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Psst! We're moving!
Jiang Chuan ate quickly. He indeed rarely ate this kind of food—probably not for several years.
Trying it now, he found it surprisingly good.
Qin Tang slowly ate her fries dipped in ketchup. She hadn’t underestimated his appetite; apart from the egg tart and fries, he had almost finished everything. Finally, leaning back in his chair, lazily crossing his legs, he pointed his chin at the remaining egg tart and said, “Don’t waste it.”
Qin Tang said, “Then you eat it...”
Jiang Chuan smiled. “You bought two, one for each of us, right?”
Caught red-handed, Qin Tang popped the last fry into her mouth, picked up the egg tart, and took a couple of bites. Suddenly remembering that he seemed to have no luggage, she couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you staying?”
“Wanna come with me?” Seeing her stiff expression, Jiang Chuan chuckled softly. “If you don’t want to come, don’t ask.”
Qin Tang: “...”
She had just asked casually. Did he have to take every opportunity to tease her?
Qin Tang wiped her hands clean, glanced at her watch, and said, “It’s almost midnight. I need to go home.”
“Mm.” Jiang Chuan stood up. “Let’s go.”
As they reached the entrance, Jiang Chuan squinted, looking at a man who suddenly put on a mask and slipped into a corner nearby, disappearing within seconds. He lightly touched the corner of his mouth with his tongue, then suddenly grabbed Qin Tang’s hand.
Qin Tang was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
Jiang Chuan looked at her. “I’ll take you home.”
Qin Tang stared at him, speechless. “How can you take me home without a car? If anyone’s taking anyone, it should be me taking you.”
“You’ve got a car, so it’s fine.” He chuckled, plucked the car keys from her palm, let go of her hand, and walked ahead.
Qin Tang: “...”
After a few seconds, she chased after him, shouting angrily, “Jiang Chuan, how dare you blatantly snatch my car! I’ll call the police!”
“Go ahead, let the police come and arrest you.” He didn’t even look back.
“Arrest you!” Bastard.
Jiang Chuan unlocked the car, adjusted the seat.
Qin Tang was speechless. Running into such an audacious thug was truly unlucky. Hearing the engine start, she opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.
“Address.”
“I’ll tell you where to go.”
Throughout the journey, Qin Tang didn’t have time to give directions. Jiang Chuan deliberately drove into smaller roads and sped up. She gripped the door handle tightly and shouted at him, “What are you doing?! You’re speeding!”
Jiang Chuan ignored her, his dark eyes fixed on the rearview mirror. With a sharp turn, he steered the car into an alley and exited through another road.
Behind them, the black SUV had been left far behind.
The car slowed down, and Qin Tang glared at him coldly. “Are you crazy?!”
Jiang Chuan smirked. “What do you think?”
“You’re insane.” And so am I, racing around with you in the middle of the night for no reason.
“Idiot.” He reached out and ruffled her hair. “Did you know someone was following you?”
“Huh?” Qin Tang turned to look at him, surprised, and quickly glanced back.
Jiang Chuan withdrew his hand and said, “It’s fine now. They’re gone.”
“Who was it?” She pressed, quickly thinking of something. “Was it Zhao Qianhe? Or someone related to him?”
Jiang Chuan kept his eyes forward, speaking indifferently. “Don’t panic. It’s not certain.”
Qin Tang bit her lip. Indeed, it wasn’t certain. It could be paparazzi. Lately, she had been spending all her time at the An Yi Foundation, which her parents founded. Someone must have leaked the news that she would make a public appearance this time.
The An Yi Foundation auction was big news, and every media outlet wanted to grab headlines.
It wasn’t strange for someone to follow her.
“Where do you live?”
Qin Tang glanced around, somewhat lost, shot him a reproachful look, and silently turned on the navigation.
---
The Maserati drove into a high-end residential complex, and Jiang Chuan parked the car in the underground garage.
Qin Tang asked, “How will you get back?”
Jiang Chuan glanced at her and smiled. “What? Want to take me in?”
Qin Tang grabbed the car keys, opened the door, and got out.
Too lazy to bother with him.
Jiang Chuan walked around, grabbed her right hand, and gently rubbed his thumb over the tattoo on the back of her hand. There were several uneven scars, clearly indicating that the tattoo was meant to cover them.
Qin Tang struggled but couldn’t break free, so she glared at him.
Jiang Chuan remembered seeing her downstairs at the hospital, lost in thought while touching her tattoo, looking both absent-minded and lonely.
When he first met her at the age of ten, she was like a little princess. The Qin Tang of today was different from the little princess he once knew. Over time, he realized that her outward coldness was just a facade. When pushed to her limits, her true self would eventually show.
That was her true nature.
Jiang Chuan didn’t know what she had been through. His dark eyes grew heavy with thought—emotional trauma?
“How did you get this injury?” he asked.
Qin Tang had already stopped struggling, letting him hold her hand as his rough fingertips brushed over the back of it. She softly replied, “It’s nothing, just an accident.”
Her gaze wandered, her lashes fluttered lightly, and she lowered her head to hide her vulnerability.
Jiang Chuan didn’t press further. With one last stroke of his thumb over her hand, he pulled her into his arms, pressing the back of her head against his shoulder.
Qin Tang’s cheek rested on his shoulder, her nose filled with the scent of his masculine presence. After squirming a little, she whispered, “Jiang Chuan, what exactly do you want?”
He chuckled softly. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to take advantage of you.”
“...”
Unexpectedly, she didn’t struggle or resist his embrace.
After a few seconds, he released her.
“Let’s go back. If we stay any longer, it won’t just be a simple hug,” he said.
“...”
Jiang Chuan looked down at her and pinched her small, pale earlobe gently.
The earlobe quickly turned pink.
Qin Tang pushed him away forcefully and turned to run.
Jiang Chuan stood rooted in place, biting on a cigarette as he watched her step into the elevator.
The elevator stopped at the 12th floor.
He smirked faintly and turned to leave.
The night was deep, with a gentle breeze stirring.
Jiang Chuan found a small inn in an alley near the residential complex. The owner looked up from the table. “Here for lodging?”
Jiang Chuan walked over and glanced at the price.
60 yuan per night—very cheap for Beijing.
Without a word, he handed over a few hundred-yuan bills.
The owner’s eyes lit up. “Staying for a while?”
Jiang Chuan nodded. “The key.”
The owner took the money without asking for ID registration and handed over the key directly.
Jiang Chuan went upstairs. As he stood outside the room, he could hear the sound of a woman moaning mixed with the creaking of a bed. His expression didn’t change as he opened the door and entered the room.
---
Cao Sheng and Jiang Chuan leaned against the hospital’s back wall, smoking.
Cao Sheng said, “By the way, you’ve met Qin Tang, right?”
Jiang Chuan took a drag of his cigarette and nodded. “I saw her a few days ago.”
“The jade stone Zhao Qianhe bought was shipped from Yunnan. Its value is at most two million yuan, but the owner sold it for ten million. The extra eight million was laundered clean. This time, the item being auctioned at the An Yi Foundation charity auction is that same jade. The starting bid is 800,000 yuan.” Cao Sheng sneered. “The final sale price will likely be at least five million. Jiang Kun gets to launder his money and gain fame at the same time.”
Jiang Chuan: “Hmph.”
Cao Sheng looked at him. “Get a few invitations from Qin Tang. That way, you’ll have a legitimate reason to attend the auction.”
“Mm.” Even if Cao Sheng hadn’t mentioned it, Jiang Chuan would have done it anyway.
Cao Sheng asked, “Where are you staying now?”
Jiang Chuan: “An inn.”
Cao Sheng gritted his teeth slightly and said, “Later, give me your receipts so I can report them when I return.”
Jiang Chuan’s current status was somewhat awkward. All expenses related to his missions wouldn’t be reimbursed by the team since his police credentials had already been revoked. If it weren’t for Cao Sheng insisting on his help, Jiang Chuan wouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess.
Jiang Chuan bit down on his cigarette, silent for a few seconds, then said indifferently, “No need. It’s not much money.”
“There will be times in the future when you’ll need funds,” Cao Sheng countered. “This is an order.”
Jiang Chuan chuckled softly and turned to leave.
Facing away, he waved his hand dismissively. “You can’t order me around anymore.”
Cao Sheng sighed deeply at his retreating figure, feeling utterly helpless.
---
The auction date was set for August 6th.
Qin Tang was in the An Yi Foundation office, going over data with Old Yuan, when Zhou Tong ran in with a bright smile. “Sister Qin Tang, someone’s here to see you. He’s waiting outside.”
“Who is it? Did they make an appointment?”
“No. That man is...” Zhou Tong struggled to describe him. Saying he was handsome felt insufficient. After some thought, her eyes lit up. “He’s super manly. Even better-looking than the male models in your photoshoots. His physique is amazing, and his aura is very unique.”
Qin Tang froze, quickly realizing Zhou Tong was talking about Jiang Chuan.
“Sister Qin Tang, is he a new model? I think he’d definitely become famous.”
“...” Qin Tang gave her a glance. “He’s not a model.”
Zhou Tong murmured, “Oh... What a pity...”
Qin Tang shoved a notebook into her arms. “Check the data for me. I’ll be right back.”
After walking a few steps, she turned back and pulled two traffic tickets from the drawer.
Jiang Chuan stood outside. His manly appearance attracted women of all ages. Within moments of standing by the entrance, he drew many glances. Girls passing by couldn’t help but steal extra looks.
As Qin Tang approached the door, he looked up at her and strode over.
Before he could fully stop, Qin Tang slapped the traffic tickets onto his chest. “Here, these are your speeding tickets from last time.”
Jiang Chuan: “...”
He picked up the tickets, glanced at them, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Do you want me to pay you back?”
“Yes, pay me.”
She answered without hesitation, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
Jiang Chuan smirked, pulling out his wallet from his pocket and handing her the exact amount listed on the tickets.
Qin Tang accepted the money without hesitation.
Jiang Chuan asked quietly, “Won’t you invite me in for a seat?”
Several pairs of curious eyes inside were already watching them. Qin Tang turned her head, and everyone quickly pretended to be busy.
“Come in,” Qin Tang said.
She turned and walked inside.
Jiang Chuan, hands in his pockets, tall and long-legged, caught up to her in just two strides.
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