Tarik, seeing that Xia Qingyu didn't refuse him, took it as an invitation. He entered the room and turned on the light in her bedroom.
Xia Qingyu walked directly to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed into the distance.
The same scene offered two completely different feelings when viewed during the day versus at night.
"You really do love looking out the window," Tarik said, standing behind Xia Qingyu and smiling. "Let me look with you and see what's so captivating."
"You can see the same thing from your own room," Xia Qingyu replied perfunctorily. "It's the same direction, after all."
"The direction might be the same, but the view from different floors can differ," Tarik said, crossing his arms. "Hmm... it really doesn't seem too different..."
"Tarik, how long have you lived with him?" Xia Qingyu brought up Xiang Xueyuan herself.
"Over ten years," Tarik replied. "My adoptive father adopted me and Sif from an orphanage. He also gave us our names."
"Sif is the Norse goddess of the earth and harvest," Xia Qingyu said, looking at Tarik. "Tarik means 'caller in the deep night' and also 'morning star'."
"He wasn't naming his own children, so there aren't that many hidden meanings," Tarik's gaze shifted, and the corner of his mouth curved upward. "Qingtian and Qingyu sound much better, like a good weather that everyone likes."
"Is that so?" Xia Qingyu shifted her gaze from Tarik's face and looked out the window again. "Has he been researching this crystal all these years?"
"Yes, Father spends most of his time researching it," Tarik responded. "Father is someone who dares to think and act. He has his own unique insights in scientific research."
"Insights that wouldn't mind destroying the world for a broken stone? Heh, truly unique," Xia Qingyu scoffed. "In this world, there really is no one he cares about."
"Qingyu, Father..." Tarik felt it was necessary to say a few words in defense of Xiang Xueyuan.
"Let's not talk about him," Xia Qingyu said, taking a deep breath. "He doesn't care even if someone dies because of this thing. Who knows what crazy things he'll do next?"
As Xia Qingyu spoke, she felt a sense of unease.
She carried Xiang Xueyuan's blood, and she knew clearly that she wasn't much better than that madman.
Tarik couldn't find a response and simply lowered his gaze, remaining silent.
"Back then, at that place, the person he mentioned who died because of the crystal..." Xia Qingyu asked. "Did that person have family or friends? Who were they? Male or female?"
"I don't know," Tarik shook his head. "My adoptive father only started letting me and Sif understand things related to the research lab in the last two years."
"Is that so?" Xia Qingyu lowered her gaze slightly upon hearing this. Xiang Xueyuan's vigilance was truly extraordinary; even his adopted son and daughter, whom he had raised, didn't receive much of his trust.
"Qingyu, Father simply..." Tarik's words were interrupted by Xia Qingyu.
"It's getting late, I need to rest." Xia Qingyu didn't want to hear any more about Xiang Xueyuan. The stimulation of the past few hours was enough.
"Alright," Tarik said, seeing Xia Qingyu's state. He knew that anything more he said would be counterproductive. He took a deep breath and continued, "Rest early. If there's anything you want to eat tomorrow morning, you can tell me."
"I don't have anything particular I want to eat," Xia Qingyu shook her head slightly.
"Cheer up," Tarik reached out and poked Xia Qingyu's cheek. "Lei Xirui is coming to have tea and chat with you tomorrow. If you continue like this, I might have to call Young Master Lei the Third and say you're not feeling well, and the meeting tomorrow needs to be canceled."
"Nie Qingkong!" Xia Qingyu's eyes widened in protest. "How dare you!"
"Heh heh," Seeing that Xia Qingyu had finally returned to her familiar self, Tarik chuckled. "Whether I dare depends on your performance."
Xia Qingyu glared at Tarik, puffing out her cheeks.
"Get some rest, good night," Tarik then turned to leave.
Watching Tarik's retreating back, Xia Qingyu took a deep breath.
Tomorrow, she had to find a way to have Lei Xirui deliver a message to Xia Qingtian, telling Xia Qingtian and her companions to leave Finland immediately and not worry about her.
If they insisted on coming to get her, perhaps everyone would be unable to leave.
Xia Qingyu's hands clenched into fists by her side.
At the same time, Tarik walked out of Xia Qingyu's room. After closing the door securely, the smile on his face immediately vanished.
Mobius.
Since his adoptive father had issued his orders, he would now thoroughly uncover the person behind this mysterious veil.
Upon returning to his room, Tarik immediately had people report the recent surveillance status of the Xia family.
"Nothing unusual," the person monitoring them reported. "They frequently go out shopping, just like ordinary tourists."
"Have you received any unusual signals?" Tarik continued to ask.
"No, everything is normal." The person monitoring them was also surprised. Among their targets, this family was the most normal.
"Is that so..." Tarik's gaze deepened. "Continue the surveillance. Report any issues immediately."
"Yes." The monitor responded and hung up the phone, continuing to watch the manor before them.
Meanwhile, in a room within the manor, one computer was adjusting simulated signals, while another was engaged in deciphering regional signals.
The person sitting at the computer furrowed their brows, their expression serious and solemn.
"How is it?" Xia Qingtian leaned back in the ergonomic chair, looking at the person at the computer. "Got it sorted?"
"Almost," Gu Yaoyang said, pointing at the screen. "The routes for these two ships were issued with one-way commands. Now, to find an entry point, we need to locate the source code and then find a breakthrough from there."
He had already locked onto the source code, but finding a breakthrough would take some more time.
"Mhm." Xia Qingtian didn't fully understand what was being said, but any progress was good. "How's Young Master Bai's ship?"
"It will arrive on time," Gu Yaoyang nodded. "We're lucky this time; his ship was sent for maintenance, otherwise, it would have been impossible to dispatch it from Country Z in such a short period."
"Yes, I hope our luck continues," Xia Qingtian murmured, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.
She had a bad feeling about this...