Chapter Six: Undercurrents
In late spring, the city of Jiangcheng was shrouded in a damp mist. A few yellow leaves fell from the ivy on the blue brick wall of Renji Hospital, landing right next to Lin Tangyue's white satin embroidered shoes.
Lin Tang helped Ah Xiu's wrist as they stepped over the threshold. The dull pain from the newly healed gunshot wound in her left leg made her pause. In the distance, a rickshaw driver immediately came to greet them, the copper bells on the rickshaw jingling in the wind.
"To Xiafei Road Department Store." Lin Tang covered her lips with a plain handkerchief, gazing at the receding shadows of the plane trees outside the car window, her slightly pale face reflected in the glass.
That day, she was surrounded and attacked in front of the courthouse, but Chen Kan and Qiao Yuan protected her and she was not injured. She stayed in the hospital for two days, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Since she was bored anyway, she asked Ah Xiu to accompany her home after she was discharged.
Just as the car rounded the spire of the church in the French Concession, Ah Xiu suddenly tugged at her sleeve: "Madam, look!"
Inside the carved wooden window of the teahouse, Qiao Yuan and Sato Ichiro sat facing each other, drinking tea.
"Stop here." Lin Tang took out a silver coin from her handbag and handed it to the rickshaw driver.
Although she knew it was dangerous for her to go over and listen to their conversation alone, Lin Tang couldn't help but walk over and listen to what they had to say.
"Qiao-san, you really are still a good partner of the Great Japanese Empire." Sato's voice came, seemingly with a smile.
Qiao Yuan ran his fingertips along the edge of the teacup, the coolness of the celadon seeping into his skin through his calloused skin. When he looked up, his eyes held a casual smile: "Mr. Sato is joking. It's just a business transaction. I, Qiao, can't possibly be called a 'partner'."
The two of them had obviously been talking for a long time, and now they had reached an agreement. Sato got up and walked to the door, then suddenly turned back, his gaze sweeping over Lin Tang, who was standing stiffly behind the pillar. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "By the way, I will have someone take care of Miss Lin's safety."
Lin Tang's breath hitched. She watched Sato's figure disappear into the crowd outside the teahouse before daring to step out from behind a pillar. A speck of dust clung to the hem of her plain cheongsam. Her hand, clutching a handkerchief, trembled, and her voice was filled with anger: "Qiao Yuan, are you really going to cooperate with the Japanese?"
Qiao Yuan looked up and saw Lin Tang standing in the sunlight, her eyes as red as blood-soaked agate. He stood up and tried to take her hand, but she dodged him.
"Chen Kan?" Qiao Yuan's expression changed. "You actually believe him? Don't you know who he is? He's the illegitimate son of the Chen family. He came to Jiangcheng just to stir up trouble! Besides, is the Chen family more noble than me? Don't they also cooperate with foreigners?"
Lin Tang roared, "At least he won't cooperate with the Japanese!"
Qiao Yuan, unwilling to argue with Lin Tang any longer, changed the subject, saying, "Let's talk about this later. Jin Tang, were you hurt that day? Are you alright? Why did you come out alone?"
Lin Tang's fingertips clenched the handkerchief tightly, the moon-white silk twisted into a ball, like a crumpled butterfly. She took a step back, avoiding Qiao Yuan's outstretched hand, her voice trembling: "Qiao Yuan, don't beat around the bush. You're afraid to answer, aren't you?"
"Enough!" Lin Tang interrupted sharply, twisting the plain handkerchief out of shape, her knuckles turning white. "You never did this kind of 'business' with the Japanese before!?"
She bit her lip and swallowed the rest of her sentence, then turned and walked toward the rickshaw. Ah Xiu quickly followed, carrying her handbag. Her embroidered shoes made a crisp "tap-tap" sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs.
Qiao Yuan stood there, watching her back, his hand slowly clenching into a fist, his knuckles turning white.
The sound of stringed instruments playing Suzhou storytelling drifted from the teahouse, and the melody of "What a pity that such a beautiful day is wasted" floated out, striking a chord in his heart.
...
Qiao Yuan returned to the Qiao residence and went straight to the study.
Qiao Yuan pushed open the door and first noticed the safe embedded in the cabinet. There was a fresh scratch on the hinge, as if it had been rubbed by a key.
He walked over with a frown, his fingertips brushing against the keyhole, a few tiny metal shavings sticking to his fingertips, his pupils slightly contracting.
"Zhang Ma!" Qiao Yuan called out, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
Aunt Zhang came running in, clutching a rag for wiping the table: "Master, did you call me?"
"Who has been in the study today?"
Aunt Zhang paused for a moment, then recalled, "This morning, your aunt came over to get your pen, saying she wanted to write a letter, and..." She scratched her head, "There was no one else. I was downstairs wiping the furniture and didn't see anyone else come in."
Cheng Qing?
Qiao Yuan's brows furrowed even more. He turned around and opened the safe. The documents and land deeds were all there, but the dock lease contract on top had been flipped to the middle, indicating that someone had tampered with it.
"Go and call Cheng Qing over," Qiao Yuan said coldly.
"The concubine went out this afternoon and hasn't returned yet."
"Where did you go?"
"They only said they were going to a department store, nothing else."
Qiao Yuan's expression darkened, and after a long pause, he said, "I understand. You may leave."
Aunt Zhang responded and was about to leave when there was a knock on the study door. Uncle Chen walked in and said, "Master Qiao, we've found out. The people who attacked you and your wife that day were from the Axe Gang."
Qiao Yuan was taken aback: "The Axe Gang?... Shouldn't they be targeting me? Why were they targeting Jin Tang that day?"
Uncle Chen pondered for a moment and said, "According to my informant, the Axe Gang has been getting very close to the Chen family recently."
"The Chen family?" Qiao Yuan asked in surprise. "Chen Kan was there that day, and he might have been injured in the gunfire. Was he trying to stage a self-inflicted injury?"
Qiao Yuan's lips curled into a sarcastic smile: "A ruse? To sow discord between me and Jin Tang, and force me to hand over my assets? Chen Kan has quite the scheme."
Uncle Chen said, "However, Chen Kan's position in the Chen family is nothing more than a pawn and a decoration. In my opinion, the power in Jiangcheng is probably still in the hands of their old steward, Uncle Zhong. After all, he saved Chen Kan's life back then, and even if he were to take it back today, the Chen family wouldn't care!"
Qiao Yuan found it even more ironic upon hearing this.
He looked up at the window, where raindrops slanted against the glass, blurring the distant river view.
“Uncle Chen, I just want Jintang to leave, but these people insist on keeping her here. The situation in Jiangcheng is getting more and more complicated and unpredictable.” His gaze fell on the safe, and after a long while he said, “Uncle Chen, could you please help me investigate Cheng Qing again? I originally thought she was just a little dancer, but now it seems she might be working for someone else.”
Uncle Chen hesitated for a moment: "We have investigated Miss Cheng's background. She came to Jiangcheng from northern Jiangsu last year, and you took her in. However... recently she has been going to the foreign concessions frequently and has been in contact with Mr. Sato's people."
“Sato?” Qiao Yuan was taken aback, then chuckled, “That’s really unexpected.”
He originally thought Cheng Qing might be someone arranged by Chen Kan, but he never expected that this move was planned even earlier.
...
Just then, Cheng Qing returned. As soon as he entered, seeing Zhang Ma's gloomy face, his joyful mood vanished immediately, and he asked, "Master is back?"
Aunt Zhang said irritably, "Master Qiao just asked you if you had been in his study?"
Cheng Qing's heart skipped a beat, but then a mocking smile appeared on her lips: What's meant to happen will happen. This charade between her and Qiao Yuan will eventually come to an end.
She immediately said, "Then, Aunt Zhang, please tell Master Qiao that I'm back."
"Master, Miss Cheng has arrived," Zhang Ma said as expected, but she didn't even bother to give her a glance.
...
Qiao Yuan looked up from his study and saw Cheng Qing standing at the door. Cheng Qing's face lacked his usual uneasy smile; instead, it was arrogant, even somewhat shrewish. "Mr. Qiao, you wanted to see me?"
"Did you come into my study today?" Qiao Yuan asked.
Cheng Qing pursed her lips, twisting the hem of her cheongsam with her fingers: "I...I just wanted to get a pen..."
"Enough!" Qiao Yuan, impatient with her act, interrupted her, his voice as cold as ice. "Cheng Qing, tell me! Whose side are you on? The Chen family, the Japanese, or someone else?"
Cheng Qing's tears fell instantly, and she rushed over to grab Qiao Yuan's wrist: "Master, I didn't! I meant it..."
Qiao Yuan flung her hand away, yanked a gun out of his pocket, and pointed it at her temple. "Miss Cheng, you'd better just tell me! I don't want another life lost here!"
Cheng Qing looked up at him, then suddenly laughed, her pitiful expression vanishing, and even her tone changed, "My dear Mr. Qiao, you really don't know how to be gentle with women!"
Cheng Qing shook his head, crying, "I know, but... that day I saw Miss Lin being attacked, I was afraid something would happen to her... Master, I was wrong, I'll never do it again..."
...
Meanwhile, in the Chen family study.
Chen Kan hung up the phone, a sinister smile creeping across his lips.
He touched the jade bead on the table, his voice tinged with smugness: "Very good. Keep an eye on Qiao Yuan. When he has completely lost Lin Tang's trust, that's when we'll close the net."
He looked up at the Chen family ancestral precepts on the wall, and a surge of malice welled up in his eyes: Qiao Yuan, you stole my woman and took my life! This time, I will make you lose everything.
The rain was still falling outside the window, and the light in the Chen family's study stayed on all night, like a greedy eye staring at the Qiao residence in the distance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
