Xia Qingtian found it rather outrageous that Miss Shen left so mysteriously. Seeing the cashier about to package the item for her, Xia Qingtian quickly said, "No need to wrap it."
"You'll be taking it directly then?" the cashier asked Xia Qingtian. "In that case..."
"No, I don't want this bag anymore. I'll look at something else." Xia Qingtian felt she hadn't done anything to deserve receiving a bag for free.
What she wanted, she could afford to buy herself.
Upon hearing Xia Qingtian's words, the cashier's face turned pale. She hurriedly sped up her packaging, "Miss Shen's gift, please accept it."
Seeing the cashier's reaction, Xia Qingtian felt a bit puzzled. Er Ya beside her asked first, "What? If we don't accept her gift, will she eat you?"
"This mall is owned by Miss Shen. She owns many other high-end malls like this one," the cashier said, thrusting the packaged bag into Xia Qingtian's hand. "I'm just an employee. Miss Xia, you are a big star, a rich socialite. Please don't make things difficult for me."
The cashier made it sound as though Xia Qingtian would be the villain if she refused.
"We look forward to your next visit," the cashier said, bowing ninety degrees and acting as if her service was complete, before quickly leaving.
Xia Qingtian and Er Ya exchanged glances, both feeling speechless. In the end, they could only leave the counter with the packaged bag.
"I'll have to ask my uncle when we get back," Xia Qingtian admitted she wasn't very familiar with the power dynamics in the capital and knew it was a place with hidden talents. That Miss Shen was likely a financial magnate.
Considering she seemed to be only a few years older than herself and already managed multiple high-end malls, she was likely someone with considerable influence.
Perhaps she was a guest at the Yue family's birthday banquet, knew about the mine, and intended to establish a connection.
Xia Qingtian thought she would inquire with her uncles later and then find an opportunity to repay the favor.
After browsing for a while, Xia Qingtian took Er Ya and Xia Shang back to the Yue family residence. She had experts from Z City to receive in the afternoon, so her time was rather tight.
Meanwhile, after leaving the mall, Miss Shen drove a silver sports car directly to her seaside villa.
Upon entering the villa, Miss Shen saw a man in a light-colored suit sitting on the sofa, using tweezers to stack small dice into a pyramid shape in a square tray. His progress seemed to be about eighty to ninety percent complete.
"Hey? Didn't you go shopping to blow off steam? Where are the things?" The man glanced at Miss Shen returning empty-handed and asked curiously, "What? Did that mall not have anything you liked? Want to buy another mall?"
"I bought a bag and gave it away," Miss Shen said, walking directly to the bar and opening her closed laptop.
"Gave it away? You? You're that generous? Don't you only give gifts to the dead?" the man asked Miss Shen curiously.
"Pretty much," Miss Shen's fingertips lightly tapped the keyboard, opening a command window, where she typed a string of secret code.
"Tsk, who is it? That unlucky soul? Targeted by you, Gouwen Shen Yao?" The man turned back, picked up a small die with his tweezers, and prepared to continue stacking.
"Xia Qingtian," Shen Yao pressed the enter key and opened her lips to utter a name.
*Crack*
The man's hand trembled. The die that was supposed to be placed on top slipped from the tweezers and landed on the nearly completed pyramid, causing a significant portion of it to collapse with a clatter. Dice rolled across the table or tumbled onto the floor.
The man, as if accustomed to it, put down his tweezers and turned to Shen Yao, "I know you want to avenge Qin Mei and Song Qi. They both came from the same orphanage with you, and they died because of Xia Qingtian. It's normal for you to feel resentful.
However, I believe we've discussed this. You don't need to offend those who are alive for the sake of those who are dead. Boss is coming back, and everyone is already very tense.
Shen Yao, once we find out Mobius's true identity, I guarantee I'll take care of Xia Qingtian immediately, and you, Gouwen, can personally send her on her way."
"We don't have only Xia Qingtian as a path to discovering Mobius's true identity," Shen Yao said, looking at the man. "Gu Yaoyang is ambitious; he won't let Xia Qingtian be a go-between for him and Mobius."
"But Gu Yaoyang's attitude towards Xia Qingtian is unusual," the man hesitated.
"Just a woman. Whatever kind you want, I can give her to him," Shen Yao turned and picked up a bottle of wine from the wine rack, pulling out the cork. "Have a drink?"
"I have to drive back later, don't get me into trouble," the man chuckled. "But I still think it's a bit risky. If it doesn't work out and you end up killing Xia Qingtian, and the higher-ups blame us..."
"Who says I have to do it myself?" Shen Yao tilted her head and smiled, a faint dimple on her left cheek adding a touch of pure sweetness to her charming face. "That useless piece of trash from the Yu family just lost a son. Do you think he'll let Xia Qingtian off?"
"Kill with a borrowed knife? You truly are something," the man understood Shen Yao's meaning and chuckled. "Gouwen, it seems your mind is made up to kill Xia Qingtian."
"I don't have a habit of giving gifts to the living," Shen Yao took a sip of wine in her glass, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Then you'd better settle Gu Yaoyang quickly," the man warned. "Otherwise, if you anger Boss, neither of us will fare well."
"Heh," Shen Yao chuckled, added a few ice cubes to her wine glass, and swirled it. "Have you got any news about Shen Ying's whereabouts?"
"Not yet. As you know, that orphanage fire was bizarre. Some were rescued, some burned to death, and some escaped and went missing," the man clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Even your information and files were destroyed. But don't worry, since she's your sister, the organization will help you find her."
Shen Yao didn't reply, only sipped the wine in her glass, her demeanor lazy.
"Alright, I should be going. If I stay away too long, the Tang family will get suspicious," the man said, standing up and tidying his suit. "Please have your people clean up the dice. I'll play again next time."
"Tang Ruiyang, don't treat my place like an amusement park," Shen Yao said coldly, looking at the man. "If you come here without notice again, I'll break your legs."
"Amusement parks charge admission, but yours is free," Tang Ruiyang said with a smile, putting on an innocent expression. "Besides, if you break my legs, who will make the antidote pills for you?"
He took a glass tube containing blue and white pills from his pocket and placed it on the edge of the bar. Tang Ruiyang said, "These are this month's pills. As I said before, these things are induced by poison, and consuming too many is harmful to your health."
"It's fine, it's much better than complete amnesia after the poison takes effect," Shen Yao drank the wine and promptly swallowed the pill.
"Another three months of life lost," Tang Ruiyang shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked out.
"Tang Ruiyang," Shen Yao said, looking at Tang Ruiyang's retreating back. "Help me find Shen Ying, and I'll give you all my assets."
Upon hearing Shen Yao's words, Tang Ruiyang paused his steps, then laughed heartily. "Don't be silly. Your gifts as Gouwen are only for the dead, I wouldn't dare accept."
Waving goodbye, Tang Ruiyang walked step by step out of Shen Yao's seaside villa.
Watching Tang Ruiyang's retreating figure, Shen Yao put down her wine glass, her eyes resolute.
Beneath her small, rounded nose, a drop of scarlet blood slid down.
Shen Yao wiped it away with her hand, long past the point of surprise.
Even if it meant death, she would find Shen Ying.