The date of Ye Qiao's discharge from the hospital was set on the weekend, and Xu Yinian was woken up early by Xia Ziheng, who even bought a bunch of calla lilies leisurely. Along the way, Xia Ziheng held the bouquet and played with the phone with one hand.
"Little brother Xu." He turned his head, Xu Yinian had just finished yawning. With tears in his eyes, the boy turned his face lazily.
Xia Ziheng couldn't help feeling that their Bawanghua's face was still very good at punching.
"Do you have any impression of Han Zheng?"
"Um?"
"Young master of the Han family, I met you before the school celebration."
Xu Yinian thought for three seconds: "Who is that?"
"..." Thinking of what kind of evil Han Zheng had fallen into since the Fengqiao College celebration, Xia Ziheng silently mourned for Xu Yinian in his heart for half a second, "I asked in the group just now, your circle of friends Should he not post or block him?"
"You can play with anyone no matter what." Xu Yinian muttered.
Sometimes, he was quite envious of Xia Ziheng's ability to make friends. His friends can be counted on one hand, think about it carefully, Xia Ziheng is one, and Ye Qiao... Chen Ran is also a friend now? ... No matter, this kid must be counted.
"What do you mean by sticking out three fingers? Do you mean to let him go?"
It was only when Xu Yinian realized his little trick of counting with a wrench that he suddenly became angry from embarrassment: "... yes! Get out!"
When they arrived at the medical point, they walked to Ye Qiao's ward. Xia Ziheng opened the door pompously holding a bouquet: "Brother Ye! Happy discharge!"
The room was empty and no one responded.
Xia Ziheng was stunned for a moment, then he went back and looked at the house number to make sure he had gone the right way. Xu Yinian stopped the passing nurse: "Excuse me, where did the patient in room 307 go?"
The nurse stopped in her tracks: "You mean that good-looking young man? He was discharged from the hospital yesterday evening."
Xu Yinian and Xia Ziheng looked at each other.
"Can't get through, Ye Qiao keeps turning off the phone." Chen Ran put the phone on the table, and Xia Ziheng frowned when he heard this: "Did something happen to him? We clearly made an appointment to pick him up and leave the hospital today."
"Ye Qiao has never missed an appointment." Xu Yinian also felt wrong, "His eyesight is not good yet, where can he go alone?"
Chen Ran suddenly asked: "Do you still have any memories of the bouquet of lilies last week? The letter in the flowers..."
Xu Yinian recalled: "When Ye Qiao opened the letter, there was a white elk on the cover."
He hesitated for a moment, and didn't say anything about the strange looking up he saw.
Xia Ziheng was thoughtful: "Moose?"
"That thing looks like an invitation letter... If a deer is used as a sign, there is only one such place in Nanhai City." Chen Ran paused, and said a place name, "White Deer Mansion."
As a hub city connecting all directions, Nanhai City has a developed economy and a long history. Apart from the fast-paced, high-consumption and other necessary labels of first-tier metropolises, this is also one of the cities with the largest number of monsters.
In the old days, the mountains on the outskirts of Nanhai City were the dividing line between the demon world and the human world, and most of the demon-eliminating families gathered here. In modern times, many aristocratic families have continued their past habits. Except for the Tang family, the other three major families have established their families in the South China Sea.
Xu Yinian squatted in the shadows, waiting for the target to drive out of the villa. The entire villa area is arrogantly located in the city center of Nanhai, where every inch of land is expensive. It goes directly to the CBD, and the security level is quite affordable. It took them a lot of effort to sneak in.
"Brother Xu, it's time for you to play a role." Xia Ziheng on the side lowered his voice and gave a bad idea, "After a while when Han Zheng sees you, you-"
"Carjacking." Xu Yinian said ruthlessly.
"..."
It has been a day and a night since Ye Qiao disappeared. They found out that there was a private party at the White Deer Mansion tonight. The letter Ye Qiao had received became the only clue, and the three decided to go to the mansion to try their luck.
Bailu Mansion is one of the most famous high-end places in Nanhai City. It adopts a membership system and has extremely high entry and exit barriers. After several turnarounds, several people found out that Han Zheng was a member of this place, and then heard that he would go to the Bailu Mansion to have a party tonight, and immediately decided to come to Han's house for a stay.
"Isn't it appropriate for an acquaintance to commit a crime?" Xia Ziheng was not ready to embark on the path of crime and was dying.
Xu Yinian suddenly said, "Han Zheng's bodyguards are better than us?"
Xia Ziheng didn't understand what he meant, so he replied: "We."
"That's right," Xu Yinian stared intently at the driveway. "We dragged his bodyguard down and replaced him. He's actually safer."
Xia Ziheng was stunned by his robber logic for a moment, and Chen Ran suggested: "You can trick him into performing official duties in the Demon Elimination Bureau, let him cooperate well, and make a pennant for him afterwards."
Xia Ziheng: "..." I thought you were the most reliable one, but you turned out to be very skilled in deception!
"The car is coming," a black limousine followed not far behind the silver-gray SUV, slowly coming from the end of the road, Chen Ran signaled them to keep quiet, "Get ready."
The convoy passed the avenue full of phoenix trees and was about to reach the main entrance of the villa area. The driver suddenly noticed something strange: "It seems that something is wrong, the car behind did not keep up."
The butler looked back and saw that there was no shadow of the car behind, and immediately activated the walkie-talkie: "Master, is there anything you need?"
Han Zheng's voice came from the walkie-talkie: "It's okay, keep driving."
"Then let's drive slowly and wait for you to come over."
Han Zheng responded.
After hanging up the call, he threw the walkie-talkie on the car and asked in a bad tone, "Are you done? Let them go."
"Okay, okay, Young Master Han, don't be angry." Xia Ziheng knocked out the nearby bodyguard with a knife. The driver looked at the friendly smile on his face from the rearview mirror, and a series of bloody incidents such as extortion by the perverted kidnapper and tearing up the ticket flashed through his mind, and cold sweat continued to break out on his neck.
"Do you need to tie it up?" Xu Yinian asked outside the car.
"Little brother Xu!" Xia Ziheng cried out inwardly, "We are not real criminals."
After taking care of the two bodyguards, Chen Ran and Xu Yinian got into the car successively. Noticing the figure that came up last, Han Zheng's eyes revealed a look of surprise, and his originally stinky face softened: "You...what do you mean?"
"The Bureau of Exorcism is performing official duties." Chen Ran said seriously, "The gathering at the Bailu Mansion tonight is suspected of violating the regulations. We are responsible for the secret investigation and need to borrow your identity as a bodyguard."
Han Zheng asked in surprise: "You made a mistake, what does this have to do with the Demon Elimination Bureau?"
Chen Ran saw his expression and realized that the situation might be different from what he had guessed. In a flash, he decided to push Xu Yinian out to save the situation: "You explain it."
Xu Yinian was straightforward: "Why ask so many questions? Secret investigation."
Chen Ran: "..."
Xia Ziheng: "..."
Chen Ran and Xia Ziheng regretted having too many undue expectations for Xu Yinian.
They didn't expect that Han Zheng didn't raise any objection after a brief moment of stupefaction. Instead, he gave Xu Yinian an aggrieved look: "Then... forget it, I'll just cooperate with you."
Chen Ran and Xia Ziheng glanced at each other, and saw this fucking shock in each other's eyes. Chen Ran reminded in a low voice at this time: "Invitation letter."
Xu Yinian gave him a strange look, but didn't understand which song Chen Ran was singing. Xia Ziheng couldn't stand it anymore: "Young Master Han, brother Xu wants to see your invitation letter."
Xu Yinian: "?"
"Invitation letter? Are you talking about this?" Han Zheng handed over the envelope at hand, "This is the entry and exit certificate of Bailu Mansion. Here, there is a card inside."
The envelope Han Zheng handed over was pale gold, with a graceful elk painted on it. It was exactly the same as what Ye Qiao received.
Seeing that the clues were connected, Chen Ran said, "What exactly are you guys going to do at the Bailu Mansion tonight?"
Han Zheng hesitated for a moment, and answered vaguely: "It's a private gathering, and I'll meet some friends."
Chen Ran clicked his tongue in his heart, and was about to poke Xu Yinian quietly, but this guy was more anxious than him, and asked directly: "Can you explain in detail?"
"It's just..." With a pair of black and white eyes, Han Zheng's face became hot, and he blurted out, "I heard that there are new and interesting things, maybe... more exciting."
Xia Ziheng couldn't help complaining: "Young Master Han, why don't you just go and have fun without knowing anything?"
"Otherwise, what's the point of knowing it?" After Han Zheng finished speaking, he couldn't hold back his curiosity, "But what are you doing there anyway?"
He paused for a while, seemingly unintentionally said: "You also got my bodyguard down, if something happens, who will protect me?"
Xia Ziheng immediately understood that the other party's ulterior motives were not about drinking. He held down Chen Ran, who still had a conscience, and sold Xu Yinian without hesitation: "As long as you bring us in, he will protect you from the beginning to the end."
Xu Yinian didn't notice that Xia Ziheng was fishing with him, and said to Han Zheng, "Don't worry, I will protect you."
The corners of Han Zheng's mouth couldn't hold back, and he agreed again and again.
Luxury cars gathered outside the Bailu mansion, and it was about to fall into the night, and the setting sun outlined the golden afterglow on the pointed roof of the mansion. A circle of lilies of the valley is planted beside the huge landscape fountain, the lights in the pool change, and a pair of elk carved with black crystals in the center are illuminated brightly.
After getting off the car, the three of them honestly played the role of bodyguards. In order to prevent being recognized by acquaintances, they each took out a pair of sunglasses before getting out of the car. Xu Yinian's sunglasses are too big, he has to push them after walking a few steps. He complained in a low voice: "It's so troublesome to wear this."
"Why don't you be my companion, and call me a friend when asked." Han Zheng thought about it, "No need to wear sunglasses."
Just as Xu Yinian thought it was feasible, Xia Ziheng stopped it in time: "No! What if there is a monster who knows you, won't you reveal your secrets as soon as you show your face?"
He said, condemning Han Zheng with his eyes: You are not being kind, Young Master Han.
Han Zheng pretended not to see it.
The meeting place is located in the small hall on the second floor. The White Deer Mansion was too large, and they followed the waiter who led the way to the door. The heavy carved door is open to both sides, and all guests need to check their identity.
It is said to be a small hall, but the size of the entire room is comparable to that of the open public hall on the first floor. The ceiling and walls are paved with black stones of the same color. Entering the room is like being at the bottom of a deep black lake. The light strip embedded on the wall is soft and bright, like stardust emitting light.
There are several luxurious sofas in the small hall, and a huge oil painting with abstract lines hangs on the wall opposite to the sofas. Countless tall glasses form a crystal clear champagne tower. Unseal the wine bottle. As soon as Han Zheng entered the door, several young people who were drinking and chatting looked sideways, and one of them joked: "Hey, Zheng, why do you bring so many bodyguards?"
"It's a big show, Young Master Han."
"No, are you planning to make a mahjong table?"
"Safety first." Han Zheng said perfunctorily. He looked around the room and found nothing special, "What are you playing tonight?"
"Don't worry, it'll be here soon." The man said mysteriously, "I heard that it is a drug that can only be bought on the black market in the demon world, and the effect is definitely powerful."
In the VIP room of the White Deer Mansion, Ye Qiao walked forward step by step, followed by two killers, who were always monitoring his every move. A tall shadow turned its back to them, and was looking down at the large blooming roses outside the window.
The killer stood a few meters away from the man: "Doctor, he's here."
The doctor turned around.
His hair is white, his eyelashes are white, and even his eyes are the same color as snow. Not seeing each other for five years, Ye Qiao looked at the monster that seemed to come out of the snowy night, and felt pain in every inch of her body.
Ye Qiao felt a little nauseous.
"I am very glad that you are willing to come to see me." The doctor had a smile on his face.
"If I don't come, my eyes won't be the only ones that explode." Ye Qiao said coldly.
"Ah, that's right." The doctor said without hesitation, "I put three bombs on your body, one for each of your left and right eyes, and the last one is on your heart. No one in the world can take them out safely except me .”
Ye Qiao was expressionless, and looked at him coldly.
"What are you thinking?" The smile on the doctor's face became more and more obvious, and his tone was soft and weird, "Do you think you can die at most? You are not afraid of this, and you are ready to die."
"..."
While the doctor was talking, Ye Qiao walked towards him, Ye Qiao controlled the fear that went deep into the bone marrow, and retreated without a conditioned reflex. The distance between them was getting closer and closer, the lights in the VIP room were turned on very dimly, and the moon shone into those almost transparent eyes. Ye Qiao saw her face pretending to be calm inside.
"How could I be willing to kill you?" The pure white monster smiled, and he whispered in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "I left you alone back then."
Ye Qiao's pupils shrank, and she suddenly realized something. He struggled desperately and resisted with all his strength, but his last sliver of reason was drowned in the wind and snow.
Looking at Ye Qiao with absent-minded eyes, the doctor ran his fingers across his face and helped him remove the bandage wrapped around his right eye with his own hands.
"Good boy, go say hello to your friends."
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The author has something to say:
The scene of the murder
*Han Zheng last appeared in Chapter 11