Su Shaoqing writhed his lips as he untied the string holding the white robe around him. “There’s a cafe downstairs. Do you want to check it out, Mr. Lai?”
Lai Jingdong was a bit flummoxed but he still nodded. “Sure.”
The two of them came to the cafe. Su Shaoqing sat down comfortably and ordered a sugar-free Americano, whereas Lai Jingdong ordered a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The two of them sat facing each other. Being next to Lai Jingdong whose outfit was nothing out of the ordinary, Su Shaoqing looked like an eccentric madman.
Twiddling his fingers while they waited for their drinks, Su Shaoqing made a welcoming gesture when the coffees were served. “Hmm, how tasteful of you, Mr. Lai! The Blue Mountain is indeed a special blend.”
Lai Jingdong spaced out for a while. Then, he picked his lower lip and asked, “Mr. Su, why did you ask me out? Do you have something to tell?”
“What if I say I have news of Pei Huan?”
At the mention of Pei Huan, Lai Jingdong’s hand trembled and he almost spilled his coffee.
Lai Jingdong scrunched his brows and stared Su Shaoqing in the eyes. “What do you know? Do you have anything to do with Fu Jiaqi’s disappearance?” For some reason, Lai Jingdong had an ominous feeling pooling in his heart. Yet, Lai Jingdong did not want to trust his sixth sense. At that moment, he prayed hard that what Su Shaoqing was going to tell him had nothing to with Pei Huan nor Fu Jiaqi.
Su Shaoqing wriggled his lips. “Mr. Lai, you are a smart man. You should know that I will not simply divulge secrets to anyone.”
Lai Jingdong pursed his lips. “Mr. Su, please tell me!”
“Haha, alright!” Su Shaoqing chuckled as he pinched his chin. “Do you still remember what happened four years ago?”
Four years ago?
Lai Jingdong’s eyes narrowed into one line as he coiled his fingers around his cup. “Are you suggesting that Fu Jiaqi was the one who made Pei Huan leave?”
“Hmm,” Su Shaoqing arched one of his brows. “I didn’t say so.”
“Then, do you know where Fu Jiaqi is right now? Or have you been holding her hostage all this while?”
Lai Jingdong was indeed a smart man. His guess was not the least bit inaccurate. “Then, what is your purpose of seeing me today? Do you not know that Fu Jiaqi is my wife?”
“May I ask you a question, Mr. Lai? Have you ever treated Fu Jiaqi as your wife?”
Lai Jingdong took a deep breath. “Just cut to the chase, Mr. Su. What do you want me to do for you?”
Lai Jingdong knew there was no reason for a clever man like Su Shaoqing to show up just to inform Lai Jingdong that he was the one who kidnapped Fu Jiaqi. The only explanation was that Su Shaoqing needed something from Lai Jingdong.
“Awesome! Mr. Lai, it is a pleasure to work with someone as straightforward as you,” Su Shaoqing said as he took out a USB drive from his pocket. “This is the actual security footage from the hospital. The one you guys saw just now has been tampered with by yours truly. At the moment, I have all the reasons to believe that Pei Huan’s disappearance has something to do with Fu Jiaqi. In the past three years, even Fu Chengyan and Li Heng could not identify her whereabouts. Who do you think is responsible for this?”
“Then it’s even less likely to be Fu Jiaqi.” Even though Fu Jiaqi was a cruel woman, she was not capable enough to hide her tracks from Fu Chengyan and Li Heng. Lai Jingdong figured that the person who abducted Pei Huan must be someone with great power.
“Yes, I know Fu Jiaqi isn’t competent enough for us to suspect her, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have someone instructing her.” Su Shaoqing looked stern. “Do you not want to know where Pei Huan has been for the past three years? I remember she was pregnant before she went missing…”
Lai Jingdong’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper. He clenched his fingers tightly. “Okay. I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
Su Shaoqing curled his lips. “You don’t have to give me an answer right away. Think of what you actually want out of this.”
“It’s fine. Where is Pei Huan? Bring me to her.” Lai Jingdong’s chest rose as he inhaled deeply. “As long as Pei Huan can return safely, I’ll do whatever you want me to do!”
Su Shaoqing lifted one brow in astonishment. “Tsk, no wonder Fu Jiaqi wanted to get rid of Pei Huan so desperately. If I were in her shoes, I think I’ll also do the same thing.”
Lai Jingdong looked morose but Su Shaoqing still rambled on. “If Li Heng knew that his old love rival still has a thing for his wife, I think he will-”
“If I recall correctly, Pei Huan and Li Heng are no longer together.” Lai Jingdong interrupted Su Shaoqing. “He was the one who chose to leave Pei Huan in the first place.”
Su Shaoqing shrugged his shoulders. “I am not interested in your romance whatsoever. Let’s not waste time, shall we? Since you seem to have agreed to my offer, I will bring you to her. But before that, I want you to contemplate one last time. Do you really not want anything else? For instance, you can ask for Fu Jiaqi to be completely removed from your life.”
Lai Jingdong furrowed his brows. “That’s my own business. I’ll take care of it myself.”
“Okay then!” Since Lai Jingdong had already made up his mind, Su Shaoqing didn’t want to nag at him any longer; that would be pointless.
The two men left the cafe. Su Shaoqing brought Lai Jingdong to the basement of Prosperous Dynasty. It was the first time Lai Jingdong visited this section of the building. He was in awe because he never knew such a place existed. Lai Jingdong was even more surprised by the people running it.
“Master Shaoqing!”
Jiang Hu saw Su Shaoqing and ran up to him. “What are you here for?”
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