Chapter 134: The Big Boss

The weather today was exceptionally fine.

The morning mist dissipated quickly, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, its intensity making it impossible to keep one's eyes open. Lin Xi walked at the very back, forced to keep her head down. Fortunately, Qin Yu was holding her hand.

The cemetery covered a considerable area, and Lin Chen’s plot was quite a distance away. It took the group four or five minutes just to walk from the entrance. Everyone was dressed in black by unspoken agreement; the only touch of color was the bouquet of flowers in Lin Xi’s arms.

By the time she stepped onto the final stair, a thin layer of sweat had formed on Lin Xi’s forehead.

Zhou Jingheng, leading the way, said softly to those behind him, "We're here."

At the end of this row lay Lin Chen’s resting place.

Before Lin Xi could speak, Qin Yu had already released her hand. She looked up, facing the blinding sun to see his face. The man’s expression was unreadable; he turned slightly, placed a hand on her back, and gave her a gentle, steady push forward.

"Go on," he said, letting her go first.

Lin Xi understood what he meant. The others—her second brother and the rest—did not move, simply standing to the side and watching her silently. This time, Lin Xi did not lower her head. She clutched the flowers tightly and walked past the three of them.

Footsteps sounded behind her; they were following.

Lin Xi had visited not long ago. Perhaps for that reason, or perhaps because she had company this time, she didn't feel quite as tense. Still, when she crouched down and saw Lin Chen’s name, her eyes couldn't help but sting.

She laid the flowers down and whispered Lin Chen’s name. The surroundings were silent, save for the wind brushing past the woods and whistling by her ears. Lin Xi chose to believe it was Lin Chen responding to her.

From dawn until sunset, the group finally prepared to leave. When Lin Xi stood up, her legs were stiff. Qin Yu was quick to notice and caught her, steadying her.

Once she had regained her footing, Qin Yu said, "We’ll go ahead."

It took a moment for Lin Xi to realize that the "we" he referred to wasn't him and her—it was the three men. Qin Yu was cold on the outside but warm within; though he seemed indifferent to everything, he was, in fact, the most thoughtful of them all. He had deliberately carved out space to let Lin Xi have a moment alone with Lin Chen.

The three men walked ahead but did not go far, stopping where they would be within her sight as soon as she descended. Zhou Jingheng’s gaze flickered toward Qin Yu, as if he had something to say. After a few seconds, he gestured for Qin Yu to follow. "Come here for a moment."

Qin Yu glanced at him, their eyes meeting, and he gave a short nod.

Cheng Si and Bai Xu were left standing there, staring at each other. After watching the two men walk away for a while, Cheng Si nudged Bai Xu’s shoulder and whispered, "Why don't you follow them and eavesdrop?"

"Such a low-class thing to do; why don't you go?" Bai Xu didn't move.

Cheng Si retorted, "Isn't this the kind of thing you love doing? I'm just giving you a chance to show off your skills."

"..." Bai Xu sneered. "Right. And if I get caught, it won't be you taking the beating."

Neither Cheng Si nor Bai Xu were easy targets, but the difference was that Cheng Si usually just ran his mouth, while Bai Xu was a man of action who was as ruthless as he was talkative. Curiosity piqued, they still didn't actually go to eavesdrop, but that couldn't stop them from running their mouths. If they couldn't hear the truth, guessing wasn't against the law.

"It’s probably about Lin Xi."

"If it were about Lin Xi, why would they hide it from us?" Cheng Si questioned.

His logic held some weight, but Bai Xu’s mind raced, and he quickly hit upon a realization. Clearly, Cheng Si caught on, too. The two exchanged a silent look, confirming their shared conclusion.

Cheng Si frowned. "How did Second Brother find out?"

Bai Xu replied, "The way the two of them look at each other is practically dripping with tension. Do you really think it’s hard to notice?"

"Damn, I thought Second Brother would figure it out eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon. They’ve only been back for a couple of days."

"You really think Second Brother is a pushover?" Among them, while Second Brother appeared the most approachable, he was by no means lacking in guile. Thinking back, he had dealt with international affairs; his thinking was sharp and his observations keen. He probably had seen it for a long time and was just being considerate of the parties involved by not pointing it out.

When they were younger, their elders always said it was fortunate that Second Brother was pure-hearted and upright. Had he not chosen the path of politics, he would have easily made a name for himself in any other field. If he had ever turned to the dark side, well, most people wouldn't stand a chance against him. He was the true "Big Boss."

Within this generation of the compound, the two most calculating minds were Zhou Jingheng and Qin Yu. Of course, Cheng Si and Bai Xu weren't simple, but compared to those two, they were far outclassed. Cheng Si was a chatterbox who couldn't keep secrets, and Bai Xu was too young to care about hiding anything.

"True," Cheng Si clicked his tongue. "Do you think Second Brother is also interested in Lin Xi?"

Bai Xu smiled faintly and didn't take the bait. Cheng Si observed his expression and said no more.

"Are you two... just talking for the sake of hearing yourselves talk?"

"Holy—!" Lin Xi’s voice suddenly rang out from behind them, startling an expletive out of Cheng Si. Bai Xu remained slightly more composed, though he was clearly shaken as well.

Both men dropped their casual demeanor and turned around in unison. "When did you get here?"

Lin Xi had appeared behind them, looking at them with a speechless expression. "Right when you said, 'Do you think Second Brother is interested in me?'"

Cheng Si and Bai Xu were silent.

"No, that’s not it. We were just spouting nonsense, just chatting," Cheng Si said with a sycophantic smile. "Why didn't you make any noise when you came out?"

Lin Xi replied understandingly, "I saw you were both so engrossed in your conversation, I didn't have the heart to interrupt."

"..."

Staring at them for a few seconds, Lin Xi crossed her arms and offered a flat assessment: "Gossipmongers."

Cheng Si choked, unable to defend himself. "Anyway, are you done? Shall we head out?"

"Aren't we waiting for Second Brother and the others?"

"No, no, let’s go sit in the car and rest." Cheng Si pulled her toward the exit, and Lin Xi did not refuse. Bai Xu remained behind to wait for Qin Yu and the others.

—

In the car, Lin Xi sat in the passenger seat, adjusted the backrest, and reclined slightly. Now that it was just the two of them, Cheng Si could not escape an interrogation.

"I really don't know. Second Brother called Third Brother away, and he didn't say why."

Lin Xi turned her head to look at him silently. Her face was written over with the word "unbelievable." Cheng Si had long since lost all credibility in her eyes.

"It’s the truth! If you don't believe me, ask Bai Xu later. We were just as curious; if we weren't afraid of Third Brother, we would have followed them to listen."

"But..."

"But what?" Lin Xi asked.

"But we guessed it probably has something to do with you and Third Brother."