After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety Shows
Chapter 427 - 418: Murderous Intent

Chapter 427: Chapter 418: Murderous Intent

"Heading back tonight?"

Xu Ling’an placed the peeled garlic on the cutting board, then picked up the scallions to peel, hesitating a bit before replying honestly, "Grandfather thought I went shopping with my cousin, but we went our separate ways as soon as we left. If she doesn’t like me, why pretend to be close? It makes everyone uncomfortable."

Gao Lan saw through it, "That’s just to show your grandfather. After we eat, you can nap and then head back. It’s a bit far to your grandfather’s place from here, and it gets dark early now. It’s not safe to be out late."

"Okay. I’ll come pick you up early the day after tomorrow."

Gao Lan’s eyes crinkled into a smile, "You’ll have to wear that outfit you bought for me, right? Grandmother remembers. By then, I’ll be all dressed up to send our An’an off to report!"

Xu Ling’an lingered at home until after four in the afternoon before heading out.

She calculated that it would take an hour and a half by bus to her grandfather’s place from here.

She would definitely make it back before dark.

Even though the payment for her last filming had already been deposited into her bank account, plus the pocket money her grandfather occasionally transferred, she had more than enough even if she wanted to take a cab to the Liangchuan Desert to see her sister.

But she instinctively saved whatever money she could.

The bus was just fine!

The bus stop was right outside the alley. Xu Ling’an bent down to pick up a soda bottle that rolled to her feet and handed it to an elderly woman scavenging nearby, just as she saw the bus she needed approaching slowly.

Just as she was about to rush over, her arm was suddenly grabbed.

"What’s wrong, grandma?"

What met her was the soda bottle she had just picked up.

Now the bottle was uncapped, and a nauseating smell spilled out.

Being a top student nearly acing her science exams, she recognized the liquid with just one whiff.

Incredulously, she looked at the hunched scavenging elderly woman.

Even though she immediately covered her mouth and nose, everything quickly began to blur.

In the instant before losing consciousness, she used all her strength to press the button on the watch strapped to her wrist.

On the corner of the street, inside a nondescript van, Zhang Lingxuan glanced at the motionless Xu Ling’an lying in the backseat with closed eyes. He took the phone from her pocket, turned it off, then snapped the SIM card before tossing the phone into a nearby trash can. He instructed the driver sent by Chen Rui, "Let’s go."

*

The rain drizzled on until around three in the afternoon before finally stopping.

Within half an hour, the sky cleared up completely. The sunlight pierced through the still-dissipating mist, forming a large rainbow.

Stuck inside the tent for almost a day, everyone came out despite the muddiness, taking deep breaths of the fresh post-rain air and eagerly taking pictures of the rare rainbow seen in the city.

"We have signal now! Finally, I can go online and surf!"

Hearing this, Jiang Lingxi took out her phone, unused for two days, and unlocked it.

The signal wasn’t full, but it was enough for minimal internet usage; however, patience was required as the speed was sluggish.

"Xixi, do you want to take a photo with the rainbow as the background? It’d be stunning!"

Lu Zhengzheng called out without receiving an answer, turned to look, and met Jiang Lingxi’s gaze, momentarily forgetting to breathe out of fright.

Jiang Lingxi walked over to pat the pale Lu Zhengzheng on the shoulder, continuing to walk forward, climbing up a gentle slope at the edge of the campsite. Seeing the signal bar increase, she tapped on Shen Yunqing’s icon and made a call.

As soon as the call connected, she spoke directly, "Yunqing, listen to me. I’m sending you a software download permission, along with my account and password. Log in, and you’ll see An’an’s current location. I need you to find her as quickly as possible!"

Just as she finished speaking, a stern voice came through the receiver, "Alright."

Having done all this, Jiang Lingxi looked up at the sky and slowly exhaled.

That girl, Xu Ling’an, is soft-hearted, thinking people can’t be all that bad.

But she was different; she never spared malicious thoughts towards others.

Judging by the behavior of the Zhang family during the recognition banquet, and the room that old Mr. Zhang personally arranged for his granddaughter, shown by An’an.

Even she couldn’t be sure what irrational actions the jealous and dissatisfied Zhang family might take.

But she also couldn’t keep someone by her side for protection all the time, so she devised other ways to prevent what she could.

For Xu Ling’an’s graduation gift, she secretly gave her a watch. But it wasn’t just a simple watch.

In danger, as long as the side button was pressed, even if the watch was thrown into water or burned, the chip inside would still send a signal, allowing her to find its location.

She never expected such a day would come, but...

Thinking of the situation Xu Ling’an must have been in to press the button, Jiang Lingxi couldn’t control the murderous aura emanating from her for the first time.

Lu Zhengzheng, who had trailed closely behind, dared not take another step past five meters away upon sensing the danger. Changning, also aware something was amiss, followed, noticing the imposing figure standing not far ahead and couldn’t help but rub the goosebumps on her arms.

Such a heavy murderous aura—does Xixi really need protection?

*

Xiyuan.

Shen Yunqing suddenly stood up, startling the nearby Xiazhi, who was adding incense to the burner.

"Sir?"

"Notify Shen Wei."

Xiazhi was momentarily stunned; the aura around him transformed into one of deadly determination, "Yes."

After making the call, he looked up at Shen Yunqing, who had stepped out of the bedroom momentarily, and couldn’t restrain his surprise, "Sir, you’re going too?"

"Yes, prepare the car."

"But your health..."

Even Shen Wei was alerted for the second time.

The first was because something happened to the master’s wife.

This time, who was it for?

But upon seeing Shen Yunqing’s current expression, Xiazhi chose to swallow his words.

The traffic was silent, flowing like a river.

*

As dinnertime approached, Zhang Nachuan called his granddaughter first.

No answer, and then it was turned off.

He then remembered his granddaughter was with the big granddaughter and called a different number.

This time it connected.

"Grandfather."

"I just called An’an, and her phone was off. What’s going on?"

Zhang Lingxuan tugged her lips into a smile—a call was first made to his beloved granddaughter, huh!

"Probably ran out of battery. An’an is with me, Grandfather, no need to worry. We’ll have dinner outside and come back."

"Alright then, don’t stay out too late. Tomorrow, I plan to take An’an to the apartment to see if anything needs adding; school starts the day after."

"Got it, Grandfather, I’ll hang up now."

Watching Zhang Lingxuan put down her phone, Chen Rui spoke, "Looks like your old man really treasures that long-lost granddaughter."

Zhang Lingxuan let out a light snort, "More than treasures. He’s practically giving away his lifetime’s fortune. I just don’t get it. Back then, Aunt was stubborn, eloping with some poor guy. If you ask me, she asked for it. Why should an outsider be more cherished than me, his own granddaughter? Wouldn’t you be upset?"

Chen Rui chuckled and shook his head, "Whatever I want must be mine."

"Exactly."

Chen Cheng didn’t join their discussion and quietly walked over to Xu Ling’an, curled up motionless on the opposite couch with her eyes closed, crouching down, "Wasn’t she supposed to have grown up in the slums? Such delicate skin, easy to bully!"

"I heard she was born prematurely. I suspect it was because she was born on the run. Be careful, or I’ll have trouble explaining it to the old man." Zhang Lingxuan reminded.

She only planned to use this to stir up the old man, not to break him outright.

"Understood," Chen Cheng smiled, "I wouldn’t dare go overboard with Mr. Zhang’s beloved granddaughter. I have my own plans, thinking to use this to become the granddaughter-in-law!"

"Alright, I’m off." Zhang Lingxuan said, standing up, "Remember, we didn’t meet today, and I have no idea how cousin ended up in Master Chen’s room just from going to the bathroom."

Chen Cheng chuckled, "It’s just fate that I encountered a moment of truth with an ex-girlfriend, isn’t this serendipity!"

As she reached for the door, Zhang Lingxuan was halted.

"Wait, what’s on this girl’s wrist?"

Just as Chen Cheng reached to remove the odd-looking watch, Xu Ling’an, who had been biding her time while curled on the couch, couldn’t resist anymore, gritting her teeth as she shoved the couch over, standing in a flash and grabbing a steak knife from the dining table, holding it to her neck.

"Don’t come any closer!"

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