Chapter 97: No Grudge Between Us

“What’s going on?”

“Are you okay?” Lü Yang asked Yi Ya.

“What do you think? You woke me up just after I fell asleep.” Yi Ya seemed a bit unhappy, or maybe she was acting spoiled. She always went to bed by 10:30 at the latest, and Lü Yang knew this habit of hers, so he never called her mobile phone after 10:30 at night.

“If any strangers approach you in the next few days, don’t go with them. If something feels wrong, call me right away.” Lü Yang didn’t want to tell Yi Ya about Liu Yin and Zhou Ling, afraid it would scare her. He could only give her a general warning.

“If a stranger comes for me, I definitely wouldn’t go with them. You woke me up so late just to tell me this?”

“That’s all. Go back to sleep.” Lü Yang couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“After I left your place, did you try to find me?” Yi Ya seemed to suddenly become more awake and asked Lü Yang a strange question.

“No, why? Did someone look for you?”

“Oh… nothing… I must have remembered wrong… You should sleep too…” After saying this to Lü Yang, Yi Ya hung up the mobile phone.

Yi Ya put down her mobile phone and lay back on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she murmured to herself…

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something… What was it? Oh well, I won’t think about it. I have class tomorrow…”

…

At the same time.

Guishe City, Xiang Residence.

“Silly egg, I’m drunk.” Chu Xuan, who had been lying in bed for a long time, finally saw her husband Xiang Tianqi enter the bedroom.

“Oh.” Xiang Tianqi answered absentmindedly.

“I need to pee.” Chu Xuan then said to Xiang Tianqi.

“Then go.”

“I’m drunk, how can I go?”

“Should I call Aunt Li to help you?”

“Hey! Can’t you help me yourself?”

“Sigh…” Xiang Tianqi had no choice but to help Chu Xuan up from the bed. Once upright, Chu Xuan’s body went limp like soft tofu and she slumped into Xiang Tianqi’s arms.

“Aunt Li! Aunt Li!” Xiang Tianqi couldn’t hold Chu Xuan steady and shouted towards the door.

“Coming, coming!” Aunt Li hurried in. Seeing the scene, she immediately stepped forward to help Xiang Tianqi support Chu Xuan.

Once Aunt Li had hold of Chu Xuan, Xiang Tianqi immediately felt relieved and quickly let go, walking back to the bedside.

“Hic… Hic… Aunt Li, you can go now!” After being helped into the bathroom, Chu Xuan immediately sat down on the toilet herself and shooed Aunt Li out.

Sitting angrily on the toilet, Chu Xuan glared hatefully at Xiang Tianqi, who had already collapsed back onto the bed in the room. Ever since Zhang Min told her the story of “Three Variations of the Plum Blossom,” whenever she recalled that scene—especially the part where Lü Yang had Zhang Min bent over his lap performing the Three Variations of the Plum Blossom… every time she imagined it, it made a certain part of her feel overwhelmed with excitement.

“The first variation makes the grapes swell…”

“The second variation brightens the wood ear…”

“The third variation opens the little mouth…”

“Amidst the misty clouds, the water stretches vast…”

“So vast, oh so vast…”

Now that was romance! That was what you called passion! Compared to that kind of experience, she had basically wasted all these years!

Finding Lü Yang’s Three Variations of the Plum Blossom too crude and lacking in poetic elegance, like plain speech, Chu Xuan had specially composed her own poem tonight following Lü Yang’s rhythm, showcasing her knowledge as a talented woman.

“The first variation of the plum blossom, eyes grow hazy.”

“The second variation of the plum blossom, marvel at the serpent’s wonder.”

“The third variation of the plum blossom, a flute at dawn.”

“Time flies easily, people age fast.”

“I urge you to cherish the spring night’s hour.”

“Don’t speak of the sick tree, drained and weak…”

After reciting the poem, Chu Xuan couldn’t help but want to have such a romantic and passionate moment with her own silly egg. She never expected it would turn out like this…

So heartbreaking, so disappointing.

…

“Xiao Ya, is she with you?” The next morning, Lin Yin suddenly called Lü Yang.

“No… What’s wrong with her?” Lü Yang had been worried about Yi Ya since last night. Hearing Lin Yin’s question, his heart immediately leaped into his throat.

“Last night, not long after she came back, she got a phone call and went out. She never returned after that. We thought she went to your place again, but she didn’t show up at school this morning, and she’s not answering her mobile phone, so I thought I’d ask you.”

“What time did she leave after getting the call last night?” Lü Yang was startled.

“Around ten o’clock, I think?” Lin Yin tried to remember.

“And she never came back after that?” Lü Yang remembered that at eleven o’clock, because he was worried, he had specifically called Yi Ya.

“Never.”

“Maybe you fell asleep and didn’t hear her come back? I spoke to her on the phone at eleven; she was already asleep then.” A sinking feeling gripped Lü Yang’s heart as he confirmed with Lin Yin again.

“Yulan and I didn’t go to sleep until 11:30 last night.”

“She never came back last night, didn’t go to school this morning, and isn’t answering her mobile phone!?” Lü Yang was truly panicked now.

“Yeah.”

“Let me try calling her mobile phone first!” Without asking further, Lü Yang hung up on Lin Yin and quickly dialed Yi Ya’s mobile phone.

The phone rang five or six times, and then it actually connected. Lü Yang hurriedly shouted “Xiao Ya!” several times into the phone.

There was no response from the other side, but he could hear some strange noises, like… a man’s breathing?

“Who is this? Why do you have Xiao Ya’s mobile phone?” Lü Yang’s heart sank completely. It seemed Yi Ya was really in trouble this time.

“You love her?” A deep, heavy male voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice didn’t sound normal; it was like a modified electronic voice.

“Who are you?” Lü Yang’s heart grew cold.

“Are you willing to die for her?”

“Do you have Yi Ya? Please don’t hurt her. Whatever you want, just name it. If it’s money, any amount, I can get it for you.” Lü Yang kept trying to stay calm.

“Money? Hahahaha…” The other side sounded disdainful. “Answer my question. Are you willing to die for her?”

“I’m warning you! If you dare hurt her, I swear you’ll die a horrible death! If we talk this out properly, I can agree to any condition!” Lü Yang’s body began to tremble as he threatened the person through gritted teeth.

Not wanting money… Lü Yang had a vague idea of the other person’s identity, and the possibility he guessed was the hardest for him to bear.

“Hahahaha…” The person on the other end laughed loudly again, clearly unbothered by Lü Yang’s threats, acting as if everything was under control.

“I’m willing to do anything for her, even die if I have to! Please don’t hurt her! No matter who you are, I think there’s no grudge between us, and I would never help the State Security Bureau against you!” Lü Yang forced himself to calm down again. With Yi Ya in their hands, angering them clearly wasn’t a good choice.

Lü Yang reckoned he and the Death Killer had no prior contact. The only thing that might have drawn the Death Killer’s attention was Liu Yin and Zhou Ling visiting him last night.

“State Security Bureau? I really don’t take them seriously… But I am quite interested in you… Don’t worry, I won’t harm Yi Ya for now. I’ll contact you again later about what happens next.” After getting Lü Yang’s answer, the person said this and then hung up. No matter how many times Lü Yang called back, he couldn’t get through.