Ning Yecheng sat on the sofa.
He held a book in his hand, glancing at it only occasionally.
There were, after all, some matters weighing on his mind.
Normally, nothing could disturb his peace, but today was somewhat of an exception.
He cast a glance at the clock.
It was five minutes to eight.
The girl was always punctual every day, even leaving precisely at half-past six in the morning.
As expected.
Two minutes before eight, the door opened.
The girl walked in.
Unlike yesterday's sultry attire, today she was dressed like a well-behaved child again.
Jeans, a white t-shirt, and a high ponytail.
Impossibly youthful and pure.
She truly had a captivatingly beautiful face.
The moment Zhan Xiaojun entered, she met Ning Yecheng's gaze.
The man's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.
A casual sweep of his eyes felt as if it could scare away a person's very soul.
She had checked the time on her way, so she was neither too early nor too late.
Without any visible change in her expression, she asked, "Did President Ning take his medicine today?"
Referring to the prescription he had given him earlier, had he found a traditional Chinese medicine clinic to prepare it into pills?
If he didn't take his medicine, it would hinder the treatment of his condition.
Ning Yecheng looked at Zhan Xiaojun's earnest expression as she inquired, finding her both well-behaved and surprisingly mature.
Her conduct was truly not in line with her actual age.
Especially after knowing what she had done.
He felt as if the girl before him was shrouded in a veil, elusive and unfathomable.
"Not yet," Ning Yecheng admitted honestly, putting his thoughts aside.
He had no interest in either the decoction or the pills.
That stuff was bitter and troublesome to consume.
Zhan Xiaojun frowned slightly, seeing that Ning Yecheng was not a patient who inspired much confidence.
The money she earned was not easy.
"Whether to take the medicine or not is your decision," Zhan Xiaojun was clear in her choices; she disliked forcing patients.
If the sick person wasn't in a hurry, why should the healer be?
Ning Yecheng raised an eyebrow. He had initially planned to bring up the matter of the reporters, but now it seemed unnecessary.
After all, he had only learned some of her secrets.
He would keep them.
And see how much longer she could hide her true nature.
"Are the pills really effective?" Ning Yecheng put down his book and walked up to Zhan Xiaojun.
They both, in their own way, intelligently avoided mentioning last night's events.
It was as if nothing had happened, and the two of them discussed the matter calmly.
Zhan Xiaojun nodded, "They are effective."
"Then I'll try them," Ning Yecheng said casually, as if deciding on something trivial.
If Assistant Liu were to hear his boss say this, he would surely be astonished.
Because he had never met anyone more reluctant to take medicine than his boss!
Zhan Xiaojun was unaware of Ning Yecheng's past experiences and didn't take his casual tone too seriously.
"What time do you want to start today?" Zhan Xiaojun asked.
Ning Yecheng glanced at the time. "No rush."
Zhan Xiaojun hummed in response. "Then I'll go back to my room and rest for a bit."
"Mm."
After a brief exchange, Ning Yecheng watched Zhan Xiaojun go upstairs.
Ning Yecheng sat back on the sofa, tapping his fingers on his knee.
A call came through.
He answered.
"President Ning, Zhan Zhicheng and his group are investigating Miss Zhan. They want to find the patron behind Miss Zhan and have also uncovered some information. Miss Zhan has been in the Zhan family for the past year and has only had contact with Mu Bai. Most people who know the Zhan family in Yancheng disdain interacting or conversing with Miss Zhan." Assistant Liu remained bewildered.
He simply couldn't understand why, after days of investigation, all they found was that Zhan Xiaojun was unpresentable and utterly useless.
However, having witnessed it firsthand, Miss Zhan was far from useless!
Especially after hearing the descriptions of Miss Zhan from a few reporters this morning, he had gained a profound realization.
Appearances can be deceiving!
"Patron?"
"Yes, that's what they're saying. They've already hired private investigators and this morning's events also involved Yancheng's best public relations team. As for whether Miss Zhan has a patron, they previously thought so, but now it seems she likely doesn't. Perhaps it was by chance that she is treating President Ning." After Assistant Liu finished, he felt he had uncovered the truth.
Regarding Miss Zhan, it seemed he had overcomplicated things before.
Ning Yecheng's expression turned cold. "Stop the nonsense."
Assistant Liu immediately realized he had spoken too much.
There were many people who worked as assistants in Yancheng.
But few were as clueless about their boss's thoughts as he was.
He suddenly admired the eunuchs who served by the emperor's side in ancient times. How did they manage to survive unscathed in the presence of decisive emperors?
...
The entire Zhan family villa was brightly lit.
Even at ten o'clock at night, no one in the villa could sleep.
Nor did anyone feel sleepy.
The nannies working at home had also finished their shifts and left.
Zhan Xiaoya descended the stairs timidly and cautiously.
She had been hiding in her room for several hours, knowing her father was very angry.
Her mother had also told her to hide.
But she couldn't stay in her room any longer.
From seeing the trending searches this morning until now, a whole day had passed, and it was almost midnight.
Her mother had clearly hired a public relations team and sent people to investigate Zhan Xiaojun, so why was there still no news?
Suddenly, she heard her mother say to her father, "The private investigator just sent me a voice message, saying that Zhan Xiaojun indeed has a patron! She stays out all night, and Lin Ya doesn't care. Hubby, it seems all this trouble was caused by Xiaojun. Alas, how could she do such a thing?"
Zhan Zhicheng was furious and slammed his large palm heavily on the table.
"Utterly despicable! How dare she!"
Wang Ke sighed, "When a person turns bad, it happens so easily and quickly. She's only twenty years old, and she's so young and beautiful, easily catching someone's eye. If she doesn't value herself and thinks finding a patron will guarantee a life of ease, she can easily be exploited."
"Dad, Mom, it's all Zhan Xiaojun's fault! She's calculated against me in every way. She's jealous that I'm engaged to Mu Bai and jealous of my good reputation in Yancheng, so she specifically targeted these two points to scheme against me. I'm truly wronged!" Zhan Xiaoya ran over, weeping uncontrollably.
She hadn't listened to her mother's instructions earlier and had sent Mu Bai a WeChat message, crying about how sad she was. However, Mu Bai hadn't replied.
In the past, Mu Bai would reply to her messages instantly.
It had been half an hour now, and at this time, Mu Bai was definitely free to use his phone, so how could he not have seen her message?
The thought that Mu Bai might also be disgusted with her only intensified her hatred for Zhan Xiaojun!
Zhan Zhicheng's face was filled with rage. "I will give you justice for this matter. The public relations team is already working on it. As for Zhan Xiaojun, I will go see Lin Ya tomorrow!"
"Hubby, I'll go with you. I'm afraid Lin Ya will bring up past issues again, and you might not be able to handle her alone," Wang Ke said, her eyes darting around.
Zhan Zhicheng grunted in agreement. "Alright."
Seeing her father and mother working together to solve her problems and even planning to confront Zhan Xiaojun's mother, Zhan Xiaoya raised her chin slightly with a hint of triumph. Compete with her? Zhan Xiaojun was no match at all!