Chapter 13 Don’t Trust Her

Chapter 13: Don't Trust Her

Qin Shuyi paused, surprised. "I have heard of her."

She was just surprised to suddenly hear this name from Tang Wei.

Tang Wei, "What do you think of her?"

Qin Shuyi thought for a moment. "She should be a very well-liked person."

Tao Wangxi was in poor health, kept to herself, and rarely socialized. Even so, from Xu Chen to Zhong Mingzhou tonight, they were all besotted with her, and who knew how many more admirers she had.

At the very least, she must possess some captivating qualities.

Tang Wei's lips quirked slightly. "She is indeed someone who easily invokes sympathy and makes people let their guard down."

Before Qin Shuyi could speak, Tang Wei looked at her again, saying cautiously, "But, Miss Qin, if you ever have dealings with her in the future, remember, never trust her."

Qin Shuyi looked surprised.

Tang Wei pressed her lips into a thin line. "She... is not what she appears to be."

When Tang Wei was still by Ling Jue's side, she had met this delicate beauty a few times.

She seemed very approachable, like a beautiful, fragile glass lamp. Even towards someone of Tang Wei's status, she was very amiable. It was hard to dislike her upon first meeting.

At that time, Tang Wei didn't know Tao Wangxi had feelings for Ling Jue.

She only thought of her as one of the more pleasant young ladies from that circle.

But not long after, there was the incident where Ling Jue's ex-girlfriend came back to harass Master Jue and ended up causing Tao Wangxi to have an episode.

Tang Wei saw with her own eyes that Tao Wangxi was the one who actively picked up the glass of drugged wine that she drank.

Moreover, she knew.

She knew that glass of wine had been drugged.

Not only did that woman later tell Tang Wei she had been framed, but also because when Tao Wangxi picked up the glass, she happened to make eye contact with Tang Wei, who was not far away.

She stared into Tang Wei's eyes and drank the wine with a gentle smile.

That smile, and the condescending look she gave Tang Wei—who was left behind—from beside Ling Jue in the dimly lit corridor after she had her episode and was taken away by Ling Jue's people, left such a stark contrast that Tang Wei remembered it vividly to this day.

Tao Wangxi's fragile body simply couldn't handle the drug.

Tang Wei didn't know how she finally got the drug out of her system.

Or perhaps Master Jue helped her.

In any case, Tao Wangxi went abroad the next day, and that very night, that woman was punished. Even Tang Wei got inexplicably dragged into it.

Because that woman abandoned her claim of being framed and instead accused Tang Wei, as Master Jue's new favorite, of being arrogant and domineering, snatching many of her resources, which drove her to take a desperate risk to try and win Master Jue back.

Tang Wei, who felt she'd been terribly wronged, was also quickly cast aside.

Regardless of the truth, anyone who became trouble would be dealt with.

If Ling Jue hadn't unjustly blamed Tang Wei and simply treated it as a peaceful separation,

and if not for the rampant rumors about "Flourishing Moon"—that Master Jue had spent a fortune on Tang Wei at the auction—which made others somewhat wary, Tang Wei, who was suddenly out of the picture, might not even have been able to stay in the film crew she was with at the time.

After that incident, the women around Ling Jue all became much more subdued.

It was only later that Tang Wei realized Tao Wangxi wasn't indifferent to the women around Ling Jue; in fact, she hated all of them.

But she wouldn't recklessly drive them away without a proper position or standing. If she was going to act, she wanted to see the best results.

Her appearance was highly deceptive, but Tang Wei felt this woman was absolutely ruthless.

For someone willing to risk her own life, Tang Wei kept her distance.

Recently, there were rumors again that the Tao family's young lady was returning to the country for a long-term stay. If so, Qin Shuyi, this special existence, would definitely become a thorn in her side.

Back then, Tang Wei had actually received threats from Tao Wangxi to keep her mouth shut.

But Qin Shuyi had, after all, saved her life, so she could only give a vague warning.

Being cautious was better than falling into a trap completely unaware.

"Thank you." Qin Shuyi understood her good intentions.

Tang Wei waved her hand and was about to say something more when a slightly urgent voice rang out.

"Shuyi!"

Ling Jue, exuding a threatening aura, strode out of the darkness, carrying an air of cold severity.

His gaze fell on the blood on Qin Shuyi's hands, and his brows furrowed tightly.

"Are you hurt?"

He carefully helped the crouching Qin Shuyi to her feet.

Qin Shuyi shook her head. "No, it's his blood."

She pointed at Zhong Mingzhou on the ground.

Recognizing that face, Ling Jue's narrow eyes filled with a fierce glare.

After Ling Jue left with a grim expression, Xie Muchen and Ji Xiuhang, who had followed in confusion without knowing why, hadn't gotten close when they saw a round, dark object rolling towards them.

Ji Xiuhang reacted quickly, pulling Xie Muchen beside him out of the way.

Looking closely, they realized the so-called object was actually a person.

"Holy shit! Is he dead?!"

Well, Zhong Mingzhou, who had been kicked flying, was already half-dead, and Ling Jue's kick hadn't held back any force, so he really didn't look good at the moment.

Xie Muchen pushed up his glasses and asked calmly, "So now we're accomplices? What's next, burying the body?"

Tang Wei, huddled in a corner beside the couple, utterly inconspicuous, looked horrified: *Wait, aren't you guys taking this 'outside the law' thing a bit too smoothly?! Also, I think that piece of trash might still be salvageable!*

Ignoring their wild speculations, Ling Jue walked past them holding Qin Shuyi, his expression icy.

"Call a doctor."

"Tang Wei..."

"Someone will take care of her." Ling Jue's voice was hard, laced with anger.

Fine.

Qin Shuyi shut up.

After the two had left, Xie Muchen turned to the anxious Tang Wei, dropping his earlier joking tone.

"Tell me, what happened?"

Given Ling Jue's attitude today, the Zhong family was in for serious trouble.

Still, since the incident occurred on Xie family turf, he had to get to the bottom of it.

...

This coastal cultural tourism project included a cluster of private villas, and Xie Muchen had reserved a separate one each for Ling Jue and Ji Xiuhang.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the master bathroom on the second floor of Ling Jue's villa was icy.

Standing before the sink, Ling Jue wrapped his arms around Qin Shuyi from behind, helping her wash her hands.

As the blood-tinged water swirled down the drain, he asked her, "How do you want Zhong Mingzhou handled?"

Qin Shuyi replied, "The maximum punishment within legal limits, plus sufficient compensation for the victims. Afterward, the Zhong family must not trouble Tang Wei."

"Agreed." After tomorrow, the Zhong family wouldn't have the energy to cause trouble anyway.

He gave a low chuckle, meticulously cleaning each of her bloodstained fingers, his meaning unclear. "You certainly care about Tang Wei."

Qin Shuyi shrugged it off. "Of course. After all, she was innocently dragged into this, wasn't she?"

She lifted her head, meeting the man's gaze in the mirror.

The air hung still for a brief second.

The slight lift at the corners of his eyes faded, and his thin lips pressed into a flat line. "Zhong Mingzhou brought this on himself with his own stupidity. What we're doing is enough of a lesson—there's no reason to implicate anyone else."

He had no grounds to confront the Tao family.

Qin Shuyi lowered her eyes. "I know."

"But you're unhappy." His tone was certain as he turned her to face him.

----------------------------------------