The buzzing of the phone interrupted Li Qianfan's wandering thoughts.
He picked up his phone, along with a cigarette from the cabinet, and leaned against the headboard.
Creak.
Just as he glanced at the caller ID, the bathroom door opened.
Shen Chongchong, who had been rinsing herself with cold water in the bathroom for a full half hour, walked out slowly, wrapped in a white towel and wearing slippers.
Her hair was pulled up high, her face was rosy, and her brows were full of vibrant spring.
Her shoulders were slender yet rounded, and from her long, graceful neck hung a heart-shaped black jade pendant.
The black jade pendant, against her fair skin, created a contrast where the white appeared more sensual and the black more mysterious!
Shen Chongchong, in a poised manner, walked to the bedside and sat next to Li Qianfan. She glanced at the caller ID, then lazily leaned into his embrace, taking his gently clasped hands and placing them on her lap.
Li Qianfan knew that Chongchong wanted to take the call.
He turned on the speakerphone and asked in a normal voice, "Old man, why are you calling me so early? Is something up?"
"The Dark Web has terminated the pursuit of Jiao Yin."
Li Nanfang's voice was somewhat low, "And they won't pursue her subordinates who defected with her."
"Really?"
Li Qianfan was very surprised.
Chongchong, leaning in his arms, was shocked.
No one could have imagined that Li Nanfang could achieve this in such a short time!
Hmph.
Li Nanfang let out an arrogant cold snort, "Do you think I'd lie to you? Who do you think I am? I can easily resolve any difficult matter."
"Old man, you're mighty!"
Li Qianfan quickly flattered him, then slapped Li Nanfang's old face, "Since you're so capable, why did you make me take the blame for General Zhao? And force me to admit publicly that Helan Tingmei is my woman?"
Damn it.
This brat really knows how to hit a sore spot.
Li Nanfang grumbled softly, too lazy to bother with him.
He continued, "The Dark Web learned that Jiao Yin was a traitor by spending three hundred million US dollars to buy the information from Jessica of the Rhode family. Jessica, in turn, bought this information for one hundred million US dollars from some hacker."
Some hacker?
The only hacker who would know Jiao Yin was a traitor could only be Bai Ziyan!
It seemed she still hadn't suppressed her killing intent towards Jiao Yin.
Li Qianfan immediately understood and exchanged a quick glance with Chongchong in his arms.
"Also,"
Li Nanfang continued, "Dai Paipai's resolve to assassinate Su Nanyin ends here. From now on, none of us will mention this matter again."
Dai Paipai ceasing her assassination attempt on Su Nanyin was exactly what Li Qianfan had hoped for.
After all, he couldn't bring himself to harm Boss Paipai.
Even Chongchong, nestled in his arms, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the whole world, no one liked being constantly on the mind of the chief executive of the Dark Web.
"In short, the situation is getting better and better for us."
Li Nanfang added, "With Jiao Yin and Helan Tingmei defecting to us, Dark Blade's important work will shift to other areas. Clearing the Dark Web from the country is a great thing for the East Land and for Dark Blade."
Li Qianfan agreed.
He was very curious how the old man had managed to connect with the mysterious chief executive of the Dark Web in such a short time.
To his repeated questions, Li Nanfang just gave an arrogant, light laugh.
Would he tell the "brat" that for the safety of Jiao Yin and the others, he had to be Yang Tiantian's "kept man" for a full three months?
"If you're not going to say it, then don't."
Li Qianfan couldn't get any more information, so he gave up and ended the call with a beep.
After putting down his phone, he looked at Shen Chongchong in his arms.
Shen Chongchong, her fingers intertwined with his, didn't speak, curling up in his arms like a white Persian cat, her expression calm.
A full five minutes later.
Li Qianfan casually picked up the black jade pendant, finding a topic to break the silence. "Chongchong, who gave you this pendant? I've never seen you wear it before."
Chongchong answered truthfully, "It was Li Wujiang."
"Oh, so it was my mom. Strange, she's always been so stingy, when did she become so generous to give you something like this?"
Li Qianfan held up the pendant and looked at it for a while, not noticing anything unusual.
Chongchong said, "The sky is bright."
"Mmm, the sky is bright."
Li Qianfan glanced out the window. "But it's still early. We'll go see General Chen at ten."
Chongchong said, "I said the sky is bright, meaning you can see my appearance now."
Li Qianfan nodded. "Yes. I can see without the light on."
Chongchong bit her lip and asked softly, "Are you scared?"
Li Qianfan feigned disdain. "What am I afraid of? Besides, if you've already fallen into a well, can your ears still block it out?"
Chongchong raised her eyebrows, her eyes challenging, "Really not scared?"
Not scared!
To prove he was indeed not scared—
The black jade pendant, given by Li Wujiang, swung back and forth above the thick carpet in front of the bed like a pendulum.
Eight o'clock in the morning.
Li Qianfan, refreshed, walked out of the master bedroom whistling.
However, the moment he closed the door, he felt an urge to slap himself.
In the master bedroom's bathroom.
Shen Chongchong began rinsing herself with cold water again.
Alas.
Chongchong put down the showerhead, sighed, and walked to the mirror. She bent down, cupping water to wash her face.
Clang.
The black jade pendant she wore around her neck, as she bent over, swung back and forth again due to gravity, hitting the ceramic washbasin.
It was normal for a pendant to hit the washbasin when bending over to wash one's face.
Chongchong didn't pay it any mind.
But—
With that collision, the pendant split open.
She was stunned. "What kind of shoddy pendant is this? And Li Wujiang had the nerve to brag that she got it from the main palace?"
Chongchong, full of disdain, picked up the pendant and pried open the split black jade with her fingernail.
Then—
Something no bigger than a soybean, as the pendant was pried open, fell with a clatter into the washbasin.
Chongchong was stunned again, raising her left ring finger and picking up the small object with her thumb and middle finger.
Just one glance—
Shen Chongchong's face changed drastically!
The blush on her cheeks and the spring in her eyes vanished instantly.
It was a miniature sculpture.
Although miniature, the exquisite craftsmanship allowed Shen Chongchong to recognize it immediately.
She stared blankly at the artwork, motionless for a long time.
Only when the faint sound of Jiao Yin's relieved cries drifted from outside the door did Chongchong's dazed pupils slightly shift.
She whispered, "So, so it is! 'Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam' is real. They, they all lied to me and Qianfan."
In the living room.
Jiao Yin pushed Li Qianfan onto the sofa and kissed him madly, without regard for anything.
She didn't care that Ma Rongna, Xu Qing, and others, who were preparing breakfast, were present.
Get away—
You're shameless, but I still want to keep my dignity!
Li Qianfan quickly pushed the woman off him.
"My dear, I waited for you all night after I washed myself clean last night."
As the sword that had been hanging over her head suddenly disappeared, Jiao Yin felt a complete sense of relief. "Tonight, if you dare break your promise again! May your head fester, your feet become sores; may you be impotent for ten years and last only three minutes for life."
Get lost!
Li Qianfan, mindful of his reputation, retorted, "If you have the guts, come to my room tonight."
Hoo, hoo hoo.
Then wait.
I'll sit on you until you're done tonight—
Jiao Yin cackled triumphantly, turned, deliberately swayed her hips, and walked out with a clatter. "Xu Qing, tell all the sisters to come over. Say I have big good news to announce."
Besides Xu Qing, Jia Yi and the others were busy tearing down a wall.
Making these delicate girls do such rough work seemed like a terrible waste of talent.
Ma Rongna, after setting out breakfast, asked Li Qianfan, "My dear, should I go help Miss Shen get dressed?"
Huh?
Li Qianfan froze, looking up at her.
Ma Rongna said with poise, "If General Jiao can call you 'my dear,' then I can too."
Her words made sense.
Gao Ling Wang and others had, with Ma Rongna's help, figured out all the connections within the Arc de Triomphe through Qin Linsheng.
As per their prior agreement, Ma Rongna would automatically "transform" into Li Qianfan's woman.
Even if she was only his nominal woman, she was entitled to call Li Qianfan "my dear" like Jiao Yin.
"Heh heh, of course you can call me that like Jiao Yin."
Li Qianfan gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, if you're done, go help Su. Help Chongchong get dressed."
"Mmm."
Ma Rongna nodded and was about to go upstairs when she suddenly said softly, "My dear, I think you should visit your aunt."
Her aunt was Luo Huayin.
The problem was.
She called Li Qianfan "my dear," but then called Luo Huayin "auntie." Didn't that bump up his generation?
Never mind.
Li Qianfan didn't want to argue with this woman, he just felt she was right.
Yesterday morning.
After Li Qianfan carried Luo Huayin back to the second bedroom, he hadn't checked on her again.
That little fox was also "sensible" and didn't cause any trouble while recuperating.
However—
Li Qianfan opened the door to the second bedroom and immediately scowled upon seeing the little fox's true form.
Luo Huayin, playing with her tail with her left hand and her phone with her right, saw Li Qianfan's displeased face as soon as he entered and knew what he was thinking.
She immediately questioned indignantly, "What's wrong with me being naked in my own bedroom? Also, without my permission, who let you in?"
Li Qianfan's lips moved.
He didn't know how to answer.
He could only say that some people nowadays were increasingly losing their sense of shame.
If everyone were as self-disciplined as Mr. Qianfan, this world would be more than a hundred times more beautiful than it is now!
"I'm here to check on your injury."
Li Qianfan walked over, sat beside her, picked up her right arm, and looked at the wound. "Once you've recovered, get lost quickly. And in the future, don't call yourself my aunt. Even if I had the worst luck in eight lifetimes, I wouldn't dare have an aunt like you."
Heh heh.
Luo Huayin sneered, "Li Qianfan, my mother told me long ago that she's now best friends with Yang Xiao. Best friends are like sisters. So I have to call Yang Xiao Auntie. And you? You're Yang Xiao's eldest grandson. You tell me, if you don't want me to be your grand-niece, and want me to be your aunt, do you want to call me Auntie and be my grand-nephew?"
Li Qianfan—
His lips moved, and again he was speechless.
Because Luo Huayin was right!
"Also, my true form has been seen countless times by your eyes. You've probably already thought of names for our children. Besides you, who else can I marry?"
Luo Huayin said seriously again, "Therefore, if you dare abandon me in this life! I will resort to any means, at any cost, to cut you off!"