Chapter 203: Negotiation

The slightly dim Western restaurant was reserved at this time. Feng Yunchen walked in from outside and noticed Qi Li, who was using tools to deal with a lobster at the long Western-style table. Qi Li glanced at her in mild surprise. Feng Yunchen also knew a little about this woman. She seemed to be Jiang Hai's wife.

It didn't take long for Feng Yunchen to understand why this woman had called her here. If she were in Qi Li's position, she probably would have done the same.

"Come on, sit down..." Upon hearing the sound of Feng Yunchen's high heels clicking on the floor, Qi Li slowly raised her head, glanced at the lightly made-up woman in front of her, spoke softly, and then returned her focus to the lobster in front of her.

"It's getting late. If you have something to say, just say it directly." Qi Li's words prompted Feng Yunchen to pull out the chair opposite her and sit down. After a moment of silence, she looked at Qi Li, who was still absorbed in her work, and then spoke in a deep voice.

"Don't worry, you haven't eaten yet, right? Order whatever you like." Qi Li said lightly, without pausing in her task.

The waiter, about to walk over with the menu, was stopped by Feng Yunchen's raised hand.

"I don't need it. People in our line of work don't usually eat at night. Let's get straight to the point. We Northeastern girls are more straightforward. If I'm not mistaken, you asked me to come here because of Jiang Hai."

Hearing Feng Yunchen's words, Qi Li paused for a moment in her work, then elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin before setting it aside. She raised her head slightly, looking at the woman before her.

"Yes, you guessed right. I asked you here because of Jiang Hai. I'm wondering if you've been in touch with him recently?" Qi Li asked in an indifferent tone, as if discussing something trivial.

"Oh, I've been in contact." Feng Yunchen smiled while looking at Qi Li. The two were about the same age, but Qi Li, despite her experience negotiating business deals, was still no match for this "bad" woman who had fought to survive at the bottom of society for many years. With just one sentence, Qi Li's following words were effectively silenced.

Qi Li had originally expected Feng Yunchen to deny it or perhaps show fear, but now it seemed that her worries had been unfounded.

"How many times have you contacted him?" Qi Li continued, her hand unconsciously tightening around her lobster fork as she looked at Feng Yunchen.

"This… that's none of your business. It's my private matter." Feng Yunchen smiled, her tone playful.

"I told you not to be so arrogant. We've already investigated your situation thoroughly. You're just a mistress who's still trying to rise by using your body. Why act so high and mighty? Do you think Liu Zhengri is your protector, and that you can do whatever you want because of him? Let me tell you, in our eyes, Liu Zhengri is nothing but a small pawn. We could crush him whenever we want!" The assistant, who wore glasses, stepped forward at this point, placing a hand on Feng Yunchen's shoulder as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"I know. When you were investigating me, I did a bit of research on you too. But what I know about you isn't nearly as detailed as what you know about me. I can't afford to offend the Qi Group..." Feng Yunchen slapped the assistant's hand off her shoulder and chuckled lightly.

"If you think I'm relying on Liu Zhengri, then I don't think there's anything else to talk about. Liu Zhengri and I have more of a transactional relationship. He gives me money, and I support him in some private clubs. Honestly, whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me. But I'm a loyal person. He gives me money, so I won't publicly oppose him. But if he falls, that's not on me. As for finding Jiang Hai, given the relationship we had that night, do you think he'd take me in, based on his personality?" Feng Yunchen raised an eyebrow and asked, giving Qi Li a knowing look.

"Maybe," Qi Li replied, narrowing her eyes. "But have you considered that it's impossible for you and Jiang Hai?" The challenge in her voice was clear, and the discomfort of having someone threaten her for the first time in many years was evident in her tone.

However, Qi Li knew that Feng Yunchen was speaking the truth. Jiang Hai was impulsive and acted passionately at first, only to later fall back into his lazy, indecisive state. He was sentimental and soft-hearted.

If this woman truly went to find Jiang Hai, it was likely that Jiang Hai might take her in.

"I know. From the beginning, when Jiang Hai and I first met, I knew he was just being impulsive. After he released the hormones that made him crazy, he'd regret it and return to his senses. But I didn't originally plan on marrying him or even becoming his only one. Don't forget, I'm a mistress now. If a man with more potential and ability comes along, I'm okay with continuing as his mistress. I wouldn't mind being the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or even eighth mistress. I don't think Jiang Hai would abandon me just because there's another woman around him." Feng Yunchen pouted playfully at Qi Li, twirling her curly hair as she spoke. Looking at her, Qi Li realized that she would leave empty-handed tonight.

"Well, I think there's nothing more to discuss. Don't expect me to stay in China for long. You'd better hope I can live comfortably here, so I don't have to run abroad to find Jiang Hai... Of course, if you want to hire someone to kill me, I may not be able to escape, after all, I'm just a nobody. But if this matter were to get exposed, I think it would be worth it to use the Qi Group to bury me." Seeing Qi Li speechless, Feng Yunchen smiled, picked up her small bag from the table, and turned to leave.

"Boss Qi, are you really going to let her go just like that?" As Qi Li sat in silence, her face darkened. The assistant, still wearing glasses, approached and asked in a low voice.

"Don't worry about her. The reason she's so bold right now is because she knows I can't touch Jiang Hai… Let's wait and see. The most crucial part of this issue still lies with Jiang Hai," Qi Li replied softly, tapping the table lightly with her knife and fork before returning to her task of dealing with the lobster.

After leaving the restaurant, Feng Yunchen let out a long sigh.

It was late February in the imperial capital, and a faint sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead. In truth, the tough exterior she had shown was more of a defense mechanism.

The aura Qi Li exuded was far beyond what she could compare to. Despite her own hard-nosed attitude, she knew that in situations like this, the one who had nothing left to lose was often the most dangerous.

But people were selfish. No one would willingly sacrifice their life for another's.

Even if Qi Li wanted her dead, Qi Li might not bury her.

This was the reality of being a small player in a big world. Feng Yunchen understood it all too well. After leaving the Western restaurant, she hailed a taxi back to her residence. Lying on her bed, she sighed once more.

Now that she had offended Qi Li, Liu Zhengri's ability to protect her seemed increasingly unlikely.

And Liu Zhengri might even turn on her and side with Qi Li. After all, compared to her, money was far more important to Liu Zhengri.

"Now, it seems the only one who can protect me is Jiang Hai. Hmm… Let's see if I can go to his place soon and take some photos," Feng Yunchen muttered, as she grabbed her phone and began scrolling through it.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hai had no idea what was unfolding in the imperial capital. He had already gotten up, washed up, and gone for his morning run. Recently, he had developed a routine of running every morning. He also made sure to check on his horse, Xiaoxia—feeding it some carrots, brushing its fur, and letting it run a few steps. By the time he finished, it was already past eight in the morning.

Returning to his villa, he found Darlene and Marianne had already gotten up and were helping with the housework, but Fuyuan was still asleep. This was understandable—Fuyuan had flown for more than ten hours, adjusted to the jet lag, and drank a lot of wine the previous night. However, after waiting for a while, Jiang Hai grew impatient and opened Fuyuan's door to drag him out of bed.

"Ha, I'm so sleepy. Are there any plans for today?" Fuyuan mumbled groggily as he washed his face and brushed his teeth. He leaned against the doorframe of his room, looking exhausted.

"Plenty of activities today, it just depends on what you want to do. We could go out to sea, go fishing, or swim. It's a little cold right now, but the ice in the Danshui River has melted, so we could go shoot fish. We could also go hunting in the woods, go horseback riding, or head over to Winthrop..." Jiang Hai listed off the options thoughtfully. He had a lot of activities available at his manor now.

"Let's go fishing. I remember we can take a plane in the afternoon! We'll fish first, then catch the flight. I haven't fished in the sea yet. I've only fished in reservoirs or ponds before." Fuyuan said, eager to try out the fishing. Despite not being able to hunt beasts in Jiang Hai's forest, shooting birds was still an option. The thought of using a gun intrigued him, especially considering the type of gun Jiang Hai used. He'd never tried fishing with firearms either, but was excited to do so. Riding horses and touring the manor were fun too, but for today, the sea was the priority.

Bingcheng wasn't exactly an inland city, but it was far from the coast. Fuyuan had never been out to sea before.