He clasped his fist in a salute and said, "Senior Sister He?"
Senior Sister He smiled. "You really are Master Cheng’s student. So young. Don’t be as stuffy as my master." She walked over and extended her hand to shake Chen Chuan’s. "Xiaoti ntioned you to last ti. She said Master Cheng’s student was a handso young man. Hmm, not bad at all. Co in and have a seat."
She led Chen Chuan inside, to a spot beneath a latticed window. They sat down on antique-style sandalwood chairs, and she had soone bring them cups of fragrant tea.
Chen Chuan felt the decor was exceptionally refined. The color palette and atmosphere were very comfortable, and every utensil was exquisite. ’It seems this Senior Sister He is soone who appreciates the finer things in life.’
Senior Sister He’s posture was very proper; her back was straight and her hands were folded over her stomach. She said, "Master Cheng already called earlier. This matter has been troubling Old Lei for a long ti, but he’s the type who hates owing people favors. Since he wouldn’t ask, I felt it was inappropriate for to approach Master Cheng myself. It’s wonderful that Master Cheng is willing to help this ti. It’s truly taken a huge weight off my mind."
As soon as Chen Chuan heard this, he knew his senior sister had probably misunderstood. ’She likely thinks Cheng Zitong himself has agreed to solve the problem with Director Lei’s son, and that I, his student, am just here to act as a liaison.’
However, he didn’t correct her. ’Cheng Zitong must have had his reasons for not clarifying.’ He noted that while Senior Sister He’s tone was concerned when she spoke of Director Lei, it also had a casual air to it, which clearly indicated they were very close.
He said, "Senior Sister, when would be a convenient ti to see Director Lei?"
Senior Sister He said, "You’re still a student, aren’t you? You must be busy with your studies, so it can’t have been easy to find the ti to co here. I thank you for that. Today is a rest day, so Old Lei happens to be ho. I’ve already spoken with him. Hmm, you can just take my car."
Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
Senior Sister He smiled and said, "Junior Chen, you ca all this way to help Old Lei solve his problem. I’m the one who should be thanking you."
After a brief exchange, Chen Chuan left and got into a pale blue Yu Fulan sedan. It was clear that this Senior Sister He ca from a well-off family; she lived in South City and had a personal car and driver.
Once he was in the car, it headed south. The vehicle moved quickly but smoothly. After about thirty minutes, they reached the edge of Quanzhou District, nearly at the city limits. Based on its location, it was in the southwestern corner of Yangzhi City. There were few hos around, mostly two or three-story houses separated by long distances, making the area feel very secluded.
He asked the driver, "Sir, does Director Lei live around here?"
The driver explained, "Director Lei doesn’t like to live in crowded places."
After another five or six minutes, the car turned onto a tree-lined lane and stopped in front of a three-story house surrounded by a flower garden. "We’re here," the driver said.
Chen Chuan got out of the car and saw that the garden was filled with many vibrant flowers and plants whose nas he didn’t know. They might have been foreign varieties or perhaps specially cultivated. It was quite an achievent to have them looking so bright and dazzling in February.
Looking at them, an image of Senior Sister He surfaced in his mind. He couldn’t say why, but he just felt these flowers were connected to her sohow.
After bidding farewell to the driver, he walked along a ticulously clean path to the steps outside the door. He passed under an awning and knocked.
After a short wait, he heard approaching footsteps, and the door opened from the inside. A man who looked to be in his forties at most stepped out. He wore black-frad glasses, a charcoal-gray jacket over a white shirt, and had a straight nose and a well-defined mouth. He was handso.
Unsure of the man’s identity, Chen Chuan said, "Hello, is this Director Lei’s residence? I’m looking for Director Lei."
The man nodded. "That’s . Did she send you?" When Chen Chuan nodded, he said politely, "Thank you for making the trip." He turned to go inside. "Co in, have a seat."
Chen Chuan observed him. This Director Lei didn’t seem like an official from the Administrative Affairs Hall; he looked more like a scholar. Chen Chuan changed his shoes at the entrance and went inside.
Inside, Director Lei was very polite, even to a young man like him. He invited Chen Chuan to sit on the sofa, poured him a glass of water, and said, "And you are?"
Chen Chuan said, "Chen Chuan, a student at Wuyi Academy."
Director Lei seed a little surprised and looked him over. "Oh? He Nan only said you were Manager Cheng’s disciple. She didn’t ntion you were a Wuyi Student."
A disciple was different from a student. But hearing this, Chen Chuan understood that Senior Sister He must have said that to emphasize his connection to Cheng Zitong. He didn’t rush to deny it.
"Chen Chuan..." Director Lei mulled over the na. "I think I’ve heard that na before." He looked up, his gaze sharp behind his glasses. "Five days ago, were you the one who intercepted and killed the Maka People fugitive, Duma?"
Chen Chuan hadn’t expected him to know about that incident. Officials from the Administrative Affairs Hall usually didn’t concern themselves with the specific individuals and events at that level. He said, "I was. I’m surprised you know about it, Director Lei."
Director Lei looked at him. "As a Wuyi Student, you weren’t part of the on-site security. You didn’t have to get involved in that situation. Why did you take the initiative?"
Chen Chuan said, "I hadn’t planned on getting involved, but soone on-site started shooting innocent civilians. Regardless of my identity, as long as I had the ability to act, I felt I couldn’t just stand by and watch."
Director Lei nodded and comnted, "You have a strong sense of justice."
Chen Chuan said frankly, "It’s more than that. I’m a local of Yangzhi City. My friends and family are all here. What if they had been among those people?"
Director Lei’s intense gaze softened. He was silent for a mont, then suddenly said, "You should go back."
Chen Chuan was taken aback. "Director Lei?"
Director Lei shook his head. "Regarding my son’s situation... I’ve tried many things. Whether or not it can be solved is one thing, but it’s very easy for the problem to rub off on others. There could be other troubles, too. You’re a good young man with a bright future. You shouldn’t get entangled in this."
Chen Chuan thought for a mont and said, "Director Lei, my teacher sent here precisely because he trusts in my abilities."
Director Lei looked surprised again, because Chen Chuan had emphasized his *own* abilities, not his teacher’s. He pushed up his glasses and studied Chen Chuan seriously. After a mont, he nodded and stood up. "Follow ."
Chen Chuan followed him up the stairs to the third floor. Director Lei took out a key, unlocked a door, and pushed it open. He spoke softly, gesturing toward a small child curled up in the corner. "That’s my son. He’s very afraid of strangers. If you need to ask him anything, please try to be gentle."
Chen Chuan nodded and walked toward the corner. As he got closer, however, his steps faltered slightly. He turned to look back at Director Lei. Director Lei’s tone was casual as he asked, "What is it? Is sothing wrong?"
"It’s nothing..." Chen Chuan glanced at the child again. Only... it was a puppet.
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