Chapter 373 - 354: Sweet Home?-II

Li Lian was also surprised to see Xie Hue Lin and her parents falling down on the ground before her eyes shifted at Violet whose hand was on her lips as if to cover the smile that quirked up her lips.

Xie Hue Lin was the first one to stand up before her parents followed, and Senior Mrs. Xie gasped when she saw how Mr. Xie's nose were bleeding. Li Lian walked beside her grandmother, taking the tissue to share it to her grandmother.

"Thank you Li Lian, is your nose, alright? How could you fall face first?" asked Senior Mrs. Xie who could not understand how they could fall on top of each other after opening the door.

Mr. Xie used one hand to hold the tissue to his bleeding nose and the other to point at Li Lian. "That girl was blocking the door with her body then move without notice!" There was anger in Mr. Xie's voice and Li Lian didn't feel the least sad but when her grandmother look at her, she used a sad expression.

Senior Mrs. Xie shifted her eyes then to her only son with a frown on her forehead, "Li Lian was sitting beside me how could you accuse her of something she didn't do?"

"Mother, please stop defending Li Lian, there was indeed someone blocking the door that made us hard to enter!" Mrs. Xie said, supporting her husband as it was the truth.

"Aww, my hand," whine Xie Hue Lin who was holding to her wrist, making a pained expression so her grandmother wouldn't rescue Li Lian from the situation but instead, a sigh came from the elderly woman.

"Was it you who was inside this room or me? She had been sitting beside me and didn't you see when you fell down that Li Lian had been on the seat not in front of the door?" Senior Mrs. Xie looked at them with a disbelief expression. Violet was quick to move behind Li Lian's chair with her hand holding the present Li Lian brought which didn't made others to become suspicious of her.

"But-" Mrs. Xie started for Senior Mrs. Xie to direct her disapproving expression to her daughter in law.

"It must have been the lock of the door. I have to,d you many time that the door have problem and you should fix the door not blame your daughter who hadn't done anything," Senior Mrs. Xie then turned her face at Xie Hue Lin who was holding her wrist that barely hit the ground, "do you think your hand is alright?" Senior Mrs. Xie wasn't aware of Xie Hue Lin's hatred against Li Lian and as their grandmother, she felt she should be equal in kindness to them both.

"I think it is alright," said Xie Hue Lin, playing it off as a very fragile girl who was trying to be strong.

"Call the housekeeper and tell her to check your hands. I still have a few things to talk with Li Lian without anyone interrupting us," Senior Mrs. Xie pressed her words with eyes looking at the three to tell notify that it was a private matter she would like to speak only with Li Lian. Noticing the tone her grandmother rarely use, Li Lian and Xie Hue Lin grew curious.

"Now leave," Senior Mrs. Xie instructed when Xie Hue Lin walked near her.

"Grandmother can I stay with you, I also want to talk with sister about the time when she was not at home." If one came and saw the expression Xie Hue Lin made, they would take her as a very sweet little sister whose thought was only on her sister's best interest. This behavior of her had been created since the past, thought Li Lian and it had never failed to make other believe her fake character.

Senior Mrs. Xie used a gentler tone to Xie Hue Lin, saying, "You will have time for that later, my dear. There is things that I wish to share only with your sister."

What was it? Xie Hue Lin asked on her heart. Since Li Lian came to the house, her grandmother had always thought about Li Lian, putting her the first even before her even though she had been the one who always stayed beside her. 

It was unfair. Li Lian had always stole whatever she had and she the last thing Xie Hue Lin was afraid she would take was her position in the house as the daughter in the family. It almost happened in the past. Therefore, to make it never repeated again, she had use every means to erase Li Lian. She had tried ways to make her grandmother believe how Li Lian wasn't the kind granddaughter she perceives to be which was all for nothing.

"If it is a secret I can keep quiet or is it something that would be bad if I hear?" questioned Xie Hue Lin again. She was eager to know and thought she should stick beside her grandmother to hear her conversation in fear that Li Lian would steal something that was hers.

"I could," started Xie Hue Lin for Li Lian to interject between their conversation.

"It wouldn't take long Hue Lin, right grandmother?" On Li Lian's irritating voice to Xie Hue Lin's ears, she looked at Li Lian with a glaring eyes.

"Yes, just a moment. Menqu," said Senior Mrs. Xie to the housekeeper who had come to the place, "treat Hue Lin's wrist, she fell on her hand before and be careful." with that, Senior Mrs. Xie closed the door behind them. By time, Mr. and Mrs. Xie had left for Mr. Xie had to attend his wounded nose.

"Lady Hue Lin," Menqu called to gather Xie Hue Lin's attention when she raised her hand that was 'wounded' to the man to tell them be quiet before pressing her ears to the side of the door. She tried to pull any noise from the door but to no avail as the door was thick enough to dampen the noise from inside.

Xie Hue Lin turned her face to Menqu, "Is there not any way where I could hear the sound inside?" she asked the housekeeper who wondered why but didn't put the question to her tongue.

"I believe there is none, most room in the house are created so the noise from inside the room would be reduced outside."

"All?" asked Xie Hue Lin for Menqu to nod and she tsked. 

"Should we go now to tend your hand, miss?" Menqu questioned again, repeating his question.

"No I'm fine, I will go out now." Xie Hue Lin made her way out of the hallway. If she could not hear the conversation by any means then there were nothing she could do. After Li Lian had left, she would have her time to inquire her grandmother what they spoke of.  Her grandmother thought of her very fondly with time and coaxing, she would tell her in time.

Stepping out, Xie Hue Lin saw He Chang Min entering the house and she quickly stepped down from the staircase. He Chang Min put on a sweet smile on his lips upon seeing how Xie Hue Lin walked and hugged her, without forgetting to return the hug. Deep down he would have tore the hug but he had no choice than to keep up the acting he had been doing.

"I'm sorry I came late," said He Chang Min. He found Senior Mrs. Xie to be the single and only person who was kind in the family. Therefore, he came to the party. If it was the birthday party of Mr. and Mrs. Xie he would have created an excuse. Excluding Xie Hue Lin's birthday as it would turn the woman to be suspicious on his behavior.

"No, you are not late the party hasn't yet started, you still have two more minutes and your mother is waiting in the sitting room," Xie Hue Lin answered to swept her hair from her shoulder and key it fall on her back, "Min ge, how do I look today?"

"Gorgeous, you are very beautiful Hue Lin now and every day, just like a rose," He Chang Min praised with a loving smile. He called her rose for a reason. Once it was pulled roses would look beautiful but the thorns would make the one who pluck the rose to bleed. She used her innocent act to be like a beautiful rose when in truth what she held was thorns to harm everyone near her to be the only one to shine.

Xie Hue Lin smiled coquettishly, "You are also handsome, Min ge, I can't keep my eyes off you because of I do, I'm afraid that you would find someone else better than me."

"Don't worry, that will never happen," because since the beginning you had been the lowest person in my mind, added He Chang Min in his own thought, letting the word To be told inside his heart but not his lips. "I only have my eyes on you." One could take He Chang Min's words literally but the truth was his words had a very far stretched meaning.

"Where is grandmother? I want to meet her and have a talk." After Li Lian's death, He Chang Min didn't have a good relationship with Senior Mrs. Xie but the man found himself respecting the woman as she was Li Lian's only ally in the house.

"Grandmother is out, she is thinking to take a walk, we should let her have a time of her own and talk to her later." said Xie Hue Lin with lies. She didn't want He Chang Min to meet Li Lian and fell for her again. Li Lian was no different than a thieving cat who always steal other's attention from her and she has to keep keen eyes so she wouldn't steal He Chang Min's attention.

"Okay," agreed He Chang Min when he heard a commotion behind him. The two turned their head curiously to see the luxurious black car that stopped at the entrance.