Chapter 74: A Woman Who Says One Thing and Means Another

She had no idea how long she’d slept. When Xu An’an slowly awakened, she realized she was still lying on the floor, and could not help but shed a bitter tear. No one had come to check on her—hadn’t someone gone out to look for Jiang Qi’s assistant? Had they simply vanished, never to return?

Xu An’an climbed to her feet, feeling a chill that made her shudder. She reached for the door handle, only to discover she was locked inside. Instinctively, she wanted to pound on the door for help, but remembering what she’d overheard by accident, she restrained herself.

Taking several deep breaths, Xu An’an forced herself to calm down and carefully sorted through the situation. She’d come here to interview Jiang Qi, and the interview wasn’t finished yet. Would Jiang Qi, as the host, not care about her whereabouts? Unfortunately, she had fainted halfway through, so it was unclear whether Jiang Qi had checked on her afterward. If the assistant had stayed to look after her, hadn’t gone to find Jiang Qi, and had locked her in, it could only mean that assistant was suspicious—an accomplice of those killers!

Realizing the possibilities, Xu An’an sprang to her feet. She had to find a way out of this room before she could take the next step. She walked to the window and was relieved to see the room was on the second floor. Right beside the window was a water pipe, making it much easier to climb down.

Without hesitation, Xu An’an carefully climbed out, gripping the pipe and inching her way down. Luckily, this room faced the back entrance, not the front. It was nighttime now, quiet except for a single light glowing in the darkness. Many cars were parked nearby.

Suddenly, Xu An’an’s sharp eyes spotted Jiang Li’s car. But how could she contact Jiang Li? Her phone still had no signal. How strange!

“Is everything ready?”
“Where’s Second Master?”
“I just saw him go up to the rooftop.”
“Alright, we’ll begin in half an hour.”

Hearing these voices, Xu An’an tensed, inching deeper into the shadows for fear they might discover her. She hadn’t expected the killers to be so brazen, discussing their murderous plans right here.

Once the footsteps faded, Xu An’an slipped inside through a side door, darting up the stairs while no one was watching. Now, all the guests were gathered in the banquet hall downstairs. From afar, she could see Jiang Qi accompanying Lady Jiang, chatting and laughing, the very image of filial piety.

Thinking of Jiang Li alone on the rooftop, Xu An’an felt a sudden ache in her heart and quickened her pace. But she was afraid of being discovered, stumbling several times and banging her shin on the steps, pain making her gasp. With danger imminent, Xu An’an dared not stop for a moment.

“Hu… hu…”
She pushed open the rooftop door, slightly out of breath, and looked around. The rooftop was pitch-black, her vision blurred. Had Jiang Li sensed the danger and left already?

Just then, Xu An’an noticed a red dot, flickering in the darkness. Tentatively, she called out, “Jiang Li?”

No answer.

Xu An’an frowned, edging closer, increasingly certain it was Jiang Li smoking. She called again, “Jiang Li, is that you?”

Still no response.

From the silhouette, Xu An’an was sure the man seated there was Jiang Li, but why wouldn’t he respond?

She strode forward, two or three steps at a time. “Jiang Li, are you deaf or something!”

Jiang Li lazily lifted his gaze, flicked the spent cigarette into the ashtray, and let out a mocking laugh. “Jiang Li? Are you calling me? Didn’t you call me Gu Yang?”

“…”

Xu An’an was speechless. So he’d misunderstood—he hadn’t listened to her properly, not the other way around! But this was no time to explain. Xu An’an quickly told Jiang Li everything she’d overheard, grabbing his hand. “We need to leave now, or they’ll be coming for you soon.”

Jiang Li grasped Xu An’an’s hand in return, pulling her into his arms. His other hand gripped her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.

“Look closely. Who am I?”

His voice was cold and distant, as clear and chilling as jade, sending a shiver through her soul.

Xu An’an sighed helplessly, yielding to his demand. “Jiang Li, Jiang Li, you’re Jiang Li! Even if you turned to ashes, I’d still recognize you. Is that enough?”

“Not satisfied.”

Jiang Li lowered his head, their noses almost touching. Warm breath brushed her face, carrying a subtle scent of cedar mixed with tobacco, oddly appealing.

Seeing Xu An’an’s mind wander, Jiang Li grew displeased. “What, thinking of another man while in my arms? Who is it? Who…”

Xu An’an didn’t give him a chance to finish. Acting on impulse, she rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his—a kiss as light as a dragonfly skimming water.

In the next moment, Jiang Li took control. His hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, fingers entwined in her hair, cutting off all escape. She could only follow him into the depths.

Downstairs, the sound of police sirens broke through the night.

Startled, Xu An’an snapped back to reality, her first instinct to pull Jiang Li away, but he held her tightly in his arms, his voice hoarse. “Why were you in such a hurry to find me? Afraid I’d die?”

“You… let go first, it’s too warm.”

“Answer my question. Don’t try to dodge it.”

“If it were someone else, I think they’d do the same as me…”

“They wouldn’t.”

Jiang Li was certain. “If it were anyone else, they’d only worry about running fast enough. No one else would foolishly risk themselves like you. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get caught up in this too?”

Xu An’an had no time to dwell on it.

“So, what’s going on now?”
She was beginning to understand.

Seeing Jiang Li silent, she peered downstairs. Amid the commotion, she saw the police taking Jiang Qi away. Lady Jiang was beside herself, shouting wildly. “What are you doing? Why are you taking my son!”

The police ignored her, pushing Jiang Qi into the car and speeding off. Lady Jiang collapsed in a faint.

Xu An’an turned, the night wind sweeping stray hairs across her face.

“So, you already had a plan?”

“Of course. Did you think I was weak, just waiting to be manipulated?” Jiang Li reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Xu An’an pouted and pushed him away.
She had worried for nothing; it turned out he didn’t need her concern at all.

“In that case, I’m leaving.”

Seeing her limp as she walked, Jiang Li strode forward and scooped her into his arms. “What’s wrong with your leg?”

Xu An’an instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!”

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. “You’re hugging me and asking me to let go? Such a contradictory woman.”