Chapter 229 Impure Purpose
The next morning, Shang Wu prepared to leave for her studio as usual.
However, when she pressed the car key, the familiar car did not respond at all, and even the headlights could not be turned on.
The battery is completely dead.
"Really..." Shang Wu sighed helplessly. It seems that he has been so busy lately that he has not even had time to maintain his car.
She checked the time and, not wanting to miss her appointment with Qi Yan that morning to discuss design details, had no choice but to call Lu Rang.
Lu Rang: "Wait where you are, I'll come and take you right away."
He arrived from the law firm in less than fifteen minutes.
Lu Rang carefully inspected Shang Wu's car and was only slightly relieved after confirming that it was just a battery problem.
"It's alright, I'll have my assistant contact a towing company to handle it. We'll take you to the studio first."
On the way, Lu Rang asked casually while driving, "Is the studio busy today? Did you have an appointment with a client?"
"Yes, I made an appointment with Mr. Qi to finalize the gemstone selection and setting details for the brooch." Shang Wu fastened her seatbelt and looked at the street scene rushing past the window.
Lu Rang tightened his grip on the steering wheel, but his tone remained calm: "Qi Yan really does everything himself when it comes to design."
Shang Wu sensed the subtle jealousy in his words and couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to touch his arm.
"Alright, Attorney Lu, it's just work. I'll treat you well after this case is finished."
The car came to a smooth stop downstairs at the studio.
Shang Wu unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over and kissed Lu Rang on the cheek: "See you tonight."
Lu Rang returned her kiss, his eyes tender: "Go ahead, call me when you're done, I'll come pick you up."
Watching Shang Wu walk into the studio building, Lu Rang did not leave immediately.
He sat in the car, pondering for a moment.
An inexplicable intuition made him uneasy.
The timing and manner of Qi Yan's appearance were too coincidental. Although the other party had been impeccable during their last meeting, his vigilance had never been eliminated.
He opened the car door and decided to go up and take a look.
It's perfectly reasonable for her to say hello as her fiancé.
In the studio, Shang Wu had just made coffee for Qi Yan, and the two were about to sit down in the reception area to start their discussion.
The door was pushed open, and Lu Rang's tall and imposing figure appeared in the doorway.
"A-Rang?" Shang Wu asked in surprise. "Why did you come up here?"
Lu Rang walked naturally to Shang Wu's side, gently put his arm around her waist, and looked at Qi Yan who had stood up. He took the initiative to extend his hand: "Mr. Qi, I came to take A Wu to work. I just came up to say hello. I hope I didn't disturb your business conversation?"
A sharp glint flashed in Qi Yan's eyes behind his glasses, but it was immediately replaced by a perfectly polite smile.
He reached out and shook hands with Lu Rang, his grip moderate, his tone natural and gentle: "Attorney Lu, it's a pleasure to meet you. How could I be bothering you? Designer Shang and I just sat down."
The two men clasped hands, their eyes briefly meeting in the air. The scene appeared peaceful, but undercurrents were swirling beneath the surface as they subtly sized each other up, probing each other's true intentions.
Lu Rang spoke casually, as if chatting about everyday matters: "Mr. Qi is really attentive to A-Wu's design, coming over in person several times to discuss it. I heard that Mr. Qi's main business is not in Yecheng? Is this a long-term development plan?"
Qi Yan responded with a smile, her answer perfectly tactful: "Attorney Lu, you flatter me. Good designs deserve careful attention. The domestic market has huge potential, and Yecheng is a place of outstanding people and resources. We are indeed considering increasing our investment. Moreover, it is fate that we have met such a talented collaborator as Designer Shang."
He skillfully steered the conversation back to Shang Wu, avoiding Lu Rang's probing.
Lu Rang nodded, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the design drafts on the table: "Yes, I heard that Mr. Qi and an old acquaintance of A-Wu had some business dealings?"
He deliberately brought up the past and the Zhou family to observe Qi Yan's reaction.
Qi Yan's expression remained completely normal, even carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of emotion.
"The business world is like a battlefield. There are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. Past minor frictions are no longer worth mentioning. I am honored to be able to cooperate with Shang designers today."
He deftly deflected the criticism, glossing over past clashes with such composure that no one could find fault with him.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Rang realized that he couldn't find any flaws in the other party's demeanor; the other party was as experienced as an eel.
He didn't linger any longer, and said softly to Shang Wu, "Then you two go ahead with your work. I have things to do at my law firm. Call me when you're done."
"Okay." Shang Wu nodded.
Lu Rang nodded to Qi Yan again, then turned and left the studio.
The moment he turned around, the gentle smile on his face vanished, replaced by a deeper solemnity.
This Qi Yan is too calm and too perfect, which makes him seem unreal.
His doubts not only did not disappear, but deepened.
After Lu Rang left, the atmosphere in the studio seemed to subtly change.
Shang Wu sat down again and steered the conversation back to design: "Mr. Qi, shall we continue? Regarding the choice of the main stone, what do you prefer..."
However, Qi Yan seemed somewhat distracted.
He picked up his coffee, took a sip, glanced at the studio's layout, and suddenly changed the subject.
"Designer Shang's studio is in a good location, quiet despite being in a busy area. Speaking of which, the Zhou family used to own a few nice old houses in the west of the city. I wonder what they are like now? Does Designer Shang remember them?"
Shang Wu's heart sank suddenly, and her fingers holding the stylus stiffened slightly.
She looked up at Qi Yan, trying to find a clue on his face, but he still had a casual, conversational expression.
She suppressed her disgust and replied calmly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Qi, I have no connection with the Zhou family for a long time and I am not very clear about their business situation."
Qi Yan seemed oblivious to her aloofness and continued speaking to herself, "That's true, the Zhou family later... sigh, life is truly unpredictable. I heard that Zhou Yanci had an uncle who went overseas in his early years? I wonder what happened to him in the end. And his mother's side, it seems that some of her relatives are still doing business."
He spoke as if it were casual conversation, but every question he asked precisely revolved around the Zhou family's connections and whereabouts.
Shang Wu's vigilance has been raised to the highest level.
She was now absolutely certain that Qi Yan had not come here simply to design jewelry.
His target was the Zhou family, or rather, something related to the Zhou family.
She suppressed the urge to immediately see him out, and her tone became even colder and more official: "Mr. Qi, these are other people's private matters, which I am not aware of and it is inappropriate for me to discuss. Let's focus on your brooch design, shall we? If you are more interested in these private matters, I'm afraid I cannot offer any assistance."
Shang Wu's attitude hardened, directly interrupting Qi Yan's probing.
Qi Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly unsurprised by Shang Wu's wariness and resistance.
He knew when to stop, and put on an apologetic smile again: "I'm sorry, I was too abrupt. I've been too sentimental lately and tend to reminisce about the past and bring up old people and things. Designer Shang, please don't mind. Let's continue talking about design."
As expected, Qi Yan stopped mentioning anything related to the Zhou family and focused entirely on the discussion of the brooch design.
But Shang Wu's heart was no longer at peace.
After finally seeing Qi Yan off, she stood by the window, watching the black luxury car drive away downstairs, her brows furrowed.
Aying came in to clear away the coffee cups. Seeing Shang Wu's serious expression, she asked worriedly, "President Shang, are you alright? That Mr. Qi from earlier... seemed a bit strange?"
Shang Wu turned around, her face serious: "You felt it too?"
Aying nodded: "He seems to be... always asking about the Zhou family? I think he's pretending to be casual, but he's asking too many detailed questions."
Bringing this topic up on its own is rather odd.
Shang Wu walked to her desk and sat down, her fingers tapping the surface unconsciously as her mind raced: "That's right, he wasn't after my design at all, or at least not entirely. He was after the Zhou family, but the Zhou family has long since collapsed. What is he still inquiring about? Could it be that there's something about the Zhou family that he's keeping an eye on?"
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
A person of Qi Yan's stature would never waste his time by searching aimlessly.
Why did he go through such a roundabout way to inquire about the Zhou family through her?
“Aying,” Shang Wu said in a deep voice, “keep an eye out for any suspicious people near the studio these next few days. Also, try to quietly investigate the Zhou family’s past news and old files to see if you can find any clues.”
“Yes, Mr. Shang.” Aying realized that things were not simple and immediately agreed solemnly.
The atmosphere in the studio became somewhat heavy.
Looking at the exquisite brooch design on the table, Shang Wu felt as if it had become bait, with an unknown vortex hidden behind it.
Downstairs, inside the departing black sedan.
Qi Yan leaned back in the comfortable back seat, gently rubbing his temples.
The assistant in the front row asked in a low voice, "Boss, how did it go? Did you get any useful information out of her?"
Qi Yan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and calm, a far cry from the gentle demeanor he had displayed in the studio just moments before.
"Shang Wu is much more vigilant and intelligent than I imagined. She avoids the Zhou family's affairs like the plague and keeps her mouth shut."
The assistant asked anxiously, "What should we do? The Zhou family's underground wine cellar..."
"What's the rush?" Qi Yan interrupted him, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
"The fox's tail will always be revealed. The Zhou family fell too quickly, and many secrets were not dealt with in time. The person most likely to know the location and key of that underground wine cellar is Zhou Yanci's closest person. Shang Wu must know something, or the thing is in her hands. I can't let her realize that I came here for this."
He paused, recalling Lu Rang's wary and scrutinizing gaze earlier, and added, "Moreover, her fiancé, Lu Rang, is a formidable character. He seems to have become suspicious. Notify our people to keep a close eye on Shang Wu and also keep an eye on Lu Rang's movements. But be extra careful; we absolutely cannot alert him."
"Yes, boss."
Qi Yan turned his head back to look at the street scene rushing past the window, his gaze deep.
He had been searching for that underground wine cellar filled with priceless vintage wines for far too long, and now that the clues had finally pointed to Shang Wu, he would never give up easily.
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