Chapter 335: The Consequences
Chapter 335: Chapter 335: The Consequences
"Ah!" Li Huan blinked, looking at Su Qing guiltily. "Qingqing, my grandparents know I’m in Xiangcheng."
"Hmm?" Su Qing paused, stunned. "They know?"
"Yep, they know." Li Huan shrank back and gave Su Qing a placating smile. "I accidentally answered Uncle Gu’s call..."
Su Qing: ...
It turned out that with her and Li Huan out of contact for a month, everyone back in Beijing was worried sick. If Gu Xinsheng hadn’t told them he’d seen Su Qing in Guang Province, Mr. Li would have probably sent Li Fenghuo with troops to Yun Province to find them.
Even so, they had asked Gu Xinsheng to help search for them in Guang Province. To that end, Gu Xinsheng had specifically contacted the Cheng Family in Xiangcheng to ask if they knew of Su Qing’s whereabouts. But when the call came, the Cheng Family’s housekeeper was in the kitchen and didn’t hear it. Li Huan, who happened to be in the living room, answered the phone instead. The rest... was history.
Gu Xinsheng, for his part, was stunned to hear Li Huan’s voice. He never imagined she would be at the Cheng Family’s home in Xiangcheng.
And if Gu Xinsheng knew, it meant the Li family knew too.
Su Qing pressed her forehead. She had planned to wait until she got Li Huan back to the mainland before calling Beijing to avoid letting the cat out of the bag. Who knew they’d already found out?
’Great. I’m definitely going to get an earful when I get back. Not only did I sneak into Xiangcheng, but I also dragged Li Huan along to mess around!’
A scolding wasn’t so bad. What she feared was the potential fallout for their families if outsiders found out she and Li Huan had entered illegally. To be fair, the Li family had always treated her very well.
Wait!
No, that’s not right!
Su Qing’s eyes shot wide open. ’If the family knows Uncle Gu saw me in Guang Province, doesn’t that mean they also know I was involved in that case?’
’I’m so screwed. I was trying to keep that a secret.’
"Qingqing, what’s wrong?" Li Huan asked hurriedly, seeing the look of utter despair on Su Qing’s face.
"It’s nothing. I was just trying to hide a few things from my family, and I suspect they already know," Su Qing said with a sigh.
Cheng Beize was a sharp man and immediately understood what Su Qing was trying to hide. He smiled. "Even if your family finds out, it’s alright. I’ll vouch for you. You came to Xiangcheng to solve a crime. Even if you entered illegally, it won’t be an issue. After all, you have to use whatever means necessary to crack a case, don’t you?"
Su Qing smiled. "Thank you."
Cheng Beize chuckled. "If anyone should be saying thanks, it’s me. Thank you for saving my sister, Beilin. Without you, I’m afraid she wouldn’t have made it out of this."
"That’s right." Cheng Beilin, who was beside them, hugged Su Qing’s arm. "Qingqing, I really have to thank you. You’re my lifesaver."
"We’re friends. Since I was able to help, I couldn’t just stand idly by."
"You’re not just Beilin’s lifesaver; you’re my whole family’s lifesaver," Cheng Beize said quickly. "You have no idea. My parents were going out of their minds with worry over Beilin. The Xiangcheng police searched everywhere but couldn’t find a single trace of her. Who would have thought they’d taken her to the mainland? We really owe you our deepest thanks for this."
Cheng Beize knew of Gu Xinsheng. Even though the Cheng Family was one of Xiangcheng’s most prominent families, they were still well-informed about matters on the mainland. As one of the top leaders in Guang Province, Gu Xinsheng was naturally a figure known to them.
Although he was still unsure of Su Qing’s and Li Huan’s backgrounds, he knew Li Huan’s surname was Li. He also knew that among the circles of elite families in Beijing, there was indeed one with the surname Li.
The Cheng Family would naturally want to be on good terms with a family like that. So, Cheng Beize added a considerable amount to the reward he had originally prepared for Su Qing.
Su Qing smiled and changed the subject. "By the way, what happened to the kidnappers? And has the mastermind behind Beilin’s abduction been punished?"
Cheng Beize nodded. "It’s a major case. It doesn’t just involve kidnapping; it also involves drugs. The gang members involved were extradited back to Xiangcheng, but the police are taking a very hard line this time. They won’t get away. They’re definitely going to prison. Also, the one who hired the kidnappers to abduct Beilin was An Zhiwei of the An Family. The An Family wanted to sweep it under the rug, but with the witness and the evidence you helped us get, they couldn’t deny it. Plus, we had no intention of settling, so..."
Before Cheng Beize could finish, Cheng Beilin jumped in, looking immensely satisfied. "So, that An Zhiwei ended up in prison! She was sentenced to life. Hmph! She tried to hurt me, but she only ended up hurting herself. It serves her right."
Knowing that everything had been resolved relatively smoothly, Su Qing was relieved. As for the arrested gang members, they would get what was coming to them.
What Su Qing didn’t know was that her intervention had severely weakened the Hetian Association. It quickly fell from its position as one of Xiangcheng’s three major gangs, eventually becoming a minor one, its former glory gone forever. Meanwhile, the Jiu Ying Gang also benefited from her involvement. Huang Jinglei seized the opportunity to purge dissenters and consolidate his control over the entire gang. In a way, Su Qing had indirectly helped Huang Jinglei.
Since Su Qing and Li Huan were returning to the mainland the next day, the Cheng Family held a special banquet in Su Qing’s honor that evening. Throughout the meal, Cheng Beilin’s parents and younger uncle expressed their immense gratitude, thanking her over and over. At some point, the conversation shifted to Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran’s engagement. Because of how Du Haoran had protected Cheng Beilin, her parents no longer opposed their union. Du Haoran had now returned to the Northeast and would be bringing his master to discuss the wedding arrangements with the Cheng Family in a few days.
At the mention of marriage, Cheng Beilin couldn’t help but blush shyly. Su Qing was very happy for her; the star-crossed lovers had finally made it. In response to Cheng Beilin’s wedding invitation, she said that if she could make it, she would definitely be there for the big day.
The Cheng Family had also prepared a generous reward for Su Qing, which she accepted after being unable to refuse. Later, she secretly dissolved one of the vine leaves in water and had Cheng Beilin drink it. Over the past few days, she had come to understand the leaves’ effects. In addition to their miraculous healing properties for injuries, they were also incredibly potent detoxifiers. Cheng Beilin’s case was a perfect fit. Besides, her exposure to the drugs hadn’t been for long; a single leaf would be more than enough to purge it from her system.
「The next day.」
Su Qing and Li Huan bid farewell to the Cheng Family and returned to the mainland. This time, they didn’t have to sneak across; they returned through proper channels. The moment they stepped off the boat, they saw Gu Xinsheng standing on the pier.
Li Huan’s face filled with dread. "We’re dead, we’re dead. We’re so dead."