?A solitary tear escaped Xiong Mei's eye, trailing down her cheek. "Can't you be less obvious..." she muttered softly to the sky, her voice barely a whisper.
The world around her felt surreal. Her father, Xiong Mingde, had died of a heart attack right after Zhang Wei's departure.
To everyone else, it seemed like a natural, albeit tragic, occurrence.
But Xiong Mei couldn't shake off her suspicions.
Her father, though not the most honorable man, was still her father.
The thought that Zhang Wei might be involved in his death left her deeply conflicted. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on N0vel-B1n.
'He could at least pretend,' she thought bitterly. 'Make it less obvious.'
But the very fact that he didn't made her wonder if he was sending her a message.
Was he deliberately letting her know it was his doing?
"Why?" she whispered to the empty sky, her mind a whirlpool of confusion and anger. 'Why not continue the charade? Why reveal your hand to me so soon?'
She couldn't fathom his motives. Was this a warning?
A display of power?
Or something far more personal?
What did he want from her?
What was she to him?
Why her?
And why now of all time?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Xiong Mei stood there, her smile fading, replaced by a look of deep contemplation.
Her heart was a sea of sorrow, suspicion, and an unsettling dread. She pulled out her phone, her thumb hovering over Zhang Wei's contact, wrestling with the idea of confronting him directly.
Her mind raced with scenarios of what such a conversation might entail.
For a long time, she stood there, caught in a silent debate with herself.
Part of her yearned for the truth, for closure, while another part feared what that truth might be.
The weight of her father's sudden death, mingled with her suspicions about Zhang Wei, made the decision all the more difficult.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, she shook her head.
The resolve to call him melted away, replaced by a resigned acceptance that some questions might be better left unanswered.
She turned off her phone, cutting off her connection to the outside world, and to Zhang Wei for next few days.
_________
In Beicheng City, Zhang Wei had just disembarked from his flight and promptly hailed a taxi to Fengshen town. He texted Yu Lei to inform her of his arrival. It was late afternoon, and by the time he would reach Fengshen town, evening would be setting in.
Back in Fengshen town, Yu Lei's phone buzzed with Zhang Wei's message. A small smile played on her lips as she read his text. She quickly sent back her location, asking him to come directly to her.
Standing beside her, Xie Meirong watched with a contemplative look. "If it's alright, may I ask what we're doing here?" Her tone was one of polite curiosity mixed with a hint of concern.
Yu Lei, putting her phone aside, glanced at her and responded, "We're here to hunt!"
Xie Meirong's lips twitched in disbelief, while Guo Xiaomei, who was standing behind them next to their parked car, struggled to hold back her laughter.
The car's trunk was open, revealing Feng Xinyue sitting on the edge, her legs dangling freely. Inside the trunk, several boxes were carefully arranged.
Xie Meirong exhaled a resigned sigh. "Can you try to be serious for once? Zhang Wei asked me to look after you all. Please, don't get into any trouble..."
Yu Lei's eyes sparkled with determination. "I am serious," she assured her.
Xie Meirong's face twitched, a provocative smile forming. "Oh really? And how so?"
Yu Lei pointed towards the empty road that stretched below their elevated vantage point. "Look there, some people are trying to harm Yulan. I can't let that happen. If they do, husband would be disappointed in me." Her tone was firm, reflecting her resolve to protect Chen Yulan and uphold the trust Zhang Wei had placed in her.
Xie Meirong's gaze intensified as she spotted Chen Yulan ambling down the street, returning from the market, unaware of the danger trailing her. Men with deadly intent and weapons moved stealthily behind her.
Instantly, Xie Meirong's eyes widened in alarm. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration.
Yu Lei remained calm. "No issues! I've got everything under control," she reassured her. Turning to Feng Xinyue, she instructed, "Yue, help me get these boxes out."
Under Xie Meirong's astonished gaze, the seemingly frail Feng Xinyue managed to heft out boxes that appeared more than twice her weight. 'What the hell is wrong with people here!?' Xie Meirong thought to herself, maintaining a confident facade while inwardly screaming.
She couldn't help but giggle nervously. "What now? We still won't reach Chen Yulan in time. Are you sure this is how you plan to impress Zhang Wei?" she questioned.
Yu Lei shook her head, opening the boxes one by one. "We'll use this!" she declared, pulling out a sniper rifle, shinning with dark omnious metal.
Xie Meirong's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell....!" she exclaimed, losing her composure. She hurried over to see what else was in those boxes while Yu Lei busied herself with adjusting the sniper rifle and figuring out how it works.
The situation was quickly escalating beyond Xie Meirong's expectations. As Yu Lei prepared her unconventional method of solving problems.
Xie Meirong's shock escalated as she surveyed the array of deadly weapons laid out in the open. "W-What are these!" she demanded, her voice rising in disbelief and concern.
The boxes were a small arsenal!
Guns!
Rifles! Grenades!
Machetes, and even a box dedicated solely to knives!
It was a sight that would leave anyone speechless, and Xie Meirong was no exception.
Her gaze shifted to Yu Lei, who was now lying prone on the ground, expertly adjusting the sniper rifle's aim. "Give that to me!" Acting on instinct, Xie Meirong snatched a handgun from Feng Xinyue's hands.
She then turned to Guo Xiaomei with a reproachful look. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be looking after her? Why did you let her handle a handgun? She could kill herself!"
Feng Xinyue pouted at the loss of the handgun and walked over to Yu Lei, clearly finding Xie Meirong's restrictions too overbearing.
Guo Xiaomei offered a wry smile. "That girl is far from ordinary. Believe me, even if a grenade went off, we'd all be in danger, but she'd emerge without a scratch. It's you who should be more concerned about safety, not her," she warned.
Xie Meirong's eyes widened in disbelief. "What....?" She glanced back at Feng Xinyue with a newfound curiosity and skepticism.
?A solitary tear escaped Xiong Mei's eye, trailing down her cheek. "Can't you be less obvious..." she muttered softly to the sky, her voice barely a whisper.
The world around her felt surreal. Her father, Xiong Mingde, had died of a heart attack right after Zhang Wei's departure.
To everyone else, it seemed like a natural, albeit tragic, occurrence.
But Xiong Mei couldn't shake off her suspicions.
Her father, though not the most honorable man, was still her father.
The thought that Zhang Wei might be involved in his death left her deeply conflicted. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on N0vel-B1n.
'He could at least pretend,' she thought bitterly. 'Make it less obvious.'
But the very fact that he didn't made her wonder if he was sending her a message.
Was he deliberately letting her know it was his doing?
"Why?" she whispered to the empty sky, her mind a whirlpool of confusion and anger. 'Why not continue the charade? Why reveal your hand to me so soon?'
She couldn't fathom his motives. Was this a warning?
A display of power?
Or something far more personal?
What did he want from her?
What was she to him?
Why her?
And why now of all time?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Xiong Mei stood there, her smile fading, replaced by a look of deep contemplation.
Her heart was a sea of sorrow, suspicion, and an unsettling dread. She pulled out her phone, her thumb hovering over Zhang Wei's contact, wrestling with the idea of confronting him directly.
Her mind raced with scenarios of what such a conversation might entail.
For a long time, she stood there, caught in a silent debate with herself.
Part of her yearned for the truth, for closure, while another part feared what that truth might be.
The weight of her father's sudden death, mingled with her suspicions about Zhang Wei, made the decision all the more difficult.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, she shook her head.
The resolve to call him melted away, replaced by a resigned acceptance that some questions might be better left unanswered.
She turned off her phone, cutting off her connection to the outside world, and to Zhang Wei for next few days.
_________
In Beicheng City, Zhang Wei had just disembarked from his flight and promptly hailed a taxi to Fengshen town. He texted Yu Lei to inform her of his arrival. It was late afternoon, and by the time he would reach Fengshen town, evening would be setting in.
Back in Fengshen town, Yu Lei's phone buzzed with Zhang Wei's message. A small smile played on her lips as she read his text. She quickly sent back her location, asking him to come directly to her.
Standing beside her, Xie Meirong watched with a contemplative look. "If it's alright, may I ask what we're doing here?" Her tone was one of polite curiosity mixed with a hint of concern.
Yu Lei, putting her phone aside, glanced at her and responded, "We're here to hunt!"
Xie Meirong's lips twitched in disbelief, while Guo Xiaomei, who was standing behind them next to their parked car, struggled to hold back her laughter.
The car's trunk was open, revealing Feng Xinyue sitting on the edge, her legs dangling freely. Inside the trunk, several boxes were carefully arranged.
Xie Meirong exhaled a resigned sigh. "Can you try to be serious for once? Zhang Wei asked me to look after you all. Please, don't get into any trouble..."
Yu Lei's eyes sparkled with determination. "I am serious," she assured her.
Xie Meirong's face twitched, a provocative smile forming. "Oh really? And how so?"
Yu Lei pointed towards the empty road that stretched below their elevated vantage point. "Look there, some people are trying to harm Yulan. I can't let that happen. If they do, husband would be disappointed in me." Her tone was firm, reflecting her resolve to protect Chen Yulan and uphold the trust Zhang Wei had placed in her.
Xie Meirong's gaze intensified as she spotted Chen Yulan ambling down the street, returning from the market, unaware of the danger trailing her. Men with deadly intent and weapons moved stealthily behind her.
Instantly, Xie Meirong's eyes widened in alarm. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration.
Yu Lei remained calm. "No issues! I've got everything under control," she reassured her. Turning to Feng Xinyue, she instructed, "Yue, help me get these boxes out."
Under Xie Meirong's astonished gaze, the seemingly frail Feng Xinyue managed to heft out boxes that appeared more than twice her weight. 'What the hell is wrong with people here!?' Xie Meirong thought to herself, maintaining a confident facade while inwardly screaming.
She couldn't help but giggle nervously. "What now? We still won't reach Chen Yulan in time. Are you sure this is how you plan to impress Zhang Wei?" she questioned.
Yu Lei shook her head, opening the boxes one by one. "We'll use this!" she declared, pulling out a sniper rifle, shinning with dark omnious metal.
Xie Meirong's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell....!" she exclaimed, losing her composure. She hurried over to see what else was in those boxes while Yu Lei busied herself with adjusting the sniper rifle and figuring out how it works.
The situation was quickly escalating beyond Xie Meirong's expectations. As Yu Lei prepared her unconventional method of solving problems.
Xie Meirong's shock escalated as she surveyed the array of deadly weapons laid out in the open. "W-What are these!" she demanded, her voice rising in disbelief and concern.
The boxes were a small arsenal!
Guns!
Rifles! Grenades!
Machetes, and even a box dedicated solely to knives!
It was a sight that would leave anyone speechless, and Xie Meirong was no exception.
Her gaze shifted to Yu Lei, who was now lying prone on the ground, expertly adjusting the sniper rifle's aim. "Give that to me!" Acting on instinct, Xie Meirong snatched a handgun from Feng Xinyue's hands.
She then turned to Guo Xiaomei with a reproachful look. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be looking after her? Why did you let her handle a handgun? She could kill herself!"
Feng Xinyue pouted at the loss of the handgun and walked over to Yu Lei, clearly finding Xie Meirong's restrictions too overbearing.
Guo Xiaomei offered a wry smile. "That girl is far from ordinary. Believe me, even if a grenade went off, we'd all be in danger, but she'd emerge without a scratch. It's you who should be more concerned about safety, not her," she warned.
Xie Meirong's eyes widened in disbelief. "What....?" She glanced back at Feng Xinyue with a newfound curiosity and skepticism.
