After finishing their tea, I asked Bai Hanyan to leave while Wu Tingxiu went to the restroom.
The girl stubbornly refused, asking, "Why should I leave first?"
"I have something I need to discuss with her..."
"You mean, it's inconvenient to talk with me around?"
I subconsciously nodded, and the girl got angry, stood up abruptly, pointed at me, and said, "You, Xiang Fei, remember this, it was you who told me to leave!"
With that, she turned and stormed off. I felt so miserable, who did I even offend?
I asked Bai Hanyan to leave because I had some questions for Wu Tingxiu, and it wasn't very convenient with her present.
When Wu Tingxiu returned from the restroom, she saw me sitting alone at the table and asked, "Where did that little girl go?"
"Said there was something at home, so she left," I replied.
Wu Tingxiu smiled and sat down. "So, are you enjoying this feeling?"
"Enjoying what feeling?"
"Two women fighting over you."
"If she's being ignorant, why are you joining in?" I asked.
"You mean I'm very knowledgeable?" she asked, looking at me. "If I'm knowledgeable, I should just let her have her way? And hand over the person I like?"
The tea I had just taken into my mouth nearly sprayed out. "Don't joke with me."
"I'm not joking with you, Xiang Fei, I really like you," Wu Tingxiu grinned. "Why don't you consider it?"
I quickly waved my hand. "Stop right there... If you keep talking, I'll have to go home with you."
"Alright, it's just as well that I live alone."
I coughed twice, and on impulse, I glanced at Wu Tingxiu's prominent chest. To my surprise, she straightened up, giving me a look that said, "Take all the time you want."
I quickly averted my gaze and said, "Um... the Su Hou Pearl is still missing, are you still going to look for it?"
"Of course I'm looking," she said. "I told you before, when my grandfather was dying, I promised him that no matter what, I would fulfill his last wish."
Hearing her say that, I replied, "From my perspective, there's no such thing as the Su Hou Pearl in this world..."
She frowned, and I continued, "Think about it, ancient legends are often exaggerated. No one has ever seen what the Su Hou Pearl looks like. You haven't invested any funds or effort in searching for it these past few years, have you? And what's the result?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"This is what I think, you shouldn't put too much thought into this Su Hou Pearl..."
"You're saying no one has ever seen the Su Hou Pearl?" she asked, looking at me intently.
I nodded. "Yes, who has?"
"What if I said my grandfather and my father had both seen it?"
I was stunned.
Currently, the Su Hou Pearl is in the hands of the Illuminati. I know that obtaining it from that organization is practically impossible. Moreover, the Su Hou Pearl is radioactive, and accidental contact could even be fatal.
That's why I advised Wu Tingxiu not to be so fixated on finding the Su Hou Pearl. I never expected her to say something like that, which genuinely surprised me.
"Your father and grandfather have both seen the Su Hou Pearl?" I asked.
She nodded. "Actually, I have another purpose for looking for the Su Hou Pearl..."
"What purpose?"
"I want to figure out how my father and grandfather died... Whether they saw the Su Hou Pearl is also my guess, but one thing is certain, someone definitely came into contact with the Su Hou Pearl."
"Who?"
"Bai Hanyan's grandfather..."
Hearing this, I suddenly remembered Bai Zhujing finding me and asking me to inquire about his father's cause of death from Wu Tingxiu. I had promised him back then.
It now seems that Grandfather Bai's death was likely caused by contact with the Su Hou Pearl, just like my father.
"Why are you so sure?" I asked.
Wu Tingxiu said, "Because when I was a child, I overheard my father and grandfather talking. They said the Su Hou Pearl was taken by the Bai family and that it would be returned... Later, my father and grandfather left home, and we didn't know where they went. After they returned, they contracted a strange illness that many doctors couldn't cure..."
Recalling the past, her mood became somewhat low, and I saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"So you suspect their deaths are related to the Su Hou Pearl? And you want to find out?" I asked.
"It's not a suspicion, it's a certainty," Wu Tingxiu stated. "At first, I thought they were cursed. After a long period of investigation, I found that the curse was complete nonsense, but I couldn't find the specific reason."
"So Grandpa Bai also died because of the Su Hou Pearl?" I asked.
She nodded. "Most likely."
"Then why haven't you clarified this matter with the Bai family?"
"Clarify?" she gave a bitter laugh. "I haven't even figured it out myself, how can I clarify it with them?"
"Actually, I've heard a legend about the Su Hou Pearl..." I picked up my teacup and took a sip. "Of course... this is also something I heard from someone else."
Wu Tingxiu looked at me intently. I sighed and said, "Have you ever considered that the Su Hou Pearl isn't from Earth?"
"Not from Earth?" she was slightly taken aback.
"Yes, could it be a meteorite that fell to Earth from outer space? In ancient times, incidents of meteorite falls were common, and extraterrestrial matter might carry some radioactive elements. Contact with these radioactive elements could cause illness."
"You mean the Su Hou Pearl has radioactive substances? And my grandfather and father died because they came into contact with it?"
"This is just my speculation..."
"You said earlier that you heard from someone that the Su Hou Pearl might be a meteorite. Who did you hear it from?"
I said, "A friend of my father... He didn't say the Su Hou Pearl was a meteorite, but he is a researcher in this area. I'm just guessing."
"If what you say is true, it's not impossible... But I still hope to find the Su Hou Pearl," Wu Tingxiu said. "Only by seeing it myself can I give up..."
Seeing her so persistent, I couldn't say much more.
After all, too many people have become increasingly entangled because of the Su Hou Pearl, and I don't want her to fall into this mire as well.
If I told her the truth, let alone whether she would believe me, it was hard to say if she would encounter danger if she really approached the people of the Illuminati.
"How about this, I'll continue to keep an eye out for you regarding the Su Hou Pearl, but don't put all your energy into it... People always have to look forward," I comforted her.
Wu Tingxiu nodded slowly and said faintly, "Thank you."