“Eldest Miss, we still haven’t found out which assassin fired the shot.”
The bodyguard reported over the phone, his voice trembling with fear. Ying Xing’er frowned but remained silent.
“I don’t believe she’s some ghost that leaves no trace. I’ll give you three days. If you haven’t found her by then, you can settle the matter by finishing yourselves off.”
Ying Xing’er spoke coldly and hung up the phone. Shen Jingwen, who had heard everything clearly, frowned as she handed a glass of water to Ying Xing’er.
“They are your subordinates who follow your orders, after all. Is it really necessary to be so ruthless?”
Ying Xing’er sat on the sofa and took a sip of the water.
“The Ying family doesn’t keep useless people. If they can’t even track down one assassin, what right do they have to stay in the family?”
This was the ideology Ying Xue had been drilling into her. From the day she killed her first person at sixteen, human life was no longer precious in her eyes. To her, subordinates were merely tools; when a tool loses its utility, it should be discarded.
“But…”
Shen Jingwen wanted to say more, but she ultimately held back. After all, this was the “family business” of the Ying organization, and it wasn’t her place as an outsider to interfere. However, Ying Xing’er’s methods left her feeling disappointed, though she quickly suppressed that feeling deep in her heart.
“But what?”
Ying Xing’er asked with a frown, her tone sharp. Shen Jingwen shook her head. She could already sense the displeasure in Xing’er’s heart; after years of navigating the business world, she was an expert at reading people’s moods. They hadn’t reached the point where they could interfere in each other’s lives yet, so Shen Jingwen chose to avoid the topic.
“But I’m hungry. Shall we go out to eat?”
“I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy. What do you want to eat?”
Hearing this reminded Ying Xing’er that she was the one who had invited Shen Jingwen out for dinner today, but she had completely forgotten while preoccupied with the attack on Li Mingxi.
“It’s okay. I’ll just go out and eat by myself. I still have some documents to process and I need to go home and work overtime. Let’s do it next time.”
Shen Jingwen smiled at Ying Xing’er, but the smile was polite—so polite that one could feel the distance behind it. Ying Xing’er grabbed Shen Jingwen’s arm, stopping her in her tracks.
“Are you mad at me?”
“You’re overthinking it. Why would I be mad? I know you’ve been busy lately, and I’ve been busy too. Baijia is determined to get that piece of land in the city center, so for now, let’s just focus on our own work. That’s all—I’m heading back.”
Perhaps deciding to be together was a mistake. Shen Jingwen increasingly felt that they were from two different worlds with no common ground to speak of.
Shen Jingwen drove home alone, her mind spiraling. Was being with Ying Xing’er a mistake? She wasn’t usually an indecisive person and rarely regretted her choices, but at this moment, she felt a twinge of regret. Feeling unfit to drive, she pulled the car over and decided to walk the rest of the way home. She looked down at the pavement as she walked, her thoughts trapped in the maze of her relationship with Xing’er. Finally, she let out a helpless sigh. She didn’t know what to do anymore.
Following behind out of concern, Ying Xing’er watched Shen Jingwen’s back and fell into deep thought. She suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness whether physical or mental, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know if it was because of Long Xun or the state of her relationship with Shen Jingwen. She felt lost and unsure of her next move. Xing’er’s romantic experience was zero; Shen Jingwen was the only person she had ever fallen for. But perhaps, as Shen Jingwen said, a heartbeat doesn’t equal liking, and liking doesn’t mean you’re suitable to be together and being together doesn’t always mean you’re suited to be lovers.
When Shen Jingwen reached home, she was exhausted. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately. This was the first time she had ever slept without showering or changing. Perhaps it was the long walk, or perhaps the weight of this new relationship was simply too much. She was tired—so tired she just wanted to escape into a dream.
The next morning, Shen Jingwen was woken by her ringtone. She picked up the phone and answered without checking the caller ID.
“Shen Jingwen, why aren’t you at work today? Are you feeling unwell?”
It was Li Mingxi. Seeing that it was already 10:00 AM and Shen Jingwen hadn’t arrived, she had called out of concern.
“Yeah, I think I have a cold. General Manager, I’m taking a few days off.”
Regardless of whether Li Mingxi would approve, she hung up immediately. She touched her forehead; she really was sick, she felt terrible. As her hand dropped weakly, she felt the duvet covering her. She remembered she hadn’t covered herself the night before. Suddenly alert, she sat up and saw a glass of water and a note on the nightstand.
‘Sorry, I saw you were exhausted so I turned off your alarm. I hope you get enough sleep. Remember to drink the water when you wake up.’
Though it wasn’t signed, she knew it was from Ying Xing’er. Shen Jingwen picked up the glass and drained it. In truth, Ying Xing’er was a very attentive girl—at least, she was very attentive and sincere toward her. Leaning against the headboard, staring at the empty glass and the note, Shen Jingwen thought that maybe this relationship wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe she should make some changes and sacrifices for Xing’er. After all, being together is a process of mutual giving and sacrifice.
Ying Xing’er had no idea that her subconscious act of kindness had changed Shen Jingwen’s mind. Such is the magic of fate; sometimes, you fight with all your might for something and come up empty, yet a small, unnoticed detail can accidentally give you exactly what you wanted.
Inside the office of the President at the Ying Organization headquarters, a proud and cold woman was tied up and forced to kneel on the floor. Even so, her innate aura made it feel as though it wasn’t her kneeling, but rather the men standing around her.
“As long as you are willing to work for me, I won’t pursue the matter of your attempted assassination of Li Mingxi. What do you say?”
Ying Xing’er wanted to recruit this woman for herself. People with such brains were rare; she had managed to infiltrate a high-security building opposite Baijia without tripping the security system. If she couldn’t recruit her, Xing’er would have to destroy her. She wouldn’t leave a potential rival for someone else to use.
“Torture me however you like. I will never betray my Master.”
The woman spoke calmly, as if discussing something trivial with a stranger.
“It’s been six hours since I caught you, yet I haven’t seen any word from the Long family. Is it worth it?”
Xing’er’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the marble desk. The sound seemed casual, but each tap felt like it was striking the hearts of everyone present. The woman didn’t answer, using silence to signal her resolve. Just then, Xing’er’s phone rang.
“This is Long Xun. 3:00 PM today, Room 413 at the XX Hotel. Let’s talk.”
Long Xun hung up immediately. Ying Xing’er began calculating how to face her. Should she bring backup?
“What do you want to talk about?”
Ultimately, Ying Xing’er decided to go alone. She had confidence in her abilities, and besides, the hotel was under the Nitian umbrella, meaning every security guard there was a professional.
Long Xun sat on the sofa and took a sip of coffee.
“Tell me, what will it take for you to release Er Dong?”
“What if I said Er Dong’s life in exchange for the safety of everyone on your revenge list from that incident years ago?”
This was the Ying family’s wish. They didn’t want things to escalate to a point of no return. If it were up to Xing’er herself, she wouldn’t have compromised so easily.
“Fine. I agree. As long as Er Dong returns safely, I promise I won’t trouble any of them again.”
Long Xun agreed without a second thought. It wasn’t that she didn’t want revenge anymore, but Er Dong’s life was more important than anything else. She wouldn’t allow Er Dong to be in danger. Er Dong had always protected her in the past; now it was her turn to protect the “big sister” who had always watched over her.
“Good. I trust the Long family won’t go back on their word. I guarantee Er Dong will appear before you, completely unharmed, before sunset.”
Ying Xing’er put her hand in her pocket to turn off the recording pen and turned to leave.
“Ying Xing’er, my backing down doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you. I will settle this debt with you all in a different way. When that time comes, I’ll make you choose death yourselves.”
Long Xun spoke as calmly as water. Ying Xing’er let out a cold laugh.
“I look forward to your ‘different way’.”
She opened the door and left. Inside the room, Long Xun clenched her fists. She would definitely have her revenge.