Upon hearing Zhu Ming’an say this, Xi Nanfeng shot up from his seat, pointing at Chen Ke behind him and barking, "Didn’t you say Old Mo was here? Uncle Zhu already said he isn’t—you must’ve deliberately tricked me here as part of some scheme, drawing me away to let Old Mo escape! A grown man like him—if he loses a bet, he should own up to it. Is kissing some woman at the bar really such a big deal that Gu Moqian would be this shy?"
As Zhu Ming’an listened, he felt the heavy weight in his heart suddenly lift.
So Xi Nanfeng came looking for Gu Moqian because of some bet, and not because he caught wind of any wild rumors.
From his words, it seemed Gu Moqian had lost the bet but refused to kiss the woman, so he decided to sneak away.
No wonder Gu Moqian tried to leave not long after arriving.
But luckily, Zhu Ming’an had already slipped something into the tea he drank earlier to ensure he stayed.
"Since Mr. Gu isn’t here, then we should leave—it’s late, and we wouldn’t want to disturb President Zhu’s rest," Chen Ke said awkwardly.
Yes, leave, quickly leave!
Zhu Ming’an nearly blurted out his inner thoughts.
Just as he exhaled a breath of relief, Xi Nanfeng suddenly strode toward the staircase and said, "Since I’m already here, I’ll take a look upstairs. Old Mo’s as sly as a fox—who knows if he’s deliberately hiding from me?"
This Second Young Master Xi really doesn’t play by the rules.
Panic surged through Zhu Ming’an as he hurriedly set down his teacup and stepped forward to block Xi Nanfeng’s path. "Second Young Master Xi, those rooms upstairs belong to my wife and daughter—it wouldn’t be appropriate to barge in ."
Xi Nanfeng halted, standing still as he gave it some thought. It seemed to make sense.
"Alright then, I won’t go up. But Uncle Zhu, you better not be playing favorites with Gu Family just because you’re close to them."
"Of course not, of course not," Zhu Ming’an said quickly, waving his hands.
Xi Nanfeng turned around, abruptly covered his mouth to stifle a yawn, and muttered, "I’m so tired—I went through all this bother for Old Mo and it’s been half the night."
"Second Young Master Xi, if you’re tired, you should head home and sleep," Zhu Ming’an suggested internally, thinking to himself how this guy was finally about to leave.
But to his utter shock, Xi Nanfeng said, "Uncle Zhu, it’s almost dawn already, and I’m really exhausted. I’ll just crash here at your place tonight."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xi Nanfeng continued to march upstairs.
Zhu Ming’an’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he shouted again to stop him, "The rooms on the second floor are all occupied. If you must stay, Second Young Master Xi, let me arrange for the guesthouse nearby. I’ll have the servants take you there immediately."
"Alright, thank you for the trouble, Uncle Zhu."
Finally, under the escort of the servants, Xi Nanfeng left for the guesthouse. Not until his figure completely disappeared beyond the doorway did Zhu Ming’an raise a hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead—it was drenched.
This Second Young Master Xi was truly a handful.
Once Xi Nanfeng departed, Zhu Ming’an reviewed the events of the night and couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He hastily summoned a few servants and ordered them to search the villa inside and out for the suspicious woman.
The hallway lighting earlier had been dim, and the woman had pulled her hat brim so low that Zhu Ming’an hadn’t been able to catch a clear glimpse of her face.
After issuing his orders, Zhu Ming’an went into the study.
He intended to check the surveillance feed to see what was going on in Zhu Jianian’s room.
The two had been in the room together for hours now—they should be tangled up on the bed in heated passion by this time.
The effects of the aphrodisiac were supposed to last all night!
Though it was an unexpected twist that Zhu Jianian ended up taking the drug, it didn’t matter—his daughter sleeping with Gu Moqian would still align with his plans. His scheme was soon to bear fruit.
As soon as he powered up the computer connected to the surveillance system, Zhu Ming’an’s eyes widened in shock—the screen showed nothing but pitch blackness!