Jia chuckled twice, trying his best to put on a benevolent smile, as if he were truly an elder earnestly instructing a junior.
“When I was young, I disposed of piglets’ carcasses. I buried them in the garden where the flowers grew particularly well.”
To say the most vicious words in the kindest tone.
The girl seemed startled; her hands trembled slightly as she watered the flowers.
With satisfaction, Jia continued, "Your name is Chuanliu?"
The girl nodded, her gaze towards him becoming more wary.
The latter patted the iron gate. "I'm Jia Zuowei, 'Square 10,' and I've come specifically to find you."
The girl timidly opened the door and welcomed the person in.
After taking their seats, Jia got straight to the point: "I should have come to check on you younger folks sooner. Last time, a girl named Xiaoxiu said you were '3 of Diamonds,' so I came looking for you, but unfortunately, no one was there."
The girl seemed very scared, but mustered her courage and replied, "I was very scared at the time, so I left after handing my identity token to Kosode."
The man asked with the concern of an elder, "Oh? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid someone will hurt you?"
Using a pre-prepared excuse, Chuanliu said, "One day I suddenly received an invitation from '9 of Diamonds,' inviting me to a ball... and then, and then..."
Jia patted her hand to comfort her, saying, "Tell me, whatever happens, your brother Jia will back you up."
The girl seemed to have mustered her courage and looked at him, saying, "Then Xu Zhi threatened me, threatening that if I didn't vote for him, he would make sure I died a horrible death."
The man leaned back on the sofa, a knowing look on his face, thinking to himself: This Xu Zhi is really used to being arrogant, he actually used such a stupid way to garner votes.
"So, I gave the cards to Kosode and ran away. I'm the one who hurt Kosode!"
The girl's expression revealed reluctance, as if she was thinking of Kosode's death, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Then why have you come back now?" Jia interrupted her crying.
The girl sobbed, "I heard Xiaoxiu is dead, and the '3 of Diamonds' is gone too. I think the vote Xu Zhi mentioned might not count. Luckily, Brother Donkey gave me a '2 of Diamonds' before, so I came back."
Upon hearing Ma Hu's name, Jia responded with an "Oh?" and then questioned, "How do you know Little Donkey?"
“When I first arrived on the island, Brother Donkey picked me up and told me a lot about the island’s rules. I gave him my ID card before I went to town. I followed Brother Donkey until he offended the Red Peach Casino one time… Before he died, Brother Donkey gave me his ID card and told me to carry on his legacy.”
Chuanliu recalls events with a mix of truth and fiction, occasionally shedding a few tears, making the story more vivid and engaging.
The woman in front of me is probably more clever than Kosode, but she's too timid.
Jia thought so.
However, being timid is a good thing for him, at least he can control things.
He felt satisfied inside, and his face became even more kind and benevolent. "Do you know what this vote is for?"
The girl shook her head blankly, "He just told me to vote for him, and didn't tell me anything else."
"Hmph, that bastard, he's got a real scheme up his sleeve."
Jia slammed his hand on the table, startling the former into a shiver.
He immediately patted Chuanliu's head and comforted her, "Little girl, don't be afraid. From now on, Brother Jia will protect you. We'll fight against the evil forces together to the end!"
This scene is strikingly similar to the criminal tactics used in deception and abduction.
Afterwards, Jia kindly explained the voting rules to her, and took the opportunity to criticize the various crimes committed by "9 of Diamonds".
As if he had found a powerful backer, Chuanliu also looked indignant, "Good! Brother Jia, with you here, I will definitely not bow down to evil forces."
"Good, good, good. I need a good young man like you with courage and integrity."
Jia smiled with satisfaction, offered a few more token words of concern, and then left.
Chuan Liu's smile finally turned indifferent. She sat in the living room and continued to brew the tea she had prepared for Jia Zuowei.
The tea, initially strong, gradually became weaker, trickling out of the teapot spout. The sound of the flowing water was melodious and clear.
In the three teacups, fragrant tea steamed with white vapor.
"Xiao Liu, there's a couple outside looking for you. The girl looks familiar, who is she?"
Aunt Wu came out of the house and whispered to her. From her room, she could see the front door.
The young couple arrived shortly after the man left with the beautiful woman and his men.
Chuanliu opened the door. "Long time no see. I thought you had forgotten about me."
Xu Zhi released his male companion and tried to hug him, but Chuan Liu dodged him.
"What? Are you angry with me?" Xu Zhi lifted Chuan Liu's chin, speaking in a domineering CEO manner.
The latter took two steps back and said, "Come in, don't stand outside."
Upon entering the living room, Xu Zhi immediately noticed the tea set on the table. "Did you just finish entertaining guests, or are you about to entertain them?"
"Both, you know that, don't you?"
Chuan Liu replied, his tone flat and devoid of any inflection.
Xu Zhineng arrived at such a precise time, right after Jia Zuowei, it's hard to say she wasn't monitoring his movements.
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "I thought it would be more lively here, so I specifically chose a less crowded time to come. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if we ended up fighting at your place like we did at Brother Qian Liu's."
Chuanliu didn't want to waste words with her and went straight to the point, "You're the one who sent people here to cause trouble, aren't you?"
The latter curled his lip. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, but you can't blame me. We just formed an alliance, and you disappeared, giving '3 of Diamonds' to an outsider, who was then killed by Jia Zuowei. What could I do?"
"So you orchestrated this whole scheme to lure the snake out of its hole?"
"Hehe, you've lured the tiger down the mountain! Aren't you standing perfectly intact in front of me now?"
Previously, Chuanliu agreed to become Xu Zhi's ally without hesitation, putting herself in danger; after the incident, Xu Zhi showed no intention of finding her and even sent people to her residence to cause trouble and test her.
If it were a normal person, they might even turn on you.
Xu Zhi's roundabout way of speaking was even more insidious than Jia's. Chuan Liu didn't confront her directly, but instead poured them another cup of tea and stopped responding to Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi gave an awkward laugh and tried to ease the tension by saying, "Jia Zuowei just came by, huh?"
Chuanliu nodded.
Xu Zhi: "Did he promise you anything?"
Without the slightest hint of surprise, Chuanliu nodded in agreement.
She picked up a cup of tea, skimmed off the foam with the lid, gently pried up a corner, and slowly blew on it.
The room suddenly became quiet, so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.
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