Chapter 123: Are You Threatening Me with Her
Gu Chacha nestled against Chen Jiarong, worry written across her face. “If tonight’s plan fails, will it affect us?”
Chen Jiarong smiled and pulled her closer. “What are you afraid of? Have you forgotten what I do for a living?”
As long as no one had been killed, it was all a minor matter.
No matter the dynasty, there had never been a clean officialdom. As long as he paid enough, the sky over Jiangcheng would always shelter him.
Besides, the Gu family had no real connections in official circles. Even if Gu Jingchen wanted to take him down, he would have to think carefully about how much money he was willing to spend.
Gu Chacha obediently nodded. “All right. Are we still going ahead with the concert?”
She was afraid that the money-laundering operation would be dragged into the light and investigated in detail. Wasn’t that how Han Xuan had ended up behind bars?
Han Mo definitely knew how they operated. What if he used this to come after them?
At the mention of Han Mo, Chen Jiarong let out a cold laugh. “You think this is how Han Xuan found out about me? Master Han isn’t exactly a good person.”
Although Han Mo had no conflict of interest with him, the two of them had once worshipped the same deity. Han Mo would never expose the matter—there was nothing in it for him.
He sounded utterly certain, and only then did Gu Chacha relax.
Chen Jiarong had arranged a great deal of publicity for her, and at last, her performances had begun attracting people who actually bought tickets. To her, it was a tremendous leap forward. She didn’t want the performances to stop.
How many of the people who came to hear her play truly understood piano or art? They were only there for the spectacle.
As long as she held on, she would eventually break through.
Once she had completely made it, everything would be different.
She repeated those words to herself over and over. She could do this. She had truly seized her opportunity. She had made it onto the stage and stood beneath the spotlight.
After the performance, people even came over to take pictures with her.
She straightened her back and smiled sweetly at the phone’s camera. “Thank you for your support.”
The girl taking the photo gazed at her with the admiration she had longed for so desperately. “Chacha, I’ve seen so many of your videos! I love you!”
She was gentle and beautiful, radiated the elegance of a rich heiress, came from a good family, and played the piano wonderfully. She had even won so many awards.
Every single one of those qualities was enough to make people envious, yet she possessed them all.
The envy in the girl’s eyes was impossible to suppress. What window had God possibly closed on her?
The girl’s undisguised envy put Gu Chacha in an excellent mood, and her smile grew even brighter. “Thank you for liking me. I’ll keep playing for as long as I can. I hope we’ll be able to take pictures together many more times.”
The girl nodded excitedly. “Yes, yes! I’ll definitely come to your performances often!”
Even after the photo was taken, the smile remained on Gu Chacha’s lips. The feeling was simply too wonderful. She was completely intoxicated by it.
When she pushed open the door to the dressing room, she was surprised to find someone hiding inside.
At first, she instinctively assumed it was a fan who had followed her in, and her happiness grew even stronger.
She smiled at the intruder. “You’re not allowed in the dressing room. Did you want a picture? I can—”
“Ah!”
After a short cry of alarm, the dressing-room door was quickly shut.
More than ten minutes later, Gu Chacha had changed into a light tracksuit. With her arm linked through that of a man dressed in black, their bodies pressed almost against each other, she left the room and headed down to the parking garage.
The car soon departed from the concert hall and drove toward the hotel where she and Chen Jiarong had been staying recently.
“D-Don’t do anything rash. Brother Bao will give you whatever you want...”
The hand gripping the steering wheel trembled uncontrollably. A sharp dagger was pressed firmly against Gu Chacha’s thigh beneath the wheel, and Xiao Qian’s voice was cold enough to freeze blood.
“Shut up. Drive. Don’t try anything.”
Gu Chacha shook her head frantically. “I won’t. I really won’t. Could you please take the knife away? I’m scared.”
She was genuinely terrified. She had only just obtained a little of what she wanted. She couldn’t lose it now. She absolutely couldn’t.
“Shut up!”
The car reached the hotel as quickly as possible. Xiao Qian ordered her, “Call him and ask if he’s home.”
Gu Chacha’s body instantly began to tremble. “He is. He’s always home at this hour.”
The knife pressed more firmly against her skin. “Call him!”
“I will, I will...”
With trembling hands, Gu Chacha pulled out her phone and called Chen Jiarong. He answered quickly, his voice languid. “The performance’s over? Do you want me to come pick you up?”
Gu Chacha tried her best to remain calm. “No, I’ll be home soon. Are you there?”
Chen Jiarong laughed. “Where else would I be if I weren’t home? What is it? Do you miss me?”
Gu Chacha forced a smile. “Yes. I want to see you as soon as possible.”
“Then hurry back. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Gu Chacha cautiously looked at Xiao Qian. “He’s home.”
“Get out.”
The two of them remained arm in arm, pressed close together as they walked toward the elevator. When it stopped on the twentieth floor, Xiao Qian pushed Gu Chacha forward and marched her toward the suite.
Beep.
The moment the door opened, the dark barrel of a gun was pointed at them. A mocking smile curled Chen Jiarong’s lips.
“Xiao Qian, you shouldn’t have come.”
Xiao Qian immediately tightened his grip on Gu Chacha and pulled her in front of him. The dagger pressed hard against her neck. “Send me back to Sawa, and I’ll let her go!”
“Heh...”
Chen Jiarong’s smile became wild and unrestrained. “You’re threatening me with a woman? Xiao Qian, have you lost your mind?”
Standing opposite him, Gu Chacha could clearly see that there wasn’t the slightest trace of concern in his eyes.
Not even a trace.
Her heart sank to the bottom. He hadn’t been lying.
She pleaded with Chen Jiarong in panic. “Brother, let him go. Once he leaves, we’ll be safe too, won’t we? Let him go...”
Chen Jiarong glanced at her indifferently. “Chacha, a woman needs to know how to behave. Understand?”
The country’s border controls were extremely strict. Getting Xiao Qian out of the country would be far more difficult than killing him.
His index finger rested on the trigger, and a flicker of regret crossed his eyes. “Chacha, you were too careless. You’re so obedient and easy to handle. Where am I supposed to find another girl like you after this?”
“No! No! You can’t!”
Gu Chacha broke down completely and began struggling frantically.
She couldn’t die!
She was only twenty!
Her life had only just begun!
She couldn’t die!
“Go! Hurry, go! Get out of here!”
She shoved Xiao Qian backward in a frenzy. Get out! Once you reached the hallway, you’d be safe! If he wouldn’t send you away, escape on your own! Don’t drag her down with you!
Xiao Qian had never imagined that Gu Chacha would mean absolutely nothing to Brother Bao.
He frantically dragged Gu Chacha backward toward the door. But just as his fingers reached for the doorknob, the door was kicked open from outside!
“Everyone, don’t move! Put your hands on your heads and get down!”
“Drop the gun! Get down!”
“Down!”
The police had arrived too suddenly. Chen Jiarong had no time to react before he was pinned to the floor. He tried to struggle, but the officers holding him gave him no opportunity.
“Don’t move!”
Chen Jiarong forced his head up. “Which department are you with? Director Chen of the Municipal Public Security Bureau is my friend. I want to see him.”
The officer on top of him gave a cold laugh at the mention of Director Chen. “You’ll see him.”
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