Chapter 67: I Like You So Much

The police arrived swiftly. They asked a few questions about what had happened and then went to check the surveillance footage. None of those present were of any help whatsoever. After briefly explaining the sequence of events, everyone simply left.

As they walked out of the club and stood at the entrance, Qiao Jiu glanced over at the female hostess. The woman seemed anxious; rather than waiting for her assistant to call a driver, she hailed a taxi and left in a hurry.

Liang Xiucheng chuckled, “I wonder what sort of relationship those two have. She’s even willing to use what’s in her own bed as bait.”

Qiao Jiu sighed, “In the world of business, there may be no such thing as ethics.”

Liang Xiujin was in no mood for their banter. He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Day after day, there’s never a moment’s peace.”

The driver came over and opened the car door for them, and the three of them got in.

Once the car was on its way, Liang Xiucheng asked, “Brother, does Director Zhu have a bad reputation? Has he offended anyone? Do you think it could be an enemy seeking revenge?”

Liang Xiujin turned to look out the window. “His reputation… it’s nothing special.” His tone made it clear he was holding something back, perhaps because it was inconvenient to say more. Liang Xiucheng didn’t press further.

The driver took them to Qiao Jiu’s residence first. They had drunk quite a bit at lunch, so going to work that afternoon was out of the question.

As Qiao Jiu got out, she waved at them. “Take care on the road.”

Liang Xiucheng rolled down the window and leaned out. “Text me when you’re upstairs.”

Liang Xiujin shot him a sideways glance, not too sharp, not too soft. “What could possibly happen in the time it takes her to get upstairs? Aren’t you worrying too much? If you have so much time on your hands, why not think about that blind date?”

“Not interested, not going,” Liang Xiucheng replied, sitting up straight.

Qiao Jiu didn’t say anything more. No matter how good your tolerance, drink enough and you’ll feel it. She was so sleepy she could barely stand it. As soon as the car drove away, she hurried home.

She first took a shower, then curled up on the sofa. Out of habit, she reached for her phone, intending to browse some celebrity gossip. But as she checked, she noticed she had two missed calls from the same unfamiliar number, each ringing for over thirty seconds.

Qiao Jiu was curious. Two calls in a row—clearly, someone needed something from her. Normally, she might have ignored it, but perhaps because of the alcohol, she felt in the mood. She called the number back.

The call was answered quickly; it was a woman’s voice. “Miss Qiao.”

Qiao Jiu squinted. “You just called me? Who is this?”

There was a brief pause before the woman replied, “If it’s convenient, could we meet?”

Lu Fengzhou got out of the car, and his subordinate hurried over. “He’s awake.”

Then he added, “That girl’s family isn’t here yet—they’re on their way.”

Lu Fengzhou nodded. “I know.”

They were at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town, shut down years ago due to water pollution. The owner had gone bankrupt and disappeared; the land had never been sold and now just sat vacant. The compound was large, with both factory buildings and a dormitory.

The dormitory was a single-story row of rooms, long and narrow, divided into small units. No one had lived here for years, so the place was in shambles—many windows were broken, and Lu Fengzhou had ordered his men to nail planks over them.

Zhu Shengren was locked in one of the small rooms—not even tied up. He was so drunk that, even awake, he couldn’t stand, only able to slump in the corner against the wall. His breathing was labored, the stench of alcohol thick around him.

After a while, he started yelling, “Is anyone there? Who brought me here? Send me back right now or I’ll kill you!”

His words were harsh, but his bluster rang hollow.

The two men guarding the door outside snickered. “Let him make a fuss now. He’ll have a harder time later.”

Zhu Shengren couldn’t hear them and kept up his pitiful wailing.

Lu Fengzhou walked to the door and glanced inside. He recognized Zhu Shengren; though they’d never worked together, they had met at banquets before. Zhu Shengren looked like an honest man, his eyes curving into crescent moons when he smiled, giving him a simple, trustworthy air.

But in truth, the man was nothing but a bundle of schemes—the worst sort of person.

Zhu Shengren didn’t notice him, and after a few shouts, he would have to pause to catch his breath. He was fat to begin with, and after drinking so much, just sitting there panting was enough to wear him out.

Lu Fengzhou watched him for a moment, then turned to his subordinate. “How much longer?”

The man thought for a moment. “Last I checked, they said four or five minutes out. Should be here soon.”

Lu Fengzhou nodded. “Everyone can clear out now.”

His subordinate understood and quickly waved for the two men at the door to withdraw.

Lu Fengzhou remained standing there for a while longer, then turned and left.

The abandoned factory was large—hiding someone was all too easy.

Before long, a private car pulled into the courtyard. Three people got out: a middle-aged couple and a young girl. They looked around in confusion as they stepped out of the car.

The girl was in bad shape, leaning into the middle-aged woman, shrinking back in fear. Lu Fengzhou, watching from the shadows, waited until the trio heard Zhu Shengren’s voice and headed toward the dormitory before slipping away.

He didn’t go to his company after leaving the factory—instead, he drove straight to Song Wan’s apartment.

When he arrived, only his men and Song Wan were there. Song Wan was still tied to the bed, though after last night’s outburst, she’d run out of energy. Her eyes were open, but she was no longer struggling or calling out.

Lu Fengzhou frowned. “Where’s Teacher Mu?”

One of his men replied quickly, “She went to buy some things for the road tomorrow. She should be back soon.”

Song Wan must have heard Lu Fengzhou’s voice, for she suddenly turned her head. She was in bad shape—her eyes were sunken, with dark circles beneath them, likely from a sleepless night.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Lu Fengzhou glanced at her again, said nothing, and went to sit on the living room sofa.

Song Wan called out twice from the bedroom, her voice hoarse. From the living room, Lu Fengzhou said, “Let her go.”

His subordinate went over and untied her. Song Wan no longer had the strength to struggle. She staggered into the living room, and at the sight of Lu Fengzhou, tears streamed down her face. “Azhou…”

She seemed to want to say more, but the grievance in her heart overwhelmed her. After just those two words, she broke down in sobs.

Lu Fengzhou looked at her impassively, unmoved.

Song Wan, her bandaged hands covering her face, pleaded, “How could you bear to treat me this way? We had such a good relationship—how could you?”

Lu Fengzhou turned his gaze away. “I warned you.”

Song Wan looked up, thoroughly disheveled. “Why? Just for that woman, you would do this to me—why?”

She had asked this question before. Lu Fengzhou had no desire to answer.

He said, “When you return with Teacher Mu, behave yourself. I haven’t blocked your way in the entertainment industry. If you settle down and live quietly, I can even send you back. But if you still refuse to learn your lesson, Song Wan, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Song Wan sat on the floor, her face buried in her hands. “But I love you so much…”