The White Moonlight Who Went Mad in Silence [Rebirth] - Chapter 3

The voices outside the door were growing closer. Standing on the last two steps of the staircase, Ming Lan looked up and saw her parents. But there was someone else with them.

The joy on her face faded slightly. When she saw Bai Tingqiu, who had appeared here out of place yet was laughing and chatting with her parents, Ming Lan took a deep breath. Only then did she adjust her expression and walk over.

“Mom, Dad, why did you come back so late? You didn’t even come to pick me up.”

She tried her best to ignore Bai Tingqiu and clung to Mrs. Xie Jin’s arm like she used to, acting playfully. But her emotions were difficult to control. Seeing her parents safe and standing in front of her again brought a rush of feelings. As soon as she spoke, her eyes turned red. She quickly lowered her head and leaned on her mother’s shoulder to hide her face.

“There was an emergency meeting,” Xie Jin replied gently, stroking her daughter’s hair with a smile.

In the eyes of Xie Jin and Ming Yu, they had only been apart from their daughter for about ten hours. To prepare for her return, they had flown abroad to help her pack and settle things. Originally, they had planned to return together. However, due to some urgent matters back home, they ended up taking an earlier flight.

But to Ming Lan, this reunion was not only separated by time. It was also separated by life and death.

“Don’t just cling to your mother,” Ming Yu said as he patted her back. “Didn’t you see Tingqiu is here too? He came right away when he heard you were back. We just happened to run into him at the door. Why didn’t you even say hello?”

The Bai and Ming families had always been close. Ming Yu and Xie Jin had always treated Bai Tingqiu well and never saw him as an outsider.

That made it even harder for Ming Lan to understand. When Bai Tingqiu had joined others in driving her family to ruin and pushing her parents to their deaths in her previous life, had he not feared retribution?

She clenched her teeth but did not want her parents to worry. So when she looked up again, she forced a calm expression and gave Bai Tingqiu a polite nod.

“Sweetheart, why do your eyes look red?” Xie Jin was more observant. The moment Ming Lan raised her head, she noticed something was wrong. Everyone’s attention quickly turned to her.

“Are they?” Ming Lan rubbed her eyes, which only made the redness more obvious against her pale skin. “It must be the fur on your coat, Mom. It got into my eyes and made them itch.”

She found an excuse and brushed it off. No one suspected anything further.

The four of them sat together in the living room for a while. Out of respect for her parents, Ming Lan tried to act as she used to and didn’t show anything unusual. She simply avoided speaking to Bai Tingqiu.

But just because she stayed quiet did not mean Bai Tingqiu would do the same.

“Ming Lan, we haven’t seen each other in years. Now that you’re finally back, how are you feeling? Is your health alright?”

Since the conversation had shifted to her, she could no longer stay silent. With some discomfort building up inside her, she replied as calmly as possible.

“I’m alright.”

“By the way, everyone was really happy to hear that you’re back. We’re planning a welcome dinner for you. When would you be free?”

Seeing her attitude softening, Bai Tingqiu took the chance to invite her.

Ming Lan frowned slightly. In her past life, she remembered taking Li Jue’s car from the airport. On the way, Li Jue had said he would treat her to a welcome meal, and they had simply eaten together. After she got home, there had never been a proper welcome banquet.

Now she remembered why. In the novel, after she left with Li Jue, Bai Tingqiu had felt disappointed and went to find the female lead, Cheng Yurong. When Cheng Yurong heard that Li Jue had canceled on her to eat with Ming Lan, she became upset as well. The two of them ended up drinking heavily together, and later, when Li Jue found out, he was overcome with jealousy and anger.

Thinking about it now made Ming Lan feel sick. It was clear that any change she made could affect the future in unexpected ways. What she wanted to know now was how the story would change without that event taking place.

“A welcome dinner?” Ming Yu nodded. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Tingqiu. Xiao Lan hasn’t stayed in touch with many friends in China these past few years. She’s always stayed at home. It’s better for her to go out and enjoy herself a little.”

With her father speaking like that, Ming Lan could not refuse. Besides, she was planning to start reconnecting with people anyway.

After seeing her agree, Bai Tingqiu finally relaxed.

“Then let’s set it for tomorrow evening. I’ll come pick you up.”

Hearing him speak so casually made Ming Lan’s face turn cold.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Ming Yu noticed Bai Tingqiu’s awkward expression and looked at Ming Lan.

“Xiao Lan, that wasn’t very polite.”

Hearing that made her chest feel even tighter. Her parents always taught her to be kind and considerate, to carry humility deep within her. But they did not know that not everyone deserved to be treated like a person.

With everyone watching, Ming Lan raised her hand to her chest and frowned.

“My heart feels a bit uncomfortable.”

The moment she spoke, everyone around her became anxious. Xie Jin immediately held her close while Ming Yu called for a doctor. No one paid any attention to Bai Tingqiu anymore.

Ming Lan was taken to her room to lie down. Not long after, the doctor arrived. After examining her, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Miss Ming is not in serious condition. She just needs some rest. But she must absolutely avoid emotional stress. She needs to keep calm and avoid anger. For someone with her condition, anger is the most dangerous trigger.”

Lying on the bed, Ming Lan seemed thoughtful.

“Would letting the anger out help a little?”

“Well, yes. It would be better than keeping it bottled up. But it’s still important not to become too emotional.”

The doctor hesitated but nodded.

“So I should just do what I feel like?” she asked, her meaning clear.

“Yes, as long as it’s within reason,” he replied.

The doctor opened his mouth to say more, feeling like something was off. But then he thought about her temperament and figured that even if she followed her heart, she would not do anything extreme. So he stayed quiet.

After Ming Yu saw the doctor out, Xie Jin sat nervously beside her daughter’s bed.

“Did someone upset our Lanlan?”

Hearing that familiar voice full of concern made Ming Lan’s eyes go red again. Upset was an understatement. After her parents were gone, there were countless people who wanted her dead.

Seeing her daughter like that, Xie Jin became even more worried.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. What happened?”

Ming Lan smiled to comfort her.

“I’m not crying. The lights are just too bright. They’re hurting my eyes. And besides, who would dare make me upset?”

“Then rest for now. I’ll bring dinner to your room later.”

Xie Jin turned to leave, but Ming Lan gently pulled on her sleeve.

“Mom, I’m feeling so bored at home. I want to go to the company to learn something.”

Ming Yu and Xie Jin were both university professors. They were known for being humble, low-key, and never involved in power struggles. Unless someone was very close to them or part of their social circle, few people even knew that the Ming family had been in business for generations. Fewer still knew that the prestigious Qinglan Group belonged to their family.

The main reason was that Ming Lan’s father, Ming Yu, had neither the talent nor the interest in business. So he had simply entrusted the company to a professional manager. Naturally, this had led to the group slowly slipping out of the Ming family’s control, though no one had realized it yet.

“Why do you suddenly want to go to the company?” Xie Jin was surprised by Ming Lan’s sudden request. Given her long-standing health issues, they had never considered letting her worry about anything, let alone get involved in managing the business. They had only hoped she could live a peaceful and comfortable life.

But Ming Lan had already thought of an explanation.

“Mom, my health is so much better now. People my age are already doing well in their careers, but I’m still being treated like a child and pampered all the time. That makes me feel useless. I’d rather go out and do something meaningful.”

Just as she was speaking, Ming Yu walked into the room. He exchanged a glance with Xie Jin. It was clear that neither of them thought Ming Lan needed to build a career, but since she had already brought it up, they didn’t see any harm in letting her keep busy for a while.

“Alright. So what role are you thinking about at the company?” Ming Yu asked, sounding almost like he was indulging a child in pretend play.

Ming Lan thought for a moment. “Vice president.”

Ming Yu hesitated. “Which department?”

“Vice president of operations,” Ming Lan replied with a slight smile.

Ming Yu fell silent.

“How about letting you try managing one of the subsidiaries instead?” he suggested. He had not expected Ming Lan to ask for such a high position. Even though he had never refused her any request before, this one needed careful thought. After all, this wasn’t a game.

“I won’t act recklessly. I just want to learn from Uncle Fang for a while. Isn’t there a vacant VP position right now? I’ll just fill in temporarily. Once a suitable person is found, I’ll move to another post. Does that sound alright?”

Ming Lan did not want to take a shortcut like this either, but time was running out. The situation in the company was already urgent. It was better to get involved now than to wait until things fell apart and she was left to clean up the mess.

Ming Yu was still a little hesitant, but after thinking about the experienced staff already in place at the company, he realized there wasn’t much risk in letting Ming Lan try for a few days. Besides, her Uncle Fang, who had watched her grow up, would be there to keep things in check. He would never let her act out of line.

“Alright. Then go to the company tomorrow and take a look. If your Uncle Fang has no objections, then it’s settled. How does that sound?”

“It’s a deal.”

Ming Lan sat up and reached out her hand to him. Ming Yu sighed and shook her hand gently.

“It’s a deal,” he said.

Ming Lan smiled and leaned into Xie Jin’s arms. It felt so good to have her parents by her side again.

After dinner, Ming Lan sat alone in her room in front of her computer. She began listing all the problems she had discovered in her past life after hastily taking over the company. She included the names of those who would eventually betray the group, as well as important events and turning points that needed attention. She wanted to be prepared this time.

She also thought about the events from the book. The story mostly focused on the emotional entanglements between the female lead, Cheng Yurong, and the three male characters. The business development aspect was glossed over or only mentioned in the background. If she wanted to find anything useful from it, she would have to think hard.

By the time she finished sorting everything, it was already two or three in the morning. Her back was sore from sitting too long. She closed her laptop and got ready for bed. However, once she lay down, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Too much had happened that day. While others were around, it was easier to stay calm. But now, in the quiet of the night, her thoughts ran wild. She especially couldn’t stop thinking about her parents. In her previous life, she had taken them for granted. It wasn’t until she lost them that she realized how precious they were.

As the memories surfaced, tears began to fall. The tears she had held back in front of her parents now flowed freely, and she finally felt a bit of relief. Still, she couldn’t sleep. After thinking for a while, she got out of bed and slipped on her slippers.

Ming Yu had been sleeping restlessly. Half-asleep, he opened his eyes and was instantly startled by the light.

“Why is the light still on?”

“Dad.”

A voice from the corner of the room made him jump. He quickly sat up and looked over to see Ming Lan in her pajamas standing near the bed.

“Xiao Lan, what are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you and Mom.”

Ming Lan answered honestly.

Ming Yu was silent. That really wasn’t necessary.

“Go back to your room and turn off the light.”

“Okay.”

Ming Lan turned to leave and gently closed the door behind her. Ming Yu turned off the light in the bedroom, not noticing that all the hallway lights outside were still on. Even the large crystal chandelier hanging in the double-height atrium was glowing brightly, illuminating the corridor like daytime. Only after Ming Lan returned to her room did everything fade back into darkness.