Shen Yang smirked. "None of your business. Let's just say I caught a big fish I had been looking for these days."

  Chang Fang stared at him and shrugged. "Whatever. You are weird. I think Madam is done talking to that girl. Let's go."

  Shen Yang craned his neck and watched Lihua. "So devoted. As if just one girl is gonna be enough to help her."

  When Lihua came hopping back to them, Chang Fang smiled and asked, "Madam, is the talking working?"

  She glared at him. You don't talk to me! I thought we were Ludo pals, but you proved me wrong by betraying Wei."

  "……"

  Shen Yang smiled. "Then talk to me."

  "You? I wish I could just bury you in the ground and never see your face again," she scoffed. "But you will be pleased to know that Xiao Jian didn't consume drugs last night."

  "And who made you the expert?"

  "My adorable Grandpa Weisheng! Her eyes looked different today. The liveliest I have seen," she sparkled. "Until now, they looked dull and tired."

  Jiang Hua nodded. "I noticed it too. Her complexion looked a whole lot better."

  "Maybe because her small packets are empty and is waiting to stock it up?" He smiled.

  She scowled. "That's not it. She had a good conversation with her little brother and found out some similarities between them which helped her to be more confident about herself, hahaha. And so I inspired her into having an open conversation with her parents too! If she got the support from her family, then she won't look for those nasty white powders anymore. She is doing that because she feels lonely."

  "Heh. That remains to be seen. Let's head back now," he coldly said.

  Lihua's nose slightly twitched, and she frowned. She stepped closer to Shen Yang and asked, "……Why is there a woman's scent coming off you?"

  He raised his brow. "Well…"

  Somehow Lihua understood the underlying meaning and gritted her teeth. "So you were fooling around with a woman, didn't you?"

  He chuckled. "Yeah and? What will you do? Ah, are you gonna fight for Ruiling again? Don't bother. Who knows where she is now or if she would even return one day~"

  "She will! My heart says that she is safe wherever she is. One day…one day you're gonna pay for breaking her heart, Shen Yang!"

  Shen Yang laughed. "Well that day is never gonna come so don't sweat it. Jiang Ruiling is never coming back."

  —


  "What do you think?" Jiang Zhen was in his study as he asked Shen Yang. "Can we trust Chang Fang?"

  Shen Yang gave it a thought. "……I think so."

  He curiously looked at him. "Why?"

  "I was away from my post for a while and while I observed him, I saw him not approaching Madam Lihua at all. He remained seated at his position. He made no attempts to contact her. Madam Lihua didn't seem anything different either. She still hates Chang Fang for coming to your side. I would know if they are acting," he smiled.

  He tapped his finger on the desk. "That's better. If he tried to invoke a rebellion then…it wouldn't have a very good outcome. Where were you anyway?"

  Shen Yang beamed. "Boss, you would be thrilled to know that I found Jiang Ruiling."

  He widened his eyes. "Seriously? How?"

  He told the entire story to him.

  Jiang Zhen was stunned and then burst into a loud laughter. "Oh my God. I never imagined something like this would happen to her. Xian Xue? Man, he turned even more of a beast than I thought he would. You know, all this time, I thought there was some secret force who took her away. I couldn't help but get restless. It was strange that she got kidnapped. But I never thought it would be for his fucking revenge!" He kept laughing. "I was worried for nothing. Where is she now?"

  He sneered. "She is 'safe' with my men in a dark, cold place. It's my own secret spot where I have fun with women."

  His eyes twinkled. "Well, I can see how happy you are."

  He sighed. "Not really, Boss. That bastard Xian Xue already laid his hands upon her. I wanted to do that. I was saving her up for so long!" He clenched his jaw. "All my patience for this long…ended up in a garbage dump."

  Jiang Zhen waved his hand in dismissal. "Who cares? She is just one woman. You will get tons of untouched beauties. Do whatever you want with her. That woman is not important to me."

  "My pleasure, Boss."

  "What is my Lihua upto?"

  "She is still talking to that fat teenager everyday. She thinks that something is changing, but not really."

  He chuckled. "Let her play all she wants. Soon, she would realize the fruitlessness of her actions and stop this challenge herself."

  —


  But the next day compared to what Shen Yang and Chang Fang had expected, there were more people in Lihua's camp that came to talk to her.

  One was a shy and reserved girl who wore the same high school uniform as Xiao Jian and there were two other adults. One woman and a man.

  Ruru brightened seeing more people because that's what Lihua wanted. He eagerly patted Qingqing, making her feel pleased.

  You are a good servant.

  Shen Yang narrowed his eyes while Chang Fang was inwardly pleased.

  Xiao Jian said, "She is Cao Qing. We are in the same year but in different classes. She asked me why I behaved so differently since the past few days. I was ignoring the bullies like you told me and she wanted to know how I was doing it."

  Xiao Jian hadn't yet confessed to Lihua about her drug problem, but one day, she had seen Cao Qing talking to Z. There was only one reason why anybody in her school would meet Z, and that was drugs.

  Since talking to Lihua helped her, she wanted to help Cao Qing too.

  The other woman clasped her hands together and nervously said, "I heard you just talk to people , and I…… really……Will you please help me?" she cried. "I think I want to die."