Page 27

Unfortunately, there was no fruit from her efforts.

She dismissed these thoughts, stretched, and then moved the small wooden table outside, unfolding it neatly.

"Nie Nie," Mrs. Li led a ten-year-old boy over, her hand holding a long wallet as she greeted them.

Chu Yuening stood up with a smile. "Mrs. Li, you look well."

"I owe it all to you. I could finally get a good night's rest to replenish my energy," Mrs. Li said, opening her wallet and extracting a check. She passed it over. "The agreed two thousand. Make sure to keep it safe, alright?"

"Thank you." Chu Yuening took the check and placed it in her designated money pouch.

Recalling the incident where she had asked Yuening to take away the peach blossom pot, Mrs. Li still felt a lingering fear. "I'm just glad you're okay. When the police called me today, you have no idea how terrified I was."

As she spoke, tears welled up in Mrs. Li's eyes. "I've always treated Arong as my own child, never laying a finger on him or scolding him. I can't fathom how he turned into such a monstrous murderer."

When Mrs. Li adopted Arong, he was just a few months old. Despite her best efforts in upbringing him, she never imagined that he would become a killer.

Thinking of the innocent girls who had perished and the massive failure in her parenting, Mrs. Li was overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow.

"I don't even know if I can raise this little one properly," Li Shi'ai sighed, patting the boy's head affectionately.

"Don't overthink it. Some people are just born bad, no matter who raises them," Chu Yuening comforted her before taking out a pineapple popsicle from the ice cream box and offering it to the boy.

The plump child hesitated to take it, glancing at Li Shi'ai for approval. Only when she nodded did he extend his pudgy hand to accept the treat, revealing a row of tiny white teeth as he peeled back the wrapper. "Thank you, big sister."

"You're welcome," Chu Yuening assessed the boy's fate with a single glance. Before the age of ten, he had been alone and destitute, destined for a life of poverty and obscurity. But the moment Li Shi'ai decided to adopt him, his fortunes took a dramatic turn for the better.

In the future, he would become a prominent figure in Hong Kong.

She reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, her eyes crinkling with a warm smile.

"Be good and don't make Auntie Li angry, alright?"

Chapter 15

"Got it, big sis." The plump boy spoke in a soft voice.

Worries still etched on her face, Auntie Li looked on with concern.

Seeing through her thoughts, Chu Yuening reassured her, "Don't worry. As long as he's guided properly, there'll be no issue."

"Really?" Auntie Li breathed a sigh of relief and patted the boy's head. "Fanfan, say goodbye to your sister."

Fanfan waved, then followed Auntie Li out.

Zhang Jiande and Lin Jiahua leaned against each other, observing how Fanfan constantly supported Auntie Li. They couldn't help but comment.

"At least little Fanfan is filial."

"He seems more promising than his older brother, no matter how you look at it."

"Tsk, why bring up a murderer for? Let's just pray that little Fanfan doesn't follow in the footsteps of that criminal."

Chu Yuening bent down to pick up a rag, meticulously cleaning the glass cabinet. A voice interrupted her actions.

"Master Chu."

Chu Yuening put down the cloth and rose to look over.

Opposite the street, a red Ferrari was parked in a slot. The lady who stepped out had a voluminous curly hairstyle, wore cat-eye sunglasses, and donned a red suit dress, exuding both glamour and fashion.

"Woah." Zhang Jiande's eyes immediately lit up as he joked with his cigarette holder, "A beautiful lady indeed makes the air of Temple Street different – she's like a living Fire Rose, Ouyang Haichao."

Fire Rose was a popular TV series in Hong Kong lately, with the lead character, Ouyang Haichao, known for her trendy attire. It had achieved record-breaking viewership ratings since its debut.

Especially for Zhang Jiande, who followed the series religiously every night.

"Beautiful, yes, but..." Lin Jiahua nudged Zhang Jiande in the chest, "She seems familiar. Do you know her?"

"Hmm? You're right, she does seem familiar."

As Zhang Jiande finished his sentence, the lady approached the stall, removed her sunglasses, and greeted with a smile, "Master Chu, it's been a long time."

Upon seeing the person's appearance, Zhang Jiande hastily coughed and, holding his cigarette holder, turned Lin Jiahua's head around. He whispered, "She's the female lead who has three male partners."

"Miss He Liangtai," Lin Jiahua exclaimed in surprise. "How did her aura change so much?"

He Shifei had previously presented herself as a Hong Kong socialite. Though she wasn't from a poor family and wore branded items, she seemed like an empty vase without a backbone.

The current He Shifei, however, appeared to have undergone a complete transformation.

Her eyes, which were swollen from crying, now sparkled with vitality, as if a wilted rose had been rejuvenated.

Hearing their conversation, He Shifei smiled and clarified their doubts. "Thanks to Master Chu, I was able to escape my predicament and start anew."

"I'm glad you've come to terms with it." Chu Yuening gestured for them to sit down, slightly intrigued. "Have you taken care of everything that followed?"

"All is settled," He Shifei said, sitting down with gratitude. "If not for your foresight in uncovering my ex-husband's property transfer, I wouldn't have been able to reclaim what belonged to me. Perhaps, I would truly have spent the rest of my life in poverty."

"Nonetheless, it's for the best that I finally realized men can't be relied upon."

After speaking, He Shifei took out a business card from her suit pocket and handed it to Chu Yuening. "After retrieving what was owed, I started a new cosmetics company, mainly dealing with Asian cosmetics. Currently, there's a popular Japanese brand that's only available at my store in all of Hong Kong. If Master Chu is interested in this brand, feel free to visit my company and choose something."

"Just picking cosmetics, nothing else?" Chu Yuening raised an eyebrow.

"You can never hide anything from me," He Shifei replied with a smile. "If time permits, I was hoping you could also check the feng shui at my company. We can discuss the price."

Chu Yuening had also agreed to help Uncle Jian's daughter pass on peacefully. "That will have to wait a few days."

"No problem at all," He Shifei said as she stood up. "I'll head back to the office then."

As He Shifei crossed the road, someone chased after her to stop her.

The auntie took one look at the red Ferrari and knew that He Shifei was wealthy. Her calculations began swiftly.