2:00 p.m.
The plane landed at Jiangzhou Airport.
Ye Qiu and Bai Bing stepped out of the terminal and waited outside for a bit. Soon, a Mercedes sedan pulled up in front of them.
The door opened, and Han Long stepped out.
“Boss, Sis-in-law.”
Han Long greeted them with a grin.
Bai Bing felt a tad embarrassed. While Han Long was busy loading their luggage, she pinched Ye Qiu’s waist.
Hiss—
Ye Qiu sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. “Ice Sis, why’d you pinch me?”
“Did you tell him to call me that?” Bai Bing asked, glaring at him.
“I swear on heaven and earth, I didn’t instruct him to do that.”
“Then why’s he calling me ‘Sis-in-law’?”
“Don’t you like it? I can tell him to drop it if you want.”
“No!” Bai Bing said quickly. “He’s already called it, so let’s just stick with it.”
Here I thought you didn’t like it—what’s with the act?
Ye Qiu chuckled to himself.
“Boss, Sis-in-law, let’s go!” Han Long opened the back door, and Ye Qiu and Bai Bing slid in.
As the car started moving, Ye Qiu glanced out the window and caught sight of Jin Lingling.
The woman was climbing into a Mercedes RV.
License plate: Jiang A55555.
“Huh, I’ve never seen that plate around Jiangzhou before. Could it be some big shot’s ride?”
Ye Qiu’s curiosity was piqued.
Jiangzhou’s notable figures—whether he knew them personally or not—he at least had some vague awareness of. But this Mercedes RV? Completely unfamiliar.
“What are you looking at?” Bai Bing asked, noticing him staring out the window.
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
Half an hour later, Bai Bing was home.
Han Long helped carry the luggage into her place. Seeing the dust that had settled inside, he said, “Sis-in-law, you and Boss head out for a bit. I’ll grab a few lads to come over and spruce the place up.”
“Thanks for the trouble,” Bai Bing said with a slight smile, then turned to Ye Qiu. “What’re you up to now?”
“Heading home.”
“I’ll come with you. I want to see Auntie.”
“Sure. It’s been a while—she’ll definitely be chuffed to see you.”
Ye Qiu took Bai Bing back to his place.
Sure enough, Qian Jinglan was over the moon to see Bai Bing. When she heard Bai Bing had transferred to Jiangzhou, her grin grew even wider.
“Ice Sis, why don’t you stay here this afternoon and rest? Then have dinner with Mum tonight. I’ve got to step out for a bit,” Ye Qiu said.
“Where are you off to? To see Lin Jingzhi, is it?” Bai Bing asked, her face icing over.
“Nah, I’m popping by the hospital. Been away for days—got no clue what’s going on in the department.”
Ye Qiu fibbed. Truth was, he wanted to track down Qin Wan. That mature, alluring woman had been on his mind for ages.
Before heading to the capital, he’d nearly sealed the deal with Qin Wan, only for Tang Fei to drag him off to the northwest at the last second.
Plans thwarted.
Now that he’d finally sorted out his business, he was determined to make Qin Wan his, no matter what.
Since ancient times, men’s attitudes toward women could be summed up in four words: *the more, the merrier!*
Bai Bing didn’t buy his nonsense for a second. She eyed him suspiciously. “You’re really not going to see Lin Jingzhi?”
“Really not.”
“Then it’s some other woman?”
“How could that be?!”
Still unconvinced, Bai Bing studied him a moment longer before saying, “Wait here.”
She dug into her bag, pulled out a small item, and slipped it into Ye Qiu’s hand discreetly.
He looked down—it was a condom. His jaw dropped.
“Ice Sis, what’s this?”
“Whoever you’re off to see, just remember: stay safe. Off you go,” Bai Bing said with a wink.
“Right, I’m off then.” Ye Qiu hadn’t expected her to be so understanding. He planted a kiss on her cheek and bolted out the door.
He didn’t notice Bai Bing standing at the doorway, clenching her little pink fists tight.
“Says he’s not seeing Lin Jingzhi—so what’s the condom for? Hmph, men are all bloody pigs!”
…
Once out, Ye Qiu rang Qin Wan.
The phone rang twice, then got cut off.
He tried again.
Same deal—two rings, then hung up.
What’s going on?
Why would Wan Sis hang up on him?
Was she mad because he didn’t “get” her last time?
No way!
Perplexed, he dialed Lin Jingzhi next. Same thing—two rings, then disconnected.
“Why’s Lin Sis not picking up either? This doesn’t add up!”
Ye Qiu found it odd. Lin Jingzhi had never ignored his calls before, no matter the time.
Could she be tied up with something important?
Just as he thought that, his phone pinged. A WeChat message from Lin Jingzhi: *“I’m in a meeting. I’ll call you back later.”*
So she *was* busy.
Mulling it over, Ye Qiu called Han Long. “Han Long, find out where Qin Wan is.”
“Boss, you don’t know where Sis-in-law is?” Han Long shot back.
“Cut the crap and find her, quick.”
With Dragon Gate disciples all over Jiangzhou, tracking someone down was a cinch.
Two minutes later, Han Long called back. “Boss, Sis-in-law Qin Wan’s at Jade Finger Elegance.”
“Jade Finger Elegance?” Ye Qiu blinked. “What’s that?”
“A new beauty salon that just opened.”
Was Wan Sis getting a treatment and that’s why she hung up?
Ye Qiu decided to surprise her. He ended the call and made a beeline for Jade Finger Elegance.
…
Yuanlin Road, No. 15.
Jade Finger Elegance Beauty Salon.
General Manager’s Office.
Qin Wan sat on the sofa, her hair pinned up, face adorned with subtle, elegant makeup. Beside her was Lin Jingzhi, dressed in a charming floral maxi dress.
The two together looked like sisters.
Across from them sat a woman in a hat, dressed provocatively. If Ye Qiu were here, he’d recognise her instantly—Jin Lingling, the宅男女神 (otaku goddess) he’d slapped on the plane.
“Miss Jin, I’ll cut to the chase. If there’s no issue, shall we sign?” Qin Wan placed a contract on the table in front of Jin Lingling.
Jin Lingling didn’t even glance at it. “How much is the endorsement fee?”
“Two years, twenty million total. Two ad shoots per year.”
Qin Wan had done her homework. Based on Jin Lingling’s market value, two years would typically max out at sixteen million. But to rush the ads to market, they’d bumped it up by four million.
“Twenty million?”
Jin Lingling raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what my agent discussed with you, but I won’t accept that price.”
“So how much does Miss Jin want?” Qin Wan asked.
Jin Lingling replied, “Two years, forty million.”
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed. Doubling the fee? That was a lion’s demand.
Forty million was A-list superstar territory.
Next to her, a faint, cold glint flickered in Lin Jingzhi’s eyes, barely noticeable.
