Stirring Up Trouble  

It was only seven in the morning when Scarlett's phone rang. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She quickly moved to a quieter spot and answered the call.

"Mr. Zhou."

The familiar voice of the man came through the phone, "Come to Yunshan Pavilion."

"Now?" Scarlett asked tentatively.

"Now." He confirmed.

Scarlett didn't ask what the matter was over the phone, knowing that Zhou wasn't one for small talk. After a brief acknowledgment, she hung up the phone and returned to her seat to gather her things.

Shirley noticed Scarlett's actions and asked, "Going out?"

Scarlett nodded, "Yes, I have to run an errand."

As soon as she left the office, someone sighed, "Things really are different now. She used to sit idle all day, but now she's busy even before official work hours."

Shirley just smiled and said, "It's good to have a big tree to lean on, and the fruits from the tree are there for the taking."

"Eh, Shirley, you have a way with words. It's quite thought-provoking."

Shirley replied, "I'm just complimenting her. Don't overinterpret it, or it might get back to her, and I'll be the second one to get a public face-slapping here. I can't afford that."

Scarlett hailed a cab and told the driver, "Yunshan Pavilion."

She had only been in Deep City for a little over a month and rarely ventured out of her immediate vicinity. She didn't know where Yunshan Pavilion was. Normally, she would be wary if Lucius suddenly asked her to go somewhere early in the morning, but after the incident last night, she inexplicably felt that he wouldn't stir up trouble for no reason.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled over. Scarlett looked out the window and saw a large building on her right with a sign that read 'Yunshan Pavilion'. She paid the driver, got out of the car, and walked towards the building.

The entire building was in a new Chinese style, and the layout of the lobby was very exquisite. As soon as Scarlett appeared, a staff member in a cheongsam quickly came forward to greet her, "Hello."

"Hello, I'm here to see Mr. Zhou." Scarlett replied.

Upon hearing this, the staff member quickly fetched the manager. The manager greeted Scarlett with a smile, "Hello, you must be Miss Li, right?"

Scarlett nodded, and the manager immediately gestured for her to follow him.

Scarlett was led to the door of a private room. The manager said, "Mr. Zhou is inside."

Scarlett knocked on the door and pushed it open. The room was spacious, and the first thing she saw was a landscape painting hanging on the wall. As she walked further in, she saw a screen embroidered with a design, and she could vaguely see the silhouette of a person on the other side of the screen.

The room was very quiet, and Scarlett couldn't help but tread lightly and breathe softly. As she walked around the screen, she saw two people sitting across from each other at a table. One of them was Lucius, and the other was the woman she had seen at the Zhou's house before, Jane Feng.

A delicate stove was boiling water on the table, and the fresh scent that Scarlett had just smelled was the aroma of tea.

The room was filled with the scent of cigarettes and the lingering aroma of tea. The air should have been filled with peace and tranquility, but Scarlett could sense tension and repression.

Jane only glanced at Scarlett when she first appeared, then lowered her gaze, casually sipping her tea and saying with a hint of a smile, "You called me over so early in the morning, surely not just to have tea?"

Lucius glanced at Scarlett and said, "Come here."

Scarlett couldn't guess what was going on, but she felt like she was walking on thin ice with every step she took towards him.

When she reached the table, she asked calmly, "Mr. Zhou, what can I do for you?"

Lucius casually pulled out the chair next to him, "Sit."

Scarlett noticed a slight twitch at the corner of Jane's lips. She thought to herself, 'Great, she's definitely jealous now.'

Despite her unease, Scarlett sat down. She guessed that Lucius might be using her as a shield. As she was thinking this, Lucius asked her, "How's your injury?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Lucius was looking at her.

Scarlett straightened her back and replied, "It's fine, just a little spray and it'll be good."

Lucius looked away and casually poured Scarlett a cup of tea, "Don't take it lightly. It won't look good if it leaves a scar."

His voice was as usual, just a bit softer. Scarlett felt a chill run down her spine. Not knowing what to say, she picked up her tea cup and took a sip.

The woman across the table lifted her eyelids and looked at Lucius with a plain expression, "Why did you call me here? This tea is just enough for two people to drink. With three people, it's not enough, and it ruins the taste."

Scarlett pretended not to hear, while Lucius looked back at the woman and said, "Don't want to drink? Suit yourself."

His expression was extremely indifferent, but his words were full of provocation. The woman's face fell, and she called out his full name, "Lucius Zhou!"

Lucius remained unmoved. After a pause, he replied, "Jane Feng, do you think I called you here early in the morning to have tea because I have nothing better to do?"

Scarlett accidentally took a big sip of tea and almost burned her mouth.

Jane's face was full of disbelief. She stared at Lucius for a moment before saying, "You're insulting me."

Lucius returned her gaze with a silent look of disdain, mockery, and disgust. He picked up his phone and made a call, saying only three words, "Bring him in."

Scarlett felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Was there a fourth person involved? She sneaked a glance at Jane across the table. Sure enough, she looked surprised and angry.

Soon, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside. Footsteps approached, and she turned to see a strange man carrying a large sack. The sack was tied at the top, revealing a pair of men's feet.

With a thud, the sack was thrown onto the ground. The man inside grunted. Scarlett was only surprised. After all, she had seen Lucius do more outrageous things in the week she had been dealing with him. Jane, on the other hand, was genuinely shocked. She looked at the sack on the floor, then at the expression on Lucius's face.

Lucius didn't even turn his head. He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "Open it."

The man bent down to untie the rope, then roughly dumped the person out of the sack. The person rolled around on the floor, ending up facing the table. Scarlett's pupils contracted.

It was Young Song.

There was no sign of blood on him, only his hair was slightly disheveled. Even though it had only been a night since she last saw him, he looked as if he had been through an unspeakable ordeal. As soon as he saw the light, his first reaction wasn't to get up, but to curl up instantly, his forehead pressed against the floor, mumbling incoherent words.

Lucius exhaled a puff of smoke, looked at Jane across the table, and said in a deep voice, "He has been pestering Scarlett repeatedly, and even went to her house last night."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jane asked, her face tense.

"I heard he's your cousin." Lucius replied.

Jane kept her composure and said, "Is he? I wasn't aware."

Lucius flicked the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray and said indifferently, "It's best if you don't recognize him. I'm going to break one of his legs, and I wouldn't want you to plead for him."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted a finger, and the man behind Scarlett immediately grabbed Young by the collar and dragged him out like a piece of trash. Young was panicked, clinging to the floor and shouting, "Cousin, save me!"

Jane's face turned pale, and her lips moved almost imperceptibly.