Chapter 34: Securing Our Reserve Forces

“Young Master, were you just trying to warn Miss Lin?” Pei Xi glanced through the rearview mirror and caught sight of Ling Ziheng’s weary eyes, sensing that his master’s mood was unsettled.

“She… should be careful,” Ling Ziheng replied in a low voice.

“Young Master, at the moment Miss Lin is the best candidate for us to use. Only by making her the bait can we…” Pei Xi anxiously tried to remind him.

“That’s enough. I have my own plan,” Ling Ziheng muttered, suppressing his irritation and cutting Pei Xi off.

Perhaps the only thing he cannot calculate is his own heart. Was it a mistake to push Lin Zhiwei into danger?

Pei Xi lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly. Could it be that the Young Master truly…

No, he believed Ling Ziheng would make the right choice. There was never any other way.

Ling Ziheng looked out the window, his finely sculpted face now frosted with cold, the flicker in his dark eyes betraying his emotions as he softly murmured her name, “Weiwei…”

Lin Zhiwei chatted with her parents for a while after returning home and began packing her luggage for the trip to Huaguo. She also took the opportunity to organize the logistics for the next few days. She couldn’t afford to go to Huaguo unprepared; if she failed to help Ling Ziheng and ended up risking her own life, that would be a terrible bargain.

After showering, while waiting for her hair to dry naturally, she quickly dialed Zhao Qianlu’s number.

“Zhao Beauty, how’s it going? Are they still pushing for marriage over there?”

“Lin Zhiwei? You… finished so soon? The handsome guy didn’t work out?” Zhao Qianlu sounded utterly perplexed.

“Oh, Zhao Beauty, what kind of thought process is that…” Lin Zhiwei felt exasperated, scorched inside and out by her friend’s words. She had thought Zhao was a gentle rabbit, but she turned out to be a formidable woman. Lin Zhiwei explained at once, “I do have principles, you know?”

“You? Come on! Were you two pretending?”

“What else?”

“So dull! I heard the Ling family isn’t easy to handle. The Huaguo film king, hiding behind a fake name,” Zhao Qianlu was applying a face mask, with an attendant by her side doing her nails, but none of it diminished her appetite for gossip.

“Enough, enough, I know. With the Zhao family’s influence in Huaguo’s entertainment industry, these things are child’s play. Let’s talk in person tomorrow.”

“All right, see you at ten at SOO. I’ve sent everyone away to serve you exclusively. You really helped me out this time—Qi Heng didn’t dare make a peep, behaving himself. I did as you said, put on a teary act as the innocent girl, and now I’m the Qi family’s adopted daughter.”

“Told you, that trick always works,” Lin Zhiwei replied smugly.

“All right, I’ll thank you in person tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Lin Zhiwei used a towel to gently absorb the moisture from her hair tips while pondering her next move. If her guess was correct, there was one more person who would seek her out before tomorrow.

With support from two families, at least her information channels in Huaguo would be reliable. Ling Ziheng’s warning was not without reason; since Huaguo could have Chu Chuo, it naturally harbored many factions, large and small, likely intertwined with the clans of the Nameless Domain.

She had a vague feeling that Ling Ziheng was deeply entangled in all this but couldn’t say so outright. Since that was the case, she would let things unfold naturally.

No wonder Lin Qiongjun had readily agreed when she mentioned her trip to Huaguo, offering no resistance at all. Clearly, there was something more beneath the surface.

Probably some old fox she couldn’t deal with herself, so she’d use Lin Zhiwei as a pawn to clean up the mess.

A cunning old schemer, always prepared for his own retirement.

Ling Ziheng’s hesitant demeanor earlier had left her puzzled. She sensed he wanted to warn her about something, but in the end, he kept silent.

Since that was so, Lin Zhiwei dragged out the little treasure box her sister-in-law had given her for her birthday from under the bed. It contained everything she needed for disguising herself as a man. Appearing as a man was always safer, and after meeting Zhao Qianlu tomorrow, she might glean some valuable information.

Perhaps Zhao Qianlu knew something about Chu Chuo’s background; that would be a real boon.

Unknown caller.

Lin Zhiwei hesitated before answering, “Hello?”

“Weiwei, is that you? It’s Shen Qian.” The warm male voice carried a newfound sense of relief and composure.

Just as she expected—her guess had been correct.

“Yes, do you need something, Senior?”

“Could we meet face to face tomorrow? I know you’re heading to Huaguo, so… you might need some help,” Shen Qian’s gentle tone was tinged with caution.

“No problem, just what I wanted. Let’s meet at noon at ZZZ. Thank you in advance, Senior.” Lin Zhiwei’s lips curled in a smile; his timing was perfect.

Shen Qian was a true gentleman. All these years, his rivalry with Zhou Yiran was well-known, but he had never regarded the Zhou family as mortal enemies, seeing it as business competition. Yet the Zhou family had suffered greatly in recent years and would not back down, falling right into Xue Yuanyuan’s trap.

Zhou Yiran himself lacked any artistic talent, possessing only a merchant’s cunning, which made him and Xue Yuanyuan natural allies—partners in crime, aiming to kill three birds with one stone.

Lin Zhiwei sighed at the thought. Even the great clans with their vast industries could fight each other to ruin; how much more perilous for her, a mere branch member of the Lin family. Without Lin Qiongjun’s protection, she would have been stripped to the bone years ago.

Lately, rumors suggested Lin Qiongjun’s power was waning and the elders were stirring restlessly.

Only she knew that her cousin’s nature would never allow himself to be weakened. He was simply waiting for the big fish to bite before calmly reeling them in.

Even if Huaguo was a den of dragons and tigers, she wouldn’t mind the challenge. It was the perfect opportunity to confront the wolves of wealth and stand out for once. At least she could identify her hidden enemies in advance.