Hearing Gu Xiqiao’s words, the scarred man’s face darkened. His eyes were on her, and it looked strange under the cell’s dim light. A grin stretched across his face. “Even though I’m just a puppet, I’m still the most outstanding puppet my master has…”
Puppets nowadays were also pretending to be better than they were? The phone in her pocket vibrated, and Gu Xiqiao gave him a glance before pulling out her phone. It was Baili Bin, asking how things were in Mingzhou, and another message from the great elder and Yi Tiao.
The scarred man saw that Gu Xiqiao had lowered her head and stopped speaking, his tall body suddenly swelled up, a twisted expression on his bluish black face.
“A humanoid Tsar bomb!” Wei Xi exclaimed in horror beside Hua Youlin. She had researched all kinds of ammunition, and when she saw what was happening, her face drained of all blood and her voice shook.
Scarface looked at her frightened state, a mocking look in his eyes. Yes, that was it. The panic, the fear, the terror! Such emotions were worthy of a human being! “This is the greatest weapon my master has given me, I just need to think of it, and everything will blow up…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a blow landed on his face. He looked at Gu Xiqiao, dumbfounded. Gu Xiqiao threw her phone upward in the air, giving him a brilliant smile, a smile that seemed to make flowers bloom everywhere.
Bang!
“Like I’ll let you blow everything up!
Bang!
“Let’s see if you’ll go to heaven!”
1
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a few punches, the phone fell down right into her hands. She finished typing in the text messages that she was typing halfway and hit the send button.
The scarred man who previously had swelled up into a round ball had been beaten back into his original shape. A black mist which regular people couldn’t see floated out from him, and Gu Xiqiao brought out a bamboo tube from her pocket, trapping the black mist inside. The puppet of a man had been so confident Gu Xiqiao wouldn’t touch him and would leave him be while continuing her investigation, and unexpectedly Gu Xiqiao would deal with him this way.
“Little Hua.” Gu Xiqiao pointed at the puppet’s body on the floor. “Acting pretentious will just earn you a beating from me.”
Hua Youlin nodded seriously, then looked ashamed. “Sister Gu, I was too weak.”
“You are, but the blame can’t be placed on your shoulders.” Gu Xiqiao sighed. She shoved the bamboo tube and her phone into her pocket. “What a waste of my Mala soup, I only managed to drink half of it.”
She always saved the best for last, and thinking of the large piece of tenderloin left in the bowl that she was forced to leave behind made her heart ache.
“‘I’ll make sure to fight for time enough for you to finish your soup next time.” Hua Youlin said quickly.
“Work hard at it then.” Gu Xiqiao turned to him, touching her chin, wondering at the credibility of his words.
Hua Youlin nodded his head vigorously. “Of course! I’ll treat you to milk tea!”
Listening to the conversation between the two, the other three people on the scene were still in a daze. That violent bloodied scene was still replaying in their minds, and Wei Xi stuttered, “Cool, so cool…”
Shao Ge eyed Wei Xi, thinking that this person was definitely weird. What kind of woman would say cool after seeing such a brutal scene?
1
However, when his gaze landed on Gu Xiqiao and Hua Youlin, he thought to himself that these two were definitely worse. Although… Gu Xiqiao really was cool just now.
“Miss Gu, thank you.” Mr. Yan stepped forward, his pale fingers pressing against his lips to cover the cough. There was no change in his expression after that display of strength from Gu Xiqiao, and it was slightly relaxed and soft. “My name is Zhuge Yan. If you have any problems in the future, please don’t hesitate to look for me.”
Saying that, he rattled off an address.
Gu Xiqiao nodded her head. “Gu Xiqiao. The army is outside, they’ll be here in three minutes. We’ll be leaving first.”
Having said that, she turned and took Hua Youlin with her, her inky black hair flowing down her back and swaying as she walked. As she walked out, the candles in the room started to lit up one by one, and the room brightened, chasing away the shadows.
Hua Youlin reached out to pull Shao Ge with him before they left.
The three of them quickly disappeared from their sight, while Zhuge Yan stood in the spot he was at, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
Wei Xi, who was standing beside him, had her mouth wide open like a goldfish. “Y-Y-Young master, you… you gave her…” He had given her his real name?!
Even she who had been by his side from young had not heard his name being uttered for close to ten years, and even the Wei family, who was very close to him, only addressed him as ‘Mr. Yan’.
And yet today, he had given out his real name to a girl he had just met, ignoring the fact that the girl was no ordinary girl.
“That boy.” Zhuge Yan looked at the swaying shadows on the ground, speaking suddenly. “He should have been dead.” That was weird, the boy should have been dead two months ago, but he had been standing in front of him well and alive.
2
“What?” Zhuge Yan had spoken too softly, and Wei Xi couldn’t make out what he had just said.
“It’s nothing.” Zhuge Yan didn’t say anything more, turning his attention to the door.
Footsteps could be heard coming in their direction, and Wei Chenxi led a group of troopers behind him as they appeared at the door.
“It really was three minutes.” Wei Xi checked the time on her phone in a daze, seeing that it was right on the mark.
Seeing that Zhuge Yan was whole and alive, Wei Xu let out a sigh of relief. Hearing Wei Xi murmuring to herself, he couldn’t help but ask, “What was that?”
“Nothing. Didn’t you stop Miss Gu from leaving?” Wei Xi looked toward Wei Xu. “She saved the Young Master!”
“Who are you talking about?” Wei Xu scratched his head, confused at what his twin sister was talking about.
Wei Xi’s eyes widened comically. “When you came in, didn’t you see a girl with two boys who looked to be twelve or thirteen?”
“Are you alright, Wei Xi? Did they hit you in the head or something? There wasn’t anyone else in the place when we came in!”
***
At the same time, in a closed chamber somewhere in Mingzhou.
“Boss, something had gone wrong.” A fat middle-aged man spoke respectfully into the phone he held to his ears.
Even his expression was cautious as he spoke.
The voice on the other side was calm and gentle. “They ran into her, can’t blame you. Return to the capital tomorrow, I’ve already got Old Wu to head over.”
1
“My lord! Please give me another chance!” The middle-aged man felt his legs turn to jelly when he heard the voice.
“If you continue to stay in Mingzhou, she’ll drag you out of your hiding place within five days. Wait for Old Wu to reach, and return quickly. There are still other things waiting for you in the capital.” Once he had finished talking, the call was cut off.
The middle-aged man wiped the sweat that had broken out on his face. The boss had never been one to scare people with exaggerated words. If he said a person would sniff him out in five days, then that person definitely had the ability to do it.
The man took a deep breath before standing up, he had to speed things up. The plan here couldn’t be disrupted because of him. He would wait for Master Wu to come, then he would arrange everything as fast as possible.
***
On the busy streets, Hua Youlin was looking at Gu Xiqiao, who was staring at a tree. He couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Gu, what are you looking at?”
Gu Xiqiao turned away from the tree after hearing his voice, shaking her head lightly. “Nothing, Shao… Shao Shao. You haven’t seen Little Hua for so long, come over to our place tonight.”
Shao Ge scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. “No, it’s fine. My house is just in front.”
“Come on,” Hua Youlin grinned. “Why would you want to go back to that broken home? Your big bro1 has money now, don’t go back there anymore. You should be attending school at your age.”
Hearing those words, Shao Ge shook his head again. “I shouldn’t bother you anymore, I’m used to being alone.”
He knew very well that Hua Youlin was in a better place now, and he were to bring him along, Hua Youlin might get caught up with his issues and have a bad life. He had been used to living alone all these years anyway.
“You don’t have to be so reserved with him.” Gu Xiqiao stuck her hand into her pocket, her other hand running across the branch of the tree that was beside her. Her clear eyes were sparkling as she spoke, “He’s a rich boy. Don’t worry, it’s not my money you’re spending.”
“Huh?” Gu Xiqiao’s words made Shao Ge stunned for a while.
“Let’s go to that milk tea shop.” Gu Xiqiao withdrew her hands, walking toward the said shop that was located not too far off from them.
Hua Youlin thought about Gu Xiqiao’s words for a while, understanding her meaning in an instant. He turned toward Shao Ge and said, “Shao Shao, this is really money that I have earned myself. Didn’t I tell you that I’m a descendant of the Divine Doctor? I saved a few people while I was in the capital, and they all paid me quite handsomely. Let’s talk about it later, and get a drink first. Otherwise, Sister Gu will think that I’m breaking my promise of picking up the bill!”
He pulled Shao Ge toward the shop.
“Wait, no. How did Sister Gu know my name?” Shao Ge suddenly recalled the fact that he never introduced himself to her, and he only remembered Hua Youlin telling him to call her ‘Sister Gu’, but he had never given his name. How did she know?
Hua Youlin paused in his steps right outside the door, and glanced at Gu Xiqiao, who was sitting by the window inside. “Oh, she probably did some divination reading on it.”
Having said that, he dragged Shao Ge to sit beside Gu Xiqiao, and left them to buy three cups of milk tea for them.
Shao Ge felt embarrassed, and he squeezed the cup in his hands. The interior of the shop was exquisite, and the people around him were all dressed up in fancy clothes, while he… He looked down at his own clothes. When the other customers saw his state of attire, they frowned and scooted further away from him.
In front of him, the two other people were discussing which grade he should be going into, and Shao Ge felt an indescribable warmth blooming in his heart at the conversation. He had forgotten how it felt like to have people care for him.
Shao Ge continued to listen to Hua Youlin’s chatter, until he suddenly trailed off and stopped talking, staring at something outside the window. Shao Ge looked up at Hua Youlin, calling out to him, “Hua Youlin? Hua Youlin!”
Hua Youlin startled, snapping out of his daze, but his hand on the cup tightened. He pursed his lips and lowered his head, muttering, “It’s nothing.”
“Let’s go and see what’s happening outside.” Gu Xiqiao picked up the cup of unfinished milk tea and walked out of the shop.
Hua Youlin watched her retreating figure, and finally got up to follow her. Shao Ge also stood, following them with a puzzled look on his face.
There was a group of people gathered on the streets. There was an old man with white hair, and a young woman wearing a black leather jacket. Beside them, there was a woman who was dressed in unusual clothes on the ground. Her face was pale white, and the young woman had given her emergency first aid before the woman on the ground woke up, and everyone around her cheered.
The young woman looked toward the old man, her tone disapproving as she said, “The Hua family killed a patient with their treatment a few days ago, and the Wei family has forbidden them from practicing their medical skills anymore. I can’t believe that you still dare to come out to treat people. I also can’t believe that other than Hua Jingya, there’s no one else in your family that has talents. The dignified Hua family has fallen to the ground just like that. Healers should be compassionate by nature and have filial piety in their hearts. It’s better if you don’t come out to harm more people with your treatments in the future.”
Being lectured by a young woman who could pass as his granddaughter, the old man’s face was stained with shame, but there was also anger in them. “Huangfu Xuan, our Hua family does not kill our patients with our treatments!”
He only dared to say these words, anything else would be considered crossing the boundaries.
“You can go and tell the Wei family yourself.” Huangfu Xuan glanced at him, not bothered to continue the conversation as she turned and left.
Her head was held high with a cold, arrogant look on her face. She exuded a noble aura as she walked, and everyone around was looking at her with respect and admiration. It was obvious she was well known.
Huangfu Xuan was used to these kinds of eyes on her, but she suddenly felt a piercing gaze. She paused in her steps, turning toward where she felt the gaze was coming from, meeting a pair of bright, coal eyes. It was a boy about the age of thirteen.
She could no longer feel the piercing gaze, but she was sure it had come from him.
She brushed it off, ignoring the child and turning to leave. Before she could turn away fully, her eyes caught sight of something bright. Her eyes landed on the person’s face. Her features were sharp and dignified, as beautiful as a painting, elegant as jade. Huangfu Xuan didn’t even have the words to describe what she was seeing.
Among the sea of people, the girl’s face stood out like the moon in the dark sky.
Huangfu Xuan has seen her fair share of handsome men and beautiful women, but they all paled in comparison to the girl that she was looking at now. There was maybe that one person who could compare… She stopped herself from going too deep into her thoughts, but when she shook herself out of her daydream, the girl and the boy had disappeared.
A man in a black suit strode over to where she was still rooted to the spot, saying in a low voice, “Miss, Mr. Wei is looking for you. That person’s sickness is acting up again.”
Hearing those words, Huangfu Xuan shoved thoughts about that girl away from her mind. It was just another pretty face, after all. No matter how good she looked, she was still a regular person, and Huangfu Xuan didn’t give it anymore thought. She hurried after the man into a black Cayenne which had a camellia painted on it.
Her actions attracted the envious gaze of the people around, and some were heatedly discussing it with excited looks on their faces.
“The camellia flower, that’s the Wei family’s car!”
“That’s Miss Huangfu!”
“I used to be in the same school as her, she’s really smart! She’s already obtained a double doctorate degree at only 24 years old. I heard that she’s also obtained all the ancient techniques that are handed down in the Huangfu family.”
“I know! Mingzhou’s top medical family, even the Wei family is courteous toward them!”
“Shh, don’t you value your life?! How dare you talk about the Wei family like it’s your own?”
***
Gu Xiqiao held her milk tea in hand as she guided Hua Youlin and Shao Ge to the nearby flowerbed. “A patient died under the Hua family’s treatment last month, and their medical hall has been closed since then. Now the Huangfu family dominates Mingzhou in terms of medical matters, and the Hua family has practically no position to continue in their existence. That’s the state the Hua family is in right now, and was also the reason why I didn’t bring you back before this.”
As she talked, she pulled out her phone to handed it to Hua Youlin.
Hua Youlin took it and looked at the screen, it was an email detailing the situation of the Hua family on it. “Sister Gu… This is?” He was shocked, Gu Xiqiao had known all along?
“You’re still not strong enough, and the Hua family themselves are also not strong enough. Tell me, Little Hua, do you still intend to revive the Hua family?” Gu Xiqiao finished her drink, crushing the cup and throwing it to the side.
A young man passing by wanted to say something along the lines of no littering, when he found that the cup seemed to have grown a mind of its own. It turned around in the air, landing neatly into the trash can that was tens of meters away from the girl.
“…”
“Yeah.” Hua Youlin nodded vigorously. “I hate the Hua family, but I can’t let them disappear. I swore to my parents before they passed, that the Hua family will definitely not go down.”
“Then you better work hard.” Gu Xiqiao stood and stretched lazily. “Let’s go back, I’ll write out a general direction for you. I won’t interfere too much with this matter.”
***
Tianxing Hotel wasn’t that far from where they were at. When Shao Ge reached the place with them, he was speechless. Their so-called ‘home’ was this hotel?
When he reached the suite they were staying at, he was surprised to find a robot dressed in striking colored clothes sitting in front of the computer. His fingers shook as he pointed to it. “I-I-I-I-I-It’s…” He was watching a robot playing games on a computer!
“Jiji.” Gu Xiqiao gave the robot a glance.
Jiji turned its head immediately, waving to Shao Ge. “Hello, Shao Shao.”
Shao Ge felt like his insides had been turned out. “How does it know my name?!”
Hua Youlin shrugged. “Who knows? Don’t worry about it, hurry up and take a shower.”
The suite Gu Xiqiao had booked had two bedrooms and a living room. She came out from her room, holding a box in her hands as she turned to Hua Youlin. “You didn’t take the box that you placed in my room this morning.”
Hua Youlin’s mouth twitched, muttering an agreement as he took the box from her, bringing it to his room. He opened it to find a set of clothes for Shao Ge.
Shao Ge was looking at the red bird on the snow-white sheets. His eyes were full of wonder as he said, “What a beautiful bird!”
“Thank you for your compliment.” The bird turned its head, replying to his praise. Having said that, it lowered its head back down, and Shao Ge suddenly realized that there was a phone underneath its legs.
1
“…”
He stiffly turned away, grabbing the clothes Hua Youlin had given him and heading into the bathroom. It seemed that he had entered a strange world.
But Gu Xiqiao’s display of power had already overwhelmed him in the beginning, so the shock wore off after only a short while before he started to sort out his thoughts of what had happened today. Sister Gu, just who was she?
Hua Youlin, who stood outside the room looked at the bird on the bed. “Xixi, you scared the sh*t out of my friend.”
Xixi flew out the door, holding the Pear phone in its claws. It nodded seriously. “I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Beauty Qiao.” Xixi flew to Gu Xiqiao’s room, phone still clutched in its talons. Before it could get another word out, a brown pull flew into its mouth, and Xixi closed its beak immediately.
Gu XIqiao had taken Jiji’s computer, and was tapping the keys at a fast speed.
“That Shao Ge, his spiritual powers isn’t bad.” Jiji was holding a bunch of melon seeds as it sat crossed leg on the bed, peeling the seeds as it talked.
The shells were thrown to the side, disappearing into thin air.
“He’s strange too, for not going to the police after seeing what you guys did.” Gu Xiqiao snapped her fingers, and a printer appeared out of nowhere. She proceeded to print out what she had typed into the computer. “Go and bring this to Little Hua.”
Jiji took the papers from her and read through it, surprised in its eyes. “You’re letting Little Hua revive the Hua family by himself? But the Huangfu family definitely won’t allow this to happen.”
Hua Youlin was still young, and Jiji felt that this plan that Gu Xiqiao had for him was probably not feasible.
“He’s been working hard and struggling against the odds in society since he was young, and his mind is more mature than most ordinary adults. That’s why I won’t interfere, he just needs to focus on reviving the Hua family.” Gu Xiqiao leaned back against the chair. She tapped a few more keys on the computer to open a game as her lips curled into a smile. “But if the Huangfu family dares to make any moves…”
Jiji felt a chill creep up its spine when it saw Gu Xiqiao’s smile, and turned to run out of the room to hand the documents to Hua Youlin.
After that short trip, Jiji finally understood Gu Xiqiao’s thoughts. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Hua Youlin by letting him do this alone, she was intending to use this as training for him to revive the Hua family. If she wasn’t bothered with him, she wouldn’t have come all the way to Mingzhou in the first place.
***
At the Wei family residence.
“Mr. Yan, are you saying there’ll be a calamity around this date?” Wei Chenxi looked at Zhuge Yan with an astonished expression.
Zhuge Yan lowered his head, using the brush beside him to write the word ‘fierce’ on the paper. The strokes were elegant and gentle, and he raised his head after, saying, “Come to think of it, this may very well have a lot to do with me.”
“Is there any way to resolve it?” Wei Chenxi clenched his hands, his fingernail digging into his palm.
“Nothing the power of humans can solve.” Zhuge Yan shook his head, a clear, pretty face floating into his mind suddenly. “Wait, there might be someone who can help…”
“Young Master, Miss Huangfu has arrived!” Wei Xi announced as she knocked on the door.
Wei Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief. “Hurry and invite her in.”
A tall figure entered the room, her appearance and temperament were both exuding confidence. She reached out to feel Zhuge Yan’s pulse, her brows furrowing. There was only concern on her face when she spoke, “Mr. Yan, what have you done recently? Why is your condition getting worse? If it goes on like this, forget about five years, you might not even have three years…”
“It’s fine.” Zhuge Yan withdrew his hand, a peaceful expression on his face, as if whatever Huangfu Xuan had said was not about him. “Life and death are already predetermined by the heavens.”
“Miss Huangfu, please put all your effort in healing Mr. Yan.” Wei Chenxi said. “I don’t care how much it will cost.”
“I will do my best.” Huangfu Xuan looked at the piece of paper on the table. The calligraphy strokes were elegant and concise, exactly like the owner. “Mr. Yan, I will definitely cure you!”
Zhuge Yan gave her a faint smile, not saying anything else before leaving the room.
“What are you looking at, Young Master?” Wei Xi watched as Zhuge Yan stood in the yard, looking up at the sky. He had been doing that since she was young, and she still didn’t understand the significance of his action.
Under the dim light, Zhuge Yan’s eyes were bright and distinct, and his gaze seemed to be endless. He muttered, “The Greedy Wolf star and the will of heaven are both dim, a calamity is approaching Mingzhou.”
Wei Xi blinked, not hearing his words clearly. Instead, she enthusiastically said, “Do you know who that Miss Gu today was, Young Master? She’s so cool, and beautiful, she’s even better than Miss Huangfu!”
“She’s not from Mingzhou.” Zhuge Yan smiled at the mention of Gu Xiqiao. “She’s probably from the capital.”
“The Imperial Capital?” There was a hint of yearning in Wen Xi’s eyes when she said that.
After Huangfu Xuan had briefed Wei Chenxi about Zhuge Yan’s condition, they walked out to hear the words ‘Miss Gu’ faintly being mentioned by the two.
Wei Chenxi was taken aback for a moment, before asking, “Mr. Yan, who is this Miss Gu you’re talking about?” This was the first time he had heard the name from him.
Huangfu Xuan couldn’t help but turn her gaze toward Zhuge Yan, curiosity obviously burning in her eyes about this ‘Miss Gu’.
“A person whose fate I can’t divine.” Zhuge Yan shook his head, raising a hand to cough into it. “Chenxi, Miss Huangfu, I’ll take my leave and head back to rest first.”
The figure then disappeared gradually in front of them, and there was surprise in Huangfu Xuan’s eyes at the scene.
***
The next day, Gu Xiqiao got up early, throwing a few books to Hua Youlin to study, before taking Shao Ge out of the hotel. He hadn’t brought his guitar back with him yesterday night, and so she took him out to look for it.
“Sister Gu, why don’t you and Youlin call me by my name?” Shao Ge suddenly asked out of the blue while they were walking on the streets.
“It’s peculiar to call you by your name,” Gu Xiqiao replied, glancing at him.
Shao Ge tilted his head to the side, thinking deeply about what she had just said. He muttered his name under his breath a few times. Shao Ge, Shao Ge1?
No wonder!
Shao Ge had dropped his guitar when he and Hua Youlin had been taken away yesterday, but when they arrived at the spot, they didn’t see it. However, they saw a familiar figure instead. Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes. “Why are you here?”
Zhuge Yan turned around, holding Shao Ge’s guitar in his hand. The guitar was worn out and old, but in his hands it resembled an exquisite item. He handed the guitar over to her when they came nearer.
Shao Ge watched as his guitar exchanged hands, before it was handed back to him. He felt as though his guitar had really been some exquisite item while it was in the hands of the two of them.
As expected, a beauty is a beauty. Even the guitar knew how to differentiate beautiful people.
“Miss Gu,” Zhuge Yan greeted with a smile. “I was waiting for you.”
[Ding! Random mission activated: Protect Wei Chenyan!]
[Mission completion reward: 1,000 points!]
The cold mechanical voice echoed in Gu Xiqiao’s mind, and she touched her chin thoughtfully as she looked at Zhuge Yan. “Hiring me as a bodyguard is very expensive.”
Zhuge Yan was shocked once again, staring at Gu Xiqiao with his mouth slightly agape. How did she know that, before he even had the chance to open his mouth?
Hearing Gu Xiqiao’s words, the scarred man’s face darkened. His eyes were on her, and it looked strange under the cell’s dim light. A grin stretched across his face. “Even though I’m just a puppet, I’m still the most outstanding puppet my master has…”
Puppets nowadays were also pretending to be better than they were? The phone in her pocket vibrated, and Gu Xiqiao gave him a glance before pulling out her phone. It was Baili Bin, asking how things were in Mingzhou, and another message from the great elder and Yi Tiao.
The scarred man saw that Gu Xiqiao had lowered her head and stopped speaking, his tall body suddenly swelled up, a twisted expression on his bluish black face.
“A humanoid Tsar bomb!” Wei Xi exclaimed in horror beside Hua Youlin. She had researched all kinds of ammunition, and when she saw what was happening, her face drained of all blood and her voice shook.
Scarface looked at her frightened state, a mocking look in his eyes. Yes, that was it. The panic, the fear, the terror! Such emotions were worthy of a human being! “This is the greatest weapon my master has given me, I just need to think of it, and everything will blow up…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a blow landed on his face. He looked at Gu Xiqiao, dumbfounded. Gu Xiqiao threw her phone upward in the air, giving him a brilliant smile, a smile that seemed to make flowers bloom everywhere.
Bang!
“Like I’ll let you blow everything up!
Bang!
“Let’s see if you’ll go to heaven!”
1
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a few punches, the phone fell down right into her hands. She finished typing in the text messages that she was typing halfway and hit the send button.
The scarred man who previously had swelled up into a round ball had been beaten back into his original shape. A black mist which regular people couldn’t see floated out from him, and Gu Xiqiao brought out a bamboo tube from her pocket, trapping the black mist inside. The puppet of a man had been so confident Gu Xiqiao wouldn’t touch him and would leave him be while continuing her investigation, and unexpectedly Gu Xiqiao would deal with him this way.
“Little Hua.” Gu Xiqiao pointed at the puppet’s body on the floor. “Acting pretentious will just earn you a beating from me.”
Hua Youlin nodded seriously, then looked ashamed. “Sister Gu, I was too weak.”
“You are, but the blame can’t be placed on your shoulders.” Gu Xiqiao sighed. She shoved the bamboo tube and her phone into her pocket. “What a waste of my Mala soup, I only managed to drink half of it.”
She always saved the best for last, and thinking of the large piece of tenderloin left in the bowl that she was forced to leave behind made her heart ache.
“‘I’ll make sure to fight for time enough for you to finish your soup next time.” Hua Youlin said quickly.
“Work hard at it then.” Gu Xiqiao turned to him, touching her chin, wondering at the credibility of his words.
Hua Youlin nodded his head vigorously. “Of course! I’ll treat you to milk tea!”
Listening to the conversation between the two, the other three people on the scene were still in a daze. That violent bloodied scene was still replaying in their minds, and Wei Xi stuttered, “Cool, so cool…”
Shao Ge eyed Wei Xi, thinking that this person was definitely weird. What kind of woman would say cool after seeing such a brutal scene?
1
However, when his gaze landed on Gu Xiqiao and Hua Youlin, he thought to himself that these two were definitely worse. Although… Gu Xiqiao really was cool just now.
“Miss Gu, thank you.” Mr. Yan stepped forward, his pale fingers pressing against his lips to cover the cough. There was no change in his expression after that display of strength from Gu Xiqiao, and it was slightly relaxed and soft. “My name is Zhuge Yan. If you have any problems in the future, please don’t hesitate to look for me.”
Saying that, he rattled off an address.
Gu Xiqiao nodded her head. “Gu Xiqiao. The army is outside, they’ll be here in three minutes. We’ll be leaving first.”
Having said that, she turned and took Hua Youlin with her, her inky black hair flowing down her back and swaying as she walked. As she walked out, the candles in the room started to lit up one by one, and the room brightened, chasing away the shadows.
Hua Youlin reached out to pull Shao Ge with him before they left.
The three of them quickly disappeared from their sight, while Zhuge Yan stood in the spot he was at, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
Wei Xi, who was standing beside him, had her mouth wide open like a goldfish. “Y-Y-Young master, you… you gave her…” He had given her his real name?!
Even she who had been by his side from young had not heard his name being uttered for close to ten years, and even the Wei family, who was very close to him, only addressed him as ‘Mr. Yan’.
And yet today, he had given out his real name to a girl he had just met, ignoring the fact that the girl was no ordinary girl.
“That boy.” Zhuge Yan looked at the swaying shadows on the ground, speaking suddenly. “He should have been dead.” That was weird, the boy should have been dead two months ago, but he had been standing in front of him well and alive.
2
“What?” Zhuge Yan had spoken too softly, and Wei Xi couldn’t make out what he had just said.
“It’s nothing.” Zhuge Yan didn’t say anything more, turning his attention to the door.
Footsteps could be heard coming in their direction, and Wei Chenxi led a group of troopers behind him as they appeared at the door.
“It really was three minutes.” Wei Xi checked the time on her phone in a daze, seeing that it was right on the mark.
Seeing that Zhuge Yan was whole and alive, Wei Xu let out a sigh of relief. Hearing Wei Xi murmuring to herself, he couldn’t help but ask, “What was that?”
“Nothing. Didn’t you stop Miss Gu from leaving?” Wei Xi looked toward Wei Xu. “She saved the Young Master!”
“Who are you talking about?” Wei Xu scratched his head, confused at what his twin sister was talking about.
Wei Xi’s eyes widened comically. “When you came in, didn’t you see a girl with two boys who looked to be twelve or thirteen?”
“Are you alright, Wei Xi? Did they hit you in the head or something? There wasn’t anyone else in the place when we came in!”
***
At the same time, in a closed chamber somewhere in Mingzhou.
“Boss, something had gone wrong.” A fat middle-aged man spoke respectfully into the phone he held to his ears.
Even his expression was cautious as he spoke.
The voice on the other side was calm and gentle. “They ran into her, can’t blame you. Return to the capital tomorrow, I’ve already got Old Wu to head over.”
1
“My lord! Please give me another chance!” The middle-aged man felt his legs turn to jelly when he heard the voice.
“If you continue to stay in Mingzhou, she’ll drag you out of your hiding place within five days. Wait for Old Wu to reach, and return quickly. There are still other things waiting for you in the capital.” Once he had finished talking, the call was cut off.
The middle-aged man wiped the sweat that had broken out on his face. The boss had never been one to scare people with exaggerated words. If he said a person would sniff him out in five days, then that person definitely had the ability to do it.
The man took a deep breath before standing up, he had to speed things up. The plan here couldn’t be disrupted because of him. He would wait for Master Wu to come, then he would arrange everything as fast as possible.
***
On the busy streets, Hua Youlin was looking at Gu Xiqiao, who was staring at a tree. He couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Gu, what are you looking at?”
Gu Xiqiao turned away from the tree after hearing his voice, shaking her head lightly. “Nothing, Shao… Shao Shao. You haven’t seen Little Hua for so long, come over to our place tonight.”
Shao Ge scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. “No, it’s fine. My house is just in front.”
“Come on,” Hua Youlin grinned. “Why would you want to go back to that broken home? Your big bro1 has money now, don’t go back there anymore. You should be attending school at your age.”
Hearing those words, Shao Ge shook his head again. “I shouldn’t bother you anymore, I’m used to being alone.”
He knew very well that Hua Youlin was in a better place now, and he were to bring him along, Hua Youlin might get caught up with his issues and have a bad life. He had been used to living alone all these years anyway.
“You don’t have to be so reserved with him.” Gu Xiqiao stuck her hand into her pocket, her other hand running across the branch of the tree that was beside her. Her clear eyes were sparkling as she spoke, “He’s a rich boy. Don’t worry, it’s not my money you’re spending.”
“Huh?” Gu Xiqiao’s words made Shao Ge stunned for a while.
“Let’s go to that milk tea shop.” Gu Xiqiao withdrew her hands, walking toward the said shop that was located not too far off from them.
Hua Youlin thought about Gu Xiqiao’s words for a while, understanding her meaning in an instant. He turned toward Shao Ge and said, “Shao Shao, this is really money that I have earned myself. Didn’t I tell you that I’m a descendant of the Divine Doctor? I saved a few people while I was in the capital, and they all paid me quite handsomely. Let’s talk about it later, and get a drink first. Otherwise, Sister Gu will think that I’m breaking my promise of picking up the bill!”
He pulled Shao Ge toward the shop.
“Wait, no. How did Sister Gu know my name?” Shao Ge suddenly recalled the fact that he never introduced himself to her, and he only remembered Hua Youlin telling him to call her ‘Sister Gu’, but he had never given his name. How did she know?
Hua Youlin paused in his steps right outside the door, and glanced at Gu Xiqiao, who was sitting by the window inside. “Oh, she probably did some divination reading on it.”
Having said that, he dragged Shao Ge to sit beside Gu Xiqiao, and left them to buy three cups of milk tea for them.
Shao Ge felt embarrassed, and he squeezed the cup in his hands. The interior of the shop was exquisite, and the people around him were all dressed up in fancy clothes, while he… He looked down at his own clothes. When the other customers saw his state of attire, they frowned and scooted further away from him.
In front of him, the two other people were discussing which grade he should be going into, and Shao Ge felt an indescribable warmth blooming in his heart at the conversation. He had forgotten how it felt like to have people care for him.
Shao Ge continued to listen to Hua Youlin’s chatter, until he suddenly trailed off and stopped talking, staring at something outside the window. Shao Ge looked up at Hua Youlin, calling out to him, “Hua Youlin? Hua Youlin!”
Hua Youlin startled, snapping out of his daze, but his hand on the cup tightened. He pursed his lips and lowered his head, muttering, “It’s nothing.”
“Let’s go and see what’s happening outside.” Gu Xiqiao picked up the cup of unfinished milk tea and walked out of the shop.
Hua Youlin watched her retreating figure, and finally got up to follow her. Shao Ge also stood, following them with a puzzled look on his face.
There was a group of people gathered on the streets. There was an old man with white hair, and a young woman wearing a black leather jacket. Beside them, there was a woman who was dressed in unusual clothes on the ground. Her face was pale white, and the young woman had given her emergency first aid before the woman on the ground woke up, and everyone around her cheered.
The young woman looked toward the old man, her tone disapproving as she said, “The Hua family killed a patient with their treatment a few days ago, and the Wei family has forbidden them from practicing their medical skills anymore. I can’t believe that you still dare to come out to treat people. I also can’t believe that other than Hua Jingya, there’s no one else in your family that has talents. The dignified Hua family has fallen to the ground just like that. Healers should be compassionate by nature and have filial piety in their hearts. It’s better if you don’t come out to harm more people with your treatments in the future.”
Being lectured by a young woman who could pass as his granddaughter, the old man’s face was stained with shame, but there was also anger in them. “Huangfu Xuan, our Hua family does not kill our patients with our treatments!”
He only dared to say these words, anything else would be considered crossing the boundaries.
“You can go and tell the Wei family yourself.” Huangfu Xuan glanced at him, not bothered to continue the conversation as she turned and left.
Her head was held high with a cold, arrogant look on her face. She exuded a noble aura as she walked, and everyone around was looking at her with respect and admiration. It was obvious she was well known.
Huangfu Xuan was used to these kinds of eyes on her, but she suddenly felt a piercing gaze. She paused in her steps, turning toward where she felt the gaze was coming from, meeting a pair of bright, coal eyes. It was a boy about the age of thirteen.
She could no longer feel the piercing gaze, but she was sure it had come from him.
She brushed it off, ignoring the child and turning to leave. Before she could turn away fully, her eyes caught sight of something bright. Her eyes landed on the person’s face. Her features were sharp and dignified, as beautiful as a painting, elegant as jade. Huangfu Xuan didn’t even have the words to describe what she was seeing.
Among the sea of people, the girl’s face stood out like the moon in the dark sky.
Huangfu Xuan has seen her fair share of handsome men and beautiful women, but they all paled in comparison to the girl that she was looking at now. There was maybe that one person who could compare… She stopped herself from going too deep into her thoughts, but when she shook herself out of her daydream, the girl and the boy had disappeared.
A man in a black suit strode over to where she was still rooted to the spot, saying in a low voice, “Miss, Mr. Wei is looking for you. That person’s sickness is acting up again.”
Hearing those words, Huangfu Xuan shoved thoughts about that girl away from her mind. It was just another pretty face, after all. No matter how good she looked, she was still a regular person, and Huangfu Xuan didn’t give it anymore thought. She hurried after the man into a black Cayenne which had a camellia painted on it.
Her actions attracted the envious gaze of the people around, and some were heatedly discussing it with excited looks on their faces.
“The camellia flower, that’s the Wei family’s car!”
“That’s Miss Huangfu!”
“I used to be in the same school as her, she’s really smart! She’s already obtained a double doctorate degree at only 24 years old. I heard that she’s also obtained all the ancient techniques that are handed down in the Huangfu family.”
“I know! Mingzhou’s top medical family, even the Wei family is courteous toward them!”
“Shh, don’t you value your life?! How dare you talk about the Wei family like it’s your own?”
***
Gu Xiqiao held her milk tea in hand as she guided Hua Youlin and Shao Ge to the nearby flowerbed. “A patient died under the Hua family’s treatment last month, and their medical hall has been closed since then. Now the Huangfu family dominates Mingzhou in terms of medical matters, and the Hua family has practically no position to continue in their existence. That’s the state the Hua family is in right now, and was also the reason why I didn’t bring you back before this.”
As she talked, she pulled out her phone to handed it to Hua Youlin.
Hua Youlin took it and looked at the screen, it was an email detailing the situation of the Hua family on it. “Sister Gu… This is?” He was shocked, Gu Xiqiao had known all along?
“You’re still not strong enough, and the Hua family themselves are also not strong enough. Tell me, Little Hua, do you still intend to revive the Hua family?” Gu Xiqiao finished her drink, crushing the cup and throwing it to the side.
A young man passing by wanted to say something along the lines of no littering, when he found that the cup seemed to have grown a mind of its own. It turned around in the air, landing neatly into the trash can that was tens of meters away from the girl.
“…”
“Yeah.” Hua Youlin nodded vigorously. “I hate the Hua family, but I can’t let them disappear. I swore to my parents before they passed, that the Hua family will definitely not go down.”
“Then you better work hard.” Gu Xiqiao stood and stretched lazily. “Let’s go back, I’ll write out a general direction for you. I won’t interfere too much with this matter.”
***
Tianxing Hotel wasn’t that far from where they were at. When Shao Ge reached the place with them, he was speechless. Their so-called ‘home’ was this hotel?
When he reached the suite they were staying at, he was surprised to find a robot dressed in striking colored clothes sitting in front of the computer. His fingers shook as he pointed to it. “I-I-I-I-I-It’s…” He was watching a robot playing games on a computer!
“Jiji.” Gu Xiqiao gave the robot a glance.
Jiji turned its head immediately, waving to Shao Ge. “Hello, Shao Shao.”
Shao Ge felt like his insides had been turned out. “How does it know my name?!”
Hua Youlin shrugged. “Who knows? Don’t worry about it, hurry up and take a shower.”
The suite Gu Xiqiao had booked had two bedrooms and a living room. She came out from her room, holding a box in her hands as she turned to Hua Youlin. “You didn’t take the box that you placed in my room this morning.”
Hua Youlin’s mouth twitched, muttering an agreement as he took the box from her, bringing it to his room. He opened it to find a set of clothes for Shao Ge.
Shao Ge was looking at the red bird on the snow-white sheets. His eyes were full of wonder as he said, “What a beautiful bird!”
“Thank you for your compliment.” The bird turned its head, replying to his praise. Having said that, it lowered its head back down, and Shao Ge suddenly realized that there was a phone underneath its legs.
1
“…”
He stiffly turned away, grabbing the clothes Hua Youlin had given him and heading into the bathroom. It seemed that he had entered a strange world.
But Gu Xiqiao’s display of power had already overwhelmed him in the beginning, so the shock wore off after only a short while before he started to sort out his thoughts of what had happened today. Sister Gu, just who was she?
Hua Youlin, who stood outside the room looked at the bird on the bed. “Xixi, you scared the sh*t out of my friend.”
Xixi flew out the door, holding the Pear phone in its claws. It nodded seriously. “I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Beauty Qiao.” Xixi flew to Gu Xiqiao’s room, phone still clutched in its talons. Before it could get another word out, a brown pull flew into its mouth, and Xixi closed its beak immediately.
Gu XIqiao had taken Jiji’s computer, and was tapping the keys at a fast speed.
“That Shao Ge, his spiritual powers isn’t bad.” Jiji was holding a bunch of melon seeds as it sat crossed leg on the bed, peeling the seeds as it talked.
The shells were thrown to the side, disappearing into thin air.
“He’s strange too, for not going to the police after seeing what you guys did.” Gu Xiqiao snapped her fingers, and a printer appeared out of nowhere. She proceeded to print out what she had typed into the computer. “Go and bring this to Little Hua.”
Jiji took the papers from her and read through it, surprised in its eyes. “You’re letting Little Hua revive the Hua family by himself? But the Huangfu family definitely won’t allow this to happen.”
Hua Youlin was still young, and Jiji felt that this plan that Gu Xiqiao had for him was probably not feasible.
“He’s been working hard and struggling against the odds in society since he was young, and his mind is more mature than most ordinary adults. That’s why I won’t interfere, he just needs to focus on reviving the Hua family.” Gu Xiqiao leaned back against the chair. She tapped a few more keys on the computer to open a game as her lips curled into a smile. “But if the Huangfu family dares to make any moves…”
Jiji felt a chill creep up its spine when it saw Gu Xiqiao’s smile, and turned to run out of the room to hand the documents to Hua Youlin.
After that short trip, Jiji finally understood Gu Xiqiao’s thoughts. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Hua Youlin by letting him do this alone, she was intending to use this as training for him to revive the Hua family. If she wasn’t bothered with him, she wouldn’t have come all the way to Mingzhou in the first place.
***
At the Wei family residence.
“Mr. Yan, are you saying there’ll be a calamity around this date?” Wei Chenxi looked at Zhuge Yan with an astonished expression.
Zhuge Yan lowered his head, using the brush beside him to write the word ‘fierce’ on the paper. The strokes were elegant and gentle, and he raised his head after, saying, “Come to think of it, this may very well have a lot to do with me.”
“Is there any way to resolve it?” Wei Chenxi clenched his hands, his fingernail digging into his palm.
“Nothing the power of humans can solve.” Zhuge Yan shook his head, a clear, pretty face floating into his mind suddenly. “Wait, there might be someone who can help…”
“Young Master, Miss Huangfu has arrived!” Wei Xi announced as she knocked on the door.
Wei Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief. “Hurry and invite her in.”
A tall figure entered the room, her appearance and temperament were both exuding confidence. She reached out to feel Zhuge Yan’s pulse, her brows furrowing. There was only concern on her face when she spoke, “Mr. Yan, what have you done recently? Why is your condition getting worse? If it goes on like this, forget about five years, you might not even have three years…”
“It’s fine.” Zhuge Yan withdrew his hand, a peaceful expression on his face, as if whatever Huangfu Xuan had said was not about him. “Life and death are already predetermined by the heavens.”
“Miss Huangfu, please put all your effort in healing Mr. Yan.” Wei Chenxi said. “I don’t care how much it will cost.”
“I will do my best.” Huangfu Xuan looked at the piece of paper on the table. The calligraphy strokes were elegant and concise, exactly like the owner. “Mr. Yan, I will definitely cure you!”
Zhuge Yan gave her a faint smile, not saying anything else before leaving the room.
“What are you looking at, Young Master?” Wei Xi watched as Zhuge Yan stood in the yard, looking up at the sky. He had been doing that since she was young, and she still didn’t understand the significance of his action.
Under the dim light, Zhuge Yan’s eyes were bright and distinct, and his gaze seemed to be endless. He muttered, “The Greedy Wolf star and the will of heaven are both dim, a calamity is approaching Mingzhou.”
Wei Xi blinked, not hearing his words clearly. Instead, she enthusiastically said, “Do you know who that Miss Gu today was, Young Master? She’s so cool, and beautiful, she’s even better than Miss Huangfu!”
“She’s not from Mingzhou.” Zhuge Yan smiled at the mention of Gu Xiqiao. “She’s probably from the capital.”
“The Imperial Capital?” There was a hint of yearning in Wen Xi’s eyes when she said that.
After Huangfu Xuan had briefed Wei Chenxi about Zhuge Yan’s condition, they walked out to hear the words ‘Miss Gu’ faintly being mentioned by the two.
Wei Chenxi was taken aback for a moment, before asking, “Mr. Yan, who is this Miss Gu you’re talking about?” This was the first time he had heard the name from him.
Huangfu Xuan couldn’t help but turn her gaze toward Zhuge Yan, curiosity obviously burning in her eyes about this ‘Miss Gu’.
“A person whose fate I can’t divine.” Zhuge Yan shook his head, raising a hand to cough into it. “Chenxi, Miss Huangfu, I’ll take my leave and head back to rest first.”
The figure then disappeared gradually in front of them, and there was surprise in Huangfu Xuan’s eyes at the scene.
***
The next day, Gu Xiqiao got up early, throwing a few books to Hua Youlin to study, before taking Shao Ge out of the hotel. He hadn’t brought his guitar back with him yesterday night, and so she took him out to look for it.
“Sister Gu, why don’t you and Youlin call me by my name?” Shao Ge suddenly asked out of the blue while they were walking on the streets.
“It’s peculiar to call you by your name,” Gu Xiqiao replied, glancing at him.
Shao Ge tilted his head to the side, thinking deeply about what she had just said. He muttered his name under his breath a few times. Shao Ge, Shao Ge1?
No wonder!
Shao Ge had dropped his guitar when he and Hua Youlin had been taken away yesterday, but when they arrived at the spot, they didn’t see it. However, they saw a familiar figure instead. Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes. “Why are you here?”
Zhuge Yan turned around, holding Shao Ge’s guitar in his hand. The guitar was worn out and old, but in his hands it resembled an exquisite item. He handed the guitar over to her when they came nearer.
Shao Ge watched as his guitar exchanged hands, before it was handed back to him. He felt as though his guitar had really been some exquisite item while it was in the hands of the two of them.
As expected, a beauty is a beauty. Even the guitar knew how to differentiate beautiful people.
“Miss Gu,” Zhuge Yan greeted with a smile. “I was waiting for you.”
[Ding! Random mission activated: Protect Wei Chenyan!]
[Mission completion reward: 1,000 points!]
The cold mechanical voice echoed in Gu Xiqiao’s mind, and she touched her chin thoughtfully as she looked at Zhuge Yan. “Hiring me as a bodyguard is very expensive.”
Zhuge Yan was shocked once again, staring at Gu Xiqiao with his mouth slightly agape. How did she know that, before he even had the chance to open his mouth?
