Crack!
As a clap of thunder suddenly split the pitch-black night sky, and the scattered raindrops instantly turned to the size of soybeans, Lin Yifeng was dragged out of the front hall of the Shen family's old residence.
Even with his chin held tight, he was still pleading indistinctly, issuing warnings.
He pleaded with Shen Zui to spare his life on account of their marital bond.
He warned Li Qianfan that if Su Nanyin could kill Lin Yifeng tonight, she could kill Li Qianfan tomorrow!
Inside the living room,
came the uncontrollable sobs of Shen Zui.
Lin Yifeng was, after all, the man she had personally chosen from the vast sea of humanity as her ideal husband.
Su Nanyin not only wanted Lin Yifeng dead but also demanded that Shen Zui personally handle the matter.
Truly a beauty with a heart like a viper!
She wouldn't even spare her own daughter.
"Let alone me, her son-in-law with no proper title?"
Li Qianfan prattled on, his longing for home growing stronger.
He was even more determined that from now on, whenever he saw Su Nanyin, he would address her as "great mother-in-law" and "sweet mother," never again daring to call her "Guanyin Meizi."
"Guanyin is poisonous; keep a respectful distance."
These were the eight characters Li Qianfan was still thinking about as he slowly drifted off to sleep in Shen Chongchong's bedroom.
Rumble—
As a rolling thunderclap swept across the sky outside the window, it also startled Li Qianfan from his deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes, he happened to see the tail of a lightning flash disappear outside the window.
Because this was the last courtyard.
When Uncle Shen wasn't around, it was just Su Nanyin and her three daughters, so there was no need for curtains.
Li Qianfan glanced outside, paid it no mind, and closed his eyes again.
But he faintly heard crying coming from outside the door.
"Who is crying outside my door?"
Li Qianfan's slow brain transmitted this information to him.
Making him instinctively prick up his ears.
He hadn't misheard.
Indeed, someone was outside the door, crying suppressedly.
It was a woman.
"Shen Zui?"
Li Qianfan suddenly understood.
Why was she crying outside his door in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?
Mourning her love for Lin Yifeng?
Then go cry at his death scene, why cry here!
Li Qianfan, somewhat annoyed, pulled Shen Chongchong's pillow over his face.
He decided to ignore Shen Zui's crying.
But Shen Zui's cries, like fine needles, pierced through the pillow and continuously pricked at Li Qianfan's eardrums.
It annoyed him to no end, and he could no longer sleep.
He had no choice but to throw aside the pillow, get out of bed, and turn on the light.
He walked to the door and suddenly opened it.
It was indeed Shen Zui.
Wearing a black bathrobe, she was curled up by the door like a quail, hugging her knees and sobbing softly.
Her whole body was trembling.
"What are you doing out here crying in the middle of the night?"
Li Qianfan had intended to scold her, but seeing her pitiful state, he couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic.
Shen Zui looked up at him, her voice hoarse, and said, "I'm scared."
Li Qianfan asked, "Are you afraid of Lin Yifeng's ghost coming to find you?"
Shen Zui shook her head, "No. I'm afraid of thunder."
Li Qianfan—
Her husband had just died, and she wasn't afraid.
But she was afraid of thunder!
"Are you trying to fool me?"
Li Qianfan scoffed and was about to close the door when he suddenly remembered the "feat" Lin Yifeng had once boasted about.
Lin Yifeng had said that because his newlywed wife Shen Zui was afraid of thunder, he, as her husband, would accompany her on nights with thunder.
At that time,
Li Qianfan had thought Lin Yifeng was a weirdo for saying that.
Now it seemed—
Shen Zui was indeed afraid of thunder.
He had no choice but to patiently ask, "After you and Lin Yifeng separated, what did you usually do when it thundered at night?"
"When I was at home, I would find my mother."
Shen Zui said in a hoarse voice, "When I wasn't at home, I would just curl up in a corner and wait until morning."
"You're quite brave."
Li Qianfan sincerely "praised" him and said, "Come in. Tonight, I'll play the role of Guanyin Meizi and be helpful."
Shen Zui hesitated.
In reality, she was secretly delighted—
Li Qianfan thought she was worried about being alone with a man and what might happen if he took advantage of her in the room at night.
"Don't worry, I'm really not interested in you."
Li Qianfan yawned, "Are you coming in or not? If not, I'm closing the door."
Crack—
Rumble!
As the heavens and earth lit up again, Shen Zui shot up and, darting under his arm, entered the bedroom.
She immediately jumped onto the bed and pulled the quilt over her head.
"If you had even half of your mother's strength, you wouldn't be afraid of thunder. Nor would you have chosen Lin Yifeng from the masses. And even more so, you would not have personally caused his death."
Li Qianfan spoke the harsh reality, found a few blankets from the wardrobe, and spread them on the floor.
Wuwu—
Sad whimpers came from under the quilt.
Li Qianfan's words were undoubtedly needles that pierced Shen Zui's already riddled heart even more deeply.
Cry, cry.
Women crying is not a sin.
Crying makes you healthier—
Amidst Shen Zui's suppressed whimpers, Li Qianfan soon fell into a deep sleep.
He slept until—
It was already eight in the morning.
Half his body was numb.
It turned out—
Looking at Shen Zui, who was clinging to him like an octopus and sleeping soundly, Li Qianfan stared blankly for a long time, unable to recall when she had crawled down and held him while sleeping.
"Thank goodness Guanyin Meizi isn't home. If she knew Shen Maomao held me like this all night, she'd definitely draw a knife on me."
Li Qianfan secretly felt lucky, then quietly moved Shen Zui's legs away, wriggled out from under her arms, and sat up.
After the bedroom door closed, Shen Zui, who was still asleep, quietly opened her eyes.
If she hadn't strictly followed Su Nanyin's instructions, she would have used her fear of thunder as an opportunity to "handle" him on the spot last night!
As for her ex-husband's remains not yet cold—
Shen Zui wouldn't care whether someone who dared to be poisonous lived or died.
The Shen family of Lingnan likely hated poisonous people more than anyone else!
Ding-dong.
Shen Zui's phone received a text message.
Su Nanyin sent: "Your father is gone."
Huh?
Shen Zui froze, then hurriedly sat up cross-legged. Just as she was about to call, she thought of something and typed back: "What exactly happened?"
Su Nanyin replied: "Sell all of our family's assets for two-thirds of the market value to the Shen family. After you've handled these matters, bring Kui Shu and the others to Si Jiu quickly. Don't ask too many questions, just do as you're told."
Outside the bedroom door,
After finishing his personal hygiene, Li Qianfan walked into the kitchen.
While making noodles, Li Qianfan called Du Junlin and asked how her work was progressing.
Du Junlin said she still had two more days of work and asked Li Qianfan to head north first.
Li Qianfan found it strange, "Why is there so much work?"
Du Junlin replied, "Because I'm handling my resignation."
"What?"
Li Qianfan was stunned, "Why are you resigning?"
Du Junlin replied, "I'm going to Si Jiu. I won't be returning to Lingnan much in the future. I need to hand over my work properly before I leave."
Oh.
Oh, oh.
Li Qianfan understood, "You're preparing to take over Li Family Village."
"That's only part of it."
Du Junlin said, "The main thing is, I need to join the Dark Blade."
Dark Blade?
What Dark Blade?
"At 6:30 this morning, Auntie Wujiang called me and invited me to join the Dark Blade."
Du Junlin spoke the truth, "And she promised to teach me her speed techniques."
"Then congratulations. With Guanyin Meizi's help, you've finally won Sister Wujiang's heart."
Li Qianfan offered his congratulations casually and then asked, "What is the Dark Blade? Why did Sister Wujiang invite you to join?"
Before he could finish speaking—
Li Qianfan suddenly realized something.
Li Wujiang had resigned from the highest security unit, so why was she representing the Dark Blade to invite Du Junlin and teach her speed techniques?
Unless—
Indeed!
Du Junlin lowered her voice and said, "The Dark Blade is a secret unit specifically established for the Dark Web. Its status is half a level higher than the highest security unit. The overall chief of the Dark Blade is your Sister Wujiang. I'm starting to think that your Sister Wujiang's resignation might have been to assemble the Dark Blade. With her personally assembling it, she can mobilize any elite military personnel from all over the country!"
Sigh.
Li Qianfan sighed, realizing that his wish for Sister Wujiang to retire and watch the children was just his wishful thinking.
"Your Sister Wujiang is the overall chief of the Dark Blade."
Du Junlin asked again, "Then do you know who the sole deputy chief of the Dark Blade is?"
"Who?"
Li Qianfan pondered and mentioned a few names.
These were names he thought were suitable candidates for the deputy chief position.
But Du Junlin denied them all.
"Who is it then?"
Li Qianfan grew impatient, "If you want to say it, say it. If you don't want to, be direct! Is it interesting to keep me in suspense like this?"
"The overall chief is your Sister Wujiang."
"I know!"
"The deputy chief is—"
Du Junlin said, "Your Guanyin Meizi."