"Who the hell did this?"
Mo Ling looked at Zhou Yuan, who lay before him, as limp as a dead pig. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Beating someone up this badly, and you heard nothing?"
He frowned, casting a displeased glance at his two subordinates.
"Team Leader, the assailant must have been a congenital master. Their qi must have shielded the environment and interfered with our senses," one of the subordinates explained reluctantly.
"Congenital master?"
Mo Ling's brow furrowed instantly. He squatted down to examine Zhou Yuan's legs.
Holding his breath, he channeled his internal qi to his palm, intending to help Zhou Yuan recover the meridians in his legs.
However, the moment his hand touched Zhou Yuan, it felt as if he had been electrocuted. He was instantly sent flying back several feet.
"Ugh."
"Such overbearing qi."
Mo Ling grunted, forcing down the coppery taste in his throat. He stared at his palm in shock.
The residual qi left by the black-clothed assailant within Zhou Yuan was not abundant, but it was exceptionally potent. He had merely intended to guide it gently, only to provoke an extremely fierce backlash. His meridians had yet to fully recover.
"As expected of a congenital master."
He sighed, forcefully refining the chaotic qi within him. A certain figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind. This kind of overbearing technique and qi made him suspect Song Qiao once again.
"But this guy is just a merchant who knows some martial arts. Even if he has qi within him, how could he be a congenital master?"
Mo Ling felt a headache coming on, unable to fathom the identity of the black-clothed assailant from earlier.
"Send him to the hospital."
"Do not publicize this matter. Investigate the identity of the person from earlier secretly."
Mo Ling cast a sympathetic glance at Zhou Yuan and turned, walking out of the Security Department building without looking back.
...
After leaving, Song Qiao took a circuitous route before arriving at Ye Zhiwei's home.
"Song Qiao, what's wrong?"
The moment Ye Zhiwei opened the door, she saw Song Qiao standing before her, covered in blood. She gasped, covering her mouth.
"It's nothing, it's all Zhou Yuan's blood."
"I gave that brat a good beating and crippled his legs while I was at it."
Song Qiao waved his hand casually, speaking as if it were a trivial matter.
"What?"
"You actually went?"
"Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Come, let me check if you're injured."
Ye Zhiwei's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly pulled Song Qiao into her bedroom and forced him to undress so she could examine him.
"I told you I'm fine."
Unable to refuse her, Song Qiao awkwardly complied.
"That brat Zhou Yuan couldn't even beat me when he had a gun. Bare-handed, I could take on ten of him."
Ye Zhiwei's cool little hands caressed his back, causing him to blush slightly.
"Didn't Zhou Yuan prepare anything?"
"That's unlikely. He must have known we were coming for revenge."
Hearing Song Qiao speak so nonchalantly, Ye Zhiwei felt bewildered.
"The brat thought he could be safe by running to the Security Department. Even with Mo Ling there, the two of them combined would be taken down in one move."
Song Qiao chuckled lightly.
"I didn't know you were such a skilled martial artist. Can you accompany me to the cemetery tomorrow?"
"Because of today's accident, the flowers I bought for Grandma got lost along the way."
Ye Zhiwei's expression held a hint of regret. Her grandmother was the most important person in her life, and this interrupted act of remembrance left her feeling uncomfortable.
"Isn't that a bit too dangerous?"
Song Qiao hesitated noticeably. Although he had dealt with Zhou Yuan, the harrowing moments from that morning still made him feel uneasy. If Li Bingqing and Mo Ling weren't targeting him, but Ye Zhiwei instead, and something happened tomorrow, his luck might not be as good as today.
"It should be fine, right? Li Bingqing would never have expected us to dare go there again the next day."
"Besides, I have you. If there are still any assassins, we can set up an ambush and wait for them to reveal themselves."
Ye Zhiwei smiled slyly, revealing her plan.
Song Qiao was taken aback. After several minutes of thought, he nodded resignedly. He gave Ye Zhiwei a thumbs-up, impressed.
"I never thought you were so cunning. You've set a trap for Li Bingqing, luring the snake out of its hole."
"Hate!"
"How can you call this cunning?"
Ye Zhiwei lightly punched Song Qiao's chest.
"I'm just resourceful, okay?"
Saying this, she leaned into Song Qiao without further ado, burying her head in his embrace. Neither of them spoke. The shock of the day finally eased for Ye Zhiwei, and before long, she fell asleep in Song Qiao's arms.
...
Song Qiao returned home at eleven o'clock that night. Xia Xueqing hadn't gone to bed yet and was idly watching television on the sofa. Seeing Song Qiao return, she immediately leaped up and gave him a big hug.
"Brother-in-law, did you go teach that Zhou Yuan a lesson?"
She tilted her small face up, a flicker of displeasure briefly crossing her features.
"Yes, that brat almost made me slip up today. I had to teach him a lesson to quell my anger."
Song Qiao nodded helplessly, not hiding anything from Xia Xueqing.
"Always showing off. Did you have to do it yourself?"
Xia Xueqing frowned and quickly checked Song Qiao for injuries.
"This was Ye Zhiwei's business. Why did you run off to do it?"
She grumbled with a hint of accusation in her voice, clearly tinged with jealousy.
"You can't say that. Ye Zhiwei and I are business partners. Since I promised her I'd teach Zhou Yuan a lesson, I had to keep my word."
Song Qiao shook his head and offered a helpless explanation to Xia Xueqing. Not wanting to listen to her nagging any longer, he turned and made an excuse to retreat into the bathroom.
The next morning.
Song Qiao accompanied Ye Zhiwei back to the cemetery. Fortunately, no one attempted an assassination this time. Ye Zhiwei held his hand and stood silently before her grandmother's grave for a long time.
"Song Qiao, after Grandma passed away, you're the only one who makes me feel safe."
Ye Zhiwei suddenly looked up at the sky. She wanted to say something but swallowed it back. She admitted she had fallen for Song Qiao, but due to Xia Xueqing, she didn't know how to express it.
The two of them stayed embraced for a long time until the sky approached noon before they left the cemetery. The moment they got into the car, Song Qiao received a call from Xia Xueqing.
"Brother-in-law, where are you today?"
"Wu Meng just called and asked you to come to the company. She said she has something to discuss with you."