16 Bluestone

"Miss Song, what a coincidence!"

Song Chiyu sneezed violently as soon as she sat down in the cafeteria, but she didn't pay attention to it. She went back to her room, got a bowl, and prepared to feed the dog.

Qi Zhannan didn't say anything when he saw her preparing to feed the dog. He just silently took out a Rottweiler's special bowl from the car and deliberately shook the dog food bag in front of her, almost saying "make her realize her place."

Song Chiyu was also sensible and did not continue.

Unfortunately, the Rottweiler wasn't having any of it. It would start biting him as soon as it saw him approach. If he hadn't happened to drop his food bowl while running away, the dog would have chased him forever.

Song Chiyu pretended not to see it, got her own food, and sat down in the cafeteria.

Her male colleague, who came with her, gave her a thumbs up: "Teacher Song, you were so brave today."

Song Chiyu felt a lingering fear when she thought about it.

Do you think they'll come back?

"Probably," the male colleague thought for a moment. "After all, they suffered such a huge loss."

“I think so too.” Especially since she was the one who let the dog go, she’ll definitely be the first one held accountable. Song Chiyu sighed with frustration.

"But it's okay, we still have Master Qi, right?" her male colleague comforted her.

"Do you really think he's reliable?" Song Chiyu felt even more desperate when she mentioned him. If she hadn't gone all out today, he would have been taken away by someone.

Perhaps thinking about what happened today, the male colleague looked somewhat embarrassed and tentatively glanced at Qi Zhannan, who was sitting at another table: "Young Master Qi—"

“There is no Young Master Qi here,” Hei Zi turned around and stared at him coldly: “Master Qi is Master Qi.”

The male colleague was surprised that they had put it back on so quickly, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face.

Qi Zhannan waved his hand dismissively, feigning magnanimity, to interrupt: "What's wrong?"

The male colleague knew he was about to step on a landmine after hearing that, but since he'd already asked, he could only grit his teeth and continue: "Would it be convenient for you to have Mr. Qi come over? Because we think—"

"What? You think our Master Qi isn't good enough?" Hei Zi threw down his chopsticks and stood up abruptly.

The male colleague trembled in fright, stammering, "No, I didn't..."

"Hei Zi, sit down," Qi Zhannan interrupted calmly. "Continue."

"It's alright," the male colleague immediately changed his tune.

"What do you mean it's alright?" Hei Zi hadn't even fully sat down when he stood up again: "Our Master Qi wants you to continue."

The male colleague kept his head down, and the surroundings were completely silent.

Hei Zi's face turned fierce as he looked around: "Let me tell you the truth, nobody else cares about your situation! It's only because our Master Qi took pity on you that he came all this way to help. Don't be ungrateful!"

Zheng Qiu quickly tried to smooth things over: "Of course we know, he's not..."

Hei Zi was unmoved and pointed at Zheng Qiu menacingly: "Did I ask you?"

Zheng Qiu had no choice but to shut up.

Shen Liang's face was extremely displeased. What kind of Master Qi was he? What was the difference between him and those thugs? They were all a bunch of uncultured people. How could Professor Zheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, be treated like this?

Song Chiyu stepped forward and said, "That's not what he meant."

"What does that mean?" Qi Zhannan asked.

Just as Song Chiyu was about to explain, a loud bark suddenly came from outside the door, and the dog pounced on Qi Zhannan. Qi Zhannan instinctively leaned back and almost fell to the ground, but luckily Hei Zi and Zheng Qiu caught him in time.

"Puppy, don't bite!" Song Chiyu didn't know its name, but since its original owner had put a bow on it, it certainly wouldn't have been named something like "Sang Biao". In desperation, she could only try using this name.

The puppy actually understood.

The Rottweiler, which had looked fierce just a second ago, immediately lay down obediently at her feet.

Qi Zhannan was completely overwhelmed by what he saw.

She stood up and pointed at the big dog: "Are you a little dog to agree like that! Since you're so obedient to her, then you can stay here and follow her!"

He was just saying it in anger. After all, it was his second uncle's dog, and he couldn't really give it to someone else. But the dog responded in front of so many people, as if it really intended to stay.

"Okay, you promised—"

Seeing that he was getting into a fight with the dog, Hei Zi quickly stopped him, saying, "Alright, Master Qi, why are you arguing with a dog and a woman—ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Rottweiler had already bitten his calf.

Qi Zhannan was even more surprised: "You're still protecting her?"

Let alone protecting her, if Song Chiyu hadn't been holding him back, he would have bitten the hand that was pointing at it as well.

Qi Zhannan clapped his hands in anger.

At the same time, the sound of a car horn came from outside the door; Qi Zhannan's friend had driven back to deliver gas to him.

Qi Zhannan grabbed the aching Hei Zi and glared at the Rottweiler: "If you have a temper, then don't follow me."

However, even after he finished refueling and was about to get into the car, the Rottweiler didn't move from its bed.

Qi Zhannan suppressed his anger, sat in the back seat of the SUV, and repeatedly asked through the cafeteria door, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

The big dog not only didn't move, it even turned its head away and stopped looking at him.

Qi Zhannan turned around abruptly, slammed the car door shut, and said to Hei Zi in the driver's seat, "Let's go!"

"Master Qi, this isn't a good idea. After all, this is your second uncle's dog. What if he asks about it..."

"If asked, just say it got lost!" It was all because of a woman again. He remembered his second uncle doing the same thing, and both old and new grudges surged into his heart: "Get out of here!"

Two SUVs drove away from the yard, one after the other.

Song Chiyu and the big dog stared at each other in the cafeteria, and she asked gently, "You're really not leaving?"

"Woof~" The big dog stood up and wagged its tail at her.

"Alright, then I won't leave yet." Song Chiyu got up and prepared to go outside to wash the dishes.

Zheng Qiu called out to her, "Are you really planning to keep it?"

Song Chiyu nodded: "Let it stay with me until its real owner arrives. After all, no one else can take it away."

"Then you'd better make sure to put a muzzle on it properly, so it doesn't hurt anyone." Zheng Qiu was still shaken by its ferocity earlier.

**

After taking a shower and returning to her bedroom, Song Chiyu settled the big dog and was about to go to sleep when her phone, which was on her bedside table, suddenly rang.

Thinking it was Li Li, she gestured for the dog to be quiet, drew the curtains, sat on the edge of the bed, picked up her phone, and was surprised to see Qi Yanzhou's name flashing on the screen.

Teacher Qi?

Why would he contact her at this hour?

With a mix of anticipation and trepidation that she herself didn't realize, Song Chiyu pressed the call button, "Hello, Teacher Qi."

“Miss Song.” His voice was as gentle and polite as ever.

The big dog, which was lying by the door preparing to sleep, suddenly rushed over and barked wildly at her phone, as if it had heard something.

Song Chiyu quickly patted its head: "Little dog, don't disturb the neighbors."

The big dog shut its mouth, looking aggrieved, and lay down at her feet.

Qi Yanzhou asked, "You have a dog?"

"Hmm..." She stroked the big dog's head and pondered, "I guess so. I'll take it back when its owner comes."

"Someone else is fostering them at your place?"

"Hmm..." She hesitated for a moment, then said affirmatively, "Yes."

Are you still in Yuchi County?

"Yes, what's wrong?" Her voice unconsciously became tense.

"It's nothing," he said, still not calling her out on it. "How's the weather where you are?"

"That's great, it's sunny every day." Seeing that he had come to care about her, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the window, saying, "It's just that the weather can change quite quickly sometimes, and it can start raining just like that."

"The weather there is indeed quite unpredictable."

“But I’m at work…” She realized she almost let something slip and slapped her lips hard: “I’m studying at my workplace, so it doesn’t affect me much.”

Still studying?

“Yes,” his gentle tone made her unconsciously relax, “You still have a long way to go in your studies.”

Qi Yanzhou couldn't hear a single truth, so he leaned back in his chair and sighed silently.

"Xiaoyu".

When Song Chiyu heard him call her that for the first time, she was stunned for a couple of seconds before stammering, "Huh?"

He paused for two seconds, then let out another silent sigh, "It's nothing."

Go to sleep early, goodnight.

She was still in a daze until the call ended.

Did he just call her Xiaoyu?

Are you sure it's not her hallucination?

**

The day after Qi Zhannan left, the red-haired youth under Hong San's command appeared again with another middle-aged man with gold teeth. This man looked even more like a rogue than Hong San, with pointed leather shoes and a big gold chain. He had already spat several times in the short few steps he had taken from the car.

"Are you their leader?" he asked Zheng Qiu.

"I am Zheng Qiu, the team leader of this project and an archaeological researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences." Having seen many people like this, Zheng Qiu calmed down.

"I don't care who you are, our people are here, just leave it alone."

"Then please find another place to stay; you're too close to the archaeological site."

The middle-aged man, clutching his small leather bag, took a deep breath, then revealed his true colors, saying, "You can't understand me, can you?" "Woof—" Song Chiyu walked over, leading a Rottweiler.

It wasn't just the middle-aged man; everyone around him started to retire as well.

The red-haired youth couldn't help but say, "Why is this dog still here? Master Jin, it's this dog that bit Third Master and sent him to the hospital."

"Is this Master Qi's dog?" Jin Er squatted down and clapped his hands to tease the dog. "Isn't this a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, and family members not recognizing each other? Come here, come to your uncle."

The staff at the workstation couldn't help but exchange glances.

The Rottweiler didn't give him any face and stood up to pounce on him, but Song Chiyu pulled it back in time.

Jin Er was startled and cursed in a sinister tone, "This beast is a beast, he can't understand polite words—"

Then he laughed again: "But for Master Qi's sake, I won't hold it against you."

"What are you doing here?" a police car pulled up and two officers got out and asked.

"We came here to have fun."

"What are you playing? Show me your ID." A younger policeman said.

"What business is it of yours what we're here to have fun? We haven't broken any laws or regulations. But you guys, which police are you from? Interrogating law-abiding citizens like this, aren't you afraid I'll sue you for abusing your power?" Kim Er didn't take the other party seriously at all, and said to the people behind him, "Let's go."

The police could only watch them leave.

He then looked at Zheng Qiu: "Teacher Zheng, are you alright?"

Zheng Qiu shook his head: "Have you found out they have hunting rifles?"

The police shook their heads: "We haven't found the people you mentioned either. This red-haired youth isn't in the video you provided either. We have no evidence and can't arrest him."

Zheng Qiu sighed.

"However, I do have some good news. According to your report, the higher-ups are planning to increase patrols here, so they won't dare to do anything even if they're here."

"You're just increasing the patrols, aren't you going to send police officers to guard the area?" a colleague behind Song Chiyu asked.

“That’s not something I can decide,” the police officer replied.

My colleague sighed.

That's what we said before, but they still came anyway. After the police left, a colleague thought to himself, "I suggest we call that old man Qi over—"

"Didn't you hear him say that Master Qi is in cahoots with them?" another colleague said. "No wonder they dared to kidnap that young Master Qi. It turns out that Master Qi is the mastermind behind it all."

The bespectacled boy who initially made the suggestion said, "How could that be? They..."

With such a large and successful family, is it really necessary to keep focusing on their little thing?

However, Master Qi's reputation plummeted, and he dared not say anything, fearing that others would label him as being in cahoots with Master Qi.

Zheng Qiu sighed: "Let's talk about it later, I'll think about it some more."

**

Song Chiyu returned to the restoration room.

The old man stared at the dog she had tied to the door, giving her a strange look.

Song Chiyu, puzzled, put on her apron. "What's wrong, Uncle?"

"You said your husband's surname is Qi, what's his given name?"

"His surname is Qi, his given name is Yanzhou, and he is a university teacher from our area."

The old man's gaze at her grew increasingly strange, but he said nothing: "Then how did you end up here?"

"It was arranged by my employer."

"You...your husband just let you come like this?"

“He doesn’t know,” Song Chiyu replied truthfully.

"Didn't you tell him?"

"Yes." Song Chiyu nodded.

"Your relationship isn't good?" the old master asked tentatively.

Song Chiyu didn't know why he suddenly became interested in her love life. "Uncle, is there something you need?"

"It's nothing, I was just asking," the old man coughed awkwardly, "Don't call me Uncle, just call me Old Li."

“Uncle Li,” Song Chiyu replied politely.

Her politeness made Old Li feel a little embarrassed. "If you don't understand anything in the future, you can ask me. Although I don't know your husband, we are both from Anxi, so you are considered an Anxi daughter-in-law."

Song Chiyu didn't know why he was suddenly so united with his fellow villagers, but at least he spoke to her properly: "Uncle, you're not a museum restorer, are you?"

"I do commercial repairs."

Song Chiyu could tell that his skills were far beyond those of an ordinary commercial restorer, but he didn't say anything, and she didn't press him further: "Then how did you end up here?"

"That woman of mine is from this area. Her mother broke her leg, and she insisted on coming back to take care of her, so I came back with her and also found a job."

That job should be quite easy for him.

Compared to commercial restoration, museum restoration has a much lower barrier to entry. Museum restoration focuses on preserving the historical information of cultural relics and emphasizes "restoring the old as it was," while commercial restoration pursues a seamless surface, requiring the restored parts to be completely consistent with the original, with restoration traces that are difficult to detect with the naked eye.

Song Chiyu wasn't a gossipy person, so after getting a general idea, she didn't discuss it further with him.

But Old Li was very gossipy, "How did you and your husband meet?"

We met through a blind date.

"He... a university teacher going on blind dates?" Old Li looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"He came to help someone else, but I ended up taking a liking to him."

"Then what?"

"Uncle, why are you suddenly interested in my relationship with him?" He never cared to hear about it before.

"You know, I'm not very educated. I've always admired scholars since I was a child. I was curious when I heard that your husband is a university professor."

Song Chiyu didn't think much of it, "Then we got married."

"If you like him, will he agree?"

Song Chiyu nodded.

Old Li stroked his chin with a complicated expression. No wonder everyone was looking for Master Qi but couldn't find him. It turns out he went to be a teacher, and a university teacher at that. If word got out, it would shock everyone.

He imagined Qi Yanzhou, that fierce-looking man, teaching and educating people, but just thinking about his unsmiling face made him feel uneasy.

No, I can't think about it anymore.

They had to come up with a good or bad idea for themselves.

Is he fierce at home?

Song Chiyu was unaware that he had asked such a question: "Uncle, he is not fierce, he is very knowledgeable and reasonable."

"Ah," Old Li nodded, "I see."

“Uncle, if you’re really that curious, I’ll introduce you two sometime.” Song Chiyu also wanted to build a good relationship with him, since there were only the two of them in the restoration room.

"Well..." I wouldn't dare. If Qi Yanzhou knew how harsh he had been to his wife before, I don't know what he would do to him. "Don't tell anyone else what I told you today, so that they won't overthink it and start making baseless accusations against you."

The young girl was naive and didn't doubt a word he said, and solemnly promised to keep it a secret for him.

**

The thugs didn't back down despite the increased police patrols; instead, they became even more brazen. No sooner had the police car left than the red-haired youth blocked Zheng Qiu's path from the work station to the archaeological site: "You called the police, huh?"

Zheng Qiu remained calm and fearless in the face of danger.

"What exactly do you want?"

"We're nothing special. Since you guys love calling the police so much, I'll let you call as many as you want." With that, he left.

The next day, when Shen Liang went to town to buy daily necessities, he was falsely accused of stealing money, causing a great uproar in the town. The person who claimed to have been robbed grabbed Shen Liang and said, "This is the archaeological team from down here. They even stole money from ordinary people like us. Who knows what they would steal during an archaeological expedition?"

Many people don't know enough about archaeology, and there are often claims that archaeology is the same as tomb raiding. With his instigation, people believe it even more.

This has had a very negative impact on the project's development.

In the middle of the night, Zheng Qiu led Shen Liang back. Everyone was sitting in the cafeteria on the first floor waiting. When they saw the light come on outside, they all got up to greet them.

Zheng Qiu looked somewhat tired. "Why isn't everyone asleep yet? Go and rest, it's alright."

"They've gone too far! First it was Xiao Zhang, now it's Shen Liang. How can anyone sleep? If this continues, will we even be able to continue this project?"

"Don't think too much about it, everyone go to sleep."

However, they were right in fact.

The next afternoon, a group of troublemakers surrounded their place, claiming that their entire excavation project was theft, citing the location of Shenliang as the reason.

Shen Liang was so angry that he wanted to cut open his own intestines to prove his innocence, but fortunately the others stopped him, and he just fainted.

Song Chiyu and Lao Li rushed over after hearing the news. Lao Li had already adopted an indifferent attitude, standing far away on the mound of earth and watching.

Song Chiyu led a Rottweiler wearing a muzzle into the crowd.

He intended to shoo away the troublemakers, but the red-haired youth leading the disturbance immediately shouted, "Hey everyone, stay away from this! It almost killed someone a few days ago!"

Upon hearing that the dog was going to bite someone to death, the crowd was initially terrified and retreated sharply. Then they began to condemn the dog, claiming that it should be humanely destroyed. They even prepared to snatch the dog, saying that if it hadn't been so fierce, it would have been taken away and beaten to death long ago.

"Let's go and invite that young Master Qi over. Even a mosquito's leg is still a piece of meat!" suggested a colleague who was at his wit's end.

"What use is he? And look at his men, how are they any different from those thugs!"

"So what do we do now? We can't just let them cause trouble like this, can we?"

Seeing someone preparing to climb over the fence near the construction site, Zheng Qiu lost all patience and completely abandoned any semblance of dignity befitting a scholar: "Enough! I said enough!"

**

Amidst the vast Gobi Desert and endless yellow sand, a black jeep speeds along.

The young man holding the steering wheel laughed and said, "Brother Qi, you know what, driving on this kind of road is more exciting than driving on city roads."

The man in the passenger seat opened his eyes at the sound. His cool and handsome face showed no emotion, and he was even calm. He glanced at the navigation on the screen and asked indifferently, "How much longer?"

"If we keep driving like this, it will take at most twenty minutes to get there."

"kindness."

"Second Uncle," compared to the calm in front, the back seat of the jeep was a complete mess. Qi Zhannan dragged his leg, which was still sore from the beating, and struggled to sit up: "I'm your own nephew, how could you just hit me like that? How are you going to explain this to my father?"

Qi Yanzhou closed his eyes without turning his head.

"Who do I need to explain to? Your dad, on the other hand, has to give me a proper explanation because of you."

"So what if you didn't go on a blind date? You yourself aren't happy about getting married, are you...?"

"Young Master Qi, could you please say less?" The driver couldn't bear to watch any longer. Hadn't he just been hit twice more because of those two sentences? Why was he starting again while it was still hurting?

Qi Zhannan was so upset that he burst into tears.

However, no one paid any attention to him the entire time.

The jeep pulled up to the archaeological workstation, but there was hardly anyone inside. Qi Yanzhou called out "Xiao Hua" twice at the entrance, but there was no response. Just as he was about to go and settle accounts with Qi Zhannan, the driver, Zhou Yue, stood by the roadside and shouted, "Master Qi, look over there!"

Qi Yanzhou went over to take a look, but it was too far away to hear what those people were arguing about.

Qi Zhannan limped out of the car. "It's that group of people! I told you, there was trouble here, and I was just doing my part to help, but you wouldn't believe me!"

"Haven't you had enough of those blows yet?" Qi Yanzhou took the cigarette Zhou Yue offered and put it to his lips. "Who told you to talk to me so rudely?"

Qi Zhannan: "..."

He's only eight years older than him, but just because of that seniority, he acts like a great elder. If I weren't a few years younger than him, he wouldn't be the head of the Qi family.

They might think it, but they'd still say it honestly.

"Second Uncle, those troublemakers should be here again, and Sang Biao should have been taken away by them as well."

"So many people are causing trouble?" Zhou Yue asked in surprise.

“That’s not Sang Biao, it’s Xiao Hua,” Qi Yanzhou coldly corrected. “You even got its name wrong, no wonder it keeps biting you.”

"With such strong fighting power, isn't it still Sang Biao? Didn't you see how fiercely it bit Hong San..."

"Stop talking nonsense and take me there."

**

"Get out of the way!" Zheng Qiu shouted. "Don't be used by those with ulterior motives! My student didn't steal any money; he was framed. The police station investigated and released him last night!"

"Don't listen to them! The police are in cahoots with them! They're using the guise of archaeology to steal national cultural relics! We're the ones protecting them!"

Zheng Qiu shouted until her voice was hoarse, but still couldn't find a solution. Her graying hair revealed a sense of exhaustion and helplessness.

The other staff members were also filled with helplessness, their eyes red with anger.

Song Chiyu wanted to say something more, but her colleague pulled her clothes and stopped her, so she reluctantly shut her mouth.

"You're not going to say anything more, is that it?" the red-haired youth said. "That means you admit it!"

"Don't push your luck!" Shen Liang, who had just woken up, happened to see this scene and immediately clenched his fists and stepped forward.

"What? You want to hit me again?" The red-haired youth slapped his face. "Come on, you missed your turn in jail yesterday, so you're making up for it today, huh?"

"Don't be impulsive." Zheng Qiu roused herself and held Chen Liang's hand tightly. "What exactly do you want?"

The red-haired youth remained silent.

Jin Er, who had been hiding in the crowd, stepped out and slowly approached Zheng Qiu's face, staring at him menacingly: "We just want you to shut your eyes and mouths. Don't worry about what we're doing here. Let's keep to ourselves, understand?"

Since he said that, there must be something he's hiding that he can't let them see or talk about.

Zheng Qiu's conscience naturally wouldn't allow him to do that.

“If I find out again, and you call the police, I’ll—” Kim Er slashed his neck.

"If you are truly law-abiding citizens, why are you afraid of being seen?" Chen Liang replied fearlessly, "You want us to be your accomplices? Dream on!"

"So there's no room for negotiation?" Kim Jong-un spread his hands: "I can afford to wait, it's up to you now."

"You steal, yet you care if others are good people or not," the red-haired youth laughed. "You don't care who we are, everyone is a good person, a law-abiding citizen, compared to you! You! You thief—"

Shen Liang couldn't take it anymore. He broke free from Zheng Qiu's hand and grabbed the red-haired youth by the collar.

The red-haired youth looked up, waiting for him to make his move. Kim Il was also waiting, ready to incite the crowd behind him to swarm forward at any moment.

A black Jeep silently stopped outside the crowd.

Old Li, squatting on the sand dune, saw a person getting out of the car from afar. His cool and handsome face revealed no emotion. His black windbreaker was billowing in the wind, outlining his strong and powerful figure. Standing in the vast Gobi Desert, he was like an unshakable blue stone.

Old Li suddenly stood up.

The man methodically pushed through the crowd of onlookers. The people who had been complaining earlier immediately stepped back and made way for him the moment they saw him clearly.

He silently walked up behind Kim Jong-il.

Jin Er continued to talk glibly to Shen Liang: "Fight! Make a move! Don't you have any guts as a man?!"

The Rottweiler crouching at Song Chiyu's feet suddenly stood up and barked wildly at Jin Er's back. Jin Er was startled and pointed at the dog, cursing, "You beast, you scared the hell out of me! What the hell are you howling about?"

"Boom——"

A solid slap landed on the back of Jin Er's head. He clutched the back of his head and turned around in pain: "Damn it! I swear—" The word "you" was swallowed back the moment he saw who had slapped him, "My mom."

He abandoned his previous fierce demeanor and asked with a fawning expression, "Master Qi, what brings you here?"

Before Qi Yanzhou could answer, Xiao Hua broke free and ran towards him, her black windbreaker covered in plum blossom-shaped footprints.

"What are you doing here with so many people?" Qi Yanzhou asked.

“They stole things.” Jin Er pointed at Chen Liang: “He was caught stealing from the supermarket yesterday! We’re doing this for the people! We’re acting on behalf of Heaven!”

Qi Yanzhou followed his finger and looked over, his deep and indifferent gaze landing on Zheng Qiu and Shen Liang's faces. He exuded an aura that was distinctly different from others, calm and composed, as if everything in the world was but a drop in the ocean, and nothing could disturb him.

To put it simply, it's the aura of a big shot.

This is completely different from the boastful Young Master Qi from before.

He was just standing there alone, and everyone around him immediately shut their mouths, their faces showing fear, afraid of being noticed by him.

The rest of the archaeological team thought so too.

"That's it, an even more ruthless character has arrived." Despair was evident on everyone's faces.

"Qi..." Zheng Qiu was about to speak when his gaze shifted from him to Song Chiyu behind him. She had clearly recognized him, but was unsure whether she should, her eyes darting away, avoiding his gaze.

Qi Zhannan also arrived.

Pointing at Song Chiyu, he said, "Second Uncle, Sang Biao, no, Xiao Hua was stolen by her!"

All eyes turned to Song Chiyu.

Song Chiyu was somewhat at a loss, "Qi..."

For a moment, I didn't know what to call him.

Qi Zhannan snorted coldly. Now you know you're scared? Too late! What were you doing when you were swaggering around with Xiaohua before?

He was eagerly waiting to see Song Chiyu suffer a setback.

Not forgetting to fan the flames at Qi Yanzhou, she said, "Second Uncle, it's her."

Qi Yanzhou calmly extinguished the half-burnt cigarette in his hand, pulled down the shirt cuffs that were pushed up to his elbows under his windbreaker, and walked towards her while tying them.

Under everyone's gaze, he gently called out, "Miss Song, what a coincidence?"

Song Chiyu: "..."

The surroundings were completely silent. Even Zheng Qiu stared wide-eyed. No one expected that the Master Qi they had been searching for all along was someone she had known all along.

Old Li stood on tiptoe, peering intently inside.

Qi Zhannan was so surprised that his voice cracked: "What? Second Uncle, how do you know her?"

Qi Yanzhou did not answer.

His gaze remained fixed on her.

Song Chiyu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Yes, what a coincidence."

Qi Yanzhou glanced at her fingers, which were twisted together in nervousness, and calmly looked away from Jin Er: "The police are there to rid the people of evil, why do we need you to act as God's representative?"

[Author's Note]

I originally planned to save 2,000 words for tomorrow's update, but it felt too tantalizing, so I'm updating it all today.

I'm not sure if I'll update tomorrow! If I don't update by midnight, it means I haven't written anything I'm satisfied with, and I'll update again at 11 PM the night after tomorrow! After that, updates won't be this late~ [heart emoji]

Mini-theater:

Qi Zhannan: You betrayed my love, you've incurred a debt of conscience, and knowing the truth brings tears to my eyes.

Xiaohua: You really are... If my dad didn't know her, why would I follow her?

Zheng Qiu: Xiao Song, I told you you had these connections, look at the mess you've made.

Kim Jong-un: Danger—