Leaving Bi Zhengxiang's house and heading back to the hotel, I felt a knot of unease in my stomach.
It seemed unlikely that I could acquire the Qin Mirror from Bi Zhengxiang.
Setting aside the mirror's value, given the past events he recounted, he probably wouldn't sell it.
From his demeanor, he seemed keen on understanding the secrets within the Qin Mirror himself.
Upon returning to our hotel room, Fatty insisted on staying in my room, refusing to go back to his own.
Fortunately, I was in a double room, and one bed was vacant.
"Brother Xiang... you think that mirror is really as strange as it sounds?" Fatty asked, holding up his hands, which were wrapped in gauze. "If you had been any slower, these hands would have been completely ruined."
I ignored him, preoccupied with figuring out how to get my hands on the Qin Mirror.
"Brother Xiang, what did that old man say to you today?" Fatty inquired.
I glanced at him and replied, "He said that mirror ate his ancestor's five internal organs back in the day."
"What?!" Fatty exclaimed, startled. "Is that true or false?"
I shrugged. "How should I know? That's just what he said."
"Then why didn't the mirror attack you and go for me instead?"
"Maybe it thought you were more substantial fare, wanting a hearty meal."
Fatty put on a dejected face. "Damn it, when did Fatty become the main course?"
Seeing Fatty's expression, I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
It seemed the Qin Mirror wouldn't be obtainable anytime soon, and staying in Yanjing any longer wasn't an option either.
After all, Wu Tingxiu was waiting for me in Guangling, and the matters there were also of significant importance.
After some thought, I concluded that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the Qin Mirror to be in Bi Zhengxiang's possession. After all, he had considerable influence and resources, and the mirror should be safe with him.
It would be better to return to Yanjing for now and investigate whether the Five Elements Twin Dragon Casket contained any clues about the Suihou Pearl...
With that thought, I turned to Fatty and said, "I have a task for you."
"What task?" Fatty asked.
"You stay in Yanjing and keep a close eye on Bi Zhengxiang. Get a good read on him, especially regarding that Qin Mirror. If there's any movement, contact me immediately."
As I spoke, I handed him the card Wu Tingxiu had given me, which still had tens of thousands of yuan on it. "This money is for your expenses. Don't hold back."
Fatty blinked his small eyes, took the bank card without a word, and said, "Don't worry, Brother Xiang. You ask me to go through fire and water, and I won't even flinch!"
He then asked, "You're in a hurry to get back to Guangling for some business, aren't you?"
I nodded. "I've been away for too long this time; I need to go back and check things out."
"That's true," Fatty said with a smile. "You're such a big shot. If you're away from Guangling for too long, who knows what kind of chaos might break out below. Don't worry, go back. If anything happens here, I'll notify you right away."
"Let me be clear, this matter is very important to me. If you're only thinking of petty profits and don't take this seriously, and I find out, then we'll go our separate ways from now on."
I pursed my lips. "But if you handle this well, I promise I won't treat you poorly in the future."
Fatty's eyes lit up. "Don't worry, if I mess this up for you, I won't be able to face you again."
Although this incorrigible fatty was greedy and loved to eat, I could tell he wasn't bad at heart.
With my combination of threats and inducements, I believed he wouldn't take the money and slack off.
After a good night's sleep, I called Bai Hanyan around noon the next day to inform her of my return to Guangling and asked if she wanted to join. She told me to go ahead, and she would stay with her mother for a few days.
Song Bing, Yang Hanxue, and I bought our train tickets for the afternoon. We traveled overnight and returned to Guangling the following day.
As soon as we exited the train station, two Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans were parked by the roadside. Wu Tingxiu stood in front of the first one, wearing a short black skirt, a brown trench coat, and sunglasses, attracting quite a few glances.
Seeing us emerge, she walked towards us with a smile. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she and I got into the first car, while Song Bing and Yang Hanxue took the second.
As soon as I got into the car, I caught the familiar scent of her perfume, mixed with a faint hint of tobacco.
"This trip must have been tiring for you," Wu Tingxiu said, taking off her sunglasses and smiling. "I've already arranged a hotel, and I'll need your help for the next few days."
"Oh?"
"I need you to accompany Yang Hanxue at the hotel."
"He's a grown man; he needs me to accompany him?"
Wu Tingxiu gave a wry smile. "After all, you brought him back, and I heard from Song Bing that you two get along quite well..."
I was at a loss for words, finding it amusing. "I brought the person back for you, and now you want me to be his escort? That will cost extra."
Wu Tingxiu chuckled. "No problem, name your price."
"I was just kidding," I replied with a smile. "You've put me in charge of An Yuan Tang, how could I possibly ask you for money?"
Wu Tingxiu said, "I've sent some excellent items to An Yuan Tang. Take a look when you have time; after all, it's a venture for both of us."
I was slightly taken aback and glanced at her. What did she mean by "a venture for both of us"?
That sounded rather intimate.
As I pondered this, my gaze involuntarily drifted to her long legs, encased in black stockings.
"What? Do you like black stockings?" Wu Tingxiu raised an eyebrow.
Startled, I quickly averted my gaze and pursed my lips. "I was just looking..."
I then hastily shifted my attention to the scenery outside the car window.
Damn it, why do I get such stray thoughts every time I see this woman?
It's strange...
When the car arrived at the hotel, Wu Tingxiu asked Yang Hanxue and me to rest first, saying she would pick us up for dinner later.
As she was leaving, she stopped me. "Oh, there's something I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Liu Hun has been apprehended. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, he's looking at at least ten years."
Hearing this news, I was still somewhat surprised.
It seemed this was another significant gift from her.
I nodded. "Alright, I understand."
"Rest well, and I'll see you shortly."
The hotel belonged to Wu Tingxiu, so as soon as we entered, the hotel manager came to greet us and arranged for us to stay in a suite.
The suite was duplex-style, with a living room and a bedroom downstairs, and the master bedroom upstairs.
I gave the master bedroom to Yang Hanxue and took the secondary bedroom downstairs myself.
Since it was still early, Yang Hanxue and I sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting.
"It seems Brother Xiang is quite the figure in Guangling," Yang Hanxue said, offering me a cigarette.
I smiled. "What figure do I cut? I'm just an employee. Brother Yang, please don't make fun of me."
I lit the cigarette and took a puff. Although it was a bit harsh, I had gotten somewhat used to it by now.