Chapter 125 125 Actually, I have been worried for a long time
In that instant, Guan Xia thought a lot.
She thought of Meng Lan's expression when she suggested going hiking and camping together, her surprised look when she saw so many of her friends, and her observation that Meng Lan was hesitant to speak throughout the journey.
Because of their childhood friendship, she was willing to trust Meng Lan even after being separated for nearly four years. However, due to the various suspicious things she found, Guan Xia had to be as honest as possible while being a little cautious.
She agreed to camp out of nostalgia for their friendship and also because her previous conversations had been so hasty that she couldn't probe or observe anything. Even if Meng Lan had changed after spending so much time together, she should still reveal some of her true self to her former best friend, and perhaps she would be able to discover something from it.
Although there was no evidence, Guan Xia was still bothered by the unknown woman of unknown appearance and identity whom Meng Lan met when she tried to commit suicide. When she had free time, she couldn't help but wonder whether the woman's appearance was not a coincidence.
Now it seems that her suspicion was indeed necessary, but what she did not expect was that Meng Lan's choice would be so radical.
What was the purpose of letting her sister, whom she didn't want to recognize, appear in her life? And was the murderer really just an accident?
Was the middle-aged woman who tried to dissuade Meng Lan from committing suicide really a member of that organization? But doesn't that organization claim to punish evil and promote good, upholding justice? How could a member like the one who murdered the entire family on February 17th, a murderer with a completely inhumane, innate sociopathic personality, be among them? Could it be that their assumptions about the organization were completely wrong?
More and more questions popped up in Guan Xia's mind, which made her face more and more ugly, and her eyes became cold. She looked at Meng Lan as if she was getting to know her all over again.
Meng Lan knew Guan Xia very well. Seeing her expression and eyes, she understood everything. She took a few steps forward and explained anxiously, "Guan Xia, I swear to you, this is all a coincidence. I don't know why she appeared here, but I really didn't contact her privately. If you don't believe me, check it out."
Meng Lan frantically pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it over. "I know chat messages and call logs can be deleted, but I believe you have a way to recover the data on your phone now. When we get down the mountain, I'll give you all my electronic devices. I won't leave until you've checked everything."
Guan Xia still looked at Meng Lan silently without saying anything. She was thinking whether she could force her to tell her something.
Pang Le suddenly took a few steps forward, stood next to Guan Xia, and faced Meng Lan.
Although the two of them hadn't communicated at all, Pang Le and Guan Xia were in perfect sync. He snatched the phone from Meng Lan's hand and said with a half-smile, "Electronic devices don't mean anything. You're so rich now, you can have as many phones as you want. Maybe your chat history is on another phone?"
Guan Xia cooperated and looked at Meng Lan with suspicion.
Guan Xia wasn't sure if Meng Lan's emotions were genuine, but judging from her expression, she was indeed panicked. She subconsciously raised her voice, but soon realized there were strangers around, so she lowered her voice again and said, "Don't you have police friends? It's easy to thoroughly investigate someone. I'll let you investigate. It just so happens that this hiking and camping trip is involved in a case, so you have sufficient reason to investigate me."
Guan Xia and Pang Le looked at each other. From their eyes, it was obvious that they both thought of the information they had found in Linshan City before.
Guan Xia had a lot of questions to ask, such as what the middle-aged woman she met on the night she committed suicide said to her, or how she got rid of Luo Deye, and was her life-threatening murder plan really planned by her alone?
But the occasion and timing were wrong, so Guan Xia couldn't ask directly. After careful consideration, she pulled Meng Lan to a corner and asked her quietly, "Do you have anything you want to tell me about what happened during the years we were apart? I've noticed that since we started climbing the mountain, you've been looking at me from time to time as if you're hesitant to speak. Or, was it not you who wanted to invite me to this camping and climbing trip, but someone else who asked you to?"
Not sure what Guan Xia said hit the mark, but Meng Lan's face suddenly turned pale. Then, with an embarrassed expression, she said hesitantly, as if she had done something wrong: "You felt it all? I was wondering why you looked a little strange along the way. Your friend even had ulterior motives when talking to me."
Guan Xia was moved at first, but then she looked at Meng Lan's reaction and felt something was wrong, as if it was a little inconsistent with her expected reaction.
Logically speaking, when someone exposed her deepest secrets, shouldn't she be panicked and horrified? Why was Meng Lan reacting so strangely?
Pang Le also felt something was wrong and frowned subconsciously.
Facing the inquiring eyes of Guan Xia and Pang Le, Meng Lan first looked around before whispering, "Actually, I really have always wanted to repair our relationship with you, and I also planned to ask you out to play, but because of the company, I have been very busy until President Wu found me and said that he wanted to give me a private investment, I was relieved. It was some time ago that I signed a contract with him. After signing the contract, we were having dinner and chatting casually, and he talked about you. I can't repeat what he said specifically. It was a bit literary, but he was praising you anyway. I don't know if it was something the director's mother said to him when he was in the orphanage. Anyway, he seemed to admire you very much, and said that we came from the same orphanage, which is fate, and we should cherish it. He also said that he has always wanted to see you since the last ribbon-cutting ceremony of the training center, but he is too busy, and he has no business dealings with you, so he has never had the chance. Now that we are friends, he asked me to get in touch with you. When he has time in the future, the three of us can meet together again."
Guan Xia was stunned when he heard this, and he and Pang Le looked at each other in surprise.
"Boss Wu?" Guan Xia said hesitantly, "How could he, such a big boss, appreciate me? Compared to him, what I've done is completely insignificant. Did you misunderstand something?"
"There will definitely be no misunderstanding," Meng Lan vowed, "Do you remember the phone call we made last time you were in Jianyang City?"
Guan Xia nodded. Of course she remembered. Because she had been staring at her for a long time but didn't notice anything, she was very suspicious for a while.
Meng Lan said, "Actually, I found that phone call very strange. He told me on the phone that he was driving out of the parking lot when he saw you at a glance, and he felt vaguely familiar with you. I was thinking at the time, how impressed must he be with you to think of you at a glance in the dark and come to me for confirmation."
Guan Xia looked at Meng Lan's expression seriously and asked, "What else?"
Meng Lan said: "Also, I always feel that his motives are not so pure."
Meng Lan glanced around again and whispered, "Didn't I tell you? My sister is a serious boss. She always taught me that business is business. Talking about feelings for money is an insult to money. For businessmen, everything should be based on profit. But look at Mr. Wu. The way he cooperates with others is like doing charity."
Meng Lan said, "You're lucky. Your comics are a somewhat famous IP. At least he won't lose money if he signs them. It's a win-win situation for both parties. But look at my company. It looks very impressive, but it's just a shiny facade. The inside has long been rotten. When I first took over the estate, I considered selling my shares and cashing out directly. Later, my sister persuaded me that if I wanted to have my own business, I could use this company as a training ground. If I really couldn't revive it, I could cash out and start my own business. After all, I would have some management experience. That's why I managed to survive. Later, I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Wu, and I was able to save the company."
Meng Lan frowned and said, "Although I accepted his investment, I always wonder what he wants. Is he really so generous because we are an orphanage? But many people have left our orphanage, and I don't see him doing this to all of them. I have also tried to test him, but I didn't find anything. I can only speculate wildly."
Guan Xia looked at her suspiciously, "You looked at me hesitantly the whole way, is that what you wanted to tell me?"
Meng Lan nodded.
Guan Xia looked at her and asked, "Is there nothing else?"
Meng Lan hesitated and said, "Anything else? What do you mean?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment and then said directly, "In the three years since we've been apart, do you have anything else to tell me?"
Meng Lan was silent, lowered her head, and didn't know what she was thinking.
Just when Guan Xia thought Meng Lan didn't want to talk and was about to take the opportunity to press her again, Meng Lan suddenly raised her head, looked at Guan Xia with a complicated expression, pursed her lips, and whispered, "I do have some things I'm hesitant about whether to tell you. I've vaguely sensed something, but I have no evidence and no connections to check. I'm afraid of causing you more trouble if I tell you. Seeing so many friends of yours this time, I'm relieved. Let's go down the mountain. I'll tell you everything after we get down. In fact, I've been worried for a long time, but there's no one I can tell. If I keep holding it in like this, I really think I'm going crazy."
Meng Lan's reaction and words once again exceeded Guan Xia's expectations. Even though Meng Lan hadn't said anything yet, Guan Xia already had a vague premonition of what she was going to say.
Turning her head to glance at Xu Nian and the others, who were taking care of the group that had returned but kept glancing in their direction, Guan Xia didn't ask any more questions. However, she couldn't help but ask, "Is her being here really just a coincidence? It wasn't you who did it?"
Meng Lan was puzzled for a moment, then realized what Guan Xia was talking about. She quickly raised her finger and swore, "I swear to you with the rest of my life's fortune that I really didn't do it. If I lie, I will be a pauper for the rest of my life."
Guan Xia was still skeptical, but couldn't help laughing at Meng Lan's words. She rolled her eyes at her and sat in a corner farthest from the girl. She even turned her back on purpose, not wanting to see her.
Pang Le and Meng Lan naturally sat on either side of Guan Xia. Zhong Xiaoyu had been curious the whole time. Now that the three of them had finally finished their conversation, she ran over and sat across from Guan Xia. She cautiously glanced at Guan Xia's face before asking in a low voice, "Did I just... say something wrong about that girl..."
Zhong Xiaoyu stretched her neck to glance at the girl before continuing, "She looks like Guan Xia, isn't that a coincidence?"
Before Guan Xia could react, Pang Le pinched Zhong Xiaoyu's shoulder unhappily, increasing his strength as if threatening her.
Zhong Xiaoyu immediately felt it, and nodded repeatedly with a hiss, "Okay, okay, I understand, I won't ask."
Pang Le finally let go of his hand. Zhong Xiaoyu rubbed his shoulders and muttered, "He really wants to kill me."
Guan Xia glanced back and saw that although the rescued person's expression was still a little dazed, after such a long period of time, his eyes began to gradually regain clarity. He lowered his voice and said, "There's nothing wrong with talking about this matter. It's just that the occasion is not right. Let's talk about it when we get back."
Zhong Xiaoyu made an OK gesture, distributed food casually, and secretly observed from the side.
After eating and trying to conserve their energy, they waited in the cave for more than half an hour, and finally someone came to support them.
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