"If it shows results within a month, you can name your price," Ning Yecheng said generously.
Money was merely a number to him.
How much he paid depended on whether the person asking for it was worth it.
Zhan Xiaojun was never one to stand on ceremony. Since she was asked to name her price, she did, holding up two fingers.
Assistant Liu guessed, "Two hundred thousand?"
That wasn't a high price.
Zhan Xiaojun's face turned cold, and she smiled without smiling, "Is President Ning only worth two hundred thousand?"
So cheap? Would those outside who wanted to buy Ning Yecheng have to circle the city hundreds of times?
Assistant Liu felt both embarrassed and mortified. This time, he couldn't even bring himself to say two million.
"Two million. I have another condition: you must not tell anyone that I cured President Ning's insomnia and headaches," Zhan Xiaojun said.
Ning Yecheng chuckled lightly. She really dared to ask. "Alright. I also have a condition: you need to stay at Yuwan Villa."
Zhan Xiaojun frowned, hesitating.
"Yuwan Villa is far from the city. If there are any problems during this period, we can deal with them promptly," Ning Yecheng gave his reason.
A very legitimate reason.
Assistant Liu blinked with his head down. Why did he feel President Ning had ulterior motives?
He was truly curious how much President Ning loved that white moonlight, to want to keep someone who looked so much like her by his side?
It was definitely not just because Zhan Xiaojun knew acupuncture.
Zhan Xiaojun thought for only a moment before agreeing.
"I'm leaving now. See you tonight." Zhan Xiaojun couldn't stay any longer. Ning Yecheng's gaze towards her was always strangely peculiar.
Even with her strong resolve, she could remain unfazed before such a handsome man, but that didn't mean her heart wasn't racing.
Watching the girl leave without any lingering hesitation, Ning Yecheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
After escorting Zhan Xiaojun to the elevator, Assistant Liu returned.
Ning Yecheng seemed to be in good spirits.
"President Ning, there's something I'd like to say, but I'm not sure if I should," Assistant Liu said hesitantly.
"Go ahead."
"I'm not sure who Miss Zhan learned her acupuncture from, which makes me uneasy. Also, I feel that Miss Zhan might take this opportunity to get into your bed within this month. She's quite ambitious, perhaps even hoping you'll marry her. You must be careful, President Ning," Assistant Liu believed he wasn't judging a gentleman by his own petty standards.
He just had this intuition, and he believed it wholeheartedly.
Ning Yecheng asked with interest, "Get into my bed?"
His bed wasn't a place any woman could just climb into.
"Yes, President Ning, you must be very careful." Assistant Liu was truly worried, but unfortunately, he couldn't keep a constant watch at Yuwan Villa.
Ning Yecheng lit a cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice was somewhat cold, "Then let's see if she wants to get into my bed."
Zhan Xiaojun, who had already left, was naturally unaware of their thoughts.
If she knew, she would probably beat them both senseless.
...
Zhan Xiaojun returned and told Lin Ya that she would be moving out, giving the reason that she would be taking care of a disabled person.
Lin Ya was naturally worried about Zhan Xiaojun's safety, but Zhan Xiaojun explained that the person she would be caring for was disabled, so it wouldn't be too tiring, and she would receive a generous salary. Only then did Lin Ya feel relieved.
She packed some simple belongings, filled the refrigerator at home, and cooked a few dishes. By the evening, Zhan Xiaojun still hadn't seen Lin Jing return.
"I'll call your uncle. Normally, he should be back by this time." Lin Ya first looked downstairs, didn't see Lin Jing, and then she called Lin Jing.
She only spoke two sentences before hanging up.
"Your uncle said he's staying at a fellow worker's place tonight and will be back tomorrow. He said not to wait for him to eat."
Zhan Xiaojun said nothing. "Then let's eat."
After dinner, Zhan Xiaojun, with her simple belongings packed in her backpack, her ponytail high, went to the construction site where Lin Jing worked.
After asking around, she learned that they had finished work that afternoon because the building materials that were supposed to arrive in the afternoon had not.
Finished work so early?
Just as Zhan Xiaojun was about to leave, a coworker of Lin Jing's ran over. "Are you Lin Jing's niece?"
"Yes, I am."
"Lin Jing seems to have encountered something these past two days. He's been quite unhappy, and almost made mistakes several times while working. Has something happened in your family? He used to be very serious about his work, but these past two days he's like a different person." The coworker kindly offered some advice.
Zhan Xiaojun smiled and thanked him, walking away while pondering what Lin Jing could have encountered.
She took out her phone and called him.
It rang for a long time, but no one answered.
She called again, and it was directly hung up.
She stared at the word "Uncle" on her phone, closed her eyes, and recalled the birth date and hour of Lin Jing that the original owner knew.
A moment later.
She opened her eyes, her expression turning solemn.
Lin Jing was indeed in trouble.
She glanced at the sky.
It would take about forty minutes to get to Yuwan Villa by taxi.
The distance wasn't far, and running would be good exercise. This body indeed needed some training.
As for Lin Jing, there was no rush. She would go to the construction site tomorrow.
Eight o'clock in the evening.
Night had fallen, and the streets were brightly lit.
Ning Yecheng was about to call Zhan Xiaojun when he realized he didn't have her phone number or WeChat. To find her, he would need to go through Assistant Liu.
He let out a light huff.
Ning Yecheng's fingertip pressed against his head, which was starting to ache.
Just then, Zhan Xiaojun's figure appeared on the front gate's surveillance. Her slightly cold voice came through, "Hello, President Ning."
He manipulated some buttons, and the gate concealing Zhan Xiaojun opened.
Zhan Xiaojun walked in.
Ning Yecheng casually glanced at Zhan Xiaojun. "Very punctual."
Not a minute more, not a minute less, exactly eight o'clock.
Was this the girl with malicious intent, trying to get into his bed?
She didn't look like it.
But with that one glance, he noticed the sweat on Zhan Xiaojun's forehead, and there seemed to be some sweat on her clothes as well.
"Is it raining outside?" he asked, glancing out the window.
The stars were shining outside, and there were no traces of raindrops on the windowpane, indicating it wasn't raining.
Zhan Xiaojun took a towel from her backpack and wiped the sweat from her forehead and face. "No, it's my sweat. I was just running."
"You ran here?" Ning Yecheng was somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
Ning Yecheng asked again, "From the city?"
"Yes."
From the city to Yuwan Villa was a good fifty kilometers. It took about an hour to drive. How long had she been running?
At this moment, her face was ruddy, and her breathing was steady, not like someone who had just finished strenuous exercise.
Was she lying to him?
Just then, a video appeared on Ning Yecheng's phone.
It was a video of a girl running at a steady, fast pace on the street.
Her speed was even comparable to that of a bicycle.
The girl's legs were shapely and straight, and her ponytail swayed rhythmically. She looked like a high school student.
Assistant Liu sent a surprised emoji.
"President Ning, Miss Zhan actually ran all the way to Yuwan Villa. I followed her for twenty kilometers! She didn't rest at all, and her speed never dropped. I suspect she's an assassin or a secret agent who has undergone extremely professional and rigorous training, otherwise, she wouldn't be this abnormal!"