"I, I won't be back tonight," Han Beicheng explained. "Master... master doesn't like to drink soup either. Please rest well." He bowed to He Lanjin and walked out of her room. He closed the door behind him and fled for his life.
This morning, Han Beicheng had two bowls of He Lanjin's soup. Not only did it make his nose bleed; it also made his body uncomfortable. He had to endure being poked on the buttocks by Shangguan Zhi before his libido went down.
"You must be crazy," Shangguan Zhi said as he made fun of Han Beicheng. "You shouldn't have taken that kind of tonic since you do not have a wife. Did you think the soup will give you extra strength?"
"Is my cooking that scary?" He Lanjin asked herself, feeling a little sad. She threw the medicinal herbs back into the box, took out her pistol, and played with it a few times. Looking at the bulletproof vest in the box, she could not help but smile. "What era is it now? Do people still use vests such as this?"
He Lanjin safely put Shen Biqiong's gifts before heading downstairs.
She approached Qiao Hanye, who was brewing some coffee, to feel the wound on his palm. It seemed to have healed nicely.
"Mr. Qiao, your wound healed rather quickly, don't you think?" He Lanjin said, wanting Qiao Hanye to feel guilty. They both knew that he was just pretending to be injured. She wanted to see what other tricks he had up his sleeve.
"Okay," Qiao Hanye answered as he nodded his head. He did not seem even the slightest bit embarrassed that He Lanjin saw through his charade.
He Lanjin leaned forward and watched as Qiao Hanye silently brewed the coffee. He poured a cup and handed it to her.
He Lanjn thanked Qiao Hanye then took a sip of the coffee. The taste was so pure that she had to take two more sips in quick succession. She reached over to look at the box and see what brand of coffee Qiao Hanye used. At the same time, Qiao Hanye grabbed the box to put it away.
He Lanjin's hand landed on Qiao Hanye's, and the two looked at each other, neither saying a word. Realizing what happened, He Lanjin quickly withdrew her hand.
"Coffee's not bad," she said and turned her back to him. Her eyes darted furtively, indicating that she was up to nothing good.
Qiao Hanye looked at He Lanjin's retreating figure and chuckled softly.
As soon as He Lanjin was out of sight, Qiao Hanye snapped his fingers. A bodyguard appeared before him and said, "Young master, what would you have me do?"
"Get everyone out of here," Qiao Hanye ordered. The bodyguard was puzzled but did not ask why. Instead, the bodyguard answered respectfully, "Yes, we will disappear immediately."
He Lanjin went out of the house and took a walk around Qiao Hanye's property. She had been living here for some time now, but she had never explored the place before. She was surprised to see how exquisite the garden was; it was like that of an ancient Jiangnan House. For some reason, she remembered the ancient house in the suburbs, where she first saw Qiao Hanye. The words of the centenarian in the theater echoed in her ears.
He Lanjin's phone suddenly rang. She tapped accept on her phone and Tang Zhilin's voice came on the line. "Ah Jin, after those hooligans were caught, they confessed and said that everything was a misunderstanding. Xiaoxue drank too much that night. She said she wanted to save someone who was screaming for help. She didn't want to stab you. She wasn't even expecting to see you in that alley. It was all an accident."
"Listen to mom's advice," Tang Zhilin said. "Don't take it seriously."
Tang Zhilin's words completely made He Lanjin lose interest. "And you called me up because?" He Lanjin asked coldly.
"Ah Jin, Xiaoxue won't stop crying and wants to end her life. Come home quickly and apologize to her," Tang Zhilin ordered. "You two are sisters. Don't make a fuss over such a small matter," He Lanjin fumed, wanting the conversation to be over soon.
"Also, has Shen Biqiong been looking for you recently?" Tang Zhilin asked rather carefully. "You know your aunt. She uses her power to bully others. If it weren't for her and your uncle, the old man wouldn't chase your father out." He Lanjin did answer.
"No matter what she says, don't believe her. Stay away from Shen Biqiong. Don't let her betray you," Tang Zhilin warned.
He Lanjin sneered. "What are you so worried about?"
Tang Zhilin was taken aback by He Lanjin's question and could not say anything.
Without another word, He Lanjin decisively hung up. She was too upset to say anything.
She knew very well how Shen Biqiong treated her, and how Tang Zhilin paled in comparison. It had always been like this.