Hidden Assassin 168

The night descended upon the Dongfang family’s sprawling mansion, nestled amidst the rolling hills. The grand house glowed with a dazzling array of lights, a testament to the bustling activity within. It wasn’t the illumination that drew the attention, but the influx of distinguished guests.

Word had spread of a major investment proposal, bringing together shareholders and executives from several of China’s most prominent corporations to the city of Jiang Hai. These companies, boasting even greater clout and influence than the Dongfang family, commanded significant respect in the financial world. Names like Lei Xiao Yuan of the thunderous Lei Ming Group and Fang Zhi Tian of Tang Dynasty Industries were synonymous with power and prestige, capable of sending tremors through the nation’s financial landscape with a single footstep. To welcome these titans of industry, Dongfang Ling Hai, father of Dongfang Lu and Dongfang Wan, along with a retinue of company executives, had rushed back, eager to extend their warmest hospitality.

However, witnessing Chen Gu Xia, their school teacher, mingling with this elite gathering, Dongfang Wan couldn’t help but surmise that these individuals were likely part of the enigmatic organization known as Yan Huang Jue Xing, perhaps even holding positions of greater authority than the Dongfang family. This realization, however, did little to mitigate her annoyance towards the persistent and seemingly oblivious Lei family’s second son, who continued to flit about her like a lovesick puppy.

The greater good… she disliked both the phrase and the sentiment.

She’d rather spend time with her cousin, Dongfang Ruo, even though she wasn’t particularly fond of the delicate girl. At least she was more bearable than this self-absorbed, narcissistic fellow who was always striking a pose. Sadly, Dongfang Ruo, as fragile as she was, had become fatigued after their afternoon outing and was now resting in her room under the doctor’s orders. Without any other young people to keep her company, leaving would be seen as rude.

” … If you have some free time, you could come visit us. I have a collection of over two hundred top-of-the-line model airplanes, cars, and speedboats, including over a hundred high-fidelity limited-edition models. If you’re interested in them, feel free to pick any you like, they’re all yours as a gift…”

” Wow…” Dongfang Wan’s eyes widened, her gaze gleaming with desire as she nodded eagerly. ” What if I like them all? Would you give me all of them?”

” Uh, well, of course… no problem. After all, we both love models, so it’s only natural to share…”

Share my foot. I’ll drag every one of those models back to my house if you don’t, or my name’s not Dongfang Wan… She rolled her eyes internally, struggling to understand why a family as historically esteemed as the Leis would produce such a nouveau riche son. Since the afternoon, when she’d brought back a broken model helicopter, this guy had been relentlessly bombarding her with model talk. Heaven knew how much she detested them.

Her mind wandered as she surveyed the room, her gaze settling on the middle-aged man who was now the center of everyone’s attention – Lei Xiao Yuan. Despite his imposing stature, he emanated a refinement that far surpassed his seemingly handsome companion, leaving her to wonder if they truly were the father and son everyone claimed. As for the even more formidable Fang Zhi Tian, he had paid a visit to Huang Bing Xiang at the Huang family earlier that afternoon. The remaining guests, while undoubtedly distinguished, paled in comparison to the Dongfang family and were not considered priority targets for her attention.

As her eyes swept across the crowd, she caught a glimpse of her brother’s playful gaze, which seemed to detect her aversion to the brash young man named Lei Qing. As a scion of a prestigious family like the Dongfangs, she was expected to involve herself in the family business and prove her worth. She had no right to complain about the people she was obliged to entertain. If her beauty was a weapon she was equipped with, then she was expected to wield it effectively. However, the exchange of glances was quickly followed by Dongfang Lu approaching her, as if he had a plan to rescue her from this predicament.

” What’s wrong? Sis, is your head hurting again?”

” Uh… yeah, yeah, yeah… a little…” Dongfang Wan’s heart soared at the sound of her brother’s voice, and she readily agreed with his statement.

” Ha, I knew you wouldn’t be able to handle the alcohol. You insisted on toasting Lei Uncle tonight, but I knew you’d pay the price. Head back to your room, take some headache medicine, and get some sleep. Lei Shi Xiong, I’ll take you on a tour…”

” Ah… does Xiao Wan… get headaches when she drinks?”

” Yeah, it’s a little problem, nothing serious. Don’t worry about it. Come, Lei Shi Xiong, let me show you a good place…”

Thank you, big brother, you’ve saved me…

You’re welcome.

Exchanging a knowing look, Dongfang Wan offered a quick apology and slipped away from the scene, quickly departing through the hallway. As she passed the stationed guards and bodyguards, she couldn’t help but give them a few extra glances. Officially considered private security, these men were said to be elite warriors who surpassed even the most skilled spies in their prowess. Their formidable presence spoke volumes of their professionalism…

The word “prowess” triggered a memory, and Dongfang Wan recalled the two Neapolitan Mastiffs that had once fixed their menacing gaze upon her, Xu Yi Ting, and Jia Ming. The three of them had somehow managed to scare off those ferocious beasts with nothing but their stares. Thinking back, she found it utterly unbelievable. Unconsciously dismissing a certain possibility, she shook her head and decided to put the incident out of her mind. Her priority was to get back to her room, dismantle the helicopter, and then use her superior skills to repair it, proving that the idiot Gu Jia Ming was incapable of achieving what she could. Of course, comparing herself to an idiot seemed rather pathetic, but could she really consider him a genius…?

Turning onto the stairs leading to the second floor, she noticed the guest room where her cousin Dongfang Ruo was staying. A quick glance revealed that the room was dark, indicating that she was already asleep. It had been a real scare when she’d left the girl in the infirmary under the care of Teacher Li, only to discover, moments later, that Li had disappeared, leaving Dongfang Ruo behind. She’d frantically searched the school, only to be reunited with her cousin by that same idiotic Gu Jia Ming. Their subsequent conversation had left her with an uneasy feeling. She had a sense that this fragile girl was perhaps overly fond of Gu Jia Ming. And Gu Jia Ming, for his part, didn’t exhibit the same obnoxious behavior towards her that he usually did. Could it be that Gu Jia Ming had a thing for this delicate type?

Cut it out, you’re losing your mind, thinking about this stuff… She stood for a moment at the door, rolled her eyes, and sprinted off down the hallway.

…

…

The glass door to the balcony opened, letting in a cool breeze. As she stepped outside, she could sense the guards below turning around, their expressions watchful.

She’d been frail since childhood, and she’d pushed herself to the limit today, enjoying herself immensely but ultimately succumbing to exhaustion. She’d intended to go straight to bed after taking her medicine, but she couldn’t resist the allure of the night air. The mountain winds on E Mei Shan were far more refreshing, and she was accustomed to them, but the opportunities to travel were rare, and she was eager to savor the feeling of being in the world.

However, her body, even more delicate than Lin Daiyu’s, began to tire after a few moments on the balcony. Shortly after returning to her room, her phone rang. She reached over and picked up the receiver.

” Hello?”

” Hello, Ruo, I heard you had a tiring day. Are you already in bed?”

” Just getting ready to sleep. Don’t worry, Uncle Fang, I’m feeling fine.”

” Haha, I know you were eager to come out and have some fun, but you shouldn’t push yourself. That wild child Dongfang Wan, I’m worried she might have worn you out. Anyway, they said you saw that boy?”

” Yes, I did. Gu Jia Ming.”

” What do you think of him?”

” I tried to look closely several times. He doesn’t seem to have any signs of extraordinary spiritual energy. Of course, I’ve never actually seen what ‘natural evolution’ looks like, so I’m not entirely sure…”

” If you think he’s not… then he probably isn’t.” After a slight pause, the voice on the other end continued, ” I’m sorry, Ruo, bringing you down here just for this…”

” No problem, Uncle Fang. Like you said, I wanted to come down and see the world. Remember me next time something like this comes up.”

” Hehe, it’s getting late. You’re not feeling well, Ruo, go to sleep… I have some things to take care of too. Good night.”

” Good night, Uncle Fang.”

A moment later, the call ended. Dongfang Ruo took a deep breath, stood up, and performed a few gentle stretches of her广播体操(broadcast gymnastics), extending her arms, expanding her chest, and twisting her torso. Then, she walked to the other side of the bed, fumbled with the sheets, and sat on the edge, kicking off her slippers. Just as she was about to pull her legs up onto the bed, she froze, her lifeless eyes staring straight ahead.

The feeling in front of her was… a growing vortex…

An all-consuming death…

In the real world, the muzzle of a handgun hovered just twenty centimeters from her forehead.

So, you are a power user, after all. Have you felt it…?

No one knew how this person had gotten in. The room’s closed-circuit television cameras were still functioning, but the monitor room wasn’t displaying any live footage. If anyone could see what was happening in the room, they might be captivated by the scene. Sitting on the sofa against the wall, dressed in fashionable black, Jian Su Yan lounged languidly, her right leg resting on her left knee, her left hand supporting her slightly tilted chin, her right hand extended forward. The silenced muzzle of the gun was pointed directly at Dongfang Ruo’s forehead.

Standing in front of her, the girl in the white nightgown remained motionless, her small fists clenched tightly in her lap. Her wide, vacant eyes and stiff expression revealed her fear.

The air in the room thickened, the gun barrel unwavering in the air. Dongfang Ruo, frozen in fear, dared not make the slightest move. The shadow of death, so sudden and terrifying, had descended upon her for the first time in her life, and she couldn’t even summon the courage to test her power, lest she provoke an unbearable retaliation. Observing the girl’s pale, fearful face, Jian Su Yan, disguised as Jia Ming, furrowed her brows, lost in thought.

Time ticked by, second by agonizing second…

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