Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After sending the message, He Chen got another can of beer.

She opened the can with one hand and drank it while reading her messages.

Of the five senior members of 129, He Chen was the alcoholic.

Qu Zixiao had asked her something on WeChat, but she ignored the message. She was waiting for Qin Ran’s call.

As she guessed…

In less than two minutes, He Chen’s cell phone rang.

It was Qin Ran.

He Chen picked it up. She was about to lean back on the couch, but as if remembering something, she got up and walked to the balcony, then shut the door behind her.

“Sister Chen.” On the other end, Qin Ran was in the room that Cheng Mu had prepared for her.

The lights weren’t on, and Qin Ran was standing by the full-length window, watching Cheng Juan’s car pull into the driveway.

He Chen was six years older than Qin Ran. Under He Chen’s insistence, Qin Ran addressed her as Sister Chen.

“I didn’t get much information.” He Chen was sitting on the balcony. “But because it involved you, I decided to check out Continent M’s Underground Alliance?”

Upon hearing that, Qin Ran knew that the information He Chen got was definitely right.

After a short while of silence, she nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then, I checked it right.” He Chen smiled. “Little sister, be more careful. You’ve got to erase your traces more thoroughly in the future. Tsk, I really didn’t expect this.”

“There are traces?” Qin Ran knitted her brows together.

He Chen shook her head. “I’m not too sure. But your confidant is probably still in there.”

Qin Ran went quiet.

He Chen waited for a while but did not hear a response. She didn’t want to probe further. Qin Ran was involved in a lot of different matters, and He Chen wasn’t keen on checking out all about it. “Alright, then. But I want to remind you that whatever has been happening in Beijing might be to target you.”

“I know.” Qin Ran looked downstairs.

Cheng Juan was on the phone too. It seemed as if he could sense someone looking at him, so he looked up and saw that she was peering down at him. He hung up and headed upstairs.

“That’s all that matters.” He Chen knew that Qin Ran always had her own perspective and opinions. “Just wanted to remind you that you can entrust Giant Crocodile with whatever has been going on in Beijing. Boss Chang Ning has contacted you, right?”

“Mm.” Qin Ran nodded.

They went on for a bit more and then ended the call.

Just as Qin Ran hung up, she heard three knocks on the door.

Qin Ran didn’t turn around. She stayed standing by the window and said, “It’s not locked.”

Cheng Juan opened the door only after he heard her response.

“You heard… all that Butler Xu said?” He stood beside her with the lights still turned off and looked at her with the dim light from the outside.

Qin Ran nodded silently.

She barely had an expression.

Initially, she was only acting according to Chen Shulan’s instructions. That was why she rejected Principal Xu.

But over the years, Principal Xu was only second to Master Wei to her.

Xu Shiying was rather important to Qin Ran.

Till today, Qin Ran found it hard to believe that the person who had sworn to protect her and Cheng Juan was lying coldly on the bed now.

“Elder Xu is like that.” Cheng Juan sighed and pulled her in for an embrace, and then looked out at the night lights. “From the moment he decided to make you the only heir, you should’ve known how proud he was as a person. He found the truth about your grandpa leaving Beijing back then… H-He’s gone to look for your grandpa and grandma now.”

That was all Xu Shiying could do, having found out how the Xu family made it big.

“I can’t really forgive him for not saying anything.” Qin Ran hadn’t cried when she found out that Xu Shiying passed away. But now, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She smiled sadly and said, “I can’t forgive myself, either…”

If she hadn’t been so focused on the Qin family’s matters, if she hadn’t been so focused on finding out why her grandfather had passed away, she surely would’ve found something amiss about the Xu family!

At least she could’ve stopped Principal Xu!

“You couldn’t have stopped him.” Cheng Juan released her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. He looked down at her and said very seriously, “Elder Xu was so proud, didn’t you know that? He already didn’t like the way Fang Zhenbo did things, and the Xu family went even more overboard than he did. Elder Xu’s death was a form of apology and a statement, a liberation to him. He’s different from your grandma. Back then, your grandma had been worried about leaving you behind.”

Cheng Juan left one more thing unsaid…

Elder Xu’s death, besides being an apology, was also…

A way to agitate Qin Ran.

And obviously, he’d achieved it.

Cheng Juan looked out the door deeply. Had he known how scheming Xu Shiying was, he wouldn’t have allowed Qin Ran to be his apprentice!

…

News of Elder Xu’s passing went around very quickly.

The funeral was organized by Xu Yaoguang and Butler Xu.

First, it had been Old Master Cheng, and now it was Elder Xu. This reminded them of what had happened decades back. At that time, the Qin family had gone down because Old Master Qin had died suddenly, and they couldn’t find the underlying cause. That was how the Ouyang family caught up with them.

Elder Xu’s death was another warning to the people in Beijing.

At the same time.

In the economic center of Beijing.

Inside an office.

A man clad in black knocked on the door and entered, saying politely, “Mister, Miss Ouyang is…”

“Is what?” Ming Hai turned around slightly and turned to face the man.

The man in black put one knee on the ground. “Miss Ouyang is being held by Qin Ran. It’s been two days, and… we couldn’t find them. It’s like they vanished!”

“Qin Ran?” Ming Hai put his teacup down and furrowed his brows. “I’ve underestimated her?”

The man in black did not dare to respond.

Ming Hai suddenly grinned. “Alright, I’ll go down personally. Let’s see what’s so good about her.”

“You want to go down personally? She’s just a sinner of the Qin family… there’s no need at all.”