The Ghost Mother's Mission Chapter 2

Julian came from a Hong Kong merchant family.

He was a rich young master when he was young.

It's just that his father went bankrupt, and he had to make a living himself.

If not for this, he wouldn't have met me.

Wouldn't have been chased and caught by me relentlessly.

Wouldn't have squeezed into a tiny rental apartment with me.

I was 22 when I met Julian.

Just graduated.

Sending resumes everywhere in the talent market.

Couldn't find a job.

Had to look at the long line of applicants, thinking about which bubble tea shop was better to work at.

But Julian was different.

He was very popular.

Luxury counters and high-end sales positions fought over him.

There were also some livestreaming positions and bar waiter jobs trying to squeeze in.

It took Julian half a day to escape the crowd.

I kindly went to help him avoid pitfalls.

Sales is tiring, luxury counters are competitive.

Livestreaming and bars trick people into shady business.

Don't go to any of them.

If asked, say they contacted me too, and I know the inside story.

Julian listened to me patiently.

Then said, he wasn't looking for a job.

...

I knew it.

Wearing this old-school custom suit, he didn't look short of money at a glance.

Didn't expect.

That night I saw him being kicked out of an office building by security.

He sat under a tree, slowly patting the dust off his clothes.

Later I learned he was seeking investment.

Seeking investment, finding talent, cultivating an unknown team.

Many said he was a madman.

Including my boss.

Julian was too good-looking.

I thought about getting close to him and introducing him to rich ladies.

Then I could definitely get a big, big red packet.

Heard someone did this.

A rich lady wanted to keep him with a Maserati.

An intermediary came to persuade him to sell himself.

Resulted in eating a punch from Julian, getting a black eye.

I started paying attention to Julian.

His actions were very regular.

People around occasionally mentioned him with mockery.

Fragments plus action trajectory could piece together what he did and who he met.

During a carefully arranged encounter.

He came out of the office building where I worked.

Obviously, seeking investment failed again.

Too many "chance encounters," we were familiar with each other.

He recognized me and nodded politely.

I treated him to a glass of draft beer.

Then said, I thought he could make it.

After all, the bosses only mocked him for wanting to take a radical path in a conservative market.

Never said his eye for products was bad.

Julian's polite and gentle expression froze.

Lifted his bloodshot eyes, staring at me motionless.

Corners of his mouth trembled.

Before lowering his eyelids and forcing a bitter smile.

Drank a bit too much that night.

Life taught me to strike quickly and grab everything I wanted.

Even failure wouldn't lose anything.

So borrowing the courage from alcohol, I kissed him in the alley.

Julian's back pressed against the alley bricks, frozen.

He was at a loss, very embarrassed.

Maybe felt I was offensive.

But he started adding me to his social circle.

Introducing me to others, from shyly teasing me as "talent scout."

To serious "friend."

Finally becoming "my lover."

I was satisfied to have him in my bag.

He was a qualified lover.

Loyal, patient, unruly, a bit machismo.

Cohabiting for two and a half years, never let me spend a penny.

But what made us quarrel and part ways in the end was also money.

Julian disregarded his life when he acted.

Could bet his entire net worth on one choice.

When the team he favored officially started financing.

He mortgaged all his remaining fixed assets in Hong Kong for cash.

Plus borrowed money, exchanged for more than eight million.

Invested all into the market.

During this period, he made many similar investments.

Just not heavily invested.

He also didn't ask me for money, so I had no reason to object.

But this time it was eight million.

He was 27.

I had also been working for two and a half years.

Knowing what a figure in the millions meant for ordinary people.

I wanted to ask him to be more cautious.

Ask him to consider our future.

...

And I was pregnant.

I didn't say this sentence.

Because Julian's expression was too cold.

Too stubborn.

On the table was the money he borrowed from former friends.

And loan certificates from the bank.

A few thin sheets of paper, pressed under the ledger.

Julian sank into the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another.

I choked and wanted to cry.

"Can you not smoke?"

He put out the cigarette and went to rinse his mouth.

I grabbed his sleeve tightly.

"Carrying so much debt, have you considered me?"

"That check in the room is for you."

He lowered his eyelids.

Emotionlessly, wiped away my tears with his thumb.

"Following me, you don't need to carry debt. If you want to leave, that money counts as my compensation to you."

Maybe pregnancy makes one easily break down.

I started screaming in disbelief.

"Do I want your money? Have you ever thought about what if you don't succeed? Will you commit suicide?"

"I will succeed."

"So many times before, which time did you bring back good results?"

Julian pursed his lips tight, looking at me.

The light in his eyes seemed to go out.

Half disappointment, half relief.

He gently brushed away my hand and turned his back.

The smell of smoke rose again.

He leaned sideways against the wall, back bent wearily.

Simple white shirt and suit pants, worn nobly.

His back blurred in my eyes.

I knew he would succeed.

But didn't know how many times he would fail before succeeding.

Also didn't know if I could last until the day he succeeded.

He was ambitious.

And I wanted a stable life.

Not on the same path, we would separate sooner or later.

I wiped my tears and went to pack my clothes.

Counted everything I could take away.

Walked towards the door.

Julian suddenly called me.

Rarely, a bit incoherent.

He said, "A few days ago... a friend of mine said he saw you go to the hospital."

I touched my stomach.

The test strip result was only a faint gray double line, uncertain.

So I went to the hospital to confirm the pregnancy.

He didn't know.

I originally wanted to tell him tonight.

Then we could have a good talk about the future.

I said softly.

"Nothing, endocrine disorder, prescribed some medicine."

Suitcase wheels rolling.

"Chloe!"

He called me.

Lips moved, then said.

"I remember that suitcase is broken."

I didn't respond.

His retention was too euphemistic.

So I had the right not to understand.

I packed a few clothes and moved out that night.

Didn't take the check he gave.

Didn't take anything related.

Every penny might be his future retreat.

This was my last kindness.

No contact after separation.

That year at 25.

I gave birth to Lily, still drifting in Beijing.

Her arrival brought me good luck.

In the next four years, I kept getting raises.

Salary enough for me to move into a slightly larger rental in the East City, and still have savings.

I didn't pay attention to financial news.

Until Julian's face frequently appeared in short videos, I realized.

He indeed succeeded.

That eight million investment leveraged everything.

His net worth skyrocketed, and he began to redeem assets in Hong Kong one after another.

We were all moving in a good direction.

Thought I could raise Lily smoothly.

Then let her choose whether to see her biological father.

Things went contrary to wishes.

Long-term accompanying dinner parties, I drank a lot of alcohol.

Alcohol caused problems in my body quickly.

After drinking once, the sink was dyed red by the blood I vomited.

Premonition before death.

Too late.

I didn't call 911, nor the police.

Because I wasn't sure who the police would give custody of Lily to after I died.

I wasn't assured leaving her to my parents.

Even less hoped she would be sent to an orphanage.

So while vomiting blood, I dialed Julian's number.

Didn't even finish that call.

Just reported the community unit.

Before losing consciousness, I felt pity.

Pity dying at home instead of the company.

Couldn't get compensation.

Lily cried loudly by my leg.

I heard Julian's voice.

Panicked, hoarse, and broken.

"Chloe Vance!"

He was calling me.

"I'm coming right away, you can't hang up!"

Vaguely heard him choking.

All sounds faded away.

I thought he would take good care of Lily.

He did take good care.

Raised her into whatever.

Spoiled into lawlessness.

When I come back, I'll slap her.

Bullet comments suddenly covered the sky, dense and invisible.

[Holy crap holy crap, what is Lily Thorne doing!]

[Want to escape prison shouldn't jump off building damn it]

[That dead mother phoenix man is still tricking her to secretly transfer dad's money!]

[Anyone with a brain wouldn't jump from the third floor right?]

[Break a leg then, taken away by phoenix man exploited completely, honest at home]

[Where's the butler, servants, no one found the miss climbing the window?]

I floated to the third floor.

Thanks to wall-passing skills, found her quickly.

She hesitated by the window.

Even with the green belt as a buffer, injury was inevitable.

"Too high, have to think of other ways."

She was on the phone, rubbing her head irritably.

The person on the other side answered quickly.

"Okay, no rush. Your dad shouldn't have cut off your card yet, right? Need to prepare early."

"Cut off long ago. It's okay, I know what to do, don't worry about money. You book the hotel and tickets first."

"...Lily," the man smiled bitterly, "Booking a hotel will max out my card, you book the ticket yourself."

"I'll transfer to you."

"Sorry, letting you burden this little money."

"Take it and cut the crap."

Anger rose from my heart.

Wanted not to look at her to calm down, turned head, saw the magnificent room.

One room, with a living room and terrace, cloakroom full of luxury brands.

Bathroom bigger than the bedroom I rented before.

Even more annoyed.

Julian raised her like gold and jade.

For her to let a phoenix man suck blood?

I wanted to wake her up.

Hands passed through her shoulders, grabbing nothing.

I called out the System.

"Hurry up and give me a body, my hands are itching."

System categorical.

"Tech department is working overtime, definitely ready by tomorrow evening!"

Have to wait another day.

I gritted my teeth.

She shuffled in slippers, lying on the bed.

Familiar with tapping the screen.

Opened a bank account.

Frowned, as if hesitating.

Repeatedly deleted and typed password.

Finally gritted teeth, transferred a sum of money.

And dashingly transferred twenty thousand to another account.

[Using dad's money to tip men... hard to comment.]

[Not earned by self so no heartache ha]

[Hey where is she going?]

[I remember Lily Thorne specifically contacted a servant before, probably running away]

I followed her closely.

Sure enough.

A middle-aged woman pushed a dining cart, stopped at the room door.

Quietly dropped a key on the carpet.

Kicked it into the door crack.

Lily lay on the ground, quickly grabbed the key.

Cautiously waited half an hour before opening the door to leave.

I gritted my teeth following Lily.

Probably her grounding wasn't public.

Security heard she was going to dinner with a friend, quickly dispatched a car.

[Why isn't Julian home?]

[He just finished a call and went to the company]

[Male lead come back quickly, daughter gone if not back!]

[He's still in a meeting now, can't even answer phone.]

[It's okay, finishing meeting seeing bank card transaction info will know]

Arriving at the restaurant.

Driver drove away.

She went into a coffee shop.

Quickly put on mask and cap.

Sat by the window, looking around.

Ten minutes later.

A tall and thin handsome man knocked on the glass.

Lily walked a few steps fast, jumped into his arms.

I closed my eyes tight.

Too late to curse, sudden dizziness.

System shouted excitedly.

[Fast fast! Loaded complete you have a body!]