BXBX NOVEL Chapter 4 Come Back To Shanghai
Sixteen years back
When Zhou Liying/ Qin Tian was ten years old
"Why did you leave me alone grandma? How am I to live when you and mommy both are not at my side? Who will protect me from the clasp of uncle and aunt?"
Sitting in front of the photo of her deceased maternal grandmother, Qin Tian was crying bitterly. Her eyes were red and swollen because of crying. Her nose was also red. Big tears were falling from her eyes.
"No one…loves…me…sob…sob…sob…"
She shivered and thought about all the tortures which were going to befall on her now that her supporter, her shield was gone. She knew her uncle and aunt were going to make her work as their slave. From then on, her life would be a living hell.
"Grandma…." She stopped speaking when she heard heavy footsteps. She stiffened, well aware of the identity of the person who entered the room where she was crying.
In her frozen state, she noticed Qin Yanze taking his seat beside her. She looked at him with fear.
In her initial ten years of life, Qin Yanze never liked her. He didn\'t acknowledge her as his granddaughter. In his eyes, she was the reason his daughter didn\'t marry anyone. She was an illegitimate daughter who brought bad luck to her mother.
Qin Yanze was always cold and emotionless toward her. That was how she knew him at that moment. From under her eyelashes, she noticed him weeping which left her in shock.
She looked at him carefully, only to realize that he was weeping for his deceased wife.
Feeling sad for him, Qin Tian shifted toward her grandpa and removed his tears. She hugged him tight while whispering, "I am here for you."
That night, they both cried in the warmth of each other and that was the start of their budding relationship.
Soon, Qin Yanze became her supporter, the only person who loved her in her hell hole.
**
"TianTian."
Zhou Liying heard the weak and loving voice of Qin Yanze, the moment the call got connected.
She plugged the Bluetooth device in her ear and started to jog while talking with her grandpa.
"Grandpa, how are you doing? Any improvement in your health."
Qin Yanze was very sick. He was on his death bed. No one knew when he\'d die. For the last eight months, the hospital was his home, with doctors, and nurses his family.
"Stop asking about improvement in my health. It\'s the same as usual. You tell me miss, is there any update on your relationship?" Qin Yanze asked in a stern yet heavy voice.
"As usual. I ditched him."
"Why? Wasn\'t he huge?" he teased and Zhou Liying chuckled. "He was."
"Then, he didn\'t know how to use it. Such a waste."
The mood of Zhou Liying lightened up when talking with Qin Yanze. He like usual was continuously teasing her about her private life. He was her best friend with whom she exchanged many dirty jokes.
"TianTian, I will end the call. Your uncle is here." Qin Yanze hastily ended the call.
Her uncle, Qin Yihong was not aware of her whereabouts or her identity, nor he knew that she called Qin Yanze regularly. Zhou Liying wanted things to be like this only, hence Qin Yanze ended the call.
Zhou Liying continued her jogging while thinking about the past.
When she learned how her grandpa had collapsed, she was left heartbroken. Forgetting that she was hiding from him, she made him a call. And from then on, she called him regularly, nearly daily.
She was still jogging when to her utter surprise, she received a call from Mister Zhang, the secretary of Qin Yanze. Clouds of concern appeared on her head when she saw his name on her mobile screen.
Mister Zhang was the secretary of Qin Yanze for the last thirty years. He was the one who made all the arrangements for Zhou Liying to leave Shanghai six years back.
Mister Zhang was still beside Qin Yanze even though he was lying on his death bed. That was why Zhou Liying became scared of reading his name. She thought something happened to her grandpa.
"Mister Zhang, is everything alright? Is grandpa alright?"
"He is alright for now Miss." She heard a polite and familiar voice from the other side of the phone. She sighed. "Miss, do you have time? I want to discuss something urgent with you."
"I am free. Speak. What do you want to discuss?"
"Miss, boss is lying to you. He is not at all fine." There was sadness in the voice of Mister Zhang. "His health has deteriorated badly in the last one week. Doctors have already raised their hands. Sir hardly have a month left."
Zhou Liying\'s heart sunk when she heard Mister Zhang. Unconsciously, she clutched her hands tight and stopped in the middle of the running track. Traitor tears appeared in her eyes.
"He doesn\'t want you to worry about him, that\'s why he isn\'t telling you the truth. But I know, he is dying." He sighed. "Miss, can you please return and meet the boss for the last time?" he requested.
"Boss will not say, but he misses you and wants to spend his last days with you. I have seen him cry for you. He is hurting badly that nor you nor his family is beside him, looking after him, during his last days."
Words of Mister Zhang were like arrows in her heart because she could very well understand the pain of her grandfather.
"Miss, I know the reason you don\'t want to be back but can\'t you change your mind for the boss? Please."
"I will think about it." Zhou Liying gritted out and abruptly ended the call, not giving any chance to Mister Zhang to speak.
Zhou Liying was scared to return to Shanghai because that place reminded her of her crime. No matter how bad Qin Yutong was to her, but she thought it was wrong of her to attempt to snatch her boyfriend from her.
She was angry at herself that she fell at the level of her maternal family to get some foolish revenge. She brought embarrassment not only to herself but also to her grandfather.
"What should I do now?" she felt agitated and ran around the running ground at a fast speed.
Her eyes were red and tears were flowing from her eyes. She was feeling helpless. She wanted to be beside her grandpa but there was something which was pulling her back.
She ran around the ground at a fast speed, without any breather for half an hour. She was feeling angry at herself for not being able to win over her only fear and that was her past in Shanghai!