Chapter 39 - Cousin

“Yu Qingqing, I am not your cousin,” Xu Huo said, then hung up the phone; the next second, another call came through:

“Xu Huo!

Though they say cousins are distant, you’re being too cold-blooded…”

Hang up.

Another call: “Can you at least let me finish speaking, men are such pigs…”

Hang up again.

After several repetitions, Xu Huo finally said into the phone, “Speak properly, or I’ll turn off my phone.”

There was silence for a few seconds before a soft voice said, “I’ve been bullied.

My agent tricked me into accompanying a client.”

“Where are you?” Xu Huo grabbed his door card and walked out.

“Rui Xi Hotel, ninth floor.”

Xu Huo’s footsteps paused, then he turned and headed upstairs.

After climbing two floors, he saw a slender figure sitting at the top of the stairwell, her face foundation smeared and tear-streaked, as she sent voice messages while crying.

“That fat bastard dared to touch me, I’ll kick his balls into oblivion!”

“… The agent is no better.

If I had known, I would have listened to my cousin and gone back to inherit the family fortune, since my family is so rich.”

“It’s good that you understand.” Xu Huo walked up and lifted her up, examining her carefully.

Her makeup might’ve been ruined, but she seemed to be in decent spirits.

Yu Qingqing looked at him with bright, shimmering eyes, “Cousin, you’re miraculous, to actually make it here in five minutes!”

“I’m staying here today.” Hearing footsteps in the corridor, he said sternly, “Why didn’t you leave immediately after the incident?

Didn’t you think that they might seek revenge after you hit someone?”

Yu Qingqing was about to say something when the stairwell’s fire door was kicked open, and a portly middle-aged man, flanked by her agent and two bodyguards, charged out.

Upon seeing her, the middle-aged man reached out for her in a fury, “You little slut!”

Xu Huo blocked his hand and pushed him back, causing the man to stagger into the arms of his bodyguards.

“Who the fuck are you!

How dare you meddle in my affairs!”

“He is Yu Qingqing’s cousin, just a bit player,” the agent said dismissively, then addressed Yu Qingqing, “What are you standing there for?

Get over here and apologize to Director Zhu!”

“Apologies are unnecessary, you!” Director Zhu pointed at Xu Huo, “Now you clean Yu Qingqing up and send her to my bed.

If I’m satisfied, we’ll consider this matter settled.

Otherwise, you can forget about living in Ting City!”

Xu Huo backhanded him aside, and with a “crack,” Director Zhu cradled his hand and screamed in pain, stumbling backward while shouting, “Beat him to death!”

The bodyguards charged at him, but Xu Huo effortlessly grabbed one of them by the arm and sent him tumbling down the stairs.

Before that one could fall, he slammed the second one’s head against the wall!

Two wails of agony followed.

Xu Huo was still standing in the same place, having not even moved a step.

“You you you—don’t come over here!” The agent, facing the approaching man, said, “Assault is illegal!”

Xu Huo casually slapped him, and the agent fell to his knees, spitting out blood along with his teeth.

Bringing Director Zhu over to sit next to him on the stairway, Xu Huo looked at the two kneeling side by side, leisurely lighting a cigarette for himself, and didn’t say a word for a long while.

Compared to Director Zhu, the agent was more perceptive, stammering, “Brother Xu, we can talk it out.

It’s not worth getting locked up over a scumbag like me!”

Xu Huo laughed, “Ever heard of an ‘Evolver’?”

“Although most Evolvers don’t eat people, there are some who do.

While you were up to no good, they were hiding in some corner of this city, starving and desperate for a bite to eat, tearing their hearts out.”

The news about Evolvers had not been made public, but with the advent of the internet, any small incident could cause a buzz online.

Despite never having seen an Evolver, Director Zhu and his people had heard rumors.

They only knew that Evolvers were extremely strong and fast, and it was very difficult to catch them after they committed crimes.

Director Zhu’s two bodyguards were paid monthly salaries of tens of thousands and were not lacking in skills, but in front of Xu Huo, they were like children, unable even to fight back.

And he knew so much about Evolvers—that he was an Evolver!

Evolvers could eat people!

The group suddenly felt their legs go weak.

“What do you want to do?

There are cameras everywhere in the hotel, you can’t escape!” Director Zhu’s teeth were chattering, terrified that in the next second, Xu Huo would pounce on him and devour him alive!

“Don’t worry, I’m going to burn down the surveillance room later.” Xu Huo flicked off some cigarette ash.

Now even the two bodyguards began to tremble.

“Brother Xu!

Brother Xu!” The agent clung to his legs, “This isn’t my fault, it was Director Zhu who fancied Yu Qingqing and spoke to the company’s deputy manager, forcing me to bring people here.

Otherwise, I’d be fired, and with my wife heavily pregnant, I can’t lose my job.

Who would be willing to do such a dirty deed?!”

Director Zhu glared at his back hatefully, but at that moment, he wasn’t in the position to settle scores.

He pushed Yu Qingqing towards Xu Huo and ran off, pulling open the stairwell door!

The two bodyguards also thought of moving, but to their surprise, in the next second, the safety door reopened, and Director Zhu came stumbling back in, hands clutching his throat, gasping for air as if being dragged by something, and was pulled to the wall.

His hefty body was hoisted up, only his tiptoes barely touching the floor, preventing him from being immediately hanged by his own weight!

“Help…

help…” He stared at the bodyguards, but they didn’t dare come over, shrinking into the corner like they’d seen a ghost, not daring to even look at Xu Huo.

Director Zhu’s head was engorged with blood, his pants soaked through, tears and snot streaming down his face, his eyes turning towards Xu Huo’s direction, he managed to eke out two wheezing syllables, “Spare…

life…”

Only then did Xu Huo raise his hand to release him, glancing at the man sprawled on the floor like a dead pig, and said, “Try to do less evil from now on, things are different these days.”

Then he turned to the agent, “Will there be any problems with Yu Qingqing terminating her contract tomorrow?”

The agent quickly came to his senses and immediately said, “No problem, I’ll go prepare the contract right away and convince the company not to charge a penalty fee!”

Xu Huo nodded and motioned for Yu Qingqing to follow him down the stairs.

Back in his room, Yu Qingqing stood carefully by the door, “Cousin, you’re not hungry now, are you?”

Xu Huo turned around, looking at her with a faint, sly smile, “That’s true, girls do smell much nicer than middle-aged men.”

Yu Qingqing’s eyes widened, “Brother, we’re relatives, blood is thicker than water!”

“Do you know why the zombie in a zombie movie goes after their own family’s blood first after crawling out of the coffin?”

“Why?”

“Because blood is thicker than water, more to their taste.”

Yu Qingqing let out a huge sigh of relief, patting her chest, “That’s a relief, we have no blood relation.”

“Go freshen up, you can fly back home after terminating the contract tomorrow.” Xu Huo said with a faint smile.

“No.” Yu Qingqing ran over and clung to his arm, whining, “Even if I stop being an actress, I can stay and take care of you.

If you get hungry, I’ll go out and fish for bad guys for you to eat, how about that?

I’m a loyal cousin, right?”

Xu Huo’s expression changed slightly; he grabbed her shoulder, spun her around, and yanked the collar of her dress open.