In the living room, apart from the few black-clad bodyguards who stood like background figures, only Qin Xiao, Shu Rou, and Long Aobing and Mo Meigui, who remained motionless like two guardian deities, were present.
"Let them go down too." Qin Xiao looked directly at Shu Rou.
Shu Rou shrugged gracefully and made a "do as you please" gesture, as if this were Qin Xiao's home.
"You two go outside and keep watch too," Qin Xiao ordered Long Aobing and Mo Meigui. He knew that these two women would never actually "rest," but at least he didn't want them to hear the rest of their conversation.
The two nodded silently, turned and left, creating a kind of standoff balance with the black-clad bodyguards at the door.
In the empty living room, only Qin Xiao and Shu Rou remained. The air seemed to freeze, and an invisible pressure permeated the space.
"Shu Rou, what exactly do you want?" Qin Xiao's voice was devoid of any emotion, like the cold wind on the polar ice cap. "You think it's so great to bring my family here using such despicable methods as kidnapping?"
"Kidnapping?" Shu Rou feigned surprise, covering her mouth and blinking her peach blossom eyes with an innocent expression, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Qin Baobao, you can't say that. How could I kidnap Uncle and Aunt and my lovely little sister Ruoyan?"
She tilted her head, her smile sweet, but her tone carried a chilling hint of amusement: "The Qin family has indeed run into a bit of... trouble recently. The cash flow suddenly dried up, and the stock price plummeted to its daily limit as soon as the market opened, completely locked up. It's as if all the major banks have agreed to come knocking on our door at the same time to collect debts, and even the suppliers have joined in the fun, blocking the entrance to the Qin Group building and refusing to leave. My aunt and uncle are in a complete mess, and Ruoyan's younger sister is even crying from fright."
She paused, let out a soft sigh, but her eyes remained fixed on Qin Xiao, a hint of sickly grievance in them: "I only kindly extended a helping hand when they were most helpless and pitiful, providing them with a small, safe haven. The only person I truly wanted to 'invite' here as a guest from beginning to end was you, Qin Baobao."
That gaze, thick and burning, like poisoned spider silk, wrapped around him layer upon layer, trying to completely envelop and devour him.
Qin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine from his tailbone to the top of his head. This woman's madness was a hundred times worse than the original owner's memories! The "minor trouble" she spoke of was clearly a thunderous tactic capable of instantly collapsing a behemoth!
"As for why the Qin family suddenly fell into this state..." Shu Rou stretched out her slender fingers, the tips painted with bright red nail polish, and gently touched her full lower lip, a cunning and cruel smile appearing on her face, "Perhaps, they offended someone they shouldn't have? For example... some self-righteous 'chosen one' who wants to set things right and act on behalf of heaven?"
Qin Xiao's pupils constricted sharply. Ye Chen! Shu Rou actually knew of Ye Chen's existence, and judging from her appearance, she seemed to be fully aware of his movements!
"You think I'm afraid of him?" Qin Xiao scoffed, his tone filled with undisguised contempt. Just a fool who thinks he can defy fate just because he got lucky.
"Of course I'm not afraid. My Qin Baobao is so powerful, how could I be afraid of such a small fry?" Shu Rou's smile became even sweeter. She slowly walked towards Qin Xiao, her bare ankles faintly visible under her loose bathrobe. Every step seemed to tread on Qin Xiao's taut nerves. "However, the struggles of those ants are not important."
She finally stood before Qin Xiao, the two so close they could almost feel each other's breath. Shu Rou tilted her head slightly, her breath sweet and fragrant, her beautiful peach blossom eyes surprisingly bright, surging with fervor and obsession: "Qin Xiao, I have something more important, something more exciting, that I want to ask you."
Her voice was extremely low, like a lover's whisper, yet it carried a strange allure and an undeniable certainty:
"We...we're all characters in a novel, aren't we?"
Every word struck Qin Xiao's heart clearly.
Qin Xiao's breathing almost stopped at that moment.
Is she also a chess player?
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