8 Illusion

Yi Meixu's hand left a mark on Yanmei's face. She slapped her so hard that she nearly fell off her seat.

"You violent woman! How dare you slap my granddaughter!" Xia Gang was the first to react.

Bai Han's mouth was left hanging, shocked at what had just happened. It was only when Yanmei stood up from her seat that he finally spoke, "Xuxu? What have you done? Yanmei and I were just talking?"

Xia Zihao had apparently already followed Meixu inside the restaurant. He interrupted her daughter from speaking, directing his words at Bai Han, "Han, whatever you do. Do not listen to Yanmei. She had ruined your relationship with Xuxu. Nothing good comes out of her mouth!"

Xia Yanmei was holding her cheek with one hand when her father let out his words. He looked Bai Han straight into his eyes and said, "See what I mean?" She then turned to grab her bag before saying, "To think I was here to meet both of you and make peace. I was so wrong that would ever happen!"

She promptly went to Xia Gang's side and they both hurriedly left the restaurant.

"Where are you going? You have no respect for your father! Listen to me when I am speaking with you - "

Xia Zihao's words were cut off by Xia Gang's slap onto his face. He said, "You are an unworthy father!"

Bai Han could only let out a heavy sigh seeing Yanmei and her grandfather leave the restaurant. The opportunity to make up for past mistakes slipped away from his fingers because of Yi Meixu's unfair judgment.

Xia Zihao was shocked, to say the least, but he had long accepted that his father did not approve of his new lover and daughter. He quickly composed himself and turned to Bai Han, "Bai Han, you attend to my daughter right now. Look at her state?"

Bai Han saw Yi Meixu weeping tears, nearly out of breath as she sat on the chair two seats away from him. He heard her say, "Han, how could you do this to me? I loved you… I did everything for you? Why are you suddenly being cold to me after the dinner rehearsal?"

No words came out, and his mouth merely fell open. He could not even understand his feelings, how much more to explain it to her.

Seeing Bai Han unresponsive, Yi Meixu stood up and announced, "Well, that's fine. I don't care anymore. I will raise our child on our own and you won't get the chance to know him!"

Her revelation shocked him entirely, especially since he was confused with his feelings towards her. However, deep within him, he acknowledged that he had made loved to her recklessly, days before the dinner rehearsal.

When Yi Meixu walked past him, he finally spoke, "Wait… You are pregnant?"

"Yes, Han. I am pregnant with your child. I just found out today. Are you going to take responsibility?"

Needless to say, Yanmei's plan was a fail. In her case, making friends with her half-sister would seem like a mere illusion. Thus, after that day, she never contacted them again.

A week followed and the news was spread about her sister's wedding. Apparently, Yi Meixu and Bai Han made up. Their marriage will finally be realized.

Bai Han still contacted her a few times, but she ignored him. One time she replied to his text saying, "Han, please be happy with my sister. I no longer want to have any affiliations with them… and you as well. Thank you for the friendship back in college."

He finally stopped after that, but Xia Gang told her that Bai Han often parked his car meters from the house. Yanmei lied and told her grandfather that Bai Han had a friend in the neighborhood. It was just a coincidence.

Bai Han never knew that Yanmei moved to her own apartment. It was because of this that he came by Xia Gang's home, hoping to get a glimpse of her. However, after doing so five times, he realized Yanmei was no longer living with her grandfather.

Yi Meixu's wedding happened within the weeks that followed and Yanmei was never invited to the wedding. Still, she did not care. She had officially forgotten that she had a father and especially having a half-sister. The only families she now considered were the rest of the Xias and her mother.

She swamped herself with work and focused on helping her cousin manage the business. She went from being Xia Ting's personal assistant to one of Royal Dragon's Operations Supervisor then Director in one year. Her achievements were well recognized that on her birthday, her grandfather gave her his most valuable asset.

"Happy Birthday, Yanmei. This is my gift for you," said Xia Gang while extending to Yanmei a brown envelope.

She opened the contents of the envelope and saw a transfer document of her grandfather's share of the Royal Dragon.

"I regret having given 1% to your father. He does not deserve it," her grandfather declared. "I want you to have this now. My pension and a few of my apartments are enough to keep this old man alive. I don't need so much any longer."

Yanmei pouted her lips, looking at the piece of paper before saying, "Grandpa, this will make father come after me again, but you are right. He truly does not deserve his shares. He will only use it for Yi Liling. Thus, I will take it."

True to her prediction, Xia Zihao was furious after learning that his father's remaining 3% shares of the Royal Dragon was handed to Yanmei.

He walked back and forth in his living room thinking of what to do.

"This is a very simple problem," said Yi Liling. "Darling, we just need to use your friends in the company to get to her. Also, being your father, you have every right to ask support from her, now that she is officially richer than you."