Chapter 69: The Canary's Self-Cultivation (34)
The villa was cloaked in silence, the heavy curtains drawn tightly, not a single ray of light seeping through. Shen Hanlan stood barefoot in the room, facing the window. In his hand, he twisted a Rubik’s Cube; the clicking sound echoed around him.
Suddenly, the door creaked open just a crack. The gap widened, and Ling Qiong peered inside, ensuring it was safe before she entered. She walked up behind Shen Hanlan. “Are you alright?”
He ignored her, twisting the Rubik’s Cube faster. Ling Qiong scratched her head, sensing that her little one’s mood was foul—best not to provoke him.
She retreated, preparing to slip away.
“Stop.”
Shen Hanlan set the solved cube aside and turned around. In the dim light, his expression was cold to the extreme; in the depths of his eyes, it seemed as if a storm was brewing.
Ling Qiong: “…”
What was he going to do?
He strode toward her, grabbed her arm, his grip strong enough to make her frown. In the next moment, dizziness washed over her, and her back pressed against the softness of the bed. Shen Hanlan leaned over her, his shadow and unique scent enveloping her, drawing her into a world where only he existed.
...
Ling Qiong marched out the door, cheeks puffed in annoyance, and gave the door an extra kick for good measure. She crashed right into Kelly, who was heading her way, then stormed back to her own room.
The slam of her door made Kelly shudder.
What just happened?
Kelly, bewildered, walked to Shen Hanlan’s door. It was left open, and he saw Shen Hanlan sitting on the carpet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingers.
“???”
What was going on?
Shen Hanlan’s mood seemed much improved, no longer as frightening as before. Kelly stayed cautious, keeping his distance at the doorway. “Young master, what will you do next?”
Shen Hanlan’s thumb brushed his lips, the taste of iron spreading in his mouth. He slowly licked his lips. “Zhou Jing’s good days are coming to an end.”
Kelly understood what he intended. “I see.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Young master, did you and Miss Ye have a quarrel?”
“No.” Shen Hanlan rose, pulling out a tissue to wipe the blood from his fingers. He hadn’t paid much attention to his strength when he kissed her, and had bitten her lip, making it bleed.
She had turned on him for that.
But didn’t she come back in the end? He couldn’t fathom what she was angry about.
...
Ling Qiong stared into the mirror, her little face full of displeasure.
Was Shen Hanlan part dog now? He’d even learned to bite! His teeth deserved to be pulled out!
She grumbled for ages, then emerged from the bathroom and flopped onto her bed, rolling around.
---
“Darling, want to draw a card?” Sparkle popped up.
Ling Qiong was irritable. “No, go away!”
“Darling, won’t you protect your little one?” Sparkle persisted, ever stubborn.
“Hmph.”
“Darling, you—”
“Go away!” Daddy’s broke!
Sparkle seemed to sigh and then vanished.
Ling Qiong lay there awhile, then sat up, thinking over Sparkle’s words. Sparkle was always trying to get her to spend money, but...
This time, it had said “protect,” a word it rarely used. Usually, it was “Darling, draw a card? Drawing cards is fun! Drawing cards builds confidence, you deserve it!”
A sudden flash of insight struck Ling Qiong.
Shen Hanlan knew his father’s death wasn’t an accident—could he afford to wait? And if he was going after Zhou Jing...
Ling Qiong swore inwardly.
With a heavy heart, she opened the panel, pulled up the card pool, and recharged her account.
Nothing much happened at first. Ling Qiong felt like a cold, mechanical card-drawing tool.
—A Dead Deer in the Wild
The card flipped over. The building depicted was unfamiliar and dilapidated, like an old city structure.
A dead deer in the wild?
A deer died in the wild?
Who was the deer?
The card didn’t activate immediately. Ling Qiong checked it every day, worried her little one might perish when she wasn’t looking.
Wouldn’t that make her spending pointless? She hadn’t even enjoyed it yet!
Shen Hanlan was busy with something, leaving early and returning late, not even attending school.
One afternoon, Ling Qiong opened her collection and found the card had been triggered.
She sat up abruptly.
Kelly was startled. “Miss Ye, what happened?”
“Where’s Shen Hanlan?”
... In front of others, she called him young master; behind their backs, just his name. She really was something.
“The young master should be at the company.”
Ling Qiong: “Drive me to him.”
Kelly was puzzled. “Is something the matter, Miss Ye?”
Ling Qiong: “I miss him.”
Kelly: “...”
Who had been ignoring the young master all these days? She’d been relaxing with tea moments ago, now suddenly she missed him?
Kelly couldn’t figure it out, but didn’t dare delay, and drove her to the company.
Unfortunately, Shen Hanlan wasn’t there. Ling Qiong tried calling, but no one answered.
“Miss Ye, are you very anxious?”
---
“Of course!!” How could she not be? If something happened to her little one, what would she do?
Seeing her genuine urgency, Kelly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll ask where the young master is.”
Shen Hanlan had bodyguards; Kelly got in touch and received an address.
...
The scenery outside the car window grew more dilapidated—it was the old quarter, still densely populated.
The roads were narrow, so traffic jams were a daily affair.
“Miss Ye, you—Miss Ye?!”
Ling Qiong pushed open the car door and stepped out.
Kelly couldn’t abandon the car, so he watched as Ling Qiong swiftly cut through the congested line of vehicles, her bright skirt disappearing into the flow.
...
Ling Qiong arrived and immediately recognized the building from the card.
People crowded below; something had happened.
Her heart thudded wildly as she shoved through the throng.
A police cordon had been set up, and within it Shen Hanlan was being questioned.
“Hey, miss, you can’t go in—”
Ling Qiong was stopped, so she called out, “Shen Hanlan!”
He looked over, slightly stunned, then strode toward her.
Perhaps seeing they knew each other, Ling Qiong was allowed in.
“Are you alright?” Ling Qiong fussed over him, checking him head to toe.
“I’m fine,” he cooperated. “Why are you here?”
“Good, I didn’t spend all that money for nothing.”
“What did you say?”
Ling Qiong blinked innocently. “Did I say something?”
“What about spending money for nothing? And Daddy? Who’s Daddy?”
“Did I say that?”
“You did.”
“I didn’t.”
“You—”
Ling Qiong pulled him close and kissed him, silencing all his questions.
She wasn’t usually so forward. For all her bold words and requests, she preferred to enjoy his attentions comfortably.
Shen Hanlan hadn’t misjudged her—she liked being pampered.
Her sudden initiative left him dizzy.
...
Shen Hanlan had come here to investigate something, but unexpectedly encountered danger, nearly losing his life.
Fortunately, his luck held; he was unharmed.
He even managed to catch someone, who was now being interrogated.
As expected, the interrogated man revealed the mastermind—Zhou Jing.