Chapter Thirty-Six: The First Informal Meeting Between the Two Women

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When Lan Qian appeared in casual attire, she was absolutely dazzling and extravagant. She wore a fiery red, waist-fitted short trench coat by Christian Dior, paired with a black V-neck knit top from Valentino that revealed her porcelain skin at the neckline, and a silver necklace hanging from her chest.

Her lower half was clad in black, form-fitting trousers from Moschino, perfectly accentuating Lan Qian’s curves. To be honest, the girl herself had no idea why she dressed up like this to come to Zhuo Nan’s school today—perhaps she was possessed by a momentary impulse. At the same time, she secretly wanted to meet the girl called Fu Xinxin, whom Zhuo Nan often mentioned; he even got into a fight and hospitalized someone for her, which meant she must be a very beautiful girl.

Lan Qian, meticulously dressed, arrived at the school only to find that Zhuo Nan, that scoundrel, wasn’t there. After tracking down the mathematics teacher, she learned that Zhuo Nan had attended one class early in the morning and then requested leave. She asked the old teacher why a graduating junior high student could just leave as he pleased, and received an unexpected answer: Zhuo Nan’s grades were so excellent that the entrance exam was practically assured for him. He no longer needed to stay at school and could be allowed to relax and prepare for the exam.

Is that even true? Lan Qian didn’t quite believe it—could Zhuo Nan’s grades really be that outstanding? The teachers claimed they had nothing left to teach him. Her admiration for Zhuo Nan only deepened—her little brother was truly exceptional. But if he wasn’t in class, where had he gone? Where could she find him?

With one goal unmet, Lan Qian pursued another. Facing the math teacher, she said, “Teacher Zhou, I’d like to meet Fu Xinxin.” Fortunately, Lan Qian had already identified herself, otherwise Teacher Zhou might have been alarmed, thinking Fu Xinxin had gotten into trouble. Even so, Zhou was a bit surprised, wondering what business Lan Qian had with Fu Xinxin. Still, since Lan Qian was a police officer, he had to comply. Before he left, Lan Qian added, “Teacher Zhou, I hope you won’t mention today’s events to anyone.”

Teacher Zhou paused, then smiled gratefully, “I understand.” He was genuinely thankful; if word got out that the police were looking for a student, it wouldn’t reflect well, not just for the student but also for him as the class teacher.

Fu Xinxin appeared before Lan Qian wearing an ordinary dress, unrecognizable in brand. The contrast between the two girls’ attire was stark: Lan Qian was radiant and flamboyant, Fu Xinxin was plain and simple. Yet this couldn’t conceal Fu Xinxin’s youthful aura—at least from Lan Qian’s perspective, Fu Xinxin was pure and adorable. She thought to herself, “So this is the type Zhuo Nan likes.”

Fu Xinxin didn’t know who wanted to see her; she only heard from the teacher that it was a woman. When Lan Qian appeared before her, Fu Xinxin was stunned. The woman before her could only be described as glamorous and stylish. She didn’t know the brand names, but could tell the clothes were expensive and seemed tailor-made to flatter Lan Qian’s figure—balanced, curvaceous. Fu Xinxin wondered, “When will I ever have such a figure, especially her bust…”

Lan Qian understood that Fu Xinxin was only fifteen, her figure still developing, but her face was naturally beautiful. In two years, she would surely be a stunning beauty. “That rascal, he really acted quickly.”

“Are you Fu Xinxin? Please, have a seat over here.” Lan Qian gestured politely, inviting Fu Xinxin to sit.

Fu Xinxin nodded and walked slowly to Lan Qian’s side, but didn’t sit down. That action told Lan Qian that the girl was timid. “Men are all the same—they love to protect delicate girls.”

Since Fu Xinxin didn’t sit, Lan Qian didn’t press her. Instead, she spoke seriously, “I’m Zhuo Nan’s god-sister. Has he ever mentioned me to you?”

“Ah…” Fu Xinxin exclaimed. The beauty before her was Zhuo Nan’s god-sister? She’d never heard Zhuo Nan mention her, and instinctively shook her head.

Lan Qian felt a surge of annoyance: “That rascal, he never even mentions me to his little girlfriend. Truly infuriating.”

Though annoyed with Zhuo Nan, Lan Qian bore no malice toward Fu Xinxin. She smiled and said, “Well, never mind. Are you Zhuo Nan’s girlfriend?”

Fu Xinxin was startled, quickly glanced around. Fortunately, the office was empty except for them; the door wasn’t closed, but no one was passing by outside. This put the nervous girl at ease.

Lan Qian watched her movements and smiled. “Don’t be afraid, there’s no one else, and I won’t tell anyone.”

Fu Xinxin’s cheeks instantly flushed, and she nodded shyly. But then she remembered something and said, “Sister, you mustn’t tell anyone…” So far, this was Fu Xinxin’s first real sentence to Lan Qian—the earlier exclamation didn’t count.

Lan Qian had gotten the answer she wanted, but felt a vague discomfort. Still, she drew Fu Xinxin’s hand over and let her sit beside her, as if to have a heart-to-heart. She asked, “What do you like about him?”

It was Fu Xinxin’s first time discussing Zhuo Nan with anyone, even if the person before her was his sister; she was so shy she could barely speak. Lan Qian found it amusing. “Silly girl, what is there to like about that rascal?”

When someone called Zhuo Nan a rascal, Fu Xinxin couldn’t accept it. She responded indignantly, “Zhuo Nan isn’t a rascal! He treats me very well, and he’s great at studying.”

Fu Xinxin’s sudden outburst startled Lan Qian, who realized the girl was thoroughly smitten. Her eyes couldn’t tolerate a speck of dust, her ears couldn’t bear a single word against him.

But Lan Qian still said, “That rascal… oh, not rascal.” Seeing Fu Xinxin glare at her, Lan Qian quickly corrected herself. “That guy, what’s so good about him? He likes to play little tricks, and he’s… well, he’s a bit…”

The mention of “a bit…” reminded Lan Qian of what happened yesterday—he had touched her, hugged her, and her face grew warm at the memory. Yet she couldn’t forgive him for later leaving her in the taxi without a word.

Fu Xinxin, hearing Lan Qian mention Zhuo Nan’s “bit,” thought of the incident at noon on the playground. Her face turned scarlet, and Lan Qian, a police officer, caught the expression instantly. Could it be… Zhuo Nan had already made a move on this young girl? That scoundrel…

Fu Xinxin quickly recovered, looking up with wide eyes and curiosity. “Sister, how do you know Zhuo Nan is… like that?”

Regretting her own words, Lan Qian hoped Fu Xinxin wouldn’t suspect anything. She laughed it off, “That guy, the way he looks at people isn’t normal.” Then she stood up. “Alright, that’s enough chatting. I have things to do, I’ll be going.”

Fu Xinxin felt that this sister was a little odd. With her feminine intuition, she guessed that Lan Qian and Zhuo Nan had a deep connection. Her greatest fear was that Zhuo Nan didn’t like her anymore; their relationship was her first and meant everything to her. If Zhuo Nan stopped loving her, what would she do? An unfamiliar fear spread through Fu Xinxin’s mind.

Zhuo Nan, of course, didn’t know that the two most important women in his life had their first informal meeting today. The whole process was harmonious—no shouting matches with hands on hips, no knife fights until someone fell.

At that moment, Zhuo Nan was with Shi Yang in Longkun, plotting the noon trade in that infamous little room, discussing how to counter Wang Zhengguo’s schemes.

But Zhuo Nan was unaware that his defeat of Sang Qiang last night had rendered all their plotting useless.

In Ghost Nan Chao’s villa, the forty-something Ghost Nan Chao’s body had begun to grow slightly plump. He wore a Mediterranean hairstyle, his face fleshy and trembling with rage. Standing beside him were the Three Titans, all with their heads bowed, hardly daring to breathe.

With a crash, Ghost Nan Chao smashed his teacup onto the expensive coffee table.

“Damn it! More than twenty men, and none of you know who attacked us, nor how many there were. What the hell is wrong with all of you?” Ghost Nan Chao cursed at the Three Titans.

The housekeeper, seeing the mess of broken cups, wanted to step forward and tidy up, but dared not move a single step.

“Go investigate, search everywhere—turn Deqing upside down if you must, but find out! I, Ghost Nan Chao, have never been slapped so hard in all my years! Damn it!” Ghost Nan Chao raged on. Indeed, he had been a gang leader for over twenty years, ruling Deqing for nearly a decade. The underworld had a saying: “When Brother Chao stamps his foot, Deqing trembles thrice.” The Three Titans knew the boss was truly furious this time; the same thought crossed their minds—how many would die in Deqing’s underworld this time?

Sang Qiang’s demise meant little; it merely gave Ghost Nan Chao an excuse to reshuffle Deqing’s underworld, further cementing his position as kingpin.

“Brother Chao, what about Wang Zhengguo’s business at noon?” Leopard, one of the remaining Three Titans, asked.

Ghost Nan Chao thought briefly, then replied, “Send a few men, whatever. Only thirty thousand given anyway.”

“Alright, Brother Chao. We’ll take care of it,” Leopard responded.

“Go on, what are you waiting for? Get out! If you botch this, you’ll end up like Sang Qiang!” Ghost Nan Chao exploded completely.

The Three Titans quickly withdrew, not daring to linger a moment longer. After they left, a flamboyantly dressed woman approached Ghost Nan Chao, gently caressing his chest and cooing, “Brother Chao, don’t be angry, you’ll hurt your health…”

Ghost Nan Chao glanced at her, pulled her into his arms, his face filled with lust. “Come on, help me cool off…”