Chapter 042: Qu Junchu's Provocation

Today, Lin Le’s assistance to the Tang family was never something he truly desired. Given all that the Tang family had done to the Lin family in the past, Lin Le ought to have watched, indifferent, as the Tangs fell to ruin. So now, having saved Tang Baisheng—a sworn enemy—Lin Le had no intention of lingering here a moment longer.

“Wait!” Lin Le and Liang Qiuyang had just turned to leave when Tang Nianchen suddenly called out.

Lin Le stopped, not even bothering to look back. “Does Miss Tang have something else to say?” he replied coolly.

“I have words for you,” Tang Nianchen said. She had already discerned that compared to Liang Qiuyang, Lin Le seemed to be the one truly in charge.

“We’ve already saved the man’s life. There’s really nothing more to discuss, is there?” Lin Le’s voice remained cold.

Everyone in the room was momentarily stunned, thinking this young man was truly arrogant, daring to show such disregard even to the eldest daughter of the Tang family.

“But there is something to discuss!” Without another word, Tang Nianchen grabbed Lin Le’s arm and, under everyone’s gaze, dragged him straight out of the room.

“Hey, hey, don’t get any ideas—I’m not giving back those two hundred million!” Lin Le shouted as he was pulled away.

The others were speechless, black lines seeming to drip down their foreheads.

So this arrogant act of yours is just because you’re afraid she’ll demand the money back…

How pathetic…

On the sidelines, Qu Junchu watched Tang Nianchen drag Lin Le away, his teeth grinding with envy. He had known Tang Nianchen for a long time and knew her to be extremely particular about cleanliness—perhaps due to her aloof nature, she kept a wary distance from strangers, a kind of psychological fastidiousness that meant she avoided physical contact with anyone. Even Qu Junchu himself, over the years, had barely dared touch the hem of her clothes, lest she flare up.

But now, Tang Nianchen had gone right up and grabbed that kid’s arm. The only possible explanation was that, deep down, she no longer regarded him with suspicion.

How could Qu Junchu not be filled with jealousy?

Once outside, Tang Nianchen flung Lin Le against the wall in the corridor.

“Who on earth are you?” she demanded, arms crossed, her face as cold as ice, the very image of a domineering businesswoman.

“I don’t understand what you mean, Miss Tang. Didn’t I say already? I’m Master Liang’s apprentice,” Lin Le replied, lacking confidence. Seeing the way this woman was interrogating him, he realized she must have discovered something.

“You’re lying. I’ve already checked—Master Liang has never taken on an apprentice!” Tang Nianchen’s tone was sharp and severe.

She had felt from the start that Lin Le’s background was suspicious, so while outside the room earlier, she’d called a contact in Beijing to inquire. Liang Qiuyang had never accepted any apprentices.

Lin Le thought to himself that this woman was far from simple—she’d actually thought to investigate him. More impressively, upon discovering something amiss, she didn’t expose him immediately, but waited until he had saved the patient before confronting him. Damn, this was a textbook case of using someone and then casting them aside.

“Whatever. I’m Master Liang’s apprentice—just took me on yesterday. Believe it or not,” Lin Le said, resorting to shamelessness.

“You…!” Tang Nianchen’s pretty face flushed with anger, her brows knitting together.

“All right, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way,” Lin Le said. This woman was too formidable—if he stayed any longer, he was sure he’d give himself away.

“Wait!” Tang Nianchen called again.

“Who is behind the attack on my family? Find out for me, and I’ll give you another ten million.” Her voice was icy.

Though she didn’t know who he truly was, Tang Nianchen felt certain he had such capabilities.

“Hmm… depends on my mood,” Lin Le replied indifferently, then gave Tang Nianchen no further chance to speak, calling out to Liang Qiuyang as he strode off.

Tang Nianchen was left seething. Since childhood, she was used to giving orders and having others obey, but this strange young man in sunglasses treated her as if she were nothing—he hadn’t even given her beauty a proper glance.

“Who is this person, really?” Tang Nianchen felt she couldn’t see through him at all.

By the time Qu Junchu had finished washing the dried blood off his face, Lin Le and the others were already gone.

“Nianchen, you just let them go?” Qu Junchu asked in surprise.

“What else was I supposed to do?” Tang Nianchen replied flatly.

“But that’s two hundred million! Are you really just going to let that brat have it for nothing?” Qu Junchu was incredulous.

He had no idea how many lives two hundred million could save, but in Haizhou’s underworld, even ten million would hire the best killers to take out that brat—there’d be no need to actually pay him two hundred million!

“That money was promised. I won’t go back on my word. Besides, it’s only two hundred million. The Tang family can afford it,” Tang Nianchen said, her tone calm, as if the sum meant nothing to her.

Qu Junchu cursed inwardly. The Tang family really was obscenely rich—he had meddled in vain!

Still, once he got Tang Nianchen into his bed, wouldn’t the vast Tang fortune all be his?

Before Tang Baisheng fell into a coma, Qu Junchu’s father—the head of the Qu family—had already begun discussing a marriage alliance with Tang Baisheng. At that point, it wouldn’t be up to Tang Nianchen to decide.

Just the thought of such a breathtaking beauty and a fortune soon to be his filled Qu Junchu with smug pride.

For now, though, he needed to maintain his good image in front of Tang Nianchen.

“Nianchen, you misunderstand me. I’m not talking about the money. I mean, have you never suspected that brat?” Qu Junchu began to sow discord.

“What do you mean?” Tang Nianchen asked, puzzled.

“Didn’t you notice? That kid, supposedly Master Liang’s apprentice, clearly outshone the master. Isn’t it strange? How does a feng shui practitioner know how to cure poison?”

“Think about it—that was a deadly poison. None of the renowned doctors in Haizhou or Beijing could diagnose it, yet that kid saw through it at a glance and cured it. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?” Qu Junchu’s words dripped with insinuation.

“So you mean…” With Qu Junchu’s prompting, even Tang Nianchen found herself doubting.

“I suspect that the poison in Uncle Tang and Aunt Tang was planted by that brat himself!” Qu Junchu said coldly.

“What?!” Tang Nianchen was shocked. “But… but our family doesn’t even know him. Why would he want to harm my parents?”

“Why else? Money, of course! He moved a few fingers, spent less than an hour, and pocketed two hundred million. Is there any quicker way to make money than that?” Qu Junchu reasoned.

Tang Nianchen frowned, falling into deep thought.

Until now, she had only questioned his identity, not his motives. After what Qu Junchu said, she realized the young man was deeply suspicious.

How could a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old be so skilled at curing poison? Was he really the one who had administered it?

At this thought, Tang Nianchen drew a sharp breath, afraid to dwell on it further.

“Junchu, I need you to investigate that person’s identity. Start with Liang Qiuyang,” Tang Nianchen said coldly.

If it really turns out that brat is behind all this, I, Tang Nianchen, will never let him off!

“All right, I’ll put someone on it right away.”

Even if Tang Nianchen hadn’t asked, Qu Junchu would have done so anyway.

Brat, you dared to offend me, Qu Junchu, made me lose face in front of everyone—sooner or later, I’ll have your head!