Chapter 186: Seeking Refuge—Who Is the Real Mastermind?

The faintly mocking tone left Bian Changxi momentarily stunned.

She’d always known Qiu Feng harbored some hostility toward her—or rather, a deep wariness. But this man was always so good at hiding his emotions; it was rare for him to speak in such a veiled, insinuating way, with a warning so clear in his eyes.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d done something wrong again.

But, no, she didn’t think so. She could be a bit troublesome, sure, but her intentions were never bad—certainly not enough to warrant Qiu Feng acting as if he had such a big problem with her.

While she was still puzzling over it, Milk climbed onto her shoulder, baring its teeth at Qiu Feng, body low and the fur on its neck bristling.

Qiu Feng glanced at the little creature. Aside from Gu Xu and Bian Changxi, no one—including himself—really understood what this white beast was, or whose pet it actually was.

But that didn’t stop everyone from knowing that this animal was agile and intelligent, far surpassing even the best military dogs. Its greatest trait and advantage was its human-like intelligence, and Gu Xu was already planning to train it further.

Was this just a case of loving the house and its crow? With that thought, Qiu Feng’s gaze softened. “You’d better head back. If you’re gone too long, Ah Xu will start to worry.”

Bian Changxi found his sudden change odd, but she didn’t really care what Qiu Feng thought of her. The only person whose opinion mattered to her was Gu Xu.

She nodded, patted Milk to calm it down, exchanged a nod with Chen Guanqing, and turned to leave. Lin He followed her out. Outside, Zhao An’an opened the car door, and once everyone was inside, they quickly drove off into the night.

Qiu Feng watched the car disappear into the darkness, his eyes clouded with a cold gloom.

Thinking back to the letter he’d just received, Gu Xu had only shaken his head and smiled wryly: “She sure has a lot of ideas.” He hadn’t thought much more of it, only said that if they could win Chen Guanqing over, he might prove very useful in the future. But Qiu Feng felt that even if Chen Guanqing turned out to be utterly useless and a huge troublemaker, Gu Xu would still take responsibility for him—just because Bian Changxi asked.

Gu Xu’s indulgence toward Bian Changxi was almost limitless, willing to do anything for her without complaint. This immediately put Qiu Feng on alert; the thing he’d feared most might be happening after all.

Ever since Gu Xu brought Bian Changxi back to the base, Qiu Feng had worried about what kind of influence this girl might have on Gu Xu.

He didn’t actually have any personal animosity toward Bian Changxi—she’d saved Shadow, and that alone earned her the respect of all five of them. She was capable, too, so even if Gu Xu got involved with her, Qiu Feng didn’t mind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have arranged for her to stay on the third floor. If some things were inevitable, he didn’t see the need to interfere.

Even Bian Changxi’s mysterious, hard-to-read side could be overlooked. After all, he’d observed her for a long time and found that everything she brought to the group so far had been positive. She might be a bit troublesome, but the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.

He’d let down half his guard. Watching the two of them, their relationship hadn’t progressed as smoothly as he’d imagined, but that was their private business. He didn’t worry about Bian Changxi’s attitude and kept a respectful distance, only offering a few words when she seemed too withdrawn.

When Bian Changxi gently rejected Gu Xu, Qiu Feng realized this wealthy heiress with a rough fate was actually someone who valued old ties—a first for him to truly respect her character. In a world where life and death could change in a day and decay and depravity were everywhere, whether or not her approach was wise, her perseverance and resolve were admirable.

For the first time, he felt a kind of sympathy. No matter what, it wasn’t easy for a girl to make her way alone. So he’d shown her some genuine warmth.

But that changed today.

First there was her ambitious plan to get rich, then the business with Chen Guanqing. She was undoubtedly bringing them great benefits, but Gu Xu’s willingness to accept everything without question was unsettling. It made Qiu Feng wonder: if this became a habit, would there come a day when Gu Xu would obey Bian Changxi’s every wish, right or wrong, just to please her?

Compared to that kind of crisis, everything else seemed trivial.

Of course, Bian Changxi had no idea about Qiu Feng’s deep sense of unease. When she got back, she found Gu Xu in a perfectly normal mood. He even asked her a few questions about Chen Guanqing and Chu Hao, showing no sign of displeasure, and talked to her about possible future arrangements for Chen Guanqing.

That was when she learned that Ge Jianhua’s only son, who’d been bitten by a zombie, was still alive—or rather, “locked up.” Gu Xu explained, “Ge Jianhua, being a loving father, couldn’t bear to let his son become a mindless zombie, so he tried to shoot him, but missed the vital spot. The zombie is still intact. After Ge Jianhua collapsed, no one dared deal with the zombie, so they just locked it up for now.” Gu Xu’s voice drifted through the night outside the warehouse. “That’s why Zhu Yiming is so eager to start zombie research.”

He wanted to save Ge Han.

But as Bian Changxi expected, Gu Xu didn’t want to get involved in this matter.

“Chen Guanqing’s exposure came at a very sensitive time. If Zhuge Yunma starts investigating, I might not be able to handle it alone. I’ve already arranged to meet Zhu Yiming.”

Bian Changxi’s eyes widened. Was it really that complicated?

She thought back to Commander Zhuge, who always used checks and balances and preferred steady progress. She hesitated, “Would Zhuge Yunma really make such a big deal over Chen Guanqing?” Besides, the situation was already under control at the time. Even if the news couldn’t be kept secret for long, surely it could be hidden for a while?

Gu Xu shook his head. “Don’t you think all of this is a bit too coincidental?”

Ge Jianhua’s son was set up and turned into a zombie—clearly someone was targeting the Ge faction.

Zhuge Yunma immediately started zombie research, presumably to curry favor with or win over Ge Jianhua.

This would inevitably involve Bian Changxi and Shadow, dragging Gu Xu into the mess. If he sent people, it would never end and the future would be uncertain. If he refused, he’d almost certainly offend Ge Jianhua.

Then, Chen Guanqing—who was somewhat connected to Bian Changxi—had his secret of controlling zombies exposed. Judging by the timing, it seemed like Gu Xu was refusing to take the bait, but because Bian Changxi had saved Ge Jianhua, she and the Ge faction were now at odds, and this was another card played against them.

Bian Changxi was dizzy from all the twists and turns. “So, was this whole thing aimed at you or at Ge Jianhua? Who’s behind it all?”

Gu Xu reached out to close the warehouse door, which held the weapons they’d need for operations tomorrow. The lower-grade ones would be auctioned off for resources, while the better ones would be kept to arm a decent-sized team.

As he watched the door slowly close, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. “Maybe it’s Zhuge Yunma himself, maybe Xu Chang, or maybe someone else using them as pawns. On the surface, it looks like they want to drive a wedge between me and Ge Jianhua—ideally, have us both suffer. But have you considered that you might be a target, too?”

Bian Changxi thought about it. Indeed, she was just a small player caught in the chaos—one wrong move and she could be blown to pieces.

Gu Xu glanced at the dimly lit villa next door. “I’ve already got someone watching Sun Buqun. It probably wasn’t him. The most suspicious is still Wen Mingli—I’ve sent Qiu Yun to investigate.”

Bian Changxi finally started to understand a bit of Qiu Feng’s mix of impatience and restraint. Looking at the whole situation, she might just be a side character, but from Gu Xu’s attitude, it seemed like he was putting her affairs at the very top of his list.

She felt a little undeserving of that.

Just as she was about to speak, Zhu Yiming arrived. Gu Xu took him to the study to explain the situation, but before Zhu Yiming could get excited, Qiu Feng returned with Chen Guanqing.

So, everyone got to see the legendary controlled zombie.

It was a female zombie, with short hair cut to her ears, a stiff, bluish face, rigid and sluggish limbs, and a shriveled body that looked like it had been hung on a wall and battered by strong winds for days.

But when she saw people, she didn’t go berserk and attack. Her pupil-less eyes moved slightly, showing a natural hunger for food, and she let out a low, restless growl. She turned her head and called out to Chen Guanqing a few times. Though her face was still ferocious, her manner was almost like a child begging for food.

Chen Guanqing’s tense face softened as if touched by a spring breeze. He quickly soothed her, “Xiao Ai, hang in there. These people aren’t good to eat. I’ll get you some tasty meat soon, okay?”

He spoke to her like a child, and strangely enough, the zombie Xiao Ai seemed to understand. Under Chen Guanqing’s touch, as black energy flowed from his hand, she gradually calmed down. But when she looked at Gu Xu and the others, her expression was still fierce, baring her fangs and looking uneasy.

This was the first time Bian Changxi had seen Xiao Ai since entering the base, and she was shocked. She remembered how violent and destructive Xiao Ai had been when first captured—a human-shaped wrecking machine. Back then, Chen Guanqing had to use all his concentration just to keep her under control. Now, she could actually understand words and even showed emotions similar to intelligent beings.

It was a qualitative leap.

Gu Xu, Qiu Feng, and Zhu Yiming were even more astonished. Zhu Yiming couldn’t help but blurt out, “What else can this zombie do? Will she obey all your commands?”

Chen Guanqing’s eyes turned cold. “Don’t call Xiao Ai a zombie!”

Zhu Yiming was almost startled.

Because of his mutated ability, Chen Guanqing had always had to deal with zombies. His whole demeanor was cold and a bit chilling. Normally, he could keep it in check, but now, troubled by the crisis and anxious for Xiao Ai’s safety, his nerves were taut, like a wild beast ready to fight for its life.

He looked at Bian Changxi. “Miss Bian, I may have no bargaining power and nowhere else to go, but the reason I came here is mostly because I trust you.” The unspoken message: Don’t betray that trust.

Honestly, his words were extremely blunt, but that was just how Chen Guanqing was. Whenever it came to Xiao Ai, he couldn’t stay calm. Bian Changxi had long since stopped taking offense. Besides, his fiery temper was understandable given the circumstances. Composure comes from confidence and strength—when even your most important thing is at risk, who can really stay calm and graceful?

Still, she felt Chen Guanqing was being a bit too harsh. He was here to seek protection—if he ran into someone petty, even if things went smoothly for now, the other party could always find ways to get back at him later, and then he’d really be in trouble.

Thanks to the seventh-ranked Peace Talisman!

Thanks to “I Love Ling Yang” for the pink ticket!

Thanks to Ai Feng C for the pink ticket!

Thanks to Ning Zhi Hai for the pink ticket!

Thanks to Luo Jia’s Yueyue for two pink tickets!

Thanks to Little Witch 0106 for the pink ticket!

Thanks to Book Friend 090511195005124 for the pink ticket! l3l4"