Chapter Thirty-Two: Blood-Red Setting Sun

Qiao Yuan returned home, travel-worn and exhausted.

The gramophone in the living room was still creaking and turning, and the lyrics of "A beautiful day, a lovely scene, but what a pity!" from "The Peony Pavilion" still lingered in my ears.

"Cheng Qing!" he shouted as soon as he entered the room, his voice filled with lingering anger and panic, like a wild beast being hunted by hunters.

His voice nearly shook the entire Joe residence.

The butler, wearing a padded jacket and carrying a kerosene lamp, ran down the corridor. "Master Qiao, the concubine is listening to records in the living room..."

"Where is he?" Qiao Yuan asked with a dark face.

Guan Jia, with his failing old eyes, looked around and asked in surprise, "Hey, where's the concubine?"

"Find him!" Qiao Yuan interrupted him, coldly shouting.

Zhang Ma quickly ran downstairs and said, "Master Qiao, I just went to check on the concubine's room, but no one was there..."

Qiao Yuan's face was as dark as ink. He turned and headed for the stairs. Ah Chen quickly followed, "Mr. Qiao, don't worry, could Miss Cheng be..."

"Don't rush?" Qiao Yuan suddenly stopped, and when he turned his face, it was frighteningly red. "She sent me a message saying that Sato was going to bomb the factory. I thought she had a change of heart, but what happened? Just like that, when I arrived at the scene, Lin Jintang saw me 'admit' everything!"

Ah Chen was taken aback, then realized: "You mean, the factory incident was a conspiracy between Miss Cheng and the Japanese?"

Qiao Yuan sneered, "This woman was a pawn Sato planted next to me from the very beginning. I was already wary of her, but I never expected that this time I would show even a little pity and she would..."

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked upstairs, his footsteps heavy, making the stairs creak.

"Master Qiao..." Ah Chen called out helplessly from behind him.

"It's too late, everyone should rest!" he said, waving his hand.

The lights gradually dimmed.

Qiao Yuan's figure was stretched out long and lonely.

He entered Lin Jintang's room.

The room still held the scent of Lin Jintang when she left; the warm light from the lamp shone on the sheets, and a few stray hairs of hers clung to the pillow.

Qiao Yuan slowly sat down, then lay down, tears falling onto the sheets, leaving a small damp patch. He had thought he was only bleeding, but now he was crying.

...

The next morning, Qiao Yuan went downstairs.

Ah Chen was waiting for him downstairs, his forehead covered in sweat. When he saw Qiao Yuan, he quickly went up to him: "Master Qiao, Ah Xiu just secretly called and said that Miss Cheng is... at Miss Lin's house!"

Qiao Yuan was taken aback at first, then sneered: "She really knows how to pick a place, as if she's afraid Lin Jintang won't see her 'victory'..."

He turned and walked towards the door. Ah Chen quickly grabbed his coat: "Mr. Qiao, are you going?"

"Go." Qiao Yuan took the coat. "I want to see what other tricks she has up her sleeve."

The morning chill wafted in through the doorway, making his collar feel cold. He looked up at the sky; the clouds were thick.

...

Qiao Yuan arrived at the old house in Hongkou quickly; Lin Tang and Cheng Qing were having a meal.

Lin Tang's face still bore the marks of last night's fatigue, her eyes were slightly red, and she held the celadon porridge bowl between her fingertips, the bottom of the spoon hitting the rim of the bowl with a soft, rustling sound.

Cheng Qing sat opposite her, the hem of her moon-white cheongsam spread out on the rattan chair like a crumpled cloud. She was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, tears clinging to her eyelashes, looking pitiful.

"Cheng Qing." Qiao Yuan stood at the door, one hand supporting the door, almost blocking out the light from the room. His eyes were red as if they were about to bleed. "Sato Ichiro's adopted daughter, hiding by my side for so long, are you tired?"

Cheng Qing's hand trembled violently, and the bowl of porridge crashed to the ground, splattering white porridge mixed with shards of porcelain all over the floor. When she looked up, her eyes were already red like a rabbit's. She rushed over and hugged Lin Tang's waist, her voice trembling with tears: "Sister Lin, Master Qiao has gone mad... He says I'm a Japanese spy, and he wants to kill me..."

Lin Tang put down her chopsticks, put her hand on Cheng Qing's shoulder, raised her head slightly, and glared at Qiao Yuan with a cold look in her eyes: "Qiao Yuan, have you said enough?"

"Not enough!" Qiao Yuan took two steps forward, his leather shoes making a harsh sound as they stepped on the broken porcelain shards. "Jin Tang, don't abuse your bodhisattva-like kindness towards this woman! You're letting a wolf into the house. From beginning to end, she's been a pawn planted by Sato Ichiro around me, listening to me and using me. I can turn a blind eye to that, but she has nothing to do with you. Why do you keep protecting her?"

Lin Tang pursed her lips and didn't say anything, her face was just pale.

Lin Tang looked at Cheng Qing.

Cheng Qing snuggled closer to Lin Tang, her fingers clutching the hem of her clothes. "Sister Lin, I didn't... I overheard Master Qiao talking to the Japanese on the phone about bombing the factory. I was afraid he'd hurt you, so I gave you the message..." She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Master Qiao wants to kill me, so I had no choice but to come to you..."

Lin Tang stroked Cheng Qing's hair, as if soothing a frightened cat, then turned to look at Qiao Yuan. "Qiao Yuan, what's the point of saying all this now?" Her voice was soft, yet it struck Qiao Yuan's heart like a stone. "Do you think I'd still believe you now?"

Qiao Yuan's face contorted. He suddenly pulled out his gun and pointed it at Cheng Qing's head. "You think she can fool you by playing the victim?" His finger was on the trigger, his knuckles turning white. "She's Sato's woman! She conspired with the Japanese to get things done at the factory!"

Cheng Qing screamed in fright and burrowed into Lin Tang's arms, "Sister Lin, I'm scared..."

Lin Tang grabbed Qiao Yuan's wrist, her nails digging into his flesh. "Qiao Yuan, are you crazy?"

Qiao Yuan looked into Lin Tang's eyes, finding no trust, only disgust. He suddenly laughed, a self-deprecating laugh. "Crazy? I must be crazy to believe this woman's words, to make you misunderstand me..." He lowered his gun and took a step back. "Lin Jintang, you really believe her that much?"

Lin Tang helped Cheng Qing to her feet. "Qiao Yuan, do you know why I moved back here? Have I ever told you that I have a sister who has been missing for many years and that I've been searching for her?"

Qiao Yuan stared at Cheng Qing in disbelief, his gun trembling. "It's...her?"

Lin Tang nodded. "Qiao Yuan, I've told you before, she's more important than my life. I owe her and her mother a promise: as long as I live, I will protect her. If you're going to kill her, then kill me first!"

Cheng Qing hugged her waist, secretly revealing a smug smile.

Qiao Yuan took a step forward, and Lin Tang also took a step forward, blocking Cheng Qing's way, and said coldly, "Qiao Yuan, if you dare to touch Cheng Qing, try killing me!"

Qiao Yuan's shoulders slumped. He looked at Lin Tang, the light in his eyes gradually fading. "Fine, since you put it that way..."

"Qiao Yuan!" Lin Tang's voice suddenly rang out. She took a step forward, then stopped abruptly.

Cheng Qing's body trembled even more violently, but her eyes were shining. All of this made her tremble with excitement, and even her tears flowed more fiercely.

"Master Qiao!" Ah Chen rushed in from the doorway, his face as white as a sheet. He grabbed Qiao Yuan, turned his back to the house, and pulled him towards the outside.

"Miss Lin." A young man with a gun came out from behind the house; it was Chen Mo.

Tears streamed down Lin Tang's face, but her expression remained calm. When she saw Chen Mo raise his gun again, she stopped him.

"He's not going to make it. Ah Chen is innocent. Let him go!"

Lin Tang's hand rested on Chen Mo's gun barrel. Tears still clung to her eyelashes, but her eyes shone with an alarming brightness, like two flames trembling in the wind: "Chen Mo, let them go."

Chen Mo frowned, glanced at Cheng Qing, and finally lowered his gun and stepped aside.

Lin Tang slowly turned her face only after hearing the car engine sound fade into the distance.

Behind the house, Ah Xiu was pale-faced, clutching her clothes, looking extremely uneasy.

Lin Tang looked at her and even smiled: "Ah Xiu, I promised you I wouldn't hurt Ah Chen." She looked up at Chen Mo and said, "You can also report back to the organization. I haven't betrayed your trust by luring Qiao Yuan here. Soon Jiangcheng will announce his death."

She paused, "And I, although I have the divorce papers, haven't officially handed over the deed to him. Now I can use my status as a widow to reclaim what's rightfully mine!"

When Cheng Qing looked up, tears were hanging on her eyelashes, but her eyes shone like pearls dipped in poison as she stared straight at Lin Tang's face. "Sister, I never knew... you had such thoughts."

Lin Tang looked down at her, her fingertips gently stroking the top of her head, like petting a cat whose fur had just been ruffled: "I've been with Qiao Yuan for so many years, and all those profitable businesses of his were originally brought back by me. He wants to take advantage of me, even kill me to silence me, and yet he still acts all lovey-dovey with me?" She gave a cold laugh, but it carried a chilling coldness. "I'm not the foolish Lin Jintang I was six years ago!"

Cheng Qing's pitiful expression was almost impossible to hide, "Sister, you..."

Lin Tang raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, do you find me unfamiliar? Manqing, I've been the woman of the biggest gang leader in Jiangcheng for five years. He almost killed the person I loved most, and he also caused me to break my leg and lose half my life. For the past five years, I haven't wanted to leave him for a single moment! It was Amu who came back and gave me this opportunity. Why shouldn't I seize it and make good use of it?"

Cheng Qing's eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, "You...you had it all planned out in advance?"

Lin Tang looked at her, and the corner of her mouth subtly twitched slightly before the smile slowly faded.

She walked to the window and looked at the distant sky. The sunrise in the east looked like it had been soaked in blood, and it was a blindingly red.