With a voice like pearls falling onto a jade plate—cool, detached, and aloof—he pronounced the two syllables of Xia Xian's name in a way that made them sound remarkably distinctive.
Yet Xia Xian suddenly shuddered, finding it deeply unnatural.
She rubbed her ear, lingering by the basement door, hesitating to step forward as she offered a soft explanation.
"I'm sorry, something came up this morning. I didn't mean to."
"I won't be late again."
Though the man was clearly not throwing a tantrum, he exuded an inexplicable, terrifying aura. It was truly bizarre.
"I don't like people who are late."
"You can choose to inform me beforehand if you're running behind. I do not accept last-minute changes to our schedule. Understand?"
Quan Ruifeng tapped his well-defined fingers against the tabletop, his dark eyes gazing casually at Xia Xian, his oppressive presence unabated.
"Understood."
"I promise this will never happen again."
Xia Xian straightened up slightly, giving a solemn guarantee.
They were partners now; she really shouldn't have acted like this. She had miscalculated her time this morning, and from now on, she needed to be much more accurate when estimating her schedule!
"Come over here. We'll go through the files today. Time is tight, and if possible, I'd like us to begin the operation tomorrow."
Quan Ruifeng raised his chin, signaling that she could come over instead of standing there wasting time.
Hooking Sea Eagle was no simple matter; it required careful, deliberate planning. They couldn't let him leave during this period or set his sights on another target, or all their previous efforts would go to waste.
"Oh, right."
Xia Xian hurried over, sat down beside him, and assumed an attitude of supreme seriousness. After committing every piece of information to memory, she successfully passed Quan Ruifeng's assessment!
She now had a foundational, comprehensive understanding of Sea Eagle.
"You're already familiar with his behavioral patterns. Let me ask you this: how do you think we can draw him out?"
"It doesn't matter if you can't think of anything; I've already drawn up a plan. You don't need to worry about that part."
Quan Ruifeng asked the question almost offhandedly, and as he spoke, he pulled out his drafted plan, intending to show it to Xia Xian so she could refine it to match her own characteristics.
Unexpectedly, instead of looking at the plan Quan Ruifeng handed over, Xia Xian looked right at him. After a moment of quiet reflection, she said earnestly:
"We could engineer a situation that brings me fame, so that he learns of me, discovers that I am single, vulnerable, and prone to tears, and thereby draws his attention and makes him take the bait."
Her appearance fit Sea Eagle's selection criteria perfectly; if they also fabricated the right background experiences, it probably wouldn't be difficult to catch his eye.
Quan Ruifeng raised a brow, finally beginning to look at Xia Xian in a whole new light.
Her thoughts coincided completely with his own. Although the idea was a bit raw, with a little training, it would work without a hitch. It seemed he truly hadn't chosen the wrong person.
"See if you can accept this. These are my thoughts."
Quan Ruifeng tapped the documents on the desk, gesturing for her to look down.
Without a word, Xia Xian pulled the documents toward her and began reading carefully. She had to admit that while Quan Ruifeng's plan had its flaws, it had a nearly one hundred percent chance of drawing Sea Eagle out—assuming he was still in Beijing.
"Well? If you have any thoughts, speak your mind."
Quan Ruifeng disliked beating around the bush and asked for her opinion directly.
"Uh... as a plan for capturing a criminal, I think it's mature enough. But for me, cast in the role of the bait, isn't this a bit harsh? Is there truly no other way?"
Xia Xian asked hesitantly.She had only just become a widow. If she were to get involved with Quan Ruifeng, only to be dumped by him and cause a scene at the Public Security Bureau, her reputation would be beyond saving for the rest of her life.
She didn't care about such things herself, but her parents would truly be furious enough to kill.
"I understand your concerns, but this is the surest way to escalate the situation and draw out Sea Eagle. I know this will damage your reputation, but once Sea Eagle is captured, I will go public with the truth and clear your name."
"As for your parents, I can visit them beforehand and explain that we are merely acting to avoid the harassment of Chu Sheng and his mother. They certainly wouldn't be happy about you finding a new partner, so this will provide us with a convenient cover."
Quan Ruifeng had even considered her parents' feelings, which was already thoughtful enough. Besides, Xia Xian would eventually leave for Beijing, where the local gossip wouldn't be able to touch her at all.
Still, she was a woman, after all. Quan Ruifeng lowered his gaze, suddenly thinking of a way to improve the plan.
"How about this: we pretend to be dating, and then I act as if I’m involved with another woman, playing both sides. You discover my behavior as a scoundrel, and though you are deeply hurt and reluctant to let go, you break up with me anyway."
"We can even stage a scene where you catch me in the act to make it more convincing and spread the rumors faster. Afterward, I will beg for your forgiveness and pester you; you, in turn, will avoid me in agony, weeping constantly, and frequently going out to secluded places to clear your head, which will give Sea Eagle the opportunity to strike."
"But rest assured, I will be following you secretly to protect you. I swear on my life that I will never let you fall into Sea Eagle’s hands; I will guarantee your safety with my own life!"
Quan Ruifeng stared at Xia Xian solemnly as he made his vow. His handsome face glowed with a righteous light, and his eyes were filled with nothing but a hunger for justice, showing not a hint of lust for Xia Xian’s beauty.
Xia Xian felt moved, yet the corners of her mouth twitched. To catch Sea Eagle, this man was truly ruthless toward himself—he had even come up with the idea of being a two-timer, complete with a staged confrontation. That was far more extreme than merely being fickle or discarding a partner.
As expected, he wasn't from around here, so he could act with such reckless abandon. Once she reached Beijing, without parents or relatives nearby, no one would know even if she did lose face!
She, too, could let loose and focus entirely on achieving her own goals!
Thinking of this, Xia Xian nodded decisively.
"Then I’ll listen to you. Let’s do it!"
If Quan Ruifeng could put it all on the line, what did she have to lose?
The two meticulously refined the plan, intending to start the act tomorrow. The timeline was essentially: Quan Ruifeng would pursue her for three days, they would be together for two days, Quan Ruifeng would cheat for one day, she would catch him in the act, they would break up, and then Quan Ruifeng would persist in bothering her.
They aimed to draw Sea Eagle out within a week!
Having reached a consensus and perfected the plan, they prepared to leave the basement. Since Quan Ruifeng was going to pursue Xia Xian, he had to go back and prepare, ensuring he made quite a stir during the courtship to lay the groundwork for what was to come.
Before leaving, Xia Xian looked at Quan Ruifeng, wanting to say something but hesitating.
"What is it?"
Quan Ruifeng raised his eyelids, arms crossed over his chest, looking at her calmly. His posture was upright, his bearing elegant and composed.
"Uh... nothing. I'll head back now. See you tomorrow."
Xia Xian thought for a moment, shook her head, and headed home. Her beautiful figure quickly vanished from Quan Ruifeng’s sight.
Surely it wouldn't turn into a real romance; there was no need to bring that up at all.