After dinner, Ye Cangtian watched television in the living room with Tang Xinwan. However, even while watching TV, Ye Cangtian was somewhat distracted, considering how to inform her about his upcoming trip to the Saudi royal family.
There was also the matter of his concern for Tang Xinwan's safety once he left China. While Li Dazhuang was capable, he was honest and simple-minded, easily lured away, and couldn't provide round-the-clock protection. If someone sought revenge against Ye Cangtian and targeted Tang Xinwan, Li Dazhuang would be insufficient.
Tang Xinwan glanced at him and frowned, "What's wrong with you?"
Ye Cangtian snapped back to attention and smiled faintly, "Nothing!"
"You've been spacing out since dinner. You're definitely hiding something from me!" Tang Xinwan's eyes fixed on him. He rarely acted like this, and she sensed he was keeping something from her.
Just as Ye Cangtian was hesitating about whether to tell her now, Aunt Zhang, the nanny, suddenly cried out from outside.
"What's wrong, Aunt Zhang?" Tang Xinwan's attention was diverted, and she called out towards the outside.
Soon, Aunt Zhang entered, looking terrified. "Miss, young master, there's a woman standing at the main gate outside. She startled me when I saw her just now."
It turned out that Aunt Zhang had finished cleaning the kitchen and was preparing to take out the trash. As she walked to the villa's main entrance, she saw a girl standing at the gate. At night, a girl standing motionless like that would startle anyone!
Hearing Aunt Zhang's explanation, Ye Cangtian sighed. He knew who it was without guessing. He hadn't expected her to follow him all the way from Kyoto to Yangzhou; she was like a persistent shadow.
Tang Xinwan noticed his expression and let out a hum, raising her eyebrows, "So, no explanation?"
"She's actually here for revenge!" Ye Cangtian recounted the incident with Kawada Ichiro.
After a while, Tang Xinwan frowned slightly, "So, she's really here to avenge her brother? But why is she standing at our doorstep?"
"How would I know? She wants me to accept her challenge. If I don't, she won't leave!" Ye Cangtian was exasperated.
Tang Xinwan looked at him suspiciously. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ye Cangtian, but anyone would find this unbelievable.
"I'll go take a look!" Saying this, she turned and walked out of the living room.
Ye Cangtian didn't follow but stood at the living room entrance, watching, in case that girl suddenly made a move to hold Tang Xinwan hostage.
Tang Xinwan arrived at the villa's main door and looked at the girl standing outside. In the light from the courtyard, she recognized her instantly.
"It's you!" She had seen the girl two days ago, but at the time, the girl had seemed polite and was looking for someone, so she hadn't thought much of it.
Kawada Mie looked at her and then turned her gaze towards Ye Cangtian at the living room entrance. Tang Xinwan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are you really here to get revenge on Ye Cangtian?"
Kawada Mie nodded slightly and then bowed politely, "Please tell Ye Cangtian that if he doesn't accept my challenge, I will not leave!"
Tang Xinwan frowned, turned, and returned to the villa's living room.
Ye Cangtian shrugged helplessly, "Now you believe me, right? This girl is a bit stubborn!" Revenge was one thing, but if you want to kill me, just do it. Instead, she had to arrange some kind of challenge invitation. Among Ye Cangtian's many enemies, this was arguably the most polite one.
"But what if she really doesn't leave?" Tang Xinwan thought for a moment and then asked, "What would happen if you accepted her challenge?"
"It's simple!" Ye Cangtian chuckled, "Either she kills me for revenge, or I kill her. But don't worry, she's likely no match for me."
Tang Xinwan immediately shook her head, "Then don't accept her challenge!"
Ye Cangtian smiled, having expected her to say this.
Late at night!
Tang Xinwan, in her pajamas, was about to go to bed when Ye Cangtian pushed the door open and walked in.
Tang Xinwan was startled, "What are you doing in here?"
"Sleeping! You saw the situation downstairs. While she might not be my match, what if she kidnaps you in the middle of the night and uses you to threaten me?" Ye Cangtian pulled back the curtains and glanced outside. Kawada Mie was indeed still downstairs, shivering in the cold wind, yet she hadn't left.
He wasn't worried about this girl, but rather about the assassins lurking outside. He had sensed someone tracking them long ago, likely the group of assassins sent by the Kawada family, especially the former number one assassin, Blood Shadow! Of course, Ye Cangtian didn't intend to tell Tang Xinwan, to avoid causing her undue worry.
So, he cheerfully spread out the bedding he had brought in on the floor, "Don't worry, it's the usual. I'll sleep on the floor."
Tang Xinwan opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, but his reasoning was sound. In the end, she agreed.
...
A night passed.
The next morning, after breakfast, as they were preparing to go to the company, they saw Kawada Mie standing at the villa's main entrance again.
Tang Xinwan exclaimed in surprise, "She really stood outside all night?"
"Don't mind her!" Ye Cangtian had already experienced her persistence and was not surprised. He drove the car directly out of the villa.
In the passenger seat, Tang Xinwan worried, "Will something happen?"
"She came to kill me, and you're worrying about her!" Ye Cangtian said with a wry smile, then added, "Don't worry, she's an assassin; she can handle it!"
The two drove away.
...
At noon, during a break from work, Tang Xinwan made herself a cup of coffee. She liked to drink coffee while gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window at the never-ending stream of cars below; it was a way to de-stress. However, she soon let out a wry smile. Turning to look at Ye Cangtian, who was lounging on the sofa, she said helplessly, "This can't go on. It seems she won't give up until she achieves her goal!"
The girl named Kawada Mie was now across the street from the company. Tang Xinwan was somewhat impressed by her persistence but couldn't understand her motives.
Ye Cangtian sat up from the sofa and stood to walk outside.
Tang Xinwan asked dazedly, "Where are you going?"
"To accept her challenge!"
"But you said..." Tang Xinwan was a little worried. Whether Ye Cangtian killed her or she killed Ye Cangtian, neither was something she wanted to see.
Ye Cangtian smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"
"Then be careful!"
...
Across the street from Haitain Pharmaceutical.
Kawada Mie leaned under the shade of a tree, watching the passing cars and pedestrians. She felt a bit lonely. However, she was accustomed to such days. In the Kawada family, although she was the patriarch's adopted daughter, she spent most of her time at the base and was always alone. She had no friends or family, and had never experienced the warmth of family or friends. Therefore, she felt she was not in the same world as the people outside.
"What are you thinking about?" a voice came from behind her.
Kawada Mie's expression startled, and she quickly turned around, only to see Ye Cangtian walking towards her with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"You, why are you here?"
"You want to kill your enemy, why are you making it so difficult?" Ye Cangtian looked her up and down. The girl's clothes were tattered, and her face was travel-worn. She had stood outside all night in Kyoto the night before last, and then stood outside Tang Xinwan's villa last night. And all this for revenge!
"If you want to kill me, just do it directly, or maybe attempt an assassination while I'm sleeping. You're not a very professional assassin!"
"No, you helped me before, you're a good person, so I can't do that!" Kawada Mie lowered her head.
What kind of reason was that? Ye Cangtian was speechless. He had encountered many assassins, but this was the first time he had met one like this! He sighed and casually tossed something towards her.
Kawada Mie caught it and found it contained over a dozen steamed buns. She swallowed hard but shook her head, "We are enemies now, I don't want your things!" But as soon as she finished speaking, her stomach rumbled loudly.
Ye Cangtian shook his head helplessly and sighed, "If you don't eat, how will you have the strength to kill me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I accept your challenge, on the condition that you finish these buns!"
"Really?" Kawada Mie's face lit up with surprise. He finally accepted her challenge!
Seeing her hastily take out the buns from the plastic bag and eat them quickly, appearing genuinely famished, Ye Cangtian asked curiously, "Didn't I give you money before? Why haven't you eaten?"
"That money, I... I used it for travel!"
"..."