An Changxian looked at Quan Jiu expectantly. According to his plan, at least one hundred million would be in his account immediately.
However, to his surprise, the beauty opposite him merely nodded slightly, "Your suggestion is good, but one to two hundred million is my entire net worth right now. I need to think about it further."
An Changxian's heart skipped a beat. Being a con artist himself, he knew exactly what those words implied.
He started to panic, becoming even more earnest. "What are you thinking? Worried about losing money?"
Quan Jiu nodded. "If it's fifty million, I still have some left. But if it's one to two hundred million, I'm not so sure."
An Changxian quickly smiled and said, "I was just suggesting. Perhaps you should invest fifty million. Although you'll earn less, your peace of mind is most important. The money you earn is yours. I'm not forcing you to invest a certain amount; it's all up to you."
Quan Jiu smiled slightly. "I know, I understand. I'll think about it when I get back."
As she finished speaking, her phone rang. The contact was labeled "Grandpa Next Door."
Quan Jiu hesitated for a moment, then answered with a sweet smile, "Hello?"
Chu Rong raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with amusement. "Where are you? Who are you with? A man?"
"Okay, I'll be right back." Quan Jiu slung her bag over her shoulder, signaled to An Changxian with her eyes, and left the booth.
An Changxian quickly followed, but since she was on the phone, he couldn't speak.
Quan Jiu, still on the phone, walked to the parking lot, got into her car, smiled and made a goodbye gesture to An Changxian, then hung up. She stepped on the accelerator and drove away.
An Changxian stood frozen. After a few seconds, he remembered to call and quickly dialed Quan Jiu's number.
"The number you have dialed has been temporarily suspended."
An Changxian had dumped many rich women. His first move was always to disappear. He knew this all too well.
But he refused to believe it. How could it be? He, a seasoned player in the dating scene, how could he be defeated by a kept woman, a mere pretty face? He quickly opened Quan Jiu's WeChat, only to see a message.
"The account has been deleted by the other party."
She had even deleted her WeChat account. This was a clear sign that she intended to take everything and run.
Had he actually been tricked? Was that woman cooperating and pretending the whole time, never falling for it?
Upon realizing this, An Changxian became furious. He let out a few frustrated roars in the parking lot and kicked his car door several times, but it did little to vent his anger.
Although the bulk of the money wasn't his, he had spent six to seven hundred thousand on that woman. He had thought he would recoup his losses today. He had even booked his flight to leave A City that evening. But in the end, he was the one who played the fool.
Where had he slipped up?
As An Changxian stewed in his frustration and reflected, his phone rang.
He stared at the caller ID, "Shen," and after a pause, slowly picked up.
Shen Lu immediately asked excitedly, "How is it? Did you get the money? Did she give you hundreds of millions?"
An Changxian was silent for a long time before replying with utter dejection, "She didn't continue to invest. We were played by her."
"What?" Shen Lu shrieked in disbelief. "Didn't you say it was foolproof? Are you trying to pocket it all?"
An Changxian said helplessly, "Miss, I wish I had the chance to pocket it all. That woman took sixty million and ran. She said she needed to think about it, and then she deleted her WeChat and phone number."
"Then what about my fifteen million?" Shen Lu was about to lose her mind.
"I also lost over two million. To win her heart, I greeted her morning, noon, and night, using all my skills. How was I supposed to know I'd run into a professional? I was actually planning to ask you to cover my losses. Didn't you say she was just a kept flower vase?"
Shen Lu was so angry she was dizzy. After a long pause, she remembered to ask He Miao and quickly hung up, then called He Miao.
He Miao replied quickly, but knew nothing. After all, Shen Lu had initiated this whole thing, and He Miao was merely following Shen Lu's plan.
Shen Lu, having received no useful information, had to call An Changxian again.
However, An Changxian's phone was already turned off.
Shen Lu thought long and hard and felt something was amiss. A kept flower vase would surely be tempted by money. She had made money twice; she wouldn't have refused the bait. The only possibility was that the money had already reached An Changxian's account, but he had embezzled it, especially since it was hundreds of millions.
Thinking this, Shen Lu's anger flared. She contacted the person who had previously gathered information for her, asking him to find people An Changxian had defrauded in the past. That afternoon, a pile of information was collected and anonymously submitted to the relevant departments.
Meanwhile, An Changxian had arrived at Lijing Yuncheng. You can run from the monk, but not from the temple. He waited outside, believing the woman would eventually come out. No matter what, he had to get back the money he had spent.
But he never expected that instead of the woman, he would first receive a notice of investigation. Only then did An Changxian realize he had kicked a hard plate.
But it was too late to regret it. The authorities intervened, and as the investigation deepened, many female victims also came forward. An Changxian ultimately ended up with nothing, sentenced for fraud. But that's a story for another time.
For now, after Quan Jiu left under false pretenses, she went straight home. However, she did one more thing on the way: she eliminated a scourge for women and also removed any future trouble for herself.
She anonymously sent the information about An Changxian's fraud, which she had Song Ren investigate long ago, to the relevant departments.
This was also why An Changxian was quickly apprehended. Unbeknownst to her, Quan Jiu had indirectly joined forces with Shen Lu.
Upon returning home, Quan Jiu opened the door to find a man engrossed in work in the living room.
He seemed to be in the same posture as when she had left. If one set aside their grievances, he was truly elegant and charming.
Quan Jiu averted her gaze and walked in without looking, changing into slippers. But as she turned, she was enveloped in shadow by a tall figure blocking her path.
The hallway by the entrance was narrow, and Quan Jiu wanted to avoid him but had nowhere to go. She glared at Chu Rong in annoyance, "Move."
Chu Rong took a step closer, pinning her against the wall, and asked in a low voice, "Who did you meet?"
Quan Jiu's brow furrowed. "Who I meet has nothing to do with you."
"Are you sure?" Chu Rong moved closer, gently lifting Quan Jiu's chin. The pad of his thumb brushed against her soft lips. "Shouldn't I make you clearly remember that I am your husband?"
As he finished speaking, he opened his lips and bit down, applying just enough pressure to be memorable without causing pain.
Quan Jiu felt as if she had been struck by an electric current. Panicked, she shoved Chu Rong away and angrily rebuked, "You're shameless."
Chu Rong lightly wiped the corners of his slightly upturned lips with his well-defined fingers. "I admit it."
Quan Jiu, in her haste to escape, knocked over the documents on the table, scattering them everywhere.
She didn't bother to pick them up and rushed into her room. Once the door was closed, she leaned against it, catching her breath.
After calming down for a while, Quan Jiu noticed something. Usually, when she returned, Mimi and Tutu would come out to greet her. Why didn't she see them today? Had they fallen asleep?
She quietly opened the door again and saw Chu Rong slowly picking up the scattered documents. After a moment's hesitation, she walked out of the room and into the children's rooms.
To her surprise, when she opened the doors, both children's rooms were empty.