Hu Li's text message read: "Xiaoyan, if you see the report of me having dinner with others, don't be upset. It was like having a meal with cats and dogs. If you do get upset, how about punishing me by making me kneel on instant noodles when I get back?" Reading this, Hua Yan couldn't help but laugh.
"The reason I left in such a hurry on Christmas Eve was that my mother suddenly returned to Haibin City. Following that, Hu Da and a few others and I were prohibited from leaving the house, and all means of external contact were confiscated. At first, I was very angry, but today my mother told me something. An enemy of our family has arrived in the mainland seeking revenge.
I'll take care of him as soon as possible, but you must be careful when you go out. I'll call you when I get a chance. Does this sound like a boring diary? Anyway, I hope you understand everything that's happened these past few days. Xiaoyan, I miss you. Wait for my return."
Hu Li usually spoke so little, but this message was surprisingly long. At that moment, Hua Yan started thinking about Hu Li's enemy. Suddenly, she remembered the person she had lost while being followed upon returning to the capital. That person’s gaze was different from those who had followed her in Haibin City—his eyes were filled with bloodlust and resentment.
After reading the message, she tried calling Hu Li, but his phone was still off. Since Hu Li didn’t ask her to go to Haibin City, it meant he had his own plans.
She put her worries aside. Afterward, there was no mention of Hu Li in the newspapers, as if the previous reports were a mirage.
Hua Yan continued with her regular life. In the morning, after washing up, she first went to Cheng Xiang’s room to wipe his hands and feet and moisten his dry lips with a cotton ball. Then she had breakfast with Da Pang. Afterward, she and Old Yang took a special car to the third department to continue absorbing jadeite.
"Hua Yan, wait." Just as Hua Yan was about to leave after absorbing some jadeite, Jiu Cheng stopped her.
"What's the matter?" she asked with a smile, looking at the stubborn little guy in front of her.
"Do you know my name?" Jiu Cheng asked, his clear, dark eyes fixed on her.
"Not yet," Hua Yan replied. Every day, she came to the third department to absorb jadeite for the abilities of the warriors and didn’t ask much about anything else, as she was directly under Old Qiao's command.
The little boy was clearly dissatisfied with Hua Yan's indifferent attitude. He scrunched up his nose and said seriously, "My name is Jiu Cheng. Remember it."
Hua Yan almost laughed at Jiu Cheng’s expression but held back. She paid more attention to his words, feeling they reminded her of someone who had said something similar before. After a moment, she remembered who it was, and her eyes filled with a tender emotion.
Jiu Cheng noticed this and realized that Hua Yan was thinking of someone else. Anger flashed in his heart but quickly turned to clarity and cheerfulness. "What's my name?" he deliberately raised his voice and asked.
Hua Yan snapped back to attention and replied with a smile, "Jiu Cheng."
Jiu Cheng immediately smiled, "Alright, I'll go back to training."
"Go ahead, but remember to balance work and rest," Hua Yan said, having heard that Jiu Cheng had been training almost non-stop lately, as if his life depended on it.
"I will," Jiu Cheng replied with a bright smile, looking back as he ran off.
Hua Yan shook her head with a smile and continued on her way out. "Xiaoyan, I'll take you home first, then come back to wait for Leader Yang," the driver said.
"No need, I have something to do and won't be going home for now," Hua Yan replied, having an appointment to keep.
She arrived at a tranquil and beautifully situated book café on the twenty-something floor of a building. Sitting in her designated spot, she ordered a cup of tea and took a partially read copy of *A Muslim Funeral* from the bookshelf to continue reading.
After about ten pages, a grating voice broke the silence. "Miss Hua Yan, you arrived early. I’m ashamed," Li Dong said, dressed in an overcoat, looking spirited and smiling as he walked over.
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Hua Yan's expression remained unchanged as she stood up out of politeness. After Li Dong sat down, a beautiful woman, as graceful as a lotus, also took a seat. Initially, Hua Yan thought this woman was with Li Dong and had no intention of speaking to her. However, in the blink of an eye, Hua Yan’s gaze fixed on her.
This woman looked somewhat familiar. Hua Yan stared at her for a while before suddenly realizing: wasn’t this the woman from the newspaper who had dinner with Hu Li? What was she doing here? What was her relationship with Li Dong?
Li Dong noticed Hua Yan’s fixed gaze on his sister and displayed an indulgent smile, as if enjoying the spectacle. "This is my sister, Li Jiao Jiao. She followed me here unexpectedly, I apologize."
Hua Yan had already regained her composure. Seeing Li Dong’s hypocritical words, she felt an urge to give him a piece of her mind. She nodded slightly to Li Jiao Jiao and then turned to Li Dong. "Tell me what you know about Hu Li."
The day Hua Yan received Hu Li’s text message, Li Dong had suddenly called, claiming to know key information about Hu Li that she would regret not hearing. At first, Hua Yan didn’t want to pay attention to Li Dong’s craziness, but after dinner, as she wandered around the yard to digest, she couldn’t shake off his words from her mind. She was reluctant to miss out, or perhaps afraid of missing something important.
Now, feeling somewhat displeased, Hua Yan saw that Li Dong had come quite unwillingly, and his sister had tagged along, clearly not just for fun. As she pondered this, Li Jiao Jiao spoke, her voice clear and slightly delicate, seemingly not wanting to waste her emotions on Hua Yan: "Miss Hua Yan, are you Hu Li’s girlfriend?"
Li Dong, meanwhile, had picked up the same book, *A Muslim Funeral*, and was flipping through it, his ears pricked up, listening to their conversation.
"Why do you ask?" Hua Yan maintained a neutral expression while internally cursing Hu Li for attracting so much attention. She noted that Li Jiao Jiao was about the same age as her, but seemed to approach matters of love with a mix of shyness and courage typical of a young girl.
Li Jiao Jiao frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with Hua Yan’s uncooperative attitude. However, her upbringing prevented her from being too blunt. She continued, "Because I might be his bride in the future." She emphasized the word "bride."
Hua Yan smiled calmly and looked at Li Jiao Jiao. "Do you find discussing such matters here interesting?"
Suddenly, Li Dong looked up at Hua Yan, his eyes shining with an ambiguous light. Li Jiao Jiao was also taken aback by Hua Yan’s response and swallowed a few times, ultimately saying nothing more.
At this point, Li Dong finally smiled, put down the book, and said, "Miss Hua Yan, you are quite impressive." Hua Yan didn’t plan to respond, so Li Dong continued, "You asked what I know about Hu Li. I’ll tell you now. Hu Li has a significant background. Many people want to form an alliance with the Hu family through marriage. These people aren’t your average folks."
Hearing this, Hua Yan frowned. It seemed that Hu Li’s mother’s arrival indeed involved complicated matters. Feeling troubled, she suddenly recalled Hu Li’s joke about kneeling on instant noodles, which relaxed her a bit. "What else?"
"Uh?" Li Dong was taken aback by Hua Yan’s calm reaction. He thought this woman was tough. Had she not truly liked Hu Li, or was she just that strong-willed? If he guessed right, he had to admire her.
"Why are you with Hu Li? If possible, I can offer you the same benefits."
Hua Yan burst out laughing. "What’s your offer?" She decided to probe him further.
"You just need to leave Hu Li." It was Li Jiao Jiao who answered this time.
Hua Yan glanced at her and then looked back at Li Dong. Li Dong didn’t beat around the bush. "Yes, just leave Hu Li."
Hua Yan fell silent. She thought about the past few days: Hu Li’s mother wanted her to leave him, and now the Li siblings did too… Suddenly, she found it all pointless and lost the mood to continue the conversation.
In her characteristic impetuous manner, Hua Yan stood up immediately, ignored the Li siblings, returned the book to its shelf, put on her coat, and said to the bewildered Li Dong and his sister, "Let’s end it here today. Goodbye."
Without waiting for their response, Hua Yan turned and walked out. A waiter tried to stop her for payment but hesitated at her unfriendly expression. In his moment of indecision, Hua Yan had already disappeared.
"Brother, what’s wrong with that woman?" Li Jiao Jiao asked, wide-eyed.
"Maybe she was triggered," Li Dong replied lowly.
Li Jiao Jiao suddenly smiled brightly. "Well, this is good. Now I can explain things to Aunt Hu."
"You!" Li Dong tapped her indulgently. At that moment, his interest in Hua Yan diminished significantly. He had thought she was just another weak, unremarkable woman.
As Hua Yan exited the building and was about to leave, she felt someone watching her. The gaze was similar to the one she felt at the airport a few days ago. Instantly, she sensed trouble.
Far away in Haibin City, Hu Li was holding a file on his enemy. He asked his mother, who was sipping tea nearby, "Mother, where is this person now?"
"He's still in Haibin City. We have our people monitoring all land, sea, and air exits; he hasn't left." Hu Li's mother sipped her tea elegantly.
Hu Li glanced at his mother for a moment, finding nothing unusual, and breathed a sigh of relief. He continued to review the documents in front of him. His mother watched him lower his head and smiled inwardly. Things were proceeding according to the original plan—there was no need to personally handle everything. The Hu family didn't regard their enemies lightly, but they were particularly cautious and wary of Hua Yan.
Since returning from Myanmar, Hu Li had changed completely. Upon returning home, he informed his father of his intention to expand the company into mainland China with just one sentence, then immersed himself tirelessly in arranging all the details within the company.
Subsequently, he had stayed in Haibin City, unwilling to return to Germany. Not long ago, despite disregarding the family rules, he had initiated covert operations, nearly losing his eligibility as a candidate for the family's heir.
Such absurd actions were intolerable to them, leading to subsequent events.