"I already told you about the virtual diva thing, didn't I? I quit." Xia Qingtian said, "It's not convenient for me to take calls right now, and phone bills are quite expensive. We can talk about it when I get back."
With that, Xia Qingtian directly hung up the phone, giving Mo Jianing no further opportunity to harass her.
Mo Jianing, having her call hung up by Xia Qingtian, stomped her feet and cursed in anger.
After venting for a while, Mo Jianing, gasping for breath, gritted her teeth: "Xia Qingtian... you ungrateful wretch! I refuse to believe I'm useless without you!"
Mo Jianing's eyes darted around, and she immediately thought of another idea.
Perhaps... it could work!
On the other side, Xia Qingtian, staying at the Lei family's residence, didn't find the time difficult to endure, but it was certainly boring.
The atmosphere within the Lei family was subtly tense, and due to her foot injury, Xia Qingtian spent most of her time recuperating in her room.
Meals and snacks were delivered to her at fixed times each day.
This felt much like being in the hospital.
The only difference was that she hadn't seen Mobius again.
It made sense, of course. Mobius was Mr. Gu's special assistant and must have been very busy. The fact that he could visit her so often at the hospital was likely a scarce moment carved out from his packed schedule.
"Getting sick has made me so melodramatic," Xia Qingtian shook her head with a self-deprecating smile. She looked out the window, finding the sunlight exceptionally pleasant, and impulsively decided to take a stroll in the courtyard.
The Lei family's courtyard was styled in an Italianate manner, with a clear layout. Along the central axis, terraces and fountains were symmetrically constructed. Even the plants were chosen for their year-round greenery, with few seasonal flowers. The corridors and sculptures were exquisitely crafted, with a distinct style, presenting an overall grand and solemn appearance that was visually pleasing.
It was a paradise for those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Taking a deep breath in the area surrounded by greenery, Xia Qingtian felt a sense of refreshment.
City C was located in the southern region, with temperatures slightly higher than City Z, so it wasn't cold even at this time of year.
After basking lazily in the sun for a while, Xia Qingtian started walking back. She noticed two middle-aged men standing before a circular fountain, seemingly observing her.
Xia Qingtian guessed they were likely elders of the Lei family, so she nodded with a faint smile, acknowledging them.
The other two returned her nod.
Afterward, Xia Qingtian walked directly into the villa, intending to return to her room to rest.
Watching Xia Qingtian's retreating back, one of them spoke: "Is she the one the third brother mentioned... Yaoyang's girlfriend?"
"Yes," the person beside him replied.
"And she also saw that 'Thousand Buddha Debate' was a fake?"
"Yes."
"Interesting." The man let out a light chuckle upon receiving confirmation.
"Master Lei, should we investigate?" the person beside him inquired.
"No need. It's the young people's business; no need to interfere too much." Master Lei clearly wasn't very interested. "Regarding Qin Mei's matter, how is the third brother's investigation progressing?"
"The third young master has already had everything belonging to Qin Mei compiled and sent to the Lei family. He wants to personally review it to see if there are any clues."
"The third child handles things quite steadily, but he's never really faced hardship since childhood and lacks a certain meticulousness. This time, let's consider it a lesson for him." Master Lei took a deep breath and said.
Hearing Master Lei's words, the person beside him merely nodded and silently followed Master Lei.
Meanwhile, Xia Qingtian, having entered the villa and about to return to her room, bumped into a servant carrying a box at the corner.
Xia Qingtian fell to the ground, startling the servant. The box slipped from his grasp, and its contents spilled out.
"Sorry, sorry!" the servant apologized repeatedly, rushing to help Xia Qingtian up. "I'm truly sorry."
"It's alright," Xia Qingtian waved her hand.
Seeing that Xia Qingtian wasn't going to pursue the matter, the servant quickly scrambled to pick up the scattered items. After gathering everything, he apologized to Xia Qingtian once more before hurrying away.
Watching the servant's retreating figure, Xia Qingtian shrugged. Just as she was about to move forward, she felt a distinct foreign object under her foot.
She looked down and picked it up, discovering a small, round metal button.
It must have been dropped by the servant just now.
Fingering the metal button, Xia Qingtian froze.
This button!
Xia Qingtian held the button in her fingertips, examining it closely.
There was no mistake!
In her previous life, she had seen it countless times on Song Junhan!
Although many men would prepare special buttons to replace the second button on their suits or coats to enhance their demeanor, Song Junhan seemed to have an unusual fondness for this particular metal button. This style of button was uncommon in the market, and Xia Qingtian had seen it so often that she had once asked Song Junhan about it. He had vaguely replied that he liked the design of the button very much and had it custom-made.
Xia Qingtian hadn't thought much of it then, but now...
Xia Qingtian's gaze shifted slightly. As she was lost in thought, she heard a man's voice from behind: "Miss Xia, why are you standing here daydreaming instead of resting in your room?"
"Third Young Master Lei?" Xia Qingtian snapped back to attention and turned to look at the person behind her.
"What is this?" Third Young Master Lei's gaze fell on the metal button in Xia Qingtian's hand.
"Someone accidentally knocked over a paper box just now, and it seems he dropped this," Xia Qingtian handed the button to Third Young Master Lei, her eyes filled with curiosity. "I found the style unique, so I took a closer look."
Without taking the metal button, Third Young Master Lei's gaze flickered. He recalled seeing this metal button multiple times on Qin Mei's clothing.
"Do you know it, Third Young Master?" Xia Qingtian asked.
"It's just something from a dead person. If Miss Xia likes it, you can play with it," Third Young Master Lei turned his face away and said. "I need to get back to work."
"Okay." Although Xia Qingtian found the phrase "something from a dead person" a bit strange, considering the Lei family's industry, most of what they handled was related to deceased individuals, so she dismissed it.
However...
After returning to her room, Xia Qingtian examined the metal button again, her heart growing heavier.
Could this button have some other meaning or a unique origin?
Xia Qingtian couldn't figure it out that night, and the system hadn't issued any tasks related to the button or given any special reminders. Xia Qingtian decided to put the button away for now.
If there was anything suspicious about it, she would find out later.
What if... it was just a coincidence?
At the same time, in a suburban villa in City C, the man who had ordered the silencing at the hotel where Xia Qingtian was staying sat on the sofa with a grim expression.
Qin Mei was dead, and the pawn that had been placed in the Lei family for eight years was gone!
How could he accept this! How could he!
But what could he do if he couldn't accept it?
Taking a deep breath, the man suppressed the rage in his heart and asked coldly: "What about Qin Mei's button insignia? Has it been recovered?"