Carefree and unrestrained, or reckless and audacious.
"Then what are you worried about?"
Xu Zhuohua tightened her grip on the teacup, the coolness of the celadon seeping into her palm through the thin porcelain.
She gazed at the lingering incense smoke, her voice as soft as a sigh, "But things are different now. Li Qirui is like a festering sore; if it's not cut out, it will fester. Those troublemakers are grinding their teeth in the shadows; who knows when they'll pounce and bite? I just want to know, when will things finally brighten up?"
Chen Hede got up and sat on the pear wood chair. He picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of Biluochun tea. In the steamy atmosphere, his eyes darkened.
"Your mind is full of nonsensical thoughts." He took a sip of tea, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather. "Whether the world is good or bad is not something you or I can decide. But Li Qirui... in less than three days, he will be as if he had never lived in this world."
Xu Zhuohua didn't speak. She picked up the teapot and poured herself a full cup. The amber-colored tea swayed, and she tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. The bitter tea made her throat hurt, but her eyes lit up, as if something was burning in them.
"Then you'd better hurry up and act. If Li Qirui doesn't die, I will be the one who dies."
Chen Hede couldn't help but chuckle, "You're really good at joking."
Xu Zhuohua gripped the teacup, her fingers tracing the fine lines. "I'm not joking, really. Chen Hede, you'd better kill Li Qirui quickly, or you'll never see me again."
Chen Hede frowned slightly and agreed, "Okay, I will find an opportunity to kill Li Qirui as soon as possible."
Xu Zhuohua finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm relieved to hear you say that."
Chen Hede nodded. "However, I don't think Li Qirui is a threat. The real danger to you is Chairman Luo."
Xu Zhuohua frowned. "President Luo? What President Luo?"
"He is Luo Yunqiao's father, the founder of the Xinhaicheng Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman Luo."
Xu Zhuohua remembered that she had never met Chairman Luo. Apart from Luo Yunqiao, she seemed to have no connection with Chairman Luo.
Xu Zhuohua said nonchalantly, "President Luo? Would he care about someone as insignificant as me?"
Chen Hede tapped his fingers on the table, making a crisp sound. "Luo Yunqiao is Chairman Luo's only daughter. Your existence is blocking Luo Yunqiao's path to happiness. Do you still think of yourself as a nobody?"
Xu Zhuohua's hand holding the teacup trembled suddenly, and the warm tea splashed onto the back of her hand, but she didn't feel the heat.
"Being watched?" Xu Zhuohua's voice tightened, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, as if countless eyes were peering out from the window frames, corners of walls, and shadows of trees, densely covering her.
She instinctively shrank deeper into the meditation room, avoiding the window crack through which moonlight shone.
Chen Hede gently placed the teacup on the table, the soft sound of the bottom of the cup hitting the table was particularly clear in the quiet meditation room.
“I haven’t found out the specific reason yet.” He frowned slightly, lowered his voice, and it almost blended into the sandalwood incense. “But the people he sent were very careful. They were all old hands who had been in Xinhai City for decades. If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on the Cheng family’s movements, I wouldn’t have found out at all.”
Xu Zhuohua's heart felt like it was being immersed in ice water, sinking little by little.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. The slight stinging pain helped her regain her composure: "What is this old fox up to?"
If Chairman Luo had been keeping an eye on Xu Zhuohua, then he would definitely know about Luo Yunqiao's disgruntled return from the Cheng mansion that day.
Moreover, Cheng Muyun fired two shots, and what he said was overheard by the Luo family. It's unknown what will happen when it reaches Chairman Luo's ears.
Chen Hede shook his head. "I don't know what he's up to either, but Cheng Muyun's people have been protecting you in secret, and I'm also keeping an eye on Chairman Luo. He won't cause you any real harm."
Xu Zhuohua felt a warmth in her heart; it turned out that Cheng Muyun had been protecting her all along.
"Oh, then I'm relieved."
"It's too early to say that." Chen Hede put down his teacup, his tone becoming serious. "Chairman Luo has been getting very close to the Japanese trading company at the port recently, and I heard they're discussing a batch of arms deals."
He looked up at Xu Zhuohua and said, "You know that the Japanese have long regarded Cheng Muyun as a thorn in their side. Now that they've gotten involved with Chairman Luo, they're probably trying to use business to their advantage."
Xu Zhuohua clenched her hands tightly on her knees, her fingertips digging into her palms.
The words "Japanese" were like a thorn, making her temples throb.
These days, they wear the guise of merchants, chatting and laughing in the teahouses and taverns of Xinhai City. Who would have thought that they are sharpening their claws behind the scenes?
“Cheng Muyun…” she paused, her voice becoming more certain, “He must have already noticed.”
She knew Cheng Muyun too well. He seemed calm and collected, but in reality, he had already laid out his pieces on the chessboard and would never fight a battle unprepared.
As Xu Zhuohua gazed at the serene Buddha statue in the shrine, the unease in her heart gradually subsided—as long as Cheng Muyun was there, even the darkest night would eventually be brightened.
“I think if you feel unsafe, you can go back to the Xu residence for a while. It’s safer there. Your little nephew is not even a month old yet, and the Xu residence is heavily guarded.”
Xu Zhuohua nodded, considering the feasibility of this method.
The combination of the Japanese, Chairman Luo, and Li Qirui is simply too dangerous.
The level of danger is increasing exponentially!
"Yes, I'll discuss it with Cheng Muyun tonight and go back to the Xu residence for a while."
Chen Hede nodded. "By the way, there's something else I need to tell you. Judging from your reaction today, you probably don't know."
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