Chapter 59: The Meng Family Estate

Upon hearing the suggestion that she return to the family estate for dinner with him, Kong Lingxin reacted in such a peculiar manner that Meng Zexiao, unaware of the actual situation, remarked, "I'm asking you to come back for dinner, not to attend a struggle session. There's no need to make such a big deal out of it!"

Kong Lingxin kept her head down, ate in silence, and said no more.

Seated opposite them, Wan Si chimed in, "Looking at the entire course of the incident from start to finish, Ms. Kong handled it exceptionally well. The Chairman certainly won't criticize you, so you can rest easy."

After the meal, Meng Zexiao walked straight upstairs to his study, while Wan Si chatted with Kong Lingxin in the living room for a little while before taking his leave.

Upon returning to the bedroom and finding Meng Zexiao absent, Kong Lingxin immediately called Lu Fang. She reported that the public relations crisis had finally passed without any real mishap, though it was still inconvenient for her to visit the Kong family home just yet. She also brought up the unwise decision she had made earlier that day to cook a meal herself, asking Lu Fang to help her come up with a countermeasure.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Fang replied, "That's actually quite easy to handle. You can mention to Zexiao's secretary that you learned how to cook simply by following a recipe, and on our end, the Lu family can spread the word that you occasionally cook whenever you visit your maiden home. As for why you have a preference for Huaiyang cuisine, that can be attributed to the fact that Huaiyang dishes are lighter, fresher, and more nutritious compared to other regional cuisines. Doesn't everyone advocate for a healthy diet these days? Even though you were born in City B, it's not entirely unreasonable for you to have an affinity for the Jiangnan region. That way, the excuse for you disappearing to Jiangnan for those dozen or so days easily falls into place—subconsciously, you simply adore the scenery, culture, and cuisine of that place."

When the conversation shifted to the upcoming evening visit with Meng Haoquan, Kong Lingxin expressed her underlying anxiety to Lu Fang.

Lu Fang comforted her, saying, "In the past, your sister hardly ever crossed paths with this father-in-law more than a couple of times a year, so you have no reason to worry about this. Just think about it: the person you interact with the most in the Meng family is Meng Zexiao, and even he hasn't detected any anomalies. There is simply no way Meng Haoquan could be perceptive enough to discover anything."

Hearing Lu Fang put it that way, Kong Lingxin felt the heavy burden in her heart lighten somewhat.

Kong Lingxin then said to Lu Fang, "By the way, I will seize the opportunity to suggest to the Meng family that they help Changyue Real Estate Company out of its current predicament."

Lu Fang, however, advised against it: "Now might not be the right time. The real estate market has generally been sluggish lately, and no matter how wealthy the Meng family is, they won't engage in unprofitable business ventures. Let's hold off for a bit longer. Otherwise, it will make you look too deliberate and overly mercenary."

Kong Lingxin thought about it and realized Lu Fang made sense, yet she knew she could never stand by and watch the businesses of her and her sister's benefactors meet such a Waterloo.

Finally, Kong Lingxin inquired about her mother's well-being. Lu Fang replied, "You two mother and daughter truly share a telepathic connection; every time you call, the final question is always about each other's condition. Your mother asked me to relay that she is doing very well, and now that she has a job, her life feels deeply fulfilling. I've already arranged for someone to buy her a laptop and had internet cables installed at her place, so whenever you return to the Kong family, you'll be able to video chat with your mother."

The new semester had already begun, and Kong Lingxin wanted to ask what would become of her kindergarten job, but the words stuck in her throat. She knew that after her unexcused disappearance, if a tenured kindergarten teacher failed to show up by the start of the term, the administration would undoubtedly launch an investigation.

Kong Lingxin surmised that given the immense influence of the Meng family, any inquiry into her employment history would quickly expose her as an impostor. Because Kong Changdong and Lu Fang had taken such a massive risk in bringing her to City B, they must have severed every possible thread of information that could lead back to her true identity.

The safest method was to completely swap identities between her and her sister. The name carved upon the brand-new headstone by her father's grave ought to be Wang Lingyi.

Neither Kong Changdong nor Lu Fang had ever consulted her on the matter, perhaps out of fear that she would refuse. Even though they hadn't sought her consent directly, it must have been done with her mother's agreement. Nevertheless, regarding such a drastic maneuver, she still harbored a lingering sense of unease in her heart.

To keep this discomfort from growing, Kong Lingxin never mustered the courage to question them; instead, she constantly reminded herself that the Kong family were her benefactors. Had it not been for Kong Changdong's assistance twenty-one years prior, all four members of her family would have long since perished beneath the earth.

After hanging up with Lu Fang, Kong Lingxin's mind was filled with a deep longing for her mother. The only item she had brought with her from home to City B was a natural violet jadeite beaded necklace given to her by her mother. Because she loved sports and her job required her to play alongside children, the former Kong Lingxin rarely wore jewelry.

There was once an occasion when she attended an event hosted the Education Bureau, and Kong Lingxin had worn this very necklace. The female deputy director of the bureau had even stepped close to Kong Lingxin to admire the bracelet for quite a while, asking where she had purchased it. When Kong Lingxin replied that it was a gift from her mother, the deputy director attempted to buy it on the spot, though Kong Lingxin politely refused.

Now, unable to see her mother, wearing the item her mother had given her offered a semblance of comfort and closeness.

When Meng Zexiao emerged from the study, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. A driver brought Meng Zexiao and Kong Lingxin to the Meng family's ancestral estate.

The estate was roughly a half-hour drive from their seaside villa. From a distance, Kong Lingxin caught sight of the rustic yet luxurious mansion, and the fluttering anxiety in her chest gradually began to settle.

A servant opened the gates for them. Meng Zexiao walked over to Kong Lingxin and offered his arm, and she instinctively slipped her hand into the crook of his arm as they entered the estate.

Stepping into the opulent mansion, Kong Lingxin observed that the furniture in the living room consisted entirely of Phoebe zhennan wood. It looked to have considerable age to it, likely antique pieces dating back to the Ming or Qing dynasties. Additionally, a prominent spot in the living room showcased a color-glazed porcelain vase.

The antique furnishings, arranged in a modern layout, exuded an air of profound mystery and nobility.

Earlier, she had come across descriptions of this ancestral home in her sister's diary, where it was praised as a veritable art museum. Before coming here, Kong Lingxin had occasionally watched treasure-appraisal shows out of boredom, picking up some basic knowledge of collectibles. Thus, despite witnessing such a scene for the first time, she maintained a remarkably calm demeanor.

Meng Haoquan was seated in the middle of the living room reading a financial newspaper, with Madam Chen Meilan seated right beside him. A servant entered to announce, "Sir, Madam, the Second Young Master and Second Young Mistress have returned."

Meng Haoquan lowered his newspaper, and Chen Meilan looked toward the doorway. Seeing her daughter-in-law walking in while linked to her son's arm, painting a picture of a loving couple, Chen Meilan stood up and said, "Your father came back from the company at three o'clock today. Why didn't the two of you come over a bit earlier to keep your father and me company and chat?"

Though addressed to both of them, a mother-in-law's reproaches invariably leaned toward targeting the wife.

Kong Lingxin lowered her gaze, momentarily at a loss for words, and could only bow her head in silent admission of fault.

Meng Zexiao spoke up, "If Mother and Father wish to place blame, please blame me alone; it has nothing to do with Lingxin. We spent a few days in Australia, and there were numerous corporate matters left unaddressed, so my very first priority upon returning was to clear out my work emails. By the time I finished, it was already four o'clock, which is why we arrived late."

Meng Haoquan glanced at the submissive Kong Lingxin and then turned his gaze to his younger son, his expression neutral, adopting the tone of an elder addressing a junior: "Sit down. Your older brother and sister-in-law haven't returned yet, so there are a few matters we need to discuss with you."

Turning to Chen Meilan, Meng Haoquan instructed, "You and Sister Lin go to the kitchen and prepare a few dishes the children like."

Once Chen Meilan departed, only the three of them remained in the living room.

An enamel pastoral-painted mantel clock ticked steadily in the background. As Kong Lingxin imagined how her sister might have behaved in such a situation, Meng Haoquan broke the silence. To her surprise, the first topic he addressed was once again her: "Lingxin, your conduct when facing the media this time was acceptable."

Kong Lingxin thought she had misheard. In her sister's memories, Meng Haoquan had always been stern and uncompromising, never one to hand out praise lightly.

She raised her eyes to look at Meng Haoquan, her face etched with disbelief.

Meng Haoquan looked back at her and said, "While the situation was handled well this time, I do not wish to ever again hear of you accepting unauthorized interviews with the media."

"Oh. I understand," Kong Lingxin murmured softly.

Hearing his father reprimand Kong Lingxin, Meng Zexiao lost his patience and interjected, "This wasn't Lingxin's fault!"

Meng Haoquan glared at his son. His authority had never permitted defiance from anyone, not even his most favored child.

Meng Haoquan barked, "When I did not give you permission to speak, keep quiet! I haven't even settled accounts with you yet—running off to Australia all of a sudden without reporting beforehand!"

Meng Zexiao muttered under his breath, "If I had told you in advance, you probably wouldn't have let me go investigate anyway!"

"Absurd!" Meng Haoquan bellowed, putting the full force of his breath into the two syllables. Kong Lingxin was so startled she scarcely dared to breathe.

Meng Zexiao, however, remained unfazed, saying with an easygoing grin, "Didn't I come back completely unscathed?"

Suppressing his temper, Meng Haoquan warned, "What if something had gone wrong? From now on, whenever the two of you face any situation, you must report it immediately! The Meng family will never tolerate acting first and reporting later!"

Meng Zexiao and Kong Lingxin spoke in unison: "Understood, Father."

Surprised by their sudden display of synchronization, the two exchanged a startled glance. Meng Zexiao felt a spark of delight, while Kong Lingxin felt a creeping sense of oddity.

Meng Haoquan continued, "The online fallout can be considered mostly settled. Tomorrow evening, there is a charity auction that elites from both the entertainment and business worlds will attend, and the media will be paying close attention. To cement the image you've just rebuilt, the two of you will attend together."

Meng Zexiao had never cared for such public-facing events, especially since the entertainment circles were bound to feature his former scandals. Some of those women had genuinely been involved in ambiguous relationships with him, while others had merely used his name for publicity. Remembering how Kong Lingxin had marched right up to Bai Tingting in the shopping mall to dress her down as the legitimate wife, Meng Zexiao felt their relationship had only just begun to thaw; he hardly wanted any new complications to arise.

Kong Lingxin wore the expression of someone yielding to arrangement, nodding to indicate she had no objections. Meng Zexiao, however, protested, "This whole affair had nothing to do with us in the first place. Father, if you really want to put on a show, why not have the true instigator step forward to issue a clarification? Then the rest of us wouldn't need to worry about anything at all."

Meng Haoquan's pupils contracted slightly, his gaze instantly clouding over with gloom. "What I must guard is the reputation of the entire Meng family and the entire Prosperous Group, not just the two of you!"

Remaining silent amidst this coded sparring between father and son, Kong Lingxin nevertheless managed to guess at least a portion of the underlying truth.