Chà Chà Novel

“Stay in the car. I’ll go talk to them.”

Qin Fan unfastened his seat belt and got out.

Hiding inside, Lin Huaiqing was consumed with guilt.

Surely not. Had Qin Feng found out this quickly?

“Young Master Qin, Mr. Qin would like to invite Young Master Lin to his residence for a conversation. We hope you’ll be kind enough to cooperate.”

Although Qin Feng’s private bodyguards spoke politely to Qin Fan, they answered to Qin Feng alone.

“What is my brother trying to do? Isn’t he still looking for Shen Jingyi? What does that have to do with Lin Huaiqing?”

“You should ask Mr. Qin yourself. Please don’t make things difficult for those of us just doing our jobs.”

Their three Range Rovers had blocked the entire road. Fortunately, it was a quiet stretch, or they would certainly have caused a traffic jam.

Seeing how determined the bodyguards were, Qin Fan knew leaving was impossible. He settled for the next best option.

“My brother asked Lin Huaiqing to come over. He didn’t say I couldn’t accompany him. I’ll bring him there myself. Surely that’s acceptable?”

“Young Master Qin, a word of advice: you’d be better off staying out of this. Young Master Lin is involved in Miss Shen’s situation. Mr. Qin is furious. I’m afraid…”

Qin Fan got back into the car and firmly shut the door, then addressed the bodyguard still standing blankly outside.

“Then I have all the more reason to go. Lead the way!”

“Yes, sir!”

The car started again, made a U-turn at the junction ahead, and headed toward Qin Feng’s private villa.

“Hey! Where are you taking me? This isn’t the way to my house.”

From the passenger seat, Lin Huaiqing watched the unfamiliar scenery outside, growing uneasy.

Qin Fan had been frowning throughout, keeping his thoughts to himself. Only when Lin Huaiqing began protesting did he answer calmly:

“We can’t go home yet. My brother wants to see you.”

“What?!”

Alarmed, Lin Huaiqing began anxiously pounding on the car door.

“I’m not going! Let me out!”

“No. Letting you out now would put you in greater danger. Believe me, you don’t want to experience my brother’s methods.”

Qin Fan was unyielding.

Judging by what the bodyguard had said, Lin Huaiqing and Shen Jingyi must have kept something from Qin Feng.

With Shen Jingyi missing for so long, Lin Huaiqing was now the only lead.

Unfortunately, he and Qin Feng were already at odds. If he fell into Qin Feng’s hands, there was no telling what might happen.

With a secret weighing on him, Lin Huaiqing trusted no one named Qin at that moment. He even suspected that Qin Fan had been sent to the airport to catch him.

If he was taken to Qin Feng’s house, would an interrogation under torture be waiting?

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. When Qin Fan refused to relent, Lin Huaiqing even rose from his seat and reached for the steering wheel.

Startled by the sudden movement, Qin Fan hurriedly steadied the car and hit the brakes.

Tires screeched. The car came to a reasonably controlled stop in the left lane.

Qin Fan let out a long breath, only then allowing himself to relax. They had nearly lost control and crashed into the roadside planting strip.

“Have you got a fucking death wish?!”

This time, he was genuinely angry. He had spoiled Lin Huaiqing rotten. The man had actually dared to grab the wheel while he was driving.

One wrong movement could have wrecked the car and killed them both. They would have ended up a pair of ill-fated lovers in the afterlife.

Lin Huaiqing, who had almost caused a disaster, had not expected his small action to be so dangerous. He had only wanted Qin Fan to stop and let him out.

Instead, his forehead had struck the windshield, hurting enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Being scolded so harshly on top of that made him feel wronged.

“Then why wouldn’t you stop? There isn’t a decent person in your whole family!”

Rubbing his forehead with tearful eyes, he opened the door and tried to escape.

But the moment he got out, several burly men in black suits surrounded him.

“Please get back in the car, Young Master Lin.”

Caught off guard, Lin Huaiqing froze.

“Please get back in the car, Young Master Lin.”

With no other choice, he obediently climbed back inside.

Even now, Qin Fan could not resist a sarcastic remark.

“Go on, run. Why have you stopped? You’re only brave with me. The moment someone tougher shows up, you lose your nerve.”

Lin Huaiqing flushed with anger and snapped:

“You’re the one who’s scared! You think having money to hire bodyguards makes you special? One day I’ll hire eight or ten of my own and have them beat you and your brother senseless!”

“Save it. You’d be better off thinking about how you offended my brother. What do you know about Shen Jingyi?”

Lin Huaiqing turned away.

“I don’t know anything.”

“My brother doesn’t act without a reason. If you truly knew nothing, he wouldn’t have come after you. Tell me now, and I can still protect you when it matters. Keep stubbornly denying everything, and even I won’t be able to help.”

Qin Fan understood Lin Huaiqing’s nature very well. His mind was as simple as a child’s; he would not do anything malicious.

But if he had really helped Shen Jingyi escape Qin Feng’s reach, that was a serious matter.

Qin Fan was only saying this to bluff him into talking.

If Lin Huaiqing truly faced danger, how could he possibly stand by and do nothing?

“Hmph! Is your brother the law? However powerful he is, can he put himself above it? Does he dare torture me? Or illegally detain me? What do I have to fear?”

Looking at his naïve expression, Qin Fan sighed.

“You don’t understand. Things are different now. He has ten thousand ways to get back at you without breaking the law.”

“Keep exaggerating! I don’t believe you. Your brother’s a fucking idiot!”

“…”

At Qin Feng’s villa in the eastern suburbs.

Looking deeply reluctant, Lin Huaiqing followed Qin Fan inside.

“Brother…”

“Why are you here?”

Qin Feng stubbed out his cigarette. Smoke hung thickly in the room, giving it the feel of an interrogation chamber.

Throughout the drive, Lin Huaiqing had repeatedly told himself that Qin Feng would not do anything to him. Only that reassurance had given him the courage to face the man.

“I was with Huaiqing. When I heard you wanted to see him, I brought him over myself.”

“Then you can leave. I’d like to speak to Young Master Lin alone.”

Qin Feng stood, startling Lin Huaiqing into retreating half a step behind Qin Fan.

Reassuring himself was one thing. Who wouldn’t be frightened when actually confronted with this menace?

“Brother, what is there between you two that I can’t hear? Is it about Shen Jingyi?”

Qin Fan tried to smooth things over, hoping to keep the situation from escalating.

“I know you like him. Good. Then ask him for me: where the hell has he hidden Shen Jingyi?”

Qin Feng slammed the table, making Lin Huaiqing flinch. Trembling, he answered:

“I… I don’t know! You… you couldn’t keep track of your own wife. How would I know?”

Without warning, Qin Feng flew into a rage. He shoved Qin Fan aside, seized Lin Huaiqing by the throat, and demanded:

“You don’t know?! My people photographed both you and Shen Jingyi at the airport! What excuse do you have now? Where have you hidden her?!”

Lin Huaiqing had never expected him to be so brutal. The choking sensation intensified until the air in his lungs was all but gone.

“Qin Feng! What are you doing?! Let him go!”

Qin Fan tried to intervene, but four bodyguards rushed in from outside and pinned him firmly in place.

Lin Huaiqing’s face was crimson, his veins standing out and his eyes bloodshot. Summoning the last of his strength, he forced out:

“Qin Feng! Do you dare kill me? You don’t! Murder is against the law!”