The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 438 - 440. Divorce

Chapter 438: 440. Divorce

Shen Qinglan’s eyes shifted slightly as she glanced at Sister-in-law Zhang and spoke in a calm tone, "I understand. I’ll send the items to you shortly."

Doug knew she couldn’t talk freely right now. "Okay, I’ll wait for your call."

Shen Qinglan suppressed the anxiety in her heart, her expression showing no oddity, "Sister-in-law, let’s go."

Sister-in-law Zhang glanced at Shen Qinglan, "Girl, if you have things to do, go ahead first."

Shen Qinglan smiled, "It’s nothing urgent, just sending a document to a friend."

As they neared the family building, they saw Fu Hengyi helping a child learn to walk. His hands were holding Anan’s as he spoke gently, "Anan, walk forward, Daddy’s right here with you."

Anan stood still, just staring at his Daddy with big eyes.

"If you take a few steps, Daddy will take you to see your uncle," Fu Hengyi coaxed, seizing the moment while Shen Qinglan was out to take Anan for a walk around the Military Region compound. Anan was intrigued by the soldiers training on the field and was reluctant to leave.

Anan gazed at his daddy, hesitated for a moment, then carefully extended one foot. Usually, he just stood there holding onto the edge of the couch and had never taken a step. Today was his first attempt.

Fu Hengyi watched encouragingly as Anan lifted his foot and was about to step forward when he saw Shen Qinglan. His eyes lit up, "Mommy."

Fu Hengyi turned around and saw Shen Qinglan and Sister-in-law Zhang standing not far off watching them.

"Mommy." When Anan didn’t get a response from Shen Qinglan, he called out again.

Shen Qinglan smiled at Anan and then looked toward Fu Hengyi, "I’ll go upstairs first."

Fu Hengyi nodded, and Anan watched, eyes wide and lips pouting as Shen Qinglan disappeared from view, looking displeased.

Fu Hengyi looked at him and suddenly let go of Anan’s hands. Anan looked at his daddy, confused about why he had let go, "Daddy?"

Fu Hengyi stepped back but kept his hands close to Anan’s sides to catch him in case he stumbled, "Anan, walk to Daddy."

Anan tilted his little head, as if considering his next move. Then he began to step forward. Barely making a step, Anan’s balance shifted forward as if he would fall, but Fu Hengyi quickly steadied him.

"What a clumsy son," Fu Hengyi remarked as he adjusted Anan’s hat, his voice tender and indulgent.

Anan clung to Fu Hengyi’s neck, his little face full of grievance. Fu Hengyi ruffled his head and carried his son around the field, attracting the attention of passing soldiers—well, Anan did look as adorable as a child from a New Year’s painting.

Shen Qinglan returned to her room and immediately called Doug back.

"Doug, what exactly happened?"

Doug summarized the situation succinctly, "An, I’ve already asked friends here to help, but so far, there’s been no progress. Do you know anyone who can lend a hand?" It was a last resort for Doug to reach out to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan didn’t know any influential people in M country. Most of their operations had been in Y country previously, so Eden and Andre were in Y country, whereas Shen Qinglan was currently unaware that Qin Yan had already been rescued and Cissily was still unconscious, leaving her with no clues.

"Doug, send me the surveillance footage you can access first. I’ll think of something," Shen Qinglan said.

That was the only option they had left, "Okay, I’ll send it right away," Doug obliged and sent the video obtained from the police station. Fortunately, his personal relationship with the police chief was decent enough that the chief was willing to make a copy for him.

Shen Qinglan opened Fu Hengyi’s computer and carefully reviewed the video once. The footage showed that the individuals were clearly targeted, with a very specific goal—Ya Xi.

Whether it was a spur-of-the-moment decision because they thought Ya Xi was attractive or whether it was revenge or kidnapping was uncertain. If it was spur-of-the-moment, then these people were likely habitual criminals to act so decisively. Kidnapping was unlikely, as Ya Xi and Doug had been inconspicuous both in their attire and their behavior in the casino. As for revenge, neither Doug nor Ya Xi had made enemies to warrant that. That left the first possibility as the most likely.

If it was indeed the first case, then it would be troubling. Seeing a beautiful girl and abducting her, then forcing her to do things against her will—such incidents occurred everywhere. Criminal groups that operate like this tend to have strong backing in the underworld, and it’s usually not possible to find the victims quickly unless you have an even stronger backing, and with every passing moment, time was slipping away.

Most girls couldn’t endure such an ordeal, let alone Ya Xi.

Shen Qinglan’s expression turned particularly grim, beyond simply being upset. She couldn’t blame Doug, who had already been cautious. The blame lay solely on those who recklessly abducted people from restrooms.

"When did Ya Xi disappear?" Shen Qinglan asked gravely.

"It’s been seven or eight hours now."

Shen Qinglan glanced at the time, "I’ll find a way now. Have you contacted Eden?" She remembered that Eden seemed to know someone in M country.

"I tried, but couldn’t get through to him. I even called Enxi’s number, but no answer."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong sense of unease.

"Doug, I can think of someone. I’ll try to contact him. If I have any news, I’ll let you know immediately. Keep a close watch on the police station’s updates," Shen Qinglan said and hung up before Doug could respond, then immediately dialed Austin.

"An." Austin was surprised to receive a call from Shen Qinglan. They hadn’t been in touch for quite some time. The last time they spoke was when Shen Qinglan’s son was a hundred days old. Seeing her contentment now, Austin knew it was time for him to step back.

"Austin, I’m terribly sorry to disturb you at this time, but I can’t think of anyone else who can help," Shen Qinglan said apologetically. She had many enemies but few friends in the underworld, and having kept out of it for so many years while deliberately avoiding underworld matters, it was natural that she knew fewer people.

"An, go ahead, don’t be formal with me," Austin reassured.

"Austin, a friend of mine has gone missing, taken from a casino in M country."

"I understand. An, I’ll contact my friends right away. He’s not from the underworld, but one of his buddies is," Austin quickly grasped Shen Qinglan’s intent and assured her.

"Austin, thank you," Shen Qinglan said sincerely. If possible, she would rather not contact Austin, but with Eden and Jin Enxi out of reach, he was the only one she could think of at the moment.

"An, your business is my business, nothing to thank me for," Austin replied. "But next time I visit Beijing, you owe me dinner."

"Certainly."

Shen Qinglan tried to reach Jin Enxi, but just like Doug had said, she was utterly unreachable, and even Eden’s phone was switched off. The strangeness and unease in her heart grew thicker.

In Country Y, Jin Enxi was still tapping away at her computer, under the watchful eyes of Allen’s men. Glancing at the men in black around her, she muttered to Eden, "What’s Allen’s deal? Does he not trust us, so he has us watched?"

Eden’s face was a mask of coldness, "Let’s not worry about that for now. Allen won’t do anything to us at the moment. Our priority is to find Qin Yan quickly. It won’t take long before An realizes something’s wrong."

Jin Enxi knew this to be true. She was just venting her annoyance with the men in black to Eden.

"You still have energy to think about this? Seems I’ve underestimated your capacity," Allen’s chilling voice sounded from behind them. Jin Enxi’s hand shook, and a mess of code appeared on the computer screen instantly. Her eyes changed sharply, and she quickly stood up, fingers dancing across the keyboard. Thankfully, after a while, the screen returned to normal. Jin Enxi sighed in relief. She had almost wasted days of work.

"Allen, can you do me a favor and not appear behind people like a ghost?" Jin Enxi said, annoyed.

Allen’s cold gaze landed on Jin Enxi, "Did you find the person?"

Jin Enxi stiffened. She hadn’t found any trace of Qin Yan, who had by now become acutely aware of their modus operandi. Qin Yan had thrown several smokescreens, leading her astray multiple times.

Allen scoffed, "You can’t even find one person; you’re useless."

Jin Enxi’s eyes turned frosty, "At least I’m not useless. You, on the other hand, don’t have a single loyal person around you."

Allen’s gaze turned icy. "Jin Enxi, you’ve really grown some wings, haven’t you? Do you think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?"

"No, you would. Apart from An, there’s nothing you wouldn’t dare to do in this world. But let me tell you, Allen, don’t think we’re still the ones under your thumb. You’re not much better off than us now. If we can work together, we will. If not, we might as well split up now and find Qin Yan ourselves." Jin Enxi’s expression was cold; she had had enough of Allen’s neurotic ways. Aside from Shen Qinglan, this man never showed a shred of warmth to anyone else, always cold and sarcastic. She could understand that as part of his character, but she couldn’t tolerate being treated like trash all the time.

The dark muzzle of a gun pointed at Jin Enxi’s head, yet her expression remained fearless. She believed Allen wouldn’t kill her now—not only because he still needed her, but because of Shen Qinglan.

Eden stepped forward, blocking Allen’s line of sight and acting as Jin Enxi’s human shield. "This is not the time for internal strife. The most important thing now is to find Qin Yan quickly. The virus has ravaged her body; she won’t live long. She must feel it herself. If I’m not mistaken, she will struggle till the end. We don’t know how many people she has or who she’s in contact with. If someone secretly supports her now, An’s situation will become very dangerous."

Eden knew that mentioning Shen Qinglan would matter to Allen. Sure enough, Allen’s gaze shifted. He gave Jin Enxi a cold look, put down the gun, and turned to leave.

Once he was out of sight, Eden spoke up, "Enxi, you were reckless just now. What if he had dared to pull the trigger? What would you have done?"

Jin Enxi wiped her face, looking frustrated. "Eden, I’m always uneasy. I worry that Qin Yan has already begun to act. Allen won’t let us contact An. Cissily is still unconscious, and it won’t be long before Andre can’t keep it a secret anymore. And here I am, unable to find a single trace of Qin Yan. Eden, I really feel useless."

Eden patted Jin Enxi’s shoulder. In the past few days, she bore the greatest pressure, "Enxi, relax. Believe that you can do this. We will surely find and eliminate Qin Yan before she acts."

Jin Enxi bowed her head, and after a long while, she finally let out a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, "Eden, I want to come clean to An. If she knows that Qin Yan has run off, she will at least be on her guard rather than not knowing anything and leaving loopholes for Qin Yan to exploit. I know what you and Allen are thinking, but you need to understand, even if we deal with Qin Yan, An will inevitably be angry if she finds out afterward. The last thing she likes is for us to do dangerous things behind her back."

"Enxi."

"Eden, I’ve been thinking about this for several days. I want to tell An, and I believe An wants to know too." She looked firmly at Eden, "And as for Andre, with Cissily in her current condition and unlikely to recover anytime soon, we are a team, and we shouldn’t keep secrets from him. We made a mistake from the start, Eden. We only thought it was for their sake, but we never asked if they wanted to be left in the dark."

Eden looked back into Jin Enxi’s eyes, and after a long time, he nodded within her gaze, "Alright, we’ll do as you say."

"Good, I’ll contact them now." Jin Enxi said, and although Allen had forbidden them from contacting Shen Qinglan and had taken all their communication devices, this was not a problem for Jin Enxi at all.

Shen Qinglan was in touch with Austin when she received Jin Enxi’s call. Austin had already asked his friend in M country, and it turned out that those gangs had not been seen in Las Vegas recently, which meant that it was not the first scenario they had guessed.

Hearing Jin Enxi’s voice on the phone, Shen Qinglan immediately mentioned Ya Xi’s disappearance, "Enxi, I remember you once gave Ya Xi a set of tracking devices. Can you confirm their current location?"

Jin Enxi’s expression was ugly; she had guessed that Ya Xi was likely taken away by Qin Yan, "An, I think I might know what happened to Ya Xi."

Shen Qinglan felt a sudden sinking in her heart and spoke in a heavy voice, "Enxi, tell me."

"Qin Yan was rescued by Allen’s housekeeper a few days ago; we have been searching for her whereabouts ever since but haven’t found her."

"What about Eden and Cissily?" Shen Qinglan immediately reacted. If Qin Yan had been rescued by the housekeeper, then what about Cissily and Eden, who were left there?

"Eden is seriously injured but not life-threatening, and he is still recuperating. However, Cissily... she is still in a coma, and Eden said she might never wake up again." Her voice choked up slightly; the mere sight of Cissily lying on the bed now made her heart wrench. If she had been there that day, perhaps Cissily would not have been so gravely injured?

Shen Qinglan’s heart continued to plummet, sinking to the very bottom, "Didn’t I tell Eden to deal with Qin Yan? Why is she still alive?"

Eden took the phone from Jin Enxi’s hand, "An, this is my fault. I wanted to develop the antidote to the virus first, so I delayed it for a few days, not expecting things to turn out this way. It’s my problem."

Shen Qinglan’s face was somber, but she couldn’t bring herself to blame Eden. In the end, it was her who had agreed to let Qin Yan be used by Eden for research; the issue was ultimately hers, and now it had endangered both Cissily and Ya Xi.

"An, we are still tracking Qin Yan’s location; although we haven’t found her yet, we are certain we can," Eden said. His voice sounded weak. While he had managed to survive, the injury was still fresh and not so quickly mended.

"Eden, are you sure your injuries are alright?" Shen Qinglan recalled his wounds and asked.

Eden shook his head, then realizing they were on the phone and Shen Qinglan couldn’t see, he said, "I’m fine, just some minor injuries that will heal soon."

"Eden, Andre doesn’t know about this, does he?" Although Shen Qinglan phrased it as a question, her tone was quite certain. Eden’s silence was as good as a confirmation.

"Tell him. I think he should know."

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan fell into silence. She could now confirm that Ya Xi had definitely been taken away by Qin Yan, but such an outcome was exactly what she had hoped to avoid. She could understand what Qin Yan wanted to do with just a bit of thought.

Ya Xi had been subjected to deep hypnosis, and with her own subconscious cooperation, it was generally impossible to remember such painful experiences unless there was a significant trigger. Thinking of this, her mood grew even heavier.

Fu Hengyi opened the door and entered. Hearing his footsteps, Shen Qinglan quickly composed her expression, regaining a face of calm.

Fu Hengyi handed their son over to Shen Qinglan, then donned an apron and went to the kitchen to cook.

"Mummy, drink," Anan said, pointing at the milk bottle on the table.

Shen Qinglan poured her son some hot water, waiting for it to cool down before giving it to him. Anan held the bottle and drank, the gulping sounds echoing in Shen Qinglan’s ears. She looked at her son’s innocent little face, and at the brows and eyes that increasingly resembled Fu Hengyi’s, her gaze slightly darkened. She leaned down and kissed her son’s face. "Anan, I’m sorry."

Anan giggled and mimicked Shen Qinglan, leaving a slobbery mark on her face.

That night, after Anan had fallen asleep, Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi coming out of the bathroom and hesitated for a long while before speaking softly, "Fu Hengyi, I have something I’d like to discuss with you."

Seeing her serious expression, Fu Hengyi nodded, "Let’s go to the living room to talk."

But after Fu Hengyi heard Shen Qinglan’s plan, his face became terrifyingly dark. He stared straight at her, "Before doing this, did you ever think about our family?"

"Fu Hengyi, I’ve thought about it. It was because I thought about it that I hesitated. But they are my friends, and I can’t just ignore them."

"So you’re going to use yourself as bait? Have you considered what would happen if something happened to you? What would I and Anan do? Do you want Anan to lose his mother at such a young age?" Fu Hengyi’s tone was very calm, but such calmness made Shen Qinglan even sadder.

"Fu Hengyi, I will ensure my own safety."

"What can you guarantee with? Do you know whom you’re up against? A bunch of lunatics, especially Qin Yan. She’s now completely insane, and she’s the person in this world who wishes for your death the most. Everyone in the underworld thinks Mei is already dead. Are you now planning to blow your cover?"

But Fu Hengyi could not have imagined that Shen Qinglan was actually planning to lure out Qin Yan using Mei’s identity.

"But Fu Hengyi, once Qin Yan realizes that Mei has appeared, she will surely know it’s me, and she won’t miss this chance."

"But even with Shen Qinglan’s identity, she would still come out."

"Shen Qinglan’s identity can’t be connected to Mei, nor can it be tied to Qin Yan." As an assassin, even if Mei really did something, as long as no one knew she was Shen Qinglan, whatever she did would not affect the Shen and Fu families. And she was confident in her abilities to ensure that the two identities would not be linked.

However, the key to appearing as Mei was Fu Hengyi. Fu Hengyi was a senior officer and absolutely could not be involved with an assassin. Therefore, this operation had to be done alone by her. To be precise, Fu Hengyi could not be involved in the slightest.

"Shen Qinglan, whatever you do is for my sake, but you’ve never really considered how I feel. It was like that last time, and it’s the same this time. You always make me watch you take risks, and maybe one careless moment, you won’t return again. Do you understand the torment in my heart?" Fu Hengyi asked calmly, but his words were like a knife plunging into Shen Qinglan’s chest.

"Fu Hengyi, you..." She tried to grab Fu Hengyi’s hand, but he avoided it.

"Shen Qinglan, if you carry out this action without me, I absolutely won’t let you go. If you go behind my back, then let’s divorce."

Shen Qinglan’s expression suddenly jolted, and she looked at Fu Hengyi in disbelief. "Fu Hengyi, what did you just say?"

Fu Hengyi’s eyes were filled with pain. "Shen Qinglan, I will only say this once in my life, so think it through carefully." He turned to leave, took a few steps, then stopped. "Qinglan, I can shelter you from the wind and rain, hold up a sky for you. Why won’t you trust me completely, just once? In my heart, you are the most important one—more than my career, my identity, even more than a child."

His back was to Shen Qinglan, so she did not see Fu Hengyi’s reddened eyes.

Shen Qinglan stared blankly at Fu Hengyi’s back until he walked into the bedroom. She had not come back to her senses and just sat down on the sofa, staring quietly at the floor, almost staying awake all night.

Fu Hengyi also sat beside the crib, quietly watching Anan’s sleeping face, staying awake all night.

"Anan, do you think Mommy will be mad at me for this? But what can I do? Your mommy is such a stubborn person. If she really sets her mind on doing something, even I am not sure I can persuade her. I don’t want her to do dangerous things behind Daddy’s back, so you understand why Daddy is doing this, right?"

Anan’s mouth drooled in her sleep, not knowing what she was dreaming about, her lips curled up as if she was happy. And that’s how Fu Hengyi sat there for the entire night.

The next morning, when Fu Hengyi came out of the room, he saw Shen Qinglan’s slightly haggard face. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, a surge of heartache hit him. He wanted to go up and hug her, but in the end, he just clenched his hands tightly and walked past her.

Shen Qinglan opened her mouth to say something but ended up saying nothing, watching Fu Hengyi walk into the kitchen. She had thought about it all night, and still did not want to involve Fu Hengyi. Last time she disguised Fu Hengyi as a woman, Qin Yan did not recognize him, but this time, they might not be so lucky. If Fu Hengyi’s identity were exposed, it would not just be that he was not tolerated by the country; he would be brought before a military tribunal. That was a risk she dared not take.

Although Fu Hengyi was angry because Shen Qinglan had not given up her own ideas, he still made her favorite breakfast in the morning. While having breakfast, Shen Qinglan hesitated for a long time but finally spoke up, "I’ll be leaving soon, Anan will be left to you."

Fu Hengyi slammed his chopsticks down on the table, his gaze fixed on Shen Qinglan, "So, are you planning to divorce me?"

"Fu Hengyi, you know that’s not what I mean." Shen Qinglan looked up, meeting Fu Hengyi’s eyes. "You’re a soldier. If it gets out that you’re involved with people from the underworld, and they’re foreigners at that, you’ll be treated as a spy. What am I supposed to do then? What about the Fu Family and the Shen Family?"

Fu Hengyi was of course aware of the gravity of the situation, but it was precisely because he knew that he understood even more the dangers of this operation, which far exceeded the last one. This time, Qin Yan was putting her all into it.

"Fu Hengyi, I really won’t get hurt. I am too familiar with these matters. If I could survive back then, now, even for you and the child, I won’t allow myself to get hurt. Besides, I’ve already asked Austin to help me."

"So when you encounter difficulties, you would rather ask a stranger for help than let me help you? Shen Qinglan, what am I to you in your eyes?" Fu Hengyi was filled with disappointment.

"That’s not it, that’s not what I mean," Shen Qinglan explained, but seeing the disappointment in his eyes felt like her heart was being pricked by needles. "Fu Hengyi, I just don’t want you to get hurt."

"Yes, you don’t want me to get hurt, but you are making me watch you take risks. Shen Qinglan, what happened to the promise of mutual trust and support? What would you feel in your heart if I were the one doing this?"

Shen Qinglan realized that what she was doing, although intended for Fu Hengyi’s good, might not be seen as such on his part.

"Fu Hengyi, I..."

Fu Hengyi cut her off. "Don’t say it anymore. Shen Qinglan, there is no room for negotiation on this matter. I won’t stop you from saving people, but you must go with me."

After saying that, Fu Hengyi went back into the room. It was time for Anan to wake up.

Shen Qinglan stood there, dazed.

When Fu Hengyi came out holding Anan, Shen Qinglan was nowhere to be seen. His expression changed slightly, and his gaze fell on a piece of paper on the table. He quickly walked over and picked it up. It only had a single line written on it, "I’m sorry," "Shen Qinglan."

Fu Hengyi’s eyes darkened.

Anan clung to her father’s neck, her big eyes roving around the room, not seeing her mother, and she furrowed her brow, "Mommy."

"Your mommy left us behind," Fu Hengyi said in a deep voice, glanced at his son, and stood up to make a call to Old Sir Shen.

"Alright, send the child back then," Old Sir Shen finally said calmly.

By the time Fu Hengyi returned, Shen Qian happened to be on leave at home. Seeing Fu Hengyi come back holding the child but not Shen Qinglan, he found it strange. Fu Hengyi summoned someone, handed Anan to Chu Yunrong, and then went to the study to find Old Sir Shen.

Old Sir Shen stood in front of the window, looking at the view of the garden. Hearing footsteps, he didn’t even turn his head, "Have you made up your mind?"

Fu Hengyi stood firm, his tone resolute, "I have made up my mind."

Old Sir Shen let out a deep sigh, "There will eventually come a day like this. Since you want to go, then go. Hengyi, I only have one request, both you and Lanlan must come back alive."

He knew very well what kind of person his granddaughter was; they couldn’t stop what she wanted to do. "Hengyi, take good care of our Lanlan. Grandpa is waiting for you to come back."

"Grandpa, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? You’re our own child," the old man turned around and looked lovingly at Fu Hengyi, saying gently.

Fu Hengyi gave the old man a bow before leaving the study, his steps resolute.

Old Sir Shen watched Fu Hengyi’s retreating figure, shook his head silently, then turned to the portrait of Granny Shen, "My dear, you must protect Lanlan and Hengyi. These kids have had such a hard life. They finally found happiness; they must not lose it now."

Old Sir Shen looked somewhat sad. Actually, in all these years since Shen Qinglan had come back, he had been aware of many things but chose not to pinpoint them because no matter what Shen Qinglan had experienced in the past, she was still his own granddaughter.

"Hengyi, where’s Qinglan?" Seeing Fu Hengyi downstairs, Chu Yunrong asked. Usually, Shen Qinglan would be the one carrying the child back, or the family of three would return together. But today, Shen Qinglan was nowhere to be seen, which was really odd.

Fu Hengyi smiled, "On the way back, a friend called and said they wanted to invite her out for a meal."

"Oh," Chu Yunrong didn’t doubt his words, "Where are you going now?"

"Mom, Qinglan and I have something to do and will be out for a few days. I’m going to pick her up at the restaurant now, please take care of Anan for us."

Hearing they were going out, Chu Yunrong’s heart fluttered with worry. She stopped Fu Hengyi, "Wait, where are you two going?"

"Mom, don’t be so nervous. A comrade-in-arms is getting married. It’s a long journey. We’re planning to fly there. Anan is too young; flying isn’t good for him."

Chu Yunrong, hearing it was for a wedding, instantly relaxed and waved her hand, "Go on, leave Anan with me. You can rest assured."

"Then, Mom and Dad, I’ll be leaving now." Fu Hengyi appeared calm, revealing no unusual signs.

**

In the M country, night fell and the entire city was enveloped in darkness, the neon lights gleaming.

Inside a bar, a girl dressed innocently walked in. With long straight hair and a tall figure, she wore a white dress and had no makeup on her face. As she walked in, she attracted the eyes of the people there, especially some men.

They looked at the girl, their eyes lighting up instantly. She clearly looked like a cute girl visiting the bar for the first time. Though she had an Eastern face, she fit perfectly with Western aesthetics.

The girl seemed out of place in this environment, frowning and looking around as if searching for someone. A broad and muscular man put down his glass and approached Shen Qinglan, "Hey, little sister, are you alone?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I’m looking for someone, excuse me, please let me through."

The man stood in the girl’s way and instead of making way for her, moved a step closer, reaching out to put his arm around her shoulder, "I can help you look. I’m well acquainted with this bar." But his hand didn’t reach her shoulder – she stepped back seemingly unintentionally, and he grasped at air.

"No need, I can find them myself." The girl looked somewhat bewildered, seemingly unsure of what to do.

The man’s eyes shone even brighter. Such an innocent girl seemed so out of place in this environment. Used to seeing alluring women, suddenly encountering such a girl was irresistible.

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes lit up, looking in a certain direction. The man instinctively followed her gaze and saw a voluptuous woman with wavy hair sitting in a corner booth of the bar, dressed casually, holding a cocktail but not drinking it. Like the girl, she wore no makeup, but she possessed a seductive quality that the girl did not have.

The girl quickly walked towards the woman, and the man followed.

"Beautiful lady, it seems you are together, huh? My name is Mike, a regular here. Interested in having a drink together?" The man tried to act gentlemanly.

The woman looked up, scoped him out, her gaze icy. The man instinctively straightened up, much like a soldier preparing for inspection by a superior officer, but this thought had barely arisen when the man shivered violently.

The woman’s lips parted to say just one word, "Go away."

The man became angry but before he could speak, he met the woman’s cold eyes that seemed devoid of any emotion. Those beautiful eyes harbored a dark stillness. Someone with eyes like that was not to be messed with. A man used to frequenting this bar instantly understood that the two women were tough customers and promptly made himself scarce.

The girl, however, cautiously sized up the woman. Who could she be if not Shen Qinglan? But the woman now bore little resemblance to the past Shen Qinglan apart from the contours of her face.

Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently, "Have you had enough fun? If you’ve had your fun, give me the item. I’m in a hurry."