287 Uninvited

"Why are you here?" Qin Yuanfeng carefully checked both ends of the hallway and nearby doorways for any evidence that Lily was being followed before pulling her inside, glancing around once again to make sure that no one else was aware of them. He nailed his landlord with a deadly stare before slamming the apartment door in his face.

"I own this place… I mean my husband does," Lily explained before her greedy side kicked in. "But well… it's mine now," She beamed with the glowing smile of a true money lover.

"Why are you here? And why are you acting all friendly with me?" he asked, irritation evident in his tone. His plan was to visit Lily after learning that Zhang Yifei intends to bring everyone to Hong Kong. Moreover, Qin Yuanfeng does not like it when his machinations are interrupted or changed by others. In this case, Lily's unexpected arrival completely ruined the grandiose way in which he'd planned to reveal his true identity.

"First of all… you are just weird," Lily said as she eyed Qin Yuanfeng's living room. There were two shoes that were neatly placed just below the TV. On the walls hung two frames that were perfectly aligned in a geometrically symmetrical proximity to each other. Lily's expressive eyebrow lifted in silent judgement. Everything was neatly arranged - too neatly. Everything was also grouped by two's. "Second, well there is no second. You are just weird. Period."

Lily sat, uninvited, on his couch and smiled at him. "I was not expecting that you would look exactly like me." The first thing she noticed the moment she saw him was their resemblance. This was not the case when she saw him days ago. Now, however, the man had simply donned a wig and some glasses and suddenly the resemblance was just too uncanny.

"That is not the answer to my question...," he said as he sat across from Lily. "...but I would assume that you've already found out about me being your brother. With your husband's influence, how long did it take? Twelve? Or twenty-four hours?"

Lily didn't answer him.  Instead, she just stared at Qin Yuanfeng as he removed his disguise. He carefully placed his wig on the coffee table in front of them, then he aligned the glasses neatly below the wig so that they were perfectly centered under the tips of the wig. His movements were quick and precise, making Lily realise that he was experienced in frequently removing his disguises with speed and with great attention to detail to avoid being found out. Clearly he's been doing this for quite some time.

This man must be a neat freak too, Lily thought as she continued to stare at his little ritual.

"Staring is kind of rude," he said. "Aren't you going to give me a hug? A tear, maybe? You've finally found your long lost relative."

"You are such a jerk," Lily belittled him as a sister would do.

"And you are stupid to come here alone. Who knows if I am your enemy? I could kill you right now and your lover boy wouldn't be able to save you from me," he countered, earning a chuckle from Lily.

"He is just outside. But… because of what you said…" Lily tilted her head and looked at the door that was just kicked in, revealing Zhuo Jingren with a murderous look on his face. "See?" Lily  lifted an eyebrow at her brother's reaction.

She wanted to have a private conversation with Qin Yuanfeng but Zhuo Jingren insisted on coming along for protection. Lily felt that a conversation with just her and Qin Yuanfeng would be much more productive without her husband, however Zhuo Jingren had no interest in going along with that plan and insisted on tagging along. To be fair, neither of them knew what Qin Yuanfeng's agenda was so it was best to follow him to ensure her safety.

The only reason why she entered alone was because she agreed to bring a Taser and an audio recorder, allowing her husband to monitor her conversation with Qin Yuanfeng. The second Qin Yuanfeng uttered those words, Lily knew that Zhuo Jingren would not let it pass.

Lily heaved a weary sigh as she watched Zhuo Jingren approach and take a seat, uninvited, next to her on Qin Yuanfeng's sofa. "You alright?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah," she answered. It was only reasonable for Zhuo Jingren to be worried. Lily was talking to someone who was a potential enemy.

"Pay for my door," Qin Yuanfeng said In a money-grubbing tone that proved that they were twins.

However, Zhuo Jingren did not respond to him. He never even glanced at Qin Yuanfeng. He was about to curse Zhuo Jingren out when he heard someone moving behind them. He instantly turned his head towards the door and was somehow not surprised to see a man trying to close the door to give them a degree of privacy. The man looked at Zhuo Jingren and Lily as he said, "I will be right outside." He eyed Qin Yuanfeng suspiciously before he walked out of the room.

"Why is he looking at me like I am a criminal?" he asked.

"You are a criminal," Zhuo Jingren answered.

"Yeah… says the man who launders money for notorious people," Qin Yuanfeng answered. How could he not realise exactly how Zhuo Jingren gained power and built his empire?  Qin Yuanfeng had completed very comprehensive study of the man who'd pursued and married his sister once he hacked his way into Jingren's computer.

As expected, Zhuo Jingren did not answer him. Instead he continued to avoid looking at Qin Yuanfeng.

"So... Why are you here looking for me?" This time it was Lily who asked the question. She couldn't understand why these two hated each other so much, but that was their problem. She would not let it get in the way of her goal in coming here.

"You were the one who came here looking for me. I am supposed to ask you this question," Qin Yuanfeng quipped snarkily.  There was absolutely no point in asking Lily how she knew that he was looking for her when his reaction the second time they met was a clear indication that he already knew everything about Qin Jinhua - well, not everything.

"I was never expected that you would be this difficult to talk to," Lily said as her face turned serious. "As you can see, you are clearly outnumbered. Tell me the truth or I won't hesitate to make you suffer."

"What?" Qin Yuanfeng wide eyed stare was evidence of his disbelief at Lily's bare threat. "I am your BROTHER. Why are you threatening me?!! Are you out of your mind?"

"So what if I am? Does it matter? Stop worrying about my state of mind. Worry about yourself. I am not sure why you are here. I don't believe in coincidences and I am a very direct person. I don't like to waste my time investigating… goose chases, so… Let's do this again. Hi, my name is Lily. I am your sister. Why are you looking for me?" she asked as her lips curved into a sinister smile, instantly making Qin Yuanfeng's Adam's apple bobble as he swallowed in fear.

Who IS this woman? His reports never mentioned a word about her being ruthless to her friends and family. He was her brother! A twin! Someone with almost identical DNA as her, yet she didn't think twice about threatening to hurt him just to make him talk? However, the shock didn't last for long when he factored in every detail about the things 'family' had done to her seven years ago.

She had been through a lot. This… This ruthlessness would be a normal reaction from someone who'd experienced what she went through. If he was in her shoes, he would think exactly the same way as her. Qin Yuanfeng let out a long sigh as he stared straight into Lily's eyes.

"I am here to know what happened to my sister who disappeared seven years ago. I am here to know if our mother was really murdered," then he lowered his head and clenched his jaw. He was here to know if… if Bec even knew that he existed.

He was here to find out why she left him with those monsters. Why him?

Qin Yuanfeng chuckled inwardly. Who was he kidding? Who cares about Bec Facci's thoughts? He was only here for revenge.