Controlling Information

He snapped book to find her in her purple midnight dress and pulled away with his smile still held so mischievously. Gone was that frightening aura around him that he had earlier. AiLin heard him spoke, "Just admiring something." 

Admiring what? She raised her eyebrows but decided not to think of it much further. She suddenly recalled that she didn't have that much time with her now and quickly looked around for a watch. She then saw the man reaching out his wrist and offering the watch that was more expensive than this hotel to her view. 

"Searching for time?" He tutted. He seemed to know everything she was thinking. 

She nodded and took the offer, noting that she only has half an hour before the time for Jiang NianNian's birthday to be hold! Panic set into her as she rushed to check her duffle bag on her shoulder and quickly looked around, "Do you know which exit have the taxi cue?" 

"I do," he answered with the unchanging calm grin. He then stretched out his hand first, "I will walk you there."

She muttered a thank you, reconsidering that this man seemed to be more agreeable than the first time she had thought of him. It seemed he was simply in a bad mood since the girl had went too far against his place of comfort. They both walked toward the exit in which she could feel everyone's eyes all over her. Even the wealthy uncles and aunties who she had seen before when she was still the "Jiang" AiLin, couldn't help themselves from staring at the man who was standing beside her. After all, how could they not? His face was even better than those actors in TV, his aura was that which would make anyone bow to him. 

Not to mention that he was dressed from top to bottom with "wealth".

As they arrived to the exit, AiLin turned left and right but tilted her head in question when she found not a single taxi in the place. She then turned to the man who seemed to be tapping on his phone. He immediately shut it off when she looked at him though. 

"I don't see a Taxi?" She looked and find the writings that did show this place to be the taxi cue but didn't see any taxi. 

"You might have to wait. It is usually busy around this time. Give it half an hour," the man remarked with a shrug. 

"Half an hour? I don't have time for it," she said before biting her lips. She didn't consider her time going to the party because she had just walked out the prison. She knew everything was going far too well! But she didn't plan to back out now. She wanted to see those devils who had destroyed her life and killed her baby. She clenched her fist, determined to do anything to go to the party even if it means walking or riding a bicycle.

"Where are you going to?" The man asked smoothly, "I can offer you a ride." 

She turned to him, taken aback. But instead she immediately narrowed her eyes. Although she appreciate kind people, there had never been enough kind people who sincerely only wanted to help others. She felt suspicious when the man immediately explained, "As a thank since you stopped me from almost murde.. hitting that girl. It would have affect my good name if I did raise my hand to her even if she did try to assault me first." 

"Then I won't owe you nothing?" She asked with skepticism gleaming in her eyes. 

The man cocked his head to the side, "Really, that's what you're worried about? Don't worry, you won't owe me anything." His grin appeared wider but she didn't have time to worry about it. 

"Then if you would," she said, "Thank you for the kind offer." 

"Thank me when we arrived," dismissed the man and as soon as he tapped his phone all of a sudden a car immediately stopped in front of them as if it had been waiting around the corner, knowing that she would be needing a ride. 

She dismissed the impossible thought and thanked him as he pushed open his hand and opened the door for her before she could. He saw the snake tattoo in his hand again and couldn't help but noting that his hands were really large, maybe even the size of her own head. 

As they entered the car together, she found that this luxurious car is something she recalled her family had been wanting to buy six years ago. She could tell it is a newer version but the car itself is a walking mansion. She didn't think about this from earlier but it seemed that this man is really rich, maybe only "rich" is an understatement. He had a chauffeur, a billion dollar car, another billion dollar watch, and dressed from top to bottom in suits that only those millionaires could afford to wear without going bankrupt from buying a single set. 

"Liking what you're seeing?" The man turned to look back to her eyes, teasing her who had been staring for too long than necessary. 

She snapped her eyes and quickly darted her eyes away, schooling herself from being too curious and staring at him, "Sorry you must have been too uncomfortable." 

"No problem, I have been stared by people my entire life. Your stare is rather adorable so you can continue," he said smoothly making her to feel a sudden knot in her chest. She frowned, dismissing it and telling herself to continue being on her guard.

The man had been placing the back of his palm to his chin, leaning on the left side of the seat while he stared at her, reading every expression she made. He then spoke and startled her, "Jiang NianNian."

Her eyes widened and suddenly a fit of anger took over her, "What?" She snapped. 

The man saw that for a moment her eyes widened, and a dark murderous expression appeared on her face. But the second later that expression was gone and she was back to a face of calmness with enough smile.

"You are going to her birthday, is she someone you are close with?" 

Close? 

AiLin would rather tear her own heart apart than to be close with the woman who had partake in pushing off her life to hell. 

"Close maybe," she said ambiguously, "I know her so I was just going to show my face a little. It had been such a long time since we saw each other. I'm sure she will be screaming when she saw me," out of fear that is.

"Hm," he pressed his thumb over the lower part of his red lips and muttered in mirth, "Isn't she the young mistress of the Jiang Family? After Jiang Cooperation that had been taken over by their eldest son Jiang MengYao, their family has flourished so well that the young mistress could be said the most beloved and wealthiest young mistress in Beijing."

"You know her?" AiLin's face was cold but she didn't let her anger show through behind her mask. 

"No. I have only heard a little about the news here and there. As a businessman, information is the most important thing and I quite love having as much information as I could."

She could see that he was being truthful but rather than liking having informations on people because it was his "job" she could feel that he loved the idea of gathering information because it gives him a sense of "control." She could tell with a glance he is a man who controls every breaths the people underneath him take, a rather cold and unswerving man. 

"Tell me about it more," AiLin sang, smiling back at him, "Seems like that's not the only information you have about them."

"What are you curious about?" The man asked with a smirk, "I seem to be in a good mood today. I won't mind answering one or two questions you have for nothing." 

AiLin didn't know if this was a normal behaviour given by the man. Deep downs he doubted he was someone who would treat other people around him so well and so friendly but she didn't want to read too much into it. 

"Well do you have any important informations against them?" 

"Against?" He pointed, "Ah so you want to know the rumors surrounding them?"

"Well whatever you have," she shrugged her shoulders, "Anything that you're free to speak about?"

"I do have a few," the man reached out his finger and slowly tiptoed toward her side of the seat, "It seemed that for the past six years Jiang Family had been living in fear. It had came to the point that they were no longer hosting such a big party like they used to in the past. Rumors had it that they were paying off so many tabloids to hide a certain news from circulating to the outside world. But don't worry, they were living really well. The only reason why they decided to make such a big birthday party for their young daughter is because a week ago they received a news."

"A news?" AiLin was curious. Her family was living in fear perhaps because they feared she would be escaping prison to hunt for their lives. That was the one thing that they should indeed be scared about. But paying off tabloid to hide a "certain" information? And what's the reason why their fear's sudden disappearance and for them to lower their guards down now?

"Do you know about the fake daughter of the Jiangs?" The man raised his question and her body froze. 

She turned to him as he eyed her, slow and careful. 

"It's impossible not to have heard about it right?" She asked but as she spoke she could hear her own heartbeat thudding against her chest. Not out of fear but an immediate sense of anger she wanted to relish so badly.

"I suppose," he commented. "She had killed someone six years ago and that's why the Jiangs had been fearful she would come back to kill them. They say she was called "Miss Fox" not only because of her known beauty but for how she never once let a grudge slipped from her fingers and make sure to avenge all her hardships. They even say that even when she had been kept in prison, every time it was her birthday, she would sent someone from inside the prison to attack her own family and put them to death."

Every birthday? Funny. She was fighting for her life in prison this entire time. It was instead the Jiang family who had sent her people to kill her, because they fear if she leave the prison she would kill them. They knew what's coming and it's about to come after them. She promise that. 

The man's finger almost landed on her palm, "But last week—"

"—Sorry to interrupt Boss, we have arrived in the Five Season Hotel," the chauffer dictated before the man could finish his words. 

The man stopped for a while, let out a chuckle and turned back to her. His hand raised and she could feel his fingers that were so hot rubbing over her forehead, "What had gotten you so sweaty? Let's continue this conversation inside the party, what do you say?"