Vol. 1 - Chapter 118 - I'll repay this favor
Just as HuMing had expected, it had barely been five minutes, and Yu YueLuo couldn't resist calling.
However, the boldness she had shown earlier was long gone. On the other end of the line, she cautiously asked HuMing what she needed to do so he could let her go.
"Han HuMing, if I find the source of the money from Lee Tian, as you said, will you let us go?"
"Yu YueLuo, I gave you a chance. Unfortunately, you only wanted me to disappear from this world. The nature of this situation has changed; you'll need to pay a price now."
Yu YueLuo didn't have the heart to refute HuMing. Her voice was hoarse, sounding as if she had completely lost her will.
"What do you want?"
"Two million in my account within three days."
"What? Two million?!"
Yu YueLuo gasped, quickly covering her mouth to stifle the sound!
Listening to the amount HuMing demanded, she thought he had gone mad.
Where was she supposed to come up with that much money?
Perhaps Lee Tian could manage it, but needing such a large sum all at once would definitely raise his suspicions!
"Han HuMing, do you even realize what you're saying? Two million? Do you think this is a game?"
"Yu YueLuo, I'm simply stating my demands. How you go about fulfilling them isn't my concern."
HuMing's voice was calm, almost eerily so.
"And you also need to do what I asked you last time. You know the consequences if you don't."
With that, HuMing hung up the phone, leaving Yu YueLuo with no room to negotiate.
He glanced at Tang De, then untied the ropes that bound him.
"Mr. Tang, this is your chance to demonstrate your masculine charm. You can't expect a woman to bear all the burden, especially since this situation also involves you."
Tang De understood HuMing's meaning; after all, he was implicated, too.
If Yu YueLuo couldn't gather that two million, the consequence wouldn't just affect her.
He forced himself to stand up, dragging his weary body toward the exit.
When he woke up, HuMing had given him a thorough beating.
This made him realize that when he attempted to capture HuMing, failure was inevitable.
He was no match for HuMing at all!
HuMing watched him leave, arms crossed over his chest, stifling a yawn.
After a long, tiring day, he wanted to sleep.
Initially, HuMing had been worried that Tang De might take action against Ye QiuXue, especially since he had seen them return together.
Now, all his actions were a warning: do not attempt to resist, or the outcome would be the same as today.
HuMing jumped down from the oil tank, humming a little tune as he left the place.
...
Lee Tian made an excuse to say he would be late returning today.
He drove alone in his car toward a certain direction, keeping everything---his phone and other devices---turned off to avoid any mishaps.
Over the years, this wasn't the first time he had done such a thing, but he had never shared this secret with anyone else.
The car arrived at a somewhat inconspicuous residence. Just as he exited the car, a boy rushed out of the house and leaped into his arms.
Without thinking, Lee Tian instinctively reached out and hugged the boy, a smile spreading across his face.
"Son, have you been listening to your mother at home?"
"Yes, Dad, I miss you so much!"
If anyone outside had witnessed this scene, they would surely be shocked!
After all, everyone knew that Lee Tian only had one daughter, Li Yue.
But now, out of nowhere, a son had appeared!
A young woman emerged from the house. Upon seeing Lee Tian, she stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, smiling as she said, "Xiao Xu said he missed you a lot and kept asking me when you would come over."
Her words made Lee Tian feel a twinge of guilt. He knew he couldn't let his son be exposed in public---not now, at least.
The Lee family was still climbing up the social ladder, and recently, there had been some turbulence. If others discovered he had an illegitimate son, it would ruin him!
He wouldn't allow that to happen, and the woman before him was sensible and hadn't caused a scene to demand recognition.
That's why he had frequently sent her money over the years, compensating for their time without a title or status.
A girl could not bear the weight of the Lee family, especially more so because of Lee Yue's personality.
After confirming that Yu YueLuo could no longer have children, Lee Tian sought to have a son.
That's precisely why he had chosen this woman.
Fortunately, she was not overly greedy; as long as he sent money regularly, she would obediently follow his instructions.
"Let's go inside and talk," he said, picking up his son and carrying him into the house. The surrounding area was quite desolate, with no one noticing this family reunion.
...
When HuMing returned home, it was already after dinner. He had already had a quick meal by himself before heading back.
As soon as he entered the hall, he spotted Zhou WenLi sitting on the sofa, engrossed in her phone. And when she saw HuMing, she called out to him for the first time after so long.
"HuMing, come here for a moment. I need to talk to you."
HuMing walked over, aware that he needed to put on a good front with Zhou WenLi. He sat directly across from her, and she said with seriousness.
"HuMing, ShuYi has remind me. I realized that I haven't been paying enough attention to you during this time, and even Han LiTian says so. I reflected on it and realized that I have indeed been neglecting you compared to before. Do you blame me for that?"
HuMing was momentarily taken aback by her words, but then he shook his head.
"How could I blame you? Everyone is happy that ShuYi is back. I just found it hard to accept at first, but I eventually came to terms with it. It was I who occupied ShuYi's life for so long. Your concern for him is only natural, isn't it?"
Zhou WenLi was pleased to hear his response. She wanted Hu Ming to recognize his place in the family.
No matter how things unfolded, ShuYi was the true heir of this household. As long as HuMing didn't harbor any ulterior motives, she wouldn't hold anything against him.
Just as she was about to speak, HuMing continued, "I will definitely repay the favor you have given me."
"There's no need for that. As long as you get along well with ShuYi, It's enough. Well, it's getting late; you should go and rest."
Zhou WenLi had spent a long time preparing her words, but she hadn't expected HuMing to know his position so firmly. This made her feel considerably relieved.
HuMing stood up, gave her a slight bow, and then turned to leave. However, as he walked away, he muttered under his breath,
"Don't worry, you will definitely use this favor..."