Chapter 212: The Rift
On January 23, 1959, the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Ah…
On the sickbed, Han Zhongyue curled up, her complexion pale, drenched in sweat, and her body shook continuously.
The underdeveloped pathological bleeding had persisted for three weeks. At this moment, Han Zhongyue felt intense pain throughout her body, and she was even experiencing large areas of hair loss. Her once shiny and smooth long hair now revealed patches of scalp, and she looked utterly haggard.
“Comrade Xiaohan, drink this Chinese medicine, it will help.”
The door opened, and Zou Heshan and Zhu Pengfei walked in one after the other. The former showed no signs of any issues, holding a bowl of dark brown soup in both hands, while the latter walked in a somewhat shaky manner, also in serious condition.
“Thank you…”
Han Zhongyue struggled to prop herself up and trembled as she reached for the Chinese medicine from Zou Heshan. Unfortunately, before it reached her mouth, her hand lost strength, and the bowl of medicine spilled all over her.
Wuwu…
Han Zhongyue cried, covering her eyes with the back of her hand, tears streaming down her face.
“Xiaoyue, hold on! Just think of your mother!”
Zou Heshan sat on the edge of the bed, hesitated for a moment, then reached out to embrace Han Zhongyue’s shoulders, his face showing pity.
“Wuwu, Brother Shan, I can’t hold on anymore, my mom doesn’t want me anymore…”
Han Zhongyue wrapped her arms around Zou Heshan, bursting into loud cries.
Only at this moment did Han Zhongyue completely abandon all pretense of strength, revealing her vulnerable and helpless side.
After more than ten minutes, the crying Han Zhongyue fell asleep in Zou Heshan’s arms, tears still tracing her face.
Zhu Pengfei observed the scene before him, sighed softly, and quietly exited the hospital room.
“Comrades, please do not step over the yellow line!”
At the end of the corridor, at the stairs, two guards raised their guns, their expressions indifferent as they aimed at Zhu Pengfei and Zou Heshan.
Comrade Xiaohan’s reaction has been too severe, and being confined to the room every day is detrimental to her body and mind. She can be allowed to engage in some outdoor activities, right?
Zhu Pengfei raised his hands and took two steps back.
“I’m sorry, this is an order from above. If you feel uncomfortable, please contact the medical staff.”
The two soldiers had expressionless faces, showing no sign of compromise.
This was something no one had experienced before. If there were an accident, it would be a significant loss for the entire operation. I demand to negotiate with your commander.
Zou Heshan’s expression darkened as he pointed down the corridor behind them: “It may be fine for me, a man, to endure, but Xiaohan is a female comrade. Is this yellow line truly reasonable? Can even basking in the sun and gazing at the moon lead to severe consequences?”
The two soldiers exchanged glances, the guns in their hands slowly lowering.
How about this: you can accompany her outside for a walk, and if there are any newspapers or magazines, let her read them. It’s all for the mission!
One soldier hesitated, then nodded: “Wait here; I’ll ask for instructions from above.”
An hour later, Zou Heshan carried Han Zhongyue and went outside, and it was already deep into the night.
Speaking of being outside, the surroundings were filled with tall buildings. Han Zhongyue had only moved from a small, enclosed cage to a relatively spacious large cage.
In the northern winter, the sky was cloudless, with a bright moon hanging in the sky, solitary and particularly striking.
The moon of the fifteenth has risen into the sky. Why are there no clouds beside it? I wait for the beautiful girl. Why haven’t you come yet…
Zhu Pengfei leaned against the back wall, resting with his eyes closed, while Zou Heshan held Han Zhongyue close, sitting on the ground and softly humming a song popular among young people of this era.
“Pengfei, Brother Shan, will I die…”
Han Zhongyue opened her eyes, stretching her hand toward the unreachable round moon in the night sky.
“You won’t. We are just welcoming a new life and a new mission.”
Zou Heshan’s gaunt face wore a resolute expression, and Zhu Pengfei nodded gently.
…
In Eastern China, city S, at a top-tier cemetery.
The clear Qingming rain, serene and melancholic, resonated well in this luxurious burial ground, where every square meter costs several thousand yuan.
In a luxurious custom-made burial area, more than ten men and women dressed in black silently held umbrellas, standing in front of a large marble tombstone, the atmosphere solemn.
On the tombstone was inscribed the name Wu Yuqing, and the small letters below were a long list of public titles, from the chairperson of a certain group to the president of a fund, attempting to make people remember this seemingly authentic yet fictitious strong woman.
The burial took place at the end of last month, and today was exactly a week since the first memorial service was held.
The attendees were mostly from the Hermit Alliance, and a few representatives from various orthodox bloodline families in Eastern China had also sent one representative each.
The elegant and charming Wu Yuqing ultimately left a mark of influence in this world.
Due to the dealings of the Wang family, they could only symbolically receive some indistinguishable remnants of charred remains from the Dark Arrow, which were then handed over to the Hermit Alliance by the Wang family.
As an outstanding talent from the line of Elder Shen of the Hermit Alliance, Wu Yuqing had indeed established a prosperous territory for the Hermit Alliance in Eastern China over the past few decades. However, like Feng Jiulong in Southern China, this place was equally a stronghold among the Hermit Alliance that could not be easily penetrated.
Dressed in a black dress, Wan Yue looked coldly at the tombstone not far away, while behind her, Zhao Peng held an umbrella, maintaining his guard without glancing sideways.
Heh, luckily this time it was the Wang family at fault; the Zhou family stayed put, allowing you to take over this large piece of meat without any interference… If this had been several decades ago, when a whale dies, all life emerges, once Sister Wu left, the people of Eastern China would have gone mad.
Wan Yue tilted her head slightly and let out a cold laugh towards Zhuang Jianfei and the other representatives from the central and nearby regions standing not far away.
As soon as Wan Yue’s words fell, those standing behind Zhuang Jianfei revealed faces of anger or hostility.
Zhuang Jianfei looked at Wei Jun beside him and smiled lightly: “Sister Wan, it’s our old man who is fair in his dealings. We are all family. The Shen and Wu families have not been wronged; at least everyone can become wealthy, and all those with good qualifications will enter the霸府… The little first question is to work for the central government, so there’s no advantage gained.”
Wan Yue’s expression grew colder, and she turned sharply to fix her gaze on Zhuang Jianfei’s profile: “You are just taking advantage of Elder Shen’s thin resources, bewitching and dispatching them. Zhuang Jianfei, if it weren’t for Brother Xiang stopping me at that time and arranging for me to alert people from the Wang family outside, you might have been partying with me today.”
“Elder Shen is still in promotion sleep; any issues should indeed wait for our old man to come out. Yet you all have divided the hard-earned territory of the Shen and Wu families from decades of effort.”
“The traitor of the Wang family colluded with the Black Dragon Society, causing so many casualties. Now, the Wang family has been crippled. Brother Xiang and Wu Yuqing have met miserable ends, seemingly unfortunate; but who truly benefits?”
Wan Yue continued, and with each statement, the faces of the bystanders behind Zhuang Jianfei turned increasingly darker, with several young ones growing anxious and tense.
“Sister Wan, Elder Zhuang was also seriously injured before, striving to protect our Hermit Alliance’s heritage while busying himself these days.”
Finally, Wei Jun, who had been meek and compliant behind Zhuang Jianfei, could not help but speak.
Heh, what’s next? You just want to say, you Wan Yue are an outsider, right? Don’t be fooled by how filial Zhuang Jianfei is now; once Old Master Chu is gone, your Chu family will only be consumed by him.
Wan Yue turned her back, not caring about etiquette at that moment, and directly took out a cigarette to light it.
Zhao Peng also turned around, maintaining his action of holding the umbrella, but his whole demeanor became noticeably alert as he glared at Zhuang Jianfei and the others.
Wei Jun and the others turned pale, but dared not explode in anger, and all lowered their heads.
Wan Yue, what exactly do you want? You have occupied the territory left by Xiang Ge in Northern Myanmar. Why do you keep hounding me?
Zhuang Jianfei’s mood began to sour, fixating his gaze on Wan Yue’s back, his voice icy cold.
“Which of your dog eyes saw that Fengxin occupied the old street? Guo Hao is one of the three stewards of the Ba House; he is the junior disciple of Brother Xiang and Chu Songming, who calls me sister. If he has difficulties, it’s only natural for me to help.”
“I’m a person who values old ties but bears grudges. What do I want? Your life. Are you willing to give it?”
As she spoke, Wan Yue took a few steps forward, turning her head slightly, and smiled: “Zhuang Jianfei, I heard that Deng Baoyi went missing in Northern Myanmar; was it you again? Your connections with some black bloodlines in Southeast Asia, do I need to spell it out for you?”
Zhuang Jianfei smiled instead of getting angry, also pulling out a cigarette. “Sister Wan, state your conditions. How can we let go of Northern Myanmar? I know Guo Hao and the others only listen to you now, and the Wang family is backing you. If the Ba House splits, Old Master Chu won’t forgive you.”
“Brother Xiang is the one most valued by Old Master Chu, and his arrangements in Northern Myanmar also had Old Master Chu’s pointers and support. Since you want to go it alone, don’t cause us trouble.”
The leaders’ straightforward and unpretentious conversation left everyone on-site silent.
The rain had stopped without anyone noticing, the Qingming ritual ended, and most of the attendees left, leaving only Wan Yue and Zhuang Jianfei in a tense confrontation.
“Zhao Peng, stay here.”
Minutes later, Wan Yue dropped her cigarette butt and turned to walk down a small pine forest path deep in the cemetery. Zhuang Jianfei signaled to Wei Jun and the others with his eyes and followed her.
“Wei Jun, Sister Dang and Elder Xiang have a good personal relationship. I heard that after Elder Xiang passed away, some people in the Ba House faced exclusion. That’s why they had to come out to support Guo Hao.”
Zhao Peng smiled as he approached Wei Jun, pulling out a cigarette to offer him one. “Sister Wan and Elder Zhuang have been at it for over twenty years; everyone is used to it.”
“Yeah, Sister Wan has a strong personality, and Elder Zhuang has actually been wanting to reconcile with her all these years. The brothers are stuck in the middle, making it hard to speak out… Zhao Ge, you’ve made a name for yourself. In the past twenty years, the Ba House hasn’t produced many barons.”
Wei Jun gazed at Zhao Peng, who was exuding a chaotic air, feeling very complicated but not daring to show even a hint of jealousy.
At this moment, he clearly lacked the qualification to negotiate with the other party and could only receive the cigarette offered to him with a gloomy expression.
…
On the damp path in the pine forest of the cemetery, the wind rustled the trees, creating a quiet and cool atmosphere.
“Here is fine; no one is around…”
Zhuang Jianfei glanced around and pulled out a cigarette to light it, casually muttering: “Wang family’s Zuo Laowu is in cahoots with Chu Renli; the Dark Arrow’s Zhen Changquan is dead.”
“Heh, I had guessed it early on. If there were no cooperation from traitors in the Wang family and insiders in the Dark Arrow, how could your and the Black Dragon’s plans full of loopholes have succeeded… Did you know beforehand that the Wang family’s Laowu was a mole?”
Wan Yue took out a stack of tissues from her small bag and meticulously wiped the moisture off the park bench before elegantly taking a seat.
“I didn’t know; Chu Dali hid him well. However, though Wang family’s Zuo Laowu held a high position, he was at the same level as Zhen Guangquan. It should have been after the Tang family was exposed that he and Zhen Guangquan were activated. Otherwise, last year, when I planted false intel in the Wang family, something would have happened.”
Zhuang Jianfei didn’t sit on the bench, leaning against a nearby damp tree trunk, unconcerned about ruining his expensive suit.
“Yeah, the source of the Tang family’s intel obtained by the Wang family, I tested the Duke of the Wang family. They had no idea it was you. It was only after the Liang family got into trouble that they began to suspect Wang family’s Zuo Laowu.”
“There’s a high probability this time that the Wang family played along, so our sins wouldn’t be too grave; it’s just a pity for Xiang Zuoxing and Wu Yuqing… Now, whatever Cheng Dali wants to do, the Wang family will have to endure.”
Saying this, Wan Yue intentionally tossed her cigarette butt towards Zhuang Jianfei, seemingly provoking.
Zhuang Jianfei quickly tapped the ash off his chest in annoyance, but the words he spoke were very calm: “Wan Yue, the matters ahead have nothing to do with you; go do your own tasks.”
Wan Yue stood up, turning her back: “Zhu Pengfei, stop! What you desire is impossible; Dali doesn’t even trust Wang family’s Zuo Laowu. How could he let you know who Kong Ming is!”
“Wang family’s ancestor has also suspected there are traitors in Dark Arrow’s upper echelons and has developed a complete plan. We can now cooperate with the Wang family’s actions.”
Zhuang Jianfei was taken aback, his expression instantly darkening: “I don’t trust the Wang family either! Until Kong Ming is unmasked, we cannot grasp the initiative in Dark Arrow!”
“What will it change to capture Kong Ming? You are merely on the defensive. If we maintain our ground this time, what about the next time, the time after that?”
Wan Yue pivoted sharply, anger brewing: “The queen is in our hands, we can retaliate, even use Kong Ming’s situation against him!”
“As long as we catch Kong Ming, we will know the overarching details of the ancestor’s plan. How can we ascertain without trying? Han Zhongyue cannot sacrifice her life like this!”
Zhuang Jianfei took off his suit jacket, already damp on his back, his expression exceedingly impatient: “Han Zhongyue, it’s better for you not to interfere; this is not your task. At first, Zou Heshan did not want you dragged into this either.”
With that, Zhuang Jianfei turned and walked away down the pine forest path without looking back.
“You have also fallen into madness, Zhu Pengfei…”
Wan Yue returned to the bench, covering her face with her hands.
…
“Elder Zhuang, how did your talk with Sister Wan go?”
In the parking lot of the cemetery, Wei Jun stomped out the cigarette butt and hurried over.
“The lion is asking for too much; what’s there to talk about!”
Zhuang Jianfei’s mood was extremely foul, and his expression could even be described as hideous. A normally refined and stable elder, now exud ing an unpleasant aura made Wei Jun feel a bit frightened.
“Tell Old Master Chu that I’ll head south to arrange things tomorrow!”
Glancing at the distant figures of Wan Yue and Zhao Peng leaving the cemetery, Zhuang Jianfei sighed deeply and got into the car.
…
…
City C.
Late at night, approaching midnight, after a long ten-hour journey, the off-road vehicle carrying Jiang Yan and the others stopped at the entrance of the Golden River Club.
During the Qingming Festival statutory holiday, the Golden River Club was also closed, and only weak lights were on inside, likely just a few people on duty.
Liang Tai and Xiao Dong got out of the car with their bags, while Jiang Yan prepared to switch to the driver’s seat.
“I’ll drive; let me take you back.”
Once Liang Tai and Xiao Dong’s figures disappeared, Meng Huai stopped Jiang Yan.
“No need, you’re tired too. Just stay at the club for the night; the day after tomorrow, I’ll take you to find a place nearby to rent.”
“You’re not feeling well. I’ll drive!”
Meng Huai showed no room for negotiation, directly opening the car door first.
“Want to know where I live?”
Jiang Yan took out her phone, sending a message to Jiang Yan while softly muttering, “Meng Huai… are we getting too close…”
“Mm.”
Meng Huai didn’t look to the side, directly starting the engine, and the car slowly turned out of the street.
“What does ‘mm’ mean?”
Feeling that since setting off from K city, Meng Huai had become cold again, Jiang Yan felt a bit anxious.
“Sister Wan insisted I must get you back safe and sound. Only when you step through your door can I consider my task complete.”
Meng Huai said casually, the neon lights outside casting colorful reflections on his face, even the faint atmosphere around him was a calm undulation, offering no hint of real emotion.
“Just completing a mission, huh…”
Jiang Yan tightened her fist, turning her head aside, “Meng Huai, you’ve learned to mask your emotions.”
Meng Huai remained silent, just driving. Seeing him like this, Jiang Yan lost the desire to communicate.
Why is this happening? He has to leave the battlefield and immediately fragments. Just days ago… Jiang Yan closed her eyes, feeling very dejected.
The two remained silent all the way.
At exactly midnight, the car stopped at the alley’s entrance.
“I’ll walk you in.”
“No need!”
Jiang Yan didn’t look back as she got out of the car, then pulled her luggage out of the trunk and headed straight for the alley.
Watching the young girl’s figure fade into the depths of the alley, Meng Huai sighed and restarted the engine.
As the car turned, Meng Huai suddenly froze. He saw a familiar SUV parked by the side of the street in front of the alley, a Bentley.
A familiar model, familiar license plate; it was his brother Zhong Jing’s car.
Meng Huai’s pupils suddenly constricted, then he turned to look in the direction Jiang Yan had disappeared, slowly tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
…
…
It was midnight; time to stop playing. I’m heading home.
In the living room, Zhong Jing was packing up his laptop, calling toward the direction of the second bedroom.
“It’s Qingming Festival for three days; we don’t have to work tomorrow. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Jiang Yao walked out of the bedroom, her little face flushed, clearly having had a great time gaming earlier.
“Isn’t Jiang Yan coming back from K city today?”
Zhong Jing glanced at the tantalizing figure wrapped in her nightgown, swallowing hard but still insisted on putting the laptop into his backpack.
Over these days, Zhong Jing felt he could genuinely describe his life with decadence. After that night, his desires were laid bare, and his interactions with Jiang Yao were far beyond describing as fiery.
“She just left at noon; from K city to C city, it takes at least over ten hours. There’s nothing urgent, so she’ll most likely stay overnight on the way.”
Jiang Yao took a few steps closer, pressing down on Zhong Jing’s backpack with displeasure.
“Little Yao, we should really pace ourselves…”
Seeing the familiar sparkle in her eyes and her increasingly soft body pressing against him, Zhong Jing felt a tightness in his chest.
“Hmph, getting bored already?”
Jiang Yao raised her eyebrows, and the smile on her face began to cool.
“No, I need a break too… Doing this every day, who could handle it?” Zhong Jing forced a smile, quietly stepping back half a step. “Um, I think we should also consider some protective measures…”
“I don’t care about that…”
Jiang Yao muttered, then reached out, pulling Zhong Jing closer and wrapping her hands around his waist, her eyes almost brimming with tears.
What’s happened to her? Is this the instability of the queen’s heart? What have I done…
Zhong Jing felt as though he had stepped onto a one-way street, increasingly uncomfortable.
Just when Jiang Yao was about to make her move, certain that he wouldn’t refuse her, the sound of a door opening echoed from outside the living room.
Jiang Yao’s body trembled, her face turning pale, and she quickly released Zhong Jing, stepping back several paces, her eyes filled with panic.
“Go take a shower, quick!”
With that, Zhong Jing moved at an unprecedented speed, snatching two cans of beer from the fridge, one pouring on the dining table floor, then dashing into Jiang Yao’s bedroom to pour the other into the bedroom’s trash bin.
The traces of their reckless days were piling up along with a mountain of used tissues, making it quite challenging for a blood clan to miss the scent of nuances.
Zhong Jing could only hope that Jiang Yao’s disheveled household habits would mask everything with the scent of alcohol.
If Jiang Yan finds out I’ve been with Jiang Yao, Zhong Jing could hardly imagine what she might do—some things can’t be hidden forever, but at least I can delay for a day!
“Hey? Zhong Jing, what are you doing at my place?”
The door opened, and Jiang Yan entered, pulling her luggage, looking around the room, her face filled with confusion from the strong smell of beer.
