Chapter 479: Flaw
Chapter 479: Chapter 479: Flaw
"If I’m not mistaken, this person who can control vines must have a rather deep connection to our Li family." Mr. Li mulled it over for a moment before saying to Li Fenghuo and Gu Xinsheng, "Otherwise, they wouldn’t go to such lengths to help us."
"Dad, you mean..." Li Fenghuo’s eyes widened. "Don’t tell me we actually know this person!"
Gu Xinsheng nodded and said, "I think what you’re saying is very likely, Sir. Perhaps this person is indeed someone we know."
Mr. Li’s words made it click for Gu Xinsheng as well. Nothing in this world happens without a reason. The person had saved him but never showed themselves afterward or asked for any reward. It was highly likely they knew him but were unwilling to reveal their identity. After all, if such incredible abilities were exposed, they could attract unwanted attention and even invite disaster.
It was far better to remain an unsung hero than to court trouble.
But this time, the person had acted again in Beijing. On the surface, they were helping the city police solve a case, but in reality, they were helping the Li family.
In other words, this person knew both him and the Li family. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have helped on two separate occasions.
Gu Xinsheng explained his thoughts, and both Mr. Li and Li Fenghuo nodded in agreement.
"Sir, I know this person almost certainly doesn’t want to reveal their identity to avoid the trouble that would come from exposing their abilities," Gu Xinsheng said. "But now, Qingqing’s safety is at stake. I think we need to find this person as soon as possible. Once we do, we can promise them we won’t leak their secret to anyone. We’ll just ask them to protect Qingqing and the Li family for a while. What do you think?"
"I agree," Li Fenghuo said. "Right now, Qingqing’s safety is the most important thing. But just who could this person be?"
Li Fenghuo mentally ran through everyone he knew, but after racking his brain for a long time, he couldn’t think of anyone with such incredible skills.
Besides, this person also had to fit the criteria of being in the mountains of Guang City last year and in Beijing this year.
An idea was faintly forming in the back of Li Fenghuo’s mind, but he didn’t dare believe it.
"Perhaps this person is very close to us, right here among us," Mr. Li said after another moment of silence.
"Among us?" Gu Xinsheng froze for a second, his mouth falling open as he stared at Mr. Li. "S-Sir... You don’t mean this person is... is Qingqing, do you?"
Gu Xinsheng had actually considered this already. ’Based on the criteria, only Su Qing and Liu Peng, the man I brought to Beijing, fit. I was leaning more toward Liu Peng. He’s highly skilled, capable, and absolutely loyal to me. Maybe he has these abilities and just never told me. It would be a rather unbelievable thing to admit, after all.’
He hadn’t suspected Su Qing in the slightest. In Gu Xinsheng’s heart, no matter how skilled she was, Su Qing was still a girl who needed protection.
But Mr. Li’s words made Gu Xinsheng uncertain. While Liu Peng was his subordinate, he had only visited the Li family a few times. The word "close" didn’t really apply to him.
That left only one person.
But... Su Qing!
’Could it be that child?’
’Don’t tell me it was Su Qing who saved me back then?’
Li Fenghuo was equally shocked. He had secretly harbored the same idea but found it too hard to believe.
"Dad, could it really be Qingqing?" Li Fenghuo asked in a low voice.
Meanwhile, downstairs on the first floor, Su Qing was so stunned by the trio’s conversation that she forgot to hold out her arm.
Mrs. Li smiled. "Qingqing, what are you thinking about? Quick, hold out your arm so I can see if this sweater needs any more adjustments."
"Oh, right." Su Qing quickly forced a smile and held out her arm, letting Mrs. Li and Li Wan measure the sweater against her. Her ears, however, were trained on the sounds from the study. She desperately wanted to know how Mr. Li had guessed it was her so quickly.
’Did I really leave some clue behind?’
Then she heard Mr. Li give a faint laugh and say, "Whatever we’ve discussed today stays in this room. Once we walk out that door, this conversation never happened."
Li Fenghuo and Gu Xinsheng understood instantly. "Understood."
The matter involved Su Qing, and they knew the gravity of the situation. Regardless of whether the vine-controller was Su Qing or not, they couldn’t let this information leak. Otherwise, it could bring her unforeseen trouble.
"Actually, have you ever thought about it?" Mr. Li said softly. "Qingqing has gone into the deep mountains several times and has come out unscathed every time. Not only that, but she’s also managed to find many precious medicinal herbs and even rescued people from those same mountains. You have to remember, the places she went are rarely visited by humans. Even many of the wild animals in the mountains don’t dare venture there."
"That’s true." Li Fenghuo nodded. He knew that for Su Qing to make it in and out of the deep, old forests so many times, good skills and good luck alone were clearly not enough. ’I used to think her success in the mountains was due to the medicinal powders Mr. Gong gave her, or maybe some other secret methods she had.’
’Now that I think about it, could that method be the ability to control plants?’
"And besides that," Mr. Li continued, "ever since Qingqing returned, your mother and I have been feeling better and better. Haven’t you noticed that your mother’s headaches have been gone for a long time? And my chronic leg pain hasn’t flared up at all recently. What’s more, I have far more energy than before. In fact, many people have noticed the change in us. They just assume it’s because Li Wan came back and that good fortune has lifted our spirits. But no matter how happy we are, it doesn’t make sense for our old ailments to just disappear."
At this point, Mr. Li paused, then added, "And it’s not just me. It’s you two as well. I don’t believe for a second that you haven’t noticed the changes in your own bodies."
"He’s right." Li Fenghuo and Gu Xinsheng both nodded. They had both sustained injuries in their younger years. Although the wounds had healed on the surface, they had left lingering problems. Whenever it was cloudy or about to rain, the old injuries would always flare up to some extent. But for more than half a year now, those aches and pains seemed to have vanished completely.
They had been too busy with work to pay it much attention before. Recalling it now, they exchanged a look, their eyes filled with shock.
As for Su Qing, she felt the urge to facepalm. ’Those two things really are loose ends, strictly speaking. Especially my trips into the mountains. It’s fine if no one looks too closely, but if someone gets suspicious and starts digging, they’re bound to connect the dots.’
Then she heard Mr. Li continue, "And besides all that, there’s one more thing."
Su Qing didn’t know what to think anymore. ’So in Mr. Li’s eyes, I’m just full of holes!’