Chapter Thirty: We’re Practically Family

Liu Jingye helped Wei Xiaorou tidy up a bit, and then the two of them walked out hand in hand. Perhaps because Liu Jingye was by her side, Wei Xiaorou's nervousness and fear eased somewhat.

However, as soon as Liu Jingye stepped outside, he felt unfriendly gazes upon them. Clearly, someone was watching Wei Xiaorou, though he didn’t sense any murderous intent—just surveillance, it seemed.

“Where can we find a good breakfast place around here? I’m starving,” Liu Jingye said loudly on purpose, hoping to draw out the watchers.

Wei Xiaorou pointed toward the entrance of the residential complex. “There’s a lamb soup restaurant there, it’s quite good.”

“Let’s go,” Liu Jingye said, swaggering forward with her hand in his, while Wei Xiaorou blushed, flustered and unsure what to do.

As they reached the entrance, they saw someone posting a notice on the community bulletin board. Wei Xiaorou glanced at it, and her body stiffened instantly; the fear that had just begun to dissipate returned to her face.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Jingye asked.

Wei Xiaorou pointed at the notice on the wall, unable to speak. Liu Jingye looked—an announcement seeking a missing person, with a photograph of a middle-aged man, seemingly ordinary. Could it be...

Just as Liu Jingye was about to speak, a middle-aged woman rushed over, asking anxiously, “Have you seen this man? Where did you see him? Please, tell me—there’s a reward!”

She rummaged through her purse and pulled out a wad of cash, but Wei Xiaorou shook her head repeatedly, her face as pale as paper, and said in a trembling voice, “No, I’ve never seen him.”

The woman seemed unconvinced. Liu Jingye stepped forward, “He looks a little familiar—was he a taxi driver?”

Liu Jingye casually invented a reason for familiarity. The woman’s hope dimmed, and she shook her head. “No, he’s a long-haul truck driver. If you see him, please tell me. He’s my husband, the pillar of our family. Our child is about to go to college, just waiting for his father to come home and encourage him.”

“A grown man wouldn’t just disappear,” Liu Jingye probed subtly. “Maybe he’s on a long trip and didn’t have time to tell you?”

“No, absolutely not. The truck is still at home.” The woman was so distraught, she explained everything. “He just came back from the southwest, from the land of colorful clouds, a few days ago. He told me he was about to make a fortune, but then he vanished. It’s been three days now. The police have opened a case, but there’s no news of him being detained. Where could he be? I don’t care about getting rich—I just want our family to be safe...”

At that, the woman broke down in tears. Liu Jingye could understand her anguish—the family’s breadwinner suddenly missing, a child about to start university; her anxiety was unimaginable.

Wei Xiaorou’s eyes reddened as well. Looking at the woman, her gaze was full of pity, but she bit her lip, trying not to make a sound.

“Sister, try not to worry. Maybe he’s just out having fun, and could already be on his way home!” Liu Jingye comforted her gently.

Then he quickly led Wei Xiaorou away. Even without her saying it, Liu Jingye guessed that this man was likely the one she had witnessed being shot by Huang Xing, the boss of the Imperial Dynasty.

“Why would Huang Xing shoot an ordinary truck driver? And what did this driver mean when he told his wife he was about to make a fortune?” Liu Jingye pondered. “He just returned from the land of colorful clouds in the southwest, bordering the drug country where marijuana is grown. Was he helping Huang Xing smuggle drugs and got silenced for some reason?”

“The Imperial Dynasty is truly lawless. Ancestor, please open your eyes and punish these villains!” Wei Xiaorou said weakly, resigned to seeking help from heaven in the face of a powerful crime syndicate.

Hearing the helplessness and despair in her voice, Liu Jingye frowned deeply.

After breakfast, their hunger sated, Wei Xiaorou’s mood improved slightly. Liu Jingye then took her straight into the skyscrapers of the city center.

Women possess a mysterious ability: no matter how bad their mood or how low their spirits, a shopping trip will instantly lift them up.

Wei Xiaorou was no exception. Once a front desk receptionist at a major company, she had a tall, elegant figure, beautiful features, youthful and stylish.

At first her mood was low, but once she circled the women’s wear department and found many new summer arrivals, she revived as though reborn, delighting in the sea of beautiful clothing.

“A woman’s wardrobe is always missing one more piece,” Liu Jingye murmured to himself.

Perhaps trying to drown her fear in spending, Wei Xiaorou embarked on a shopping spree. To Liu Jingye’s surprise, she even picked out two sets of men’s wear for him, making him feel as though he were accompanying his girlfriend on a shopping trip.

“No matter what, the Imperial Dynasty does pay its employees well,” Liu Jingye thought, watching her carry armfuls of expensive purchases.

Wei Xiaorou shot him a sidelong glance. “The benefits are good, but I’m in hiding now—I didn’t bring any money.”

Liu Jingye was instantly at a loss. Clearly, she meant for him to pay.

“Ah...” Liu Jingye sighed, taking the receipt to the cashier. He noticed plenty of husbands and boyfriends suffering the same fate, and muttered as he walked, “Nowadays, being a man means hardship, a husband means labor, and marriage means paying the bills. Destiny is just resentment!”

He swiped his card painfully, his savings slashed in half. Wei Xiaorou, seeing this from afar, smiled and gave him a thumbs-up in appreciation.

Liu Jingye felt a headache coming on. No wonder people say, “Women have countless ways to attract men—cupping their cheeks, tucking hair behind their ears, crossing their arms, revealing a hint of cleavage. But men have only two moves that truly attract women: pulling out money and doing the dishes!”

While he was lost in thought, Wei Xiaorou dashed into a boutique, thoroughly letting herself go, not treating Liu Jingye as an outsider, as if she were enjoying the last moments of her life.

She held an expensive dress, posing with it in the fitting room mirror. At that moment, Liu Jingye suddenly sensed a chilling murderous intent spreading around them.

This was an instinct honed over years on the battlefield, surviving countless brushes with death; he could instantly detect any hint of hostility or danger.

He quickly scanned the surroundings and was startled to see, in the fitting room opposite, a door slightly ajar, and the barrel of a black gun protruding, aimed directly at them.

Liu Jingye didn’t dare hesitate. He flung open the door to the fitting room before him and shoved Wei Xiaorou inside.

The woman, intoxicated by shopping, had forgotten her peril and pouted, displeased. “What are you doing?”

Not wanting to frighten her, Liu Jingye smiled, “This dress is beautiful. I want to see you try it on.”

“Really? Then I’ll give it a go…” Wei Xiaorou said, beginning to undress.

Liu Jingye scratched his head awkwardly and pointed at his nose, “Sister, I’m still here.”

“It’s fine. We’re practically family now!” Wei Xiaorou replied cheerfully.