It was past nine o’clock in the evening when Qiao An finally returned to the hotel, completely exhausted.
Zhang Ling brought her a cup of herbal tea. "Can you handle it?"
"It's only the first day, after all. I have to put on some kind of show," Qiao An said, taking the cup and sipping it.
"So… how did it go?"
Qiao An knew Zhang Ling was asking about her true objective. She smiled. "I found out a few things, but… I was a bit too impatient and caused a small problem."
"Oh?"
Recalling the time at the clubhouse when she learned that Lin Xi had secretly installed tracking software on Gu Jingxing’s phone, combined with what Liu Can had said at noon about Lin Xi "trading on past favors," Qiao An realized she had misjudged Gu Jingxing’s attitude toward Lin Xi.
The things she had said in Gu Jingxing’s office that afternoon had been rash. It seemed Gu Jingxing trusted Lin Xi deeply.
"It’s nothing major," Qiao An dismissed. "Sowing discord—if it doesn’t work the first time or the second, it’ll work eventually, given a hundred or a thousand tries."
"You still need to be cautious," Zhang Ling said, looking at her with concern.
"I know." Qiao An finished the herbal tea in one gulp. "Brother Zhang, do you believe someone like Lin Xi, who has selfishness carved into her very bones, would take a knife for someone else just to save them?"
Zhang Ling didn’t know much about the bad blood between Qiao An and Lin Xi, and he knew even less about Lin Xi’s character. Although Qiao An asked, he knew she didn’t need an answer from him.
Qiao An curled her lips in a sneer. "If you traced the Lin family tree all the way to the top, you probably wouldn't find a single person who would perform a heroic deed. Her sacrificing herself for others? I don't believe it."
"Can you find proof?" Zhang Ling asked.
Qiao An remained silent.
Zhang Ling didn't press her. He picked up his iPad and handed it to her. "Take a look."
Qiao An took it. "What is this?"
"Real estate agents have VR tours for houses now. See which one you like, and we’ll buy it."
Qiao An scrolled through. "Can’t we just rent? There’s no need to buy. I won’t be here that long; don’t waste the money."
"You don't need to worry about money," Zhang Ling said. "The check Mr. Jin gave us has no limit; it’s more than enough to buy an entire building. Besides, even without Mr. Jin’s money, I have enough savings of my own."
As a renowned gastroenterologist in the U.S. with an annual salary of ten million dollars, buying a small apartment was simple for him.
"No," Qiao An laughed. "I’m just an entry-level employee with a seven-thousand-yuan salary; living in a luxury house wouldn't fit. If Gu Jingxing happens to go crazy and comes to my place… it would be too conspicuous."
Hearing this, Zhang Ling adjusted the filters. "Then take a look at these."
Qiao An took the iPad and chose the smallest one. "This one is fine."
"Alright." Seeing she had chosen a one-bedroom apartment of about fifty square meters, Zhang Ling added, "This building has two apartments per floor. The one next door is vacant, which is perfect for us."
The apartment wasn't large, but it was well-renovated, conveniently located, and offered good privacy. Buying both units would be much simpler.
Seeing that Qiao An looked exhausted, Zhang Ling stood up and headed back to his own room.
Qiao An forced her eyes to stay open long enough to shower and take her medicine before collapsing into bed. She was drifting into a haze of exhaustion, yet she didn't forget to pull out her phone and send a message to Jin Qingzhou.
"Uncle Jin, please have the information ready. He should be looking into me soon."
...
It was late when they got off work, and Gu Jingxing took Lin Xi back to the Gu family residence.
When Gu Jingxing came out of the shower, he found Lin Xi standing in his room holding a towel.
"Why are you here?"
Seeing his hair still dripping, she stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and sat him down on the edge of the bed. She began drying his hair with the towel. "I knew you’d come out without drying your hair."
Gu Jingxing laughed. "It’s precisely because you’re always so thorough that I never remember to do it myself."
Once his hair was half-dry, Lin Xi folded the towel, placed it in the laundry basket by the door, and asked in a tone of feigned casualness, "Who was that person causing a scene in your office today?"
"Someone unimportant."
"Even unimportant people should have names," Lin Xi said, a hint of frustration on her face. "I've been thinking about it, and I still feel wronged. Is it someone I know?"
"A professor I met while in the U.S. She just went through a divorce and is in a bad state of mind."
Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me; I thought one of your brothers had a problem with me."
Gu Jingxing stroked her long hair, his voice gentle and smiling. "Don't pay attention to what others think."
Lin Xi gave a bitter smile, resting her hands on his shoulders. "I’ll try."
...
When Qiao An woke up in the morning, she saw the reply: "Okay."
Feeling refreshed, she got up, got ready, and headed to the company. Zhang Ling left a bit later; he went to the hospital to process his employment and then headed to the agency to purchase the apartments.
Qiao An was busy with meetings all morning, grinding for three hours to finalize the marketing plan for the new product. During her lunch break, she received a message from Zhang Ling.
"The house is settled. Do you want to change the decor?"
Qiao An thought for a moment. The VR files showed the house came furnished. It was simple, but definitely livable. "No need. Just have it cleaned and I’ll move in." She gave him a call.
"Understood." Hearing her listless voice, Zhang Ling frowned. "Have you had lunch? You sound so sluggish."
"I ate," Qiao An paused. "Actually, I'm eating right now."
"What are you eating? Send me a photo."
Qiao An felt a headache coming on. "That’s not necessary..."
"I am your attending physician. I have the right to know what my patient is eating."
Qiao An had no choice but to start a video call, pointing the camera at the boiling pot of skewers on the table.
Zhang Ling’s voice turned icy. "Qiao An, are you trying to kill yourself?"
Zhang Ling had been in charge of her treatment since phase one. Knowing how difficult he could be when he got angry, Qiao An immediately turned off the video and whispered a plea for mercy. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it’s my fault. I’m eating with colleagues, and everyone suggested spicy skewers. I couldn't really say no..."
Zhang Ling’s voice had been loud enough that Liu Can, standing nearby, noticed.
"Qiao An, whose call was that? Is it your boyfriend?"
"No, no, it’s… just a friend. I’m going to step out to finish this call. You guys go ahead and eat."
She clutched her phone, exited the restaurant, and ducked into a narrow alleyway. Finding a secluded, empty corner, she apologized humbly.
"Brother Zhang, I was wrong."
"Qiao An, you know your condition better than anyone. I assume you don't want to start vomiting blood in front of your colleagues?"
Zhang Ling was strictly serious when it came to her health.
Qiao An bit her lip. "I really know I was wrong."
Her attitude was so conciliatory that Zhang Ling felt like he had been unreasonable. His tone softened. "I'm doing this for your own good. If you take care of yourself now, you’ll suffer less when it's time for treatment."
Qiao An was silent for a few seconds before murmuring an acknowledgement.
After hanging up, she didn't return to the restaurant immediately. Instead, she leaned against the stone wall, kicking at the decorative tiles on the ground with the toe of her shoe.
"Why are you here?"
Qiao An looked up to see Chen Wang standing in the alleyway.
"Mr. Chen."
Chen Wang frowned, sizing her up. "Did… the Boss bring you here?"
Qiao An knew he had misunderstood, so she answered vaguely, "Are you here for lunch, Mr. Chen?"
Chen Wang looked troubled. "You two need to be more discreet. If Sister Xi finds out, you’re going to be in big trouble."
Even after being warned by Xie Jibai, Chen Wang still felt that Qiao An was "unclean." He couldn't tell others, but he figured he could at least warn the person involved.
Hearing his tone, Qiao An realized he had misunderstood both her reason for being there and her relationship with Gu Jingxing.
She arched an eyebrow. "We are very careful. At the office, President Gu hardly even acknowledges me."
"But he got you into the company," Chen Wang said, displeased. "Let me tell you, he’s just looking for a bit of temporary novelty. At the end of the day, the Boss is going to marry Sister Xi. If you want money, I’ll give it to you. Is ten million enough? Just pack up and leave!"
Qiao An could barely suppress the smile on her face. "Mr. Chen, rather than asking me, why don't you ask President Gu if *he* is willing?"
Chen Wang bristled. What? Was this woman implying that the Boss was the one initiating it?!
Chen Wang was about to retort when he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He turned around to see Gu Jingxing standing there, his face as dark as thunder.