Chapter 9 – Be good and wait, don’t be afraid.

The business negotiations went unexpectedly smoothly. The Xie family’s reputation preceded them, and the terms Xie Qian offered were extremely attractive. The executives signed the contract without hesitation.

“As expected of Xie Longhui’s son. You’ve inherited your father’s commanding presence at the negotiating table.”

President Jin’s face was flushed from drinking, and his cheerful expression carried a hint of affection as he looked at Xie Qian.

“You flatter me, President Jin. I’ve heard that you and my father shared a life-and-death bond back in the day. By that logic, I should be calling you Uncle Jin.”

Xie Longhui and Jin Zhaoqin had indeed been close brothers for over a decade. However, the two had fallen out and even fought over their love for Lan Yudie, eventually leading to a complete fallout.

That love battle, fought in the name of passion, ended with no winners. Jin Zhaoqin left Shulin and settled with the Jin and An families, while Xie Longhui remained in Shulin but forever lost a brother he’d once trusted with his life.

Xie Qian’s words instantly shortened the distance between them.

Jin Zhaoqin’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, but he said nothing more.

“Uncle Jin, gentlemen, let’s have a successful collaboration.”

Xie Qian stood up and shook hands with everyone at the table, every movement calm and measured.

The group bid each other farewell, and the once-noisy dining table returned to its usual quiet state.

Li An followed behind Xie Qian, his eyes full of admiration, staring at his back. “Senior, you should’ve seen how Jin Zhaoqin was staring at you just now—like he was trying to see right through you.”

Xie Qian pressed his lips together and gave a cold snort. “He wasn’t looking at me.”

He was clearly seeing my mother through me!

The genes Xie Qian carried were quite balanced—half of his looks came from the beautiful Lan Yudie, the other half from the handsome Xie Longhui.

It wasn’t hard for Jin Zhaoqin to see traces of Lan Yudie in him.

Li An didn’t quite understand. “Huh?”

Xie Qian was amused by Li An’s confused look. Just as he was about to explain, his phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up and saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

This was his private phone. Only close family and friends had this number—why would a stranger be calling?

Li An was standing right next to him and happened to glance at the screen. “Senior, that number’s IP is from the northeast. Could it be someone from Aunt Lan’s hometown?”

Xie Qian paused for a moment, then immediately answered the call.

There was a lot of noise on the other end, and after a few seconds, a female voice tinged with sobs came through hesitantly: “Brother Xie?”

Her voice was full of fear and desperation—like a small animal with its throat clutched by a wild beast.

Xie Qian frowned slightly, trying to recall who would call him “Brother Xie.”

Relatives wouldn’t call him that. Subordinates and business partners usually addressed him as “President Xie,” and friends all had their own nicknames for him.

If someone called him “Brother Xie,” then the only person that could be was…

Xie Qian’s eyes lit up. He gripped his phone tighter and asked urgently, “Shizhen, little sister?”

The crying on the other end grew louder. Through her frantic sobs, she choked out, “Wuwuwu, Brother Xie, it’s me… there… there are a lot of people banging on my door. I… I’m really scared.”

For some reason, even though they had never met in person and were only online acquaintances, hearing Shizhen’s plea made Xie Qian’s heart clench.

His emotions were instantly stirred, and his mind filled with the image of a helpless, teary-eyed girl.

He walked while saying quickly, “Shizhen, don’t panic. First make sure you’re safe. Have you called the police? If not, do it now. I’ll send someone over immediately!”

Shizhen calmed a bit upon hearing that, though her voice still trembled. “Brother Xie… please hurry, I’m so scared.”

Xie Qian’s heart tightened. He comforted her, “Alright, I’ll send someone right away. Trust me, okay? Keep yourself safe. I’m going to hang up now, but if you’re scared again, call me back, got it?”

Shizhen softly responded, “Mm… thank you, Brother Xie.”

Xie Qian took a deep breath, trying to make his low voice sound a bit gentler.

“Be good and wait. Don’t be afraid.”

After speaking, Xie Qian hung up the phone. It wasn’t until he stepped out of the hotel doors and was hit by the cold wind that he realized his palms were drenched in sweat.

Li An had been following behind Xie Qian. Seeing the grave and worried expression on his face, he didn’t dare say anything at first.

Only after Xie Qian hung up did Li An finally step forward and ask, “Senior, what happened?”

Xie Qian shook his head without replying and immediately dialed another number.

Although the Lan family had disbanded, most of its people had remained in the northeast, including Lan Zezhong’s former subordinates.

They had set up a security company in Pingshan. A few years ago, a financial crisis had nearly led to the company’s bankruptcy, and it was only with Xie Qian’s help that they managed to survive.

Later on, Xie Qian took over the company, though he never got involved in its operations—more like a behind-the-scenes boss.

The company also had a branch in Xiaoshan. With just one phone call, Xie Qian immediately arranged for several bodyguards to be sent to Shi Zhen’s place.

Worried that Shi Zhen might be frightened by burly men, he specifically instructed them to send people who looked more pleasant.

After making all the necessary arrangements, Xie Qian finally spoke to Li An, “Something urgent came up, but I’ve taken care of it.”

Hearing this, Li An relaxed and nodded. “Good. As long as it’s handled. The way you looked just now was really scary. Someone who didn’t know better might have thought something happened to your family.”

Then, realizing how that might have sounded, he quickly added, “I didn’t mean to jinx your parents or anything, I just…”

“I know,” Xie Qian said. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Did I really look that scary just now?”

Li An nodded vigorously. “Totally! You looked like you were about to roll up your sleeves and get into a fight. Your eyebrows were so tightly furrowed they almost formed the character for ‘river’ (川).”

As they spoke, the two of them got into the car. The driver had already been waiting at the door.

Li An had already arranged the itinerary, so the driver didn’t even ask where to go and just drove straight to the hotel where Xie Qian was staying.

Inside the car, Xie Qian remained silent. For some reason, his heart was pounding heavily.

He couldn’t shake a sense of unease. He wondered whether those strong-bodied men he sent would scare her.

And did he really look that terrifying just now?

It was as if he had completely forgotten what had happened moments before. All he could hear in his mind was Shi Zhen’s voice.

The way she cried and called him “Brother Xie,” the trembling tone she used to say “Thank you,” ending like a kitten’s soft mewl.

Xie Qian touched his forehead. Had his eyebrows really furrowed that much?

“Senior, what are you thinking about?” Li An waved his hand in front of Xie Qian’s eyes. “We’ve arrived at the hotel.”

Only then did Xie Qian snap out of it and get out of the car with Li An.

Old Li took the luggage out of the car. A hotel staff member immediately moved it onto a trolley and said, “President Xie, your suite has already been arranged. Please follow me upstairs.”

Li An had assumed the dinner meeting would last long, so he had postponed a date with his girlfriend—only to get a massive scolding from her.

Who would’ve thought the land deal would be finalized in just one hour? Seeing that it had only just gotten dark, Li An was already itching to go coax his angry girlfriend.

He scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. “Senior, I’ve got something to take care of tonight. You go up first. Next time you feel like going out, I’ll give you the full VIP experience.”

As he spoke, he even jokingly saluted, almost making the hotel staff and Old Li burst out laughing.

Xie Qian’s mind was elsewhere. He just absentmindedly responded, “Alright, you go. I’m familiar with Jinhe, I don’t need anyone to show me around.”

With that, Xie Qian turned and followed the staff into the hotel.

Jinhe was very close to the northeast. The night wind was icy and sharp, making people shiver.

Neon lights lit up the road as Xie Qian walked toward the hotel, their dazzling glow only making his mind more restless.

On this bone-chilling winter night, he was somehow sweating all over.

Just as he stepped through the hotel’s front doors, Xie Qian suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The staff member pushing the trolley halted beside him and cautiously asked, “President Xie, is there a problem?”

Xie Qian glanced at the watch on his wrist. It had been nearly an hour since Shi Zhen called him.

He still couldn’t put his mind at ease. He trusted Lan Zezhong’s former men completely—they were people trained by the old master, reliable in both character and ability.

But why was he still so uneasy?

He kept feeling like he had to see the situation for himself. Otherwise, his heart felt empty and restless.

He turned to the staff member and said, “Give me the room card. You take the luggage up first.”

The staff responded quickly, “Of course, President Xie. One moment, please.”

Li An had still been waiting nearby to see Xie Qian go upstairs. Seeing him frozen in place, he rushed over and asked, “Senior, what’s wrong? Why haven’t you gone up yet?”

Xie Qian paused for a few seconds, calculating the driving time from Jinhe to Xiaoshan—it would take a little over two hours.

He turned slightly, the tailored, fleece-lined wool coat swirling around him as he moved. “Li An, lend me your car.”

Li An didn’t quite understand what was going on but still nodded. “Sure. Just take it.”

Just then, the staff member returned with the room card. Xie Qian took it and turned to walk quickly toward the Rolls-Royce still parked by the curb.

He moved fast—just a few steps and he was already at the car door. Just as he was about to open it, Li An’s voice called out.

“Senior, you’ve been drinking. Don’t drive yourself. Let Old Li take you!”

Xie Qian’s hand paused in midair, then waved lightly. “Alright, I’ll borrow your driver too. I’ll treat you to a feast next time.”

With that, he walked a few steps ahead and got into the back seat. Old Li, catching on quickly, got into the driver’s seat.

“President Xie, where are we headed?”

“Xiaoshan. Sunshine Community in the old district. Please drive fast.”

“Got it,” Old Li answered, immediately stepping harder on the gas.

On the way, Xie Qian tried calling Shi Zhen several times. Each call rang for 59 seconds with no answer.

He took a deep breath, his frown deepening.

Old Li was a local from Xiaoshan. Hearing President Xie’s accent made him feel a sense of familiarity. He figured that if they got there early enough, maybe he could squeeze in a trip home too, which filled him with joy.

Usually, he wouldn’t dare speak to the important people riding in his car, but now he couldn’t help but ask, “President Xie, what are you going to Xiaoshan for?”

“To save someone.”

“Save someone?” Old Li’s eyes widened in surprise. He became intrigued. “President Xie, your hometown is in the northeast, right? You don’t seem like an ordinary person.”

He gave a big thumbs-up. “Whoever you’re saving must be someone really important too, huh?”

Xie Qian hesitated. Important?

What exactly was Shi Zhen’s identity to him?

An internet acquaintance? A friend? Someone he supported financially? A little online pet he spoiled?

None of those really warranted him personally rushing over like some inexperienced teenager.

But he was still in the car, frantically calling her over and over.

There was no logical explanation for it.

Suddenly, Xie Qian felt a tightness in his chest. He cracked the window open a little.

The cold wind hit his face, the chill sinking into his bones. The impulsive heat in his mind gradually began to cool.

After a long pause, Xie Qian finally said, “You could say… she’s really not ordinary.”

Old Li glanced at the rearview mirror and saw President Xie’s hair blown into disarray by the wind, the chaotic strands matching the complicated look on his face—like a tangled mess of black thread that couldn’t be unraveled.

Having been a driver for many years, Old Li knew when to speak and when not to.

He immediately fell silent and just quietly drove even faster.