How Qin Junhong and Xia Yang ended up teaming together was unclear for the time being, but it was definitely not a good sign.
Zhu Tong glanced at the invitation in his cousin’s hand and suddenly had a guess.
“Could this invitation have something to do with Xia Yang?”
Cheng Chen looked puzzled. “Xia Yang? The Xia family has already fallen. How could he get an invitation to a Jiang family event?”
Shao Ming’s voice was somber. “Xia Yang is currently living at Jiang Wenhan’s house.”
Cheng Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he internally cursed. “He’s living at Jiang Wenhan’s house? What’s their relationship?”
Zhu Tong thought, ‘Cousin, you have no idea about the allure of the heartthrob protagonist.’
He explained concisely, “They were neighbors for a few years when they were kids, and Jiang Wenhan likes him.”
Cheng Chen looked skeptical, his suspicions doubling. “I thought you didn’t know Jiang Wenhan? How do you know so much about him?”
Zhu Tong, without changing his expression, lied, “I looked it up last night.”
Cheng Chen seemed only half-convinced, his gaze shifting between the two of them for a while before he mentally concluded, “Your circles are really messy.”
He thought his own entertainment circle was already complicated enough, but this was even messier.
Zhu Tong didn’t refute him because it was indeed messy. Now it was just about Jiang Wenhan, but who knew how many more suitors would come forward after Xia Yang grew up. It would be a constant battleground.
‘But what was Xia Yang’s intention by sending us the invitation? To have Jiang Wenhan seek “justice” for himself? It had to be more than that.’
Zhu Tong thought for a moment and asked Cheng Chen, “Cousin, if the Jiang family sent the invitation and we don’t go, what would happen?”
Would it make people think they were disrespecting the Jiang family?
“Probably nothing serious,” Cheng Chen said casually. “The Jiang family couple aren’t petty people. Even if someone gossips, Uncle Liu is an old hand, he can handle it.”
“…”
Since it’s “he can handle it”, meaning there would still be some impact.
Generally, receiving an invitation and attending a banquet was a trivial matter. There was no need to refuse and offend the host over a minor inconvenience. If it got out, there would inevitably be people trying to stir trouble.
Offending the Jiang family wasn’t likely, but their impression would definitely be tarnished.
So, the person who sent the invitation likely assumed they would definitely attend. And if they did go, what then?
If the invitation was indeed from Xia Yang, what was his purpose? Or rather, what was the purpose he and Qin Junhong shared?
As he pondered this, light and slow footsteps came from the corner of the stairs. Zhu Xin seemed not fully awake, yawning as she descended.
Zhu Tong turned to look and froze.
In a rundown motel on the outskirts of City A’s bustling district, Qin Junhong sat on a hard wooden bed, talking on the phone.
“…As long as you get Zhu Tong out of the picture, you don’t have to worry about the rest. Don’t worry, Young Master Yang, just get him away, and the rest isn’t your concern. As long as you don’t speak, no one will know about our cooperation. I just want to see my sister. If you help me, why would I drag you into this?”
Qin Junhong’s voice was gentle, much like the caring older brother he once seemed to be at the Zhu family villa. However, this attitude only made Xia Yang feel a chill down his spine.
He clearly remembered the first time Qin Junhong contacted him, expressing his hatred for Zhu Tong without any restraint. When they met at the motel, Qin Junhong’s protruding eye sockets revealed his mental instability.
He had gone mad.
He was like a patient with schizophrenia – sometimes lucid, sometimes deranged.
But wasn’t that perfect?
A madman’s actions are unpredictable, and their words are unreliable. Even if Qin Junhong failed, as long as Xia Yang denied helping him, he could stay uninvolved.
After seeing Qin Junhong’s current wretched state, Xia Yang became more convinced of Qin Junhong’s usefulness. Qin Junhong hated Zhu Tong deeply and would do things Xia Yang didn’t dare to do.
After hanging up the phone, Xia Yang felt an inexplicable excitement and anticipation.
In the motel, Qin Junhong held the now-black screen of his phone, his mind filled with the faces of Zhu Tong and Zhu Xin.
He knew what Zhu Tong cared about.
Whatever Zhu Tong cared about, he would destroy.
Over the past few months, he had been hiding in a dark, dilapidated apartment building, aware that someone was looking for him, someone wanting to punish him. What would happen if he was found? He didn’t know, but he knew he couldn’t be caught.
He had no friends he could trust. He couldn’t meet people or go outside. He lived every day feeling worse than death.
The cash he took when he fled quickly ran out. After a period of miserable existence, he contacted a friend who had borrowed a lot of money from him.
To his surprise, that person seemed unaware of his downfall. Though he didn’t give Qin Junhong money, he did share a lot of information about Zhu Tong.
Qin Junhong saw news about the Xia family corporation online and managed to contact Xia Yang.
Those wealthy people, living their lives with abandon, looked down on him and mocked him. They ignored his attempts to please them but would punish him a hundredfold for his mistakes.
How would Cheng Qingsong react to knowing Qin Junhong plotted against Zhu Tong? Hand him over to the authorities? No, he would do something even harsher.
He wouldn’t accept an apology or give a chance for redemption. He would crush him into the depths of despair, never allowing him to rise again.
Even if his life became a living hell, he would drag Zhu Tong down with him.
…
Five days passed quickly. On the day of the Lantern Festival, Shao Ming made tangyuan for breakfast. After eating, they began preparing for the evening’s cultural exchange event.
Zhu Xin also had preparations to make – her art class was organizing a dinner that night.
The timing was suspiciously coincidental.
Zhu Tong sat in his sister’s room, watching the girl emerge from the walk-in closet. She wore a light-colored outfit, exuding an elegant and ethereal charm.
“How do I look?” Zhu Xin asked, twirling in front of Zhu Tong.
“Looks good,” Zhu Tong replied absentmindedly.
Zhu Xin: “…”
Her brother was being perfunctory.
She sighed lightly, sat down next to him, and wrapped her arm around his. “Don’t worry, Ge. I’ll be fine. Didn’t you arrange for someone to follow me?”
After some consideration, Zhu Tong had decided to tell Zhu Xin about Qin Junhong’s appearance in A City.
Qin Junhong probably thought enough time had passed and that the people arranged by their grandfather to find him had let their guard down, so he resurfaced.
Not apprehending him immediately was Zhu Tong’s request. He wanted to understand Qin Junhong’s plan, so he gave him this opportunity.
A few days after returning to the city, Qin Junhong had ventured out a few times without noticing anything suspicious. Gradually, he became more frequent in his outings, though still cautious.
Since meeting Xia Yang and getting a sum of cash from him, Qin Junhong hadn’t met anyone else or contacted anyone.
Zhu Tong turned to his sister. “Are you afraid?”
Zhu Xin shook her head resolutely. “No. What’s there to be afraid of when dining in our own place?”
“…”
Zhu Tong thought that made sense. After learning the dinner’s location, their grandfather had already contacted the club’s manager the previous night.
“And didn’t you promise to pick me up after the dinner? As long as you come to get me, I won’t be afraid of anything,” Zhu Xin said, leaning on his shoulder and acting coy.
Zhu Tong couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. When he told Zhu Xin that Qin Junhong might harm her, she was too calm.
Whether it was regarding Qin Manwen, their father, or now Qin Junhong, Zhu Xin seemed to accept things more easily than Zhu Tong had expected.
—And their grandfather.
In his mind, after Qin Junhong appeared, they should have immediately apprehended him. The thing is, when Zhu Tong proposed his idea, their grandfather agreed without a second thought or suspicion, instructing those monitoring Qin Junhong to not alert him.
Was their grandfather too indulgent with his requests? Or had he already discovered something?
With many questions in mind, Zhu Tong left his sister’s room and habitually opened the door to the guest room next to his. Inside, Shao Ming was changing clothes.
The deep blue suit was already on, the double-breasted design accentuating his figure. Compared to his casual attire, the suit made Shao Ming look more vibrant and imposing, giving a strong visual impact.
Zhu Tong was indeed impacted.
He couldn’t help but swallow, unable to take his eyes off the young man in the room.
Seeing Zhu Tong standing in the doorway, Shao Ming squinted slightly, “Why aren’t you coming in?”
Zhu Tong quickly stepped in and closed the door, trying to look around to hide his embarrassment.
But it was too late.
Shao Ming didn’t reveal anything, simply pulling Zhu Tong into his embrace, making his gaze unavoidable.
Almost no one dislikes seeing their significant other captivated by them, and Shao Ming was no exception.
He lightly tapped Zhu Tong’s forehead and asked, “How’s Xiao Xin?”
Zhu Tong immediately straightened up. “She’s doing fine.”
He pulled himself out of the daze of being mesmerized. “I’ll go back to my room to change. We’ll come back after showing our faces tonight.”
Originally, he was going back to his room to change clothes, but how did he end up wandering into the wrong room?
Shao Ming understood his urgency and didn’t stop him.
At 6 PM, the two of them arrived at the banquet venue on time with Uncle Liu.
After getting out of the car, they went straight into the main hall of the Jiang family to greet the hosts of the evening.
The main hall was decorated gorgeously, opulent and magnificent, with a huge crystal chandelier at the center, exuding luxury and grandeur.
In contrast to the grand hall, the guests at the event were rather understated.
As Zhu Tong’s cousin had said, this cultural exchange event was attended by celebrities from various fields: business, politics, and the arts. Most of the attendees were well-known figures in their respective fields.
They were dressed appropriately but modestly, displaying refined manners and cultured conversation.
The Jiang family couple were also very friendly. Upon seeing the two people accompanied by Uncle Liu, they warmly maintained the demeanor befitting elders.
After exchanging greetings, Zhu Tong and Shao Ming were called over by Cheng Chen.
Cheng Chen brought them two drinks from the waiter and, seeing his cousin looking over, gently shook his head. “I didn’t see Jiang Wenhan or Xia Yang. Are you perhaps overthinking things?”
Zhu Tong didn’t have absolute certainty either.
But one thing was certain.
“For the Jiang family to invite us to such an occasion, it can’t just be to broaden our horizons, right?”
Cheng Chen paused, then nodded. “Makes sense.”
“…”
As they conversed, a maid approached them in her uniform, standing before Shao Ming. “Sir, our Young Master would like to invite you upstairs.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
Shao Ming raised an eyebrow slightly. “Invite me?”
The maid nodded. “Yes.”
“He’s not going.”
Before Shao Ming could speak, Zhu Tong blurted out a refusal.
What was going on?
Jiang Wenhan inviting Shao Ming upstairs?
One was the legitimate boyfriend-to-be of the future, and the other was the unforgettable White Moonlight. Their meeting wouldn’t just be a Shura field — it would be a crematorium!1Shura field is commonly used to describe a chaotic battlefield. As for why crematorium… I honestly don’t know… I only know about “wife-chasing crematorium” in this kind of context lol. Context wise, I think he’s saying that if JWH and SM were to meet, it wouldn’t just be a mere battlefield, one of them would die (and get cremated).
Zhu Tong suddenly doubted his own assumptions.
He thought Xia Yang invited them to get him out of the house and give someone a chance to invite Xiao Xin out alone.
Could he have been wrong?
Was Xia Yang inviting them not because of some shady deal he and Qin Junhong had made, but because he now had Jiang Wenhan backing him and wanted to reclaim face in front of Shao Ming?
At that moment, Young Master Zhu’s heart was convinced of something—
Shao Ming couldn’t go upstairs.
If he has to go, they must go together!
