Chapter 59 p2
When they reached Qucheng, Chen Yue parked in a relatively empty lot. Xu Jinnan told Shen Shu to stay in the car, giving her the keys and reminding her to lock the doors.
As she walked away, she received a WeChat message from Shen Shu.
[Be careful. Don’t be reckless.]
Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. With Shen Shu here, how could she be reckless?
What if something happened to Shen Shu?
She stood at a three-way intersection. A bustling street, lined with shops and restaurants, stretched to the left. A long flight of stairs led upwards to an unknown destination, and a smaller road branched off to the right, towards a residential area.
She didn’t even have to think; her body instinctively led her towards the bustling street, a familiar pull drawing her forward.
The street was lively, filled with small shops selling clothes, hardware, street food, breakfast…
The aroma of food, cooked on small stoves outside the shops, filled the air, a familiar scene.
“Don’t forget to record everything,” she said to Chen Yue, who was following her.
“Don’t worry,” he replied.
He knew she was investigating the Xu family, but he didn’t understand why she was filming this street. He was curious, but he didn’t ask.
Wang Zheng had run because this was dangerous territory.
While he wasn’t afraid, it was best to remain ignorant.
Xu Jinnan didn’t have a specific reason for filming; she simply couldn’t stay here for long, and this place, which held such strong significance for the original Xu Jinnan, must contain something important.
She scanned the storefronts as they walked. After a while, she paused.
Haochi Breakfast XU, Xingwang Tangyuan XU, Baisheng Clothing XU…
Almost every shop on the street had a small, oval logo – a capital “XU.”
It was the Xu Corporation’s logo.
If all these businesses were connected to the Xu family, it was a surprising number.
She told Chen Yue to go into one of the shops with the logo and ask some questions, while she entered one without it – a porridge shop.
She ordered the most expensive porridge and a side dish, the shop’s specialty, the total around fifty yuan.
She sat down at a table near the entrance.
The shop was almost empty, a stark contrast to the bustling businesses next door.
“Your food is good. Why is it so quiet?” she asked the owner, a middle-aged man.
The man’s face creased with a wry smile. “Closing down next month. Moving elsewhere. Can’t do business here.”
“Why? All the other shops seem to be doing well. I just moved here and was thinking of renting a space for my mother,” Xu Jinnan said.
The owner shook his head. “Don’t. If you’re not from around here, I wouldn’t recommend it. Outsiders aren’t welcome.”
“What do you mean?”
The owner turned off the stove and sat down beside her, lowering his voice. “The locals don’t patronize businesses owned by outsiders. It’s not that they’re unfriendly to customers; they just don’t want outsiders setting up shop here. It’s difficult to establish yourself.”
“There’s always trouble. Any outsider who tries to do business here ends up closing down within a few months.”
“Why?”
“Who knows?” the owner said, his voice low. “It’s strange. Have you met any of the neighbors yet? Don’t they seem… odd?”
Xu Jinnan shook her head.
“They’re all like that. When I first moved here, I tried to be friendly, bringing gifts and introducing myself, but the locals wouldn’t even acknowledge me. Like they were afraid I would discover something. Like I was a thief.”
Xu Jinnan paused, remembering Wang Zheng’s words – Not just the Xu family. Everyone there is strange.
The owner’s words echoed Wang Zheng’s.
“And they always protect their own. Meaning the locals. If you have a disagreement with someone, they’ll gang up on you. A few days ago, an outsider was beaten up so badly he ended up in the hospital. And nothing happened. See that logo? The XU? Let me tell you…” He lowered his voice further. “There’s something wrong with them. I think it’s some kind of cult. Even the hospital and the police station are probably involved.”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Her first reaction was disbelief, then a chill ran down her spine.
If this was true, it would explain everything about the Xu family…
But if it was true, it was a huge problem. The Xu family had over a hundred members, and this town had thousands of residents.
Xu Jinnan took her takeout and, as she was leaving, the owner, perhaps grateful for her patronage, warned her again, “Don’t do business here.”
Xu Jinnan smiled wryly and nodded.
She wondered what his reaction would be if he knew she was also a “XU.”
—
It was almost 4 p.m. when she and Chen Yue walked back towards the parking lot.
“CEO Xu, I couldn’t find anything,” Chen Yue said, his voice laced with frustration. “The owner was friendly at first. When I asked about the logo, she said it was just their shop sign.”
“Then I asked about the Xu family, and she immediately became wary. Not just her, but several other customers in the shop started staring at me. It was creepy. She refused to answer any more questions and kept asking where I was from.”
“You asked about the Xu family directly?”
Chen Yue nodded. “I said, ‘I heard there’s a prominent Xu family here, quite influential in North City…’ I didn’t even finish the sentence.”
Xu Jinnan didn’t blame him for his carelessness. He only knew she was here to investigate the Xu family; he didn’t know the extent of their influence.
Even she hadn’t anticipated this, that the Xu family’s reach extended beyond their immediate family, encompassing the entire town.
A secret involving so many people was dangerous.
They couldn’t stay here any longer. She needed time to think.
Just as they reached the parking lot—
“CEO Xu.”
Xu Jinnan saw two women walking towards their car. She recognized one of them – Xu Lian.
“Well, well, if it isn’t you. I thought those idiots were mistaken,” she said, her Alpha presence radiating outwards, her face fleshy and her smile oily.
Xu Jinnan walked over, subtly assessing the two women. “Auntie is well-informed, isn’t she?”
The woman beside Xu Lian was delicate-looking, her dark hair pulled back neatly, her expression blank, her demeanor stiff and unyielding. Xu Jinnan’s first impression was that she seemed lifeless, her eyes devoid of any spark.
But she still noticed the woman’s eyes flicker with a momentary recognition as she looked at Xu Jinnan.
“You little brat, back to cause more trouble?” Xu Lian asked, taking out a cigarette and handing it to the woman beside her, who lit it for her.
Xu Jinnan guessed she was Xu Lian’s wife.
“You’re overthinking it. Just passing through on a business trip, picking up some snacks,” she replied, holding up the bags of pastries.
Xu Lian looked at the bags, then blew smoke in Xu Jinnan’s face. “Don’t play coy with me. You’ve been quite the rising star in North City lately. Even I’m impressed.” She took a step closer, reaching out to touch Xu Jinnan’s face, but Xu Jinnan swatted her hand away.
“Oh, feisty, aren’t we? You’ve changed,” Xu Lian said, her gaze lingering on Xu Jinnan’s chest, her eyes lingering a little too long, a little too lecherously.
Xu Jinnan narrowed her eyes, then noticed Xu Lian’s attention shift to the car.
No one saw the blood drain from Shen Shu’s face as Xu Lian approached.
Xu Lian peered through the windshield, a cigarette dangling from her lips. “Brought your wife with you? Or is it a new lover? How rude, not even coming out to greet your aunt and… aunt-in-law… What the— Xu Jinnan, you think you’re so tough now? How dare you lay your hands on me?!” Xu Jinnan had grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the car.
“You told me not to play coy, so I’m not. At your age, you should really take a look in the mirror. You’re disgusting. Your wrinkles are practically dragging on the ground. Have you no shame?”
Xu Lian’s face contorted in pain. “Xu Jinnan! How dare you speak to me like that?! That Xu Tao, he can’t even teach his own daughter any manners. I’ll have to teach you a lesson myself.”
Xu Jinnan released her, handing the pastries to Chen Yue and taking out a wet wipe, as if she had touched something dirty. “You? Teach me a lesson? With that body? Go ahead and try. But… you might want to consider how my brother will react.”
Xu Lian seethed with anger.
“Don’t think I’m afraid of you,” she said, though she didn’t actually attack Xu Jinnan. “Fine, you want to play tough? You think you’re invincible with Xu Yincheng protecting you? Just you wait. You’ll get what’s coming to you.”
Xu Jinnan watched as she stormed away, the woman beside her still silent.
It hadn’t been a wasted trip, but she needed time to process everything.
“Let’s go,” she said, turning back to the car.
She opened the car door and asked, “Are you hungry?”
Then, she saw Shen Shu’s pale face, her head bowed, her breathing uneven, as if she had seen something terrifying.
Xu Jinnan’s heart sank. “Shu Shu? What’s wrong?” she asked, leaning closer.
“Xu Jinnan, let’s go. I don’t want to be here,” Shen Shu whispered, her voice trembling, her breath coming in short, rapid gasps, like she had just woken from a nightmare.
It was the first time Xu Jinnan had seen her so distraught. She took Shen Shu’s wrist, her grip firm, and told Chen Yue to start the car.
After helping Shen Shu sit up straight, she took her hand, her own warm palm enveloping Shen Shu’s cold fingers.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
Shen Shu didn’t reply. She didn’t know how to explain it, the feeling of dread that had risen from the depths of her being, so primal and ancient that she couldn’t even identify its source.
But Xu Jinnan could sense her fear.
She had Chen Yue raise the privacy divider, then pulled Shen Shu into a hug, gently patting her back. “It’s okay. I’m here,” she whispered.
As the car drove away from the town, Shen Shu’s face pressed against Xu Jinnan’s chest, the familiar, sunny scent of her pheromones calming her racing heart.
The gentle touch on her back eased her trembling slightly.
Sensing Shen Shu’s breathing slowing down, Xu Jinnan continued to hold her, her hand still patting her back rhythmically.
“I’m here,” she repeated softly, for no particular reason.
Shen Shu closed her eyes, her voice muffled against Xu Jinnan’s chest. “Xu Jinnan, I’m tired.”
“Go to sleep,” Xu Jinnan said, then, after a moment, added, “Lie down. It’s more comfortable. I’ll have Chen Yue drive slower.” She took a pillow and placed it on her lap for Shen Shu to rest her head on.
Shen Shu didn’t refuse, her head resting against Xu Jinnan’s thigh, her arms curled around her waist, her legs slightly bent.
She hadn’t been able to sleep after Xu Jinnan left, perhaps from the lingering fear, or perhaps just exhaustion, but now, nestled against Xu Jinnan, she quickly drifted off. But her sleep was restless, her dreams troubled.
Her brow furrowed, her hands clenching and unclenching.
As Xu Jinnan shifted slightly, Shen Shu’s body moved instinctively, her head slipping from the pillow and her face pressing against Xu Jinnan’s stomach.
At the same time, her arm reached around Xu Jinnan’s back, pulling her closer.
Xu Jinnan was wearing a white T-shirt, and Shen Shu’s sudden embrace, warm and soft, made her inhale sharply.
Perhaps startled by her movement, or perhaps just waking from a bad dream, Shen Shu’s grip tightened, then loosened as she opened her eyes.
She stared at the white fabric inches from her face, the thin material almost translucent, revealing the pale skin beneath.
She could feel the warmth radiating from Xu Jinnan’s body.
Then, she noticed a faint pink smudge on the white fabric, and her ears flushed, her body temperature rising slightly.
“Want to sleep some more?” Xu Jinnan asked, unsure if Shen Shu had noticed her reaction.
Shen Shu slowly sat up, shaking her head. Just as she was about to speak, the car braked suddenly, and she fell against Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan instinctively caught her, her hand tightening around Shen Shu’s waist to steady her.
And in that moment, her eyes met Shen Shu’s, and her lips were covered by a soft, warm kiss…
They both trembled at the contact, but neither of them pulled away.
Their eyes locked, and Xu Jinnan felt the intoxicating scent of Shen Shu’s vanilla pheromones intensify. Then, she saw Shen Shu’s long eyelashes flutter closed.
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