Chapter 402: No Ordinary Means
Chapter 402: Chapter 402: No Ordinary Means
"What do you need me to do?" Cheng Beize asked.
"No, it’s fine. I’m just going to take a look around and see if I can find anything out." Su Qing said before leaving the room. She walked over to the areca palm from before, intending to use its "perspective" to see what had happened.
By now, the crowd at the banquet had thinned out. Some guests had already said their goodbyes and left, while the rest were chatting among themselves in small groups. Hardly anyone noticed Su Qing.
However, before Su Qing could begin her retrospection, Luo Yixian quietly approached her. "Miss Su," she whispered, "perhaps I can offer you some clues."
Su Qing turned her head slightly toward Luo Yixian.
Luo Yixian gave a faint smile and continued in a low voice, "Miss Su, no need to look at me like that. Your cousin was injured, and I know you want to find out whether she fell on her own or if someone caused it on purpose."
Su Qing remained silent, merely watching Luo Yixian coolly. ’My first impression of this woman wasn’t good. Now she’s taking the initiative to approach me, acting friendly and offering clues. She definitely has an ulterior motive, or maybe she wants something in return.’
"Don’t you want to know, Miss Su?" Seeing that Su Qing was just staring at her silently, Luo Yixian pursed her lips and asked, "Perhaps my clues could really help you."
Su Qing’s fingers lightly brushed against the leaves of the areca palm as she silently began her retrospection. Luo Yixian talking to her at that moment actually provided a perfect cover, keeping her from looking too conspicuous standing there alone.
"So, Miss Luo, what do you want in return?" Su Qing asked softly.
Su Qing’s question made Luo Yixian’s smile widen. "You’re a sharp one, Miss Su. It’s always so much easier talking to intelligent people."
Su Qing said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow.
Luo Yixian wasn’t fazed by Su Qing’s cold attitude. She simply smiled and said, "I’ll provide you with some clues, Miss Su. In return, I hope you can introduce me to Young Master Cheng."
Before Su Qing could respond, Luo Yixian quickly added, "You may not know me, Miss Su. I’m an actress. I was in one of Director Song’s films, so I have a bit of a name for myself in Xiangcheng. But, as you know, the film industry here is fiercely competitive. I’ve gotten this far through my own hard work, step by step, but..."
At this, Luo Yixian sighed softly, putting on a helpless expression. "In a circle as competitive as the Xiangcheng film industry, if you don’t have any backing, your talent will most likely go to waste, no matter how gifted you are. I’ve struggled for so long, and I really hope to take that next step. I can’t accept anything less. Young Master Cheng is a renowned and talented man in Xiangcheng’s high society. If I could get his support, my acting career would be so much smoother."
’Of course, Luo Yixian had her own agenda. She hadn’t yet figured out Su Qing and Li Huan’s backgrounds, but based on Cheng Beize’s attitude toward Li Huan, not to mention the Cheng Family’s, she felt that even though the two women were from the mainland, their status couldn’t be low. If she were to truly compete for him, she probably didn’t stand a chance.’
’But even if she couldn’t become the matriarch of a wealthy family, she would be perfectly fine being his mistress. The first step, however, was getting an introduction to Cheng Beize. So, she was using the offer of a clue as a pretext to appear vulnerable to Su Qing, crafting an image of a woman dedicated to her career. That way, her target would naturally let down her guard.’
’As long as she could get to know Cheng Beize and see him more in the future... she refused to believe it. With her looks, if she couldn’t become the young Mrs. Cheng, could she not even manage to be his mistress?’
"You want to use me to get an introduction to Young Master Cheng?" ’If she weren’t busy with the retrospection, Su Qing wouldn’t have had the patience to listen to Luo Yixian’s long-winded speech. Despite all her high-minded talk about how much she valued her career, her real target was probably Cheng Beize himself.’
"Would that be convenient for you, Miss Su?" Luo Yixian asked with a smile.
"It’s not convenient," Su Qing said flatly. Her mind was on two tasks at once. Even while speaking with Luo Yixian, she had already reviewed all the scenes the areca palm had "seen" and reached a conclusion. Consequently, she had no patience left for Luo Yixian. "If you want to become more famous, Miss Luo, please find another path. I imagine that since you were able to attend this banquet, you must have some connections of your own. I wish you a prosperous future."
With that, Su Qing turned and walked away, ignoring Luo Yixian completely.
"You—!" Luo Yixian was stunned. She hadn’t expected Su Qing to shut her down so completely. By the time she thought to stop her again, it was too late. She seethed, biting her lip in frustration as a dark look clouded her downcast eyes. ’Since she refuses to help me, she’ll deserve it if someone messes with her in the future. So what if she has high status? She’s in Xiangcheng now. For these socialites, ruining someone is child’s play. Xiangcheng is no safe haven.’
"How did it go? Did you hear anything?" Cheng Beize asked hurriedly when he saw Su Qing return.
"No." ’For now, Su Qing had no intention of revealing what she had discovered. The culprit had used unconventional means; no wonder nobody else had noticed. Then again, that wasn’t entirely true. Luo Yixian had approached her claiming to have clues. Did she really sense something, or was that just a pretext?’
’If Luo Yixian really did notice something, she was more capable than she let on.’
"Forget it, don’t bother looking anymore. We’re heading back the day after tomorrow anyway," Li Huan said nonchalantly. "Who knows when we’ll be back again."
Hearing Li Huan’s words, Su Qing stole a glance at Cheng Beize and, just as she’d expected, saw a flicker of anxiety on his face. She couldn’t help but be amused. ’Well now, looks like this is a one-sided crush. My dear cousin is probably completely oblivious to Cheng Beize’s feelings.’
"No way," Cheng Beize said at once. "I’m going to investigate this thoroughly. If someone really did this on purpose, I absolutely won’t let it slide."
"Isn’t that too much trouble for you?" Li Huan felt a little sheepish. She had come for Cheng Beilin’s wedding, only to fall during the banquet. It was embarrassing enough for her, but she had also disturbed the other guests. Now she was making Cheng Beize investigate the cause.
’What if he investigates and finds out I just fell because I was clumsy? That would be even more mortifying.’
"It’s what I should do. You don’t have to feel bad," Cheng Beize said, his voice unconsciously softening as he spoke to her.
By this point, the wound on Li Huan’s arm had been treated and bandaged. As Mr. Gong packed up his medical kit, he heard Cheng Beize’s words and a slight smile touched his lips.
’Ah, to be young!’