NOVPUBHearing Chen Nan address her as "Auntie Su," Su Qing’s pupils trembled slightly, for she knew that Chen Nan had guests at home and it was inconvenient to talk; otherwise, he wouldn’t address her this way.
With this thought, she regained her composure and smiled, "I heard from my son that you had a fever and took leave. I specially made some light dishes for you."
Chen Nan warmly invited, "That’s very kind of you, please come in!"
With a hum, Su Qing stepped in with her elegant pace and, upon seeing Zhu Keren at the dining table, a hint of joy appeared in her eyes, "Teacher Zhu is here too!" 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Zhu Keren hadn’t expected Su Qing to be the visitor.
Even though she couldn’t recall Su Qing’s name.
She knew her as Zhou Lin’s mother.
They had met a few times at parent-teacher conferences.
And they also had each other’s WeChat contacts.
She smiled and said, "Chen Nan is a student in our class. I came to help with his studies."
Su Qing politely said, "You truly are a dedicated and excellent teacher. I believe with your guidance, our class’s students will achieve excellent results in the college entrance exam."
"Well then, I cooked a couple of light dishes; have them while they’re warm. I won’t disturb you any further!" After saying this, she considerately left.
Although Su Qing had come hoping to see how Chen Nan was doing with a 39-degree fever, with Zhu Keren at Chen Nan’s home, she had to abandon that absurd idea.
After Su Qing left, Chen Nan took the tomato and egg dish and the stir-fried bamboo shoots and pork from the insulated container, and said with a smile, "Teacher Zhu, please try Auntie Su’s cooking as well, it’s really quite good."
"I was amazed by it when I visited Zhou Lin’s home."
Zhu Keren didn’t think much about it, knowing that Zhou Lin had been isolated in the class until Chen Nan arrived and became his only friend.
After they finished eating, Zhu Keren once again urged Chen Nan to rest well and strive to return to school the next day, before finally leaving.
"It seems I can’t lie carelessly anymore!"
After Zhu Keren departed, Chen Nan sighed privately; just because he had lied to take a leave, he had made so many people worry, and he felt guilty!
After hesitating for a while, Chen Nan called Lu Anran to ask if she was still coming over that night.
Regrettably, Lu Anran had to stay home to take care of the baby that evening and couldn’t make time to accompany him.
Although a bit disappointed, Chen Nan understood that taking care of the child was important.
With nothing else to do,
he went to the kitchen to start making scar removal ointment.
------
Meanwhile,
in a luxurious villa in the eastern city,
Jiang Wanli sat impassively on the living room sofa, flanked by two burly middle-aged men standing behind him: one was Zhou Long, and the other was a bald man.
This bald man had a slightly more imposing figure than even Jiang Wanli. Even as he stood quietly there, he exuded a powerful aura, particularly his sharp eyes, which could send shivers down one’s spine.
However, there was a lollipop in his mouth, creating a stark contrast with his fierce appearance.
His name was Yang Hu, and along with Zhou Long, they were known as Jiang Wanli’s "Dragon and Tiger Generals."
Jiang Wanli owed much of his current industry to these two men.
"Chairman, they’ve arrived!"
At that moment,
a middle-aged man strode into the villa, respectfully reporting to Jiang Wanli.
Jiang Wanli hummed indifferently, "Let them in!"
A moment later.
A middle-aged man, about thirty-five or thirty-six, dressed in a suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, came into the villa with another middle-aged man who was tightly bound and covered in blood.
The man showed a faint smile, "Mr. Jiang, this is the person Mr. Sun has sent as a message to you."
Jiang Wanli looked at the bloodied man with a semblance of a smile, "So, you mean his life or death is now up to me?"
The middle-aged man said, "One must bear the consequences of their mistakes."
Jiang Wanli turned his gaze to Zhao Dahai, a trace of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "Zhao, we had no quarrels in the past, so why seek my life now?"
Although Zhao Dahai was covered in blood, with a swollen face, his eyes exuded a proud demeanor, "To the victor go the spoils. I have nothing to say, Zhao is at your disposal, kill or carve as you please!"
The middle-aged man spoke politely, "Mr. Jiang, the incident at noon was truly a misunderstanding, and all of this was orchestrated by Zhao Dahai alone."
"Now that he has been brought here, whether he lives or dies is entirely for you to decide."
Jiang Wanli took a deep breath, his face revealing an intriguing smile, "Secretary Meng, we’ve known each other for a while, and as you know, I tend to be rather hot-tempered and sometimes speak without thinking."
"Please convey my apologies to Mr. Sun, and tell him not to take the threats I made this afternoon seriously. I was only bluffing him."
"Every time you visit my place, you always carry a jammer, so how could I have any incriminating evidence against him!"
As soon as he said this.
Secretary Meng’s expression subtly shifted; he initially believed that Jiang Wanli certainly did not have any incriminating evidence against Sun Zhaoliang.
Now, however, he refuted his previous speculation.
If Jiang Wanli knew that he always carried a jammer during his visits, he must have other contingency plans, and he surely did possess evidence detrimental to Sun Zhaoliang.
Although he repeatedly claimed he didn’t, nobody would believe such words.
Coming to his senses, Secretary Meng smiled, "The miscommunication at noon is now clear, so that’s good. It’s getting late, and I should head back. Farewell!"
Jiang Wanli didn’t even bother to stand up to see his guest off, "Take care, Secretary Meng, and do remember to visit when you have the time!"
After Secretary Meng left.
Jiang Wanli’s gaze fell upon the tightly bound Zhao Dahai, his eyes reflecting a complex sentiment, "Brother Zhao, the last time we drank and celebrated together was half a month ago, wasn’t it?"
"You were very happy that day, your face flushed from drinking. You told me your wife was pregnant and that you would be having a ’dragon baby’ this year."
"If I’m not mistaken, you’ve reached the age of ’knowing destiny.’"
"It wouldn’t be out of place to say, ’a child born in one’s later years.’"
"But what I don’t understand is, why would you attempt to take my life?"
"Is there some deep grudge between us?"
Zhao Dahai’s face twisted fiercely, "Jiang Wanli, although there is no deep hatred between us, I aspire to climb higher and gain the recognition of that important person."
"By eliminating you, I could take control of your assets and gain Mr. Sun’s approval."
Jiang Wanli shook his head helplessly, "Don’t tell me it wasn’t you who wanted to kill me. Even if you had, do you think you could gain his recognition?"
Zhao Dahai’s pupils trembled fiercely, "What do you mean?"
Jiang Wanli let out a cold laugh, "Brother Zhao, you’re not taking me for a fool, are you? Do you really think I can’t tell you’re just a scapegoat for Sun Zhaoliang?"
Zhao Dahai swallowed nervously, "The incident at noon was truly my own doing, it has nothing to do with Mr. Sun."
Jiang Wanli revealed an intriguing smile, "If I’m not mistaken, your wife has been kidnapped, hasn’t she?"
