Xiaoli Xu turned and went back inside, returning with a business card in hand. “Here’s the address for Zhang Ming’s company. You can find him there,” she said, handing it to me.

　　I took the card and gave it a quick glance, and suddenly remembered something Zhou Hu had mentioned earlier: about a week before Zhou Yong died, he and Xiaoli had gotten into an argument, and a man had stepped in. Xiaoli, being an only child, had called that man "brother," which didn’t make sense. So, I asked, “About a week before Zhou Yong died, you had a fight with him one night, and a guy came to break it up, nearly getting into it with Zhou Yong. Who was that guy?”

　　“It was Zhang Ming!” Xiaoli answered without missing a beat, realizing there was no use in hiding anything now.

　　I let out a sigh of relief; this confirmed my suspicions.

　　It looked like Zhang Ming was pulling the strings behind all of this, especially since Xiaoli was sent by him.

　　“Is there something going on between you and Zhang Ming?” I asked, knowing she had been deliberately keeping something under wraps.

　　She hesitated for a moment before responding, “Zhang Ming had a wife back then.”

　　“So you’re saying no one knew about your relationship? He was hiding it from his wife while being with you?”

　　“Yes!” Xiaoli replied firmly, then continued, “Actually, his wife had cheated on him a long time ago, and Zhang Ming just turned a blind eye to it, pretending he didn’t see a thing!”

　　I stepped back, putting the pieces together. That’s why Xiaoli had seemed so off—she and Zhang Ming were caught up in a secret affair.As for Zhang Ming’s wife, I felt a bit lost; this lead seemed out of the blue, and I wasn’t sure how to approach it. “What’s her name, and where can I find her?” I asked Xiaoli Xu.

　　“Liu Qing. She’s already dead,” Xiaoli responded.

　　“Dead?” I was taken aback, surprised by the sudden revelation.

　　Xiaoli nodded, her expression somber. “It’s because she died that night I told Zhang Ming I wanted to leave Zhou Yong and be with him openly. But Zhang Ming didn’t agree; he wanted me to stay with Zhou Yong. That’s when Zhou Yong caught us.”

　　Suddenly, everything fell into place!

　　Glancing at the business card in my hand, I said, “If anyone else comes looking for you, make sure to contact me.”

　　I handed her the guesthouse’s phone number. She looked at it for a moment before simply saying, “Okay.”

　　“Xiaofeng, drink some water while you wait. Dinner will be ready soon,” Xiaoli’s mother called out, appearing with a cup of water.“No, thank you, ma’am. I really need to get back right away; I have some urgent matters to take care of!” I said, turning to leave as I made my way back to the city.

　　By the time I arrived, it was already afternoon. I quickly grabbed a bite to eat before dialing the number on Zhang Ming’s business card.

　　The phone rang several times, but there was no answer. Still, something inside me insisted that someone would pick up, so I kept waiting.

　　Finally, after about half a minute, the call connected. “Hello, who’s this?” a voice said on the other end.

　　“Is this Zhang Ming?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady.

　　“Yes, who are you?” he replied.

　　Suddenly, the air felt thick with tension as neither of us spoke. For about five seconds, all I could hear was the static buzzing on the line.

　　I hung up, feeling unsettled. There was something odd about his tone that I just couldn’t pinpoint.

　　I could sense that he was somewhat on guard with me; he must have figured something out. I chuckled to myself, thinking, "Exactly!" If he had been completely unaware, I would have started to doubt my instincts.

　　It was time to pay a visit to this friend of mine! I checked the clock—it was just past two, perfect timing. I turned and headed to find Zhang Ming.

　　Following the address on the business card, I arrived at the entrance of Tongming Group in the city half an hour later. Zhang Ming’s company was much larger than Zhou Yong’s Shanyong Clothing Factory, and it was situated right in the heart of the city’s industrial zone.

　　As I lifted my foot to step inside, a security guard from the booth at the entrance stopped me.

　　“Young man, what brings you here?”

　　This guard looked younger than the one at Huayuan Community, and he wore his uniform with a sharp, professional air.

　　“I’m here to see someone,” I replied, keeping my tone casual.

　　“Who are you looking for?” he asked, eyeing me with curiosity.

　　“Zhang Ming!”

　　The guard’s demeanor shifted the moment I mentioned Zhang Ming’s name. “You mean our boss?” He became noticeably cautious and added, “Do you have an appointment?”

　　“No!”

　　“The boss is in a meeting. Maybe you can come back another day,” the guard replied.

　　Feeling the chance to connect slipping away, I quickly said, “Just tell him Li Yongxia sent me.”

　　The guard studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, hang tight!” He picked up the phone and dialed Zhang Ming’s secretary. “Secretary Liu, there’s someone here to see President Zhang. They said Li Yongxia sent them.”

　　I watched him, noting how his demeanor shifted—he clearly recognized the importance of Li Yongxia, which was why he felt compelled to contact Zhang Ming’s secretary.

　　“Okay, got it,” the guard said before hanging up. “You can wait right here. Secretary Liu will come to get you personally!”

　　I smiled and stepped aside, leaning against the entrance of Tongming Group. As I collected my thoughts, the whole situation started to make sense: Zhang Ming was using Xu Xiaoli’s allure to eliminate Zhou Yong. Xu Xiaoli was just a pawn in his game, and I was certain Li Yongxia was deeply entangled in this mess.

　　One reason for my suspicion was Xu Xiaoli’s bracelet, rumored to gather negative energy. If no one had meddled with it, there’s no way it could be enveloped in such dark forces—especially with the talisman etched on Xu Xiaoli’s forehead. Looking back, Li Yongxia really might possess that kind of power.

　　“Are you looking for President Zhang?” A woman suddenly approached me. She appeared a few years older, dressed in a tailored dark uniform and high heels. With her attractive features and confident stance, she made quite an impression.“Are you Secretary Liu?” I inquired.

　　“Yes, that’s me,” she said with a warm smile. “You mentioned that Ms. Li Yongxia sent you?”

　　“That’s correct.”

　　“Then come with me!”

　　I followed her into Tongming Group. The place was massive, and as I took in my surroundings, I couldn’t help but admire the lush greenery, the serene lake, and the decorative rock formations—it was truly a beautiful sight.

　　However, my attention was drawn more to the feng shui. Everything was arranged with meticulous care, and the placements felt just right, signaling that the feng shui here was top-notch. Only someone with a keen eye would truly grasp the significance of it.

　　It was evident that the feng shui had been thoughtfully designed. Was this all Li Yongxia's doing?Before long, I followed her into a room. “Please wait here for a moment while I let President Zhang know you’re here,” she said.

　　“Isn’t he in a meeting?” I asked, a bit surprised.

　　She smiled, reassuringly. “President Zhang has made it clear that Ms. Li is a VIP at Tongming Group and can see him directly whenever she needs to!”

　　“Well, that’s really kind of you!” I replied, returning her smile.

　　“Not at all!” she said before stepping out.

　　Once she was gone, I took a good look around the room. It was spacious, obviously designed for hosting guests, and impeccably clean—there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight.

　　I settled back on the sofa and glanced up at the ceiling. Honestly, I hadn’t expected Zhang Ming to regard Li Yongxia with such respect. With the family business he had built, I figured there couldn’t be many people in the city who really caught his attention.

　　With that thought lingering, my interest in Li Yongxia only grew.

　　*Tap! Tap! Tap!*

　　The sound of dress shoes echoed on the floor outside. I straightened up, focusing intently on the door as the footsteps grew louder.

　　When the door swung open and my eyes locked with Zhang Ming’s, we both couldn’t help but smile.