Chapter 182 - What?!

"Why would I ruin a perfectly good thing?", Yang Mei roared by the end of the sentence. 

" That is exactly what I am saying! Why are you ruining something perfect...Wait!Did you say that you did not do it?"

A sardonic nod was the answer Yang Mei gave him. Now almost collapsing into the back of the chair, Zhang Min frowned and started to think hard. The change in demeanour from aggressive and cold to this confided fellow almost caused Yang Mei to wonder if she had slipped into some parallel world. She subtly pinched herself to check that she had not really fallen asleep. But then she realized something and it was her turn to scowl, "What do you mean ruining by their relationship? Who is trying to harm Xiao Ai and Ah Hai?"

The question brought Zhang Min back to his senses and he looked back at Yang Mei keenly. He could tell that she wasn't lying and that she was also genuinely worried. So, he decided, they had to leave behind the assumption that she was responsible for the misunderstanding between Shi Ai and Ah Hai. But that still begged the question that why did she not explain everything to Shi Ai after waking up. They needed to start from the beginning.

"Yang Mei, did you ever think of trying to sabotage, Ah Hai and Shi Ai's relationship?"

This direct question caused Yang Mei to fidget and look down. She did not know how to answer this without coming across as a jerk. But lying was not an option, so, "Yes. In the early days when I joined as his secretary, I had intended to break them up. But I quickly changed my mind after that. Look, when I discovered Xiao Ai's existence I tried to find as much about her as I could. That meant finding about Ah Hai also. And you can see for yourself that Ah Hai is no warm ray of sunshine! I was horrified that Shi Ai was married to such a..such a.."

"Grim reaper."

"Huh?" 

"I can understand where you are coming from. The first time I saw him I was a hundred per cent sure, he was the grim reaper."

Yang Mei felt herself go a little soft at the little smile that the man gave her but quickly shook her head, "Yeah, that. And the more I tried to investigate him, the more worried I was that Shi Ai was just staying with him because she was indebted to him or he was blackmailing her or something. But when I started work, I observed the man and his behaviour towards everyone. He was as cold as I had imagined but he was also patient and fair. He did not throw people out just because they made mistakes but tried to guide them in the right direction. So I felt my resolve waver. And then I saw his interaction with Shi Ai and finally, I realized that the two were genuinely in love with each other. And not together by force or circ.u.mstances. Though I admire the man greatly, I still do winder how he must have managed to propose to my sister. Anyways I have long given up the thought of separating them."

Zhang Min observed the open expressions on the girl's face with admiration. He had acknowledged her courage and bravery when he had heard how she had saved her sister so many years ago and how she had not hesitated this time around as well.

"Ah Hai never proposed. Your sister proposed to him when she was thirteen.."

Yang Mei:".."

She had no idea her Xiao Ai was so courageous.

"Anyways coming back to the topic, since there seems to be a confusion, we must start at the beginning," Why did you go to that General? And why did you inform him of your location?"

"General? General who? Do you mean Uncle Gu? But he was from our team, wasn't he? That is what I was told. I received a call from Shot to tell Uncle Gu my location as the plan had changed at the last minute! And that I was to be hard as bait because Shi Qinglan was escaping. So uncle Gu was going to pretend to be Ah Hai's enemy and lure him there. So I went along with him."

"Anyone just called you and you trusted that person? And what do you mean by Uncle? How did you come in contact with Ah Hai's oldest enemy and started to call him uncle?"

"You mean that man was not pretending to be Ah Hai's enemy? What is going on can you please explain it in a language that I can understand?"

Briefly, Zhang Min told about the enmity between General Gu and Ah Hai that he had learnt from Knox. He then explained how because of this last-minute change of plan, Shi Ai was blaming Ah Hai for hurting Yang Mei and believed him to be ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. He did not tell Yang Mei about Ah Hai's injuries as Shi Ai was still unaware of them and he did not wish to let anyone slip up.

"Dr Zhang, I am not dumb. And neither is Shi Ai. There is something else that we are missing here. Because I was introduced to General Gu by a very trusted person from KSS. And not just me but most of the upper employees in KSS recognize the man as 'Uncle'. And I would not have gone to him if the person who had ordered this was anyone else because the person who ordered me to share my location is none other than, Ah Hai's most trusted man-'Shot.'

Shot...If whatever Yang Mei had said was true then the impossible had happened. Shot, the man who was said to be the most loyal to Ah Hai, his best friend and champion was actually an enemy in disguise. But if that was the case then everything that Shi Ai said night was for the man's benefit. But how? How did she know all this and why was she hiding it from everyone instead of exposing the man? He had come for answers but would be leaving with more questions.