Chapter 75: It’s You, Isn’t It?

Chapter 75: It's You, Isn't It?

Zhao Zhiao is already twenty-nine. Many men his age already have kids who are ten or eight.

Therefore, he is filled with surprise and joy at the prospect of becoming a father.

Not being able to have sex isn't a problem; he has other options.

He immediately kissed his wife's forehead. "Did you see a doctor?"

"Yes. I saw an old Chinese medicine doctor for a pulse check."

"Why didn’t you have me come with you?"

Lin Yufan explained, "Lately, my sense of smell and taste have been off. During the foundation ceremony of Mingli Academy this morning, Sister Gu asked if I might be pregnant. I figured my period was a few days late, so it was possible, and I went straight to see a doctor."

He gently caressed her belly, calculating the time. "It’s probably about one month, almost two months now."

"About a month," she said, putting the papers away and standing up.

Zhao Zhiao quickly supported her. "Take it easy."

Lin Yufan smiled. "What’s the big deal about walking? I’m not that delicate. Remember how you bumped into me the other day? It’s scary to think about."

Indeed, it was scary, but he wouldn’t admit it. "It just proves our baby is strong and resilient. A little bump is just exercise."

Lin Yufan rolled her eyes at him and didn’t respond.

"For the next couple of months, you should stay home and not work."

Lin Yufan walked towards the bed. "My job’s not that hard."

Then she fabricated a decree. "The doctor said not to stay stuck at home and to take more walks."

"Aren’t the first three months supposed to be for rest and taking care of the baby? What kind of old Chinese medicine doctor did you see? Tomorrow I’ll accompany you to the hospital for a detailed check-up."

Lin Yufan didn’t want to go. "No need to keep running to the hospital. I’ll make sure to rest and not overexert myself. Don’t worry."

Zhao Zhiao couldn’t do anything about it. "Alright, be careful when you go out, and take Gui Xiang with you from now on."

"Okay," she agreed. "Also, since I just found out, let’s keep it quiet. We’ll tell everyone after three months."

She yawned, pulled back the blanket, and got ready for bed.

Zhao Zhiao covered her with a thin blanket, turned off the lights on both sides, and then lay down beside her.

He hugged her and let out a sigh. "Who said I needed to see a doctor? Look, we’re pregnant!"

He was slightly proud.

Lin Yufan was even prouder. "It’s all thanks to the prescription from the old Chinese medicine doctor."

Zhao Zhiao defended himself. "I’ve never had a problem. Right after we got married, I was mainly worried that you would suspect something. I’ve got three concubines, so why was I so clueless..."

Lin Yufan laughed and stopped teasing him. "It seems the medicine I got for you was the icing on the cake."

He touched her belly, where their little life was growing. What a miraculous thing.

From her belly up, he finally buried his face in her chest. No wonder it felt bigger—she’s pregnant!

His hands and eyes were both precise.

Lin Yufan, worried he might go too far, quickly pushed him away, "Let's sleep. I'm so tired."

Only then did he settle down.

The next morning, Lin Yufan called Sun Jingxi to share the good news.

Sun Jingxi was so thrilled she nearly jumped, her joy palpable even over the phone: "Oh, that's wonderful. No matter how many concubines he has, it's your belly that’s truly productive. If you have a son, it’d be perfect."

Lin Yufan laughed and teased Xi Gu once more, "Luckily, you're not my mother-in-law."

Sun Jingxi: "What does it matter to me whether you have a son or a daughter? It's all the same to me. I’m just thinking about your security. With such a large family business, if you don’t have a son, who’ll inherit it? Zhao Lixiang? That’d be such a waste."

Lin Yufan: "Zhao Zhiao’s business is his hard-earned fortune, not an inheritance from the Zhao family. Why should it go to Zhao Lixiang just because I have a girl? Even if I agreed, Zhao Zhiao wouldn’t."

Sun Jingxi laughed: "If only Zhao Zhiao could truly be that open-minded. But with two concubines still vying for the position, having a son is the safest bet. However, no matter what, having a child, whether a son or a daughter, is a joyous event, a precious gem. What would you like to eat? I'll make something and bring it over."

Lin Yufan: "My appetite hasn’t been great lately, nothing particularly appealing. Xi Gu, you don’t need to bring anything over. Besides you and Gui Xiang, I haven't told anyone else about my pregnancy."

Sun Jingxi was surprised: "You're not telling your mother-in-law?"

Lin Yufan: "Not for now. She’s been in a bad mood lately, Zhao Lixiang has been really upsetting her..."

"True, after all, she's not your real mother, there's always a barrier. Wait until you’re three months along before telling her. Just say you just found out." Sun Jingxi even thought of how to lie for her.

Lin Yufan laughed: "Xi Gu, you’re really sharp."

"Of course."

After chatting for a bit, they hung up. Lin Yufan flipped through the newspaper, and Gui Xiang brought in a bowl of fish maw and chicken soup: "Miss, time for soup."

The kitchen had made two servings of tonic soup that morning, one for Wang Junyao and one for Lin Yufan.

Lin Yufan wasn't particularly fond of these nourishing soups, and drinking them every day would attract attention, so she instructed, "No need to make them daily, every few days is fine."

Gui Xiang urged her: "Miss, you should eat more nourishing food."

Lin Yufan nodded: "An egg a day, some fish and beef, that’s plenty of nutrition."

Gui Xiang, who had learned of Lin Yufan's pregnancy the day before, was so happy she hardly slept all night.

Her mistress, having escaped the oppressive environment of the Second Branch, had finally seen better days, and life would only get better.

Lin Yufan sipped the soup, watching Gui Xiang's smiling face, knowing she was happy for her.

She only drank a small bowl and had Gui Xiang finish the rest.

Taking it to the kitchen might benefit someone else, so it was better to let her own people enjoy it.

Since arriving in Hong Kong, Gui Xiang had gained a little weight, not just because the food was good, but also because there were fewer worries here.

As the only dowry maid of the mistress, the servants at the Zhao family garden respected her, even Hui Lan gave her some leeway.

A relaxed mind naturally leads to a fuller figure.

*

At the Hong Kong office, in Xiao Zepeng's room.

Wang Liu knocked and entered.

Since Xiao Zepeng is particular about appearances, Wang Liu has been dressing to the nines lately, looking sharper than ever.

He asked with a smile, "You needed to see me, Deputy Director Xiao?"

After Wang Liu pulled out a chair and sat down, Xiao Zepeng stopped writing, looked up, and said, "Energy expert Professor Bai Qihe has finally confirmed he’s arriving in Hong Kong the day after tomorrow. You and Deng Kuan will keep him safe."

Wang Liu asked, "Want me to get Deng Kuan?"

"He’s out. I’ll catch him later," Xiao Zepeng replied. "You’ll handle the Liwan Apartment, and Deng Kuan will take care of the Victoria Hotel..."

Wang Liu looked confused. "Why are there two hotels for accommodation?"

Xiao Zepeng slightly raised his eyelids. "You two will cover one real and one decoy location. Yours is the decoy, Deng Kuan’s is the real deal. Understand?"

Wang Liu sort of got it. "So, the Victoria Hotel is where Professor Bai will actually stay?"

Xiao Zepeng nodded. "Exactly. But both locations will have people staying. You need to be careful at the Liwan Apartment as well."

Wang Liu quickly responded, "Even if it’s a decoy, we’ll sell it. Don’t worry, Deputy Director Xiao."

"Tomorrow, I’ll go over the detailed plan with you," Xiao Zepeng instructed. "Keep it under wraps."

Wang Liu agreed and left.

Half an hour later, there was another knock at the door, and this time it was Deng Kuan who entered.

Xiao Zepeng went over it again.

"So, Professor Bai’s staying at the Victoria Hotel on my watch, right?" Deng Kuan asked.

"No," Xiao Zepeng put down his pen and slightly shook his finger. "I fed Wang Liu a lie. I think Wang Liu’s up to something. His solo trip to Cui Yuan’s apartment raised red flags for me."

Deng Kuan was shocked. "Then what’s the plan?"

"The decoy’s the real deal, and the real one’s the decoy," Xiao Zepeng explained. "Wang Liu’s in the dark, but we’re not. This time, Bai Qihe will stay at the Liwan Apartment. However, you’ll still secure the Victoria Hotel."

Deng Kuan suddenly understood and reminded, "If Wang Liu’s clueless and he’s the only one guarding the Liwan Apartment, isn’t that risky?"

"No worries. We’ve got backup," Xiao Zepeng assured. "This stays strictly between us."

"Understood," Deng Kuan reported on recent work and then left.

*

After two days at home, Lin Yufan swung by the publishing house and came back early.

She went to the study to find Zhao Zhiao, knocked on the door, and found him flipping through a thick Kangxi dictionary.

Seeing her enter, he looked up and smiled. "I’m picking out names for the baby."

"We don’t even know the gender yet, why the rush?" she teased.

"Just taking a breather," he stood up and pulled out a chair for her. "How are you feeling today? Any nausea?"

"Everything’s normal today. Maybe our child doesn’t like garlic. Everything else is fine, just can’t eat garlic." Lin Yufan didn’t sit on the chair; she went to sit on the sofa.

Just as she sat down, there was a knock at the door. It was Ms. Guan.

Ms. Guan entered and said softly, "There's an update."

Since Lin Yufan successfully rescued Zhang Aiming and learned about Ms. Guan's identity, Ms. Guan and Zhao Zhiao usually didn't avoid her when discussing work.

Zhao Zhiao asked, "What is it?"

Ms. Guan replied, "Jing Ji sent the latest intel. Bai Qihe is arriving in Hong Kong the day after tomorrow."

Zhao Zhiao nodded slightly, "It aligns with the intel from Guangzhou."

"Yes. Currently, Xiao Zepeng has arranged one genuine and one decoy reception point. Bai Qihe will stay at the Liwan Apartments, which appear to be vacant." Ms. Guan placed the map she brought on the table, "Liwan Apartments are here."

Zhao Zhiao glanced at the location of the Liwan Apartments and frowned slightly, "This location is easily defensible but difficult to assault."

"Exactly. We need to figure out a plan. We can't do it alone."

"Wasn't the energy expert supposed to meet a friend?"

Ms. Guan shook her head, "His friend likely wants to avoid trouble and found an excuse to cancel the meeting. The Nationalist Government has now requested Professor Bai to meet with Johnson, the American energy expert. This news came out of nowhere. We have no intel on Johnson's whereabouts in Hong Kong, nor do we know his accommodations. We can't track him."

As she spoke, Ms. Guan handed over a paper cutout, "Here's Johnson's photo from a magazine."

He appeared to be in his fifties, sporting a thick beard.

Lin Yufan sat by, just observing, unable to contribute. Realizing they needed to discuss more, she stepped out.

*

Sun Jingxi had accidentally sprained her back, so Lin Yufan visited her at Wei Yin Apartments.

After leaving Xi Gu's place, Lian Jin's door was silent. Unsure if she was home, Lin Yufan left her be.

She headed to Pengnian Hotel to inspect the venue with Gu Huiling.

Square Inch Pictures planned to host *The Gold Heist*'s closing celebration and *The Passionate Tenant*'s premiere at Pengnian Hotel's banquet hall.

Lin Yufan didn't originally need to handle this herself, but she had some free time recently. After inspecting the venue with Gu Huiling, they planned to have tea and discuss their next film.

Arriving at Pengnian Hotel, though it was in a bustling area, there weren't many pedestrians on the street.

Gu Huiling was already waiting at the entrance, "Yufan!"

"Ms. Gu! Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just arrived. Let's go, their banquet hall is on the first floor."

They walked in, and the hotel manager led them to the banquet hall. The banquet hall here was large enough to host both Western and Chinese banquets.

Mainly, Gu Huiling and her secretary coordinated with the hotel staff. Lin Yufan just listened on the side, and when Gu Huiling asked for her opinion, she mostly agreed.

Several hotel staff members brought copies of *The Gold Heist* novel for Lin Yufan to sign.

While signing, Lin Yufan looked up and saw a white man in his fifties entering through the main door, heading towards the stairwell.

She could feel several unfriendly glances sweeping over her from the crowd.

The white man seemed to have four or five bodyguards beside him.

He looked somewhat familiar.

In his fifties, with a thick beard...

She suddenly recalled the photo of the American energy expert Johnson she had seen in the study two days ago—it really seemed to be him.

Isn’t this the guy Zhao Zhiao and Ms. Guan have been searching for?

After finishing up with the last guest room manager, Lin Yufan whispered, "Do you get a lot of foreign guests here?"

The guest room manager smiled, "Yes, we have quite a few long-term foreign guests, and they get discounts."

Lin Yufan smiled and thanked her, then looked towards the stairwell, "Is that guy staying here long-term too?"

"Oh, Mr. Johnson? He’s been here for a week—super low-key."

Lin Yufan nodded with a smile, "It’s clear your guests are top-notch."

"Mrs. Zhao, you’re too kind. If you or your friends ever need a hotel, come to me—I’ll get you 20% off."

"Thank you."

"I’m a huge fan of 'Sorceress Legend'—my friends and I think it’s even better than 'The Gold Heist'."

"Really? Thanks so much!"

After chatting with the banquet hall manager, Gu Huiling walked over and smiled, "I’ve wrapped things up over there—how about some afternoon tea here?"

Lin Yufan, eager to leave, found an excuse, "I was supposed to have tea with you, but I totally forgot I’m meeting Zhi Ao to talk about insurance. He and the insurance folks are probably waiting on me. I’ve gotta run—let’s reschedule over the phone."

Gu Huiling smiled, "No problem, go handle your stuff. We’ll catch up tonight."

After leaving the Pengnian Hotel, Lin Yufan told Deng Ge to head straight to Qitian to find Zhao Zhiao, but when she arrived, neither Zhao Zhiao nor Shen Te were there, and the secretary didn't know their whereabouts.

She rushed home and filled Ms. Guan in on spotting Johnson at the Pengnian Hotel.

Ms. Guan was full of surprise, "Madam, your timing is perfect. We were just stressing about finding Johnson. We investigated the Pengnian Hotel before, and Johnson must’ve checked in under a fake name, so we missed him."

Bai Qihe got into Hong Kong this morning, and his crew’s already settled in at Liwan Apartments. We’re still not sure where he’s meeting Johnson.

If we can tail Johnson and find their meeting spot, that’s another option.

After all, pulling off a rescue from Liwan Apartments is no easy task.

Lin Yufan was also anxious for them, "I couldn’t find Zhi Ao, can you notify them?"

Ms. Guan said, "Don’t worry, I will notify them."

*

That evening, Johnson left the Pengnian Hotel and hopped into the car waiting at the entrance.

The car looped around Hong Kong’s east side, turned into a quiet alley, and pulled into a gray two-story house with a garden.

Johnson stayed inside for about two hours before leaving.

Half an hour later, several black-clad men jumped over the wall of the gray two-story house.

The black-clad man in the front directly slit the throat of the person smoking at the back door.

Soon, footsteps were heard at the front door.

Pei Xing was walking in front, talking to Xiao Zheng.

"Let’s grab some fried noodles for Professor Bai after we eat—he’s had a killer headache the past two days and needs to crash tomorrow."

Xiao Zheng also complained, "The weather in this godforsaken place is unbearable. I'm all sticky and uncomfortable all over."

Pei Xing said, "Quit whining. Keep it up, and I’ll send you back to Nanjing—you’ll regret it before you know it."

"Do you think Captain Zhuang and the others are still alive?" Xiao Zheng sighed.

Pei Xing sniffed the air, glanced around, and whispered, "Don’t talk like that."

They got into the car, and Xiao Zheng told the driver the destination. The gate opened, and the car drove out.

Pei Xing gazed out the window and sighed, "They’re probably gone by now."

He was referring to Zhuang Ziguang and three other companions.

For the past couple of weeks, they had been searching everywhere for traces of Zhuang Ziguang, Ah Cai, and a few others, as well as Zhang Aiming, but found nothing.

It was likely a grim outcome—they were probably killed by the Communists.

Suddenly, Pei Xing remembered something and barked, "Xiao Shi, turn around!"

"What’s going on, Captain Pei?"

As the driver turned the car around, Pei Xing kept looking back. "I just remembered that strange smell earlier—it was blood."

"Where?"

"Just now, when we got into the car in the courtyard."

Soon, the car pulled up to the gray Western-style house, but the gate was locked tight. They honked a few times, but no one answered.

Pei Xing and Xiao Zheng jumped out of the car.

Xiao Zheng rushed up and pounded on the door, but the courtyard was dead silent.

Something was wrong!

Something must have happened!

In a rush, Pei Xing scrambled onto the car roof and over the courtyard wall.

The courtyard was empty and silent.

Jumping down, they found the gatehouse guard knocked out cold.

Further in, a large pool of blood lay near the back door, and not far away, behind a stone slab, a person lay motionless.

The back door was wide open.

Xiao Zheng trailed behind Pei Xing, nervously licking his lips as they slipped inside.

Another colleague lay at the staircase, his throat slit. The attacker had been merciless.

Upstairs, two colleagues were groggily coming to after being knocked out.

"Captain... Captain Pei!"

Pei Xing quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

From the end of the hall, a rhythmic thudding came from Bai Qihe’s room.

They crept forward, guns in hand. Pei Xing kicked the door open, only to find their colleague A Xi tied to a chair, his eyes blindfolded with a thick piece of clothing and a cloth stuffed in his mouth.

A Xi kept thrashing around, banging his head against the bookshelf.

Pei Xing went over, pulled off the cloth covering his eyes, and removed the gag from his mouth. He asked, his voice tinged with anger, "What happened? Where’s Professor Bai?"

A Xi said mournfully, "He was snatched by some guys who barged in out of nowhere."

"Damn it! It’s only been a few minutes! I was only gone for a few minutes, and you all couldn’t even keep an eye on him!"

"Hold on, why didn’t they kill you?" Pei Xing glanced at A Xi. "Why didn’t they kill you, or even knock you out?!"

A Xi quickly explained, "Professor Bai talked them out of killing me. Maybe... maybe I treated Professor Bai well, so he begged them for mercy."

Xiao Zheng untied A Xi: "You survived this disaster; good luck’s coming your way."

Pei Xing didn’t have time to ask in detail. He bolted downstairs, hoping to pick up any leads.

*

Zhao Zhiao and Ms. Guan were in the study, waiting for updates.

Ring ring!

The phone rang, and Ms. Guan quickly picked it up: "Hello, Zhao’s Garden… What’s the news?"

Zhao Zhiao looked at Ms. Guan; it must be Yang Liu calling.

After hanging up, Ms. Guan said, "Guang Touli’s crew pulled off the rescue of Professor Bai Qihe. Yang Liu’s already got Professor Bai on a boat headed to Shantou. Someone will meet him there."

Zhao Zhiao finally felt relieved, but then added, "So Bai Qihe wasn’t at Liwan Apartment or Victoria Hotel this time. Thorn fed us false intel."

Ms. Guan was very worried: "Thorn’s gotta be under suspicion. I need to notify him to withdraw immediately."

Zhao Zhiao: "It might be too late. He’s surrounded by agents now. One wrong move, and he’s dead."

Ms. Guan: "Yeah, reaching out now would hand the enemy proof, which would indirectly send him to his grave."

"Figure out a way—get someone totally unrelated to tip him off."

Ms. Guan pondered for a moment: "I have an idea. Get a street vendor to send him stir-fried snails and squid."

Snails pull back, and stir-fried squid means packing up—Thorn’ll get the message.

"We can try that."

*

At Ji Shuping’s place, Zhao Lixiang was fiddling with a camera in the study.

Ji Shuping brought him a bowl of ginger milk curd, "Drink it while it’s still warm."

"Thank you." Zhao Lixiang grabbed it and downed it in one gulp. After finishing, a drop of milky curd clung to the corner of his mouth.

Ji Shuping smiled and dabbed it away with a handkerchief.

"Li Xiang..." she said softly, very gently.

Zhao Lixiang continued fixing the camera: "What is it?"

Ji Shuping lowered her head: "I’ve been on edge lately."

"What are you anxious about?"

"My period's been late for a few days."

Zhao Lixiang looked at her, "I’ll go with you to see a doctor and get checked out. It’ll be okay."

Ji Shuping couldn’t help but feel annoyed, "You’re still playing dumb at a time like this?"

"What’s going on?"

Ji Shuping lost her patience, "What’s going on? You slept with me, remember? Now my period’s late, what if I’m pregnant? If this gets out, how am I supposed to face anyone?"

Zhao Lixiang finally caught on, "Pregnant?" His face went white as he said it.

Ji Shuping muttered, "I’m scared I might be pregnant."

Zhao Lixiang swallowed hard, not daring to step back, he could only move forward, "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it."

In the vacant lot behind the Victoria Hotel.

*

Deng Kuan, Longjing, and the guys were grabbing a late-night bite.

Out of nowhere, three or four cars pulled into the lot and stopped right in front of them.

Deng Kuan and the guys dropped their chopsticks and got to their feet.

Xiao Zepeng was the first to step out of the cars, followed by Wang Liu from another one.

Deng Kuan looked baffled, "Deputy Director Xiao, what brings you all here?"

The fog was thick that night, and Xiao Zepeng just stared at him, silent.

Wang Liu, off to the side, shrugged with a smirk, "You haven’t heard? Professor Bai’s been kidnapped. Turns out we were all just decoys. The real protection was left to those cowards in the Confidential Department."

Deng Kuan was stunned, "What? Who took him?"

"Who knows? Rumor has it the Communists shelled out big money to have the chapter snatch him."

The others crowded around, all talking at once, demanding to know what was happening.

Wang Liu grabbed his chopsticks off the slab, picked up a piece of squid, and started munching.

He kept eating as he filled them in, but then the group went dead silent.

Xiao Zepeng raised his gun, pointing it straight at Wang Liu, and said coldly, "There’s a traitor in our midst!"

Wang Liu was so scared that he dropped his chopsticks, "Director Xiao, I swear it’s not me! Look at me—do I look like a Communist to you?"

The gun turned towards Longjing, who also hurriedly explained, "Director Xiao, I haven’t figured out the situation at all, it’s definitely not me."

The gun then turned further back and stopped in front of Deng Kuan.

Xiao Zepeng, "Deng Kuan, it’s you, isn’t it?!"