Chapter 121: Not Found
Lu Fengzhou’s tone was calm. “Does your father have any other close friends, like Liu Changyong—people he knew before they became wealthy?”
Qiao Jiu really thought about it seriously.
No, her father was only close to Liu Changyong. If there had been others, they would have invited more people to join when they started the business.
She had even heard her father drunkenly mutter once to Liu Changyong that there were hardly any trustworthy people, otherwise he would have brought them in; having more people would have made starting up easier.
She said, “No.”
Lu Fengzhou’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded slightly and said nothing further.
They drove into the city, stopped at a restaurant for a casual meal, and then he drove Qiao Jiu home.
When the car arrived at the entrance of Qiao Jiu’s residential complex, she thought they would part ways as usual.
But unexpectedly, Lu Fengzhou drove straight into the underground parking garage. Qiao Jiu exclaimed, “Why are you coming in here?”
Lu Fengzhou said, “I’m seeing you home.”
Qiao Jiu scoffed, “I don’t know if you even believe that yourself.”
Lu Fengzhou said nothing. They went upstairs from the garage in silence.
When they reached Qiao Jiu’s door, she deliberately didn’t open it and turned to look at him. “Alright, I’m home.”
Lu Fengzhou curled the corner of his mouth and gently grabbed her shoulder, turning her around. “Open the door.”
Qiao Jiu let out a slight, playful hum but obediently opened the door.
Lu Fengzhou pushed her inside and glanced around.
The apartment was quite spacious, about the same size as the one he currently lived in.
He said, “Liang Xiucheng treats you quite well.”
Qiao Jiu responded with a humph and sat down on the sofa. “He’s kind-hearted and always helps others. You’re very different from him.”
Lu Fengzhou approached and bent down in front of her, resting his hands on the armrest of the sofa, cornering her in a small space. “Deliberately?”
Qiao Jiu didn’t dodge, tilting her head up to look at him. “Am I not even allowed to tell the truth?”
Lu Fengzhou pursed his lips, his eyes flickering with complex emotions.
Qiao Jiu couldn’t read him and didn’t want to guess. She turned her head aside. “Alright, I’ve been sent home. You can go now, right?”
Lu Fengzhou lifted his hand, pinching her chin, turning her head back toward him. “Do you like Liang Xiucheng?”
He applied a little pressure; Qiao Jiu couldn’t pull away or hide.
They stared at each other for several seconds before Qiao Jiu finally spoke. “What do you think?”
Lu Fengzhou lowered his body further, brushing the corner of her lips with his. “Even if you do, it’s not allowed.”
Qiao Jiu hesitated briefly, then lifted her hand to wrap around his neck. “I’m not shameless enough to keep entangling with you while thinking about someone else.”
Those words seemed to please Lu Fengzhou. His lips pressed down, his body following.
They tumbled onto the sofa, tangled together. In the vast room, it was only the two of them, uninterrupted. Everyone knew what was about to happen next.
But just as the passion was rising and had yet to reach its peak, Lu Fengzhou’s phone suddenly rang from his pocket.
Qiao Jiu was the first to push him away. “Your phone’s ringing. It’s probably something important.”
Lu Fengzhou sat up and took a deep breath. He pulled out his phone and glanced at it.
Originally, his face showed some annoyance at the interruption, but upon seeing the caller ID, he visibly collected himself.
Qiao Jiu pretended not to notice and leaned back to the side.
This time, Lu Fengzhou didn’t get up or move away but stayed seated and answered the call.
Qiao Jiu clearly heard a man’s voice on the other end. “Sir, there’s news coming from Shen City.”
The volume was lowered, so she couldn’t make out the rest clearly.
She lay back against the sofa, eyes closed, looking tired.
Lu Fengzhou said only a few words—acknowledgments and affirmations.
Less than a minute later, the call ended. Lu Fengzhou stood and said, “I have some matters to handle. I have to go now. We’ll have dinner together tonight.”
Qiao Jiu didn’t open her eyes. Her voice was faint, “We’ll see. I might not have time.”
Lu Fengzhou glanced at her, hesitated for a few seconds, then said, “Alright, I’ll call you after I’m done.”
Qiao Jiu remained silent. Lu Fengzhou stepped out.
Once the door was closed, Qiao Jiu opened her eyes, got up, went to her room to change clothes, and then lay down.
As she closed her eyes, she couldn’t help but smile softly.
...
Lu Fengzhou drove back to the company. Someone was waiting for him in the lobby.
The man stood quickly when Lu Fengzhou entered. “Sir.”
Lu Fengzhou said nothing and headed straight for the elevator.
The man followed behind, and they rode up to Lu Fengzhou’s office.
Once the door closed, the man spoke first. “We tracked down that person, but he left Yun City some time ago.”
Lu Fengzhou sat behind his desk. “Where did he go?”
The man replied, “He moved through several cities. In the end, he didn’t take any major transportation, so his whereabouts after that are unknown.”
But he quickly added, “We found his hometown and discreetly asked around. His family says he just went on a trip and won’t be away too long.”
Lu Fengzhou nodded. “He was probably scared off.”
After a moment, he leaned back in his chair. “No rush. We’ll wait for him to come back. He can’t be controlled by Liu Changyong.”
Mentioning Liu Changyong reminded the man of the phone call earlier. He hurriedly said, “Liu Changyong has returned to Shen City. He must have suspected something and started investigating. I’ve told our people not to act rashly for now.”
Lu Fengzhou nodded. “Don’t rush. We’re not the ones who should be anxious.”
After a pause, he asked, “What about the old man’s affairs? Any progress?”
The man shook his head. “Nothing yet. All the old man’s inheritance is under your control. We’ve searched thoroughly but found nothing useful.”
Lu Fengzhou frowned. “That shouldn’t be.”
After a few seconds’ silence, he exhaled and said, “Keep looking. Take your time.”
The man didn’t linger long after reporting. He left once the briefing was over.
Lu Fengzhou rose and sat down on the sofa nearby, crossing his legs and resting them on the coffee table.
Though his posture was relaxed, his expression was tense—not because of Liu Changyong’s matter, but because of Qiao Jiu.
After two years of marriage, though he hadn’t invested much thought in her, he still understood enough.
That woman...
...
Qiao Jiu slept until near evening, then her phone on the bedside table started ringing incessantly.
She turned over, grabbed the phone, and answered with a sour tone, “What is it?”
Lu Fengzhou, hearing her, understood immediately. “Still not awake?”
Then he added, “Go back to sleep. It’s nothing important.”
Qiao Jiu ignored everything else, hung up, pulled the covers tightly around her, and fell asleep again.
She didn’t sleep long before a sound of footsteps approached outside the door—someone moving around.
Her drowsiness vanished instantly, and she sat up abruptly.
The apartment was large but only she lived there. The footsteps were clearly coming from the living room.
Suddenly, every hair on her body stood on end.