Chapter 105: Su Yun’s Letter

“Boss Qiao, how did you find me here?” Zhou Sen was quite surprised. For Qiao Sanlang from Yiguzhai to come all the way to him was unexpected.

“Officer Zhou, I was sent on someone’s behalf,” Qiao Sanlang hurriedly explained his purpose, pulling out a letter and handing it to Zhou Sen. “This is a letter from Miss Su Yun Su, entrusted to me to deliver to you.”

“A letter from Miss Su to me?” Zhou Sen was surprised. He and Su Yun were mere acquaintances; why would she seriously send him a letter?

“That, I don’t know,” Qiao Sanlang chuckled.

“Did Su Yun ask you to deliver it?” Zhou Sen was cautious. Su Yun had never come to him before. Even if she knew this address, which wasn’t hard, if she had something to say, she could have come directly. Why bother writing a letter? Usually, only very close people correspond in writing. At most, he and Su Yun just knew each other.

“It wasn’t Miss Su herself, but a maid under her command,” Qiao Sanlang explained. “If it weren’t for Su Yun’s sake, I wouldn’t have bothered making this trip.”

Hearing this, Zhou Sen felt something unusual was going on. Su Yun seemed to dislike having anyone follow her outside, and he had never added any of her maids. How could she have sent a maid to deliver a letter to him and even enlisted Qiao Sanlang from Yiguzhai for help? If she wanted to deliver it herself, that would have been simpler. This was suspicious—did she really think he was that easily fooled?

“Boss Qiao, how did you know my address?” Zhou Sen asked.

“Oh, the maid told me. She came to return a book to Miss Su Yun but was followed by someone and couldn’t come in herself,” Qiao Sanlang explained.

That excuse made some sense. Su Yun was already engaged to Feng Hua, married in the eyes of society. If she sent a maid to deliver a letter to Zhou Sen, who was also married, in secret, and someone found out, it would ruin reputations. Having someone else deliver it was different. And since someone was following behind, it was natural to avoid suspicion.

Qiao Sanlang knew Su Yun well enough not to raise suspicion, making him a suitable messenger.

“Alright, I understand. Thank you, Boss Qiao. Come in for some tea?” Zhou Sen invited.

“No, I have someone temporarily watching my shop. I must return,” Qiao Sanlang bowed and quickly left.

Anna walked over, smiling: “You really have a way with women. If I’m not mistaken, Miss Su Yun is Su Wenqing’s daughter, right?”

“I only know her, not closely,” Zhou Sen said, taking the letter back to the small room and sitting down.

This letter felt strange.

He wasn’t sure what was inside, but it couldn’t be good news. After some thought, he put it aside without opening it.

“Don’t you want to see what’s inside?” Anna asked curiously.

“Are you that curious?” he replied.

“Of course. I want to know how you managed to charm Bai Yulan and at the same time get involved with Su Wenqing’s daughter and Xiao Xiangning. You know, if a man had just one of those three women, half of Ice City would go crazy,” Anna smiled teasingly.

“She’s engaged. What connection could she have with me? Besides, with my current relationship with Su Wenqing, we’re barely even friends. Why cause trouble for myself?” Zhou Sen said, tossing the envelope into the trash bin.

“Not even a glance? What if it’s a letter asking for help?” Anna pressed.

Zhou Sen smiled wryly: “She’s Su Wenqing’s daughter. If she needed help, she’d go to her father, not a stranger like me.”

“That’s true. With Su Wenqing’s influence in Ice City, who would dare bully his daughter? She really wouldn’t need to ask you for help.” Anna picked the letter back out of the bin. “Seems like there’s no need to read it, but I’m curious what this Miss Su wrote to you.”

Zhou Sen snatched it from her hand. “This is a private letter addressed to me. If anyone reads it, it’s me.”

“Then why not open it?” Anna smiled.

“Why satisfy your curiosity?”

“Maybe this Miss Su really needs you. If you miss this, won’t you regret it later?” Anna urged.

“Is this letter some setup by you guys?” Zhou Sen asked suspiciously. “Testing me again? Do you ever stop?”

“I swear, this letter has nothing to do with me,” Anna assured.

“Is that so? Should I read it or not…” Zhou Sen hesitated.

Without clairvoyance, he didn’t know what was inside, but given the circumstances, it was unusual for her to send him a letter.

Curious, he tore open the envelope along the seal, reached in, and pulled out a sheet of stationery emitting a faint feminine fragrance.

Elegant penmanship caught his eye.

Reading the letter, Zhou Sen frowned slightly. Although the words were subtle, the meaning did not seem to come from a proper young lady already engaged.

Moreover, he and Su Yun were only acquaintances; why would she use ambiguous language toward him?

This was not the Su Yun he knew.

Before leaving Ice City, she requested a meeting at the small southern garden in the special city park by the pier—a place Zhou Sen knew well.

Every spring, it was a favorite spot for locals to picnic and a haven for young lovers.

But going there now, in the dead of winter, would only reveal thick snow and a few snowy pines.

This was clearly a trap, designed to lure him there.

“Why the long face? Don’t tell me the letter expresses romantic feelings?” Anna asked, noticing his expression.

“Impossible. She’s Su Wenqing’s daughter, and I’m a powerless, lowly policeman. Why would she be interested in me?”

“What about Bai Yulan? She’s the most beautiful woman in Daowai, yet she’s smitten with you,” Anna countered.

“We both come from humble backgrounds and share similar experiences—that’s compatibility,” Zhou Sen smiled.

“Yeah, right.”

“Believe it or not, fate is something unreasonable,” Zhou Sen said.

“Are you going home tonight or heading to the Xiangning Pavilion?”

“There’s no one at home; why bother? Naturally, I’m going to the Xiangning Pavilion,” Zhou Sen replied matter-of-factly.

“If you’re going to the Xiangning Pavilion, I’m off work,” Anna said.

“Aren’t you going to escort me for safety?”

“You have Wuen to protect you. Me following or not makes no difference,” Anna said. “I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you,” Zhou Sen nodded.

“If you need me to say anything, just ask.” Anna put on her coat and waved goodbye before leaving.

Zhou Sen frowned.

Anna had sensed something, though she didn’t know exactly what. That woman’s intuition was sharp.

Zhou Sen brought the letter to his nose and sniffed. The scent wasn’t Su Yun’s but clearly someone else’s.

This trap was clearly aimed at him. Was it Su Wenqing or someone else? Was Qiao Sanlang being used, or was he part of the plot?

Zhou Sen fell into deep thought.

If this was a trap, not going would mean the other side wouldn’t show itself easily. But risking danger wasn’t really his style.

Still, if he didn’t go, they wouldn’t reveal themselves.

If it was Su Wenqing, this was a chance to teach him a lesson and keep him in line during his upcoming special training.

With that in mind, Zhou Sen picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Qin Lang, it’s me. Let’s meet tonight at the usual place.”

Though he could have used the Japanese, Zhou Sen decided against it. His best partner was still the second young master of the Qin family, Qin Lang.

***

At Renyi Hall.

Zhou Sen had waited nearly fifteen minutes when Qin Lang sneaked in like a thief.

“Why the sneaky look? Is someone following you?” Zhou Sen asked.

“If the boss finds out I’m meeting you secretly, he’ll kill me!” Qin Lang whispered cautiously.

“Has your big bear been released?”

“Yes, a while ago. We just took over Qunfang Tower from Hou Wu. A cop named Yuan Wenfu was killed in Taohua Alley, and business there has been badly affected. Nearby gardens have suffered too,” Qin Lang said with a hint of schadenfreude.

“Do you know who Yuan Wenfu was?”

“Do you?”

“He was an undercover cop in the special investigations department of Nangang Police Station, carrying out a special mission. His death in Taohua Alley is a big deal,” Zhou Sen smiled.

“Ah!” Qin Lang jumped. “I heard the Zhengyang Station cops came and left again. When we asked about the case, no one knew anything.”

“Did it cost a lot?” Zhou Sen asked.

“Cops are corrupt. Anyway, I haven’t seen the boss in a good mood since a few days ago,” Qin Lang said.

“Do you want to mess with Su Wenqing and make a good impression on your family’s patriarch?” Zhou Sen asked.

Qin Lang hesitated, clearly afraid of being outsmarted.

“Su Wenqing tried to scheme against me. I could have used the Japanese to teach him a lesson, but that would only benefit them, and I couldn’t bargain. So I thought of you. How about it? Want to pull off a score with me?” Zhou Sen tempted.

“How do we split the profits?” Qin Lang licked his lips.

Zhou Sen held out his hand. “Fifty-fifty. How about that?”

“That good? You got some scheme?” Qin Lang was suspicious.

“Sixty-forty then.”

“No, fifty-fifty it is, but you have to tell me what this is about,” Qin Lang asked.

“Here’s the situation…” Zhou Sen briefly explained.

“Alright, Brother Sen, you’re really something. You’ve got Su Wenqing’s woman and even his daughter. If Su Wenqing finds out, he’ll come after you! Teach me how to woo women,” Qin Lang said enviously.

“I just met Su Yun by chance. It’s not as dirty as you think. Some people are just guessing wildly and clearly trying to lure me alone. I might not make it out alive,” Zhou Sen snorted coldly.

“Could it be someone else, since logically, Su Wenqing wouldn’t do this?” Qin Lang reasoned.

“If not, then you’ll have done a great deed,” Zhou Sen smiled.

“Got it. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll bring people over,” Qin Lang said excitedly. Watching the casino every day was making him rusty; he wanted some action to stretch his legs.