"Grandpa, I...I have something to tell you," Fu Ying said in a low voice when she saw Fu Tianlai's increasingly urgent expression.
Fu Tianlai was taken aback. He glanced at his granddaughter, unsure of her meaning, but nodded nonetheless. He then gestured to Prince Tuluk and pulled Fu Ying to a corner of the hall, quietly asking, "Yingying, what do you want to say?"
Fu Ying glanced at Zhou Xuan, who was supporting Wei Xiaoyu in the distance. She knew that although they were so far apart, ordinary people wouldn't be able to hear her whispering, but they couldn't stop Zhou Xuan. With his superpower, not only could she not eavesdrop on conversations, but she and everyone else in the hall were under Zhou Xuan's control.
Fu Ying, intelligent and perceptive, though deeply saddened, did not hesitate at this critical moment. She whispered to Fu Tian, "Grandpa, I suspect Zhou Xuan has truly lost his memory. It's possible that something happened during the time he ran away from home after our marriage, causing him to lose his previous memories. So he doesn't remember our past. And Wei Xiaoyu somehow found Zhou Xuan and deceived him. I don't know what kind of lie she used, but Zhou Xuan clearly believed it. Grandpa... I... I'm so heartbroken."
As Fu Ying spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. It wasn't an act; she had deliberately said those things for Zhou Xuan to hear, but they were the truth. Fu Ying explained the whole story in great detail, which was better than trying to find a way to whisper to Zhou Xuan, because Zhou Xuan might not believe her. Besides, with Wei Xiaoyu around, she wouldn't have the opportunity to be alone with Zhou Xuan.
Indeed, that was the case. Although Zhou Xuan didn't agree to speak with Fu Tianlai alone, he overheard every word of the private conversation between Fu Ying and Fu Tianlai, grandfather and grandson.
It's clear that Fu Ying isn't lying. If she didn't know his secret, she wouldn't know he had such a powerful ability. And if she didn't know he had such an ability, no one would imagine that he could clearly overhear whispers from such a distance. Based on this logic, Fu Ying's words are worth considering.
However… Zhou Xuan looked down at Wei Xiaoyu, whom he was helping to sit down. Could this pale-faced, pitiful beauty be lying to him? Logically speaking, she was a rare and exceptional woman, with both looks and status that were top-notch. What was she lying to him about? Was she lying to him about being with her? And that she was pregnant and had a child for him?
Would any girl in the world be so foolish as to do such a thing? The only explanation is that she truly loves him and is willing to give everything for him. Otherwise, given his looks and status, why would she be worth so much from him?
Zhou Xuan frowned, regretting that he shouldn't have eavesdropped on Fu Ying's words. Now he felt extremely uncomfortable because he was experiencing occasional heartache, so severe that it was almost unbearable. He wondered if this inexplicable pain was caused by any girl other than Wei Xiaoyu.
Could it be Fu Ying?
Zhou Xuan angrily reached out and pulled at his hair a few times. When he thought too deeply, his head would hurt, but he just couldn't remember anything.
Wei Xiaoyu sensed that something was wrong with Zhou Xuan. Although she was worried and scared, she still looked up at him and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"... She paused and then said, "If you're not feeling well, then let's go back first. Prince Tuluk came to attend the banquet and arrived here safely. There are no security issues, so it's fine for us to leave."
Zhou Xuan gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Okay, let's go back first. I don't want to stay here either; it's a bit stuffy."
Wei Xiaoyu was overjoyed, and her spirits immediately lifted considerably. She quickly said to Yi Xin, "Miss Yi, could you translate for His Highness the Prince? I'm not feeling well, and since His Highness is safe and sound here, Zhou Xuan and I will head back to the hotel first."
Yi Xin nodded and whispered Wei Xiaoyu's words to Prince Tuluk. Tuluk wasn't blind; he could see that Wei Xiaoyu's expression was frightening. Although he was somewhat unhappy with Fu Tianlai's behavior today—he had clearly come for Zhou Xuan, which was indeed strange—Tuluk was quite happy that Wei Xiaoyu was unwell and wanted to take Zhou Xuan away.
Once Zhou Xuan leaves, he should be able to immediately seize the initiative. Regardless of Fu Tianlai's true intentions, even if he came for Zhou Xuan's sake, he still needs to start with him. He can then take the opportunity to propose some business terms. He doesn't intend to be demanding; in business, a shrewd old fox like Fu Tianlai can easily tell what's profitable and what's not. Anything that benefits him shouldn't be difficult. He has the location and the resources, while Fu Tianlai has the capital and the technology. It requires cooperation from both sides.
It was because of this confidence that Prince Tuluk was certain that Fu Tianlai had come to him today to discuss business, and the current situation was indeed something he had never imagined.
Now that Fu Ying had Yi Xin mention it, Tuluk immediately agreed, saying repeatedly, "Okay, okay, if you're not feeling well, you should go to the hospital for a check-up. You can't be careless. Here's what we'll do: you go back to the hospital for a check-up first, and I'll check on things when I get back tonight. If necessary, I'll arrange for you to go to the best hospital for treatment right away."
Wei Xiaoyu was overjoyed. She desperately wanted to leave this place, as far away from Fu Tianlai and Fu Ying as possible. This situation made her feel suffocated, scared, and worried.
Volume 1, Chapter 500: The Butcher Returns (First Buds)
Chapter 500 The Butcher Reappears
Fu Ying knew Zhou Xuan had the ability to hear her, but she wasn't sure if he would eavesdrop. Now that Wei Xiaoyu was leaving, Fu Ying suddenly became anxious.
But what could she say? Even if she did, Zhou Xuan wouldn't listen to her at this moment. Although Fu Ying had lost part of her memory, she still understood Zhou Xuan's personality very well. Zhou Xuan was a soft-hearted person, and what Fu Ying trusted most about Zhou Xuan was his feelings for her. She also knew that Zhou Xuan had feelings for the Wei sisters, and it could even be said that there were elements of affection involved. However, Zhou Xuan would never abandon her to be with the Wei sisters. As for why Zhou Xuan would do such a thing now, there was really no other explanation besides that he had really lost his memory due to an accident.
Watching Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan leave together, Fu Tianlai's eyebrows twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately held back. Tuluk, however, stepped forward and pulled Fu Tianlai aside, laughing and talking. Yi Xin translated along, chattering away, trying to discuss investment matters with Fu Tianlai. Fu Tianlai didn't hear a word, his eyes fixed on the spot where Zhou Xuan had left.
Fu Ying was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned around and chased after him. None of the scenes she had prepared for today were followed, leaving her feeling disappointed and helpless.
After leaving the massive castle-like building, Zhou Xuan and Wei Xiaoyu took a taxi back to the hotel. Their status was not comparable to that of Prince Tuluk, so they could not enter and exit with the same meticulously planned routes and numerous bodyguards as Prince Tuluk. Safety was their top priority.
Wei Xiaoyu was an elite soldier, an all-rounder. Not only was she outstanding in combat, but she was also excellent in other aspects. She and Zhou Xuan had only gone two hundred meters in the taxi when she noticed that there were vehicles following them.
Zhou Xuan noticed that Wei Xiaoyu's eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror on the car. Looking over, he saw that there was indeed a car closely following their car. He immediately used his special ability to detect it. The two cars were less than 200 meters apart, and it was not difficult to detect them after the special ability was condensed into a beam.
The car following them was indeed real, and the driver was the woman named Fu Ying. As Zhou Xuan used his special ability to detect her, he couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart while staring at Fu Ying.
Because Fu Ying was driving and crying at the same time, her expression was so painful, helpless, and desperate, like a pear blossom in the rain, and she kept saying, "Zhou Xuan, don't leave me, don't leave me..."
When Zhou Xuan detected this situation, he felt truly heartbroken. This feeling of pain was just like the occasional heart palpitations he experienced. Although he didn't know the reason, he would feel this kind of agonizing pain. Could it be because of this woman named Fu Ying?
Zhou Xuan was actually in a dilemma. On the one hand, he wanted to regain his memories and desperately wanted to know his past experiences, what kind of person he was, and what he had done. On the other hand, he was extremely afraid that regaining his memories would cause great harm to Wei Xiaoyu, and this possibility was becoming more and more likely.
From what he overheard Fu Ying's words, and now from the expression he detected in the car, all of this made Zhou Xuan extremely anxious. The more he thought about it, the more his head ached, and the more he believed what Fu Ying said. But ultimately, he had no memory of being with Fu Ying, and the deep affection that arose from being together was ultimately absent, so he couldn't muster any feelings of attachment to her.
But because Zhou Xuan was a person of deep affection and loyalty, upon sensing Fu Ying's heartbroken state, his mind began to ache again. A faint image seemed to surface, but he couldn't grasp it no matter how hard he tried.
Zhou Xuan sighed inwardly. At this critical moment, he could only make one choice, and he still chose Wei Xiaoyu. No matter what he had done in the past or how much debt he owed to Fu Ying, he could not abandon Wei Xiaoyu now.
As Zhou Xuan swung his concentrated power to the side, just as he was about to stop Fu Ying's car so she couldn't catch up with his, his power suddenly detected two strange cars in front of Fu Ying, closer to his own.
Zhou Xuan was startled, then examined the area more carefully and confirmed it.
What's strange about these two cars isn't the cars themselves—the cars are quite ordinary. What's strange is the people inside. When Zhou Xuan used his special ability to detect them, he couldn't discern their original shapes; instead, they appeared as humanoid white, misty shadows.
Upon detecting the image of this shape, Zhou Xuan was immediately taken aback.
He was familiar with this misty, shadowy shape. Back in Morogo, the assassin who attacked Prince Tuluk had this form. Zhou Xuan was certain that these two white, misty figures were definitely related to the assassin who killed Prince Tuluk, or at least from the same lineage. Since he couldn't detect them with his abilities, it meant there were only two possibilities: either they possessed superpowers, or they might not have superpowers but had superpowered energy injected by other superpowered individuals, or they possessed a superpowered artifact, such as the Nine Dragon Cauldron, the Nine Star Pearl, or something similar.
If the people in these two cars are connected to the assassin from before, then things are in trouble. Zhou Xuan is almost certain that these two people are here to deal with him, because the assassin from before was also killed by him. Although it wasn't directly, Zhou Xuan used modified bullets to kill him indirectly, but in the end, he can still be considered to have died at Zhou Xuan's hands.
Since such a mysterious and terrifying assassin organization could be found and tracked, Zhou Xuan was naturally not surprised. They did not hide their identities, so it was not surprising that they could be found. However, the fact that Zhou Xuan and others used superpowered bullets was very secretive and outsiders did not know about it. Moreover, superpowered bullets do not leave any trace after being fired, so even if the other party wanted to investigate, it would not be easy to find out.
But Zhou Xuan was certain of one thing: the other side had sent assassins to kill Prince Tuluk, but the mission had obviously failed, and their men were dead. Regardless of whether they could find out the truth, they were certain that Prince Tuluk was involved. The most direct way to do this was to follow Prince Tuluk.
In fact, that's exactly what they did. However, Zhou Xuan was one of Tuluk's guards, and now that he was alone, they could capture him and find out everything. They had never doubted their abilities. This assassination attempt on the Tuluk prince was their first failure, and the first thing that surprised them. In their view, killing Zhou Xuan was a minor matter; finding out how their man, Ar, died was the real issue.
Their assassin not only failed to complete the mission, but also lost his life. For the mysterious "Butcher," this was an utter disgrace. He had never failed before, and this failure was a huge blow. How could they possibly tolerate it?
The Butcher's first failure will definitely impact their business. Countless clients will flock to them because of the Butcher's skill and mystery—it's their trademark. The Butcher, who never had a failure record, will now be a flawed one. Just think about it: the price of a perfectly intact antique is vastly different from that of an antique with a chip.
Therefore, when the Butcher Organization learned of the assassin's death, it dispatched its elite forces to investigate the cause. However, they could not find any truly useful clues and could only start with the target, Tuluk. To investigate Tuluk, they had to eliminate his bodyguards first.
Normally, Tuluk's guards always stayed by his side. After the assassins tracked him to London, Tuluk and his group stayed in the hotel for several days before venturing out. Tu Shou wouldn't act unless he was absolutely certain of success. While waiting, he saw Zhou Xuan and Wei Xiaoyu leave first, which Tu Shou saw as an excellent opportunity. He planned to capture Zhou Xuan and Wei Xiaoyu and interrogate them. Normally, they only accepted killing missions and never kidnapped anyone. This was the first time they had done something like this.
Zhou Xuan was naturally not expecting such a thing to happen. He had never heard of the Butcher Organization before and was unaware of its extraordinary status in the assassin world, so he naturally had no fear.