Chapter 381: Please Don't Talk Nonsense
3:00 PM.
Jiangcheng.
A plane slowly touched down at the airport.
Passenger after passenger disembarked.
Wearing sunglasses and a trench coat, Jin Mingzhu, with her commanding presence, immediately drew countless eyes.
Even the airport staff couldn't help but stare.
Jin Mingzhu raised her hand and hailed a taxi. "Take me to East Jiangcheng, somewhere near the Lin Family estate."
"Miss, near the Lin Family estate... you'd better give me a more specific location."
"No need. When I tell you to stop, you stop!"
The taxi sped off, heading toward the Lin Family's area.
The driver was a talkative man and spent the whole ride discussing the Lin Family. "You know, the Lin Family started out as just one of the four great families of Jiangcheng."
"And they were the weakest one, at that. Who would've thought that in just a few short months, the Lin Family would leap to become the sole major family?"
"The once-prestigious Han Family has long since faded into obscurity. The Lin Family's backing must be incredibly strong!"
Jin Mingzhu smiled but said nothing. 'Of course it's strong,' she thought, 'it was all thanks to Xiao Ye's help back then.'
She had used her few days off to investigate the Lin Family thoroughly.
The Lin Family had been on the verge of collapse. If not for Xiao Ye appearing out of nowhere, they would have been nothing but a memory in Jiangcheng's past.
"Alright, Sir, you can stop here."
Not far from the old Lin Family residence, there happened to be a coffee shop.
Jin Mingzhu noted the nice decor and decided it would be a good place to rest for a while.
After paying the fare, she walked into the coffee shop, found a seat by the window, ordered a coffee, and sat quietly.
Her gaze remained fixed outside the window. She made no move to touch her phone, perfectly capable of enduring the quiet solitude.
Seeing her like this, a man who thought himself handsome assumed she was heartbroken and approached her.
"Miss, you're truly beautiful. If any man can't see that, he must be blind!"
"But I'm different. Not only is my vision perfectly fine, I can clearly see your beauty. Do you think we could..."
"No." Jin Mingzhu was wearing heavy makeup, giving her a look completely opposite to her usual one.
The sharp, dashing aura was gone, replaced by a touch of truly feminine charm.
She stared at the man before her with a smirk. "My eyes are fine."
The man was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed red. "How can you talk to me like that? So rude!"
Once the man had run off, Jin Mingzhu returned to her coffee.
Two days in a row.
A beautiful woman had been visiting the coffee shop.
Word got out, and many people flocked there, wanting to see for themselves what kind of beauty could cause such a stir.
Unfortunately for them, they came up empty-handed.
By this time, Jin Mingzhu had already left the coffee shop and was now at a nearby restaurant.
She sat down and ordered. A moment later, she heard footsteps on the stairs.
Lin Chuyue, wearing a mask, came downstairs, carrying a container of leftovers.
She was now living alone in the old Lin Family residence, and even with a maid there every day, it still felt terribly cold.
That was why she always came to this restaurant—to eat while surrounded by the lively clamor, just to feel like she was still part of the world.
Lin Chuyue spotted Jin Mingzhu immediately. With such an outstanding presence, she was impossible to miss.
'How could she be here?'
Lin Chuyue's steps faltered just as Jin Mingzhu looked over, their eyes meeting.
Jin Mingzhu smiled slightly. "Miss Lin, what a coincidence."
"I doubt this is a coincidence. Miss Jin, you're not from Jiangcheng, are you? How is it you're eating at a restaurant near the Lin Family estate, and it just happens to be the one I frequent?"
"You even chose a seat near the stairs, a spot with a clear view of anyone coming down!"
Jin Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. 'Looks like this Lin Chuyue isn't a complete fool.' "Miss Lin, since fate has brought us together, why don't you join me for a meal?"
If she had gone directly to the Lin Family estate, Xiao Ye would have certainly found out she was here.
That's why she had staked the place out for several days, not only to learn Lin Chuyue's habits but also to determine how many people were protecting her.
Every time Lin Chuyue came to this restaurant, the people protecting her from the shadows would position themselves at the various exits.
Right now, no one knew the two of them were meeting here.
Furthermore, her seat was right at the bottom of the second-floor staircase, next to a load-bearing pillar that completely concealed her figure.
Even if someone were to look in from the main door or the windows, they wouldn't be able to see her at all.
"Miss Lin, I do want to have a serious talk with you. However, I suspected you wouldn't want to talk to me, which is why I didn't approach you at your home without warning."
"Or is it that you're simply unwilling to face your own heart, Miss Lin? Sometimes, running away is useless, don't you think?"
Lin Chuyue was indeed curious about what Jin Mingzhu wanted to say.
She set down her take-out container and sat opposite her. "Miss Jin, if you're just here to tell me to stay away from Xiao Ye, then you've wasted your trip."
"Xiao Ye and I are ancient history. I won't bother him again, so you don't have to worry about this so-called ex-girlfriend... affecting your relationship."
Jin Mingzhu smiled and put down her chopsticks. "Miss Lin, you're mistaken. That's not the only thing I came to say."
"There are some things you don't know, but I do. Namely, Xiao Ye's current situation."
"He might seem to be doing well, the renowned Patriarch of the Xiao Family and all, but that's not the reality. He's facing threats from both within and without."
"I believe Xiao Ye is capable of handling the Xiao Family's internal problems, but the external ones are a different story. And that trouble, it was brought on by you and your sister."
Lin Chuyue's expression turned ugly. "Miss Jin, please don't make such baseless accusations. My sister and I... we're just ordinary people."
Jin Mingzhu's gaze went cold, but she smiled as she retorted, "Really? Then why did your sister disappear? And why did she only reappear after more than twenty years?"
"And why are your parents afraid to show themselves, staying in hiding, not even daring to let you know they're still alive?"
Lin Chuyue's slender fingers clenched into a tight fist. "Jin Mingzhu, you investigated me!"
"That's right, I did. But I didn't investigate you because of Xiao Ye. I did it for myself. I'm the same as Xiao Ye—I can't allow any danger to get close to me."
"Miss Lin, you've brought great trouble to Xiao Ye, so much so that he is in constant danger."
With that, Jin Mingzhu produced her own identification. "See this? I am a special agent of the state. He needs my help. Isn't that proof enough of the problem?"
"I'm not here today as Xiao Ye's woman. I'm telling you, on behalf of the nation, to stop contacting Xiao Ye."
"Your presence will only bring him endless trouble, and even put his life in danger!"
"And if something were to happen to a talent like him, it would be a loss for the entire nation!"