Nie Qingkong watched Yu Zixuan kneeling before her, a smile that didn't reach her eyes gracing her lips.
"I didn't know you were Young Master... I thought..." Yu Zixuan could never have imagined that the mysterious Young Master would be with Xia Qingtian, and appear before her in such a manner!
"What?" Nie Qingkong interrupted Yu Zixuan, his tone casual. "Did you have a past grievance with Gou Wen?"
"No, it's just that our mission objectives overlapped." Yu Zixuan lowered her head, biting her lip before raising it again, her eyes filled with resolve. "I will accept any punishment from the Young Master."
Nie Qingkong didn't reply, merely tapping his fingertips on the tabletop, tap after tap.
Each tap felt like a strike to Yu Zixuan's heart, making her more flustered with every beat.
Images of Yue Chengfeng approaching her with a marriage date slip flashed through her mind.
Did she still have a chance to marry him in this lifetime?
If she did, she truly wanted to marry him immediately!
She didn't care about any wedding; she only wanted to marry him right now.
At the very least, to fulfill this one wish while she was still alive.
After an unknown period, Yu Zixuan felt the numbness and weakness in her body gradually disappear. She regained control of her body.
The effects of the drug must have finally worn off.
However, she still didn't dare to move, fearing any further disrespectful action might anger Nie Qingkong.
It was Nie Qingkong who finally broke the awkward silence. "Explain your mission clearly, and the reason for your presence here."
"Yes." Yu Zixuan dared not conceal anything, spilling out her tracking of Xia Qingtian and her suspicions about Xia Qingyu.
Upon hearing Yu Zixuan's suspicion that Xia Qingyu was Tang Jia Mingzhu, the smile on Nie Qingkong's lips stiffened.
"Seriously?"
Yu Zixuan then compared Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu's original relationship and their current interactions, elaborating on her suspicion.
Nie Qingkong's expression gradually relaxed.
The shift in the relationship between Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu was indeed something he found amiss, but he hadn't uncovered the reasons.
However, the idea that Xia Qingyu was impersonated by Tang Jia Mingzhu was utterly baseless.
"Your imagination is truly something else," Nie Qingkong scoffed. No one understood Xia Qingyu better than he did.
Yu Zixuan dared not respond, lowering her head even further.
"Get up. The effects of the knockout drug should have worn off by now." Nie Qingkong knew this was a critical time when he needed people, and they were currently at the Yue family's residence. If he were to let Yue Chengfeng's fiancée die here, it would undoubtedly lead to much greater trouble later.
As the Young Master, he had to prioritize the bigger picture.
It was acceptable to spare Yu Zixuan's life for now.
Yu Zixuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up.
Nie Qingkong shot her a glance and said, "The arrest mission is canceled. Xia Qingyu is Xia Qingyu; she is not Tang Jia Mingzhu at all. The person you are looking for is not among this group. That Tang Jia Mingzhu is most likely still in Z City.
As for Xia Qingyu, no one is allowed to harm her. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Yu Zixuan replied, lowering her head even further.
At that moment, Yu Zixuan's phone vibrated.
Nie Qingkong's fingertips hovered over the desktop, his gaze fixed on the window, observing the night. He said casually, "Your phone is ringing. Answer it."
Yu Zixuan glanced at Nie Qingkong, then took out her phone. Seeing the caller ID, her heart sank, and she muttered a silent curse, but she still answered, "Hello."
"Lanlan, the target has been apprehended," the person on the other end said. "We are now transporting them towards the port for secondary transfer."
As expected!
Yu Zixuan glanced at Nie Qingkong's profile, bit her lip, and said into the phone, "Send her back."
"What?" The other party could hardly believe their ears. "Lanlan, you... you..."
"This is the Young Master's order!" Yu Zixuan said in a low voice.
"Young Master?" Hearing Yu Zixuan mention the title, the other party was clearly stunned. But they also knew that Lanlan would never lie using the Young Master's name. Glancing at Xia Qingyu, who was still struggling intensely in the back seat, the person gritted their teeth and said, "Understood."
After hanging up, Yu Zixuan looked at Nie Qingkong, her heart filled with apprehension.
"Yue Chengfeng will get suspicious if you're gone for so long," Nie Qingkong said, ushering her out.
"Yes." Hearing Nie Qingkong say that, Yu Zixuan finally relaxed. "I won't disturb the Young Master's rest."
Yu Zixuan walked towards the door, about to open it and leave, when she heard Nie Qingkong say nonchalantly from behind her, "If it happens again, go find Nyx yourself."
Upon hearing [Nyx], Yu Zixuan shivered all over, only managing a dry, "Yes."
...
On the other side, Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu had been strolling and chatting in the Yue family's courtyard. Xia Qingyu wanted to ask about Yu Zixuan, but Xia Qingtian seemed reluctant to talk about it.
She would comment on the moonlight, then listen to the chirping of insects, as if the ordinary scenery had been imbued with poetic charm and deserved to be savored tonight.
Seeing this, Xia Qingyu could only humor her and savor it with her.
"Do you smell that?" Xia Qingtian, while savoring, suddenly felt something was amiss.
"Smell what?" Xia Qingyu asked, blinking.
"I think I smell... barbecue!" Xia Qingtian pointed towards the wall. "It seems to be coming from outside!"
"Barbecue?" Xia Qingyu sniffed, faintly catching a scent but not entirely sure. "Why would there be barbecue around here?"
"Let's go take a look, just in case?" Xia Qingtian grabbed Xia Qingyu's hand and walked out. "I was thinking of having a late-night snack anyway. If someone is barbecuing, we can buy extra and bring some for others too."
"Weren't we out for a walk to aid digestion?" Xia Qingyu was pulled along by Xia Qingtian, her tone filled with helpless doting.
"Oh, come on~ Digestion should be followed by replenishment; that's in line with the law of conservation of energy!" Xia Qingtian turned back and grinned at Xia Qingyu.
"Is the law of conservation of energy used like that!" Xia Qingyu was amused by Xia Qingtian's words but could only follow her outside.
They left the Yue family's premises, and there was no sign of a barbecue stall, but the smell had indeed grown stronger.
Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu walked towards the main road, looking around for a barbecue stall. Suddenly, a black private car sped up from behind, braked sharply, and stopped beside the two sisters. The car door opened, and a large hand reached out, grabbed Xia Qingyu's arm, and forcefully pulled her into the car.
"Sis—" Xia Qingyu's eyes widened in shock.
"Qingyu!" Xia Qingtian hadn't even reacted before she saw Xia Qingyu being dragged into the car.
Xia Qingtian lunged forward, attempting to grab the car door, but the assailant struck her wrist with a gun butt. Xia Qingtian cried out in pain but didn't withdraw her hand.
Seeing Xia Qingtian struck, Xia Qingyu struggled to jump out of the car, biting down hard on the arm of the person holding her.
The assailant, in pain, immediately wanted to shoot both the Xia sisters.
However, Xia Qingtian was someone the higher-ups wanted to monitor, and this Xia Qingyu might be impersonated by Tang Jia Mingzhu, a person specifically requested by Lanlan.
Thus, he could only urge the driver to speed up. After the car fully pulled away from Xia Qingtian, the assailant slammed the car door shut.