Chapter Twenty-Five

After the confession was recorded, the relationship between the Zhan Family and Ning Yuan was basically clarified.

When Zhan Hongye treated Ning Yuan as an honored guest, he had secretly been in contact with Zhan Huitian. It's likely he had already planned today's situation back then.

Unfortunately, Zhan Huitian didn't know much about the private matters between his father and Ning Yuan. He only knew that Zhan Hongye had paid a large sum to acquire that vase from Ning Yuan, along with its usage.

As for where Ning Yuan got it from, he was unclear.

Zhan Huitian's confession was not immediately useful. To the outside world, he was still a dying person undergoing rescue.

Leaving the sickroom, Fang Chuan pulled Yan Xiu aside and asked in a low voice, "Zhan Huitian is mostly out of danger. What about Zhan Ni?"

Yan Xiu shook his head, "I'm afraid she won't wake up."

Yan Xiu had already prepared him for this, so Fang Chuan had anticipated it.

"Without Zhan Ni's testimony, it won't be easy to nail Ning Yuan. He's not a major figure, so we can only use him to lure out the bigger fish," Fang Chuan pondered and said, "I'll send Ning Yuan to the detention center for a few days first, then release the news that Zhan Ni is in a coma. I'm sure someone will come to check on Zhan Huitian's condition then."

"Making him look like he won't survive past tomorrow isn't difficult," Yan Xiu understood Fang Chuan's intention.

Fang Chuan smiled, "Good. How big a fish we catch depends on how enticing our bait is."

After arranging matters at the hospital, Fang Chuan generously treated Liu Mumu to dinner and accompanied her to pick out a new phone before driving her and Yan Xiu to a hotel near the City Bureau.

Liu Mumu rushed into the hotel and slammed her ID card on the counter, "A deluxe suite."

As soon as she finished speaking, she was grabbed from behind. Yan Xiu took out his ID card and placed it with hers, handing them to the receptionist, "Please book two deluxe single rooms."

The receptionist smiled at Liu Mumu, who was flailing behind her, and then lowered her head to book the rooms.

Once the rooms were booked, Yan Xiu handed Liu Mumu her room card and ID card.

Liu Mumu leaned on the counter with both hands, gazing longingly at the price tag for the deluxe suite at the top, trying to catch Yan Xiu's attention.

Yan Xiu walked past her, casually turning her head, "Let's go."

Unwavering.

"Cold, heartless, unreasonable! I just want to stay in a suite, what's wrong with that? Doesn't Master deserve a bigger room?" Liu Mumu grumbled softly in the elevator, since he wouldn't even let her spend her own money.

Fang Chuan chimed in with a grin, "Do you want to stay in a suite, or do you want to share a suite with our Consultant Yan?"

"A big room is meant for two people to share, otherwise wouldn't it be a waste?" Liu Mumu retorted righteously.

The elevator took them to the Twelfth Floor. Before they stepped out, Yan Xiu said, "That's why I chose single rooms, to prevent you from wasting."

Liu Mumu was so angry she felt like she was going to faint.

Fang Chuan spread his hands at her. Their Consultant Yan was just that stone-hearted and sharp-tongued.

The three of them went to Yan Xiu's room first. He replenished a talisman for Liu Mumu and told her, "Set your own time. Come back to change the talisman every two hours."

Liu Mumu sat on the soft bed and looked at him expectantly, "Since no one needs to sleep tonight, why don't we..."

"No," Yan Xiu refused before she could even finish her sentence.

"I wasn't finished! I just wanted to play a game of Fight the Landlord."

"No one will play Fight the Landlord with you."

"Fang Chuan definitely would."

"Yes, he definitely would, but he has to go back to work overtime soon. And I also have work to do," Yan Xiu even explained to her.

"Fine..." Liu Mumu slumped, feeling as if she were the only one not being productive.

Fang Chuan had to leave after a while. Liu Mumu had no excuse to keep him, but before he left, she made sure to grab Yan Xiu and add him as a friend.

Watching them add each other, Liu Mumu skipped out of the room with her phone. Fang Chuan had a feeling that Liu Mumu's ultimate goal in enthusiastically helping them might have been to add Yan Xiu as a friend.

Was this the disparity between men? He was a little envious.

Back in her own room, Liu Mumu opened her phone and saw a string of missed calls from Dong Zhenghao in the neighboring city.

Coincidentally, the latest call came through. Liu Mumu answered.

"Mumu, where are you? Why haven't you answered your phone all day? Your Aunt Jiang said you haven't come home. Is something wrong?" Finally getting her on the phone, Dong Zhenghao fired off a string of questions without taking a breath.

"It's nothing. I'm staying at a hotel today and will go back tomorrow."

"Why are you suddenly staying at a hotel? Are you alone? Do you want Yueyue to come keep you company?"

"No, I don't want to see her again!"

"Sigh, you child..."

After hanging up, at the lively dinner party, someone sitting next to Dong Zhenghao said to him with a laugh, "Boss Dong, are you checking up on your daughter?"

"Indeed. This child is spoiled by me. She won't listen to anything I say. She's going to university this year, and I can't control her anymore," Dong Zhenghao complained, half-jokingly.

"Yes, yes. Girls these days are so delicate. You can't speak too harshly, or they'll get angry with their Dad," the other person said, looking sympathetic.

The person next to him was a leader. It wasn't easy to get close to him, and being invited to dinner was a great honor. Who knew that Dong Zhenghao's phone call would catch his eye?

The two of them chatted enthusiastically about raising daughters. Old Dong acted like an experienced parent. Those who didn't know would think it was incredibly difficult to raise Liu Mumu.

The people at the table looked at Dong Zhenghao with envy. They all said that monks from outside the monastery chant the scriptures better. This Boss Dong certainly had his ways.

Liu Mumu didn't know she had become Old Dong's tool-like daughter. She set an alarm on her new phone and then downloaded a few mini-games to play.

Time passed quickly. Nestled in bed, playing games and binge-watching shows, it was suddenly midnight. For Liu Mumu, this was her most energetic time.

Unfortunately, the drama she was following had finished. After scrolling through her phone for a while, finding it boring, she clicked on Yan Xiu's profile picture.

Yan Xiu's profile picture was a gift from the system, looking like a fake account.

She sent an emoji pack.

Liu Mumu: Bunny stretching its paws.jpg

Yan Xiu: Something wrong?

Liu Mumu: Are you asleep?

Yan Xiu: Who do you think is talking to you?

Liu Mumu: I'm just asking politely, you can answer no.

Yan Xiu: Oh, I'm asleep.

Liu Mumu: ...

Talking to this person is so difficult.

Liu Mumu: Bunny rolling around.jpg

Yan Xiu: Speak.

Liu Mumu: I can't sleep, let's chat.

After waiting for a while with no reply, Liu Mumu pouted and buried herself in the covers.

The next moment, a voice call rang out. She quickly answered.

Yan Xiu's voice was tinged with laziness, "If you have something to say, spit it out."

"Your tone doesn't create any atmosphere for chatting," Liu Mumu complained.

"Then I'll hang up."

"Okay, okay." Liu Mumu compromised, took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then said, "I'm suddenly feeling a bit down. Can you comfort me?"

"Because of Zhan Ni?"

"Mhm..." Liu Mumu's voice was muffled. "I didn't tell you guys before, but when I divined for Zhan Ni, I predicted her turning point."

Yan Xiu paused, understanding what she was struggling with.

When she divined for Zhan Ni, the outcome should have been good, but the final result was the complete opposite of what she had calculated.

"Didn't your grandfather tell you that a person's fate, good or bad, ultimately depends on themselves? Diviners can't control it?"

"But this outcome happened because I interfered. If I hadn't done anything, she might not have known, and wouldn't have made that choice."

Liu Mumu sometimes couldn't help but wonder, with her own destiny being so terrible, wouldn't divining for others actually bring them more misfortune?

Her grandfather said no, but Zhan Ni's ending made her uncertain.

"If you don't even believe in yourself, who do you expect to believe you?" Yan Xiu's words were quite harsh. "Divination is just a transaction. A person pays a price to glimpse their fate, and they must bear the consequences. You just take the money and do the job."

"So unfeeling," Liu Mumu said softly.

Unfortunately, no matter how soft her voice, Yan Xiu heard it. "If you weren't being melancholic in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have to be so unfeeling."

"Alright."

"Also, after the first sacrifice, Zhan Ni was destined to be influenced by the witchcraft tool. The more lives the witchcraft tool touched, the greater the influence on her. That's not your fault," Yan Xiu said in a deep voice.

"I understand." Liu Mumu glanced at the time, jumped out of bed, "There are ten minutes left, I'm coming to find you."

She dawdled until there were five minutes left before arriving at Yan Xiu's door. The door was slightly ajar, as if he was waiting for her.

Upon entering, Yan Xiu was wearing only a white shirt, sitting leisurely at his desk. A laptop was in front of him, and his phone was beside his right hand.

He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, making him appear much gentler, a stark contrast to his cold and distant demeanor during the day.

Seeing her enter, Yan Xiu stood up and went to the other side to draw a talisman for her.

Liu Mumu found a chair and sat down, propping her chin with one hand as she watched him draw.

"Do all you Mystic Masters draw talismans?"

"No, it's a matter of personal preference."

"How long have you been studying?"

Yan Xiu handed her the finished talisman, answering casually, "Two years."

Comparing her own abysmal chart-reading and divination skills after many years of study, Liu Mumu felt a silent pang of jealousy.

She felt it was necessary to show Yan Xiu what she could do, to prove that she was also a talented individual.

She took out her coins and placed them on the table, pushing them towards Yan Xiu. "Is there anything you want to divine? I'll cast a hexagram for you."

Yan Xiu seemed amused, wondering what was going on in her little head. "You won't be able to divine it."

"Impossible!" Liu Mumu became unhappy at that. She was mostly accurate most of the time!

In fact, as she got older, she developed a feeling when casting hexagrams, a feeling that helped her judge the accuracy of her divination.

Grandfather used to have her divine with hexagrams every day, saying practice makes perfect. She thought he was just comforting her, only to realize later it was true. As a diviner, she found it incredibly strange.

Moreover, when her emotions fluctuated occasionally, she would passively see some images. In the past year, the frequency of these visions had increased.

She felt she could now barely be considered a master.

Yan Xiu didn't argue with her. He picked up the coins on the table, "Then divine my fortune for tomorrow."

He tossed them casually. Liu Mumu stared at the coins for a long time but saw nothing.

"This must be a mistake, let's try again."

So Yan Xiu divined again.

She still saw nothing.

"Best of five, three more tries." Liu Mumu felt her dignity as a diviner was being tarnished.

Yan Xiu was helpless, feeling like he was in a competition.

He divined three more times, leaving the young girl in a daze.

Truly, there was nothing. She couldn't see or feel anything. What she calculated wasn't fortune at all; the entire hexagram was chaotic.

Yan Xiu stacked the coins one by one and gently pushed them towards Liu Mumu with his finger. "Didn't anyone tell you that the destiny of a Mystic Master is not apparent and cannot be easily divined?"

"But I divined you before," Liu Mumu retorted, unconvinced.

"Didn't you ever suspect you divined the wrong person, like..."

Under Liu Mumu's angry gaze, Yan Xiu silently swallowed Fang Chuan's name. Fine.

"I don't care, it's you!" Liu Mumu stormed off angrily.

Watching the door slam shut, Yan Xiu chuckled and sat back in his chair. It was the first time he realized that matters like divining marriage could be a case of forced buying and selling.

The next morning at 8:30, Liu Mumu felt refreshed and went to the downstairs buffet restaurant for breakfast.

Although waking up every two hours at night wasn't ideal, she still managed to get at least seven hours of sleep.

After breakfast, as soon as she returned to the twelfth floor, she saw Fang Chuan knocking on her door with someone.

As she got closer, she realized the person was her father.

Dong Zhenghao had a good business deal last night. When he called home, he heard that Liu Mumu hadn't contacted the department. After much thought, he decided to come back early and drove to the police station himself to inquire about the situation.

He happened to meet Fang Chuan, who brought him over.

Initially, Dong Zhenghao wasn't too pleased to hear that Liu Mumu was staying next door to Fang Chuan and his colleagues. However, he didn't show it. Instead, when he saw Liu Mumu, he pulled her aside and whispered, "How can you, a young girl, casually stay in a hotel with a man?"

"We're not living together," she said, though she kind of wished they were.

"That's still not right. What if he takes advantage of your acquaintance and bullies you?"

As Dong Zhenghao was still speaking, the door to the opposite room opened, and Yan Xiu walked out. The man's indifferent gaze swept over them, perfectly embodying elegance and handsomeness, grace and nobility.

This kid is even more handsome than I was back then.

Seeing Yan Xiu, Dong Zhenghao thought with a hint of sourness.

Yan Xiu's gaze swept over the group gathered in the hallway, finally nodding slightly towards Dong Zhenghao.

Dong Zhenghao quickly smiled, "It's all my Mumu's fault for being ignorant. Thank you for taking care of her."

"You're too kind."

Since Dong Zhenghao was back, Liu Mumu no longer needed to use the blood talisman. After explaining to Yan Xiu, he didn't press for details. He simply gave her a newly drawn talisman just in case, and then went downstairs with Fang Chuan to check out.

The father and daughter walked behind. Liu Mumu looked at the man in front of her and said disdainfully to Dong Zhenghao, "You were just worried he'd take advantage of me."

"I didn't see his face then. The young man looks good. You didn't take advantage of him, did you?"

His judgment was incredibly sharp. At a glance, he knew the other party was wealthy, had a good demeanor, and was good-looking. Given his Mumu's personality, where even potential fiancés wanted to be assigned to her family, it was hard to guarantee she wouldn't impulsively do something.

"Am I that kind of person?" Liu Mumu was displeased.

Dong Zhenghao looked at his daughter in surprise, his eyes clearly conveying, Aren't you?

The father and daughter looked at each other for a moment before looking away.

So blood relations are really annoying. Old Dong understands her so well!

The father and daughter went home together. Jiang Li didn't ask anything. However, Dong Qi saw Liu Mumu returning and, with a twist of his mouth, was about to say something when his mother slapped her hand over his mouth.

A warm family of five.

Standing at the door, Dong Zhenghao ignored his younger son and sighed inwardly.

From that day on, Liu Mumu no longer paid attention to the Zhan Family's affairs.

Everything that happened later was told by Dong Zhenghao one day at the dinner table when he came home.

Since his eldest daughter expressed her dislike for him coming home late, reeking of alcohol and disturbing her sleep, Dong Zhenghao had to try hard to change his habits and strive to come home on time after work. Occasionally, if he had social engagements, he would be home before nine.

It should be known that before this, when he came home drunk, no matter the time, the whole family would mobilize. Unfortunately, after his mother passed away, his status at home was not what it used to be. Even Jiang Li dared to use Liu Mumu to threaten him.

Around 7 PM, the family sat at the dining table, the atmosphere harmonious.

After nearly a month of getting along, Dong Qi had learned one thing: when his eldest sister was present, it was best to keep his mouth shut. Because if the two of them had a conflict, even their father wouldn't dare to take his side. This was a lesson Dong Qi had learned after crying and making a fuss, a lesson paid for in tears and blood.

The topic was brought up by Jiang Li. She had visited her parents today and, by chance, learned some news about Jiang Jia.

She said to Dong Zhenghao, "I heard that something happened to the two children from the Zhan family. Jiang Jia is quite pleased, saying she might have a chance to get back Old Zhan's inheritance."

As she spoke, she glanced at Liu Mumu.

Liu Mumu had previously said that Jiang Jia was plagued by bad luck. Now, it seemed she was about to turn things around?

After hearing the news, Jiang Li felt a bit regretful. She had been too impulsive back then and shouldn't have been so forceful in driving her away.

Dong Zhenghao snorted dismissively, "It's not as easy as she thinks."

As if he had received some major scoop, he deliberately lowered his voice and said, "Something big happened today. I heard from Old Zhan's deputy general manager that some people, along with lawyers, went to their company claiming to take it over. The person had a share transfer agreement left by Zhan Hongye before he died, stating that if all heirs were gone, all his shares would go to the other party."

"Is there really such a thing? Is it true?" Jiang Li asked, feigning surprise.

"It should be true. It's just that one can't figure out why he would sign such an agreement."

The three children at the table were quite interested in the topic, even forgetting to eat, waiting for Dong Zhenghao to continue.

"What happened then?" Jiang Li eagerly pressed.

"What happened next was even more interesting, you wouldn't even imagine it," Dong Zhenghao paused for dramatic effect. "Everyone outside said that the Zhan family's eldest son died in an accident, but who knew he suddenly appeared at the company, completely unharmed."

"Then those people got nothing?"

"They indeed got nothing and left dejectedly," Dong Zhenghao took a sip of wine. "If I were Zhan Huitian, I would sell the company shares for cash right now to avoid future trouble."

"That's true. That agreement left by Old Zhan, it feels like it has ill intentions."

Dong Zhenghao nodded. "Zhan Hongye's rise was rapid back then. It was said he had investors behind him. I suspect this transfer agreement of his might be related to those who invested in him."

Later, Dong Zhenghao also inquired about the company left by Zhan Hongye. As he had predicted, Zhan Huitian sold the inherited shares, and his whereabouts became unknown. He disappeared without a trace.

As for the Zhan family's daughter, she never reappeared from beginning to end.

It was unclear whether she had truly met with an accident or had left with her brother.

As for the people who came to take over the company, those watching the spectacle thought they had left dejectedly. In reality, they were all taken to the police station to assist with the investigation.

The police were very curious about how they had learned about Zhan Huitian's death. Each person was detained for a full twenty-four hours before being released.

Before they were released, their identities had been thoroughly investigated.

When people are anxious, they inevitably reveal some flaws. Even the wealthiest individuals would have their emotions fluctuate when about to acquire hundreds of millions.

One person, Ning Yuan, might not reveal anything, but with multiple people, there would always be one or two who could lead to those behind the scenes.

Fang Chuan worked quickly, thoroughly investigating the backgrounds and past experiences of these individuals.

However, apart from learning that these individuals had joined a branch in Jing City of an overseas investment company, it was difficult to extract more useful information from their records.

He gave the information to Yan Xiu. With Yan Xiu, this information took on a different significance.

For example, the lawyer they brought with them, Lawyer Wang, was a top lawyer from a well-known law firm in Jing City, usually handling business for various families.

Traveling a long distance to work for an overseas investment company could be considered diligent.

Yan Xiu pointed to Lawyer He's file and said to Fang Chuan, "Found it."

Fang Chuan leaned over to look. "He represented Zhuo Yongqi in two lawsuits. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Zhuo Yongqi's mother is a Mystic Master. After she married into the Zhuo family, she barely managed to bring the Zhuo family into the circle of Metaphysics."

Fang Chuan's expression turned serious. Only this person was connected to the Metaphysics circle.

"Later, she passed away. The Zhuo family, through marriage alliances and by paying high prices to support their retainers, barely managed to stay in the circle."

"So, the Zhan family's incident was their doing?"

Yan Xiu shook his head. "They aren't qualified. At most, they are thugs. There must be someone behind them, likely one of those few families."

Fang Chuan was somewhat disappointed. "It seems we can't touch them for now."

There was too little evidence left in this case, and the other party had covered their tracks quite cleanly. Ning Yuan, despite all his wrongdoings, was only sent to a special prison due to lack of evidence, not directly sentenced to death.

The major families manipulating all of this behind the scenes were still enjoying their lives from on high.

"No rush. Once we've caught the tail, are you afraid they'll run away?" Yan Xiu looked out the window and said coldly.

This was just the beginning.