Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Wu Xiaojiu’s sight went completely black. Now, not only was returning home out of the question-if he did go back, he would surely scare his parents and sister to death.

“Speak. Why so quiet all of a sudden? You were quite eloquent just a moment ago.”

The man’s voice was laced with amusement, a teasing edge to it as he pressed the sharpest tip of the wine glass right into the hollow under Wu Xiaojiu’s chin.

Wu Xiaojiu squeezed his eyes shut. He thought, whatever. I can’t see my own face anyway. If you slash it bloody, the only ones who’ll be freaked out are random passersby.

But because he wasn’t afraid, his mind cleared and he caught onto something. That male voice did sound somewhat familiar. Wu Xiaojiu’s eyes, which he had kept shut, suddenly snapped open. He blurted out that name without thinking.

“Can it be that you are Qi Jiao?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the private room fell briefly silent. The pressure on his body let up a fraction before slamming down again abruptly. The glass bottle dug into the hollow of his chin, gouging a deep, bloody gash.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before. How do you know my name?”
“Did my brother send you, or my father? Out with it, honestly. You should realize that right now you’re nothing but a paparazzo, and whether you live or die is up to me.”

“No way, you really are Qi Jiao! I’m Wu Xiaojiu. What are you doing in a place like this? Get off me, hurry, you’re crushing me to death!”

He hadn’t expected the person to actually be an acquaintance. Wu Xiaojiu breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he was furious that Qi Jiao could have strayed so far! Coming to a dangerous place like Eastern Europe was one thing-you have business here-but the real problem is you visiting a club like this. You’re twisted, totally twisted!

He thrashed his legs, struggling back and forth, but the person on top of him didn’t let up his strength one bit.

“You say you’re Wu Xiaojiu? I think you’re truly insane, daring to use a dead man’s name.”

“What dead man’s name? I, Wu Xiaojiu, never change my name, sit or stand. I’ve just had a little bit of a change in circumstances. Stop spreading false rumors and let me go!”

Wu Xiaojiu squirmed and shouted wildly. Once he knew that the big boss pinning him down was a friend, he became a lot more reckless. His whole body wriggled like a worm, his limbs flailing completely without restraint, until finally Qi Jiao found it impossible to keep him still. He had no choice but to gradually loosen his grip, letting Wu Xiaojiu plop onto the floor.

Now sitting on the floor of the club, Wu Xiaojiu finally felt truly alive. He touched his neck, where blood was still trickling out in a steady stream, and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground.

“Bring me some gauze. It hurts like hell.”

Qi Jiao stared at him, wavering, until Wu Xiaojiu gave him a kick. Only then did Qi Jiao purse his lips and reluctantly go to fetch it.

The sight of Qi Jiao’s attitude made Wu Xiaojiu’s blood boil. He remained on the floor, gulped down some mineral water, rinsed the metallic taste from his mouth, and then questioned, “Have you lost your mind? First you come to a place like this, and on top of everything else, you go around saying I’m dead.”

“Don’t get cocky just because I gave you an inch. I know best whether Wu Xiaojiu is dead or not. Besides, his ID is still in China. How could he have gotten all the way to Eastern Europe?”

Qi Jiao shot him a glare and, with a wave of his hand, dismissed everyone else from the room.

“Now, tell me the truth, honestly. Did you get plastic surgery? And who gave you my personal information and the name Wu Xiaojiu-was it my father or that illegitimate beast of his?”

Wu Xiaojiu shook his head firmly. “Then let me ask you first: why do you keep insisting that Wu Xiaojiu is dead?”

Qi Jiao fixed him with a heavy stare for several seconds, forcibly suppressing his urge to strike. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. “Haven’t you done your research? A few days ago, while helping a detective crack a major case in this city, Wu Xiaojiu was slit across the throat by a thug and his body dumped into the sea.”

“And don’t give me that crap about crossing the ocean to see me. I know perfectly well how far Asia is from Eastern Europe, and I know perfectly well whether he could have survived.”
Qi Jiao seemed calm as he recounted the story, but in truth, each word was excruciating, each sentence felt like his heart was bleeding.
He had already forgotten how he endured the days after Wu Xiaojiu’s accident.
He only remembered searching that stretch of sea for nine days.
But he found nothing; there was no trace of Wu Xiaojiu’s remains.
Whenever these memories surfaced, Qi Jiao couldn’t stand the sight of the person before him.
Yet, facing that face, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything drastic. Qi Jiao wanted to send him away.
But before he could speak.
There was a knock at the door.
“President Qi, it’s time to leave for your flight. You have a dinner engagement with the Old Madam of the Wu Family. If you don’t go now, you won’t make the 7:05 departure.”
“I know. Get ready now.”
Qi Jiao composed his expression, shed his wine-soaked suit jacket to reveal only a pure white shirt.
He twisted the children’s watch on his wrist, stood up, and headed for the door.
“Wait, take me with you. But hold on-Old Madam of the Wu Family? My maternal grandmother? Didn’t she pass away years ago?”
Hearing it was connected to the Wu Family.
Wu Xiaojiu had every reason to go. He hugged Qi Jiao’s thigh tightly, stubbornly insisting on coming along.
Qi Jiao kicked him, but couldn’t shake him off.
“Shut up. You think a little tolerance makes you somebody? A counterfeit visiting the real family-aren’t you ashamed?”
Qi Jiao grew even more disgusted by this imposter who didn’t know his place.
Wu Xiaojiu just grinned at him.
Shaking his thigh, he signaled that he wouldn’t let go unless taken along.
“I’m real! Look at the scar on my neck. If nothing else works, I’ll go home and do a DNA test with my mother to prove it to you, okay?”
Qi Jiao ignored him and called toward the door, “Come in.”
The clubhouse door swung open as if unlocked by magic, and a crowd of people swarmed in.
“Pull him away.”
With that order, Wu Xiaojiu’s limbs were grabbed and tugged with all their might.
But he clung to Qi Jiao like an octopus, refusing to let go no matter what.
“I really am Wu Xiaojiu! You don’t believe what I say, you don’t believe I’ll prove it-do you only want me dead to make you happy?”
Wu Xiaojiu was frantic, but Qi Jiao was as stubborn as a mule.
“Hurry up and tear him off me! If I’m late for that dinner, none of you will keep your jobs with the Qi Family!”
Qi Jiao rubbed his brow, resolute in standing his ground.
It really wasn’t his fault. Qi Jiao was utterly convinced that Wu Xiaojiu was dead.
His white moonlight’s remains were not yet cold, yet he was about to walk a fake right into the Wu Family’s home.
Wouldn’t that be adding insult to injury for the real one?
Qi Jiao wasn’t about to dig his own grave like that, so he gave his bodyguards a strict order.
The eight men exerted all their strength, pulling Wu Xiaojiu backward, but he was like superglue.
Stuck to Qi Jiao and refusing to let go.
Seeing this wasn’t working, Wu Xiaojiu’s nimble mind got to work.
His eyes darted around, and he came up with a line of persuasion.
“Actually, I was planted by your father and brother. The goal was simple: to get you addicted to male charms so they could seize the Qi Family’s assets.”
“But now, seeing how truly devoted you are to that dead man, I’ve decided not to bother with you anymore.”
“How about this: I’ll go back with you, and you send me to Bo Suihan. I’ll deal with him for you.”