Chapter 329: The Third Miss of the Xiao Family Turns Out to Be Taoyang’s Number One Fan
Ma Dapao, Qian Lin, and the others rushed over when they heard the news of Su Tao getting shot, all of them still in shock.
Fortunately, the hospital Su Tao was taken to had excellent facilities and skilled surgeons. Before long, the bullet was successfully removed, and she was wheeled out of the operating room.
As soon as Ling Tianji saw her, he stepped forward anxiously. “Miss Su, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”
Sitting in the wheelchair, Su Tao shook her head to indicate she was fine. She turned to Minister Xu and flashed him a bright smile.
“Thank you for your trouble, Minister Xu.”
Minister Xu waved his hand dismissively. “As long as you’re okay. I heard that Mr. Hu from Dingnan has the ‘Iron Fist’ ability. To restrain someone like him is no small feat.”
If she hadn’t controlled him, the consequences could have been disastrous.
Ling Tianji wiped his brow nervously. It was a relief that Su Tao only suffered a gunshot wound without any bone damage. With proper rest, she would recover soon. If she had taken a direct punch from Hu, the outcome would have been far worse.
After a moment of silence, Su Tao looked up and said, “I hope Minister Xu and Mr. Ling can help me—Mr. Hu won’t let this go easily.”
Since Chu Yue had already revealed the truth to Jiao Qing’s husband, he was convinced that Su Tao was responsible for Jiao Qing’s disappearance—whether through imprisonment or worse.
As long as Jiao Qing remained missing, her husband would never stop targeting Su Tao, making him a significant threat.
Ling Tianji hesitated before replying, “Within Xindu, I guarantee he won’t harm you again. Furthermore, Dingnan will be banned from participating in any events or receiving support for the next three years as punishment. This is a heavy price for them. But if you leave Xindu, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Su Tao understood—there would be no direct punishment for Jiao Qing’s husband. No arrest, no retaliation, not even a retaliatory bullet to his ankle. At most, he’d get a stern lecture and be sent on his way.
Even though she had mentally prepared for this, Su Tao’s fists clenched tightly.
If that’s how it was going to be, she would personally settle the score.
If not for her quick reflexes, that punch could have left her paralyzed. Dingnan’s intent had clearly been to cripple her—malicious and calculated.
Minister Xu said nothing more at the time, but after Ling Tianji left, he spoke to Su Tao in a serious tone.
“For now, you must endure. Dingnan has received a warning and will lie low for a long time. If you act impulsively and seek revenge, they won’t hold back either. Think about Taoyang—if they can’t get to you, they’ll wait at Taoyang’s gates and strike down anyone who steps out. Can you handle that?”
Hearing this only darkened Su Tao’s mood.
“So Taoyang is still seen as weak and easy to bully. If this happened in Xindu, Dingnan wouldn’t dare pull such a stunt. They’d be cowering like dogs.”
Minister Xu patted her shoulder. “Taoyang will become stronger in time.”
Su Tao’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Minister Xu, can Taoyang apply to become an official settlement? I know we haven’t met the required time frame, but if you visit Taoyang, I promise it won’t disappoint you.”
Minister Xu shook his head with a smile. “I’m afraid I won’t have time this year—maybe next year.”
He had recently received word that his daughter had been spotted in the southern region, and he planned to spend the next few months searching for her.
Su Tao didn’t press the matter further and nodded in understanding. Once he left, however, she lay back in her wheelchair, her mind still stewing with frustration.
She admitted it—she was young, and she couldn’t just let this go.
If she couldn’t kill Mr. Hu, she’d at least make him pay a heavy price.
From Fang Zhi’s storage space, she retrieved an ability user’s crystal core.
The core floated above her palm, emitting a soft blue glow before rapidly absorbing into her body. Within three seconds, the core lost its color, shattered into pieces, and vanished.
When she opened her eyes, Su Tao could feel the presence of a new ability—the “Misfortune Puppet.”
Without needing an explanation, she instinctively summoned it—a delicate puppet appeared in her hand.
The puppet had large, round eyes that glistened like mica, its surface smooth and radiant. Despite its innocent appearance, it carried a sinister power—bringing bad luck at best, and severe injury or death at worst.
She carefully wrapped a cloth around the puppet’s eyes and called for Ma Dapao. Handing him the puppet, she instructed:
“Dapao, find Deng Zilu—yes, Zuo Ercheng’s woman—and make sure she delivers this puppet to the Dingnan people today. Preferably to Mr. Hu himself.”
Ma Dapao didn’t ask any questions. He simply nodded and tucked the puppet securely into a bag.
“But what if Deng Zilu refuses?” he asked.
Su Tao sneered. “She wouldn’t dare. But if she does, tell her Chu Yue already blamed everything on her—that it was all Deng Zilu’s idea. Threaten to expose her to President Zuo if she doesn’t cooperate. She’ll do it.”
Ma Dapao didn’t know the details about the “Obsession Incident,” and he didn’t pry. Memorizing her instructions carefully, he left to carry out the task.
Earlier that morning, Su Tao had planned to meet the third Miss of the Xiao family to discuss a piece of land near Taoyang.
Despite the delay caused by the shooting, Miss Xiao didn’t mind at all. In fact, she personally drove to the hospital with a gift basket to visit Su Tao.
When Su Tao saw her for the first time, she doubted her identity for a moment.
After all, the eldest son of the Xiao family had left a strong impression—arrogant, ostentatious, and completely reckless.
When Su Tao learned that the Xiao family had acquired the Taoyang land, she had been a bit annoyed, expecting to deal with another spoiled, irresponsible rich kid.
But Xiao Wenyu was nothing like her brother.
She wore plain sweatpants, a simple white T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Her low-key appearance didn’t match that of a daughter from a wealthy and powerful family.
She didn’t wear makeup and greeted Su Tao cheerfully.
“Hi, I’m Xiao Wenyu,” she said casually.
Su Tao immediately felt a good impression and returned a polite smile.
“Hello, I’m Su Tao. Sorry for canceling our meeting today. If it’s convenient, can we reschedule?”
Xiao Wenyu plopped onto a nearby sofa, waving her hand dismissively.
“No need. I heard you’re heading back to Taoyang this afternoon—mind giving me a ride? I want to see it for myself.”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
Su Tao, sensing her eagerness, nodded and asked the most pressing question:
“Are you planning to keep the land for yourself, or is it a gift?”
Xiao Wenyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why would I give away such a prime spot? It’s for myself!”
She had no intention of gifting it to anyone—not even her father.
“I’ve wanted to live on my own since I was a teenager,” she continued. “My family is a mess. I’ve been searching for the perfect place for ages. Six months ago, I heard about Taoyang and even submitted an application to move in—but I didn’t get selected.”
Hearing this, Su Tao’s mood lifted considerably. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with the rest of the Xiao family.
