flstandardbreds Chapter 2064 Cutting flesh with a soft knife is even more painful!
Chapter 2064 Cutting flesh with a soft knife is even more painful!
Click!
The soft sound of the door hinges turning and closing was amplified infinitely in the deathly silence of the west wing, like a heavy hammer blow striking the heart of everyone in the room.
The light dimmed for a moment as the door closed, then was quickly filled again by the dim, yellow glow of the electric light inside.
Instead of dispelling the oppressive atmosphere, the halo cast a sinister shadow over the various faces in the room.
The air was stagnant, like glue, so thick that it was almost impossible to breathe.
Liu Wenyuan, Hou Wanjin, and Yan Qinghe stood near the entrance, still in the same posture they had adopted when they entered. The smiles on their faces had long since vanished, leaving only surprise, suspicion, solemnity, and a hint of barely concealed anger.
Their gazes swept across the room like searchlights, passing over Zong Wangshan's rugged face, twisted with anger and confusion, over Qian Houjin's disheveled appearance with hunched shoulders, pale face, and evasive eyes, and also over He Shun, the waiter who stood demurely in the corner, his head bowed as if he didn't exist.
Finally, the three of them exchanged complicated glances, each reading the same message from the other's eyes.
Trouble!
Damn it, we got tricked by Li Xiangnan and Song Cijiu!
Five families are now locked up together, and there are countless other ears listening outside. Their every move is controlled by others!
The key point is that this young man is right here in the room, and anything he says or expresses will be clearly transmitted to Li Xiangnan's ears!
Unexpectedly, to my utter surprise, before anything even happened, I had already been taken advantage of by Li Xiangnan as soon as I entered the courtyard!
The most important thing now is to find an opportunity to discuss a solution!
The most crucial thing is to get He Shun out of here!
Liu Wenyuan glanced at Hou Wanjin, who looked straight at Yan Qinghe, waiting for him to make a decision.
Zong Wangshan glared angrily at Qian Houjin, forcing him to make a statement and ask He Shun to leave!
For a moment, no one spoke in the room, but the atmosphere had become extremely tense.
It was Zong Wangshan's eldest son, Zong Chengjia, who was quick-witted. He immediately walked to the tea table, shook the water bottle, and said casually, "Young waiter, please fetch another pot of water so I can refill the tea for you gentlemen!"
He Shun raised his head, glanced at the seven steaming cups of fresh tea on the octagonal table in the center of the room, then shifted his gaze to Zong Chengjia's face, who was staring at him intently. As if just realizing something, he looked at the thermos in Zong Chengjia's hand, nodded, and laughed, "Young Master Zong is right, I'll go get another bottle of water!"
After saying that, he naturally walked over quickly, took the thermos, opened the door, and went out.
He was about to close the door when Zong Chengjia walked over and pressed it shut, smiling and nodding at him, "I'll do it, I'll do it, thank you for your help, young man!"
After He Shun walked away quickly, Zong Chengjia stuck his head out and looked into the courtyard. He saw that Li Xiangnan and Song Cijiu were not there, and no one seemed to be paying attention to the place.
He was not giving up. In his memory, everyone in the Fifth Rank should be under close surveillance at this moment, so he just stuck his head out and looked outside, observing and watching.
Inside the room, the five adults, seeing his wary expression, couldn't help but swallow hard.
Bang!
After watching for a good ten seconds, Zong Chengjia slammed the door shut. He didn't leave; he just stood behind the door, listening intently to the sounds outside.
Seeing his expression, everyone understood his purpose, and Zong Wangshan was the first to break the suffocating silence.
He let out a heavy snort, like a muffled thunderclap, and took a step forward, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Liu Wenyuan. His voice was particularly deep due to suppressed anger: "Damn it, Liu Lao Nian, what's going on with you guys?! Didn't you agree to come on time? Why did you all come together? And you even came with Li Xiangnan and Song Cijiu, just to join in the fun! Are you here to offer your congratulations, or to cooperate with him and be his lackeys?"
He was already seething with anger because he had been "invited" into the house, and he was even more annoyed by Qian Houjin's cowardly behavior. After waiting for a long time without any movement, he was getting restless. When he saw Liu Wenyuan and the other two entering so cooperatively, he became even angrier. He felt that they had insulted the reputation of the Lower Five and believed that the Liu family had ruined things.
Liu Wenyuan's face darkened at Zong Wangshan's blunt and barbed questioning, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, after all, this was not the time for infighting.
He Shun could return at any moment, so he quickly and barely managed to maintain his composure, his voice still deliberately calm, but there was already a chill in his tone.
“Brother Zong, why the rush? We came together for a reason! But Brother Zong and Master Qian…”
His gaze swept over the two men, lingering particularly long on Qian Houjin for a moment, his expression meaningful. "Seems to have arrived earlier... I wonder, did you manage to gain anything?"
His words explained why he had come so early, though he didn't give a specific reason. Instead, he asked a question, directly throwing the blame back at Zong Wangshan and Qian Houjin, especially implying that Qian Houjin might have leaked the news in advance, which led to Li Xiangnan's precautions.
Qian Houjin, already feeling guilty, was startled by Liu Wenyuan's meaningful glance and question. He quickly waved his hands, his voice changing, "Brother Liu... don't misunderstand, we... just arrived a little early, wanting to... soak up some of the festive atmosphere and also investigate a bit more, but... as you can see, we didn't accomplish anything! That kid Li Xiangnan is very shrewd, and Song Cijiu was here the whole time, we didn't find out anything!"
He emphasized the word "us" very heavily, eager to distance himself from the situation.
Hou Wanjin, his belly protruding, had lost his friendly smile. He yawned, trying to ease the tension, but his words were barbed: "Alright, alright, we're all on the same side. Now is not the time to argue about who came first or last! The key is, what exactly does Li Xiangnan want by inviting us all here? And that Song Cijiu, his words just now were like a veiled barb, we have to be careful!"
Yan Qinghe remained silent, only stroking his mustache. His shrewd eyes scanned Zong Wangshan and Qian Houjin's faces like probes, while occasionally glancing outside.
Once the room quieted down and everyone's eyes were on him, he narrowed his eyes and said in a shrill voice, "Li Xiangnan's move is called 'luring the enemy into a trap'! Song Cijiu was holding back because he was afraid we wouldn't dare to step into the trap! Now we're all in the trap, and we'll have to think carefully about how to avoid being stewed!"
His words were blunt and chilling, causing the hearts of everyone in the room to sink.
"Stewed? Holy crap, he dares!" Zong Wangshan's eyes widened, revealing a murderous aura, but his voice was subconsciously lowered. "I don't believe that Li Xiangnan would dare to lay a hand on our five families at his own wedding banquet! There are so many guests watching outside!"
“Brother Zong,” Liu Wenyuan adjusted his glasses, calmly analyzing the situation, his voice lowering as he spoke, “He certainly wouldn’t dare to openly attack us! But being cut with a soft knife is even more painful! He’s gathered us here, and outsiders only know we’re having tea and reminiscing! If he keeps refusing to let us out, or finds some excuse to delay, can we really force our way out? Don’t forget, Song Cijiu is still outside, and the Jiang and Yu families are very likely there too! If we force our way out, we’ll be in the wrong, giving them an excuse to retaliate!”
"What should we do? Are we just going to sit here and wait?" Zong Wangshan scratched his hair in frustration, glaring fiercely at the door as if he wanted to burn it through with his eyes!
"We can't just wait!"
Yan Qinghe said in a sinister tone, his eyes darting towards the window. Seeing that He Shun had not yet returned, he quickly added, "Zhong Wujia will be here in half an hour with the things..."
Seeing that he was about to blurt it out, Qian Houjin's expression changed. He hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and spat, "Brother Yan, shh, walls have ears!"
"..."