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墨書 Inktalez
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Qiu noticed the unusual gaze beside him and looked over to see Jiang Xue staring at him. Before Zhang Qiu could say anything, Jiang Xue had already leaped into his arms, crying, "Zhang Qiu..."
Zhang Qiu was momentarily at a loss for what to do. He held Jiang Xue gently, stroking her back and comforting her, "Alright, alright, don't cry. I'm here, it's okay..."
Lucia, watching from the side, was confused and only knew that after Zhang Qiu received a phone call, the two of them changed like this. As for the content of the call, Lucia didn't understand it at all. After a while, Jiang Xue finally stopped sobbing, and Zhang Qiu still held her in his embrace. Jiang Xue lightly pushed Zhang Qiu away and said, "Alright, let's get back to cooking."
Zhang Qiu released Jiang Xue, who shot him a glare and said, "No silly smiling."
"Okay, no smiling," Zhang Qiu replied with a straight face as he went to wash the spinach.
While Zhang Qiu and the others were preparing dinner, in a medium-sized entertainment club hidden in the bustling South District, a flamboyantly dressed woman was lounging on a sofa. The woman appeared to be around thirty-five years old, slender in build with heavy makeup. Her long black wavy hair fell over her shoulders, obscuring her right eye. One leg was stretched out straight while the other was slightly bent. She held a goblet in her right hand, gently swirling it as her melancholic gaze peered through the red wine at the person across from her. She was known on the streets as Sister Hua or Tong Hua and was currently listening to a report from her subordinate.
"Sister Hua, Zhang Qiu from Hall Society was seen this evening at the vegetable market south of the Red-Light District. He was accompanied by two women, one of whom is a foreigner. The three stayed at the market for some time; although they left after buying vegetables, our people did not let their guard down and reported this situation immediately."
"Understood. You may leave now."
The woman reporting to Sister Hua exited, leaving Sister Hua alone in the room illuminated by purple lighting. Sister Hua swirled her wine glass before bringing it to her lips, drinking down the red wine like a gentle stream. After setting down the glass, she picked up a piece of stationery from the table that had "Invitation" written on it in large letters. A charming smile appeared on Sister Hua's lips as she murmured, "Zhang Qiu, since you want to see me, I will fulfill your wish."
...
Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, and Lucia finished preparing all the ingredients needed for hot pot and squatted down with bowls and plates into the room. Zhang Zhi Hua had already set up the round table and adjusted the air conditioning to seventeen degrees. He Mei had boiled a pot of water with scallions, ginger, tomatoes, and other base ingredients simmering inside. Zhang Qiu poured out all the seasonings and distributed them to everyone saying, "Let's get started."
Zhang Zhi Hua waved his hand with a smile and said, "Let's go!"
Meatballs, tofu skin, large shrimp, vegetables, and meat rolls were all tossed into the boiling water together. The thin meat rolls quickly changed color as Zhang Qiu fished them out of the pot and placed them into bowls to dip in sauce before eating. He Mei laughed and said, "What's your hurry? Is it cooked yet?"
Zhang Qiu looked up at He Mei with a puzzled expression and replied, "It seems not yet; let me taste again."
Qiu Wan picked up another piece, and Jiang Xue gently tapped Zhang Qiu, saying to He Mei, "Mom, he's teasing you. If you don't eat, he'll finish all the meat."
After Jiang Xue finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter, except for Lucia, who didn't understand the joke. Proficient with chopsticks, Lucia picked up slices of meat from the pot. The entire dinner was filled with laughter and joy, and afterward, the three young people cleaned up the leftovers. Zhang Zhi Hua and He Mei finished eating and went to visit Grandma. Zhang Qiu knew they wanted to give him some space and said, "There's roasted duck in the fridge that I brought back; take it to Grandma."
"Okay, we'll go get it. You just relax."
Zhang Zhi Hua hurriedly left with He Mei, leaving only Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, and Lucia in the house. The three sat together in the room, conversing in English about Zhang Qiu and Lucia's life in Africa. Lucia pulled out a video on her phone to show Jiang Xue, which left Jiang Xue astonished. They chatted until late at night, and at nine o'clock, Zhang Qiu's parents returned home and quickly went to their room after washing up.
That night, the three of them slept together: Lucia on the east side, Jiang Xue in the middle, and Zhang Qiu on the west side. In the dead of night, Zhang Qiu secretly lifted Jiang Xue's blanket and crawled in beside her. Jiang Xue suddenly woke up, pinched Zhang Qiu's arm, and whispered in his ear, "What are you doing? There are other people here!" Zhang Qiu turned his head and kissed Jiang Xue; soon she melted into his embrace as they held each other tightly.
The next morning, when Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue woke up, Lucia was returning from a morning run outside, wearing a loose tank top that accentuated her full figure. Jiang Xue looked at Lucia in surprise and asked, "You like morning runs too?"
"Do you like it?" Lucia replied.
"No, not me; Zhang Qiu likes morning runs."
"Then why didn't he go?"
As soon as Lucia asked this question, Jiang Xue's face turned red, and she quickly changed the subject.
That morning, Zhang Qiu received a call from Chen Kun informing him that two packages of tea leaves and a letter had been sent to Tanzania. In the afternoon, he received another notification from Zhao Pingchuan that Sister Hua had agreed to meet; the location was set at Sister Hua's entertainment club. In the afternoon, Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, and Lucia gathered at White Day Fire along with Gao Zhi and Wang Zhengxiang.
Zhao Pingchuan introduced the situation first: "Yesterday I sent a message to Sister Hua asking her to meet; she agreed but insisted that Brother Qiu go alone to her club."
"Brother Qiu, you can't go; this could be a trap," Wang Zhengxiang said nervously as he tried to stop him. He knew it would be hard to persuade Zhang Qiu given his personality, but this situation was genuinely dangerous.
"Brother Qiu, I don't recommend you go either; it's clearly a trap! Instead, we should confront Sister Hua directly and settle this once and for all. I refuse to believe we can't handle her. However, the Zhao Yuanjia you mentioned is indeed a hidden danger."
"That hidden danger no longer exists. I've received news from the capital that the Zhao Family is completely finished." Zhang Qiu didn't elaborate further; even if Bai Jingwei hadn't advised him, he wouldn't say much. Spreading such information would only bring trouble to the Brothers.
"Brother Qiu, this is fantastic! Don't you think this is fate?" Gao Zhi exclaimed, excitedly slapping his thigh, nearly jumping up from his seat. "Brother Qiu, let's do it! Let's go to war with Sister Hua and bring all of Beilan County under our Hall Society's influence!"
"Gao Zhi, don't be impulsive!" Zhao Pingchuan pressed down on Gao Zhi's shoulder, speaking in a serious tone. "Don't forget, even without the threat of Zhao Yuanjia, we should focus on recuperating and definitely shouldn't stir up trouble at this time."
"Indeed, we can't cause trouble right now." Zhang Qiu realized from Bai Jingwei's words and Liu Fangfei's father's reaction that every move he made was being watched. It was better to maintain the status quo for now and not take any large-scale actions. Ensuring stability in Beilan County would also provide an explanation to his uncle.
"Brother Qiu, even if we don't go to war with Sister Hua, you still can't attend; it's clearly a trap. Brother Yu, you should talk some sense into Brother Qiu!" Gao Zhi insisted on preventing Zhang Qiu from attending and sought Yang Yu's agreement.
"I actually think Brother Qiu should go." Yang Yu, who had been silent until now, surprised Gao Zhi with his statement.
"Brother Yu, why…"
Gao Zhi's words were cut off by Yang Yu's sharp gaze directed at him. "Do you really think that even if he disagrees, Brother Qiu would not go given his personality?"
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Only Yang Yu understands me."
"Brother Qiu, you can't make this decision alone; this is yours."
Zhang Qiu was taken aback; he hadn't expected Gao Zhi to block him like this. He had no choice but to say, "Alright then, let's vote. The first topic of our society is whether I should go alone to meet Sister Hua. Now that there are five of you here, decide. Whatever the outcome is, I will follow it."
Qiu Wan looked back and forth among Yang Yu, Jiang Xue, Zhao Pingchuan, Gao Zhi, and Wang Zhengxiang. Gao Zhi and Wang Zhengxiang immediately voiced their opposition while Yang Yu and Zhao Pingchuan supported Zhang Qiu's decision to go. The only one who remained silent was Jiang Xue. All eyes turned toward her as she felt conflicted inside.
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue, sweat already dripping from his forehead. It was his decision to meet Sister Hua, and Sister Hua had agreed to the appointment. If he didn't go, it would reflect poorly on the reputation of the Hall Society. Zhang Qiu knew that Jiang Xue always worried about his safety, and it was clear from her expression that she was struggling with this situation. The room fell silent, with only the sound of breathing and the cold air from the air conditioner filling the space.
After a long moment of contemplation, Jiang Xue suddenly looked up and said, "I agree with Zhang Qiu's idea."
Zhang Qiu let out a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but pull Jiang Xue into his embrace, smiling as he said, "Thank you, Xue'er, thank you."
Gao Zhi and Wang Zhengxiang exchanged glances, both surprised that Jiang Xue would agree to let Brother Qiu take the risk. In response, Jiang Xue explained with a smile, "I am very worried about Zhang Qiu's safety, but I am even more willing to be his steadfast support, to love him and support him. I have also analyzed the current situation of the society; coexisting peacefully with Sister Hua is more practical than confronting both parties. I believe Sister Hua understands this as well. We have always kept our distance from Sister Hua, so there is no reason for her to harm Zhang Qiu. What she is doing could very well be a test."
"But... what if it isn't?"
"Men and women think differently; after all, you are a man, while I am a woman." Jiang Xue's words left Gao Zhi speechless.
Listening to Jiang Xue's logical analysis, Zhang Qiu chuckled and said, "Now that's what a big brother's woman should sound like."
Yang Yu then added, "If Brother Qiu is going, we can't be unprepared; we need to consider Brother Qiu's safety."
The five of them shared their opinions in the office, first confirming that Zhang Qiu must attend the meeting. Based on that foundation, they brainstormed ways to ensure Zhang Qiu's safety. Gao Zhi even suggested that Zhang Qiu carry a gun, but this was unanimously rejected by Zhang Qiu. He believed that carrying a gun would not only show a lack of sincerity but could also be confiscated when approaching Sister Hua. Since he was going to meet her, he wanted to demonstrate full sincerity. Zhang Qiu felt confident that Sister Hua would not harm him in any way.
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