Shen Qingqing walked quickly with Fu Jingshu, choosing to stay in the shadows. Ever since she learned that Pei Xi knew the owner of that establishment, she had become more wary of the place.
This might have been Pei Xi's territory. No wonder he had so readily let the two of them leave at the entrance. He had even sent people to ostentatiously follow them. Since it was his domain, and they would eventually have to come here to find the person they were looking for, he wasn't worried about them escaping.
"Stop!"
A voice suddenly called out from behind them. Shen Qingqing paused and looked back. It was a burly man, and his loud shout attracted the attention of many people. Several individuals emerged from the shops. They looked ordinary, but their gazes were far from friendly.
"Trouble," Shen Qingqing murmured.
"Go."
Fu Jingshu grabbed her hand and ran forward. Shen Qingqing followed, glancing back occasionally. The people who had been observing them were quickly catching up.
"It really is Pei Xi's people." The man who had told them to stop was leading the pursuit.
Just as they were about to run out of the street, a group of people rushed from ahead, led by Pei Xi himself.
"Caught you." Pei Xi smiled faintly, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Shen Qingqing ignored him, quickly surveying their surroundings. Her gaze locked onto a dark alley to the left. They had come out of that alley before. Inside, it twisted and turned into countless other alleys; one could easily get lost. But they couldn't afford to hesitate now.
As soon as they entered, darkness enveloped them. Fortunately, although dim, they could still vaguely make out the path ahead. The sounds of pursuit behind them were urgent and chaotic.
Fu Jingshu soon realized that Shen Qingqing's escape route seemed planned; she wasn't running blindly. "Are you going to find King?" he could only guess.
Shen Qingqing nodded. "Yes, he left me a message earlier, but before we find him, we need to shake off these people."
The two quickened their pace, turning down one alley after another. The pursuers gradually fell far behind, and then their sounds faded away.
Before them appeared a row of small doors. This was a residential area, with each dwelling being a courtyard house. They had been running for a long time, and Fu Jingshu was starting to pant. He took a moment to catch his breath and followed Shen Qingqing's gaze. "Is he in one of these?"
"Yes."
Fu Jingshu was about to knock on a door when Shen Qingqing stopped him. "We can't go through the front."
Fu Jingshu was puzzled. "Then how do we get in?" The walls were embedded with various shards of glass or barbed wire, likely placed there by the owners to deter intruders.
"I have a way." Shen Qingqing found a few bricks on the ground and lined them up on the top of the wall. The embedded glass shards varied in depth, and the bricks didn't sit neatly. However, for the two of them, they were enough for leverage.
Shen Qingqing jumped over first. It was simple; she used a large stone nearby for support, pressed her hands on the bricks, and easily scaled the wall. Fu Jingshu followed suit.
To their surprise, as soon as they landed, a large wolfhound stared at them menacingly. Shen Qingqing instinctively held her breath, worried that the dog might bark. In such a sparsely populated alley, any sound could carry far. Fortunately, the wolfhound only stared and didn't bark.
Suddenly, Shen Qingqing felt something was amiss. The person beside her seemed unusually stiff. She looked over. "What's wrong?"
Fu Jingshu's lips were pressed together, and he shook his head. Seeing his demeanor, a wild guess flashed through Shen Qingqing's mind. "Are you afraid of dogs?" But that didn't seem right. "The dog Xixi brought back earlier, you weren't afraid of it."
Fu Jingshu was silent for a moment. "That dog was no bigger than my palm." Of course, he wasn't afraid.
Shen Qingqing couldn't help but chuckle, then turned to look at the wolfhound still watching them. It seemed to have observed them and realized they posed no threat, so it lay down, motionless, though its eyes remained fixed on them.
Shen Qingqing lowered her voice. "Why are you afraid of this one? Is it too big?" Sensing the suppressed amusement in her gaze, Fu Jingshu was somewhat helpless. He lowered his voice to explain, "I was bitten by a wolfhound when I was little." Even though he could now pin a wolfhound half his height to the ground with one hand, the childhood trauma lingered.
Shen Qingqing stopped laughing and hugged him. "It's okay. I'll protect you from now on. I'm not afraid of dogs, big or small." Fu Jingshu was touched, but hearing her try to stifle a laugh as she said the last sentence, he felt his forehead wrinkle. His wife being too playful wasn't always a good thing.
"Da Hei, it's time to eat."
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. Shen Qingqing looked up sharply. "Teacher!" It was indeed King, emerging from his car. He looked surprised to see Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing. He casually placed the food box he was carrying on the ground and patted Da Hei's head. Da Hei quietly began to eat. He beckoned to the two of them, his gaze still scanning the surroundings cautiously. "This isn't a place to talk. Let's go inside."
The two followed him into the house. The interior was simple yet elegant, clearly belonging to a wealthy owner. But seeing how familiar King was with the place, Shen Qingqing couldn't help but ask, "Don't tell me this house is yours too."
"Of course..." Before King could finish, a blonde woman emerged from an inner room. She had a typical Western appearance and was dressed provocatively. Her voluptuous figure swayed as she walked. She first hugged King, then looked at Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu, her eyes full of curiosity. "Are these your friends, King?"
"Yes."
The woman looked at him with reluctance. "Are you leaving here then?"
King rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Don't be like that, Linda, you know how it is."
"Yes, I know. You're like the wind; I can't keep you here." Linda looked very sad, her blue eyes filled with deep affection. King was adept at handling such situations, but in front of his young disciple and her husband... he felt a bit uneasy.
"Linda, thank you for taking me in. If you hadn't let me recover here, I wouldn't be..."
"Do you need to be so formal with me?" Linda made no effort to hide her strong feelings for him. Her passion and directness made even King flinch. He really couldn't handle it. Fortunately, Linda showed some restraint and turned to Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing. She greeted Fu Jingshu first, then looked at Shen Qingqing. "Hello, darling!"