Chapter 3245 — Nowhere to Be Found
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Feng Tianhu used your younger brother to threaten you, forcing you to do his bidding?" Wei Zhao understood at once. So that was it—Cheng Yiyi had been caught in a cruel bind, torn painfully between her own flesh and blood and her dearest friend, never able to bring herself to abandon either one.
It seemed he had been fortunate not to kill her. So she had been carrying a pain no one knew of.
"Yes." Cheng Yiyi nodded. "Every so often, Feng Tianhu sends me photographs of my brother's life, telling me he is doing well and still cultivating. But the more he does that, the more uneasy I become. If I ever betrayed him, Feng Tianhu would surely do my brother harm..."
"Then why did you choose to confess to me?" Wei Zhao asked.
"Because... I could not let Xiaohan shield me from the storm when the fault is mine. And I did not want to keep hiding it any longer—living like this is simply too painful..." Cheng Yiyi shook her head, then blinked her large, spirited eyes. "And also... because Feng Tianhu is afraid of you!"
"Afraid of me? You know the truth..." Wei Zhao smiled bitterly. As expected, Cheng Yiyi wanted something from him—otherwise she would never have resorted to seduction. It seemed that for her brother's sake, Cheng Yiyi was willing to risk everything.
"But Feng Tianhu doesn't know that!" Cheng Yiyi said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Let me ask around about this for you," Wei Zhao said with a sigh. "This matter of yours is somewhat troublesome. Feng Tianhu may not be willing to let him go so easily."
"What do you mean?" Cheng Yiyi was taken aback.
"Feng Tianhu is a sinister and vicious man—you know that as well as I do." Wei Zhao waved his hand and explained, "He stops at nothing to achieve his ends. If he could even kill his own son, Feng Nitian, to frame Feng Shihua, you can well imagine what sort of man he is. What I fear is this: I might be better off not asking at all. The moment I ask, Feng Tianhu will have a hostage in his hands, and that will only make him more brazen—he will no longer fear what I might do to him!"
"Ah!" Cheng Yiyi was startled. Wei Zhao's analysis was entirely sound—he had grasped the very essence of Feng Tianhu's character with remarkable accuracy. In other words, if Wei Zhao raised the matter, it would signal that she and Wei Zhao had reached some tacit understanding, and Feng Tianhu could then use her brother without restraint to coerce Wei Zhao, ensuring Wei Zhao would not dare move against him...
"So the only person I can ask about this is Feng Shihua—to see whether he knows anything. If I asked Feng Tianhu, he would likely not only refuse to return your brother, but would use him to threaten you into doing something even more outrageous," Wei Zhao said.
"I am sorry—I was thinking too simply!" Cheng Yiyi's concern had clouded her judgment. She had naively assumed that Feng Tianhu feared Wei Zhao, but it had never occurred to her that with a hostage in hand, Feng Tianhu would have a talisman to preserve his own life. Would he let go so easily? Clearly not.
"I will ask Feng Shihua first," Wei Zhao said.
"Yes, yes!" Cheng Yiyi nodded hurriedly.
Wei Zhao dialed Feng Shihua's number directly.
"Chief?" Feng Shihua had already gone to bed, but when the phone rang and he saw Wei Zhao's number, he answered at once. "Is something the matter?"
"Shipian, the first thing is this: you may tell your father that Xiaohan's mother has been found, but do not let anyone else know. You understand what I mean?" Wei Zhao said.
"What?! Found her?" Feng Shihua was startled. He had never expected that Xu Shilan's mother—his father's old flame—had actually been found. That was good news, and it would lift a weight from his father's heart. As for telling anyone else, Feng Shihua was no fool. "Rest assured, Chief, I will not blab. If my mother found out, heaven knows what trouble she would stir up."