Chapter 117: The Cannon Fodder in a Dogblood Novel (117)
Fu Sizhao and Jiang Qingyan exchanged a look, and in the next second, they both turned their heads away in unison.
…
Throughout the movie, while Shen Tangqing was watching intently, Jiang Qingyan and Fu Sizhao were focused mostly on Shen Tangqing. Once the movie ended and the crowd began to disperse, the three of them went to Lanxing for late-night snacks before finally heading home.
By the time they returned, it was nearly two in the morning. Shen Tangqing was exhausted; he showered and fell straight into bed.
…
After the Lantern Festival, Shen Tangqing returned to Liuli Shuian. Jiang Qingyan had gone to City A on a business trip, and since Jiang Jianjun couldn’t stand the sight of him, Shen Tangqing preferred staying at his own place.
The half-baked System could only locate that Xiao Yu had returned to the country, but it couldn’t pinpoint his exact location. Shen Tangqing had to hire people to look for him, but no leads on Xiao Yu had surfaced yet.
However, he wasn’t in a hurry because Qin Yizhou was also abroad. For the final mission line, Qin Yizhou was crucial.
Since returning from the Qin residence, Shen Tangqing hadn’t taken the initiative to contact Qin Yizhou. Qin Yizhou had asked him to dinner on New Year’s Day, but he had declined. Later, Qin Yizhou had someone deliver a New Yearâs gift. Shen Tangqing didn’t know what it was, but since he didn’t want to be indebtedâespecially when the man had other intentionsâhe had refused without a second thought.
The two hadn’t been in contact since. It wasn’t until Shen Tangqing returned to Liuli Shuian and tried to arrange a meal to pay back the favor that he found out Qin Yizhou had flown to Country Y a few days ago. The return date was uncertain, likely in about two months.
Shen Tangqing decided to completely slack off. He thought that once Qin Yizhou returned and he found Xiao Yu, he would have someone kidnap Xiao Yu, forcibly drug him, book a room, and then lure Qin Yizhou to the hotel. That would essentially complete his mission.
Though it was highly unethical, he had no choice. His role was that of a malicious cannon fodder, and this was a mandatory plot mission. Due to Xiao Yuâs sudden disappearance, the original plot where he met Qin Yizhou during a part-time job and Qin Yizhou fell in love at first sight had been derailed. They didn’t even know each other right now… The plot had completely gone off the rails.
However, whether in the original plot or now, Shen Tangqing believed Qin Yizhou was truly a man of good character. He wouldn’t take advantage of someone in danger; even if he lured him to a hotel, Xiao Yu would be safe. It was just that he was still doing wrong by both of them.
At the thought of this, Shen Tangqing couldn’t help but sigh. The prospect of drugging Xiao Yu and deceiving Qin Yizhou, who had helped him, made him feel as if he were accumulating a debt on his conscience. As a “Triple-A Citizen,” when had he ever done something so unscrupulous?
…
Shen Tangqing was woken up by a phone call. His bizarre dreams shattered into pieces. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, yanked out the charging cable, and took a look. He cursed internally: a harassment call.
After hanging up, he tossed the phone aside and rolled over to continue sleeping. But after closing his eyes for a few minutes, sleep eluded him. He grabbed the phone again and scrolled through videos for a while. Once he felt hungry, he finally got out of bed.
There was a mall right next to the residential area. Shen Tangqing went to the basement level for a quick meal before heading back home. Just as he reached the community entrance, he was blocked by two men in suits.
One of them spoke politely, “Mr. Shen.”
Shen Tangqing looked at them; he didn’t recognize them. “Who are you?”
“My Master wishes to meet you. Please come with us, Mr. Shen.”
Shen Tangqing couldn’t help but frown. “Who is your Master?”
“My Masterâs surname is Li.”
As soon as the man finished, Shen Tangqingâs expression darkened. With the surname Li, he couldn’t think of anyone else besides Li Qiulan.
“Sorry, I don’t have time.” Shen Tangqing refused without a second thought.
“Mr. Shen, I hope you won’t make this difficult for us.” The man took a step forward, blocking Shen Tangqingâs path.
Shen Tangqing looked up at him, his expression turning cold. “Get this straight: you’re the one making things difficult for me. Just because he wants to see me, I have to go? Why? Move aside…”
“I apologize, Mr. Shen…” After saying that, the man looked at his silent companion. He stepped forward, restrained Shen Tangqing, and forced him into the car.
Shen Tangqing was furious. Did the Li family have kidnapping genes or something? “Let me go! How dare you kidnap someone in broad daylight? I’m going to scream…”
“Mr. Shen, my Master simply wants to meet you. There is no ill intent.”
Shen Tangqing: “…” You’ve already kidnapped me and you claim no ill intent?
“Heâ” Before he could shout “Help,” his mouth was covered.
Once the car had driven off, the two men finally released Shen Tangqing.
“Our apologies, Mr. Shen. Please don’t be afraid; we aren’t kidnapping you.”
Shen Tangqing: “…”
However, Shen Tangqing did believe that they genuinely just wanted him for a meeting. After all, they hadn’t taken his phone, and they were quite polite in their speech. Even if the Li family was powerful, surely they wouldn’t kidnap someone so blatantly?
They drove in silence. Shen Tangqing didn’t bother wasting words with the man and just quietly played with his phone. After about twenty minutes, the car stopped at a private tea house. Shen Tangqing had thought they were taking him to the Li residence, but clearly not.
It seemed they had booked the entire place. From the entrance to the second floor, Shen Tangqing didn’t see a single person. It was as quiet as a tomb.
The suited man led Shen Tangqing to the innermost private room, opened the door, and made a gesturing motion. Shen Tangqing frowned and walked inside.
A scent of aged Pu’er tea mixed with sandalwood immediately wafted over. Shen Tangqingâs footsteps faltered for a moment. The room was sparsely decorated, with two rows of pear-wood display shelves lining the walls. Scattered upon them were celadon vases and antique purple-clay teapots. Even the floor lamp in the corner was designed after palace lanterns.
The moment he entered, Shen Tangqing saw Elder Li. He was dressed in a well-pressed dark gray Zhongshan suit, without a single wrinkle on his collar or cuffs. His silver-white hair was meticulously combed. He didn’t look up immediately; his well-defined fingers were using a tea needle to slowly loosen the tea in a purple-clay pot.
His movements were composed and elegant. Yet the pressure he radiated, built over decades, seemed to make the air in the room solidify.
“Sit.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. It wasn’t a command, yet it left no room for refusal.
Shen Tangqing withdrew his gaze, took off his coat, hung it on the coat rack, and sat opposite the elder. Once Shen Tangqing was settled, the elder finally looked up. His eyes had faded in color and were surrounded by deep wrinkles, but his gaze remained sharp. When his eyes landed on Shen Tangqing, his expression suddenly softened. He transformed from a high-and-mighty figure into a common, kind-hearted elder.
He personally poured a cup of tea for Shen Tangqing. The amber tea liquid flowed from the spout into the white porcelain cup. The liquid was clear, without a single tea hair visible.
[Translator’s Note: “Triple-A Citizen” (ä¸ĺĽ˝ĺ¸ć° – sÄn hÇo shĂŹ mĂn) refers to the “Three-Good Student/Citizen” award in China (good in health, learning, and work). “Liuli Shuian” (çç水岸) is a luxury residential area. “Elder Li” (éťčçşĺ) is Li Qiulanâs grandfather, Li Jing.]
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