So this was Xu Yi’s true purpose in bringing her here today.

Li Weiyi suddenly smiled, her gaze intense as if gazing at a deeply beloved lover. Xu Yi was startled. Li Weiyi had already grabbed his collar, forcing him to lower his head. She raised herself up, pressing against his neck, almost kissing but not quite, her breath lingering around him.

The smile finally disappeared from Xu Yi’s face, and even the line of his neck was visibly stiff.

Li Weiyi said softly, “Achan, you’re overthinking. How could I refuse you? But you smell of sweat. Go take a shower, otherwise I don’t want to hold you.”

She released his collar. Xu Yi gazed deeply at her, then turned his head away and actually laughed self-mockingly. He let go of her, straightened up, lifted his collar to smell it, and said, “There is a smell of sweat. My apologies.” He took off his wristwatch and tossed it on the sofa, took off his jacket and tossed it down too, kicked off his slippers, wearing only socks, and said, “I’ll listen to you and go shower. You’ve always been very fond of cleanliness. You don’t like it when I smell of sweat, alcohol, or cigarettes. I remember.”

He walked toward the inner bedroom, as if performing some kind of ritual for himself. Li Weiyi sat without moving, watching the bedroom direction, casually picking up his wristwatch, holding it in her hand for a while before putting it down.

It wasn’t until the sound of the shower started that Li Weiyi quickly got up, pulled open each drawer to look, but there was nothing at all inside. She had no choice but to leave this bedroom and return to her original room, locking it, then feeling that still wasn’t enough, she used all her strength to push the cabinet over to block the door.

Then she sat down on the edge of the bed in frustration. Now she didn’t know what to do either—she could only take things one step at a time.

——

Zhang Jingchan and Zhang Fengming twisted and turned, arduously avoiding all police checkpoints, traveling through old residential areas and narrow paths. Finally, close to ten o’clock, they drove to the edge of the city, arriving at the entrance of an elementary school by the river.

Zhang Fengming parked the car in a dark corner, turned off the engine, and got out. Zhang Jingchan looked up. The elementary school wasn’t large and looked very old. Inside it was pitch black with a few shadowy buildings. The light in the gatehouse at the entrance was on.

The two walked along the wall beside the elementary school. The path grew darker and darker, with wild grass growing thickly beside them. They gradually walked toward the riverside, then turned a corner—there was actually an extremely concealed small path hidden among the fields by the road.

On the other side of the fields was a cliff four or five stories high, with the riverbank below.

The two crossed through the fields, following the dirt road around to the other side. It turned out this side was behind the school. Two men in black clothes were guarding the end of the dirt road, completely invisible from a distance. Seeing Zhang Fengming and Xu Yi, the two nodded.

Zhang Jingchan noticed that many rocks were exposed on the dirt slope. On their left as they passed by was a natural cave with a kerosene lamp lit inside and two subordinates sitting inside playing cards. Zhang Jingchan then understood—this truly was a hiding place hidden in plain sight.

Past the cave was a small flight of steps leading into a dilapidated two-story building with a sign reading “Gymnasium.”

Zhang Jingchan followed Zhang Fengming inside.

Calling it a gymnasium, it was only about a hundred square meters, with half of it piled with equipment. On the old rubber floor lay several quilts tossed about. In the middle was a square table with two people sitting across from each other, drinking beer and eating late-night snacks. Looking out the window, one could still see on the opposite teaching building a large old-fashioned clock hanging high, belonging to the 1980s and 1990s era.

Hearing footsteps, those two looked up. Cheng Chuan’s expression was still so cautious. Liu Ying looked at Zhang Jingchan beside Zhang Fengming—that is, “Xu Yi”—with an expression as if she’d seen a ghost.

The day Zhang Jingchan first traveled through time, after Liu Ying coordinated with her brother, she couldn’t care about anything else and wanted to catch him, but he escaped. Because the pursuit happened outside the office building, by the time Cheng Chuan and Zhang Fengming ran out, Zhang Jingchan was long gone. Liu Ying only vaguely said, “Just now there was a suspicious person spying. Didn’t catch them. Xu Yi went to chase them.”

After that, Xu Yi remotely directed everyone. Only Liu Ying knew about the switch.

Zhang Fengming pulled over a chair to sit down. Zhang Jingchan sat across from him with an extremely natural manner, saying to the other two, “Brought him back. Tonight we can leave with peace of mind.”

Both Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan nodded. These past few days had suffocated them to death. Fortunately, every year Xu Yi had taught them to transfer some assets abroad. Now they just wanted to quickly get out and live carefree lives.

Liu Ying looked coldly at Zhang Jingchan, suddenly smiled, and said, “Alan, come with me. I have something important to tell you.”

Zhang Jingchan’s expression was bland. He even picked up a peanut to shell and said, “Just say it here. We’re all friends here.”

Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan exchanged glances.

Liu Ying raised her voice: “Third and Fourth! My brother’s had too much to drink. Take him next door—I’ll help him sober up!”

The two subordinates who had been drinking in the cave ran in. Zhang Jingchan grabbed a wine glass and smashed it on the floor. But just like Xu Yi, even when angry, his voice remained unhurried and calm: “What can’t be said in front of these two? Afraid they’ll find out about those things you’ve been doing with people in secret?”

Liu Ying was instantly stunned.

Zhang Fengming: “Wait!” He turned to the two subordinates and said, “You two go out first. The siblings are quarreling.”

Zhang Jingchan said, “Have them stay far away.” He gave Zhang Fengming a look. Zhang Fengming immediately understood—outsiders couldn’t hear the following content. He ordered, “Stay far away.”

Liu Ying reacted and was just about to stop the subordinates from leaving when she heard Zhang Jingchan say, “Three hundred million, a full three hundred million! Not even a hint of word leaked out—you even kept it from me. What exactly is your relationship with that person called Wang Ming? Treating us like monkeys?”

Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan quickly exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. Cheng Chuan spoke up: “Xu Yi, what three hundred million? Explain yourself clearly.”

Zhang Jingchan raised his chin toward Liu Ying: “You’ll have to ask her.”

Of course they had to ask her. Because Ding Chenmo had received word this morning that police in another jurisdiction had taken control of Wang Ming. The thirty million they used to buy futures came from Fuming, so naturally the enormous profits were also illegal. After police interrogated Wang Ming, they confirmed the existence of this investment. Neither Zhang Fengming nor Cheng Chuan knew about it—it was a private operation by Xu Yi and Liu Ying.

Liu Ying was completely panicked. She hadn’t expected this person to distort the facts so completely, suddenly bringing up this matter and pushing it all onto her alone. But what could she say? Say that clearly it was something we siblings did together? Or say you’re not Xu Yi, you’re Zhang Jingchan? Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan would only think she’d lost her mind.

Her hesitation, in Zhang Fengming and the others’ eyes, further confirmed Zhang Jingchan’s words. There really was three hundred million they didn’t know about, otherwise how could two siblings with the closest relationship possibly turn on each other? That was three hundred million.

Liu Ying had just wanted to deny it outright as a misunderstanding when Zhang Jingchan spoke first: “These past few days I’ve been hiding everywhere, but I also have people within the police force. Otherwise I couldn’t have hidden this long, and tonight I couldn’t have brought you back either.” He glanced at Zhang Fengming.

Zhang Fengming immediately nodded. Tonight’s return had indeed been smooth.

Liu Ying: “You’re talking nonsense! Old Cheng, Old Zhang, don’t listen to him!”

Zhang Jingchan acted as if he hadn’t heard, continuing, “I heard some news. Police in Guangzhou detained someone called Wang Ming. He’s suspected of using thirty million embezzled from Fuming, along with her, to buy the same futures as Zhang Moyun, turning around to earn three hundred million. Sis, police only recovered forty million from Wang Ming. Where’s the remaining two hundred sixty million? So in the end, everyone was just a tool and stepping stone for your wealth accumulation, even me. That Wang Ming—is he your confidant, or your true love?”

Liu Ying was nearly dying of anger. Wang Ming was their cousin! No, he was hers and Xu Yi’s cousin.