Chapter 86: You Want to Chase?
"If you have something to say, just say it. You don't have to beat around the bush with me!" Zhou Fan shot a kick his way, looking at Han Huan with annoyance.
"Mr. Zhou, I was wondering if you know anything about the background of the Chu Family's Fifth Miss—the Chu Qianqian we just saw?" Han Huan rubbed his nose. 'This feeling of getting kicked by Zhou Fan at the slightest disagreement... why do I... like it so much?'
"What background? All I know is that Chu Qianqian is the daughter of Chu Tianxiang's best friend and that he adopted her over twenty years ago." Zhou Fan, slightly taken aback, shared the little he knew.
"I heard this from the fake Chu Peiyang. I haven't confirmed the details yet because I never expected you to have any connection to the Zhou Family, Mr. Zhou," Han Huan said in a low voice, glancing toward the door. "According to the fake Chu Peiyang, Chu Tianxiang and Chu Qianqian's father weren't the so-called 'best friends' people think they were. Or, they used to be, but one incident turned them from friends into enemies."
"When they were young, Chu Qianqian's biological father and Chu Tianxiang both fell for the same girl. But she only had eyes for Chu Qianqian's father. They eventually fell in love, married, and had a daughter—Chu Qianqian. Then, when Chu Qianqian was eleven or twelve, a major conflict erupted between the two men for some reason. Chu Tianxiang hired people to kill Chu Qianqian's parents."
Han Huan spoke in a low voice, his expression complex as he watched Zhou Fan. He wasn't sure if he should have shared this information at all.
"What was Chu Qianqian's father's name? I'll have someone look into it and see if it's true. If it is, things are going to get tricky." Zhou Fan hadn't expected such a melodramatic twist. 'To think the man who raised her for over twenty years could actually be the one who murdered her parents—her sworn enemy!'
"Chu Qing. He was from Jiang Province. That's all I know," Han Huan said.
Zhou Fan nodded and led Han Huan back inside.
With Chu Tianxiang having survived a great calamity and the fake Chu Peiyang and Song Qing having been exposed, the Chu Family had every reason to celebrate. Yet Chu Yan and Chu Wen sat off to the side, silent.
Zhou Fan went up to Chu Tianxiang to tell him he was taking Han Huan with him. The old man didn't object, so Zhou Fan left with Han Huan in tow.
"You can work here from now on. Do the same thing you were doing before. Qian Rong and the others are here too." After arriving at Divan, Zhou Fan introduced Han Huan to Chen Yao.
"Is there something else?" Seeing that Zhou Fan was still lingering, Chen Yao's brows shot up in irritation as she glared at him.
"Nope, nothing. Do you need something?" Zhou Fan was baffled. 'I haven't done anything to provoke her today, have I? Why is she giving me that look?'
"If you've got nothing else, then get going. Don't interrupt our work!" Chen Yao shooed him away impatiently, her casual, utterly disgusted gaze making it seem like she was chasing off a fly.
"Come on, Little Yaoyao, it's after working hours! You can't exploit your employees like this!"
"Who's in charge here, you or me? If I recall correctly, didn't you say you wouldn't meddle with things here? That you were giving me full authority to handle it?" Chen Yao's brow furrowed. She snatched a watermelon knife out of Qian Rong's hands and glared menacingly at Zhou Fan.
"Crap!"
Speechless, Zhou Fan had no choice but to turn and beat a hasty retreat.
"What are you all looking at? Get back to training! If I don't see results within half a month, I'll chop every last one of you!" Chen Yao, now like a complete tyrant, swept her gaze over the room before barking at Qian Rong and the others. She then turned to Han Huan. "You, come with me. Start by telling me what you're capable of."
"Brother-in-law, this is bad! The fake couple, someone broke them out!"
The moment Zhou Fan returned to the Chu residence, he found the household in chaos once again. Chu Wen rushed over, his face etched with anxiety.
"When?" Zhou Fan asked, discreetly glancing over at Chu Qianqian. 'This woman works fast,' he thought. 'And she's putting on a good act of being clueless.'
"Just now. The men from Wolf Fang came to take them away, only to find they were gone," Chu Qianqian chimed in, stepping forward and feigning complete ignorance.
"Their accomplices must have broken them out," Zhou Fan sighed. "What does Wolf Fang have to say?"
"There isn't much to say. The lock was broken crudely and unprofessionally. The guards were knocked unconscious without putting up a fight. It was likely an expert proficient in the Martial Dao but ignorant of lock-picking. It could have even been more than one person."
Fan approached with Xiaojiu, his hands in white gloves, looking every bit the professional.
"Can you determine their escape route?" Zhou Fan asked, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
"Due north. If this was pre-planned, they're likely almost out of Nanjiang City by now. You want to give chase?" Fan frowned slightly, looking at Zhou Fan in confusion. 'Zhou Fan isn't the type to make such a rookie mistake. Could he really not have anticipated they might send someone to break them out?'