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CHAPTER 219

"Father!"

Li Xiu was very surprised by the turn of events. It couldn't be! Her father was finally home.

"I'm home," his masculine voice rang out from outside the living room again, instill a certain kind of dread in Li Xiu.

She felt as though a chill just ran down her spine at the thought of it.

It simply meant, her watch night was going to be noisy! And one she wasn't ready for.

Slowly, Li Xiu stood up and walked towards the main entrance of the living room. Before she could get to the door, she saw a shadow move closer to the door and by the time she lifted her head to see, her eyes landed on her father's figure.

Bloody hell! BADUM! BADUM!

She could feel her heart beat thud loudly in her chest that her ear drums was about to explode. Even though she had not shown that she cared about his arrival, from her heart of heart, she knew she cared big time.

"Li Xiu!"

"Father."

"My baby girl!" A small smile broken her lips as she recalled all the times when he used to return home and would scream her name just like this.

Unfortunately, that was when she was little, now she was grown and ever since Li Jing came into their lives, even that had ceased. So hearing him call her baby girl and like that, only seemed to lessen her worry and lighten her hear, filling it with joy.

"Wouldn't you hug and welcome papa?" Her father dropped the package in his hand and opened his hands wide for her to run in and she did just that.

It all felt too good to be true. She sniffed in his scent and recalled that familiar cologne that was distinct to only her father. Although it wasn't the one she used to love before the change began, it was still one he changed into that was peculiar to him.

"I miss you my baby girl," Mr Li said, hugging her tight against his chest. His baby girl was grown up now.

"I miss you too, dad. I miss you."

"Li Xiu!"

**Glass Shatters**

Li Xiu blinked several times before her vision became clearer and reality dawned on her. She looked down and saw that her hands were outstretched then she quickly lowered them and looked back up.

Her father wore a strange expression as he stared at his daughter. He had been standing there watching her live out her fantasy and called out her name but she did not respond.

It was not until he yelled her name that she came out of her reverie.

"Father. My apologies. Welcome." She took three steps closer to him and lightly bowed her head.

"Yes. Where are your sister and your mother?" His face wasn't looking too pleased but there wasn't anger in them just the usual colour of his reddened eyes.

"Umm, mother is…"

"I am here." Both heads turned in the direction of the dining room. Ding Jiaying was standing close to the door, linking the dining and the kitchen from the living room with a spatula in her hand.

Both the father and mother stared themselves down with no one speaking but their eyes doing the battle themselves.

After what seemed to be like forever, Ding Jiaying wore a fake smile and walked towards them. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, dear." Even after getting the welcome from his wife and daughter, he felt that there was still something missing and his scanned the entire living room but he could not find the person.

"Where is Li Jing?" Both mother and daughter gulped down their saliva and lowered their heads. It has been the one question they had dreaded ever since Li Jing left the house.

At first that wasn't the issue that mattered but that they could throw her out and make her life miserable but when he called the first time saying the business did not go well and all, that he was returning, their fear had begun.

But when things became good and he remained where he was, that fear had slowly faded and their main goal was her doom. Who would have thought that the very question would come to haunt them at such an auspicious day?

"I repeat, where is Li Jing?" Mr Lin hollered at them.

"And why are you yelling when you just returned? Wouldn't you at the very least go and have a warm bath to refresh you then have dinner before you start questioning us and making my daughter frightened?"

Ding Jiaying wasn't going to have it. She was going to fight back. Times and things have changed.

0_0

Mr Lin could barely believe his wife would talk back at him like that and shook his head. "What horror have you two done this time?"

"And why would you think we have done something? It shows just how lowly you think of your own wife and child. I am embarrassed at your behavior."

"Ding Jiaying!!"

Li Xiu shuddered at his shout. Things really were getting out of hand now. She quickly reached out for her mother's hand and held on to it tightly, trying her best to calm her down.

She knew her mother wasn't pleased with her father but now wasn't the time to get into a fight. Not this way at least.

"Li Jing! Li Jing! Li Jing!" Mr Lin yelled out her name several times as his eyes wandered everywhere hoping to catch a glimpse of her but after a minute of calling on her and he got no answer back, he returned his gaze to his daring wife.

"Where the hell is she?!" Ding Jiaying did not flinch but instead remained muted as she was not interested in replying him.

Seeing her defiant behaviour, Mr Li averted his gaze to his daughter. "Where is your sister, Li Xiu?"

She wasn't her mother and even though Ding Jiaying was making her into her protege, she wasn't still as daring as her.

"Where is she?!"