Cheng Yunying froze, her expression shifting. “Why bring him up!”
Lou Qiyun curled her lips into a smirk.
“Brother’s photos have faded, and weeds have grown around his tombstone. You’ve never visited him, have you? Don’t you miss him at all?”
“Shut up!”
Cheng Yunying snapped her eyes shut.
She didn’t dare open them or look back.
She turned and hurried away.
The guards immediately followed, the iron gate closing and locking shut behind her.
The second basement level plunged into complete darkness.
No lights, no windows—not a single ray of light could penetrate.
The surrounding walls were icy cold.
She sat in the corner, leaning against the wall.
A foul odor seeped through the floor cracks.
Rank and putrid, enough to make one retch…
Her lips were chapped, her tongue bitter, the taste of blood lingering in her mouth.
Three days later, the door finally opened again.
The light wasn’t warm but harsh, making her squint.
The butler remained as expressionless as ever.
“There’s an important guest tomorrow. The master wants you to rest well and not embarrass yourself in front of others.”
After speaking, he stood by the door, silently watching her.
For these three days, she hadn’t had a drop of water, her throat so dry she could barely make a sound.
Back in her room.
Her knees felt weak, but she forced herself to stand straight.
She scanned every corner of the room.
Just as she’d suspected—everything had been replaced.
Even the bedding and sheets were brand new.
The clothes in the wardrobe had been swapped for similar styles but different materials.
All the skincare products on the dressing table were freshly stocked.
Even her frequently used perfume had been replaced with a new bottle of the same scent.
An old-fashioned mobile phone sat on the nightstand.
It couldn’t even connect to the internet—only calls were possible.
The phone casing was faded, the buttons worn—a deliberately chosen outdated model.
No charger nearby, just a fully charged spare battery.
Really…
They were guarding against her every move.
Lou Qiyun walked to the sink, her hand slipping discreetly to retrieve a chip from a hidden compartment and inserting it into the phone.
The compartment was concealed beneath the faucet, requiring a specific angle and pressure to open.
The chip was entirely black, with fine codes etched along the edges and a scratch-resistant coating on the surface.
After insertion, the phone screen flickered a few times before displaying an encrypted interface.
“Lou? You’re using the backup card I gave you? I just got the activation alert.”
Wei Junyi’s call connected instantly.
His voice was processed through multiple layers of encryption, impervious to external interception.
The signal was stable, without any delay or static.
Lou Qiyun gave a quiet “Mm.”
She leaned against the wall, gripping the phone tightly.
Her eyes fixed on a corner of the ceiling where surveillance devices might be hidden.
When Wei Junyi had given her this card, he’d told her it could access global networks directly.
It would work even in polar snowfields, equipped with positioning and anti-tracking capabilities.
Each call automatically rotated encryption keys to prevent data leaks.
If forcibly hacked, the chip would self-destruct, reverting to an ordinary SIM card.
Now was the perfect time to use it.
“What’s the situation outside?”
She needed intel, not comfort.
Wei Junyi flared up at the mention.
“What tricks did Lou Tingwen pull to suppress all the news? So many people attended the banquet, yet not a single one dared speak out!”
Even if she hadn’t escaped successfully, she could have at least caused an uproar…
If he made another move, Lou Tingwen would immediately suspect he was behind it.
“Sister Lou, what are your plans after this? I heard He Taiwen also wants to marry you, to form this alliance.”
Lou Qiyun didn’t answer immediately, merely lowering her head to adjust her sleeve.
“I know.”
The moment the jade flute appeared, she had understood.
She gently touched her chest, where a circle of teeth marks still remained.
It wasn’t left by accident, but a deliberate mark.
“Help me investigate someone.”
She raised her head, her gaze fixed straight ahead, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
At night.
The wind outside softly rustled the curtains.
Lou Qiyun sat by the window, replaying the events from earlier that day by the Huaihai River in her mind.
She remembered the man standing by the water, his lips moving.
What had that man said at the time?
She hadn’t heard clearly.
She could only rely on repeatedly analyzing his lip movements, trying over and over again.
She attempted to mimic his mouth shape, softly repeating possible phrases.
The handwriting on the paper grew increasingly messy, but she didn’t stop.
Suddenly, she paused her writing.
Her fingers tightened slightly, the pen tip leaving a dark dot on the paper.
Turning her head, she saw the familiar face already appearing outside the window.
At the same time.
She finally confirmed what he had said: “Lou Qiyun, I’ll help you.”
“Stunned? What are you spacing out for?”
Lu Lingchuan braced one hand on the window frame, flipped nimbly, and landed behind her.
His footsteps made no sound.
He glanced at the papers on the table, raising an eyebrow.
Scrawled and chaotic, unlike her usual handwriting.
Lou Qiyun’s eyes also lit up.
Wei Junyi’s background hadn’t been fully investigated yet.
But he had come to her first.
Whatever he was after, for her, it was an opportunity.
Lu Lingchuan narrowed his eyes as he studied her.
“Seeing me, you’re not surprised—instead, you seem quite pleased?”
His tone carried a hint of suspicion, along with some wariness.
Lou Qiyun nodded, speaking directly.
“A bit. Sleep with me again?”
Lu Lingchuan froze, his breath catching.
He stared at her, trying to read any emotion on her face.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke: “What are you after?”
Lou Qiyun tilted her head in thought.
“Marry me. How about it?”
Lu Lingchuan curled his lips, raising an eyebrow.
This woman had quite the nerve.
“No.”
“Why not? You clearly enjoyed yourself that night.”
“You’re being so blunt?”
He wanted to ask more, but a faint noise came from upstairs.
Lu Lingchuan’s pupils contracted, quickly stepping back half a step, his hand already resting on the hidden pouch at his waist.
Lou Qiyun sneered, glanced down, and without another word pushed Lu Lingchuan toward the window.
The night wind rushed in, tree shadows swayed outside, and a few barks came from downstairs.
“No time for nonsense. Think it over. If you don’t come for important matters tomorrow, I’ll find someone else.”
With that, she released her grip.
Lu Lingchuan landed with controlled force, steady on the lawn.
Several figures in black immediately approached, swiftly withdrawing.
They moved along the predetermined route, avoiding all surveillance cameras and patrol paths.
One of them quickly checked the windowsill before leaving, confirming no traces were left.
Throughout the entire process, no one made a sound.
Just then, her old-fashioned cell phone rang.
She walked over and picked up the phone. The screen lit up, showing an unfamiliar number.
“Why so fierce?”
She paused, her fingers hesitating on the keypad.
Then she sent a question mark to Wei Junyi.
She stared at the screen, waiting nearly ten minutes before the phone vibrated once.
After a long while, Wei Junyi sent back a photo.
Lying on the hospital bed with a helpless expression: “I got counter-ambushed while investigating him.”
Lou Qiyun remained silent.
She stared at the photograph for a long time, her brows gradually furrowing.
The background showed an ordinary hospital room.
A water cup and prescription slip sat on the bedside table, with a surveillance camera clearly visible in the upper right corner.
This proved the other party hadn’t taken the photo randomly – they came prepared.
Fine. At least it confirmed she hadn’t misjudged the person.
This guy was indeed not to be trifled with.
“Stay put and rest properly.”
She wiped all traces clean, restored the phone to factory settings, then removed and snapped the SIM card in two.