Seeing her suddenly lower her gaze in silence, Xi Le’s expression softened slightly. Under the crystal chandelier, her profile still carried the youthful vitality of a teenage girl. After all, she was only fifteen or sixteen.
In the past, whenever he mentioned her sister in front of her, she would glare at him like an enraged little lion, her eyes burning with defiance. Yet now, she no longer reacted that way. No matter what he said, she simply sat there with a faint, carefree smile. But something about her demeanour made her feel strangely unfamiliar to him.
It had only been a few months—what exactly had happened to her?
Xi Le frowned slightly, and suddenly, the thought of the man outside crossed his mind.
“Who exactly is that man you were with? Did you disappear because of him?” From the moment she stepped into the casino, the surveillance cameras had recorded her every move. She and that man always walked side by side, and only when in front of others would she take a slight step back. They seemed… quite close.
“Him?” Leng Yiyao flicked her fingertips lightly and shook her head. “I just met him yesterday.”
Of course, that so-called ‘acquaintance’ was very shallow—she didn’t even know his real name. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that his name was truly ‘Zhai Mu’.
“You’ve only known him for a day, and yet you’re already inseparable? Do you have any idea what the Leng family’s wealth means in the eyes of outsiders?” Xi Le stared at her without blinking.
Though Leng Yiyao had been spoiled since childhood, growing up in the Leng family meant she wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the world. Would she really bring someone she had just met in front of him so brazenly?
“Some people can know each other for a lifetime and still never understand each other’s true intentions. So what does it matter if I’ve only known him for a day?” She lifted her gaze to meet his, her expression cool as she smiled faintly. “Besides… he saved my life.”
Her words made Xi Le’s pupils shrink abruptly. “While you all thought I had run away from home, I was almost raped.”
“Who would dare?!” Xi Le shot up from his seat, his eyes darkening with a storm of anger.
He had never harboured any romantic feelings for her, but having watched her grow up, he had always regarded her as half a younger sister. No matter how reckless she was, he had always cleaned up after her, ensuring that she never suffered. In D City, he prided himself on his influence and power—no one would dare to say ‘no’ to him.
And yet someone had dared to lay a hand on her!
“Those two men won’t be seeing the sunrise today,” she said lightly, her tone completely unbothered. She even smiled, looking utterly at ease, as if discussing something trivial.
Xi Le’s rage slowly subsided as he studied her face. After a moment of silence, he asked quietly, “Did he kill them?”
Was that why she seemed so familiar with that man, despite only knowing him for a day?
“What do you think?” Leng Yiyao dodged the question effortlessly.
Xi Le’s gaze sharpened. Who else could it be? Leng Yiyao, a delicate young girl, couldn’t possibly have done it herself. That would be absurd.
Confirming his suspicions, Xi Le hesitated for a moment before speaking bluntly: “You’d better cut ties with that man. The city is under lockdown—you must have heard it’s because of the royal assassination. If he dared to kill, then he’s no ordinary person. There’s a chance he’s connected to Prince Lu Ming’s murder. At a time like this, the farther you stay from him, the better. As for the favour you owe him—I’ll repay it on your behalf.”
Repay? With what?
Leng Yiyao leaned back against the sofa, a slow, amused smile playing on her lips.
If Zhai Mu were that easy to brush off, that would be the real miracle…
Leave a Reply