章 40: Cheap son

Old Qi's family house. 

"Jingxuan, do you think Jianyi will make it?" Mrs. Qi asked, her voice lined with worry.

The air in the car was thick with tension as the Qi family waited outside the Old Qi mansion. Mrs. Qi leaned forward, glancing nervously at the grand gate, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her light blue dress. 

Mr. Qi, sitting beside her, exhaled deeply. His hand moved to rub the center of his forehead, as if trying to press away the stress that had been building all morning.

"I just hope she does," he muttered, glancing at the rearview mirror where the mansion's grand facade reflected back at him. 

"It'll look bad if we're all here and she's the one missing. You know how people talk." His voice trailed off, the weight of the family's reputation pressing down on him.

Turning his attention to his eldest son, Mr. Qi asked, "Jinlu, has she answered your calls yet?"