"Achoo!" With a loud sneeze, Miao Tong rubbed his nose. "Who's thinking of me?"
"Stop being narcissistic. Who would be thinking of you?" Miao's father shot Miao Tong a look.
"Hey! I'm your son after all. Can you just discard me like dirt now that you've found your elder brother?" Miao Tong was speechless. "Even if you don't miss me, can't someone else miss me? Like Mom!"
"Your mother is still angry with you. If she misses you, she's only thinking about how to kill you," Miao's father said calmly.
"It's just one ice cream! You're holding onto it for so long?" Miao Tong was speechless.
"You know what your mother went through in that organization back then," Miao's father thought of his beloved wife and felt a pang of heartache. "She was taken from the orphanage at five. With her timid and crybaby nature, she used to fight with wild dogs for food as a child, and grew up fighting for the chance to live. She would cry her lungs out while killing people. Even I felt sorry for her. For her, food was her life. And you went after her ice cream..."
"I know! I know, okay! I've apologized so many times..." Miao Tong said. "And about my mother, can you not talk about it outside? My mother finally escaped from there alive. What if she's really captured again? Then we'll see you cry!"
"It's fine. It's just you, me, and..." Miao's father patted his arm. "Mosquitoes."
Miao Tong really wanted to say that walls have ears, but amidst the piles of weeds and trees, there were indeed only the father and son, and mosquitoes.
"You still have to be careful. What if there are people from the Tang family? The Tang family's Mingzhu might still be on that ship!" Miao Tong pointed to the cruise ship docked at the port not far away. "Ever since we disembarked, I've been with Xia Qingtian. She hasn't contacted Bai Yuqi. You're watching the ship, so there definitely won't be any mistakes. Let's wait and see. I don't believe they won't make a move."
"Are you sure the Tang family's Mingzhu is on that ship?" Miao's father quietly asked again, swatting another mosquito.
"More or less," Miao Tong thought. This was definitely the best way for the Tang family's Mingzhu to leave City Z.
And Xia Qingtian's choice as an intermediary was perfect, but he temporarily didn't know why Xia Qingtian would help the Tang family's Mingzhu.
Besides, wasn't that seductive fox spirit who confused his elder brother also from the Tang family?
Perhaps that rustic fox spirit was one of the reasons for Xia Qingtian's alignment?
In short, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
"Have you considered that this might be a diversionary tactic?" Miao's father took out his phone and glanced at it. "The people tracking Xia Qingtian were discovered by the Yue family. The Miao family members escaped. We don't know how the other forces are doing."
"Xia Qingtian has powerful backing, with Young Master Bai and the Yue family..." Miao Tong raised his eyebrows slightly, his lips curling downwards. "But it doesn't matter. It's not easy for her to fool me."
"Then, if the Tang family's Mingzhu is still in City Z, and you followed Xia Qingtian to the capital," Miao's father turned to Miao Tong and said, "does that count as her fooling you?"
"No... I don't think so..." Miao Tong's tone was somewhat uncertain because he hadn't smelled any obvious Tang family members on the ship.
"..." Miao's father looked at Miao Tong expressionlessly, silently raising his hand to swat another mosquito that had landed on him.
Miao Tong met his father's gaze, then grinned a bit awkwardly. "It should... be impossible."
"It's good that we got your elder brother back," Miao's father stood up and looked at Miao Tong. "The Miao family is ruined in your hands."
"Hey! Dad, isn't that a bit too much?" Miao Tong protested.
Miao's father didn't reply. Instead, he walked directly to the ship, stood by its side, and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he slowly raised his hand.
Seeing his father busy, Miao Tong couldn't fully express his grievances.
Only when Miao's father opened his eyes and glanced at Miao Tong indifferently did he say, "The Tang family's Mingzhu is not on the ship."
"What? Was she transported away already!?" Miao Tong was shocked. No way!
He had been very careful all the way. Before disembarking, he had contacted the Miao family to set up an ambush nearby. After disembarking, his father was personally monitoring. How did the Tang family's Mingzhu leave?
"Water escape? That's impossible..."
"The Tang family's Mingzhu never boarded the ship," Miao's father glared at Miao Tong. "You've been completely played by Xia Qingtian."
"I..." Miao Tong choked, looked back at the ship, and then at Miao's father.
Miao's father was much stronger than him. If he couldn't sense it, it might be due to his inadequate Gu arts and poor sensitivity to poisons. But if Miao's father said no, then it was true.
"Tell everyone to go back," Miao's father scratched the mosquito bite on his chin and commanded into his phone.
"Dad, I..." Miao Tong wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by his father's look.
"I'll settle the score with you later!" Miao's father glared at Miao Tong and then turned to walk away.
"Dad, don't! I've also worked very hard recently! I've been working very hard in City Z too! Can't you see it at all?" Miao Tong chased after his father, saying, "Look at me properly!"
"Look at what? Look at how good the food at Xia's place is? That it made you work hard and get fat?" Miao's father said exasperatedly. "Really..."
"I..." Miao Tong knew he had been eating quite well lately, but what about his physical injuries?
He had been seriously injured before.
But no matter how Miao Tong explained, he only received a look of disdain from his father.
Before closing the car door, Miao's father interrupted Miao Tong's chatter. "Now it seems the Tang family's Mingzhu is still in City Z. The previous explosion was not small, and the Tang family's Mingzhu should be seriously injured. Return to Xia Qingtian's side and keep an eye on her. If the Tang family's Mingzhu really has contact with her, then monitoring her is the right move! If you mess this up again, I'll tie you up and send you to your mother."
With a glare at Miao Tong, Miao's father didn't give him a chance to talk further. He directly closed the car door and ordered the driver to go.
Miao's father secretly cursed his foolish son for being unreliable. The mosquitoes were so itchy! He needed his wife to apply medicine when they got back, and it would only be better with kisses and comfort.
"Dad!" Miao Tong waved his arms, watching the car drive away. "It's hard to get a taxi here! Give me a ride! It's on your way!"
But the car showed no signs of stopping. Miao Tong felt like crying.
Just then, a flashy red convertible sports car stopped beside Miao Tong. The young man driving had dazzling blonde hair and wore gradient sunglasses. He held the steering wheel with one hand and beckoned Miao Tong with the other. "Young Master Miao, do you need a ride?"
"Young Master Bai? Why are you here?" Miao Tong looked at Bai Yuqi in surprise.
"My enemy told me there would be good drama if I stayed on the ship, so it wouldn't be too late to leave after watching the show," Bai Yuqi chuckled, his eyes behind the sunglasses curved like crescent moons. "It was indeed quite a show."
Miao Tong immediately thought of his own pathetic state and knew Bai Yuqi was referring to him. "You!"
"Want to get in? It's not easy to get a taxi here," Bai Yuqi said with a light laugh. "Consider it a ticket for the show."
Miao Tong clenched his fists by his side, then let out a heavy snort and opened the passenger door, getting in.
"Young Master Miao, haven't you heard not to casually sit in someone else's passenger seat?" Bai Yuqi looked at Miao Tong and smiled brilliantly. "The passenger seat is for girlfriends."