Chapter 117: There Is Still One More Child

The Jin family truly possessed vast wealth and property, with homes everywhere. Jiang Yao had not expected Mr. Jin to own a small villa just a short distance from where she lived. The driver brought her to the villa and led her inside.

"Sir, Miss Jiang is here."

Mr. Jin was sitting in the tea room, facing a chessboard covered in black and white stones, staring intently at an unfinished game. Yet, he was entirely alone. He waved at the driver to dismiss him, then looked up and beckoned to Jiang Yao with a kind smile.

"Come, sit here."

Jiang Yao sat opposite him, feeling somewhat restrained.

"Do you play?"

Jiang Yao shook her head. "Is there something you needed me for?"

Mr. Jin’s hand, which had been holding a black stone, paused. "Calling you here so late, you don't hold a grudge against an old man, do you?"

"I don't hold a grudge, but I do find it quite strange," Jiang Yao replied candidly.

Mr. Jin chuckled, looking at her with eyes that were no longer sharp. "I like children who speak the truth. I heard from Nana that today is your birthday?"

Jiang Yao nodded. She was genuinely surprised. A figure as prominent and powerful as Mr. Jin would actually take note of the birthday of someone like her, with whom he had no real connection.

Mr. Jin pulled open a drawer, took out a small, antique-looking box, and slid it across to her with his index finger. "This is your birthday gift."

Jiang Yao was flattered but flustered. "No, no, how could I accept such a gift from you?"

Mr. Jin chuckled again. "Take it. I consider you a friend of Nana’s, and since you are her friend, I would give it to you regardless."

Jiang Yao pursed her lips. In a sense, she and Jin Nana couldn't really be called friends. It wasn't that she didn't want to be, but she doubted Jin Nana thought much of her. She slowly opened the box to find a bracelet inside—made of jade, perhaps? Jiang Yao didn't know much about jewelry, but it looked exquisite, and she knew instinctively that anything gifted by Mr. Jin must be incredibly valuable.

"This is too precious; I can't accept it."

"Do you look down on this old man?" Mr. Jin asked with a smile. "Or do you just not like the gift?"

Jiang Yao shook her head vigorously. "No, not at all."

Seeing her reaction, Mr. Jin thought for a moment. "Very well. Since you won't accept the bracelet, take this instead."

He picked up a black stone and placed it gently in front of her.

"A chess piece?"

"Yes, just a chess piece," Mr. Jin nodded. "It represents a wish. When you decide what you want, bring this stone to me, and as long as it is within my power, I will grant it."

A chess piece was something Jiang Yao felt she could accept. She didn't really need anything from Mr. Jin, so she decided to keep it as a memento. "Alright, thank you."

Seeing her accept it, Mr. Jin finally smiled with satisfaction. "Miss Jiang, I haven't asked yet—who else is in your family? On a day like today, you should be spending it with your family, shouldn't you?"

Jiang Yao shook her head. "I'm the only one left." She didn't feel overly sad; it had been a long time, after all.

"Oh?" Mr. Jin frowned. "And your parents?"

"I never had a father since I was born. People around us used to say he left my mother. As for my mother..." Jiang Yao’s voice softened, "...she passed away a while ago."

The stone Mr. Jin was holding clattered onto the chessboard.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Yao helped him pick it up.

Mr. Jin smiled as if nothing were wrong. "It's nothing. I'm getting old, and my hands often shake; I can't hold things steady." He paused. "In all these years, have you never thought of looking for Mr. Jiang?"

"Mr. Jiang?" Jiang Yao was startled for a moment before she realized what he meant. "Oh, no. I don't know my father's surname. I took my mother's."

"Your mother's surname was Jiang?"

"Yes, that's right," Jiang Yao said with a smile. "Not only my mother, but my maternal grandmother was also surnamed Jiang. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Mr. Jin’s aged hands clenched tightly. "We've been talking for quite a while; you must be thirsty." He called for someone to come over. "Bring Miss Jiang a cup of rose tea."

Jiang Yao held the cup and took a polite sip.

"Now that you've finished this birthday, you must be twenty-six?" Mr. Jin continued.

"Yes." Jiang Yao didn't think much of it, assuming it was just an elder making small talk. Moreover, this elder always made her feel strangely close to him.

"It's getting late, I won't keep you from your rest. I'll have the driver take you home," Mr. Jin said, initiating the end of their conversation. "I come here often; you are welcome to come and visit me whenever you like. I'm old and I like the company—that child Nana is rarely home."

Jiang Yao agreed politely, took her leave, and got into the car. As he watched her leave, Mr. Jin’s gaze shifted back to the glass cup Jiang Yao had used.

"Sir."

Mr. Jin waved his hand. "Take it and have it tested."

"Yes."

After the cup was taken away, Mr. Jin picked up the jade bracelet Jiang Yao had refused. "Zhihua, do you still have a child in this world?" he murmured to the bracelet. "Or perhaps, is this child also my child?"

He put the jade bracelet down, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. "It is the sin I have wrought."

It was the middle of the night by the time Jiang Yao returned home. Exhausted, she yawned and collapsed onto her bed. Just as she closed her eyes to sleep, she heard a rustling sound coming from the balcony.

She wondered if she was hallucinating from fatigue, so she rubbed her ears and listened intently. The rustling sound grew more distinct. It didn't sound like a mouse or an insect; it sounded more like... human footsteps.

Jiang Yao’s heart skipped a beat. She sat up in bed, her drowsiness instantly gone. She remembered the doll she had received at Jin Nana’s birthday party a few days ago. Slipping into her slippers, she grabbed the self-defense spray from her bag, took a deep breath, and pushed open the bedroom door to head toward the balcony.

The balcony was quiet. It was empty. There was no sound at all. Jiang Yao let out a sigh of relief.

"What is wrong with you, Jiang Yao? You're just hearing things, scaring yourself to death! Go to sleep, just go to sleep!"

She grumbled to herself as she turned to walk back. After just two steps, her body suddenly froze. In an instant, she realized something was wrong. Her neck stiffened as she slowly turned her head to look at the balcony window.

The window was wide open, and the night wind was blowing in, fluttering the white curtains. Yet, she was certain she had closed that window before going to bed.