The Double
Chapter 245 - 104 Play Blurred_3

Chapter 245: Chapter 104 Play Blurred_3

Tong Zhiyang’s biggest suspicion was that Lady He knew about the existence of both mother and son and that it was Lady He who had taken them away. But after careful consideration, given Lady He’s temperament, if she had known about Suqin and Tong Yu’s existence, she would definitely not have feigned ignorance and plotted in secret; she would most likely have confronted them directly. Moreover, even if it indeed had been Lady He’s doing, Tong Zhiyang did not have the courage to confront her, so he was forced to stew in his own anxiety, unable to find peace.

The actions of the Head of the Weaving Department were too swift; fortunately, he had immediately shared Tang Fan’s suspicions about the people at Dafeng Medical Shop, preventing any mishap from occurring there. Although he had failed to carry out his brother-in-law’s plan, he hadn’t messed things up either.

As he was contemplating this, his servant suddenly rushed in from outside, exclaiming, "Master!"

Tong Zhiyang turned around impatiently, "What’s with this surprise and panic!"

The servant closed the door, panting heavily, "Young Master... Young Master..."

"Is there news about the Young Master?" The moment he heard it was related to Tong Yu, Tong Zhiyang immediately stood up, his excitement palpable.

The servant presented Tong Zhiyang with a letter and a longevity lock he had been carrying, saying, "This was found at the gatehouse; I don’t know how long it had been there. I noticed this button belonged to the Young Master and guessed it was related to him." He then handed the letter and the Silver Lock to Tong Zhiyang.

Tong Zhiyang looked at the Silver Lock, his excitement immediately apparent, saying, "It’s Yu’er’s!"

Tong Zhiyang doted on Tong Yu; when Tong Yu was born, he had specially commissioned someone to make a longevity lock. The one in his hand now was unmistakably Tong Yu’s. He tore open the letter eagerly, his expression growing grimmer as he read.

The servant, unaware of what had transpired, only saw Tong Zhiyang finish reading the letter and furiously throw it to the ground, grinding his teeth as he exclaimed, "How preposterous!"

"Master, what has happened?" the servant asked.

"Someone has kidnapped Yu’er and Suqin," Tong Zhiyang took a deep breath, "This letter is a threat to me!"

"Are they after silver?" the servant inquired. There was usually some purpose behind a threat.

"If only they were after silver!" Tong Zhiyang was greatly annoyed. The letter made it clear, Tong Yu and Suqin were in the kidnapper’s hands, and they were not seeking riches. They simply wanted him to explain clearly all that he knew about the recent troubles at the Ye Residence. If the kidnappers were satisfied with his explanation, they would naturally release the hostages; if not, then Tong Zhiyang would have to keep explaining until they were satisfied.

This was demanding that Tong Zhiyang betray his brother-in-law!

Tong Zhiyang was reluctant and furious, but holding Tong Yu’s longevity lock, he felt an agony of indecision. Without Tong Yu, no matter how high his official rank rose or how wealthy his family became, his lineage would still end with him. Could he really watch his only continuation of the family line end like this?

After much thought, Tong Zhiyang clenched his teeth and made up his mind. People were inherently selfish; besides, he had done all he could for his brother-in-law. If there was blame to be cast, it lay with the sudden appearance of the Jiang Family’s Second Miss that turned the tide; he could not, for someone else’s sake, gamble with the lives of his own flesh and blood.

"Bring the paper and pen!" Tong Zhiyang ordered.

The servant scurried to fetch the items, while Tong Zhiyang stared at the letter on the floor, teeth clenching once more.

The kidnappers had instructed him to write a reply and have it sent to the back yard of the He Residence. Tong Zhiyang had thought to trace the delivery of the letter to find out who the culprits were, but since it had to be delivered to the He Residence, which was Lady He’s maiden home, he dared not spy under their watchful eyes, nor did he want the He Family to discover the existence of Suqin and her son because of him.

The adversaries were truly cunning, leaving no stone unturned, making him seethe with rage...

...

Jiang Li stood at the entrance of the Ye Residence.

She was waiting for news of Ye Mingyu’s return. Ye Mingyu had gone to retrieve the reply that Tong Zhiyang had written. Although Jiang Li could mostly guess the outcome, she still needed the letter from Tong Zhiyang to confirm certain things.

Sunlight lazily trickled down; winter was approaching, and the winters in Xiangyang City had a warm touch to them, unlike the North’s Yanjing, where even snowfall didn’t bring severe cold but rather resembled pear blossoms fluttering in the wind.

The door of the neighboring residence opened, and Jiang Li glanced over, catching sight of Jih Heng and the guard Wen Ji stepping out.

Both spotted Jiang Li as well, and Jih Heng, with a smile on his face, walked unhurriedly in her direction.

There weren’t many passersby at the entrance of the Ye Residence; the area was home to high-ranking officials and nobility. But Jih Heng’s striking appearance immediately attracted everyone’s attention. Jiang Li even saw a young girl at the nearby residence leaning on the doorway, glancing repeatedly towards Jih Heng.

They were unaware of Jih Heng’s identity, but even so, his presence alone became the focal point there.