Chapter 119 involved a lot of people

Pulling the blanket tightly to cover her body, He Lanjin sat up straight. She noticed Qiao Hanye's eyes growing even darker as he replied to her. His body emitted a chill as if freezing the air around them.

"Revenge? What revenge?" He Lanjin asked softly.

"A blood feud," Qiao Hanye answered in a low voice. He looked at He Lanjin and took her face in his hand. "An irreconcilable feud."

He Lanjin was shocked. Just how big was this feud that Qiao Hanye's eyes became bloodthirsty just talking about it?

He Lanjin had not known Qiao Hanye for long, but she knew him very well. He was stoic and indifferent and seemed to be in control of everything. Nothing moved him or caused him to lose his cool, but this blood feud he spoke of seemed to affect him a great deal. He Lanjin could only imagine how much hatred Qiao Hanye was carrying in his heart.

"Whom are you exacting revenge on?" He Lanjin's voice went soft; she did not want to probe too much.

"It's a complicated situation that involved a lot of people," Qiao Hanye said, his hands growing colder as he spoke. "But I will find them one by one."

Qiao Hanye sat up, his back to He Lanjin.

He Lanjin felt an irresistible urge to comfort Qiao Hanye and hugged him from behind.

Why she did what she did, He Lanjin could not explain. Even she herself was surprised by the way she acted.

"If you need help, just let me know," He Lanjin said. Qiao Hanye looked at He Lanjin's small hands on his abdomen. He was stunned, not expecting to hear these words from her.

Was this the so-called sharing of weal and woe?

"Okay," Qiao Hanye said, then turned around and pulled He Lanjin into his arms. The two hugged for a long time, neither of them saying anything.

He Lanjin felt very close to Qiao Hanye. Suddenly she wanted to know everything about him. What kind of family did Qiao Hanye have? What kind of experiences did he have growing up? What did he want to do, and what were his motivations? He Lanjin wanted to understand Qiao Hanye and be a part of his life.

"It's very dangerous here," Qiao Hanye said, breaking the silence. "I'll take you home tomorrow."

The earthquake had passed, but there were still aftershocks, that might catch people off guard.

"We can't leave yet. I'm looking into the stories some of the locals are telling regarding their corrupt officials," He Lanjin said. "Many poor families in the mountainous area are suffering because no inquiries are being made."

"The country allocates a budget for poor families every year, but look at the people here. Which of them seems to be receiving help? I want to know where the money goes." He Lanjin said softly.

He Lanjin took to heart what happened on the day she saved Zhao Yuyi. She wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Do you really want to do the investigation yourself?" Qiao Hanye asked when he saw her serious expression.

"Yes, I want to do it myself." He Lanjin was firm. She would never back down from what she wanted to do.

Little did He Lanjin know that there were many other things waiting for Qiao Hanye and herself.

"I'm going out for a while," Qiao Hanye said. "Stay here and don't wander around." He L.anjin nodded. She watched him get up, put his clothes on, and leave the room.

Qiao Hanye's words resurfaced in He Lanjin's mind. No matter how hard she tried, she could not sleep. She got up and took a walk.

"I've had enough. What does this earthquake have to do with me? Take me away immediately." A woman's delicate voice rang in the quiet night. A bowl of bird's nest soup was smashed on the floor, with some of the soup landing by He Lanjin's feet.

He Lanjin bent down to take a closer look. From its color, the soup was obviously the expensive kind, which ordinary people cannot afford. But this person...

"Okay, okay. I'll take you away tomorrow. We won't eat bird's nest anymore. Go to sleep now." Through the narrow window slats, He Lanjin saw a man pacifying a woman who was dressed coquettishly. After some time, the woman disappeared, probably into the bedroom.

He Lanjin narrowed her eyes. Wasn't this place a temporary refuge for the victims of the earthquake?. When did it become someone's private residence?

"Old Chen, are you really leaving? Don't forget why we hid in the mountains back then. You haven't forgotten about the incident in Jiang City, have you?" A few other individuals asked, their voices subdued.

When she heard these people mentioning Jiang City, He Lanjin could not help but move closer. She perked her ears up.