Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 131: Su Xiaoquian’s Spring Strategy (5)

Dragon Raja 4

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to stay here and keep investigating! We’ve already got our answer, right? Chu Zihang died in a car accident when he was fifteen, and Lu Mingfei is just suffering from schizophrenia. Case closed. Haven’t we put him through enough already? Even if there’s an elemental disturbance, it’s not something we can handle. If it’s really an elemental disturbance, EVA’s eyes are on it, and they’ll send Caesar or Abbas. Wouldn’t you trust Caesar to handle it?”

“Yes, he’ll take care of it,” Nono nodded.

“Will Caesar be upset with you because of Lu Mingfei? Do you think he might make things difficult for us on purpose?”

“What about me and Lu Mingfei?” Nono glared at him. “I’m helping him because he’s my friend! Just like you’re helping him because he’s your friend! Do you like him too?”

“I never asked if you liked him; you’re the one who said it. And of course, I like my brother!” Finger thumped his chest. “A brotherly kind of love!”

Nono was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

“I heard your Chen family is quite prominent in the world of Hybrids. Would the eldest daughter of the Chen family ever feel lonely?” Finger asked. “Sharing in the misery of a defeated dog?”

Nono was silent for a long time, gazing up at the ceiling. “I’ve felt lonely before. When you’re lonely, you feel like a little mushroom, just waiting for the next rain to sprout. Then another rain comes, and you rot away, and no one will ever know you were here in this world. Back then, I really wanted someone to save me. Whoever came to save me, I’d follow them, even if they were a prince on a white horse or a villain. I could help them rob the world, help them flee from place to place, even take a bullet for them. But no one came—neither the prince nor the villain.”

The phone in the living room rang. Finger picked it up, as their uncle and aunt weren’t home. He quickly rushed back after a short conversation, breathless. “The hospital just called! Lu Mingfei was rescued by his three junior sisters!”

Nono froze for a moment before grabbing an umbrella and heading out the door.

The elevator took Nono directly to the 88th floor. As soon as the doors opened, the sound of loud chatter and music assaulted her senses. It was undoubtedly a scene of indulgence, with men and women exchanging suggestive glances amidst the flickering candlelight and the heady scent of alcohol. Near the dance floor, slick-haired guys were playing jazz.

A waiter, startled by the fierce-looking girl, quickly approached. “Sorry, but we’re all full tonight.”

Nono slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not here to drink. I’m looking for someone. Is Su Xiaoqian here?”

“Oh, you’re looking for Ms. Su…” The waiter, realizing he might have made a mistake, hesitated. He shouldn’t have disclosed VIP guest information to someone whose identity was unclear.

“I’m from her company, and it’s urgent. You don’t need to worry about it,” Nono pushed past him.

Nono had learned that Su Xiaoqian might be at the Fox Bar through a call to her secretary. Claiming it was about a power outage at the mine, and that there were still people underground, the secretary had panicked and mentioned that Su Xiaoqian often spent her evenings at the Fox Bar when her phone was off.

Nono knew about the Fox Bar—it was one of Shao Yifeng’s hangouts. He had invited her several times, but she had always declined. Now she could see why—it was a place filled with chaos and smoke.

On the couches by the windows, three girls in school uniforms were complaining loudly, their voices carrying across the room.

Su Xiaoqian said, “Why are you two talking so much today? Always bringing up those old stories. You weren’t even really Lu Mingfei’s ex-girlfriends! Tone it down, will you? Look! You’ve upset Mingfei, and now he’s gone!”

Liu Miaomiao retorted, “It’s your fault for picking this place! When have you ever seen him come to noisy places like this? He doesn’t like it here!”

Chen Wenwen tried to mediate, “Stop arguing! The real issue is where he’s gone. It’s so late, and he can’t even find a ride. He’s been in the hospital for days, and his body must be weak. He left without eating, just drinking. If he catches a cold in the rain, what are we going to do?”

Nono stood in the shadows near the bar, silently watching the three girls argue. So, Lu Mingfei had indeed been brought here by them but had quietly slipped away midway. There was no need to go over and question them now.

Even though she knew Lu Mingfei had been a star at Shilan Middle School, hearing the girls talk about him like this still made Nono feel a bit surreal. Wasn’t this the same guy who had been a lonely, cowardly mess before joining the Execution Bureau? The same “foolish monkey” she had felt sorry for and accompanied to this city to help uncover the truth? Yet, in these girls’ eyes, Lu Mingfei was this shining figure—his long lashes, his cool smile, his kindness, his sense of responsibility… It was strange how the same person could be perceived so differently by different people. Everyone believed in their version of the truth. If she had known it would turn out like this, maybe she shouldn’t have saved him. He seemed happier, more confident, in a world without her.

As Nono was lost in thought, a figure suddenly darted through the dance floor and sat down beside Su Xiaoqian, pouring himself a full glass of brandy and downing it in one go.

“Wow, it’s freezing outside,” Lu Mingfei said, rubbing his hands together.

Su Xiaoqian lit up with joy, grabbing his arm. “Mingfei! Where did you go? We were all so worried!”

“I was hungry, so I went out to a convenience store to get some oden,” Lu Mingfei casually patted Su Xiaoqian’s shoulder.

“You could’ve just asked a waiter to get it for you! No need to go yourself,” Su Xiaoqian replied. “We may not have oden here, but we do have Spanish ham.”

She turned and snapped her fingers. “Two plates of ham! Hurry up!”

Chen Wenwen and Liu Miaomiao stayed quiet, relieved to see that Lu Mingfei wasn’t upset with them. He didn’t seem troubled—he had just been hungry.

Now that Lu Mingfei had eaten, he regained his usual cheer, smiling as if nothing weighed on his mind.

“Did you guys go dance yet?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“We were waiting for you! How could three girls dance by themselves?” Su Xiaoqian laughed. “Weren’t you going to show us some real dance moves?”

“I was just messing around. I can’t dance,” Lu Mingfei laughed.

“Mingfei! Don’t back out now! You already promised!” Su Xiaoqian playfully grabbed his shoulder.

The girls and Lu Mingfei chatted, reminiscing about high school, becoming more animated as they drank. The air around them grew warmer, infused with the romantic atmosphere brought on by the alcohol.

From the shadows, Nono watched as Lu Mingfei laughed and joked with them. She saw the girls giggling around him and felt a part of her inner resolve silently crumble.

For so long, she had stubbornly believed that Lu Mingfei needed her—at least before he grew up, he needed her. That boy who once cried alone in the bathroom over a letter from his mother, the one who silently followed someone he liked without ever daring to speak up… How could he possibly manage without someone to look after him? That’s why she had stayed by his side, playing the role of his big sister and protector, even though she knew it would upset Caesar and the elders of the Gattuso family. She had stayed.

But maybe this was just her own obsession. Perhaps the “foolish monkey” wasn’t so foolish after all. Maybe he had already grown up, learned that there were many girls in the world worth liking, and understood that nothing in life was truly permanent.

Lu Mingfei didn’t really understand her, and she didn’t truly understand him either. Even without her, he could still navigate social situations with ease, like he was doing tonight, charming everyone around him. If Lu Mingfei still lingered around her, maybe it was because he hadn’t fully let go yet. And she, being someone who could never handle emotional matters well, was really just a fool. On the surface, she seemed so decisive and carefree, but deep down, she could never bring herself to reject others, which made things a mess and hurt people in the process. Maybe she should just let the monkey go, leave him in the wilderness. He might cry for a few days, but after that, he’d find a new master. After all, who can’t live without someone?

“Didn’t you say you were looking for Ms. Su?” the waiter came over, concerned. “She’s sitting over there.”

“No need, everything’s been taken care of. Let her enjoy her time with her friends,” Nono patted his shoulder and walked away.

“Your sister seems really disappointed,” said the little devil sitting between Chen Wenwen and Liu Miaomiao, arms around both girls. “Why label yourself like that?”

“If I were the same ‘Lu Mingfei’ from the alpha world line, I’d probably be just as bad. She has every right to be disappointed,” Lu Mingfei said. “That version of me probably wouldn’t even know her.”

Nono strolled through the rain, the city’s bright lights shimmering through the downpour, and passing cars sent up walls of water. The umbrella was useless; her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her body. Some passing drivers honked at her, maybe because she was still a pretty sight, even drenched and wandering alone. But Nono didn’t care. She had left the Ferrari parked outside the Fox Bar because she wanted to walk alone.

The air was cool and damp, and as she breathed it in, the cold seemed to sink into her bones. She felt colder and colder, thinking about finding a hotpot restaurant to warm up, but all the shops along the road were closed. She was lost in this dazzling city. Everywhere she looked, there were signs and people, yet she couldn’t find her way back to her uncle’s house or her apartment. Maybe she had been lost for a long time, without even realizing it.