Chapter 1802: Staying Close By

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Mother! I don’t want to stop dancing! It isn’t easy for me to get to where I am today. I can’t give up!” Xia He said agitatedly.

Qiao Mei knew about Xia He’s dream and also knew how long Xia He had worked hard for this dream. Now that she had finally gotten what she wanted and was about to fulfill that dream, she would definitely not be able to accept Xu Lan asking her to give up now.

Xu Lan looked at Xia He without saying anything, but the sadness and worry in her eyes was like an arrow piercing at Xia He’s heart.

When Xu Lan was younger, she wanted the children to go further in life and show more promises. It was fine with her even if they suffered some setbacks and sufferings. How could there be a rainbow without the wind and the rain? They must go through all kinds of experiences in order to grow stronger.

However, now that Xu Lan was older, she could not accept the possibility of losing her children at this age. When she heard the news of Xia He’s disappearance, she wished she could exchange her life for Xia He’s life. She knelt in front of the Buddha statue day and night. As long as Xia He could return safely, she would be willing to be a vegetarian in the future!

Fortunately, everything turned out to be fine in the end, but it was still better to be safe than sorry from now on. If the rescue team had been a step too late this time round, Xia He would already be dead now.

“You can go and learn how to do business from Qiao Mei, or you can work under your brother, or you can even go to Lu Huai’s company to do odd jobs. Anyway, you can’t go to the art troupe anymore,” Xu Lan said with a sigh. “Mother!” Xia He shouted.

Qiao Mei quickly held Xia He back and said, “You have to give Mother some time. It’s not easy for her either. During the period when you went missing, she didn’t sleep at all and could not eat much. Mother is really worried about you, so you have to be more understanding. I’m also a mother and I can understand how she feels. Once she thinks it through, she will naturally let you do what you want. Don’t refute her yet for now.”

“Alright… I understand..” Xia He said dejectedly.

Everyone packed their luggage and went back to their own homes. They could not keep staying at Qiao Mei’s place because it would lead to gossip. Back then, before Qiao Mei married into the family, the extended Xia family had been fighting for this house among themselves for many years. All the neighbors knew about it. If the Xia family’s eldest son and his entire family moved into Qiao Mei’s courtyard house, it would lead to rumors and trouble in a few days.

Fortunately, for now, Zhou Hua was already locked up in jail and Liu Fen did not care about such things. Otherwise, the Xia family would be in chaos again.

Xu Lan brought Xia Wen and Xia He home. Deng Fan also moved into Xu Lan’s house. Xu Lan did not want Xia He to leave her line of sight at all. If Xia He slipped away on her own, Xu Lan would no longer acknowledge Xia He as her daughter!

Cao Kuan drove to the entrance of the art troupe with his subordinates. Ever since what happened to Xia He and the others, the art troupe went on a break and all performances had been put on hold.

It was not a big deal for these dancers if they did not practice for one day. However, if they did not practice for a long time, it was inevitable that their skills would become rusty. Therefore, although they were on a break, everyone came back to train every day.

“Which one of you is in charge! Come out quickly!” Cao Kuan shouted into the studio.

Many passers-by stopped in their tracks and the people from the art troupe also ran out to watch the commotion. In the past, Xia He was the most senior among them and also the principal dancer, so she naturally had the final say in everything. However, since Xia He was not around, Bai Dian was the one in charge.

“I’m the person in charge here now. My name is Bai Dian. What can I do for you?” Bai Dian asked.

“What can you do for me? 1 have a big issue for you to deal with! You should all be familiar with my younger brother. His name is Cao Zhai and I’m his elder brother, Cao Kuan. I’m here this time to ask who has taken my family heirloom, the pearl and emerald necklace! I want to take back all my younger brother’s things!” Cao Kuan said domineeringly.

Everyone instantly turned to look at Li Hua, who was standing in the corner. That thing was in the possession of none other than Li Hua. Back then, when she received that piece of jewelry, she had flaunted it for a long time, as if she was afraid that no one would know about it.

“Can you roughly describe it?” Bai Dian asked.

“That emerald is as big as a pigeon’s egg. It’s surrounded by a bunch of pearls and those pearls are also dazzling. They look like the moon in the night sky. I’m a rough man and 1 don’t know much about the jewelry that you women wear. That’s the only way I can describe it,” Cao Kuan said..