Ni Na's expression faltered. Ou Ming Han was not wrong; Cen Xiu Cheng had indeed left because of this.
Seeing Ni Na's wavering expression, Ou Ming Han immediately continued, "Auntie, my conscience is clear, so I'm not afraid of scrutiny. Cen Xiu Cheng is welcome to investigate me. I don't care. However, if Ye Zhi finds out that Cen Xiu Cheng is investigating her and the Ye family, do you think she'll stand idly by?"
Ni Na immediately became tense. She said angrily, "Even if she finds out, what can she do? This is a society governed by law! Does she dare to do anything to Xiu Cheng?!"
"Auntie, don't forget, she's already attacked you and Ya Ya out of personal grudges before! Do you think Ye Zhi is a soft-hearted person? And even if Ye Zhi doesn't care, what about the Ye family behind her? The Ye family has always resented you!" Ou Ming Han said with a look of concern. "Of course, this is just my personal opinion. I just hope you can remind Cen Xiu Cheng to be careful of Ye Zhi and to pay close attention to his personal safety."
Ni Na fell into a dilemma. She didn't know whether to believe Ou Ming Han's words, but if it was just a reminder for Cen Xiu Cheng to be careful, it seemed harmless.
"Alright, I understand," Ni Na agreed.
A triumphant glint flashed across Ou Ming Han's eyes. He knew Ni Na had taken his words to heart. He didn't need Ni Na to believe him; he just needed to plant a seed in her heart – a seed that would make Ni Na immediately suspect Ye Zhi if anything happened to Cen Xiu Cheng!
Afterward, Ou Ming Han took his leave.
However, he asked Cen Ya to stay and accompany Ni Na, to foster their mother-daughter relationship while Cen Xiu Cheng was away.
He specifically instructed Cen Ya to make sure Ni Na ate the rock sugar bird's nest, so Ni Na could feel how much her daughter cared for her.
Seeing Ou Ming Han insist on her staying, Cen Ya had no choice but to agree.
Not long after Ou Ming Han left, he received a call from Wu Yong Zhi.
Wu Yong Zhi said enthusiastically, "Mr. Ou, I've already found out that Cen Xiu Cheng is in City N. Heh, that kid is quite good at running. He's been to many places recently..."
City N? Ou Ming Han's eyelids twitched.
There was someone in that place he wished to never see again in his life. He had previously arranged for people to go there to erase that person's traces from this world. However, before he could find that person, the company experienced one incident after another, and he lost the focus, abandoning the search for that person.
Could it be that Cen Xiu Cheng had indeed discovered something...
However, Ou Ming Han quickly calmed down.
No matter what Cen Xiu Cheng had discovered, he would never be brought back alive.
Wu Yong Zhi continued, "...I'm already on my way to City N with my men. Don't worry, I'll bring you good news soon..."
Ou Ming Han came to his senses, "Wu Yong Zhi, listen to me. Cen Xiu Cheng going to City N most likely means he's looking for someone. If he's already found that person, you need to take care of that person as well..."
Ou Ming Han paused, his expression darkening, and he said sinisterly, "...eliminate them!"
"Huh?" Wu Yong Zhi was somewhat reluctant. Wasn't it just Cen Xiu Cheng who was supposed to be killed? Why did they have to kill another person now? The risk was even higher!
"I'll give you another ten percent of the profits from our City S company!" Ou Ming Han said coldly.
"Okay, Mr. Ou!" Wu Yong Zhi readily agreed, but he asked with some concern, "But I don't know who Cen Xiu Cheng is looking for! Is that person male or female, tall or short, fat or thin? What if I mistake someone?"
Ou Ming Han thought for a moment, Wu Yong Zhi's words made sense. He remained silent for a while, seemingly hesitant, but in the end, his expression turned extremely cold again.
"...It's a woman, almost fifty years old. Look for her with this information, and you won't mistake her."
Wu Yong Zhi was stunned for a moment and gasped. He darkly mused, could this woman be Ou Ming Han's former mistress?
Ou Ming Han had used his body to serve this old woman, swindled all her money, and now he disliked this old woman as a past stain. He was worried that if this old woman were found by the Cen family and exposed to Cen Ya, so he planned to kill his former lover?
Wu Yong Zhi had already conjured a melodramatic scenario in his mind. He quickly agreed, but couldn't help but inwardly complain, saying Ou Ming Han was truly a scoundrel.
After the call ended, Ou Ming Han's expression became extremely cold. He wasn't worried about Wu Yong Zhi being disloyal because he had already bribed Wu Yong Zhi's childhood friend.
That childhood friend had always been with Wu Yong Zhi, but Ou Ming Han had long seen that the friend was not content to be subordinate. So, he spent some money to make Wu Yong Zhi's childhood friend his informant, helping him keep an eye on Wu Yong Zhi.
And this time, he had already communicated with Wu Yong Zhi's childhood friend. Regardless of whether Wu Yong Zhi's operation was successful or not, the childhood friend could kill Wu Yong Zhi and take over all of Wu Yong Zhi's business!
Now, all he had to do was watch in Kyoto as they staged a scene of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
*
Ye Zhi and Qi Xuan went to buy fireworks together. However, while they were shopping, the butler suddenly called Qi Xuan.
"Young Master, you must give Miss Ye a surprise. Many fireworks can be custom-made. Why don't you just customize a confession fireworks display? How romantic would that be!" the butler said with a chuckle.
Qi Xuan frowned slightly, "Custom fireworks take time, don't they?"
"Just ask and find out!" the butler said with a tone of disappointment. "Even if it's too late for Lunar New Year, there's still Lantern Festival, right? And after Lantern Festival, there are other festivals too!"
Qi Xuan chuckled, "Alright, I'll ask now."
As soon as he hung up the phone, he saw Ye Zhi standing beside him.
"Custom fireworks?" Ye Zhi asked curiously. "Sounds pretty cool."
"You heard everything?" Qi Xuan asked with some helplessness.
"Can't I hear?" Ye Zhi blinked.
"With me, there's nothing you can't hear," Qi Xuan said gently. "I just wanted to give you a surprise."
"Alright, alright, even if I know, you can still give me a surprise," Ye Zhi said with a smile. "Let's go, let's go ask."
They went to ask the seller together. The seller said he could contact the fireworks factory to make custom fireworks, but it would take time. However, letters were easier, while Chinese characters were more difficult. He also advised that it should be five strokes or fewer, and that such custom fireworks must be handled by professionals when lit.
"So, you mean..." Ye Zhi said speechlessly, "I buy fireworks, but I don't set them off myself. I have others help me set them off, and I just watch from the side?"
"That's right, President Ye," the seller said awkwardly. xxs壹贰
"Then no need. Let's stick to regular fireworks. I like the feeling of doing it myself," Ye Zhi directly refused.
In the end, they bought quite a few fireworks and entrusted the seller to deliver them to the villa on the mountainside.
Afterward, the two of them left. As they sat in the car and Ye Zhi seemed to be deep in thought, Qi Xuan suddenly called out to her.
"Ah Zhi, are you really not interested in custom fireworks?" he asked.
"Qi Xuan," Ye Zhi said with a wry smile, "I'm genuinely not interested in this. Although custom fireworks are cool, fireworks, after all, are fleeting. I'm thinking of something more impressive and more lasting."
"What is it?" Qi Xuan asked in surprise.
"Drone performance," Ye Zhi said.
"Drones?" Qi Xuan was very surprised.
"Yes," Ye Zhi nodded. "Currently, domestic drones are actually developing quite well, but they are mainly used in agriculture, inspection, and monitoring.
However, if we prepare hundreds or thousands of drones, pre-program them, and have them form various shapes at night according to a predetermined program, wouldn't that be even cooler?"
Qi Xuan's eyes lit up. He could imagine the sensation such a drone performance would cause if it were to happen.
"It's indeed very impressive," Qi Xuan agreed.
"There's even more impressive stuff!" Ye Zhi said with a smile. "We can really research drones further. I'm even considering using them for delivery!
Imagine, you open your window, and a drone from outside flies in with your package, places it on your desk, and then flies away. Doesn't this scene from science fiction movies coming to reality deserve a 'wow' from us?"
"Wow—" Qi Xuan was exceptionally cooperative.
Ye Zhi was slightly taken aback. She said with amusement, "Thank you for your support, Mr. Qi."
"President Ye, I'm truly amazed by your ideas," Qi Xuan said with a slight smile. "There's still a long way to go for drone delivery, and there will inevitably be many detours."
"I know," Ye Zhi's lips curved slightly. She said with firm resolve, "But someone has to take that step, whether it's right or wrong. And what I have more than others now is the cost of trial and error."
Qi Xuan looked at her tenderly, becoming more captivated the more he looked.
Perhaps, he was attracted to her boldness and determination from the very beginning. She was even braver than he was.
"President Ye," Qi Xuan chuckled, "take me with you. Don't hesitate to ask if you need money."
"Got it~" Ye Zhi said with a grin. "My money bag~"
Qi Xuan: ...
In fact, she didn't have to be so blunt.
The two returned to the villa on the mountainside. The butler had also reached his vacation time and was returning to his hometown for his break.
Coincidentally, Qi's company was also on holiday. After Ye Zhi and Qi Xuan discussed it, they drove the butler back to his hometown in City G together.
Just like last time, they bought many gifts. Those children still remembered them and were very enthusiastic towards Ye Zhi and Qi Xuan.
They stayed there for two days, enjoying the peaceful countryside. Ye Zhi also took this opportunity to sort out her thoughts on investing in and researching drone performances and drone delivery.
However, their peaceful time was soon shattered by a piece of major news.
Ye Zhi received a call from Zhan Ruo Qing. Zhan Ruo Qing said with great shock, "Ye Zhi, do you know? Cen Xiu Cheng had a car accident!"
Ye Zhi's expression froze. This news was too sudden.
She asked in surprise, "Is this news accurate?"
"I'll stake my reputation on it, it's absolutely accurate!" Zhan Ruo Qing said in a deep voice. "Reportedly, the accident occurred on the cross-river bridge in City N. A large truck changed lanes and didn't see Cen Xiu Cheng's car, hitting it directly. Both cars flipped off the bridge and plunged into the river. They are still searching for survivors! This incident is a big deal, and it's on the trending searches. However, people don't know who was involved yet; they're all waiting for the official announcement."
Ye Zhi sighed softly, "Have the Cen family been informed of this?"
Zhan Ruo Qing: "They've been informed. It's said that Ni Na fainted on the spot upon hearing the news. But I heard that Cen Ya wanted to take Ni Na to the hospital, but Ou Ming Han stopped her. Later, Ou Ming Han called his private doctor, and his private doctor managed to revive Ni Na. Now, Ni Na and Cen Ya are crying in each other's arms. What do you think? The people haven't even been found yet, and they're already crying as if Cen Xiu Cheng is already dead!"
Ye Zhi's brow furrowed slightly. She said calmly, "I suppose someone is deliberately guiding them in that direction."
"Are you referring to Ou Ming Han?" Zhan Ruo Qing immediately understood. The next moment, she whispered, "Ye Zhi, let me ask you a question quietly. Do you think... Cen Xiu Cheng's sudden car accident was Ou Ming Han's doing?"
"Investigating the truth is the police's job," Ye Zhi said calmly. "We are all onlookers. Let's wait for the official announcement."
"Eh..." Zhan Ruo Qing said with dissatisfaction, "Your answer is so official. Can't you give me some personal speculation?"
"My personal speculation is useless," Ye Zhi said helplessly. "Only the police can bring the culprits to justice."
Zhan Ruo Qing paused, "That's true."
After chatting for a few more minutes, Zhan Ruo Qing hung up the phone.
Afterward, Ye Zhi went to find Qi Xuan and told him about the incident.
"It's quite sudden," Qi Xuan said.
"Mm," Ye Zhi nodded. "I also think it's sudden. I thought this might happen a few days later..."
"They're quite quick with their actions," Qi Xuan said lightly.
Ye Zhi nodded and said, "Forget it. We are outsiders. Let the insiders resolve it themselves. Qi Xuan, we should head back to Kyoto."
"Yes, it's almost New Year's. Let's go, let's go home," Qi Xuan said with a slight smile.
The two boarded a plane back to Kyoto. Upon returning to Kyoto, Ye Zhi found that the trending searches were in an uproar.
In this accident, besides Cen Xiu Cheng going missing, the truck driver also disappeared.
And some people online were deliberately creating a narrative, saying that the authorities were still searching the river, and that after so much time, it was less about rescue and more about finding bodies.
Others even leaked Cen Xiu Cheng's identity, and some well-intentioned people even initiated a large-scale moment of silence.
Countless internet trolls were stirring up the sentiment. Now, the internet was filled with condolences, wishing Cen Xiu Cheng a safe journey.
Ou Ming Han showed all these trending searches to Ni Na.