Li Shang hesitated for a moment, nudging his cheek with his tongue, and then raised his hand to pat Qiao Ziqian's head. "If you want a raise, just say so. No need to beat around the bush."
"Hehehe, Shang Ge knows me best, hahaha." Qiao Ziqian threw his head back and laughed, embodying the role of a goofy youth to perfection.
"As long as you teach me martial arts, I'll give you a raise of... three thousand. A three-thousand increase, how about it?"
"Deal!"
Qiao Ziqian readily agreed and then turned to leave.
After taking just two steps, he couldn't resist looking back and saying, "Shang Ge, don't forget to reimburse the expenses."
Ten minutes later, Qiao Ziqian bought a cup of pearl milk tea and found Meng Jingwei under a osmanthus tree.
She was currently sitting on the edge of a flower bed, talking on the phone.
"Qi He, help me investigate Tang Wanxing secretly. Make sure it's thorough." Meng Jingwei instructed Qi He.
After today, Meng Jingwei felt that Tang Wanxing was very suspicious and decided to investigate her.
As soon as she finished speaking to Qi He, she saw Qiao Ziqian approaching her. She then said to Qi He, "I have something else to do here, so I'm hanging up. We'll talk later if there's anything."
With that, she directly hung up the phone.
"Why did you come all the way here? I was looking all over for you." Qiao Ziqian waved the milk tea in his hand from a distance. "I bought you pearl milk tea."
"Thank you."
A cup of pearl milk tea only cost a few yuan, so Meng Jingwei didn't politely refuse.
Previously, due to her poor family background, she rarely spent money carelessly and had never bought milk tea to drink.
Perhaps influenced by Old Chen Tou, she actually preferred drinking clear tea.
But after Qiao Ziqian gave her a cup of milk tea last time, Meng Jingwei found the taste of pearl milk tea to be quite good, especially the soft and chewy pearls and the sweet milk tea, which could inexplicably improve one's mood.
"We're friends, you don't need to be so polite with me." Qiao Ziqian held a cup of lemon water, inserted his straw, and took a sip. He casually sat down next to Meng Jingwei, not minding the dust on the flower bed at all.
As a young master from a wealthy family, when had Qiao Ziqian ever drunk such cheap things that cost only a few yuan?
However, when approaching Meng Jingwei, he had people conduct various investigations, experienced civilian life, and understood the price range of their food, clothing, and daily necessities.
Since he was Li Shang's assistant, with a salary of only a few thousand yuan a month, the only things he could afford to treat Meng Jingwei to were cheap milk teas.
Meng Jingwei was born in the countryside. Although she lived a life of luxury after marrying Qing Muyie, with delicacies every day, it didn't mean she would forget her roots.
She inserted her straw, took a sip of the fragrant and slightly sweet milk tea, and while rejecting the chewy and soft black pearls, she raised an eyebrow and asked him, "Did Li Shang send you?"
"Hehe, Meng Meng is so smart."
Qiao Ziqian propped his elbow on his knee, supporting his face, and tilted his head to look at her, smiling cheerfully. "Shang Ge said he admires you very much and wants to become your disciple, to learn martial arts from you. But he's too shy to say it himself, so he asked me to find you. He also said, he also said that you can name any condition, and he will satisfy it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Jingwei couldn't help but chuckle.
Her long hair was tied up high, with light makeup. She was wearing a black, cinched brocade dress with red trim on the black, and black boots. She was heroic and valiant, yet exuded an air of aloofness.
Because Meng Jingwei's scene today was to disguise herself as a thief and sneak into the prime minister's mansion late at night to steal something, her attire was somewhat androgynous. However, this outfit made her look even more heroic, beautiful, and dazzling.
Especially when she gave an unintentional smile, the gentle smile of a cool beauty, even Qiao Ziqian's heart skipped a beat.