"Uncle Six."
Li Xiao Xian strode in, the people at the door following him. They had likely tried to stop him, but few in Hai Cheng could stop Li Xiao Xian.
He couldn't be stopped twice in one day.
"What's wrong? Rushing around like this." Li Shuang Jin was calm. Li Xiao Xian, upon seeing the other person sitting at the table, almost forgot what he had come to say.
"Uncle Six, she, how could she be here?"
He pointed at Wu Xiang. Wu Xiang was feeding shrimp meat to the person beside her, her gaze constantly tracking him, scrutinizing him from head to toe with disdain in her eyes.
Li Xiao Xian: "..."
What, why the disdain?
"Xiao Xian," Li Shuang Jin was quite understanding. His nephew had always been a proud, favored son, accustomed to success. After being publicly embarrassed by Wu Xiang that day, he probably thought of nothing but revenge. How could they coexist peacefully?
But now Wu Xiang was his daughter... his future daughter. These two had to get along.
"I'm taking Wu Xiang as my daughter. From now on, she's your cousin. Watch your words and actions."
Li Xiao Xian: "..."
He felt either his ears were playing tricks on him, or his Uncle Six had gone mad.
"Uncle Six, what did you say? You, her!" He glared, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the restaurant, finally pointing at Zhuo Ran: "Why... aren't you going to marry her? Why adopt someone else?"
If it weren't for this woman, his Uncle Six, being unmarried in his thirties, adopting a son and daughter would be perfectly understandable.
Now that he was getting married, adopting a Di Kun girl in her teens would be seen as an improper relationship if it got out, rather than a normal adoption. People would gossip.
He wasn't standing up for Zhuo Ran; he was thinking of his own parents' hearts.
Li Shuang Jin said, "We hit it off. It's not a big deal. By the way, why did you come so late?"
Li Xiao Xian finally remembered the real reason for his visit and replied, "Uncle Six, do you know the Jin family, the in-laws of the Chen family from the north?"
"Jin Rong's Jin family?" Li Shuang Jin asked, "Of course I do. Why are you asking about them?"
Li Xiao Xian recounted his day's experiences and then said, "That restaurant is Yong Hui's territory. He wouldn't let the killer go. My men searched everywhere and couldn't find him. The only possibility is that he's in his room."
Li Shuang Jin listened and pondered for a moment, "Whether he's in his room or not, you can't go after him for now. Your father is trying to win over the Jin family. If this is someone's deliberate scheme, it could very well shatter the relationship between the two sides."
"I know, that's why I didn't force my way in." If it were another place, or another person, he would have torn down the entire building and searched it meticulously.
"Wasn't there another person in the room at the time? You could consider starting with her."
Li Xiao Xian immediately understood. He couldn't touch the Jin family now, but he had the ability to question a dancer.
"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Six."
"No problem."
The other three continued their meal. Li Shuang Jin picked up his chopsticks again, but as he reached for a dish, he felt something was off. He looked up at Li Xiao Xian and said, "So much happened today, you must be busy. Go back first."
Li Xiao Xian frowned. He felt like his Uncle Six was trying to get rid of him.
"I haven't had dinner yet. Xiao Lin, bring me a set of bowls and chopsticks."
A slender young man next to them responded and withdrew. Li Shuang Jin asked, "You don't have food where you are?"
Li Xiao Xian: "...No, it's not that. I just thought we haven't eaten together in a long time. Uncle Six was injured before, and I was too busy with official duties to come and look after you. I have to thank Miss Qin for taking care of you."
Before Zhuo Ran could say anything, Li Shuang Jin added indifferently, "She'll be your Uncle Six's wife from now on. She's more suitable to take care of me than you are."
Li Xiao Xian: "..." So he was the superfluous one?
"As for the cooperation, I should have been in charge. Now, I don't know if the person behind this is targeting you or your father. I'll handle the negotiations from now on."
"No need."
"No."
They both objected in unison. Li Shuang Jin looked at the person beside him, somewhat puzzled.
Li Xiao Xian, having stumbled in this matter, was driven by his lifelong competitive spirit to see it through to the end, otherwise, he would lose face.
Zhuo Ran, on the other hand, didn't want Li Shuang Jin to confront the female lead. From the original plot, the female lead of this world was no pushover.
Her goal in coming to Hai Cheng this time was to kill Li Shuang Jin.
Without the protagonist's halo, how could he go head-to-head with the female lead?
"Uncle Six, doesn't the police station have so many cases? Where would you find the time? Besides, if the person behind this is after me, I have to be the one to draw them out. I was too careless this time. I'll be careful during the cooperation talks. Don't worry."
Li Shuang Jin considered the cases at the police station and then looked at his adopted daughter. Wu Xiang had finished feeding the person beside her and was now softly coaxing them to feed her.
They exchanged glances, their eyes full of unspoken affection.
It was practically unbearable to watch.
Li Shuang Jin: "..."
"That's fine then. Be careful and don't let your grandparents worry."
Li Shuang Jin chuckled, "They worry about you even more, Uncle Six. If you bring them back, with your daughters-in-law and granddaughters all here, your grandparents would be overjoyed."
Wu Xiang glanced up at him.
The meal concluded, and Li Xiao Xian finally left.
Qu Jin Xin looked at Wu Xiang with a wronged expression, her innocent eyes holding a hard-to-describe, melancholic resentment.
When Wu Xiang fed her earlier, she hadn't needed it, but Wu Xiang insisted on feeding her, and then made her feed her back. Her arms were now sore.
And this person kept touching her.
Truly, very wicked.
"Ahem."
Li Shuang Jin wanted them to restrain themselves. Seeing Wu Xiang finally sit up straight, he asked, "How did the people you killed before die?"
Wu Xiang picked up a teacup and, with a slight exertion of force, the teacup gradually turned to dust in her hand, leaving behind only a pile of white powder.
"Is this... an internal martial arts technique?"
He remembered that Qin... Zhuo Ran had also used something similar before. They "mother and daughter" both knew it, so they must have learned from the same master.
Wu Xiang had never heard this term before and looked confused.
"Something like that."
Li Shuang Jin frowned.
Wu Xiang thought he was troubled and asked, "Can't the case be closed? Or should you arrest me? You can't kill me anyway."
Li Shuang Jin: "..."
He leaned forward, putting on an authoritative air, and said, "You don't need to worry about such a small matter. Hai Cheng is unstable with conflicts between various factions and ongoing gang disputes. A few deaths are common."
After all, this was his daughter. Even if there was no evidence, even if the police found evidence, he could protect her.