They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

“Ning Ruoyu is amazing, but I’m not.” Xiao Qiu shook her head. “These are common sense for ordinary people, and I know that, meow.”

"Eh?"

"For example, last time I asked Ning Ruoyu about the laptop my grandpa bought me, which was showing a memory shortage warning. I saw that the C drive was full, and I felt it must have a lot of junk files. So I deleted some of them, and then the computer wouldn't turn on..."

"Hmm, I don't know much about computers either, but I don't think you can delete from the C drive, right?" Chu Qingya wasn't really an expert on electronic products either, but she felt that Qiu Luxi's approach was somewhat problematic.

"Probably. Anyway, when I called Ning Ruoyu, he sighed for a long time." Qiu Luxi muttered unhappily, "He asked me why I deleted the computer's main program instead of just deleting the junk files."

"Is the C drive that important?" Jin Shuheng, who had installed software for her in college, had told her not to download things to the C drive, but Chu Qingya didn't actually know why.

“Ning Ruoyu said it was like she felt her mind was a mess, so she opened her head and threw away her brain.” Qiu Luxi tried hard to recall. “She even mocked me, saying that when a computer wakes up, it finds that all it has left is ‘electricity,’ and its brain has been deleted.”

"puff."

Even though it was just a retelling, Chu Qingya could still imagine Ning Ruoyu's helpless expression and tone at the time, and couldn't help but laugh.

"It's so interesting when you're with Ning Ruoyu."

When Qiu Luxi first started working at my shop, she was aloof and unapproachable. She would only respond when I talked to her about work; otherwise, she would always slip away early, leaving Xiao Zhang, who really wanted to pet the "cat," repeatedly disappointed.

Who would have thought that the unapproachable "little kitten" of the past would now talk about someone as if she had endless things to say?

“Because he is my fireworks.” Qiu Luxi said matter-of-factly. It was a very cheesy sentence, but the girl did not feel embarrassed at all, as if she was stating a very ordinary fact. “He promised Grandpa that he would take good care of me, so he would raise me. Therefore, we will definitely get married and have babies in the future.”

"Eh?"

This statement made Chu Qingya, who was more sensible, blush deeply.

"This...you're so sure...Could it be that you two have already...?"

"Well, I already know."

What Qiu Luxi meant here was that, thanks to the explanation given by the senior members of the club that day, she only vaguely understood that having a baby wasn't as simple as just sticking together. But these words struck Chu Qingya like a thunderbolt.

"They already...they already know?!"

Chu Qingya was stunned.

"No, no, you're still kids, aren't you? This is all happening way too fast!" Chu Qingya fanned her cheeks with her hand, trying to calm herself down. "Isn't it too early to be underage?! And if this is the case, am I and Guyin, ugh, my Guyin already so far behind..."

"?"

Qiu Luxi didn't understand why the landlady was reacting so strongly. She was just a cat.

"Shall we take the alley?"

That's how cats are. While ordinary people are simply picking up on topics and continuing the conversation, cats immediately shift their attention when they see something interesting, so they consider things much more deeply.

"Huh? What? Oh, we've gotten this far?"

...Chu Qingya looked at the alley, a somewhat hesitant expression on her face.

She still feels a bit scared about this place.

Actually, if she were to move things, she would most likely ask Ning Ruoyu, who is male, for help. But on the one hand, she noticed the people at the front desk chatting happily, and on the other hand, Chu Qingya didn't want that child to have anything to do with this alley anymore.

The fleeing robber's vicious look as he turned back was something Chu Qingya had relived in her nightmares several times.

"For now, it's best to avoid alleyways..."

As she said this, she suddenly felt someone approaching from behind.

Immediately afterwards, something sharp seemed to press against his waist.

"!"

"Chu Qingya, right? Don't shout or resist. Follow me slowly inside."

A low, cold voice with a strange accent sounded in her ear.

"And that brat over there, tell her to come along!"

Chu Qingya took a deep breath and said to Qiu Luxi beside her.

"Xiao Qiu, I suddenly remembered I forgot my pickup slip at the store. Could you please go back and get it for me? I'll wait for you here."

The sharp object at her waist was pierced even deeper, and Chu Qingya could even vaguely feel its cold touch on her skin.

"Are you looking for death?! Make her stay!"

Qiu Luxi glanced at Chu Qingya with some confusion, but after a brief exchange of glances, she seemed to quickly understand something.

Cats are just radio waves; cats aren't stupid.

"...I'll be back soon, wait for me."

Qiu Luxi said this and cautiously stepped back.

During this time, she learned a lot of self-defense techniques, and the most important one was that if given the chance, running away is always wiser than confronting someone head-on.

Rather than causing more trouble, she needs to spread the word about what's happening here quickly.

Chu Qingya breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt a sharp pain as if her flesh had been cut open in her waist.

"You son of a bitch!..."

The man behind her with the strange accent was probably really provoked, and he reached out and slapped Chu Qingya across the face.

"You bastard, didn't you hear what I said?!"

He grabbed Chu Qingya's long hair and pulled her back. Chu Qingya, in pain, tilted her head back slightly, revealing five clear finger marks on her face.

"Never mind, let her go."

Meanwhile, the man who tried to grab Qiu Luxi was stopped by a cold shout. From somewhere in the alley, a man wearing a mask emerged.

“That’s Miss Qiu, not someone who can be taken hostage so easily.”

"And he's a public figure, which will hinder our operations here."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qiu Luxi dashed out like a nimble cat, quickly becoming too far to catch up with.

"...Judging from the little girl's appearance, she must have gone to find someone to help her."

The man behind Chu Qingya pushed her head away roughly, looking somewhat displeased.

"It's all that bastard's fault. Damn it, can I sleep with her later? Easy girl."

"Who can we find? In this country that has been at peace for too long."

The masked man said with a sneer.

“Bear with it, now is not the time. We need to get this lady somewhere else. It’s too late to find someone she can rely on here, whether it’s calling the police or asking for help.”

"...Who exactly are you people?"

Chu Qingya felt the burning sensation on her cheeks and the dripping blood on her waist, trying to calm the pain and quiet her racing heart.

"You don't have to know."

"If I don't know, how can I be sure you haven't kidnapped the wrong person?" Even in this situation, Chu Qingya remained calm. "I'm just a coffee shop manager. I don't think I could possibly be involved in your affairs, right?"

"Haha, you're too modest."

The man wearing a mask seemed to be smiling, but he exuded a terrifying pressure.

“Personally speaking, winning the Chopin International Piano Competition is already remarkable enough in the music field. Not to mention you come from the Chu family, a musical family.” Every word the masked man said weighed heavily on Chu Qingya’s heart.

"In a musical family in Jiuhua Kingdom, I think one must have some extraordinary background."

"...The investigation was indeed very thorough."

Chu Qingya said with a cold laugh.

"Since you know so much, are you perhaps here to settle scores with me from your family? That can't be right, aren't I a child who has already been 'abandoned'?"

“We don’t really care about your personal story and family background. But you’re right about one thing—we don’t want to get involved with ordinary store managers, no matter how capable they are or how complicated their background is.”

"So I'm sorry, this 'invitation' to you is mainly for..."

"—Gold Tooth Uncle, right?"

A voice, tinged with laughter but utterly devoid of warmth, interrupted the masked man's words.

"Ah, perhaps you call him by his full name, Jin Shuheng?"

Immediately afterward, while everyone was still in shock, a low groan suddenly came from the man behind Chu Qingya.

The sharp object that had been pressed against Chu Qingya's waist disappeared, and now it was stuck in the abdomen of the man behind her.

"What business is it of yours what other people say? You're distracted even with a knife in your hand?"

The young man who appeared beside Chu Qingya said disdainfully.

"Just because you're a woman, you let your guard down. Is it really that hard to maintain wrist strength? You're not only easy, you're also pretty ugly."

"...You, you are..."

"Don't chat with me in broken Jiuhua language. It's annoying to listen to."

The boy kicked the man, who already had an abdominal injury, to the ground and then kicked him aside.

"...Xiao, Xiao Ning?"

"No way, Miss Chu Qingya, we agreed to use your name. Calling me by my name makes me feel like I've gone from a chivalrous hero to a waiter!"

The gloomy demeanor that had been cold and dark just moments before transformed into one of helplessness and doting affection when speaking to Chu Qingya. Despite being a high school student, he seemed more reliable than any adult in Chu Qingya's presence at that moment.

"You rest for a bit, we'll go to the hospital for a check-up together later. Don't worry, I know this way well this time."

[Next chapter preview: "...When exactly did you find us?"]

"But it's a real shame. Where is that thing you said you couldn't afford to offend?"

So, you're also a member of the anti-Ning organization from Linwai High School?

—He was joking, right?!

Chu Qingya's words immediately gave me a headache.

Chapter 109: That's right, I am the King of the Silver Night! (Embarrassing)

what a pity.

Looking at the surprised masked man in front of me, I sighed.

I'm a gloomy and timid person. Even when buying or selling intelligence from neutral entities like intelligence brokers, I'm always wary of leaks and betrayals, so I kept an eye on him for days. How could I possibly entrust someone like Uncle Gold Tooth, whom I still can't completely trust, with my whole life?

No matter how much we talk or how well we speak, people in the gray industry are still gray. We both probably know that. I can trust his feelings for Chu Qingya, but I won't gamble everything on it.

That's exactly why they discovered the group's whereabouts.

"...When exactly did you find us?"

"Well, it wasn't very early, it was around the time when you guys were spying on Uncle Gold Tooth in the alley."

I said with a smile, and walked over to the person lying on the ground, stomped on his still struggling hand, and then picked up the dagger.

"That won't do. Making small movements while others are speaking is very disrespectful."

Seeing the man let out a wail, I clicked my tongue.

When I turned the dagger, I avoided hitting his vitals, so I reckon he should be able to survive until he gets help. But if he keeps acting up and bleeding out faster, then I can't say for sure.

For his sake, should we knock him out?

"Isn't that what it was all about at the beginning?"

Ignoring his companion, the masked man spoke through gritted teeth.

"Is this how you define 'beginning'? In my opinion, shouldn't 'beginning' be calculated from when you started planting things over there?"

"Even at that time..." Before he could finish his sentence, the masked man's expression changed immediately.

"Are you trying to trick me into telling me something?"

"How can you say that? I was just having a friendly conversation with you."

Their reaction convinced me that what I found at Lucheng University was inextricably linked to them.

After all, Jin Shuheng has offended quite a few threatening people and forces over the years. I'm not sure what those guys were after back then wanted.

"...We admit defeat this time," the masked man said through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.

"Although you won, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business—judging from your appearance, you're at least on par with that Jin Shuheng, right? At such a young age, you have such a status; you should understand not to mess with those you can't afford to offend, shouldn't you?"