As the words fell, someone approached them from the other side.
Shen Qingqing turned and left without a word.
Fan Hang followed closely, whispering, "Wait for me. We're in this together now. Are you planning to abandon me and run?"
"Stop the nonsense and keep up."
But as the two of them moved, the guards noticed their tracks and pursued relentlessly.
"Stop, don't run!"
The guards' shouts were too loud. Even if they weren't caught, this would only alert more people. Shen Qingqing couldn't help but glare at Fan Hang.
It was all because of him.
Otherwise, she could have left before the effects of the medicine wore off.
Fan Hang rubbed his nose and ran with her, "This isn't my fault. It's your fault for not being clear. If you had told me earlier, we would have left already and wouldn't be wasting time here."
He sounded self-righteous, and Shen Qingqing ignored him.
Running like this wouldn't solve anything; they would be discovered eventually. Shen Qingqing's gaze swept around. They had reached the rock garden.
She made a swift decision and pushed Fan Hang into a stone cave within a rockery.
Fan Hang clung to the rockery, "Then I'm going up. What about you?"
"Stop talking and stay put."
Without Fan Hang, Shen Qingqing found it easier to escape, not to mention she had a secret weapon. If she really couldn't escape, she would use it.
However, even if the medicine was effective, they would surely notice afterward.
After all, they were too far from the attic.
Fan Hang safely evaded capture in the rockery cave. When the sounds faded, he left the rockery and hesitantly looked towards the attic in the distance.
At this moment, there were no guards around.
This was the best time for him to scout the attic.
But then he thought, since they had already aroused suspicion, they might have left guards watching the attic. What if he was caught red-handed if he went back?
He shook his head, abandoning the idea, and walked into the night.
Even with the night as cover, surrounded by rocks, Shen Qingqing took some effort to shake off the guards, but in the end, she didn't need to use the medicine.
As soon as she returned to the room, she found it pitch black.
She was about to turn on the light when she heard a deep voice, "You're back."
It was Fu Jingshu.
"You're not asleep yet?" She withdrew her hand from the switch, quickly adjusted to the darkness, and walked to the bedside to sit down. Suddenly, her waist was held tight.
She was pulled into a broad, warm embrace.
"How could I sleep if you weren't back?"
The deep voice whispered by her ear, with a hint of warmth. Her ear felt a little itchy, so she reached up to scratch it, relaxing her back and leaning into the firm embrace.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Didn't I come back safely?"
Fu Jingshu hummed and asked again, "Did you find out anything?"
Shen Qingqing's mind flashed with the image of the girl missing her lover. She sighed, "I think she knows that person won't be coming back, but she just doesn't want to give up."
It was quite pitiful.
"You want to take her with you."
He didn't need to see her expression; he could tell from her tone.
Shen Qingqing curved her lips, her voice laced with a soft tenderness, "You understand me so well?"
In the darkness, Fu Jingshu's lips also slowly curved upwards. He tightened his embrace and gently kissed her fair, jade-like earlobe.
"Of course, what you think is what I think."
This was probably the unique telepathy of lovers.
Shen Qingqing's heart felt sweet, but she soon remembered the guards. "I'm afraid Chairman Feng will know tomorrow that someone trespassed into the attic tonight."
After this incident, it would be difficult to go again in the future.
Fu Jingshu, however, was not worried at all. "If we can't get in, we'll find another way."
Shen Qingqing wasn't overly anxious, just a little worried about implicating the young girl. From Chairman Feng's demeanor, he didn't seem to value Alang much.
The next day, as Shen Qingqing had predicted, the atmosphere in the Feng residence was somber as soon as they woke up.
Everyone had stern faces, expressionless, not daring to breathe loudly.
Shen Qingqing asked the maids and learned that a guard had informed Chairman Feng the previous night that someone had entered the attic. Chairman Feng had gotten up in the middle of the night and ordered a thorough search of the Feng residence.
Although Shen Qingqing and the others were not disturbed, the servants were questioned strictly.
At breakfast, when Chairman Feng saw Shen Qingqing come down, he greeted her with a smile and casually mentioned, "Someone broke into my Feng family's attic yesterday and stole something. The servants searched for half the night, making quite a commotion. Did it disturb you?"
Shen Qingqing shook her head. "Did you catch them?"
"Not yet," Chairman Feng's smile faded slightly. "This person is very cunning; my men have been searching for a long time but haven't found their whereabouts."
He glanced at Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu, his eyes narrowing slightly, and his tone was meaningful.
"This person seems to know my Feng family like the back of their hand, knowing exactly how to hide."
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow, offering no comment. "Perhaps."
Chairman Feng didn't say much more. In front of them, he ordered his subordinates to continue the investigation, then left in a hurry without eating breakfast.
Shortly after he left, Fan Hang came down.
"Hello, good morning."
Shen Qingqing nodded slightly in greeting.
Seeing her indifferent demeanor, Fan Hang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Just as he was about to approach, Fu Jingshu blocked him, his eyes emanating a menacing aura.
Fan Hang realized this person was not to be trifled with and quickly stepped back, signaling harmlessness. "I have no ill intentions."
Fu Jingshu let out a cold snort.
For some reason, just a glance from Fu Jingshu made Fan Hang feel like he was being stared at by a wild beast, his hair standing on end.
He had no choice but to look at Shen Qingqing. "Is our cooperation from yesterday still valid?"
"It's valid."
Fan Hang breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Next time you go to the attic, please take me along. I'm really too curious about what's inside."
"I thought you would go back and check yesterday."
Shen Qingqing glanced at him.
Fan Hang widened his eyes. "You even guessed that?"
"Did you really go back?"
"No, I didn't." Fan Hang rubbed his nose and sat opposite her. "I thought it would be terrible if I got caught, so I didn't go."
"Alright."
Shen Qingqing agreed.
Fan Hang was overjoyed. He had been extremely curious about that attic for a long time, but Chairman Feng had explicitly forbidden anyone from approaching it. Even Feng Yilian had said the same.
He was excited, planning to go to the attic with her next time.
However, his plan was once again foiled.
As they cautiously approached the attic in the evening, they found the guards even more heavily posted. Shen Qingqing managed to sneak in with great difficulty.
Inside, she saw the girl lying quietly on the bed, seemingly asleep.
Fan Hang was stunned. "She's so beautiful."
This girl possessed an otherworldly beauty, unlike any woman he had met before.
Shen Qingqing felt something was wrong. Alang didn't look like she was sleeping; her expression was too serene.
She stepped forward to check her pulse. The pulse was steady and slow, confirming she had fainted.