Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 538

Chapter 538: 538

A long, long time ago, a wealthy merchant was returning home by boat when he saw a severely damaged ship adrift on the vast sea. It looked as if something terrible had happened. The merchant ordered his men to approach, hoping to find any survivors.

After the merchant and his subordinates boarded the damaged ship, they found several women lying on the deck, the bloodstains already dry. However, one of them was still clinging onto life.

She was beautiful, and the merchant was moved with compassion. He brought her back and arranged for a doctor to care for her.

The merchant was amazed by her extraordinary resilience. Despite being at death’s doorstep, she pulled through, she survived.

After a few days of care, the woman woke up. She expressed her gratitude to the merchant for saving her life and told him her name was Qian Qing, but she remained silent about her past experiences.

As they spent day and night together, Qian Qing was touched by the merchant’s heartfelt concern and care. Considering she lost contact with Qian Feng and the others, her fighting spirit gradually faded away. Subsequently, Qian Qing married the merchant and gave birth to a daughter. Coincidentally, like Qian Qing, her daughter also had a birthmark like a lotus flower on her left arm.

The merchant’s surname was Qin, and so was Qian Qing’s daughter’s. To preserve their lineage, they only married those with the last name Qin, and they only had daughters. As this passed down from generation to generation, the mission entrusted by Qian Qing was gradually forgotten.

*****

Today, Lin Xi was invited by her close friend Qin Jia to visit and have a sleepover at Qin’s house.

To reassure her parents, Lin Xi posted a selfie with Qin Jia on Moments (WeChat). She was indicating that she was not spending the night at her boyfriend’s. She assured her parents that she knew her limits and wouldn’t throw herself at him so easily.

As expected, after she posted on Moments, there was a constant stream of sneezes from Gu Fan’s end.

Qin Jia laughed and said, "Lin Xi, you are the reincarnation of Queen Qianye, why are you so afraid of your parents?"

"I can’t help it, I’ve been praying for this life with parents every day and night in my previous life, so when they scold me, I just remind myself, they’re my real parents, I should bear with it." Lin Xi’s words made Qin Jia both laugh and cry. Qin Jia then asked, "Are your parents worried about you spending the night at Gu Fan’s place? You guys are in a relationship and might be heading towards marriage, isn’t it high time to meet your parents?"

Lin Xi shook her head. "Not yet, we haven’t graduated, and Gu Fan’s job isn’t stable yet. My parents definitely won’t let me get married so soon."

After hearing this, Qin Jia sighed, "You’re at least in a better place. Soon or later, you’ll marry Gu Fan. I’m the unlucky one."

"What happened? Your parents don’t approve of Du Jun? He’s one of the top young masters in this city. Who doesn’t know about Yongchang Group?" Lin Xi asked. Then after a pause, she frowned, "Could it be that Du Changhui doesn’t approve of you, his future daughter-in-law?"

"It’s not that Du Jun’s father is against it. It’s my own parents. They hope that I’ll marry someone with the same last name." Qin Jia’s words hinted at a sense of helplessness.

Lin Xi was confused. "Why do you have to marry someone with the same surname? The concept of family lineage is so outdated. What are your parents thinking?"

Qin Jia was also frustrated, "That’s exactly what I told them. The whole concept of family lineage can be completely discarded. But they just didn’t agree. They wanted me to replace Du Jun. Where can I find another rich, caring boyfriend?"

Realizing it was getting late, Lin Xi and Qin Jia decided to sleep. As they were changing into their pajamas, Qin Jia felt itchy on her leg and rolled up her pant leg to scratch.

Lin Xi initially ignored it, but upon a careless glance, she saw a lotus-like birthmark on Qin Jia’s leg. Instantly, Lin Xi’s face changed, and it reminded her of something that happened in the Shennv Xuanhui a long, long time ago.

At that time, Qian Qing had just joined the Shennv Xuanhui. Her original surname was Qin, and her lotus-shaped birthmark got Qian Ye’s attention. Qian Ye expressed her envy, "Qian Qing, your lotus mark is so unique. I wish I had one too."

Qian Qing answered, "It has been passed down in my family."

Hearing this, Qian Ye widened her eyes in surprise, "Are birthmarks hereditary?"

Qian Qing nodded, "Yes, as long as I marry someone with the last name Qin, I will give birth to a daughter, and she will also have this lotus birthmark like me. My mother has it, my grandmother has it too."

Qian Ye became curious again, "So, do your sisters have it?"

Hearing the word sisters stirred up Qian Qing’s inner pain. Her family had been wiped out by their enemies, leaving only her. If it hadn’t been for the Shennv Xuanhui, she might have been killed as well.

Qian Ye knew she had misspoken and quickly comforted Qian Qing, "Alright, relax, this will be your home from now on, and we’ll all be your good sisters."

"Thank you, Sister Qian Ye. Thank you all, my good sisters at the Shennv Xuanhui. Thank you for saving me and helping me take revenge." Qian Qing was very grateful, and Qian Ye dismissed it as a trivial matter, adding that she didn’t like men who bullied women anyway.

Later, due to a situation involving Qian Lan, Qian Ye had a falling out with Qian Feng and decided to leave the Shennv Xuanhui. In preparation, she acted out of character, and Qian Qing noticed it.

When the time was right, Qian Ye left a letter. She was going to leave, but she ran into Qian Qing, who had been secretly watching all along.

Qian Qing confronted her on the spot, "Are you really leaving, second elder sister? What about us? What about all our sisters? Are you just going to leave us behind?"

"I’m sorry, Qian Qing. You’ve all grown up now. You don’t need me to look after you anymore. You can take care of yourself," said Qian Ye, showing her determination to leave.

Qian Qing still pleaded, "Second elder sister, are you leaving because of Qian Lan? True, our eldest sister is a bit domineering, and we’re all afraid of her, but as long as you’re here, we can feel secure. But if you leave, how are we supposed to face her?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Ye almost softened her resolve. But thinking of Qian Lan, Qian Ye could only sigh and say, "No matter whether I am here or not, the eldest sister’s current situation will remain the same. Rather than staying and causing more conflicts, it would be better to part."

Watching Qian Ye leave without looking back, Qian Qing knew that nothing she said could keep her. However, Qian Qing decided not to tell Qian Feng about Qian Ye’s departure. Otherwise, given Qian Feng’s domineering personality, she would definitely stop Qian Ye.

"Second elder sister, I wish I had the courage, like you, to leave the Shennv Xuanhui. But I’m scared. I can’t do it. But I swear that one day, I will follow in your footsteps and completely break away from our eldest sister’s control."