Every day at this time, the boss goes out to exercise, leaving only the landlady at home. She saw the two of them breeze past like a gust of wind, then reappear carrying luggage, and asked curiously, "Are you leaving Yuzhou?"
"Yeah, something urgent came up, so we have to go."
According to the original plan, Xia Yan intended to stay in Yuzhou for a month before deciding whether to return to Jiangcheng or go elsewhere. But now that their whereabouts had been discovered, their plans were disrupted, and they had to leave for now.
"Where are we going now?"
"We've been staying at the guesthouse for over half a month, so it's easy to be found. Tonight, we'll stay at a hotel." Zhan Meng's mind raced—the most dangerous place is the safest.
Xia Yan pondered for a moment, then silently nodded.
The hotel Zhan Meng finally settled on was the Yuzhou International Hotel. Located in the city center, it was not far from Yuzhou's famous commercial district, where shops lined the streets and crowds bustled, creating a scene of prosperity.
The more Xia Yan interacted with Zhan Meng, the more she noticed how different she was from others. She had never met anyone who carried several fake IDs with them when going out, nor anyone with such a keen sense of danger.
To avoid any unexpected incidents, Zhan Meng and Xia Yan decided to share a room.
After arranging everything, Xia Yan's tense nerves gradually relaxed. She leaned back in her chair and looked at the person beside her, who also seemed on the verge of collapse.
"Why do you have so many fake IDs?"
"Work-related."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. Otherwise, who else would carry stuff like this around, right?"
Zhan Meng's words didn't dispel the doubts in Xia Yan's mind. She glanced at the contemplative Xia Yan and suddenly changed the subject, "Want to go shopping?"
"Now? Aren't you worried they'll find us?" Xia Yan said anxiously.
"I can guarantee they won't find us in such a short time."
Xia Yan had been in Yuzhou for quite a while but hadn't really taken the time to see the city's nightscape. For some reason, she had always been fascinated by night views. In her eyes, a city shrouded in darkness seemed even more beautiful.
Xia Yan couldn't resist Zhan Meng's insistence and was dragged out of the hotel.
About a hundred and fifty meters from the hotel, they reached the commercial district. Tall buildings rose up, standing tall in the city center, and the pedestrians on the sidewalks occasionally burst into lively laughter.
Suddenly, a black Lincoln pulled over to the roadside. The passenger in the front seat rolled down the window halfway and looked at Xia Yan and Zhan Meng walking among the crowd.
"Old Zhou, doesn't that girl look like Lanzhi?"
"Sir, she bears a seven-out-of-ten resemblance to Miss Lanzhi when she was young."
"Really?" A cough came from the back seat, the voice carrying a hint of weariness.
"Sir, should we still head home now?"
The man addressed as "sir" was silent for a long time before speaking calmly, "Wait for me here."
"Sir."
The old man raised his hand to stop them, gripping his cane as he slowly got out of the car and stood by the roadside. As he took steps toward Xia Yan, the passenger in the front seat made a gesture and said to the driver, "Follow and protect the sir."
Zhan Meng spotted an ice cream shop ahead and was about to say she wanted some when Xia Yan grabbed her firmly. "You're not alone now. Ice cream is too cold; you can't have it right now."
"But I really want it right now. What do I do?" Zhan Meng looked at Xia Yan pitifully, fluttering her big eyes, trying to win her over with cuteness.
Instead, Xia Yan smirked and said cheerfully, "No way."
"Xia Yan, do you have a heart? I've helped you so much!"
"Still no. At most, if you ever need me for anything, I'll help you unconditionally." When Xia Yan said this, she never imagined that day would actually come.
Xia Yan was firm in her stance, and Zhan Meng reluctantly gazed at the ice cream shop in the distance. Why couldn't the tears in her eyes just flow? She wished she could use tears to soften Xia Yan...
"Ah..."
Xia Yan, pulling Zhan Meng along, didn't notice the person passing by. When she turned, she accidentally bumped into an elderly man walking toward them. She looked at him apologetically, repeatedly saying, "Grandpa, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. Did I hurt you anywhere?"
"No, it's fine." When the old man saw Xia Yan lift her head, tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
"Huh?" Xia Yan was startled by the old man's expression. Forgetting Zhan Meng, she quickly helped him to a less crowded spot and asked, "Grandpa, did you come out alone?"
"Yes, yes, I came out alone. My family doesn't know."
"You don't look well. I think I should call your kids to come pick you up."
"No need, they're busy with work. Young lady, you seem like a kind-hearted person. My home isn't far from here. How about you trouble yourself to walk me back? What do you think?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan froze. Was this a scammer trying to trick her? Wasn't this a common tactic nowadays? She smiled and looked up at Zhan Meng, who had been beside her, only to find she had already dashed off to the ice cream shop.
Xia Yan rubbed her temples in frustration. The old man in front of her looked at her expectantly, and she couldn't bring herself to refuse, but she still wondered if he might be part of a scam.
When Zhan Meng reappeared with an ice cream in hand, she looked satisfied. Taking a bite, she glanced at the old man, leaned close to Xia Yan's ear, and whispered, "This old man doesn't seem like a bad guy. How about we walk him back? He looks kind of pitiful."
"Boss, don't forget we don't know the way."
"Fine, we'll just take a taxi back later." Zhan Meng walked up to the old man with a smile, offering a hand to support him, her tone especially gentle, "Uncle, we'll take you home. Do you know the way?"
"Yes, I do. Thank you, you're both very kind."
Zhan Meng shot Xia Yan a look and pouted, "It's crowded here, Xia Yan, help support the old man."
"Girls, you're not from Yuzhou, are you? Are you here on vacation?"
"Yeah, we're not from Yuzhou. We heard Yuzhou is a place of outstanding people, so we thought we'd come soak up some of its spirit." Zhan Meng said with a laugh.
"You sure know how to talk. How long have you been here?"
"About half a month."
"Have you been to any places?"
"We haven't gone anywhere. We've been a bit off with the climate, so we've mostly stayed in the hotel."
"Yuzhou has plenty of places worth visiting. If you'd like, I could have my son take you around."
"Sure..."
Before Zhan Meng could finish, Xia Yan shot her a glare and said softly, "Grandpa, we've already been in Yuzhou for a while, so we're planning to leave in a day or two."
"Leaving so soon?" The old man coughed and asked urgently.
"We're in a hurry to..."
"Watch out."
A low voice suddenly came from behind. Zhan Meng instinctively helped the old man and Xia Yan quickly duck into a nearby corner. The two exchanged glances.
"Are you in some kind of trouble? Tell me about it, old man. Maybe I can help."
Without hesitation, Xia Yan said, "Grandpa, we have something urgent to deal with. You should call your son to pick you up. We need to go now."
"They're over there. Go bring them here."
As soon as the words fell, Xia Yan saw a large group of people rushing toward them, startling her into stepping back. "Are you Lu Zhengting's people?"
When they didn't respond, Xia Yan silently turned to Zhan Meng, who subtly shook her head. They looked at each other in confusion.
Suddenly, the old man, who had been silent, raised his hand and clapped a few times. As if in a TV drama, several tall, sturdy men suddenly emerged from behind them.
"Take care of them." The old man's sharp eyes swept over the group, his weathered voice speaking slowly.
The men, upon receiving the order, moved toward them swiftly and skillfully, as if cutting through butter. The pursuers were quickly taken down.
"Let's go, girls." The old man returned to his kind demeanor, smiling.
Seeing this, Xia Yan abruptly let go of the old man's arm, stepped back, and looked at him warily. "Who are you?"
She was now like a startled bird, reacting even more strongly than Zhan Meng to any hint of trouble. In contrast, Zhan Meng seemed relaxed and at ease. She walked over to Xia Yan, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, "Xia Yan, this old man isn't a bad person."
"How do you know he's not a bad person? Do you know him?"
"No, I don't." Zhan Meng said bluntly.
Xia Yan glared at her in frustration. "Zhan Meng, you're really..."
"Enough, trust me. He's not a bad person, and he might even help us."
Xia Yan felt the old man's gaze on her was strange, giving her an eerie feeling. She turned to look at him and didn't miss the warmth and affection in his eyes. She froze, then saw Zhan Meng already walking toward the old man. She sighed helplessly.
In the end, Xia Yan followed Zhan Meng and was invited to the old man's home. From the moment she stepped inside, her nervousness never eased. She silently observed the layout and decor of the villa, noting the priceless treasures that appeared in her line of sight—each one worth a fortune...
Lu Zhengting and Ning Xi, who had rushed over upon learning that Xia Yan and the others had appeared in the commercial district, arrived to find them gone. Traces of a struggle remained on the ground, and the sound of police sirens came and went. Lu Zhengting crossed his hands on his lap, staring at the police car parked by the roadside, and ordered the driver, "Drive."
"Where are we going now?" Ning Xi asked, puzzled.
"To where we need to go." Lu Zhengting said calmly, his demeanor completely different from before. When he first received the news, he had nearly driven the driver crazy.