Su Xinghui had just returned from outside, still feeling the coolness of the night breeze. The housekeeper had gone to bed, and the entire mansion was so quiet that she could hear her own breathing.
She took off her coat and casually draped it over the armrest of the sofa. Just as she was about to go upstairs, her cell phone suddenly vibrated in her bag.
——Buzz.
In the quiet night, the sound was particularly harsh.
Su Xinghui frowned and pulled her phone out of her bag. The screen displayed an unfamiliar number with no notes or location.
Her fingertips hovered above the answer button and hesitated for a second.
——Who could it be?
My parents are abroad, Ye Fanshuang is busy, and Chao Youye... is even more impossible.
She pressed the answer button and put the phone to her ear: "...Hello?"
On the other end of the phone, there was an old and majestic voice, with an unquestionable sense of command -
"Miss Su."
Su Xinghui's breathing stagnated.
This voice... she had heard it before.
At business parties, in financial news, and even in the occasional words that Ye Fanshuang mentioned.
——The old man of the Chao family.
Chao Youye's grandfather.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously, her nails almost digging into her palms: "...You're looking for me?"
He chuckled softly at the old man, and the sound was like sandpaper rubbing against the eardrum, making people feel cold all over. "There are some things I want to discuss with you in person."
Su Xinghui's throat tightened: "Now?"
"Now."
She glanced out the window—the night was deep, even the streetlights dim. At this hour, the other party asked to meet...
"What can't be said on the phone?" She tried to make her voice sound calm.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and then the tone of the old man's voice became serious: "It's hard to explain over the phone."
After a pause, he added:
"About your parents."
Su Xinghui's blood froze instantly.
parents?
They were in Europe on business and had a video call with her just last week...what could have happened?
Her heartbeat quickened, and her ears buzzed, but she heard the old man continue, "I've sent you the address. See you in half an hour."
"etc--"
The call has been disconnected.
Su Xinghui stared at the black screen, her fingertips trembling slightly.
A few seconds later, a text message popped up -
"Chengnan Private Club, Building B, 3rd Floor."
There are no extra words, it's like a judgment that cannot be refused.
Su Xinghui changed her clothes—a black turtleneck sweater, dark gray trousers, and a camel windbreaker. She didn't want to look too formal, but she also didn't want to look too casual.
When she went downstairs, she deliberately lowered her footsteps so as not to disturb the housekeeper. But just as she reached the entrance, the light in the side hall suddenly came on.
"Miss?" The housekeeper came out, his brow furrowed, his coat draped over his shoulders. "You're still going out so late?"
Su Xinghui forced a smile: "It's urgent, I'll be back soon."
The butler hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed: "Be careful."
She nodded and pushed the door open into the night.
The driver had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw her come out, he respectfully opened the door and asked, "Miss, where are you going?"
Su Xinghui gave the address, and the driver was visibly stunned: "...Chengnan Club? That place..."
"What's wrong?"
The driver lowered his voice: "That's the Chao family's territory."
Su Xinghui's fingers trembled slightly, but her face remained calm: "I know, let's drive."
As the car drove into the night, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from a bustling city to a remote suburb. The streetlights became fewer and fewer, and the shadows of the trees swayed like monsters with bared fangs and claws.
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a secluded single-family villa.
The villa is surrounded by a high iron fence. Two bodyguards in black are standing at the door, with walkie-talkies on their waists and eyes as sharp as eagles.
When Su Xinghui got out of the car, a cold wind blew in her face, and she subconsciously tightened her collar.
The bodyguard saw her and nodded slightly: "Ms. Su?"
She nodded.
"plz follow me."
The bodyguard led her through the courtyard, the cobblestone path making a slight sound under her feet. The door of the villa slowly opened, and warm yellow light poured out from inside, but it made her feel strangely cold.
The door of the reception room was half-open, and the sound of conversation could be faintly heard coming from inside.
The bodyguard stopped at the door and made a "please" gesture: "The old man is waiting for you inside."
Su Xinghui took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The air in the living room seemed frozen. The dark brown leather sofa shone coldly, and the black tea in the bone china cup on the coffee table had long since stopped steaming.
The old man's gaze was like a knife, slowly and precisely cutting through her composure.
"Sit." He raised his hand, his dry fingers drawing concise and powerful strokes in the dim light. There was no room for negotiation in his tone; it was an order, a decision.
Su Xinghui slowly sat down, every bone in her body seeming to silently resist. The hem of her windbreaker brushed against the edge of the sofa, making a subtle rustling sound like dry leaves rubbing against each other.
Her back was stretched straight like a ruler, and each vertebra clearly conveyed the feeling of stiffness, almost protruding through the fabric.
Ye Linyuan sat beside Old Man Chao, like an elegant and dangerous shadow.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he let out a low laugh. The laugh was amplified in the overly quiet space, with the texture of metallic friction, like a blunt knife scraping across nerves.
His movements were so calm that they seemed almost deliberate. He slowly and methodically took out a thick manila envelope from the inside pocket of his ironed dark gray suit.
He used two fingers to gently push the envelope across the mirror-like surface of the dark coffee table, making a slight friction sound. Finally, like a guillotine, it stopped steadily in front of Su Xinghui, only an inch away from her fingertips.
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