Waiters carrying trays shuttled between the tables and chairs, their shouts and laughter intertwined. She searched the crowd and soon found Yan Shu sitting in the corner of the first-floor hall.
At this time, a gorgeously dressed woman came up to him and started chatting with him.
The woman was wearing a bright red satin dress embroidered with delicate gold patterns. The neckline was very low, revealing a large area of fair skin.
Her face was thickly powdered, her delicate red lips were slightly upturned, and her eyes were full of charm and elegance.
Yan Shu was dressed in a white robe as white as snow. The white fabric was of fine quality and had a soft luster in the interweaving of light and shadow in the restaurant.
He had a moon-white ribbon tied around his waist, with a warm jade pendant hanging on it, which swayed gently with his movements.
His hair was neatly tied up and fixed with a white jade hairpin. He had a handsome face and a temperament as gentle as jade. He was truly a man as beautiful as jade and a gentleman unparalleled in the world.
The woman smiled sweetly, her voice shrill and charming: "Sir, you look so lonely here alone, why don't you have a few drinks with me?"
Yan Shu looked at her with a smile, his eyes filled with just the right amount of politeness. He bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your kindness, young lady. However, I'm a little overwhelmed with some trivial matters today, so this is really inconvenient. I hope you can understand."
His voice was low and magnetic, and his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, leaving no room for fault.
When Jing Zhiwan saw this scene, she couldn't help but shudder.
She knew very well what kind of scheming and cruelty was hidden beneath Yan Shu's gentle appearance.
She walked over slowly, her steps a little unsteady, and every step felt like she was stepping on cotton.
She tried to straighten herself up and make her voice sound calmer. "Master Yan, why don't you get a private room? There are so many people in this hall. If someone sees us and spreads the news, it might not be good for your plan."
As she spoke, she looked around warily, afraid that someone might hear their conversation.
Yan Shu shrugged nonchalantly, a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and there was a hint of disdain in that smile: "I just don't want them to have an easy time. Even if the Wei family finds out, so what. As for Su Huaiyue, I don't really like her. I'm just using her."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, like a cold star twinkling in the night sky, which made people shudder.
Yan Shu picked up the teacup on the table and blew on it gently, and the steaming aroma of tea spread.
He raised his head slightly, looked at Jing Zhiwan with a sharp gaze, and asked, "How is the implementation of what I asked you to do going?"
Jing Zhiwan bit her lips, which turned white and almost bled.
She lowered her head, not daring to look Yan Shu in the eye. She twisted her hands nervously together and whispered, "I failed. Wei Che would rather have his hands crippled than even give me a kiss. He was very defensive against me and didn't give me any chance at all."
Her voice carried a hint of grievance and helplessness, as well as deep fear.
After hearing this, Yan Shu rubbed the teacup in his hand thoughtfully, and the teacup slowly turned between his slender fingers.
After a moment, he raised his head and stared at Jing Zhiwan with scrutiny and suspicion in his eyes. He asked, "Do you still think that the relationship between Wei Che and Su Huaiyue is impure?"
Jing Zhiwan avoided looking at Yan Shu.
Her eyes wandered over the walls of the restaurant, her fingers constantly tugging at the corners of her clothes, and she answered vaguely: "Maybe... I was mistaken before. Their relationship may also be my own illusion. Thinking about the scene at that time now, maybe I was just overthinking it."
Her voice gradually became quieter and quieter, almost inaudible.
Yan Shu sneered, and that laugh was like a sharp knife, cutting through the noise around him.
This laughter made Jing Zhiwan shudder, and she felt a chill running from the soles of her feet straight up to her heart.
Yan Shu said coldly, "Jing Zhiwan, you'd better not stand on the wrong side. If anything goes wrong, the woman in the portrait will be replaced by you. I mean what I say."
His eyes were cold and fierce, as if he was staring at a lamb to be slaughtered.
Jing Zhiwan couldn't help but tremble, she knew Yan Shu was not joking.
Her legs were weak and she could barely stand. Her hands were tightly grasping the back of the chair beside her, her knuckles turning white from the strain.
She raised her head and looked at Yan Shu, her eyes filled with fear and pleading: "Master Yan, don't worry, I will not make any mistakes. Please give me another chance."
Yan Shu looked at the trembling Jing Zhiwan coldly, without a trace of pity in his eyes, but instead that chilling sneer appeared again.
He leaned forward slightly, approaching Jing Zhiwan, and spoke word by word, "Jing Zhiwan, this is my last warning to you. Don't think I'm just trying to scare you. There's nothing I, Yan Shu, can't accomplish. That portrait is your death warrant. If you dare to ruin my plans again, you'll be a wanted criminal in the city in the next second. When that happens, just expect to be thrown into jail and tortured."
His voice was low but full of threats, and every word hit Jing Zhiwan's heart like a hammer.
Jing Zhiwan's face turned pale as paper, tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't dare to let them fall.
Her lips trembled, and she wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.
Seeing this, Yan Shu frowned in disgust, sat back in his chair, picked up the teacup and took a sip, as if Jing Zhiwan was just an insignificant ant.
"Go away and think carefully about what you should do." Yan Shu waved his hand as if to drive away a fly.
Jing Zhiwan felt as if she had been pardoned. With trembling legs, she managed to stand up straight, bowed, turned around and hurried away.
She walked out of the restaurant, and the sunlight outside shone on her, but did not bring her a trace of warmth.
Yan Shu's warning kept echoing in her mind, and she was completely distraught.
Walking to an empty corner, Jing Zhiwan finally couldn't hold on any longer and leaned against the wall dejectedly, tears streaming down her face.
She thought of her once peaceful life, which was shattered by the appearance of Yan Shu.
She was just a chess piece in Yan Shu's hands, and she would be ruthlessly abandoned if she was not careful.
But she didn't dare to disobey Yan Shu, after all, her family was still under his control.
"What should I do..." Jing Zhiwan cried softly, her voice full of despair.
The days passed one by one, and two weeks flew by in a flash.
Over the past two weeks, the entire county has been plunged into a tense search. Portraits of the woman have been posted in every street and alley, and yamen runners have been roaming around, questioning every household, leaving no place where she might be hiding.
The people were also in panic because of this dismemberment case. The usually bustling market was less popular. When people gathered together, they talked about this horrible case.
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