Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

"You!" Xie Yuchen couldn't help but exclaim, but the sound seemed to be stuck in his throat, unable to produce a complete syllable.

He stared wide-eyed at the figure so close to him, his eyes wide with disbelief. Despite the demon mask and the clothes that concealed the figure, Xie Yuchen could still recognize the face beneath the mask and the familiar figure beneath the clothes at a glance.

To his surprise, the man did not stop them. Just as Xie Yuchen brushed past him, a slightly rough hand reached out and gently placed a worn-out pocket watch, which had been repeatedly rubbed until it was exceptionally smooth, into his palm.

Without hesitation, Hei Xiazi grabbed Xie Yuchen and rushed towards the strange light and shadow behind the man. Xie Yuchen didn't even have time to react before he was dragged into it.

Just as he was about to step out of the mysterious light and shadow, Xie Yuchen couldn't help but turn back, his gaze falling once again on the figure that had remained silent all along.

He stood there like a statue, motionless, just as he had silently waited at the alleyway entrance countless times in the past for his return. Now, he remained standing there quietly, seemingly certain that Xie Yuchen would return to his side…

As the two stepped into the light and shadow, a strong sense of dizziness struck again. Hei Xiazi held Xie Yuchen tightly in his arms as before, afraid of the slightest mishap.

With a muffled thud, the two men fell heavily onto a patch of lush green grass, splashing up dirt and blades of grass. A few elderly people, who were leisurely strolling around the area, were all drawn to the sudden commotion.

Before everyone's eyes, a man dressed in black and wearing sunglasses quickly stood up and helped another man to his feet. This man, named Black Bear, moved with practiced ease, as if this situation was commonplace for him.

As he gently brushed the grass clippings off the person next to him, he casually scolded, "I told you not to stand so high, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened, you fell right down!"

Upon hearing this, the elderly men and women who had been curiously watching quickly turned their attention away, seemingly finding nothing interesting, and went back to doing their own things.

However, Xie Yuchen was completely bewildered by the words the bear had used to deceive the group of elderly people. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the sound that came out of his throat was as if it were choked up, and he could not hear it clearly.

He couldn't understand why he would come to save them now, when he had already made the decision to betray them. This question lingered in his mind, leaving him completely baffled.

Just then, Hei Xiazi grabbed Xie Yuchen, who was still in a daze, and hurriedly walked towards a secluded path. Along the way, Hei Xiazi kept muttering, "Traitors often die because of their loyalty..." This sentence echoed in the air like a curse, making Xie Yuchen feel a strange fear.

At this moment, Xie Yuchen was completely at a loss. He didn't know how to deal with what was happening. The only thing he could do now was to keep running after Hei Xiazi. Perhaps only by returning home could he uncover the truth behind this mysterious event.

A light rain suddenly began, pattering softly against the windowsill. The latticed window was half-open, and the last rays of the setting sun lay neatly across the window frame, casting the shadows of the fallen sycamore leaves into the room.

"Still no news from Xiaohua and Heixiazi?" Hua Yu sat quietly on the window railing, his gaze fixed on the fine, continuous drizzle outside. His voice was calm, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

The subordinate standing to the side bowed his head and replied with trepidation, "I'm very sorry, Your Highness! As of now, we still haven't been able to obtain any definite information about Master Hei and the young master."

Upon hearing this answer, Hua Yu's tense expression instantly turned extremely gloomy. He abruptly stood up, forcefully sweeping everything on the coffee table in front of him to the ground. The exquisite teacups and saucers fell with a crisp sound, shattering into countless small pieces, sharp shards flying everywhere, some even landing on his subordinates, but he remained completely oblivious.

"A bunch of useless trash!" Hua Yu roared furiously, her eyes flashing with anger and disappointment.

Faced with Hua Yu's sudden rage, the subordinate trembled with fear and knelt down with a thud, completely ignoring the stinging pain in his knees from the shards of porcelain scattered on the floor. He kowtowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please calm your anger! It's all our fault for being incompetent. Please give us one last chance. This time, we will do everything in our power to find out the whereabouts of the young master and Master Hei!"

Hua Yu stared coldly at the kneeling person before him. After a moment of silence, the corners of his mouth suddenly turned up slightly, revealing an enigmatic smile. He slowly bent down, half-leaning on the coffee table on the daybed, looking directly at the other person with a half-smile, and said softly, "Alright, since that's the case, I'll give you one more chance..."

"Then why are you still kowtowing here! Get back to finding it right now!"

After the subordinates scrambled away from the scene like dogs, another butler, who had taken over Xu's duties, quietly led a group of servants into the room. These servants moved swiftly and efficiently, silently picking up and cleaning up the broken porcelain and tea trays scattered on the floor.

The entire process was unusually quiet, as if no one was speaking, but everyone's heart was filled with tension and unease.

At this moment, Zhang Qiling was sitting upright in a chair behind his desk, his eyes fixed on the front, while his right hand kept turning a string of sandalwood beads that emitted a faint fragrance.

“Ayu, you’ve been easily swayed by people’s emotions lately,” Zhang Qiling said softly, breaking the silence.

Upon hearing Zhang Qiling's words, Hua Yu collapsed weakly onto the daybed beside her, propping her head up with her hand and revealing a very distressed expression. She began to rub her forehead and said, "Brother, I don't know what's wrong with me lately... Lately, I can't control my emotions. I feel like there's a raging fire burning deep inside me, ready to burst out at any moment."

Zhang Qiling frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the mountain of documents in front of him—the papers were covered with dense handwriting, each line and each word clearly indicating that despite their significant investment of manpower and resources, no one had been able to provide even the slightest valuable clue or information in the past month.