Chapter 2319: Both Hearts Sink

Chapter 2319: Both Hearts Sink

Shu Yu and Meng Yunzheng had some questions to ask Wang Changdong, so they accepted his invitation to go to his home.

Wang Changdong's wife was already preparing a meal with her two children. Shu Yu asked Ying Xi to help in the kitchen, while she stayed in the living room to chat with Wang Changdong. They talked about their recent activities, and during the conversation, she inquired about the girls they were interested in.

"When I wrote to you and asked for your help in looking after them, did your wife have any objections?" After all, he was a grown man, and the girls were unmarried young ladies, making it somewhat awkward.

Wang Changdong waved his hand and smiled. "No, I did mention it to my wife, but she heard that it was to help you, so she didn't have any objections. However, I didn't actually do much. I'm in Heichang County, and those girls are in Qingxuan County. If they encountered any trouble, I wouldn't be able to help. So, I asked my friend in Qingxuan County to look after them. Fortunately, they've been doing well, and life is good for them."

Shu Yu was surprised and asked, "After they arrived, did they encounter any trouble?"

"No," Wang Changdong shook his head, took a sip of wine, and ate a couple of peanuts. "A couple of months ago, I even took a trip to Qingxuan County and had a meal with my friend there. He said those girls were quite capable. They could embroider and grow flowers, so they could sustain themselves."

Shu Yu and Meng Yunzheng's hearts sank. Their suspicions seemed to be confirmed.

Several young and beautiful girls who had come from afar, even in a relatively chaotic place like the southwest, shouldn't have avoided all troubles. When the Lu family had followed Shu Yu to Heichang County, they had encountered local thugs. At that time, the Lu family had connections with the Huifeng Escort Bureau, and they still had male family members. They weren't completely defenseless.

That was why Shu Yu had written to Wang Changdong, asking him to help look after them.

For these girls to have such a smooth experience, someone must have been secretly assisting them. Shu Yu couldn't think of any other possibilities.

After leaving Wang Changdong's house, Meng Yunzheng's brows furrowed deeply.

"Should we still go to Qingxuan County to find Qi Lie?" Shu Yu asked quietly once they were in the carriage.

Meng Yunzheng nodded. "We have to go, at the very least to inform Qi Lie about this matter and prepare him mentally. We also need to discuss our next plan. Right now, we're quite passive."

"Do we need a reason to go to Qingxuan County?"

In truth, they didn't need one. Since the other party knew they had seen the letter, they must be aware that their presence in the southwest wasn't solely for Dongqing Temple master. If they had come, it was certain that they would contact Qi Lie and get involved in the Black Market affair.

Their visit to Qingxuan County was likely within the other party's expectations.

"We do." Meng Yunzheng squinted his eyes. "We should make it look like we're just going through the motions."

Shu Yu nodded, and so they returned to the inn and soon prepared to visit the alley where Dongqing Temple master lived.

This time, Shu Yu directly knocked on the neighbor's gate. The same woman answered, looking quite surprised. "What do you want?"

"Auntie, here's the thing. We noticed that our master hasn't returned for several days, and we're a bit worried. We heard someone say they saw our master in Qingxuan County, so we're planning to check it out. However, we're afraid of missing our master if he returns during this time. So, if our master returns while we're gone, could you kindly pass on a message? We'll be back in a couple of days."