The spring that year was very cold. Xia Qianqian, just back from the film and television base, went directly to the Nan family's old residence without even returning home.
She claimed it was to see her grandmother, but in reality, she was after Nan Xiao.
She heard from her grandmother that Nan Xiao’s mood had been deteriorating lately, and he often resorted to drinking to drown his sorrows. Every time he got drunk, he would call out Lan Yuxi's name.
That little vixen had been gone for so long, yet he still thought of her.
Was this a case of developing feelings through proximity, or had she already held a place in his heart?
Xia Qianqian, in a state of panic, found her grandmother. Her grandmother secretly slipped her a packet of something and then told her to find Nan Xiao by the artificial lake.
She knew the purpose of the packet her grandmother had given her.
Therefore, this time, she had to win Nan Xiao over!
A thin layer of ice, not yet melted, still covered the surface of the artificial lake. The spring breeze cut her face like a knife.
Yet, Nan Xiao, sitting by the lake, seemed oblivious to it all, continuously drinking his alcohol.
Before Xia Qianqian could reach him, she heard his drunken mumbling.
"Xi Bao, where on earth did you go? Do you know how much I miss you..."
"Xi Bao, if only you weren't Yun Jie's child, then I could marry you..."
"Xi Bao, I'm sorry, truly sorry, how could I have... to you..."
Xia Qianqian stood frozen, her face as pale as a sheet. She finally understood Nan Xiao's heart.
His dislike for Yun Siyan was evident on his face for anyone to see. But his love for Lan Yuxi was etched into his very bones, something only he truly understood.
A loud "splash" brought Xia Qianqian back to her senses.
Nan Xiao was no longer on the shore; he had jumped into the lake!
Xia Qianqian rushed to the lakeside, watching Nan Xiao force himself to sink. Her eyes turned red with desperation as she shouted, "Nan Xiao, quickly come up!"
Nan Xiao didn't respond or struggle. He had done something he shouldn't have to Xi Bao, and Xi Bao hadn't even given him a chance to apologize. He might as well die.
But how could Xia Qianqian bear to let him die? She picked up his phone, which he had dropped on the ground, and made a call.
Before long, the Nan family's bodyguards arrived and rescued Nan Xiao, who had already lost consciousness.
Everyone was in a rush to get Nan Xiao to the hospital, and no one noticed his phone was still with her.
Just as she was about to head to the hospital as well, Lan Yuxi's call came in.
Looking at the flashing "Xi Bao" on the screen, a malicious glint appeared in Xia Qianqian's eyes.
She found a secluded spot and staged a dramatic performance.
Lan Yuxi didn't say a word on the phone, but Xia Qianqian heard her heavy breathing. She was undoubtedly furious, wasn't she?
Hahaha...
It was best if she was furious!
If she was furious, then no one would compete with her for Nan Xiao.
Xia Qianqian laughed as she deleted the call log and then headed straight for the hospital.
She wanted to stay by Nan Xiao's side, to let him know that she was the one who saved him.
However, Nan Xiao didn't thank her. Instead, he yelled at her for meddling and told her to leave.
It didn't matter if he didn't thank her, because Old Mrs. Nan already treated her as a benefactor.
Shortly after saving Nan Xiao, Old Mrs. Nan forced Nan Xiao to invest in several major productions for her. Her resources then skyrocketed, and she quickly became a highly popular A-list celebrity.
"Beep... beep..."
Xia Qianqian was startled by the ringing of the phone.
After a long moment, she clutched her chest and pressed the answer button.
"Hello..." she whispered timidly, and then there was silence.
"Find a way to get Nan Xiao to go to Country T personally."
A strange metallic voice emanated from the receiver; the speaker had used a voice changer.
Although Xia Qianqian didn't know if the speaker was male or female, she knew that this person was extremely powerful and dangerous.
But Nan Xiao hated her to death right now; she had no way of influencing his thoughts.
However, if she refused, the other party would surely deem her incompetent and discard her like a chess piece.
She had personally witnessed the execution of a discarded pawn before.
Xia Qianqian's mind raced. Suddenly, she thought of a brilliant idea.
"Kidnap Lan Yuxi and take her to Country T. Nan Xiao will naturally follow."
A strange chuckle came from the receiver. "Excellent! A good idea! Then you go and kidnap Lan Yuxi!"
As if! She didn't have the capability to kidnap Lan Yuxi.
The metallic voice sounded again.
"What? Scared? If you could kidnap Lan Yuxi, would I need you? You have only three days this time. If you succeed, I will help you rescue your father, make your Xia Corporation a new noble family in the capital, and I will also elevate your career. If you fail, my hand might tremble, and I might accidentally leak those photos of yours."
Xia Qianqian's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the phone.
If those photos were leaked, her fate would be dire.
"You said the same thing last time, but my father is still inside... Also, if Nan Xiao goes to Country T this time, can you give me those photos first?"
"You are not qualified to negotiate with me!"
Hearing the dial tone from the phone, Xia Qianqian was so angry that she threw her phone away.
The next day, Nan Xiao received an anonymous file. The file contained only one photograph. In the picture, a tall, slender young boy was devoutly kneeling outside the main hall of the Jade Buddha Temple.
Nan Xiao enlarged the photo and looked at it for a long time. After confirming it was indeed the child Qi Hongping was looking for, he saved the photo to his phone and drove to the hospital.
As Nan Xiao entered Qi Hongping's ward, he saw a nurse slowly covering Qi Hongping's face with a white sheet.
Nan Xiao frowned slightly. "Did she pass away?"
The nurse turned her head. "Sir, do you know Qi Hongping?"
"Yes."
"She passed away five minutes ago."
Nan Xiao pinched his brow. Although he didn't like Qi Hongping, he felt a pang of guilt knowing she had passed away with regrets.
"Sir, Qi Hongping signed a body donation form before her death. The receiving party will be here soon to collect the body. If you wish to bid farewell, please do so quickly."
Nan Xiao was slightly taken aback. She had done both good and bad deeds; he didn't know how to evaluate her.
Just then, Nan Xiao's phone rang.
Nan Xiao bowed three times to Qi Hongping and turned to leave.
The call was from the hospital director, stating that Qi Hongping had left a card for him and asked him to temporarily keep it for her son.
Holding the card, Nan Xiao left the hospital with heavy steps.
In the car, he called Nan Xiangbei and asked if he had found out who sent the file.
Nan Xiangbei replied that they were still investigating.
Nan Xiao's frown deepened.
He had already been ambushed once in Country Y. He suspected there might be foul play again this time.
Furthermore, the last time he went to Country Y, he traveled by private jet. Few people knew when he left or where he landed. Could there be a mole among his close associates?
Considering the incident four years ago, Nan Xiao became even more certain that there was a traitor among his confidants!
Who could this traitor be?
Nan Xiao pondered, and during a red light, he called Captain Xiao.
He wanted to confirm whether Xia Qianqian had a cousin working as a household registration officer in the police station.
Everything seemed like a coincidence, but often behind such coincidences lay human manipulation.