Chapter 405: Grandauntie, Why Are You Here?
Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Grandauntie, Why Are You Here?
Su Qing had no romantic experience herself, so she couldn’t offer Li Huan any advice. As for Li Huan, she was a complete novice in matters of the heart.
And so, after waiting anxiously in the first-floor living room for what felt like half the day, Cheng Beize finally received an "I don’t know" from Li Huan.
Seeing this, how could Cheng Beize not realize that Li Huan was still completely clueless about romance?
Although the outcome was unexpected, Cheng Beize wasn’t disappointed. ’It’s okay if she hasn’t figured it out yet,’ he thought. ’She will eventually.’ He decided not to press the matter further and instead made a silent resolution.
"You two are going shopping this afternoon, right? How about I give you a ride to Central?" Cheng Beize said, changing the subject with a wide smile.
"Oh, that’s too much trouble," Li Huan said, feeling awkward after his confession. She wasn’t sure how to face him. She felt she had rejected him and worried he might be upset because of it.
"Don’t worry about it. I have to go to the office anyway, so it’s on my way," Cheng Beize said with a smile.
Su Qing smiled faintly from the side but said nothing. She had no intention of interfering in Li Huan’s love life.
In the end, Cheng Beize drove Su Qing and Li Huan to Central to go shopping. Despite Li Huan’s dazed and clueless expression after his confession, the moment she saw the bustling commercial streets of Central, her eyes lit up with excitement. She thanked Cheng Beize, then happily dragged Su Qing off to start their shopping spree.
Watching Li Huan’s cheerful back, Cheng Beize smiled faintly and shook his head. ’Just as I thought. The girl I like is still clueless when it comes to love. But there’s no rush. I have all the time in the world to wait for her to figure it out.’
Cheng Beize’s gentle gaze followed Li Huan’s receding figure until she disappeared from view. Only then did he start the car and drive toward his office.
After Cheng Beize drove off, a girl sitting in a booth at a nearby teahouse glanced at his departing car, then toward the direction Su Qing and Li Huan had gone. Her right hand slowly tightened into a fist. ’The man I love... I will never let anyone else have him...’
「The next day」
Su Qing and Li Huan said their goodbyes to the Cheng Family, ready to head home. Cheng Beize personally drove them to the checkpoint and only felt relieved enough to bid them farewell after seeing that someone was there to meet them.
When Su Qing and Li Huan had traveled to Xiangcheng, they each carried only a single wicker case. On the way back, however, they had accumulated quite a lot. In addition to their own purchases, there were also gifts from the Cheng Family. Fortunately, Gu Xinsheng had arranged for someone to meet them at the checkpoint. The two went straight to the post office and mailed everything to Beijing, leaving them with only a small shoulder bag each. Now feeling light and unburdened, they headed to the guesthouse they had booked. Their train tickets were for the next morning, so they still needed to spend one night in Guangcheng.
"What!" Li Huan stared at Su Qing in astonishment. "You’re not going back to Beijing? You’re taking more time off?"
"That’s right. At least a month and a half," Su Qing confirmed with a nod. "I have some other business to attend to, so I won’t be returning to Beijing with you tomorrow. Just remember to take good notes for me, I’ll need to review them when I get back."
Su Qing wasn’t sure how long she would be in the Da Hu Mountains. After all, an eight-hundred-year-old Purple Danshen was incredibly hard to find. If she couldn’t find it on Da Hu Mountain, she planned to take a trip to Gansu Province. Mr. Gong had mentioned that the place his ancestor found an eight-hundred-year-old Purple Danshen was in the Xiqing Mountains of Gansu.
"We already took a week off, and now you want to take off for more than another month? The student advisor will never agree," Li Huan said urgently. "Besides, it’s already the end of October. If you come back in over a month, it’ll almost be New Year’s Day. The final exams are not long after that! We have so much material to cover; I’m worried you won’t be able to catch up on your review."
"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just focus on taking good notes for me," Su Qing said with a smile. The material in their textbooks was no challenge for her at all. She usually grasped it all after reading it just once.
’I’ll have to pause making the pastries for Grandma for a while, but that’s alright. I can just resume when I get back. Also, I wonder what day Li Wan and Gu Xinsheng’s wedding is set for, and whether I’ll be back in time to attend.’
’But since I’ve already promised Mr. Gong, it’s best to get this done as quickly as possible to avoid making another trip later. Plus, there’s still the matter of the person who’s secretly trying to harm Li Huan...’
Su Qing’s gaze fell. ’I’ll have to settle that score with them sooner or later.’
"But... but Grandpa, Grandma, and my aunt will be worried," Li Huan stammered. She didn’t know what Su Qing was planning, but she had a gut feeling it was nothing simple. She was worried for Su Qing’s safety. The last time Su Qing had gone to rescue Cheng Beilin, she had ended up taking down a major drug den. The entire month Li Huan had stayed at the Cheng Family’s home, she had been on pins and needles, terrified that something would happen to Su Qing.
"Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous," Su Qing said with a smile. "Besides, I’ve already spoken to my uncle. He’s going to talk to the student advisor and arrange the leave for me. He already agreed."
"What? My dad actually agreed?" Li Huan’s eyes widened. "When did you talk to him?"
"Back in Xiangcheng," Su Qing said, raising an eyebrow slightly. Once she decided to help Mr. Gong find the Purple Danshen, she had called Li Fenghuo from Xiangcheng to ask for his help. ’The leave has probably already been approved by now.’
"Alright." Seeing that Su Qing had everything planned out, Li Huan knew her friend’s mind was made up. "Well, in that case, you have to promise you’ll be safe," she said. "And come back soon."
"Don’t worry," Su Qing said, patting Li Huan on the shoulder. "I’m tougher than I look."
Li Huan had to agree. "That’s true."
With that, the two of them couldn’t help but look at each other and laugh.
「The next day」
Su Qing saw Li Huan off on the train back to Beijing. Watching the train pull away from the station, she then took a car to the same beach where Brother Qi had smuggled the abducted Cheng Beilin and Du Chaoran onto the mainland.
By the time she reached the beach, the sky had already grown dark. It was a rocky, sparsely populated area. Under the cover of night, Su Qing slipped quietly into the sea. Shielded by the green mist, she quickly swam to the opposite shore.
Once ashore, Su Qing headed straight for Xiang’s place.
"Who is it?!"
Hearing the knock, Xiang yelled impatiently. He had taken Su Qing’s advice last time and laid low for a while, only moving back after the dust had settled. He had good sources, so it didn’t take long for him to find out that the woman who had come to see him that day was the same one who had toppled the Hetian Association and crippled the Jiu Ying Gang.
But he had never managed to find out who Su Qing really was.
Hearing Xiang’s voice, Su Qing raised an eyebrow. She remained silent and simply knocked again.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! Knock your own damn head! It’s the middle of the night! Are you gonna let a man sleep or what?!" Xiang grumbled, flinging the door open. He started to yell at the person outside, but when he got a clear look at their face, he sucked in a sharp breath. "M-my lady! W-what are you doing here?!"