter smile.
"Isamu spent 40 years looking for your mother. However, when he found her, she was already six feet under the ground. Though brokenhearted, Isamu still did his best to uncover the truth. He did whatever he can to know what happened to your mother during those years." The chairman tried to stay calm despite his crackling voice.
"Initially, Isamu thought that you were his biological daughter that's why he was stalking you.
However, DNA results showed that you were not his. And after some more time, he learned that Skyla had permanently lost all her memories. That she died without any memory of him and their past."
Wang Reiji, though she already knew the story, felt her heart was squeezed by a strong nagging feeling.
If Wang Daizhuo had found her mother sooner, maybe he was able to save her from depression and death.
That maybe Zhang Chenric would not accuse her of having a romantic relationship with Wang Daizhuo when all she did was comfort an old man who was going through the toughest time of his life --- after many years of searching for his one true love, he found her --- grave.
She forced a smile. Maybe Zhang Chenric's love for her that time was of little depth.
Yes, it was love. But not as enduring as what Wang Daizhuo had for her mother.
Maybe it was a love that was supposed to grow during the passing of days.
But unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough to survive a calamity.
She took a deep breath before taking a sip from the tea to calm her system down.
She was about to take another sip when she sensed a gaze from her peripheral view.
"Why are you staring at me like that bro?" She asked.
"Now that I heard that story again, it made me wonder. Is Aunt Skyla an orphan? It seemed like her relatives in Japan did not bother to look for her." Wang Yuvin said before pouring his cup with tea.
Wang Reiji furrowed her brows as she turned her head to the Chairman's direction.
"Your mother has a younger brother."
Chairman Qin paused and took another sip of his tea.
"Sho and I think that he also went here in Beijing to look for your mother."
Wang Reiji almost spat the tea back to her cup.
"U-uncle? I have a maternal uncle?"