After tea, Huang Peiyu told his young apprentice to accompany Miss Chahua back to Whale Fall City.
Since Bai Shuang had no offspring yet, the apprentice's life was not in immediate danger. Sending him to wander around Whale Fall might just help him rewrite fate and claim the city for himself.
Before they left, the old cop gave his student a heartfelt warning:
"Remember your identity—don't go knocking anyone up during an investigation."
Zhuang Mo, too pure to grasp the deeper implication, happily trotted off with Chahua back to Whale Fall.
Once they arrived, Zhuang made a beeline to find his darling Bai Shuang.
Chahua, however, headed straight for the heart of the city. A few things Huang Peiyu had said earlier sparked some old suspicions.
She entered the side hall and found Wu Qiong lounging on a vine-woven chair, eyes closed in repose. He looked like a tranquil deity, untouched by worldly dust.
Chahua tiptoed closer and leaned in. Sure enough, the two red marks on Wu Qiong's neck were unmistakably love bites.
Such marks couldn't have been self-inflicted—they had to be the work of someone else.
Yet she had already reviewed the surveillance footage. No one had entered Wu Qiong's room that night. He came in with a spotless neck, but emerged the next morning with two suspicious red blotches.
Days had passed, and the marks had faded somewhat, but Chahua could still tell what they were.
Still unsure of herself, she leaned even closer, trying to examine every detail.
She extended a delicate finger toward Wu Qiong's neck.
But in that instant, a large hand snatched her little finger!
Chahua gasped in shock—but too late. Her finger was trapped in Wu Qiong's grip, unmovable.
Wu Qiong cracked open one eye, staring at her with curiosity.
Having lived for centuries, Wu Qiong was no stranger to the feelings Chahua harbored. But never had he imagined she would be the one who sneaked into his room that night and took such...liberties.
"Daoist Master, you're hurting me!" Chahua nearly burst into tears. "Let go!"
All she wanted was to figure out the origin of those kiss marks. Now she looked like the culprit—and she'd been caught red-handed.
Mortifying. The most embarrassing moment of her life—until the next one arrived just seconds later.
Hand in hand, Bai Shuang and Zhuang Mo skipped into the side hall, looking for Wu Qiong. They entered just in time to hear Chahua's outburst and witness their tug-of-war in full view.
"Dad?!" Bai Shuang froze, eyes wide. "Y-you...!"
Startled, Wu Qiong immediately let go.
Chahua snatched back her finger, scrambled to her feet, and bolted out of the room, face aflame.
Only then did Wu Qiong come to his senses. Even if Chahua had crossed a line, he shouldn't have handled her so roughly. And now he'd humiliated the poor girl in front of others—how could she show her face in Whale Fall again?
Bai Shuang hadn't seen everything, but she pieced together enough to draw some conclusions.
"Sister Chahua has served you for years. The least you could do is make her your wife."
"Shuang'er, you've got it all wrong!" Wu Qiong broke into a cold sweat. "It's not what it looks like!"
Bai Shuang nodded thoughtfully.
"I think Sister Chahua's a great person. I'm sure you'll grow to love her too."
Her tone was sweet, but Wu Qiong nearly fell off his chair.
Luckily, the vine chair had armrests. Clinging to them, he barely kept his balance.
Bai Shuang's words might sound innocent to others, but Wu Qiong heard the real message behind them—layered deep within the atmosphere.
When she said "Dad," she wasn't referring to Wu Qiong—but to Lord Bai, who'd died twenty-five years ago.
A devilish smile flickered across Bai Shuang's face, so subtle only Wu Qiong noticed. Then it vanished, and she became her usual bubbly self again.
"Brother Xiaohei," she said to Zhuang Mo, tugging his arm, "Daddy's busy tonight. Why don't we go eat at the Golden Silver Pavilion?"
Once the room cleared out, Wu Qiong finally exhaled.
Bai Shuang was the most powerful heir in the Bai bloodline. If not for his occasional sneak attacks catching her off-guard, he'd never be able to suppress the dark force embedded in her DNA.
That's why the late Lord Bai had hidden her away. Her darkness couldn't be contained by ordinary people.
A terrible thought suddenly struck Wu Qiong:
Could the president of the Duma Society have been killed... by Bai Shuang?
And then an even more terrifying realization hit him:
Chahua might be in danger.
Wu Qiong sprang up and ran out the door, chasing after the direction Chahua had fled.
Midnight
By midnight, Wu Qiong returned to his quarters utterly exhausted.
He dimmed the lights to night mode, and the ceiling transformed into a vast starlit sky.
Whale Fall was a complicated place. Four or five meetings a day, layers of strategy and planning—all of it piled on him.
And now these matters of love and lust were becoming unbearable.
Other people got to be fathers for a few decades. He had to be a father for centuries.
And not once did his "children" make life easy.
Too tired to shower, change, or even care, Wu Qiong collapsed onto the sofa. Sloppily, he closed his eyes, ready for some half-hearted sleep.
"Uncle Qiong."
A soft voice whispered in his ear.
Wu Qiong opened his eyes groggily—and saw a young Lord Bai kneeling beside him.
"Qingqing!" Wu Qiong threw his arms around Bai Qing like a puppy reunited with its owner. "Everyone else came to visit me—you're the only one who didn't. I thought you stopped loving me!"
"Of course not." Bai Qing sat beside him, voice gentle. "It's my fault—I didn't raise Shuang'er properly. I've caused you so much trouble."
At the mention of Bai Shuang, Wu Qiong tensed up.
"Qingqing, something's not right with her. Could she be connected to Chairman Chang's death?"
"No," Bai Qing said, smoothing down Wu Qiong's hair. "It wasn't her."
"How do you know?" Wu Qiong stared at him, incredulous.
"I can see things you can't," Bai Qing replied. "So trust me—Shuang'er had nothing to do with it."
Wu Qiong's eyes lit up.
"Then you know who did it! Tell me—who killed him?"
Bai Qing smiled again.
"The heavens cannot be betrayed. But with your forensic skills, once you see the autopsy report, you'll figure it out."
Wu Qiong's mind was oddly clear. He was certain—this was no illusion. This was Bai Qing's ghost, come to visit him at last.
So the rumors of spirits returning weren't nonsense.
Tonight, it was finally Qingqing's turn.
Overwhelmed with joy, Wu Qiong hugged Bai Qing tightly. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time.
His baby was back from the dead! What father wouldn't be thrilled?
"Since you're here, Qingqing," Wu Qiong murmured, "why don't you stay the night?"