Xu Qingyan felt slightly awkward, never expecting this person to be so sensitive. Honestly, she had an indescribable feeling towards Cheng Ran. His countenance was like a poisoned drink and a sharp blade, tainting the calmness on the surface and shattering the cage of memories. It had caused her to dream about past events incessantly, disrupting the tranquility within her heart.

Xu Qingyan knew that it would be best to avoid any further involvement with this person, yet they had come knocking on her door…

“Dr. Xu?”

Xu Qingyan snapped back to reality, “Yes.”

Cheng Ran’s voice carried a pleasant tone through the phone, “Are you at the entrance of Jiro’s Cuisine?”

Xu Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat as she instinctively looked around, but his figure was nowhere to be seen.

Seemingly anticipating her search, Cheng Ran chuckled, “I’ve already left. I happened to catch a glimpse of you. The private room I was in should be empty now. I’ve informed the restaurant owner, so you can go right in.”

Glancing at the never-ending queue, Xu Qingyan felt that this person didn’t seem to value formalities much, so she thanked him and declined his offer.

“Why are you being so polite, Dr. Xu? I’ve taken note of everything you reminded me of last time, so I should be the one saying thank you,” Cheng Ran said.

After ending the call, Ling Qiao approached Xu Qingyan and asked, “Oh, whose call was that?”

“It was a friend,” Xu Qingyan replied, considering him somewhat of a friend. “Let’s go inside. He saw us earlier and arranged a private room for us.”

Ling Qiao immediately perked up, “Yan’er, you’ve made quite a connection without even making a sound.”

Ignoring her, Xu Qingyan entered the restaurant, but before she could inquire about anything, a woman wearing a kimono approached them with graceful steps. “Excuse me, are you Miss Xu?”

The woman’s Chinese was a bit stiff, indicating she was likely Japanese.

As Xu Qingyan nodded, the woman turned slightly and offered a gentle smile, “Please follow me upstairs.”

Ling Qiao leaned in and whispered softly into Xu Qingyan’s ear, “So, it seems the upstairs is where the private rooms are.”

The narrow wooden staircase posed a challenge as a group of men happened to be descending at the same time. Xu Qingyan had to step aside and wait for them to pass before she could proceed to go upstairs.

When it came to Chinese and Japanese men, despite both being Asian, there was a distinct difference in appearance and temperament. Xu Qingyan vaguely sensed that the group of men were Japanese. They were all dressed in suits, with the leader having a stern and ordinary face. The man behind him, however, seemed more relaxed, even sharing a few laughs with his companions.

As expected, they were speaking Japanese.

As they brushed past each other, the man suddenly cast a glance at Xu Qingyan. She averted her gaze, but in that brief moment of eye contact, she couldn’t help but feel a chilling sensation. Soon, the Japanese men were gone, and Xu Qingyan shook herself back to reality, thinking it was just her imagination.

Ling Qiao approached Xu Qingyan as soon as the men had passed, whispering in her ear, “Did you see that? The guy earlier even groomed his eyebrows.”

Xu Qingyan only remembered his ambiguous smile and hadn’t paid attention to such details. “Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”

“Lots of Japanese men like grooming their eyebrows. I don’t like it; it’s not masculine,” Ling Qiao commented.

Actually, there were only three private rooms upstairs. The Japanese beauty led them to the innermost one and turned back, saying, “Please wait a moment, we are still tidying up inside.”

It was probably the Japanese men from earlier. Cheng Ran mentioned that he had just finished using the private room. Could he have made arrangements with those Japanese individuals? Xu Qingyan didn’t dwell on it too much. 

The room had already been cleaned and arranged. It had a traditional Japanese tatami-style layout, requiring them to take off their shoes. The windows were open, allowing fresh air to circulate, and there were no strange odors.

Ling Qiao’s stomach growled loudly, revealing her hunger. She eagerly flipped open the menu and made some hearty selections. Xu Qingyan casually ordered a couple of dishes as well.

Sipping her genmaicha tea, Ling Qiao waited for the food while commenting on the decoration of the place. Then she said, “What do you think about putting this meal on Cao Datou’s tab?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Make him pay immediately with Alipay.”

“He doesn’t even know where the ambush suspect is hiding. If we force him to foot the bill from miles away, he’ll be furious.”

Ling Qiao burst into laughter, unable to contain her amusement. “I have to admit, just imagining his pitiful expression makes me laugh.”

These two, truly a pair of sworn enemies.

“Oh, by the way, after you left that day, I asked Maestro Zhao for his new album. And guess what? I got the signed version! But that’s not the main point. The main point is, I met this incredibly haaaaaandsome guy,” Ling Qiao exclaimed.

She drew out the word “handsome” and added a playful tone to emphasize the high level of attractiveness this guy possessed. 

Xu Qingyan’s immediately thought of Liang Jiankong, but she maintained her composure and casually asked, “That good looking?”

Ling Qiao waved her finger dismissively in front of Xu Qingyan and scoffed, “Don’t use such cliché terms. He’s got impeccable style, long legs, and he’s a rare gem of a man. Maestro Zhao is not bad either, but he’s a bit older and shorter.”

Zhao Qian’s height was a sensitive spot for him, and Ling Qiao never missed a chance to tease him about it.

Xu Qingyan raised an eyebrow and responded nonchalantly, “So, you judged him to be a high-quality man at first sight?”

“I did some digging. He’s a friend of Maestro Zhao and seems to be involved in sponsorship as well. I believe he’s some kind of a successful businessman,” Ling Qiao explained.

Xu Qingyan took a sip of her tea, choosing not to offer any further comments on the matter.

“Well, what can you do? Nowadays, even in the art world, you have to balance artistry with commercialism. After all, winning awards is also about selling more tickets for performances,” Ling Qiao commented, having spent a significant amount of time in the so-called art circle and gained insights into its workings. “If someone would sponsor and help promote me, I’d be more than happy. Don’t give me that look. I don’t possess your exceptional talent. I’ve only got a couple more years left, and if I can’t secure a contract with an entertainment company or find a sponsor, I’ll have no choice but to become a teacher at a school.”

Deep down, Ling Qiao was also quite talented, but talent was never seen as excessive; it was always perceived as lacking. She was above average in her skills and had won several awards, but none of them carried much weight. Being the only one in her family pursuing this path and lacking influential connections, it was truly challenging for her to shine and stand out from the crowd.

“I’ve actually asked someone to talk to Maestro Zhao and see if they can give me some recommendations,” Ling Qiao revealed.

As Xu Qingyan poured the tea, she was taken aback by Ling Qiao’s statement, causing hot tea to accidentally splash onto her arm. Hastily grabbing a wet towel, she began to wipe it off.

“Be careful, your hands are precious. There are so many people relying on you. Let me handle it,” Xu Qingyan expressed her concern.

Xu Qingyan was genuinely worried about Ling Qiao getting involved with Liang Jiankong. However, she couldn’t find a suitable reason to intervene. After thoughtful consideration, she finally voiced her reservations, “It doesn’t seem quite appropriate to do that. What if Maestro Zhao misunderstands your intentions?”

“I’m just testing the waters, merely saying hello. I don’t have high expectations,” Ling Qiao replied casually.

Seeing Ling Qiao’s nonchalant attitude, Xu Qingyan felt slightly relieved.

The meal was enjoyable, and Ling Qiao actually sent the bill to Cao Jin. However, after waiting for a while, he didn’t respond. Ling Qiao suspected he was playing dead, so she ended up paying the bill herself, intending to ask him for reimbursement later. It seemed like the meal had unintentionally turned into Cao Jin’s treat.

Feeling in high spirits, Xu Qingyan had consumed a fair amount of sake during the meal. As she returned home, she started feeling the effects and realized it was time to freshen up and go to bed.

Habitually reaching into her bag for her phone, she rummaged around but couldn’t find it. She moved closer to the lamp and continued searching. She distinctly remembered putting her phone back into her bag when she got off the car to retrieve her wallet. 

Oh, there it is. Why is it inside a small pouch…?

Suddenly, something caught Xu Qingyan’s attention next to her phone. What could it be?

She pulled out a small black box, perplexed by its presence. Unfamiliar with its contents, she pressed a hidden button, causing the box to spring open, revealing a test tube and a USB drive nestled inside.

Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed through her door, jolting Xu Qingyan out of her thoughts. The effect was akin to a chilling scene from a horror movie, leaving her half-awake. Ever since narrowly escaping danger, she couldn’t shake off the fear that Liang Jiankong might one day snap and send someone to silence her. Each knock on her door struck her heart with trepidation.

The house she rented was an aging building from the 1980s. Back then, Cao Jin had expressed concerns about the lack of security in the area. The entrance to the complex was guarded by a laid-back doorman and his loyal Chinese rural dog, lazily sipping tea and listening to an antiquated radio. However, Xu Qingyan had chosen this place primarily for its proximity to the hospital, despite its apparent vulnerabilities. Now, as the clock ticked past 10 PM, an unexpected visitor had arrived at her doorstep.

Furrowing her brow, she spoke in a hushed tone, “Who is it?”

There was no response from outside, but the knocking continued. The knocks were heavy, but unhurried. Three knocks, a pause, and then it resumed.

Xu Qingyan called out several times, yet still received no response. After a while, the knocking ceased altogether.

An eerie silence fell upon the surroundings. Xu Qingyan slowly rise stood up, instinctively taking two steps back. 

With the knocking gone, a sudden metallic collision resonated from the lock of her door.

Xu Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat, her mind racing through multiple thoughts. The metallic sound grew faster, leaving no time for her to ponder.

Outside, Yorita Naohiro impatiently waited for his subordinate to unlock the door. This dilapidated building drew too much attention, making it difficult for them to make a bold move. They had to act cautiously, a trait that tormented Yoshida’s nature.

“Are you done yet?” he grumbled in a hushed voice. If they opened the door only to find the woman had escaped, it would be a failure. Despite their traps by the door, hey couldn’t be certain she didn’t have a cunning plan up her sleeve.

“This woman is vigilant,” Gao Shan couldn’t help but remark.

“Hmph, the people around Liang Jiankong are just like him. We need to hurry!”

“It’s open!”

With a crisp sound of the lock being opened, Yorita couldn’t contain his impatience any longer. He forcefully kicked open the door and stormed inside. He had expected either an empty room or someone hiding after such a long silence. But to his surprise, as soon as he entered, he found the woman standing calmly in the middle of the living room, staring back at them.

Yorita’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be a trap?

Xu Qingyan looked at the three men barging in, managing to suppress the rising fear within her. The leader of the group seemed to be assessing her, his eyes filled with caution. For a moment, both sides remained silent, locked in a tense standoff.

Although it wasn’t broad daylight, it was still unheard of for someone to brazenly break into a private residence at night. Unfortunately, her next-door neighbours were an elderly couple. The old man fell ill recently and was hospitalized, and the old lady went to the hospital to accompany him. There was no one to notice what was happening. This allowed the intruders to enter without any fear of being caught.

Xu Qingyan maintained a calm expression on her face and asked, “Who are you people, and why did you break into my house?”

As she spoke, she noticed one of the men on the right step forward and whisper something into the leader’s ear. The leader narrowed his eyes and spoke with an icy tone. Xu Qingyan was taken aback. They were Japanese?!

Xu Qingyan wasn’t one to be fooled easily. Her mind immediately connected the dots to the encounter with the Japanese men at the sake bar earlier that night. However, none of the men in front of her seemed to match the appearance of those she encountered at the bar.

“Don’t pretend anymore. Hand over the items,” he demanded with a harsh tone, his Chinese sounding awkward. Despite his menacing demeanor, Xu Qingyan, having faced similar situations before, didn’t falter.

She remained composed and asserted, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You trespassed into my home. If you don’t leave now, I will call the police.”

The leader smirked mysteriously and said something.

One of the men beside him quickly translated, “Calling the police? Woman, aren’t you afraid of putting your own master in danger? I’d like to see how Liang Jiankong will explain this to us!”