Chapter 101 - Truth Revealed (1)

The next day, Long Mei had finished getting a mani-pedi with Luo Nuying when two men stood in front of the nail salon, glancing at them suspiciously. Her face fell as she had a bad feeling in her gut once they looked toward them. 

She tried to ignore them, pushing past, but they cornered her. 

"Is there anything I can do for you, gentlemen?" She said, her voice cool and levelled. 

"It's Master Jin. He sent us to get you." 

"Well, I'd like to speak with my fiancé first about this arrangement." 

One of the men grabbed her arm. "He's with his father," he told her cold. 

Long Mei turned to face her friend. "Contact my family," she instructed her. 

Luo Nuying gave her a nod, but she held her head high and said to one of the men, "Hey, Mister! She said she wanted to speak to her fiancé first!" 

The other man grabbed her. "This one is coming with us too." 

Luo Nuying tried to fight his grip. "Let go. You don't know what my boyfriend would do if you hurt us!" 

The man gave her a cold, toothy grin. "I don't give a shit who your man is." He then pushed her into the car first. Long Mei complied and did not bother fighting. If they were taking Luo Nuying, she would go with her. 

Long Mei did not know what this confrontation would be about. She had enemies, but Jin Qing and her siblings had even more. It could be anyone, and she hated how Luo Nuying was dragged into her mess too.

The car windows were tinted, but she could see where she was going. She was not tied up, but the doors were locked. She glanced at Luo Nuying, who seemed to be calm. 

"Are you all right?" Long Mei asked her. 

Luo Nuying grinned. "Of course." 

"How?" she questioned. "It's my fault you're here."

Luo Nuying scoffed. "I know you're out of touch with the Black Society, but may I remind you that my father is Luo Wanting. He runs the Scorpion organization, and Shi Yen is my aunt. We have more in common than you know, and I'm not afraid." 

Long Mei took her hand in hers, and she waited until they arrived at the Jin estate. The spiked gates opened wide, allowing the car through. Once they stopped, Luo Nuying was first to exit as one of the men dragged her to the house. 

Long Mei was escorted after. 

Once inside, the man who dragged Luo Nuying was about to put her in a different room when she stomped her foot. "I'm going with Mei. I want to know if she's okay. I swear if you take me somewhere else, you're going to wish you didn't fuck with me. I promise you." 

The man rolled his eyes. "You can watch from the balcony with me." He then took her and disappeared. 

Long Mei tried to go after them, but the other man took her. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can see your friend." Long Mei did not trust his words, but she decided to comply. After all, she knew whom she was dealing with now. 

She walked through the halls, down a red and black carpeted room, until she saw Master Jin and his son sitting not far from him. Jin Qing stood with wide eyes. "Mei. What are you doing here?"

She gulped. "They brought me here." 

Jin Qing furrowed his brows as he looked toward his father. "What is the meaning of this?" he questioned, hard. 

Master Jin smiled sinisterly. "I wanted her to be here so I can tell you what I've recently discovered." 

Jin Qing stared at him. "What is it? Mei has nothing to do with anything. I know her."

His father laughed. "You're a fool. One of my sons had fallen into her trap, and now I've lost another to her." 

"Since when have you ever cared about me?" Jin Qing. "You have been against Mei and me since the beginning, but she has always been the most real thing to me." 

Master Jin shook his head. "I may not have been an ideal father to you, but when I lost Jin Hu, I never imagined what the pain of losing a child would be like, and I'd work hard not to lose another."

"And you won't as long as you leave Mei alone." 

"But that's something I can't comply with," his father responded. "I understand if Long Mei has seduced you into a relationship, but all of what you know has been a lie." His eyes then met hers. 

Master Jin continued. "Ever since Long Mei had woken from her coma, she had been investigating you. There are police reports in her writing that have you as her number one suspect for her dead lover's death." He paused. "When her brother proposed the engagement, I believe it was one of their tactics to fall into your hands. She'd spend time with you, make you believe that she had good intentions, seduce you…" 

Master Jin sighed. "Alas, it worked. But there's more. You see, her sister, Long Xiatian, wants your power and influence to secure her empire, and who then better to send her little sister to get what she wanted?" 

Jin Qing's jaw hardened, looking down with suppressed anger. "You're lying." 

His father clicked his tongue. "I am telling the truth."

"That's not possible! You're making all this up."

"Am I?" his father countered. "Or is it because you still believe she lost her memory?" he laughed. "She is faking it!" 

Jin Qing's eyes widened, but his gaze was glued to the floor. 

"You know what? Why don't we ask Miss Long Mei herself and be honest, dear. There's nothing you can do about it now." 

Long Mei swallowed hard, her expression filled with shame and regret. "I initially thought it was him, but my heart and my better judgment knew it wasn't—"

"See? She suspected you, and she lied about her memory loss!"

Jin Qing looked at her then, his eyes disheartened and pink. "You never lost your memory?" he questioned her. 

Long Mei fought back the tears. "I was going to tell you. Just last night—"

He looked at her dazed. "All this time? You wanted me to believe you have forgotten all about our past so you can avenge your boyfriend. Is that it? I did not kill him, so I hope you got your answer and what you wanted." He then made his way to the exit. 

Long Mei chased after him. "Alek!" She called him. "Alek! Please wait! I can explain!" 

He turned. "Only those who cherish me can call me that." His throat bobbed, and then he stormed off. 

Long Mei watched him disappear. Master Jin approached her from behind. "You should never seek him again, or I'd make you regret it." 

Long Mei half-turned her head. "I have no idea what you have against me, but you are a terrible man." 

"And you're a whore," he told her. "And you'll never be part of the Jin family!" 

She faced him, her expression cold. "Good," she answered, tears welling in her eyes. "Because I'd rather be a Sokolov."

Long Mei then ran out of the house with Luo Nuying chasing after her. "Mei!"

But Long Mei kept running. 

Luo Nuying caught up to her, and a car pulled up in front of them. Long Kun pulled down the car window and said, "Get in.. I listened in on Nuying's distress call."