“Young Master Sikong?” Jiang Huaiyue murmured thoughtfully.
She was certain this was soone Lin Fan had t only after arriving in Zhonghai. She looked at Manager Xie and asked, “So Lin Fan is staying with him now?”
Manager Xie gave a polite, slightly strained smile. “Miss, this is really outside our authority. This is a hotel—guests check in and out all the ti. Once they leave, we don’t track their whereabouts.”
Jiang Huaiyue realized she was pressing too hard. This wasn’t sothing hotel staff were obligated to answer. Still, without a lead, finding Lin Fan in a place as vast as Zhonghai would be nearly impossible.
So she tried again. “Manager, since you know this Young Master Sikong, could you give his contact information?”
Manager Xie had been waiting for her to ask.
He’d considered suggesting she speak to Young Master Sikong himself, but that would’ve seed suspicious. Now that she’d brought it up, it was perfect.
After thinking for a mont, he said, “How about this—since you seem genuinely worried, I’ll call Young Master Sikong on your behalf. I know him well enough to do that, but beyond that, I can’t help much more.”
Jiang Huaiyue nodded. “Thank you very much.”
Manager Xie smiled kindly. “It’s nothing. Everyone has their troubles when they’re away from ho.”
Who knows, he thought, this woman might one day beco the young lady of the house—best to stay on her good side.
He dialed the number and turned on the speakerphone.
Shen Wuxiao answered quickly, his tone calm.
“Hello, Master Sikong, it’s —Old Xie. Are you busy?”
Shen Wuxiao knew imdiately: the bait had taken.
“I’m ho, nothing going on. What is it, Lao Xie?”
“It’s not , Master,” Manager Xie said smoothly. “There’s soone here who’d like to speak with you. If it’s convenient, I’ll let her talk.”
“Go ahead. Make it quick,” Shen Wuxiao replied coolly.
Jiang Huaiyue didn’t hesitate. “Hello, Master Sikong? I’m trying to find my friend—his na is Lin Fan. Do you know where he is?”
There was a brief silence.
Then Shen Wuxiao spoke slowly. “Who are you? Lin Fan? I don’t know who that is.”
Jiang Huaiyue imdiately picked up on the hesitation in his voice. He was hiding sothing.
“I’m his comrade-in-arms,” she said calmly.
That made Shen Wuxiao pause again.
“You say you’re his comrade-in-arms? What does he look like?” he asked, pretending to be cautious.
Jiang Huaiyue frowned, unsure why this was beginning to feel like an interrogation. Still, she answered patiently.
“He has a buzz cut, bronze skin, big eyes, and a crooked smile. He’s about 1.77 ters tall.”
Shen Wuxiao almost burst out laughing—but held it in.
After a few seconds of silence, he said, “If it’s convenient for you, co to the Bay Villa.”
Then he hung up imdiately, not giving her the chance to ask anything else.
Jiang Huaiyue was stunned.
But she wasn’t soone who backed down easily.
With her fifth-grade, third-level cultivation and awakened supernatural abilities, she had little to fear from anyone in the city.
She returned the phone to Manager Xie. “Thank you for your help.”
Then she walked out of the hotel, hailed a cab, and headed straight for the Bay Villa.
…
anwhile, Shen Wuxiao was already preparing for her arrival.
There was no doubt—Jiang Huaiyue would co.
He tidied up the villa and locked all the doors to certain thed rooms… for now.
After everything was ready, he made a pot of tea and waited.
Half an hour later, a taxi pulled up near the Bay Villa.
It wasn’t hard to spot Shen Wuxiao’s place—it stood out.
Seeing the approaching figure in tight-fitting clothes, Shen Wuxiao stepped outside.
From a distance, he saw her elegant figure.
She saw him too—a tall, striking man standing at the entrance.
As the two grew closer, they finally faced each other.
Both were slightly surprised.
So this is Lin Fan’s friend? Jiang Huaiyue thought.
Shen Wuxiao was undeniably handso—bright eyes, defined features, and a calm, noble deanor. He was the very picture of sophistication.
“Are you the one who called ?” Shen Wuxiao asked.
Jiang Huaiyue nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Alright. Please, co in.” He turned and glanced around, pretending to check for anyone tailing her.
This cautious gesture made Jiang Huaiyue slightly wary.
Once inside, Shen Wuxiao closed the door behind them and gestured toward the living room.
“This way. Let’s sit and talk.”
They sat down, facing each other.
Shen Wuxiao was stunned again—Jiang Huaiyue was astonishingly beautiful. Her features were so refined, so perfect… he couldn’t help but admire her.
Still, he kept his expression composed.
“What’s your na?”
“Jiang,” she answered briefly.
“Miss Jiang,” Shen Wuxiao nodded. “Apologies for being cautious earlier. I didn’t recognize your voice, and with the current situation, I was afraid you might be soone from the enemy’s side.”
Jiang Huaiyue’s expression stayed neutral. “So… where is Lin Fan?”
Shen Wuxiao sighed softly, then poured her a cup of tea.
“You’re his comrade-in-arms, so I’ll be honest. When Lin Fan ca to Zhonghai, we t while stopping a robbery. We hit it off and beca close friends.”
“He ca here to avenge soone… but ended up killing the wrong person.”
“He accidentally killed the son of a major underground force—the Haisha Society. Now they’ve issued a full-scale bounty on him.”
“Not just them. Even the Martial Arts Association and the white-path forces are hunting him down. It’s bad.”
“That’s why I didn’t confirm anything on the phone earlier. I couldn’t risk revealing his whereabouts.”
Jiang Huaiyue finally understood why he had hesitated before. He had been protecting Lin Fan.
“He was afraid I might endanger Lin Fan…” she thought. He’s loyal.
“Then where is Lin Fan now?” she asked.
Shen Wuxiao shook his head. “I truly don’t know. I gave him so money and told him to leave Zhonghai, but he refused. He said he had unfinished business and couldn’t go.”
“He believes that, since he was the one who made the mistake, he has no right to fight back. So he’s hiding—just waiting for the storm to pass. He’ll co back to find once it’s over.”
Jiang Huaiyue nodded slowly.
That sounded exactly like sothing Lin Fan would say.
Shen Wuxiao, of course, had no intention of letting her leave now.
Can’t miss this opportunity.
Of course, his ultimate goal wasn’t just to delay her—it was to claim her.
In his eyes, Jiang Huaiyue would soon be his woman.
And once that happened?
That ridiculous “friendship” between her and Lin Fan would be nothing but a sad joke.
Because in Shen Wuxiao’s world, there was no such thing as “off-limits.”
Not even a friend’s woman.
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