Shang Chen took the man who broke into Fenglin Villa to the backyard for questioning.
But didn’t obtain any useful information.
A professional assassin, without asking for reasons, without asking who hired him, takes money and does the job.
After Shang Chen finished questioning, he returned to the villa to report to Gu Yanjing: "Mr. Gu. The visitor is a professional assassin; he only confessed his task tonight is to take Miss Qiao away."
It was already past one in the morning, Gu Yanjing had been accompanying Qiao Yuxian the previous night, and hadn’t rested much throughout the day. At this moment, his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, making him appear even colder and more indifferent.
He asked, "Where to take her?"
Shang Chen stood in front of him and replied with his head lowered, "At half past midnight, the back alley of the Galaxy Club."
Gu Yanjing didn’t speak.
Since a specific time was set, if the person wasn’t delivered by the time, the person meeting him would definitely leave.
At half past midnight, when he sent Qiao Yuxian back to her room, it was already past twenty minutes.
Including Shang Chen’s questioning time.
Shang Chen looked at him and said, "I’ve already dispatched people over there."
Gu Yanjing pinched his brow and said, "On the employer’s side..."
"According to his confession, the other party directly came to him with cash in hand, placing the order," Shang Chen said.
"Able to find a professional assassin’s home." Gu Yanjing said softly.
Shang Chen understood Gu Yanjing’s meaning. Being able to find a professional assassin’s home means that the opposite party is definitely not simple.
Yet they still chose to hire an assassin to handle things and cautiously set a meeting time.
Clearly, the person behind this has someone they fear and may also have an intention to probe.
Are they probing Qiao Yuxian? Or testing Mr. Gu’s attentiveness towards Qiao Yuxian? Or perhaps there’s another motive.
"Have someone check the back alley of the Galaxy Club to see if any traces can be found," Gu Yanjing said.
"Yes," Shang Chen replied.
Gu Yanjing’s eyes were heavy: "Dispatch a team to Fenglin Villa."
Shang Chen’s mouth moved a bit, but ultimately said, "Yes."
Gu Yanjing looked at him: "Su Qi should be finished over there. Once he returns, hand over all of this year’s work to him."
Shang Chen suddenly raised his head to look at him, his expression stunned.
"Before the end of the year, you are responsible for protecting Qiao Yuxian," Gu Yanjing said.
Shang Chen’s eyes trembled, and a few seconds later said, "Mr. Gu..."
Gu Yanjing looked at him.
Even though his expression hadn’t changed, Shang Chen felt the pressure and swallowed his words, saying, "Yes."
Gu Yanjing didn’t say anything further.
Shang Chen stood for a while, seeing he had no other orders, nodded, and retreated. But after taking two steps, he returned.
Gu Yanjing looked at him again.
Shang Chen stood in front of him, with his head down, his face somewhat stiff, lips moving before decisively saying, "Mr. Gu."
He lowered his voice, "I think it’s better to take precautions against Miss Qiao."
Gu Yanjing looked at him without speaking.
"I have crossed paths with her and can sense that she is very skilled," Shang Chen said, under Gu Yanjing’s gaze and with a steely resolve. "Her identity is not entirely clear, and tonight’s visitor may not be targeting us."
The person tonight wanted to take Qiao Yuxian away.
In one scenario, they came for Qiao Yuxian.
Another scenario— perhaps they came for Gu Yanjing, and Qiao Yuxian is merely a bargaining chip, or they’re probing Qiao Yuxian’s significance to him.
With too little useful information, they can only speculate.
But precautions must be taken.
Gu Yanjing looked at him again, then withdrew his gaze and said, "You may go back now."
The invisible pressure vanished, Shang Chen breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes."
He left, and Gu Yanjing sat in the living room for a while before going upstairs.
At the study door, he opened the door and looked toward his own room.
After pausing, he walked to his own door, opened it.
The room lights were still on, he walked in and found that Qiao Yuxian hadn’t slept yet.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, hugging the pink pig from the sofa, she was watching him.
She was occupying only half of the bed, the other half... was reserved for the ten plush pandas at the headboard.
She had taken those ten plush pandas down and placed them on the bed.
They looked as though they had been carefully arranged.
Gu Yanjing looked at her eyes tinged with a bit of sleepiness, "Still not sleeping?"
"I thought you would come," Qiao Yuxian’s chin rested on the plush pig.
Gu Yanjing said nothing. He didn’t know what to say nor why he came.
Actually, Qiao Yuxian didn’t know why she thought he would come either.
But he really did come.
"That man..." Qiao Yuxian said.
"Shang Chen took him away," Gu Yanjing said.
"Did he say anything?" Qiao Yuxian asked.
"Professional assassin," Gu Yanjing didn’t hide from her, "wanted to take you to the back alley of the Galaxy Club."
Qiao Yuxian raised her left eyebrow lightly: "Coming for you?"
Gu Yanjing looked at her, counterasked: "What do you think?"
He had exchanged blows with that man and naturally knew his strength. To be a professional assassin, one must have extraordinary skill.
This can’t compare to the few at the old house.
Yet Qiao Yuxian was able to make him fight back...and retreat.
The two faced each other in silence, as if time had stretched.
After a while, Qiao Yuxian smiled and said, "If he came for me, what’s Mr. Gu planning to do?"
Gu Yanjing looked at her smile, and after a moment said, "I’ve allocated resources here, it will be very safe in the future."
Listening to his words, Qiao Yuxian’s eyelashes trembled slightly, then her smile deepened, her voice slowed, "What if I turn against you?"
"You can try," Gu Yanjing’s eyes glinted with dangerous severity. He approached and pressed her hair lightly. The action was gentle, yet his voice was fiercely steely, "Let’s see if I won’t make you lose a layer of skin."
A coldness rose from the soles of her feet, and Qiao Yuxian dropped her gaze, gasped, and whispered, "Scary."
Gu Yanjing watched her lowered eyelashes, rubbed her hair once more, withdrew his hand, "Sleep now."
Qiao Yuxian nodded, "Please turn off the light for me."
Qiao Yuxian hugged the pink pig, lay down, covered herself with the blanket, and even covered the mascots on the other side of the bed, "Gu Yanjing, good night."
Gu Yanjing looked at her obedient closed-eyed appearance, replied softly, "Good night."
He left, went to the door, turned off the light, closed the door, and entered the study.
Except for being unwell and unable to sleep by herself, Qiao Yuxian usually slept very well, and wasn’t picky about where, she could sleep anywhere.
The next day she woke up after eight.
Successfully missed the morning class.
No one called her to wake up.
Seeing the time, she lay on the bed for a while longer before sitting up.
Then she sat up on the bed, looking at the scattered toys.
Except for the pig she held, the ten plush pandas, plus a pillow, none escaped, all were scattered. They fell in all directions.
Qiao Yuxian looked at the night’s "battle results," randomly tousled her hair, got out of bed, and tidied up.
Her left leg touched the ground, felt the stinging pain of the wound, disregarded it, planted both feet on the ground and walked on the floor, picked up all the toys from the floor, lined them up one by one, and placed them on the headboard.