Chapter 243: Gaining Attention

Du Jinsong and Zhang Ximing also saw Su Yan, and in that instant, both of their expressions changed.

It was a mix of surprise and delight.

To everyone's shock, the two of them were the first to walk toward Su Yan.

To the members of the Zhou family, this action immediately signaled something.

After all, given the special status of these two men, anyone they treated with importance would naturally not be an ordinary person.

But even though the Zhou family had already suspected as much, they were still utterly stunned to see that Du Jinsong and Zhang Ximing had not engaged with the Ma family or the Kong family, but had instead walked up to a young girl they hadn't even noticed.

It wasn't just the Zhou family; even Gu Yang hadn't expected it.

When Du Jinsong looked at Su Yan, he carried a very obvious trace of respect.

"When did you arrive in the Capital?"

Furthermore, he was the one who took the initiative to speak to her, and he even used the respectful form of address, "You" (Nín).

Even those who didn't know Du Jinsong's identity felt that such an attitude was somewhat inexplicable.

Zhou Li immediately lowered his voice and asked the person beside him, "Who is that girl?"

"She seems to be a maid brought by the Ma family."

"A maid?" Zhou Li's eyes turned inquisitive. To be treated this way by Du Jinsong and Zhang Ximing, she could absolutely not be a simple maid. "Go find out."

Sensing the gazes surrounding her, Su Yan felt a bit helpless.

"I arrived a few days ago. I didn't expect to run into you two here."

"The Capital is a nice place. Since you are here, you might as well take a good look around. Ximing and I just rushed back from out of town today, so we happen to have a few days of rest. If you need anything, you can contact us at any time."

A faint trace of excitement was suppressed in Du Jinsong's words.

He hadn't expected her to come to the Capital. Perhaps he could introduce her to the Organization; even if he couldn't convince her to join, he could at least establish a friendly relationship.

"Brother, what is the background of these two? How do they know Su Yan?"

Beside them, Ma Chulan couldn't help but ask Ma Chulong.

Ma Chulong shook his head, caught between laughter and tears.

They had spent the same amount of time with Su Yan; how could he know something she didn't?

However, judging by the aura of these two men, they were likely people of the same profession.

Kong Yueqing's expression was extremely unsightly. Why did the Ma family get to steal all the limelight tonight?

It was one thing for the main players to be present, but now even a maid was acting mysterious?!

"Alright, I will contact you when I have time. Regarding the matter you promised to help me with earlier, I assume it's being handled?" Su Yan asked intentionally, her gaze sweeping around the room as a reminder to the two men.

Du Jinsong noticed the curious and scrutinizing looks from others, but he didn't care in the slightest.

Moreover, in his heart, Su Yan's strength was something that deserved everyone's respect.

"Rest assured, we will absolutely honor what we promised," Du Jinsong gave a definitive answer.

A smile appeared on Su Yan's face; that was certainly for the best.

"It's getting late. Should we be heading back?"

She looked toward Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan.

After all, her current public identity was still a maid of the Ma family.

The people she had encountered here tonight were all beyond her expectations; leaving was the best way to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Ma Chulong understood her meaning. "Yes, it is time to go back."

He signaled Ma Chulan to take her leave of Zhou Li, and then he, Su Yan, and Gu Yang departed together.

Watching the four figures leave, Zhou Li thought about everything that had happened at the banquet. People who should have had no connection at all were now linked, and if he hadn't misread the bond, that link was this Su Yan.

This girl was not simple; she truly deserved a closer look.

Liu Yiyi, who had been completely "abandoned" by Gu Yang, showed no sign of anger. Instead, she maintained a meaningful smile throughout.

Things were becoming increasingly interesting.

***

"Su Yan, who were those two just now?"

After leaving the Zhou residence, Ma Chulan immediately couldn't help but ask.

"The one who spoke to me was Du Jinsong, and the other was Zhang Ximing. They visited our county before and we had some dealings, so we know each other," Su Yan explained simply.

The siblings understood immediately.

When she said they had "dealings," she naturally meant *that* kind of business. Those two men's identities were indeed exactly what they had thought.

"I didn't realize you had quite a few friends," Ma Chulan teased once she had relaxed, before specifically glancing at Gu Yang.

The two of them had stayed inseparable throughout the entire banquet; it seemed they hadn't fallen out because of that Liu Yiyi. That was truly wonderful.

Gu Yang saw the three of them to the hotel entrance before taking his leave, not asking a single question about Du Jinsong and Su Yan's acquaintance.

Su Yan followed Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan back to their room.

"The Zhou family has set the date for the trip to the Ancestral Land for one week from now. The Kongs and the Fengs will also be attending," Ma Chulong informed Su Yan of Zhou Xiongfeng's decision.

In fact, his father had explicitly instructed them over the phone to ensure the siblings participated in this matter as much as possible.

If they could assist the Zhou family, then in the future, should the Ma family ever have a need, they could make three requests to the Zhou family. This would be highly advantageous for the Ma family.

"Su Yan, are you sure you want to go with us?"

Although having Su Yan along would make things much easier, the place was fraught with danger, and the Feng family would be there. Even he couldn't be certain that nothing would go wrong.

"I'm sure. I know what you're worried about, but I tested that member of the Feng family tonight. He doesn't know me, nor does he know my abilities. It seems the person we killed in the warehouse didn't tell anyone about my situation."

Su Yan's words allowed Ma Chulong to breathe a sigh of relief.

"If that's the case, then that's great. Let's all prepare over the next few days and enter the Ancestral Land with the Zhou family in a week," Ma Chulong concluded.

"I have one more thing I want to say to Su Yan." Ma Chulan, who had remained silent, felt it was necessary to speak up just as Su Yan was preparing to leave.

Su Yan and Ma Chulong looked at her simultaneously.

Ma Chulan took a deep breath and said very seriously, "Su Yan, actually, I think you could tell Big Brother Gu. I can see that he likes you very much, and he isn't the type of person to be narrow-minded. If you tell him the truth, he might not necessarily reject it."

Just like what happened tonight—if Gu Yang knew the truth, it would save a lot of trouble.

Su Yan was visibly stunned; she had completely not expected her to bring up this topic.

Ma Chulan continued, "When two people like each other, shouldn't they be honest with one another? Not to mention, you two have an engagement."

She could roughly understand Su Yan's complicated feelings, but she simply felt that telling Gu Yang the truth might not be a bad thing.

Su Yan's silence made the atmosphere in the room tighten slightly.

"Su Yan, my sister is just making a suggestion. You can think about it," Ma Chulong hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

Su Yan finally snapped out of it. Instead of being angry, she nodded in agreement. "I will."

(End of Chapter)