Wu Jue didn’t expect that just mentioning the name Mei Shuiqing would provoke such a strong reaction from the girl. Seeing her state deteriorate, he quickly shouted, "Guan Tao!"
Little Tao was already engulfed in unspeakable fear. She didn’t know why she was so terrified, but as soon as ’Mei Shuiqing’ or ’Master Mei’ came to mind, she couldn’t stop trembling and wanted to find a hidden place to hide.
It wasn’t until her full name suddenly rang in her ears, piercing the whirlpool of fear in her heart with a small clarity, that her vision slowly refocused, allowing her to see her surroundings clearly.
Once she regained her senses, she shook her head frantically, "Don’t ask me, don’t ask me, I don’t know anything!"
Originally, Wu Jue wanted to ask her where they went after being taken by Mei Shuiqing and what Mei Shuiqing had done. Seeing her , he dared not ask further.
A person’s mind can suddenly collapse under extreme tension and fear, he had witnessed it firsthand.
Better to wait until they’re at the location to discuss further!
The rest of the ride, the taxi drove quietly and steadily.
To avoid further distressing Little Tao, Wu Jue didn’t even look at the back seat through the rearview mirror.
Until the car drove into a lakeside resort hotel and headed towards the villa area at the back.
Although the third-tier small city they were in was remote, the scenery was beautiful, and this lakeside resort hotel was specifically for visitors looking to escape the summer heat.
During the summer vacation, most visitors were students, making the originally quiet hotel a bit lively because of them.
Hearing the vibrant laughter outside the car window, Little Tao, who had been motionless inside the car, couldn’t help but be drawn to it and looked up out the window.
Just in time to see a group of what seemed to be university students walking by the roadside, the boys holding basketballs and skateboards, with a girl trying out her skateboard but unable to keep her balance, luckily caught by the boy helping her.
"You make it look so easy, why is it so hard for me?"
"Miss, I fell many times when I first learned this." This update is available on novel·fiɾe·net
Facing the golden sunset, those young and lively faces were so enviable.
Little Tao watched for a while without blinking, until the car suddenly stopped and the engine turned off, bringing her back to reality.
Facing the driver’s gaze after he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around, her body, which was a bit relaxed, became stiff again.
Seeing her , Wu Jue was a bit helpless, but softened his tone to gently explain, "Miss Tao, you saw it too, this is a hotel, and there are many students on vacation nearby, it’s really safe. Please believe me, I mean no harm to you whatsoever. I just wanted to have a few words with you, to understand some things."
However, his words clearly had no effect, as Little Tao still clasped her phone and bag tightly, looking at him warily.
He didn’t expect that his usually friendly and harmless face, which always gained trust easily, would become ineffective one day.
As they silently faced off, the passenger side window was tapped from the outside.
Outside the half-open window, a pair of distinctive phoenix eyes curiously looked inside the car, "We are here, why haven’t you gotten out yet?"
Wu Jue couldn’t help but wipe his face.
Could he say that he inadvertently said something on the road that almost scared the young girl to death?
He was really embarrassed to tell his friend about such a black mark in his history!
While pondering how to explain, an exclamation from the back seat interrupted him.
Little Tao stared wide-eyed at the man standing outside the car, rubbing her eyes to confirm, "Mr. Shen, Shen?"
Shen Yunqing slightly tilted his head, meeting Little Tao’s surprised eyes, and nodded lightly, "It’s me. Miss Tao, long time no see."
Little Tao looked at Shen Yunqing outside the car, then at the driver with the baseball cap, feeling like her mind had completely stopped working.
But previously it was out of fear, and now it was out of astonishment.
It took her a while to find her voice again, "Yes, it has been a long time."
The last time she saw Mr. Shen, she was with Jiang Xiyu on the set of "Empress Yuan Zhao," and later, she had taken Jiang Xiyu’s instructions...
Now, sitting in a car that was meant to go to Xiaodongshan Hospital, she met him again.
"Why are you here? And what’s the relationship between you two?"
"I came to meet you, Miss Tao. This is Wu Jue, and I asked him to bring you here first."
Little Tao sat stiffly under a parasol in the small villa’s yard, holding a cup of fragrant tea in her hand. A small delicate incense burner was also placed on the table in front of her, with wisps of smoke wafting out, blending with the tea’s aroma, bringing an inexplicable calm.
Seeing Mr. Shen across from her take a sip of tea, she followed suit.
The tea was at the perfect temperature; no bitterness from the leaves, only a lingering sweetness and fragrance.
So, she couldn’t help but take another sip.
Since leaving Jiang Xiyu’s villa in the morning and rushing to the airport, then driving after landing, she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything.
Only now did she realize how parched she was.
Seeing this, Shen Yunqing poured her another cup of water and, as he watched her drink it, spoke calmly, "You mentioned visiting family elders, so I won’t beat around the bush."
"Half a month ago, you took a pendant stolen from Jiang Lingxi to give to Mei Shuiqing, Master Mei."
Little Tao suddenly gripped the cup tightly.
Observing her reaction discreetly, Shen Yunqing continued, "Afterwards, Wu Jue personally led a team to investigate the villa abandoned by Mei Shuiqing in haste, where some traces of rudimentary magic were found."
Shen Yunqing smiled at her, "Miss Tao, you might have suspected, right? This Mei Shuiqing, Master Mei, knows some things that seem like mere sorcery to ordinary people but are genuinely effective."
Though she still felt a deep-seated terror upon hearing ’Mei Shuiqing,’ perhaps due to the two cups of calming tea or the incense now enveloping her senses, she could at least keep her mind clear despite the fear.
"She is indeed terrifying." Taking a few deep breaths of the incense, she finally suppressed her fear and spoke haltingly, "I didn’t even dare to look at her, I always felt she was like a... Demon!"
Wu Jue, who was about to add more incense: "... That’s a bit of an abstract description!"
Shen Yunqing: "Mind your incense!"