Chapter 150: Xiao Cheng, Who Is She?
Leaving the abandoned brick factory, it was already eight o’clock in the evening.
Although Zhuo Qinglian and Fang Yujia were both very curious, they tacitly refrained from asking Xiao Cheng why he had killed Wang Qiyi, nor did they inquire about what secret he had been trying to extract so brutally before.
Since Xiao Cheng had deliberately shielded the details from the mercenaries nearby, it had to be something of utmost importance. If Xiao Cheng chose not to say, they would not pry.
They were neither naive nor foolish women; they understood boundaries.
However, Zhuo Qinglian remained skeptical about Xiao Cheng’s alleged severe injuries. During the earlier fight, they had observed clearly that Wang Qiyi never had the chance to harm Xiao Cheng. So where did these wounds come from?
That was one thing, but what was more telling was that the moment Xiao Cheng got into the car, he appeared perfectly fine—full of vigor—and even took the wheel himself.
There was no sign of injury in the slightest; it was likely just a spur-of-the-moment act to feign vulnerability.
Still, it was no big deal as long as he wasn’t truly hurt. Zhuo Qinglian could see through the act, and naturally, Fang Yujia could as well.
Rather than feeling deceived, they found it reassuring.
Previously, the cold and aloof image of their young uncle as a formidable master had left them feeling distant and estranged.
But his playful act dispelled that sense of unfamiliarity; she realized that he was still the same young uncle, only stronger and more imposing—not some otherworldly being detached from mortal affairs.
Such behavior was undeniably a sign of trust; only someone who trusted her would hope for her concern.
Each woman harbored her own thoughts, and the atmosphere inside the jeep was oddly tense, an eerie calm.
Xiao Cheng couldn’t fathom the illogical and peculiar moods of women. Sitting awkwardly in the backseat, he turned around and forced a laugh.
“Originally, I was seriously injured, but thanks to you two ethereal beauties’ support, my waist doesn’t ache, my legs don’t hurt, and my internal injuries have healed halfway. Even my childhood polio seems to have been cured.”
At that moment, Xiao Cheng was in high spirits, enjoying a rare moment of playful banter since his rebirth, but he was met with cold snorts and eye-rolls from both women.
He smiled awkwardly but undeterred, “Indeed, you are fairy-like; even your eye-rolls are earth-shattering.”
Teased by Xiao Cheng, Zhuo Qinglian chuckled softly, and even the usually aloof Fang Yujia revealed a faint smile. The tension from earlier, caused by witnessing the conflict between Xiao Cheng and Wang Qiyi from a distance, instantly dissipated.
Fang Yujia had dressed up that day in a pale pink dress by ONLY, revealing slender arms. Her slightly chubby, charming face bore two adorable dimples as she smiled gently, embodying the grace of a jade maiden, radiant and incomparable.
Xiao Cheng stared in astonishment. His sister-in-law, who had once scoffed at dressing up, now looked utterly captivating with that delicate smile, as if a rare flower had blossomed, overshadowing all others.
After laughing, Zhuo Qinglian warned Xiao Cheng with a cold glance, “If you act like a lone hero again, your sister won’t know you.”
Though she said this, it was unclear how committed she truly was.
Xiao Cheng smiled faintly, understanding that Zhuo Qinglian cared for him but gave no clear response—neither nodding nor shaking his head.
Fang Yujia also began to scold Xiao Cheng but did so much more gently than Zhuo Qinglian.
The jeep slowly drove along the narrow paved road until it soon reached the location where Li Zirui and the others were waiting.
Xiao Cheng got out, showing ample respect to Li Zirui, the burly man who had crawled out from a heap of corpses. By cooperating with Xiao Cheng’s plan, Li Zirui was undoubtedly risking his future, even his life.
This plan was essentially an act against the family head, and if pursued, could be considered rebellion.
Xiao Cheng made no pretentious expressions of gratitude, nor did he promise Li Zirui a bright future, which would have seemed crass.
He simply instructed Li Zirui to find an excuse to leave Huhai City for a while and return after fifteen days.
Li Zirui, having heard no thanks or promises, was not disappointed; instead, he felt a greater respect for Xiao Cheng.
As a former soldier, he appreciated straightforwardness and disliked the roundabout ways of politicians and businessmen. Xiao Cheng’s directness suited him perfectly.
Of course, he wasn’t a saint without desire; he too wished for a bright future but understood that Xiao Cheng’s silence implied careful arrangements behind the scenes, avoiding anything too mundane.
When Xiao Cheng addressed him as “Brother Li,” Li Zirui modestly declined, “No, no, young master, just call me Old Li.”
Li Zirui was no fool; if he were, he wouldn’t be where he was now. From Xiao Cheng’s words, he sensed another meaning behind the fifteen days.
Why fifteen days? Could it be that the young master planned a major move to change the game within that time frame?
He pondered this quietly without asking.
When Li Zirui finally asked about what had become of Wang Qiyi, Xiao Cheng smiled and said simply, “Wang Qiyi is gone.”
This was not a lie; Wang Qiyi had indeed left—only that he had completely left this world and would never return.
Hearing that Wang Qiyi had merely left, Li Zirui breathed a slight sigh of relief, as Wang Qiyi was loyal to the old master.
At that thought, Xiao Cheng already had a plan.
In his past memories, the United States had established a special project called Variatas–Man to counter cultivators from the Celestial Empire. Perhaps he could steal the results of this project to strengthen their cause.
Of course, this was merely his wishful thinking.
...
Returning to the Tangchen villa, it was already past nine at night. The villa was peaceful and serene under the night sky.
Fang Yujia unlocked the door, feeling happy to finally be home, but froze upon seeing the scene inside.
Zhuo Qinglian looked in as well and was equally stunned.
Xiao Cheng parked the car and came to the door. Seeing the two standing there, speechless, he twitched the corner of his mouth, vaguely guessing who they had seen.
Peeking through the narrow gap between them, he caught sight of the utterly bizarre Liu Yiyi, and his expression collapsed, leaving only a facepalm.
Liu Yiyi was not wearing her usual green dress but instead donned Xiao Cheng’s oversized white T-shirt, which hung on her like a dress. Below, she wore his absurdly large floral beach shorts, and her pale feet were clad in Xiao Cheng’s flip-flops.
She looked every bit the rebellious urban teenage girl, yet there was an endearing wildness about her.
Her attire was not the main point; the real shock was that beneath this outfit, Liu Yiyi was standing on a living person.
She glared fiercely at the figure beneath her feet like a little tiger.
Xiao Cheng recognized the person beneath Liu Yiyi’s foot with surprise—it was his childhood friend Shu Fu. How had he ended up here?
“Please spare me, heroine, I won’t dare again!”
Shu Fu felt more wronged than Dou E in the play. Though begging for mercy, he hadn’t actually done anything—he had only glanced outside the villa, trying to find Xiao Cheng.
It was because of those few glances that he saw this adorable girl jump out the window wearing flip-flops. At first, he was charmed by her wild cuteness and didn’t pay much attention, guessing she was connected to Xiao Cheng.
But unexpectedly, she grabbed him up like a chick, then proceeded to beat him mercilessly—and then it was over...
He had thought Chu Feiyu was terrifying enough, but now he realized Chu Feiyu was only half as scary as this girl. Chu Feiyu at least needed a reason to hit him; this girl didn’t need one at all.
“Who is she?”
“Who is she?”
Fang Yujia and Zhuo Qinglian almost simultaneously turned to ask Xiao Cheng. Since this girl was wearing Xiao Cheng’s clothes and flip-flops, she had to be connected to him.
(To be continued.)