Chapter Thirty-Five: Elm Tree

  She calmed her emotions, she couldn't show that she recognized the person in the photo, nor could she give the other party any clues. But this matter was strange, could it be that Dong Zhiyu and Hei Guoren had a connection?

  "Who is this?"

  Zhenji looked at the photo, "The two of them are the real owners of this mansion, a pair of aunt and niece, someone is looking for them."

  There's too much information at once, and I need to sort it out clearly, but can't let the other person notice my interest in this matter. What's more, I have to withdraw quickly, this isn't the time for chatting.

  Zhenji, however, seemed reluctant for her to leave. "The other day, I think I saw this young lady in a photo, but I couldn't be sure."

  "Huai Jin stood up and said, 'Listen, today's matter, not a single word is allowed to be spoken, otherwise you will surely die.'"

  Zhenji looked up at her, as if he hadn't heard the threat. In that instant, Huaijin felt that his eyes were filled with longing, and she thought to herself that it was definitely because she had put on too much makeup, giving people a false impression.

  As if following a familiar ritual, she jumped from the balcony onto an old elm tree on one side and then lightly leaped down to the ground. Zhenji walked up to the balcony, gazing longingly at her slender and elegant figure in the distance. In a corner not far away, Dong Zhiyu looked at the balcony with confusion, wondering why she was sneaking around to find this mysterious person when she could have entered the mansion openly as Hua Jin. Looking back at the person on the balcony who was still watching the already blurry figure of Hua Jin in the distance, it was clear that they knew each other and were making contact in secret.

  Who is this mysterious person? Is she connected to the organization? Dong Zhiyu thought, and immediately almost denied himself. If they chose such a way to meet, let alone being an undercover agent, it's unlikely that even a spy exam could be passed. This fake wall-climbing contact method is the riskiest, they can choose other ways to communicate. So, will it be an accidental encounter or exchange of information for sale? Dong Zhiyu filtered through various possibilities in his mind.

  Huì Méi walked back to her room, and Dong Zhiyu also came out from the corner of the shadow. What should she do now? She pondered on her own. The clue that was finally obtained, she didn't want it to end like this, but what could be done if not leaving? Go up and ask her? It's obviously unreasonable, besides being a woman from Tuo Guo, Huì Méi wouldn't let her go up. Like learning from Huan Jin, sneaking onto the balcony? How would she explain her motive and identity?

  Dong Zhiyu stared at the balcony, she was all too familiar with the layout of this house. She thought that one day she would have to find an opportunity to meet the person living in that room on the west side. Turning her head to look at the old elm tree beside her, it had been there since she had memories. When she was a child, she would often sneak over to climb the tree when adults were not around. Looking at Huai Jin easily climbing up just now, she wondered if she could still climb up herself. Thinking this way, she started to use her hands and feet to climb the tree.

  "Not bad!" A man's voice suddenly came from under the tree.

  Dong Zhiyu lost her footing and fell with a cry of "Ah!" before she could even get the words out.

  The man below steadily caught her and said "Sorry", then opened his mouth to examine Dong Zhiyu with a somewhat amused expression.

  "You! You're following me!" Dong Zhiyu bounced back from Matthew and retreated to a safe distance of three feet.

  "Aren't you also following someone?" Matthew shrugged.

  Dong Zhiyu had a bad premonition, why did this person want to follow her? How long had they been following her? And how much had they seen? She instinctively felt that it was not suitable to stay here for long, and just as she was about to turn around and leave, a soft female voice came from above her head: "Miss, do you need help?"

  The voice and words seemed familiar, Dong Zhiyu looked up to see that it was the same person who had secretly met with Huai Jin earlier, and now he must have heard the noise under the window and returned to the balcony.

  She hesitated for a moment, originally wanting to leave quickly, but now she had the opportunity to talk to Huì Yuè, after all, she was still very curious about her identity.

  "Wait for me, I'll go down now." Makoto said and walked back into her room.

  Matthew didn't understand what they were saying, "Huh? What's next?" he asked Dong Zhiyu.

  "Next, shouldn't you be leaving? Mr Stalker?"

  "I feel I have a duty to escort you home, stalker lady," Matthew said with a sly smile. "By the way, that woman you were just following, and this Japanese woman, seem to know each other."

  Dong Zhiyu shifted his gaze away from Matthew's face to conceal the unease in his heart. So, it turned out that not only did Matthew follow him all the way, but he also discovered that the person he was following was a woman. Could he have possibly recognized Huaijin as well?

  Just then, a person walked over with light steps, first sizing up the two of them before walking to Dong Zhiyu's side. "Miss Dong, is this your friend? Are you okay?"

  Dong Zhiyu's eyes suddenly widened, "You know me?"

  "I didn't know you personally, but someone knows you."

  "Who?" It's Huai Jin, thought Dong Zhiyu.

  "Dong Xun, do you know him?"

  "Who?" Dong Zhiyu thought she had misheard.

  "Dong Xun, the original steward of this mansion."

  "Dong Shu? How do you know Dong Shu?" This answer was even more astonishing to her than the one from Huai Jin.

  Shinji took out the photo from his pocket and handed it to Dong Zhiyu, "We... 'moved' into this mansion when he helped me. As a return favor, I promised to help him find these two ladies in the photo. Mr. Dong said you would come back. A few weeks ago, I think I saw you here, but it was too dark outside and Shinji didn't dare to recognize you."

  Dong Zhiyu looked down at the photo, Dong Xun was a steward raised by the Dong family, his grandfather had been working for the Dongs since he was young and followed the Dong surname, extremely loyal. Although he was a servant, from a young age, Dong Zhiyu had regarded him as a close relative. He himself had also visited the Dong residence not long ago, wanting to know where Uncle Lan's mother and others had gone.

  "Where is he now?"

  "He told you to go find him on the Douqing boat on Qin River."

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