Light Fortress
Chapter 210 - 195: Gardenia Returns

Chapter 210: Chapter 195: Gardenia Returns

The lady’s true self, the little girl, was crouched in the corner of the red door.

She curled up like a little hedgehog, hiding herself deeply, invisible to everyone.

Gu Shen left the conference room and came to the front of the red door.

He reached out his hand.

The little girl lifted her head, and she saw... the youngster in front of her enveloped by countless warm streams of light.

So she slowly, slowly reached out her hand.

...

...

Gu Zhi paced around the hall, finding nothing and, upon returning to the concert hall, saw that the old man who had taken off earlier was somehow back again, waiting with everyone else for the lady’s awakening... He frowned, but said nothing.

Zhou Jiren always had this mysterious and unpredictable disposition.

But his earlier departure was indeed suspicious.

"...She’s awake!"

Song Ci sensed a ripple of spiritual energy and was the first to react, his expression revealing his excitement.

The crowd surrounding the auditorium held their breath, not daring to disturb.

The slumbering lady, perhaps due to the spiritual exile, had a very pale face without a trace of color, but as a strand of crimson flame receded from her brow,

the very tip of her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

Then... she slowly awoke.

"I..."

Lu Nanzhi bit her teeth, feeling as though the whole world was still spinning. As she opened her eyes, the bright lights of the concert hall struck her, making her quite uncomfortable. She squinted and rubbed her forehead, and after a long time, she managed to ask weakly, "What happened..."

She couldn’t remember anything.

Her memory seemed fragmented, akin to the feeling of being drunk.

After the lady woke up, the strand of flame leisurely returned to Gu Shen’s forehead, and he slowly came to.

Unlike Lu Nanzhi’s condition, when Gu Shen opened his eyes, a sharpness flashed in his pupils and quickly dissipated, indicating an abundance of vitality and spirit.

"It’s a long story."

Chen San glanced at Zhao Xilai, and before anyone could speak, he took the lead, "Your awakening... is a miracle. We owe it all to Gu Shen."

...

...

"So much has happened?"

The lady rubbed her forehead, struggling to digest the dramatic changes that had taken place in the hall that night. Everything was over by the time she woke up, but that didn’t mean the process was easy.

"Do you have any memory of the events before the slumber?" Mr. Chen San crouched down, asking with genuine concern.

"I can’t remember."

Lu Nanzhi shook her head, her voice still weak and weary, "The spiritual exile, it must have occurred after the ’hypnosis’; I have no recollection at all."

"I see." Mr. Chen San nodded, calmly saying, "But after taking your seat in the banquet hall, your position never changed. Mr. Zhao has always been close to the lady... this is indeed an undeniable fact."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xilai scoffed.

He understood all too well the purpose behind Mr. Chen San’s words. The struggle over the Awakening Bill was at its most critical juncture, and the scales had not yet fully tipped. With both sides having played their hand, even the slightest oversight could affect the outcome of the battle.

If such a stigma were attached to their banner,

the immense pressure of public opinion would be unbearable for them.

"What are you trying to say?" Zhao Xilai faced Mr. Chen San expressionless, the older he got, the less patience he had. In certain matters, he preferred to be direct, simple, and aggressive.

The younger generation of the South Bay Faction, who slowly stood up, wasn’t intimidated and spoke lightly, "No offense intended, but I just wanted to remind the lady... Huazhi is a likely suspect."

"Sorry... I’d like to interrupt for a moment."

The always silent Cui Zhongcheng suddenly spoke up.

"If we’re going to attack each other like this, and sling mud... I have a question."

He took off his monocle and gently exhaled, methodically saying, "Mr. Chen San, I would like to ask... where did Ye Ningqiu go after the party ended?"

Silence.

The Freedom Evening had many attendees.

Socialites from all over the Dadu District, as well as elites from various fields, had gathered here. Just like the name of the auditorium implied... the evening was free, and no one was going to pay special attention to the "specific movements" of one person.

Of course, Ye Ningqiu was an exception.

Even though she tended to keep a low profile, she was still a core figure of the South Bay Faction placed openly on the table.

Mr. Chen San fell silent.

"I think you should be able to provide an answer."

Cui Zhongcheng continued slowly, "Perhaps for some inconvenient reasons you’d rather not disclose, or perhaps simply because you do not wish to speak... I do not make any malicious assumptions, but just state the outcome. I had been monitoring the dance through Deep Sea since the entrance ceremony of the auditorium began, and upon the blackout, Miss Ye disappeared."

"She never reappeared... because of the chaos caused by the blackout, and the opening of the concert, everyone overlooked this point."

He said calmly, "If we assume... everyone was ’hypnotized,’ then the person with the strongest motive would be the one who fled the auditorium. Again, no offense intended, but I just want to remind the lady, on this matter... South Bay is more suspicious than Huazhi."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes.

Ye Ningqiu... he had noticed the woman’s absence when the concert began.

If this woman had left her seat, there might be consequences...

He looked towards his teacher.

Zhou Jiren seemed to have sensed Gu Shen’s gaze, but only met his eyes for a second before shifting away, signaling no intention to communicate.

Gu Shen could only sigh inwardly.

His teacher still had his usual calm demeanor, holding on to a cigar but not lighting it, standing in the crowd with his arms crossed and a smile on his face, quietly watching the two groups tear into each other.

Indeed.

Was there anything more interesting, rare, or important than watching two federal congressmen sling mud at each other?

"Alright..."

Lu Nanzhi put an end to the farce, speaking softly, "I wish to leave the auditorium... may I ask everyone to stop arguing? Without evidence, we could argue for a thousand years and still get nowhere, right?"

She refused the kindness of others offering her support, instead placing her hand on Song Ci’s shoulder and standing up.

She walked slowly for a couple of steps and was about to leave the auditorium when the lady suddenly turned around. With a gentle expression, she looked at Gu Shen and asked, "Judge Gu... would you mind accompanying me?"

The lady invited him to accompany her...

Gu Shen knew that what followed would be more than just a simple thank you.

The matter of the red door opening in his mind... presumably, the lady had noticed it upon awakening. One had to admit, her acting was truly exquisite; she displayed an image of weakness, using discomfort as an excuse to leave the auditorium.

In reality, her ego had not been damaged.

Her spiritual power must have been a little uncomfortable at first... by now, it should have fully recovered.

The opening of the red door was something Lu Nanzhi could not be kept unaware of.

Gu Shen stood up.

"Then... I shall comply with your wishes."