Xiaoqing bit her lip and remained silent.
Chu Yuxuan continued, "When I first saw you in the reception hall's study, you accidentally pushed open the door. I noticed the calluses on your hands immediately. Later, when you tied my tie, I observed closely and saw that the calluses on the web of your right hand and the sides of your index finger were very thick. Such calluses are usually only found on people who handle guns! Moreover, the calluses on your left hand are nearly identical to those on your right, especially on the web and palm—this level of callus indicates someone who frequently uses heavy weapons! I imagine you're not just good with rifles, but also quite skilled with sniper rifles!"
Xiaoqing lifted her eyelids, looking quite surprised, and said, "Young master... you understand guns?"
Chu Yuxuan smiled lightly, "Chu Zhijing is a businessman; it's not surprising that he has bodyguards. But you're only 23 and are so proficient with firearms. You must have started handling guns when you were around fifteen or sixteen, right? This doesn't look like a bodyguard at all; it clearly indicates someone trained as an assassin. Chu Zhijing probably wouldn't do such a thing! Your hands are hard to discern, and with your position as a servant, no one would notice you. I was quite puzzled about who trained you and what their purpose was in placing you by Chu Zhijing's side."
"Frankly, although Chu Zhijing is a jerk, he is still my father, and I can't just ignore him. So I brought you with me to ensure his safety, and I also wanted to see who you really are… but even after all this time, you haven't tried to get close to Chu Zhijing, and after I moved away, you didn't make any effort to approach me, just behaving properly as a servant. I even had Old Five check your phone and your room, but found nothing… I really can't figure you out! What exactly is your identity? What's your purpose?"
Xiaoqing hesitated, lowering her head.
Chu Yuxuan furrowed his brows and said, "Unless you're Chu Zhijing's person? That old b*st*rd! Would he really train a kid to handle guns?"
Xiaoqing hurriedly shook her head, "No, no… Young master, you've misunderstood the chairman."
"Not?" Chu Yuxuan became more suspicious but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Xiaoqing were indeed trained by Chu Zhijing, he could only imagine how the troublemaker might stir things up tonight.
Xiaoqing looked quite troubled. After a mental struggle, she finally said, "I… I'm from the Zhao family."
This answer shocked Chu Yuxuan greatly, "My father-in-law?"
Xiaoqing nodded, "Actually, it's not impossible to tell you. Before my lord went to prison, he met with the chairman. They agreed on your and Miss's marriage, and during a casual conversation, the chairman mentioned he wanted to investigate an old matter from ten years ago, which might be dangerous, so he asked my lord to let me go…"
Chu Yuxuan pondered for a moment and then realized, "That old man, he told me that Nannan's dowry was substantial, and it turns out he meant you? I wasted my efforts worrying for him! Haha… He went through so much trouble to get a bodyguard, and I ended up intercepting her. Sigh…"
Xiaoqing looked embarrassed and said, "Young master, actually, the chairman wanted me to follow you from the beginning, but he was afraid you'd be suspicious and wouldn't want me. So he told me to wait until you returned to the Chu family and try to get your attention, hoping to stay by your side…"
Chu Yuxuan recalled how Xiaoqing had accidentally pushed open the door, how Chu Zhijing had acted as if he would fire her, and how Xiaoqing had persistently offered to tie his tie and change his shoes...
He sighed and said, "After all this, I didn't expect it was the calluses on your hands that made me keep you around. It was quite a serendipity… By the way, my father-in-law is just a mid-sized entrepreneur. Why did he train you?"
Xiaoqing fiddled with her fingers, feeling uneasy, "It's not like that. I… I'm actually Vietnamese. I was controlled by warlords since I was young. After an accident where I was injured, my lord rescued me, and then I stayed by his side."
"I see…" Chu Yuxuan looked at Xiaoqing with growing sympathy, and his tone softened considerably, "My father-in-law must have generously sent you to the Chu family. There must be others like you around Nannan?"
Xiaoqing shook her head, "I don't know about that."
Chu Yuxuan sighed and said gently, "Girl, you must have suffered a lot before, right? I'm sorry… Old Four, you didn't handle it gently; look, you've even bruised her neck!"
Old Four blinked, which was probably the only facial expression he could make, looking perpetually calm, "If I remember correctly, she was trying to kill me just now."
Xiaoqing was in a daze. People like her didn't deserve concern from others. Her heart felt a bit sour.
Chu Yuxuan reached out and gently tapped her on the head, smiling, "Go and clean a room for Old Four. You'll need to prepare one extra serving of food from now on. Thank you for your hard work."
Xiaoqing's mouth hung open, somewhat in disbelief. In her view, Chu Yuxuan would probably want to expel her, so…
"What are you standing there for? Go on, or I'll dock your pay!"
"Yes! Young master! I'll go now!"
Xiaoqing's eyes bent slightly, tears in the corners, as she hurriedly ran upstairs.
Chu Yuxuan and his three brothers sat on the sofa, and his expression gradually grew serious, "The information Chen Hong provided tonight is very important. I've asked Old Two to investigate. Old Five, see if you can come up with other ways to look into it. Relying on Old Two alone is too inefficient."
Old Five shrugged, "Oh my God, hackers aren't omnipotent. If I could find out what they want from your mother, I could help."
Old Four blinked, which seemed to be the only movement his face could make, always looking so calm, "According to Chen Hong, there were two boxes of money that night, totaling eight million dollars, plus some gold bars. That's a lot of money, especially ten years ago. What could be so valuable?"
Chu Yuxuan inhaled deeply, "My mother is a medical doctor. What they want is surely something related to medical research! But the day after my mother was kidnapped, her previous company was dissolved, and overnight, everything was gone. All employee information was permanently deleted, making it impossible to trace."
Old Four was silent for a moment, then said, "We'll have to take it step by step. Anyway, I'm not good at investigations, but I can handle other tasks."
Chu Yuxuan patted his shoulder, paused, and asked, "Tell me, why did you end up divorced?"
Old Four's thin lips parted slightly, "She married me for money, but I don't blame her… I actually gave her a chance."
Hearing this, Old Five felt a shiver down his spine and swallowed hard.
Old Three was startled repeatedly tonight, mumbling and moving aside, "Amitabha… This d*mn place is too gloomy. Buddha, if you're punishing him, don't drag me into it!"
Old Four looked at the big guy with a cold expression, "Hasn't the water in your brain drained yet?"
"Big brother, listen to him. He's talking about me again!" Old Three stomped his feet angrily, glared at Old Four, and stormed back to his room.
Chu Yuxuan shook his head with a smile, then kicked Old Four's ankle, "You know he's sensitive about that issue. Don't talk about it in that way again."
Old Four's gaze was particularly serious, "I was just joking. Can't you tell?"
Old Five said, "Your face really isn't suited for jokes…"