In the end, Qin Sheng booked plane tickets for herself and Pei Ling to be on the same flight as Gu Yueming and Qin Zhao.

Early in the morning, Qin Sheng took her family to the airport in her dark yellow car and sent Fu Jingheng a message: "[I brought my mom and my brother, you go by yourself]".

Fu Jingheng, who thought he would finally be able to spend some time alone with his girlfriend: "..."

I couldn't resist pressing my temples.

He turned to Mo Tian and instructed, "Get ready, we're leaving now."

*

The Qin family also owns property in Tiandu, and it's quite large and in a good location.

Not far from Qin Zhihuai's company, Huayao Film and Television, there is a detached villa.

Qin Zhihuai usually lives here, but recently quite a few people have moved in.

Qin Zhihuai had already received the news, so he specially postponed his work today.

Since it was inconvenient to pick them up from the airport, they waited at the villa entrance.

Seeing the business vehicle approaching from afar, a smile appeared on his lips as he strolled over.

Gu Yueming was the first to get off the bus. As soon as she saw Qin Zhihuai, her eyes lit up with a smile. She stood on tiptoe, reached out and patted his head, and said with a look of satisfaction, "It's been a month since I last saw you, A-Huai, you've grown taller!"

Qin Zhihuai: "..."

He's already 24, where can he grow taller? Is he going to have a second growth spurt?

Xu Wenyue rarely saw his artist and boss so stiff that he couldn't even smile. He suppressed his laughter and quickly stepped forward, saying, "The rooms are ready. Please settle in, madam, young lady, and young master. I've reserved a table at Bixi Courtyard. We can head over around this time."

It's almost four o'clock now. By the time everyone changes their clothes and tidies themselves up a bit, it will be just time for dinner.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhihuai stopped talking, stepped aside to let the four people into the house, and then led Xu Wenyue and the villa's servants to carry the four people's luggage down.

Half an hour later, everyone gathered in the lobby.

Gu Yueming looked back and forth several times, then couldn't help but blink: "Where's your dad? Didn't he say he was staying here? Did he go out?"

Qin Zhihuai glanced at the time and frowned: "He left this morning, saying he would be back in the afternoon, but he didn't say where he was going."

This is very unlike Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng has always been extremely family-oriented. Even though he is the head of the Qin family and has heavy responsibilities at the base, he rarely works overtime.

He usually brings any work that can be done at home to his house, so he can watch dramas with Gu Yueming while handling his work.

Even if I occasionally need to go out, I always make sure to tell my family beforehand, and they will send a message or call to let me know if there is any unexpected situation.

Gu Yueming glanced at her phone. There were no missed calls or unread messages. Her clear almond-shaped eyes flickered, and she finally realized that something was wrong.

My heart jumped.

He immediately made the call.

The call was connected in just one click.

Qin Zheng's voice was as deep and gentle as ever: "Xiao Ming."

Gu Yueming's heart tightened, and she said, "We've arrived in Tiandu, where are you? Why haven't you come back yet?"

Qin Zheng paused slightly before replying, "I ran into an old acquaintance on the way back. We had some things to talk about, so I'll be back in a bit."

“It’s almost lunchtime. Where are you going to eat? I’ll come find you.”

Hearing him say that, Gu Yueming finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her voice rose a little: "Ah Huai is in Bi... Bi..."

She couldn't remember the name of the place for a moment, and was about to ask Qin Zhihuai when a hand reached out from the side and snatched the phone from her hand.

Qin Sheng's voice was cold and clear: "Bixi Courtyard, where are you? I'll come and take you there."

Qin Zheng tightened his grip on his phone: "No need, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, the girl's cool voice rang out again, repeating, "Where are you?"

Qin Zheng pursed his thin lips, about to refuse again, when he saw the person opposite him tap the table lightly.

Qin Zheng clenched his fingers and said, "I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Grand Theater on West Chang'an Street."

Qin Sheng hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

Looking up at Qin Zhihuai, she said, "Let's go pick up Dad first."

Qin Zhihuai's gaze also darkened. He nodded and left the house first.

Others followed suit.

Huaguo Grand Theatre.

Qin Zheng hung up the phone without saying a word, just staring coldly at the man on the other end.

The man wore a long silver-gray robe and a mask that fit his face so his true appearance was obscured. However, just by looking at the gray hair at his temples, one could tell that he was not old.

Meeting Qin Zheng's clearly hostile gaze, he didn't react much, but instead chuckled lightly: "Don't look at me like that, I came alone, what can I do?"

Qin Zheng scoffed: "You can't do anything, so you're not worried about what I might do?"

His voice turned cold, filled with murderous intent: "This is Tiandu. How dare you!"

The man chuckled, seemingly unconcerned.

Without saying much to Qin Zheng, he glanced at him indifferently and said, "You can take your time to consider what I said. You can contact me anytime if you change your mind."

He chuckled lightly: "It's just a few strands of hair and a little blood. I'm just studying it. It won't kill your precious daughter, so why are you being so stubborn?"

"Are your lives and the lives of your three sons less valuable than a few strands of your daughter's hair and a few drops of her blood?"

Qin Zheng's face darkened, and his voice grew even deeper: "You're dreaming!"

The man's gaze finally darkened, but after thinking of something, he ultimately did nothing, only coldly tossing out, "Contact me if you change your mind," before getting up and leaving.

Qin Zheng clenched his fists, his eyes seeming to churn with hidden currents.

Suddenly, he paused, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his face turned pale at a visible speed.

Qin Zheng slowly opened his eyes only after his phone rang again.

He washed his face and straightened his clothes before walking out of the grand theater, where Qin Sheng and Gu Yueming were already waiting for him at the entrance.

Upon seeing him, the two of them went to greet him at the same time.

Qin Sheng immediately sensed that Qin Zheng's aura was off. She moved her fingers to try and grasp his pulse, but Qin Zheng dodged her without making a sound.

Qin Sheng frowned: "Dad."

Qin Zheng moved closer to her and lowered his voice, saying, "Dad's fine, don't worry your mom."

Qin Sheng pursed her lips and slowly withdrew her hand.

Where Gu Yueming couldn't see, she raised her hand and placed it on his arm, gently channeling spiritual energy into Qin Zheng's body, nourishing his meridians and bones little by little.

Qin Zheng's complexion slowly regained its color.

Qin Zhihuai glanced at Qin Zheng through the rearview mirror and, seeing that he was alright, felt relieved.

The car restarted, and fifty minutes later, they arrived at Bixi Courtyard. The group entered the private room that Xu Wenyue had reserved in advance.

While the dishes were being served, Qin Zheng, Qin Zhihuai, and Qin Sheng each found an excuse to leave the private room.