CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199: ENEMIES ON A NARROW ROAD

Wu Shi looked at him coldly.

Qin Sheng said, "I don’t know Fu Ya very well, but she once had a close relationship with the Su Family. This is likely why she was good to Fu Bing."

"With whom in the Su Family?" Wu Shi didn’t allow him to speak ambiguously.

"Who else is there in the Su Family besides Su Jiang and Su He?"

"Su Chu."

The third child of the Su Family, who had died over twenty years ago. He had once been the most radiant member of the Su Family—brilliant and dazzling, like a cold star. In the end, he never married, died unexpectedly, and became a pain the Su Family dared not mention.

Qin Sheng continued, "You handled Fu Ya’s funeral; you should know something. I don’t know anything deeper than that."

Wu Shi gauged the truthfulness of his words.

That past was too distant from him; he might not be able to uncover the truth.

"Qin Jinhai, you and I are father and son. This is my last piece of advice for you."

Wu Shi looked at him calmly.

"No matter how powerful you are, you are still just one person. Su Chu and Fu Ya are examples for you; you will eventually become another one of them. You’d be better off learning from Su Jiang: be a smart person who keeps quiet, has a wife and children, and reaches the pinnacle of life."

"You’ve been obedient for decades, and what did it get you?" Wu Shi said with a light laugh. "Qin Shuang, mere compliance can’t keep you alive. It will only make others look down on you and make it easy for them to discard you when the time comes. If you want to save your son’s life, you can only trust me. Tell me everything you know."

Qin Sheng didn’t speak immediately.

Through the bars, he stared at Wu Shi’s scarred face, now certain that this man was Qin Jinhai.

This man, whom he had personally crafted, yet always dazzled him to the point his scalp tingled. Though forced to stain himself with dirt, his spine had always remained straight, still carrying a clean sharpness. Qin Shuang was mostly dismissive of talented people because he was the one the discerning Clan Association had chosen. The only person he truly respected was Qin Jinhai. He had replayed Qin Jinhai’s predicaments in his mind time and again, realizing he couldn’t have done better. Without the solutions Qin Jinhai provided, he couldn’t even conceive of handling matters that way. If he had lent Qin Jinhai a hand back then, would Qin Jinhai have already toppled those disgusting people behind the Qin Family?

A flicker of madness passed through Qin Sheng’s eyes...

Two hours later, Wu Shi walked out of the detention center.

Cold sweat ran down his back in the early morning chill of deep winter.

Standing on the snowy ground, he looked up at the overcast sky, a mirror to the oppressive feeling in his heart.

Just then, a car with Jiangnan license plates drove past him.

Wu Shi collected himself.

The person in the car rolled down the window, revealing Ren Ye’s refined, handsome face.

Ren Ye tilted his chin up. "Get in."

Wu Shi tossed his car keys into his own car, then turned and got into Ren Ye’s.

"I’ve seen Qin Sheng’s case files in Jiangnan," Ren Ye said, "and there’s no mention of the car accident involving Xiaobing and me. I want to add fuel to the fire to ensure he gets a heavier sentence."

After Ren Ye finished speaking, he looked at Wu Shi impassively.

Wu Shi observed, "It seems you and he have reached some sort of equilibrium."

Ren Ye replied, "Whether the Qin Family’s Clan Association will let him live should become clear in the next day or two."

"Good. The car accident involving Xiaobing and me can be used next time then."

Wu Shi nodded. "Do you know about Fu Ya and Su Chu?"

"Did Qin Sheng tell you?" Ren Ye asked.

"Yes."

"It just proves the saying: ’When a person is about to die, their words are good.’ I don’t know much about Fu Ya and Su Chu’s situation either, but Su Chu was such a dazzling figure. His sudden death surprised many, naturally drawing a lot of attention."

Wu Shi couldn’t be sure how much truth there was to Ren Ye’s words.

He decided not to probe and instead asked directly, "Are you good to Xiaobing because she’s Fu Ya’s daughter, or because she’s a daughter of the Su Family?"

Ren Ye frowned slightly. "Does Xiaobing know?"

"She doesn’t know yet. I don’t want to tell her."

"Don’t let her know. She’s come this far on her own; there’s no need to associate her with the Su Family. Once she’s linked with them, any future achievements will be seen by outsiders as reliant on the Su Family. She has already reached her current level; there’s no need for that extra step."

Wu Shi said, "Su Junhui is investigating. I believe he’ll find out soon. Conservatively, Su Junxian and Su Junzhe are likely involved too."

Ren Ye cracked open the car window a sliver.

The bone-chilling wind rushed into the car, quickly dispersing the warmth.

Ren Ye gazed at the desolate streets.

"I’d rather she stayed quietly in Jiangnan and got less involved in Jiangcheng’s affairs. Jiangcheng is treacherous and unpredictable; both the Su and Qin Families are too chaotic. And she is the most critical link."

Ren Ye sighed deeply. "If you can persuade her, urge her to return to Jiangnan. In Jiangnan, my reach extends far. In Jiangcheng, I might not be able to help much."

"Your visit alone has already made her very happy," Wu Shi said.

Ren Ye couldn’t help but glance at Wu Shi again. He suddenly advised, "You’re the first person she chose to trust after getting out of prison, and she has welcomed you into her actual life. Don’t deceive her."

Wu Shi felt as if Ren Ye could see right through him.

Ren Ye made a few pointed remarks but didn’t press him further.

When the two returned to the Imperial Garden, Aunt Ning and Uncle He were in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

Ren Ye’s arrival considerably lightened the atmosphere in the villa.

As soon as Fu Bing heard Ren Ye had arrived, she hurried downstairs.

"It’s freezing out. Why did you come?" Fu Bing asked.

"Jiangcheng is too chaotic. I was worried about you," Ren Ye replied.

Ren Ye noticed her gaze was much calmer than it had been in Jiangnan, yet she seemed inexplicably tense.

Fu Bing smiled. "I’m all right. Please, sit down quickly and let Aunt Ning take your pulse."

"Lu Yuan and Miss Shen have been giving me all sorts of concoctions I don’t know the names of every day. I feel much better than before."

Aunt Ning nevertheless wiped her hands and carefully took Ren Ye’s pulse.

After a moment, she said, "Mr. Ren, your underlying constitution is good; you’re no longer in serious danger. As for specifics, continue taking your medicine according to Doctor Xiaolu’s instructions. Doctor Xiaolu is bold with his prescriptions, and they are indeed remarkably effective."

Ren Ye asked Fu Bing, "This should put your mind at ease, right?"

"Yes, it does," Fu Bing smiled.

"The New Year is approaching. If there’s nothing else, you should head back to Jiangnan for the celebration. Xiao Yang and Xiao Cheng are holding their annual review meeting, and you, as their ’mascot,’ need to make an appearance."

Aunt Ning also chimed in, "You should go back. Every time you return to Jiangcheng, you seem unhappy. Matters here are mostly settled now; there’s no need to stay."

"Uncle He’s studio has just been set up. If I go back now, his work will be interrupted," Fu Bing said, hesitating a little.

She had originally planned for her and Wu Shi to go to Jiangnan for a few days of meetings and then come back.

"I can paint anywhere. There’s a studio in the Jiangnan villa too," Uncle He said.

Fu Bing didn’t refuse.

After breakfast, they all went to the cemetery.

Fu Ya’s grave was still impeccably maintained.

Fu Bing paid her respects briefly and then left Ren Ye to have his moment alone.

She and Wu Shi stood waiting a short distance away.

She idly glanced at a nearby tombstone.

The photograph on the tombstone was of a handsome man.

He wore rimless glasses and had an elegant, refined air.

She glanced at the name.

Su Chu.

Both the man and his name were quite pleasant. He had died at just 27.

Fu Bing couldn’t help but think of Qin Jinhai.

He was also 27...

As Fu Bing was pondering, she saw several black cars pull into the cemetery’s parking lot.

A group of people was slowly walking in their direction.

Wu Shi and Ren Ye exchanged a look.

Indeed, enemies often cross paths!