mtl008 Chapter 273 Hiding it won't work
Chapter 273 Hiding it won't work
After saying that, Zehui withdrew his hand, turned around and was about to leave, seemingly not intending to say anything more.
"Wait!" Ao Shuang reacted quickly and grabbed Ze Hui's arm.
His fingers were clenched tightly, still carrying the strength that had lingered after patrolling the city.
“Zehui,” he stared intently at Zehui’s profile, his tone certain, “Are you hiding something from me?”
Zehui didn't break free immediately, but simply turned his head and calmly looked back at him with his golden eyes: "No."
"I don't believe it." Ao Shuang said firmly, tightening her grip even more. "You would never normally pry into other people's private affairs so indirectly. You must be up to something."
"No, really." Zehui's tone remained calm, even tinged with a hint of helplessness. "I just suddenly thought of it and wanted to ask. After all, she's the one who raised you, so it would be good to have some news."
Ao Shuang stared intently into Ze Hui's eyes, trying to find any trace of deception in that seemingly open and honest golden gaze.
Zehui's gaze was calm and still, without even the slightest ripple.
After staring at each other for a good ten seconds, Ao Shuang was the first to let go of her hand, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Alright then, you can go." He waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible annoyance, and turned to walk towards his residence, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.
Zehui watched his figure disappear around the corner of the building before he sighed, his brows furrowing even more deeply.
He turned around and walked quickly toward Yuan Xiao's room.
Aoshuang did not return to her room.
He walked to a relatively secluded corner near his residence, where there was an ancient tree with lush foliage.
He leaned against the rough tree trunk and took out a small, smooth bone fragment from his pocket.
The bone fragment was old, its edges worn smooth by repeated use. On it, a simple female profile was crudely carved, with long hair flowing in the wind.
This was one of the few things Qinghan left him.
He rubbed the bone fragment with his thumb, his eyes filled with doubt.
Zehui's question was too sudden and too deliberate.
He knew Zehui; that tiger was not the type to care about other people's trivial matters for no reason.
"Feather Blade." He spoke to the air, his voice extremely low.
Almost the instant he finished speaking, an ice bird appeared silently beside him.
“King of the Ice Age.” Feather Blade folded its wings and gently landed on Frostbite’s shoulder.
"Keep an eye on things for me." Ao Shuang put the bone fragment back into her bosom, her eyes sharpening.
"Yes."
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A faint herbal scent filled Yuan Xiao's room.
This was a calming incense that Chi Miao had specially lit for her, but it didn't seem to dispel the worry between her brows.
The passing of the night and the deep sleep of the evening weighed heavily on her heart like two giant stones.
She carefully placed the crystal ball on the small table beside the bed, and Shang Wan's figure inside was so quiet it was unsettling.
When Zehui knocked on the door and came in, he saw her sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring at the crystal ball in a daze.
His heart softened, and he walked to the bedside and sat down, placing his large hand on the back of her slightly cool hand.
"I've already asked Aoshuang," Zehui said bluntly in a low voice.
Yuan Xiao snapped out of her daze, immediately sat up, and looked at Ze Hui.
Zehui briefly recounted his conversation with Aoshuang that evening, and at the end, he frowned: "He seems unaware. He knows nothing about Qinghan's past, especially about her partner. I'm worried that if he knew the truth, he wouldn't be able to accept it."
Yuan Xiao's heart also tightened.
She recalled the painful yet affectionate look in Fugui'er's eyes when he mentioned Qinghan, and also thought of Aoshuang's equally deep feelings for this adoptive mother and her unwavering determination to search for her for many years without success.
“That’s what I’m worried about too.” She gripped Zehui’s hand in return, her fingertips slightly cold. “What if he finds out that Fugui’er is Qinghan’s partner, and that Qinghan’s disappearance is likely related to a romantic entanglement? I’m really afraid that with Aoshuang’s personality, he might go directly to Fugui’er, or even…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the worry in her eyes said it all.
"Killed Fugui'er?" Zehui picked up where she left off, but shook his head. "I don't think so. Although Aoshuang is arrogant and impulsive, she's not indiscriminate. What I'm really worried about is..."
"What is it?" Yuan Xiao looked at him.
Zehui's gaze deepened: "What I'm really worried about is whether Qinghan is in danger?"
Yuan Xiao was taken aback: "Why would you think that?"
“From your description,” Zehui said slowly, “Fugui’er’s feelings for Qinghan are very deep, so deep that even though Qinghan no longer accepts him, he still keeps watching her and searching for her in secret. For such a person to suddenly say those words that sound like farewells is obviously not a normal confession, but more like a warning, or an explanation that he had to make under some kind of pressure.”
He paused, then continued his analysis: "If Qinghan simply left and avoided him, given Fugui'er's persistence, he would probably continue to say 'I will keep looking for her.' So could it be that Qinghan encountered something that made Fugui'er think she would never 'come back,' or that she would never come back at all?"
Yuan Xiao felt a chill run down her spine after Ze Hui's analysis, recalling Fu Gui'er's expression and tone at the time.
Indeed, it wasn't just sadness, but also a deep and desperate sense of powerlessness.
She nodded, her voice a little strained: "You're right... that tone doesn't sound like a simple loss of contact. So what should we do now? We can't keep this from Aoshuang forever, can we? He has the right to know about Qinghan, even if it's bad news."
“Keeping it a secret is definitely not a solution,” Zehui said in a deep voice. “Given Aoshuang’s shrewdness, our unusual inquiries today have probably already aroused his suspicion.” He glanced at the heavy darkness outside the window. “With just the two of us, we have too little information and it will be difficult to make the best decision. Tomorrow, I will go to Dilin and tell him everything we know. We will discuss it together and see how to deal with it.”
Yuan Xiao nodded; this seemed to be the safest option at the moment. "Okay, then I'll..."
Before she could finish speaking, Zehui's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he raised his hand to signal her to be quiet.
His ears twitched slightly, and his sharp golden eyes swept toward the closed window.
Outside the window, the night wind rustled through the leaves, and everything seemed normal.
Ze Hui listened intently for a few more seconds before relaxing slightly. He shook his head at Yuan Xiao and said in a low voice, "It's probably just rumors. Get some rest tonight and don't think too much. Chi Miao will take care of Shang Wan here. We'll talk about everything when I get back from Di Lin tomorrow."
The two whispered a few more words before Zehui got up and left.