CHAPTER 201: CHAPTER 193: MU XIULAN

Hong Kong Repulse Bay

Mu Xiulan was wearing a light green cheongsam, her figure curvy and alluring, swaying with grace. Time seemed to have left few marks on her, as the woman in her thirties still looked like a girl in her twenties. And having given birth to a child added a certain mature charm to her, like a ripe peach, radiant and dazzling, capable of stopping any man in his tracks.

At the moment, Mu Xiulan’s brows were slightly furrowed, seemingly troubled by something on her mind. In her hand, she toyed with a pocket watch. If Tian Sisi were here, she would notice that this watch was identical to the one He Xuewen wore.

"Xiulian, are you thinking about your daughter again?"

A middle-aged man with a somewhat bandit-like appearance walked in from outside. Despite being suited and booted, with a top hat and cane, there wasn’t a shred of refinement to be found in his demeanor. Instead, he resembled more of a thug, completely spoiling the bespoke suit he wore.

"Yes, I feel uneasy. I had a dream about Tuantuan again during my nap just now. She looked just like me. By my calculations, my Tuantuan must be ten years old now!"

Mu Xiulan leaned lazily on the sofa, languorous as a cat, making the man itch with longing as he approached her like a drooling dog.

"Go away, you reek of alcohol—disgusting. Keep your distance."

Mu Xiulan covered her mouth and nose, waving her hand dismissively to shoo the man away. But he wasn’t offended, instead, he playfully removed his jacket, which a maid standing by immediately took with due respect.

"Tuantuan looks just like you, Xiulian, so she must be a little beauty, too."

Men can’t stand to see women upset and would say sweet things to cheer them up. Seeing her still frowning, he had an idea and moved closer to placate her:

"Xiulian, how about this? I’ll find an artist to paint a portrait that resembles you. It will be of a girl around ten years old. Then I can have my men who travel to the Mainland inquire around. We might just find Tuantuan that way."

Mu Xiulan’s eyes lit up, and she patted the man’s chubby cheek in praise, saying, "Let’s do that, you’ve come up with a good idea. Now make sure to get it done quickly and don’t forget!"

"How could I? I might forget anything else but never the task my dear wife has entrusted to me!" The man embraced Mu Xiulan and kissed her, and though she giggled and struggled playfully, she eventually let him be.

After a bit of playful bickering, they finally caught their breath. Mu Xiulan had a rosy flush on her cheeks, tempting the man so much that he wished he could head straight to the bedroom for a ’three hundred rounds’ battle. But with some brothers coming over soon, the man could only suppress his desires reluctantly and whispered in Mu Xiulan’s ear, "I’ll take care of you tonight!"

Mu Xiulan rolled her eyes at him and stood up, fixing her dress slightly, "I’m off to inspect the factory, and tonight I have to attend Mrs. Zhou’s soirée, so I won’t be back for dinner."

"Mrs. Zhou? Is she the one whose family is in textiles?"

"Yeah, that’s her family. Today is her father-in-law, Mr. Zhou’s sixtieth birthday. I heard the Zhou Family is preparing to have a three-day banquet!"

"The Zhou Family really likes to show off. Didn’t you say last time that Mrs. Zhou showed off her diamond necklace in front of you? After this, I’ll accompany you to Dingfeng to buy an even bigger one—blind her with its sparkle. How dare she look down on my wife, Qiao Ziqiang’s wife, hmph!"

Qiao Ziqiang’s jowls trembled with his words, and the maid standing next to him couldn’t help but shudder, evidently very afraid of him.

Mu Xiulan, however, seemed unaffected. Smiling, she lifted her eyebrows and pecked Qiao Ziqiang on the face, "Then thank you, husband!"

With that, the woman grabbed her purse and, wearing her high-heeled shoes, clicked her way out the door. A group of men in suits and ties, emanating the same kind of presence as Qiao Ziqiang, were coming in through the door, equally ruining their fine suits.

"Big sister-in-law!"

The men all greeted Mu Xiulian with utmost respect. Mu Xiulian smiled at them before getting into the chauffeured car, which quickly sped away.

As soon as Mu Xiulian was gone, the clearly-not-so-decent group of men became casual. They shed their suits till they were just in shirts, and one was even about to light a cigarette and start puffing away.

"Pack that up now. Even I, your big brother, don’t dare to smoke at home, are you looking for a beating?"

"Big brother, you’ve become a model husband now—Hong Gu must be dying of thirst!"

"Get lost, I broke it off with Hong Gu long ago. You lot better watch your mouths. If your big sister-in-law hears any of this nonsense, I’ll cut out your tongues. Got it?"

Everyone in the living room held their breath as Qiao Ziqiang abruptly raised his voice, his expression darkening. They all responded in unison, affirming they understood.

"Big brother, what did you call us here for?" Another older man asked.

"It’s nothing urgent. It’s just that the New Dragon Association has been getting cocky lately, and I plan to teach them a lesson. Fei, I’m leaving this to you. Be mindful of the extent, got it?"

Fei was a man in his twenties, quite good-looking except for the messy tattoos on his body that spoiled his appearance. Yet, he seemed very proud of those tattoos, loving to bare his tattooed arms.

"A Ji, how are the gambling dens under your charge doing?"

"Ah Li, what about the nightclub on your side?"

Qiao Ziqiang asked them one by one, and upon receiving satisfactory replies, a pleased smile appeared on his face. After giving a few more instructions to his subordinates, he waved them off to dismiss them.

Qiao Ziqiang was the boss of one of the largest triads in Hong Kong, the Yaoxing Gang. At that time, there were three major gangs in Hong Kong, holding a tripartite balance of power. Besides the Yaoxing Gang, there were the New Dragon Association and the Ju Yi Gang. While no large-scale gang wars had broken out amongst the three, small conflicts did occur frequently. As long as things didn’t escalate too much, the police turned a blind eye.

Arriving at her clothing factory, Mu Xiulian inspected the place and then went to her office, quite pleased. She had nagged Xu Ziqiang into setting up this factory for her. Even though Xu Ziqiang was completely accommodating, she wanted to secure a fallback for herself, hoping she would never need to use it.

Sitting in the armchair of her office, Mu Xiulian took out a pocket watch. Opening it, the photo of Tian Sisi’s full-month celebration was glaringly present. Mu Xiulian gently caressed her daughter’s photo, tears streaming down silently.

"Ah Nan, where are you? Mama misses you so much!"

Unlike He Xuewen, Mu Xiulian was absolutely certain that her daughter was alive. Although her encounter with Tian Mantong was hurried that night, she trusted her judgment; Tian Mantong was a good man, and he would find a good family for her Ah Nan.

Looking at the pocket watch in her hand, Mu Xiulian seemed to hear He Xuewen’s voice again:

"Xiulian, this pair of pocket watches was passed down from my great-grandfather. We each get one, and we put our family of three’s photos inside."

Xue Wen, are you still alive? I’m sorry to you, sorry to the He Family, I’ve lost our daughter!

Mu Xiulian murmured her sighs, unaware that at this very moment, her daughter had already reunited with her father!