Chapter 81: Ideas Flow, Actions Follow

Chapter 81: Ideas Flow, Actions Follow

The curtains were pulled back, and the room suddenly became bright.

Lin Yufan stood at the entrance of the walk-in closet, standing at a distance from Ji Shuping.

Ji Shuping was being held by Brother Bing. Her gaze swept over with resentment, sharpness, and unwillingness.

Ji Shuping glared at Lin Yufan, thinking that Lin Yufan, a sheltered wealthy lady, wouldn’t dare meet her eyes.

But that was not the case.

Lin Yufan met her gaze with equal coldness.

Lin Yufan kept her distance to protect herself and her unborn child—not because she was truly afraid of Ji Shuping.

Ji Shuping was hauled out.

The living room phone rang. Zhao Zhiao answered it, while Lin Yufan opened the window to air the room.

Just as she opened the window, she heard commotion from the hallway.

Screams and shouts echoed.

Lin Yufan rushed to the living room, where Zhao Zhiao, having hung up, stood in the hallway.

"Stay back! Come closer, and I’ll kill her!" It was Ji Shuping’s voice.

Lin Yufan stood at the entrance of the living room and quickly glanced out.

Ji Shuping had taken a maid hostage, her coat open, explosives strapped to her body.

Brother Bing aimed his gun at Ji Shuping, creating a standoff.

The maid had come upstairs and stumbled upon Brother Bing escorting Ji Shuping out. Somehow, Ji Shuping seized the opportunity to take her hostage.

Zhao Zhiao whispered to his wife, "It's dangerous outside—don’t come out."

They exchanged a look. Lin Yufan saw him glance at the gun on the table, then forward, and instantly understood.

Ji Shuping inched toward the staircase, one hand gripping the maid’s neck, the other pressing on the bomb strapped to her body: "Drop your weapons, or we all die. I’m already dead—if you don’t let me go, I’ll take you all with me!"

As Ji Shuping moved toward the staircase, A Bing and the others had no choice but to retreat.

She shouted, "Zhao Zhiao, put your gun on the ground! And A Bing and his men too! All weapons on the ground."

Zhao Zhiao complied. He placed his gun on the floor and ordered, "A Bing, drop your gun!"

A Bing and the bodyguards who had arrived behind him all dropped their guns.

Zhao Zhiao stepped slowly toward Ji Shuping, but Ji Shuping warned, "Don't come any closer!"

"Release the maid—she’s innocent," Zhao Zhiao said. "Take me hostage instead. Use me to exchange for her. With all those bombs on you, no one dares to do anything to you. I also don’t want you to blow up my building." At the same time, he instructed his men, "Prepare a car for Miss Ji. Shu Ping, I’m coming over now. I have no weapons—you can take me hostage."

Ji Shuping suspected Zhao Zhiao had other intentions, but if he made any moves, she could take him down with her. Then the revenge of the Ji family would be avenged.

She watched warily, her eyes darting between A Bing and Zhao Zhiao.

As Zhao Zhiao walked towards the staircase, Lin Yufan had already picked up the gun from the table, passed through Zhao Zhiao's walk-in closet from the living room, and reached his bedroom door.

Out in the hallway, Zhao Zhiao's voice grew closer.

"Ji Shuping, let go of that little girl. She's so scared her legs have gone weak. Dragging her downstairs won't be easy for you. How about I tie my own hands first, and you can take me hostage? When I go down, someone will naturally open the door."

Hearing him deliberately emphasize the words "open the door," Lin Yufan quickly opened the bedroom door and handed the gun over.

Zhao Zhiao moved so quickly that Lin Yufan barely saw what happened, but she heard two gunshots ring out.

Immediately after, there was a scream, likely from the terrified little girl being held hostage, screaming hysterically.

Zhao Zhiao put the gun away, pushed the door open, and wrapped his jacket around Lin Yufan, pulling her close to prevent her from stepping out to look.

"Wait until they’ve cleaned up and it’s safe before you step out."

Ji Shuping was strapped with explosives, so Zhao Zhiao wouldn’t risk shooting her anywhere else. The only fatal spot he could aim for was her head.

It must have been a direct headshot; you can imagine how gruesome the scene was.

They returned to the living room, and Gui Xiang knocked and came in to keep Lin Yufan company.

Only then did Zhao Zhiao step out.

Gui Xiang's face was pale with fear: "How could this happen? Has second madam lost her mind? Strapped with explosives and holding Ah Fang hostage, she scared us to death. I was terrified her explosives would go off and harm you."

Lin Yufan: "She was at the staircase, far enough from my room. I wasn’t scared, so why are you? Hurry and get someone to clean the bedroom. Change the sheets and pillowcases."

"No need to call anyone else; I’ll handle it," Gui Xiang responded.

*

St. Mary's Hospital.

Finally, the lights in the operating room went off, and upon hearing the doctor announce that the surgery was successful, Wang Junyao was so happy she nearly cried.

After arranging Zhao Lixiang in the intensive care unit, she looked back and saw only Hui Lan and Kang Nian beside her.

"Wasn't Zhi Ao here just now? Where did he go?"

Kang Nian replied: "It seems he had some urgent matter to attend to."

Wang Junyao knew that only something significant could call Zhao Zhiao away at such a time, so she didn't ask further.

"What about Shu Ping? Why hasn't she come? Did she oversleep?"

Hui Lan asked: "Should I call second madam?"

Wang Junyao quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need. She didn’t sleep all last night either, let her rest well."

Now that her son had overcome this crisis, and if her daughter-in-law could safely give her a grandson, she would be content.

After staying at the hospital for a while, Kang Nian persuaded her to go home and rest, and return tomorrow when Li Xiang woke up. Wang Junyao then thought of going to the Ji family to tell Ji Shuping the good news and bring her home.

Just as she reached the downstairs, she saw an ambulance bringing someone down, with a nurse whispering: "Headshot, no chance of saving them. Once confirmed dead, take them to the morgue."

Wang Junyao, feeling a bit uneasy, moved aside but saw Shen Te standing next to the ambulance.

"Why is Shen Te here?" As she spoke, Wang Junyao looked at the person being carried down from the ambulance, but the white cloth blocked her view.

Shen Te also saw them and came forward to greet them: "Madam."

Wang Junyao nodded towards the end of the corridor and whispered, "Who is that?"

Shen Te replied calmly, "It's Ji Shuping."

He didn't call her the Second Young Mistress but directly by her name.

"What? Who did you say that was?" Wang Junyao thought she misheard, her voice rising sharply.

"Ji Shuping. She was wearing explosives, threatened to kill people, and was shot dead."

How could Shu Ping kill someone?

Was there a mistake?

What about her grandson?

"No..."

Blood rushed to her head, and Wang Junyao fainted.

Hui Lan and Shen Te quickly supported her in fright.

After an unknown period, Wang Junyao woke up in the hospital room, her hand moving slightly.

Seeing her open her eyes, Hui Lan hurried over to help her sit up, placing a pillow behind her back: "Madam, you're awake? Would you like some water?"

She brought grape water and fed it to Wang Junyao.

It took her a while to remember she was in the hospital and to recall what had just happened.

"I just dreamed of the old man. He spent his life being cruel, and even in death, he doesn't protect his family. Li Xiang's in trouble, Shu Ping's gone, and the child's gone too. What good is he?"

Hui Lan had already learned some details: "Madam, Ji Shuping was no good! She pushed the Second Young Master off the building."

"What?" Wang Junyao pushed away the water cup Hui Lan offered, "How could that be?"

"How could that not be? She wasn't pregnant at all. She wanted to marry into the Zhao family to get their money. After being exposed, she strapped bombs to herself and took Ah Fang as a hostage..."

Wang Junyao was confused, "What Ah Fang?"

"Ah Fang, the maid who serves the Second Concubine on the third floor."

"You just said Shu Ping wasn't pregnant?"

"Yes. She wasn't pregnant. She lied to you and the Second Young Master."

Not pregnant? A liar?

Wang Junyao was stunned, unable to believe that the warm, generous, and polite Ji Shuping could be such a person.

"Could there be a mistake?! She inherited quite a bit of wealth, didn't she? How could she..."

Hui Lan whispered to Wang Junyao, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. The Ji family's wealth is nothing compared to what the Eldest Master has. She surely wanted more. When the Second Young Master wakes up, you can ask him."

Wang Junyao couldn't believe this was the truth.

She leaned back on the pillow, thinking for a long time, and finally came up with a phrase, "I've let a wolf into our home!"

"No," Hui Lan comforted, "Didn't you later prefer Miss Xu more? It was the Second Young Master's own choice."

"He brought this upon himself."

Hui Lan handed her the glass of water again: "Don’t dwell on it. Have some glucose water—the doctor recommended it."

Wang Junyao reluctantly took a sip.

Hui Lan whispered: "Ji Shuping’s pregnancy was fake, but the First Madam is genuinely pregnant. You, as the grandmother, are still in a secure position."

"Really? Who told you that?" Wang Junyao was doubtful, after all, Zhao Zhiao had three concubines before and none of them got pregnant. She had always assumed it was Zhao Zhiao’s issue.

Hui Lan: "Ms. Guan was just here. She said the First Madam is pregnant and isn’t feeling well, so she won’t come today but will visit tomorrow."

Wang Junyao was momentarily stunned. Even if Zhao Lixiang recovers, he’ll likely be paralyzed and unable to father children.

She sighed: "Well, it’s a good thing she’s pregnant. At least the Zhao family line won’t end."

"Yes. A new addition to the family is the greatest blessing. The gold lock and necklace you prepared for Ji Shuping’s child can still be used."

Wang Junyao frowned: "No, it’s too inauspicious. Take them to the gold shop and sell them for me another day. I’ll have new ones made."

Wang Junyao remained in the hospital for recovery and didn’t return home.

The next day, Zhao Lixiang woke up, glanced around the room, didn’t see Ji Shuping, and muttered something.

Wang Junyao couldn’t make it out, but Hui Lan’s sharp ears caught it: "The second young master said to report it to the police."

Wang Junyao comforted him: "There’s no need to call the police. Ji Shuping brought this on herself—she was shot in the head."

Hearing this, Zhao Lixiang stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time.

He recalled what Ji Shuping had said before she kicked him downstairs, realizing he meant nothing to her.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, too.

Except to his mother and elder brother.

In the following days, Zhao Zhiao visited him nearly every day after work. When Wang Junyao was discharged, Lin Yufan came as well.

She didn’t speak to Zhao Lixiang or offer him comfort, only greeting Wang Junyao.

Wang Junyao finally returned to the Zhao family garden, burning incense and praying for Zhao Lixiang’s swift recovery.

*

Recently, besides writing "Sorceress Legend," Lin Yufan started working on another novel she had conceived.

Most of the time she stayed at home, only going to the publishing house for meetings.

That day, she had just finished writing a chapter and stretched contentedly.

The baby in her womb was very well-behaved. She wasn’t showing yet, and aside from being extra sleepy and having heightened senses of smell and taste, everything else was normal.

Lin Yuwu came to report work to her.

In the living room, Lin Yufan was eating sliced star fruit.

Lin Yuwu also had a piece: "Wow, so sour!"

"I was sleepy just now, eating two slices made me not sleepy anymore."

Lin Yuwu: "Let me tell you something, you’ll be even less sleepy. That awful magazine, 'Splendor,' had someone write two reviews of 'The Passionate Tenant,' which were published in the latest issue..."

Lin Yufan hadn't read the latest issue of Fenghua Magazine yet. She asked, "What did they say?"

"What did they say? What good could they possibly say? The most insulting comment was that 'The Passionate Tenant' was made for uncultured people. This has led to many people following the trend and criticizing 'The Passionate Tenant'!"

"Did it affect ticket sales?"

Lin Yuwu was slightly taken aback: "Not really. After their criticism, the ticket sales, which had been slowing down, didn’t drop but instead rose. It's estimated that the 100,000 ticket sales mark will be broken in the next couple of days."

Lin Yufan couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Yuwu was still angry: "How can you still laugh?"

"Let them talk. We’re still making money," she said indifferently.

Lin Yuwu gritted his teeth: "Once we break the 100,000 mark, I’ll get reporters to run a few articles, making a big splash! I'll tell them, thanks to their promotion, the audience loves it. That'll really piss them off."

Lin Yufan agreed: "Since we haven't spent all the marketing budget yet, you handle it as you see fit."

"Also... I’ll send someone over with the latest issue of Fenghua Magazine later. Their editor-in-chief, Chui Zhu, has accused you of something in another article."

Lin Yufan was curious: "What did he accuse me of?"

"He accused you of paying people to pose as readers in 'The Language Grove,' calling yourself the 'White-Haired Monster,' like a self-promoting old hag. That’s defamation! I've already gathered evidence and will have Lawyer Yan sue him!"

Lin Yufan had been in a good mood recently and wasn't angered by the accusation.

But not being angry didn't mean she would let others defame her freely. "This lawsuit can be pursued. Lawyer Yan knows how to handle them."

Lin Yuwu finally laughed, "Lawyer Yan is indeed formidable. The main difference here compared to Haicheng is that with money, you can hire a good lawyer and really do as you please."

Lin Yufan: "Who's doing as they please? I'm running a legitimate business, engaging in legal trade. If they don't provoke me, I won't randomly sue others."

"I wasn’t referring to you; it’s just a metaphor. By the way, after the commercial district plan in Hong Kong City was announced last week, I received a lot of calls from people wanting to buy Guibei Mountain. I had my subordinates meet them, and most were trying to lowball, some even offering 200,000. I think Mr. Liu’s behind this, trying to stir up trouble and push the price down." After all, Lin Yuwu had used this tactic himself when buying the paper mill.

Lin Yufan asked, "How much did Mr. Liu eventually offer?"

"328,000. Down to the last cent. It's the highest offer we've received recently."

Lin Yufan took out a phone number from the small table, "This is someone introduced by Lady Luo’s wife, also interested in buying Guibei Mountain. You might want to reach out to them."

"Didn't you give them my office number? Let them contact me! If I reach out first, it shifts the power balance. I'd be the one seeking them out, naturally lowering my stance. If they contact me, it means they're the ones eager to buy, and I hold the upper hand."

Lin Yuwu always had his reasoning for everything he did.

Lin Yufan respected him: "I also gave your number to Lady Luo’s wife. The buyer should contact you. It's said to be the largest property developer in Hong Kong City. I gave you this number as a backup."

Upon hearing it was the largest property developer in Hong Kong City, Lin Yuwu quickly asked, "Is it Desheng Real Estate, surnamed Zhang?"

"Seems like it."

"This developer should be good. Zhi Ao seems to know them well. Let's see how much they're willing to offer."

By the afternoon, Lin Yuwu hurried over again, saying Desheng Real Estate had directly offered 1.2 million.

He was practically giddy: "1.2 million, should we sell?"

Selling for 1.2 million, his cut would be huge.

Lin Yufan held her Fifth Brother back: "Hold on, let’s not jump the gun."

Lin Yuwu admired Lin Yufan not just for her foresight but also for her composure.

"Alright. I’ll wait patiently. Since we hold Turtleback Mountain, we have the upper hand. They mentioned another way to collaborate and want to meet with you in person."

Lin Yufan asked, "What is this other form of collaboration?"

"He insisted on discussing it with you face-to-face."

"Who reached out to you from Desheng Real Estate?"

Lin Yuwu replied, "Zhang Wei, the general manager of Desheng Real Estate, who’s apparently the owner’s third son. Do you want to meet him?"

Lin Yufan thought for a moment, "Let’s hold off for now; there’s no need to rush into a meeting."

"Alright. By the way, Shen Jie, his wife, and Lan Bing are coming later to talk about the movie script. You haven’t forgotten, have you?"

Lin Yufan said, "I haven’t forgotten."

Half an hour later, Shen Jie, Gu Huiling, and Lan Bing arrived and gathered in the first-floor tea room for a script meeting.

The five scripts each had their pros and cons, and everyone had different opinions and preferences.

They were stuck between a literary script celebrating maternal love and a script about a housewife caught up in a murder case.

Lan Bing wanted to do the murder case, but Shen Jie and Gu Huiling pushed for the maternal love story.

Gu Huiling's opinion was, "This maternal love story is so moving. I was crying while reading it. Making it wouldn’t just get good reviews—it would resonate with audiences, and the box office could be solid."

Lan Bing remained unsure.

The final call was up to Lin Yufan, who didn’t decide right away.

"Let me mull it over. I’ll review both scripts more thoroughly. You all think it over too. We’ll meet at Square Inch Pictures next Monday to make the final call."

*

After work, Zhao Zhiao went to the hospital to see his younger brother, who was being treated for a head injury and a spinal injury.

If the spinal injury didn’t heal, he’d be bedridden for life.

That would be unbearable—life would just be a living hell.

Zhao Zhiao still wanted to try his best, hoping that even if a full recovery wasn’t possible, his brother could at least use a wheelchair.

Zhao Lixiang, wracked with guilt, had been surprisingly cooperative with treatment lately.

This brought Zhao Zhiao some solace.

Back from the hospital, he stopped by Lin Yufan’s room to talk for a bit before heading to the study to take care of some business.

Around nine, Ms. Guan knocked and came in.

She handed him a cassette tape, saying, "This is a recording of a call Ji Shuping got at the Ji family’s small building the morning of the assassination attempt. Yang Liu just delivered it."

Zhao Zhiao took the tape, popped it into the radio, turned down the volume, and hit play.

When Ji Shuping called the other person 'Eagle,' Zhao Zhiao paused for a moment. After the recording finished playing, he rewound it and listened again.

"Is this man Eagle?"

Ms. Guan replied, "It should be. We traced the call through the phone company. Want to guess where Eagle called from?"

From Ms. Guan's tone, did Zhao Zhiao know or recognize this place?

He couldn't help but ask, "Where?"

Ms. Guan replied, "The second floor of the National Government Hong Kong Office."

Zhao Zhiao was surprised, "The Eagle is at the Hong Kong Office?"

Ms. Guan confirmed, "Yes."

The Eagle was indeed hidden within their own system.

Zhao Zhiao said, "That narrows the scope significantly."

Ms. Guan pursed her lips and said, "Over a hundred people still have access to the second-floor offices at the Hong Kong Office. Unfortunately, the phone company couldn't trace which extension made the call. If we could find that out, it would be much easier."

Zhao Zhiao suggested, "Have Chui Zhu listen to it and see if he can recognize the voice."

"Yang Liu gave the recording to Chui Zhu as soon as she got it. Chui Zhu listened to it repeatedly but couldn't identify it. The Eagle's voice in the call was likely processed by himself."

It's typical for the voice to be intentionally altered, which aligns with the Eagle's cautious nature.

Zhao Zhiao asked, "What time did they make this call?"

"Around 10:30 in the morning."

Zhao Zhiao tried to analyze, "On a weekday morning, all offices at the Hong Kong Office should be staffed. Making such a long call undisturbed suggests this person isn't in a shared public office. The first possibility is that he has his own office. The second possibility is that the office is unique, and his colleagues are often out on assignments, making it easier for him to make a call without being noticed."

Ms. Guan nodded, "Makes sense. I'll relay this analysis to Chui Zhu later. He knows the Hong Kong Office best and can help narrow it down."

Zhao Zhiao added, "Another odd thing is that the Eagle told Ji Shuping, 'Your family's revenge is also mine. I will definitely avenge your father and brother.' Could this mean the Eagle knows the Ji family well? Or was it just a platitude to reassure Ji Shuping?"

Ms. Guan pondered slightly, "Yang Liu and I analyzed this statement. We both believe the Eagle likely knows other Ji family members, such as Ji Shukuan, who's probably his subordinate, and he likely knows Commander Ji too."

Zhao Zhiao opened his clearance plan notebook. He noted these traits on the Eagle's page, adding a '?' since it was uncertain.

Later, they cross-referenced the personnel lists from the two main clearance plans. After eliminating Ji Shuping, their main tasks were finding the Eagle and the Fox, and organizing the branch lists.

After about half an hour of discussion, Ms. Guan left with the tape.

Zhao Zhiao sat quietly for a moment before heading to the bedroom.

After the renovation, Lin Yufan had her own study but preferred writing in the bedroom.

She felt safer in the bedroom, writing faster, smoother, and more immersed.

When Zhao Zhiao entered, she was writing. After his shower, she was still at it.

"It's ten o'clock, aren't you going to rest?"

Lin Yufan said, "I'm in the zone. I want to finish this section before bed."

Zhao Zhiao didn't persuade her further. He sat on the sofa, picked up a magazine from her desk, and started reading.

He came across Chui Zhu's insinuations about Lin Yufan and hissed, "This Chui Zhu is asking for it."

Lin Yufan, afraid that Zhao Zhiao would send someone to beat Chui Zhu, quickly said, "I've already asked Lawyer Yan to deal with him. You don't need to worry about it."

Zhao Zhiao glanced at her again. Her complexion had improved compared to before. When she lowered her head to write seriously, she exuded a quiet and serene beauty.

"That jerk’s been taken care of. When are you gonna take care of me, Mrs. Lin? Huh?"

Lin Yufan understood what he meant. She continued writing with a smile, not looking up, "Use your own hands, take care of it yourself."

He stayed quiet, just sitting there on the couch.

After a while, she finished a paragraph and was ready to take a break when she suddenly felt a breeze at her feet. Before she could peek under the tablecloth, her robe was pushed aside.

His breath brushed against her thighs.

Then, a wave of warmth spread through her.

She looked down and asked, "What are you doing?"

He replied, "Inspiration flows above, and below, well, there’s a different kind of flow. You continue yours, I'll continue mine."

Her legs turned to jelly, her whole body buzzing. How could she focus on writing when all she could think about was the sensation?

A noise came from outside. Lin Yufan remembered she wanted to eat lychees and had asked Gui Xiang to fetch them from downstairs.

She whispered urgently, "Get up, Gui Xiang’s coming!"

He didn’t stop, his tongue still working its magic.

The door opened, and Gui Xiang entered.

"Miss, this is all the lychees we’ve got left. The kitchen said they'll bring fresh ones tomorrow morning."

Lin Yufan scooted further in, trying to hide everything under the tablecloth, but moving in only brought her closer to his mouth, the sensation nearly making her moan.

Gui Xiang placed the lychees on the desk. Noticing Lin Yufan’s flushed cheeks, she asked worriedly, "Miss, are you okay?"

She reached out to feel Lin Yufan’s forehead, worried she might be running a fever.

"No fever."

Zhao Zhiao went deeper, even giving a teasing bite.

She sucked in a quiet breath.

Zhao Zhiao was wild, and so was Lin Yufan. She should’ve sent Gui Xiang away, but instead, she wanted to see how long he could keep going under there.

"Gui Xiang, help me make the bed."

After telling Gui Xiang to make the bed, she had her tidy up the wardrobe until the guy under the table was completely numb, she finally let up.

Once Gui Xiang was gone, Zhao Zhiao stood up, took a second to recover, and then scooped her up.

Lin Yufan wrapped her arms around his neck, teasing, "Think you’ll dare do that again?"

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

It’d been three months, and he was itching to take things slow.