248 Everything Had A Price

Days passed and Scarlet City suffered tremendous losses from its falling stock prices. It was absolute chaos for Mu Lihua. She had repeatedly requested meetings with both Lily and Zhuo Jingren, and both of them steadfastly refused to see her.

While the fall of the stocks was a big problem, the matter that Mu Lihua had been struggling with the most was actually her reputation. After Zhuo Jingren's spokesperson announced their disappointment with her actions, many businessmen and other influential members of society instantly accused her of being ruthless, calling her names behind her back and laughing at her downfall.

How could Mu Lihua take this insult?

"CEO Mu… I really cannot help you. Right now, I don't want to antagonize either Lily or President Zhuo," Xuan Hui answered as he looked straight into Mu Lihua's eyes. He and Mu Lihua had been close in the past because of her aunt being a part of the Yang Family. In fact, Mu Lihua was one of the girls that Yang Lina asked Xuan Hui to marry after his failed engagement to Qin Jinghua.

In response, Mu Lihua let out a sigh as she shifted her gaze away from Xuan Hui. She truly couldn't figure out why she even bothered coming here to see Xuan Hui. She knew that Xuan Hui was struggling due to his mother's imprisonment, and yet Mu Lihua still put her needs first and came here to ask him if he could think of a way to reach out to Lily and Zhuo Jingren.

Inwardly, Mu Lihua was actually hoping that he would introduce her to Lily's father, however, Xuan Hui instantly refused to help her. "Well… I think I should just stop trying to request a meeting," she said while mentally gnashing her teeth. All she wanted was to tell them about Qi Xia's plan so she could use Lily and Zhuo Jingren against him.

Mu Lihua's jaw clenched the second she thought of that despicable man! She really would not stop until that user Qi Xia paid for leaving her mired in a failed plan.

"Well… I apologize for not being able to help. However, be careful of Lily. She is a very treacherous individual. I won't go into details, but she was the one responsible for what happened to my family just a few weeks ago," Xuan Hui said. Mu Lihua had been close to him in the past; it is only fair that he warn her about Lily's sinister personality.

"What do you mean? Did she frame Aunt Lina? Why would…." Mu Lihua stared at Xuan Hui as the realization hit her. "Is this because of what happened years ago? Because you did not marry her?"

"Probably," Xuan Hui lied with a straight face. "All I know is she was the one responsible for our family issues, while her husband is responsible for the big trouble that the Qin Industries are facing now. They are ruthless people who wouldn't hesitate to kick you even if you were already down."

Mu Lihua's face turned even darker when she heard Xuan Hui's statement. If only she had a choice back then, she would not have offended Zhuo Jingren. However, it is too late for her to regret her decisions now. All she could do was try and fix the damage caused by her actions. "Alright, I won't take any more of your time. Thank you so much for agreeing to see me." Mu Lihua rose from her seat and held out her hand to shake Xuan Hui's hand. Though they were longtime friends, Mu Lihua still wanted to be formal. In response, Xuan Hui rose from his seat and shook her hand while giving Mu Lihua a smile.

And this is the scene that Qin Fei saw when she opened the door of Xuan Hui's office. Her husband shaking the hand of a beautiful woman. Qin Fei instantly felt irritated as she walked towards them with a smile on her face.

"Hey… why are you here?" Xuan Hui instantly let go of Mu Lihua's hand and walked towards his wife. "You need to get lots of rest. Why are you…"

"I was so bored at home so I asked mother to take care of my son. Don't worry so much," she smiled sweetly before looking at Mu Lihua. "And this is?"

….

Meanwhile, Mu Qingling slowly made her way to her room while carrying a big duffel bag. She just landed in Hong Kong using a different ID and passport, in an effort to avoid informing her sister.

After a little while, Mu Qingling arrived at the room and was about to open the door with her key when someone opened the door from the inside for her to enter. Her instincts instantly became alert as she narrowed her eyes at the person who was elegantly seated on the small bed.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes shifting to the tall man who opened the door for her.

"Call me Mr. B," the man who was sitting on her bed answered while giving her a smile. "I was the one who sent you the passport and ID or… do you still need reminding?" he lifted his eyebrows, instantly giving off a cold aura.

Mu Qingling stared at the man who called himself Mr. B before  slowly walking into the room. Mr. B was wearing a three-piece suit and a small smile on his pink lips. His hair was brushed back, making him looked professional and… a little scary. She stood in front of Mr. B. and bravely enquired, "What do you want from me?" The information that she received about Mu Lihua, together with the passport and ID all came from someone named Mr. B. While Mu Qingling does not trust this man, she is still more than a little interested to know the reason why he wanted her back in Hong Kong.

"Take a seat, Miss Mu." Mr. B signaled his companion to offer her a seat. The man instantly complied and positioned a chair so that she could sit comfortably. After making sure that Mu Qingling was settled, Mr. B continued, "I'm sure you already know that this meeting has something to do with your sister."

In response, Mu Qingling nodded. "I am not supposed to be here. If Mu Lihua knew that I was here then she would…" she made a paused and bit her lip before she lowered her head. At Mu Qingling's lowest point, Mu Lihua happily kicked her and made sure that she would not receive a penny of her parent's money. With such a ruthless sister, Mu Qingling couldn't help but pity herself. Why was she so unlucky as to be born a member of a very ruthless family?

"I will help you destroy your sister," Mr. B said, making Mu Qingling quickly lift her head and stare at the handsome man in front of her.

"Why?" Mu Qingling asked in confusion. After what happened in the past with Zhuo Jingren and his wife, Mu Qingling believed that everything had a price. Every scheme has its own effect. Nothing in this world is free, and karma has a special way of asking people to pay their debts.

"Your sister brought the orphanage where I grew up. She wanted to build some infrastructure for her empire. I would love to explain the details but it would only bore you," Mr. B crossed his legs and stared at Mu Qingling intently. "I am not the type of person who would let something like this pass, Miss Mu. Your sister offended me and I would like to make her pay."

"I read the news. Does this mean that you are acquainted with Zhuo Jingren?" she asked. To be honest, Mu Qingling does not want anything to do with that man anymore. Zhuo Jingren is a monster and no one would convince her otherwise.