Back in his room, Wan Yun Ting quickly video-called Fang Yan Xi. The woman had sent him several messages that night, but he hadn't had the time to reply. Seeing Fang Yan Xi already in bed on the video call, Wan Yun Ting awkwardly said, "I'm sorry, Yan Xi. I was really busy tonight and only just finished."
"Mmm, I know you're busy."
Leaning against the headboard, Fang Yan Xi smiled and asked, "What are your plans for tomorrow?"
Wan Yun Ting also leaned against the headboard, and they began to chat. Fang Yan Xi seemed calm, but her heart felt heavy. She knew Gu Luo Tang was in the capital, and that he had even taken her to meet his parents!
After chatting for twenty minutes, Wan Yun Ting sensed something was wrong and asked, "Yan Xi, are you angry?"
Fang Yan Xi paused for two seconds, then smiled gently, "What would I be angry about?"
Looking at the woman on the video, Wan Yun Ting instinctively knew she was upset. He asked, "Are you mad I didn't come back to spend New Year's with you?"
Fang Yan Xi laughed, "Yes, this is our first New Year together!"
Naturally, this wasn't the real reason her heart felt heavy!
"I'm sorry..."
Wan Yun Ting actually understood this, but neither of them brought it up.
"Alright, it's late. You should get some rest. You'll definitely be busy tomorrow," Fang Yan Xi said with a smile.
"Mmm, I'll call you tomorrow," Wan Yun Ting nodded and smiled, "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
Fang Yan Xi also said it with a smile. They looked at each other on the video for three seconds before ending the call. Wan Yun Ting leaned against the headboard, raised an eyebrow, lit a cigarette, and smoked it in a somber mood. He knew why the woman was upset. Just then, his phone rang. It was Su Ke Er calling him via video: "Yun Ting Ge, Happy New Year! Mmm, why are you smoking? Didn't I tell you smoking is bad for your health? Put it out quickly."
Looking at Su Ke Er on the video, wearing a cute pajama and video-calling from her bed, Wan Yun Ting's somber mood lifted. He smiled, "Alright, alright, I'll put it out now. Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I was waiting for you to video call me, but you took so long, so I called you."
Su Ke Er pouted her lips, her large, bright eyes blinking. She smiled and asked, "How was your New Year in the capital? Tell me all about it..."
"Just so-so. Had New Year's Eve dinner with family and drank with them tonight..."
Su Ke Er, this ray of sunshine, dispelled Wan Yun Ting's earlier somber mood from the video call with Fang Yan Xi. They chatted and laughed, talking until past one in the morning. The girl Su Ke Er still didn't want to sleep, as she was spending New Year's at her family home in Shen City.
After ending the video call with Su Ke Er, Wan Yun Ting saw that many people had sent him New Year greetings on WeChat. His classmates like Jin Xiu Wen, as well as Ma Zhen Dong and Pang Yuan, and that girl Niu Qiu Ling, who just sent "Happy New Year" with a proud avatar. Wan Yun Ting smiled and replied with an avatar wearing sunglasses. Then he sent New Year wishes to Li Shu Yun, Lu Xiao Die, Ling Wei, Ye Man Ni, Huang Yu Qing, and others...
Suddenly, Jiang Pei Pei's avatar flickered twice, and she also sent him New Year greetings. This made Wan Yun Ting pause. He clicked on Jiang Pei Pei's chat interface, recalling that he had rejected her last time. He wondered how she was doing now. So, he sent her New Year greetings, and Jiang Pei Pei immediately replied, "How was your New Year in the capital?"
Wan Yun Ting replied, "Very good. It's just a shame I wasn't home to celebrate with you all."
Jiang Pei Pei replied with a disdainful emoji, "Without you, we still had a great time!"
Wan Yun Ting smiled, replied with a speechless emoji, and stopped chatting. He continued sending New Year wishes to others. After about half an hour, he finally breathed a sigh of relief after finishing. He planned to go to bed, when Jiang Tong Xin sent him a message: "Happy New Year!"
Wan Yun Ting was taken aback. Looking at Jiang Tong Xin's WeChat profile picture on his phone, which was a photo of herself, he was surprised she would send him a message. He replied, "Director Jiang, Happy New Year."
After waiting for three minutes, Jiang Tong Xin didn't reply. Wan Yun Ting thought she wouldn't respond and was about to go shower when she sent another message: "Ke Er said you're spending New Year in the capital?"
Wan Yun Ting blinked again and replied, "Yes. Director Jiang, aren't you resting yet?"
Jiang Tong Xin replied, "I'm on night duty."
Wan Yun Ting replied, "You work hard."
Jiang Tong Xin replied, "When are you returning to Hua Du City?"
Wan Yun Ting replied, "Not sure yet."
...After another long wait, Jiang Tong Xin didn't reply. Wan Yun Ting decided to go take a shower. When he came out, he received her message: "Let me know when you return to Hua Du City, we need to talk!"
These words made Wan Yun Ting stunned. He didn't know what she meant, but he didn't ask. He replied, "Okay."
Putting down his phone, Wan Yun Ting sat on the bed, raising an eyebrow. He wondered what Jiang Tong Xin meant by wanting to talk. Could it be about the Bai Ming Lang incident last time?
Although something had happened between them regarding that incident, they had both pretended it never happened.
If Jiang Tong Xin hadn't proactively contacted him now, Wan Yun Ting might have forgotten about it. After all, their encounter was just an accident, and he knew there were no feelings between them. They barely even qualified as friends. He could only say they kept in touch because of her grandfather, Jiang Yi Chun.
Without thinking too much, Wan Yun Ting lay down and went to sleep. He had to get up early the next day to pay his respects to the elders...
Soon, he drifted off to sleep, playing chess with Duke of Zhou. Throughout the entire Ouyang manor, except for the red lanterns hanging in various courtyards, the corridors were also adorned with festive decorations. The rooms were lit with small red lamps, and everyone had fallen asleep. Outside, the cold wind howled. Unknowingly, it was past three in the morning, and Wan Yun Ting was fast asleep in his bed...
Suddenly, from the gap under his door, the head of a small green snake peeked out. It flicked its tongue, sensing its surroundings, and slowly crawled through the gap, heading towards the large bed...
Wan Yun Ting was sleeping soundly. He rolled over, and the small snake on the floor paused. It seemed to sense that Wan Yun Ting was still asleep, so it continued crawling, sliding along the bedding that had fallen to the floor at the foot of the bed. Finally, it climbed onto the bed, wriggled under the quilt, and the strange green snake slowly appeared on Wan Yun Ting's chest. Its small head emerged from under the quilt...
Then, it lifted its head and appeared before Wan Yun Ting. Flicking its tongue, its tiny green eyes stared at Wan Yun Ting. Then, it slightly opened its mouth and bit down on Wan Yun Ting's forehead...
The next second, Wan Yun Ting's eyes suddenly snapped open. He saw two sharp glints flashing in his pupils. With a swift motion, he grabbed the seven-inch spot of the green snake that was biting him. He got up and violently slammed the snake to the ground. With a soft "pat," the green snake struggled a few times on the ground before being crushed to death.
"Ugh."
Wan Yun Ting immediately got out of bed and looked at the small snake on the ground. Then, he turned his head to look outside a window, his eyes wide with a green glow. He let out a cold snort, dashed out of the door, and leaped onto the roof. He followed the sinister aura...
At this moment, in the eastern part of the manor, specifically in the small pavilion in the middle of the ice lake, Ji Ru Xue, dressed in a red dress and a fur coat, sat in the pavilion. Her pale green, bewitchingly foxy eyes were fixed on the eaves of the distant corridor. A figure was rapidly approaching her, causing Ji Ru Xue's fiery red lips to curl into a smile...
From the sleeve of her right wrist, a scarlet snake as thick as her wrist slithered out. This snake had a triangular head, a small horn in the middle, and eerie green eyes. It flicked its red tongue, and Ji Ru Xue played with it in her hand, then said with a smile, "He's here!"
"Who exactly are you, and what do you want?"
"Heh heh..."
Ji Ru Xue let out a few charming laughs before raising her head to look at Wan Yun Ting, who stood before her with a vigilant and serious expression. Her pale green, bewitchingly foxy eyes curved into two crescent moons, gazing at Wan Yun Ting. Her fiery red lips curved into a seductive smile, "Don't be nervous. I just wanted to meet you!"
Wan Yun Ting narrowed his eyes, meeting Ji Ru Xue's foxy gaze for a few seconds before speaking, "Tell me, what is your purpose?"
Ji Ru Xue stood up, her sexy, perky hips swaying as she walked towards Wan Yun Ting. Her left hand gently caressed the snake on her right hand. Her charming, foxy eyes looked at Wan Yun Ting, her red lips curving into a seductive smile, exuding an alluring charm that made Wan Yun Ting remain vigilant, unsure of her intentions.
"If I said I intended to make a move on your grandfather tonight, what would you do to me?"
Ji Ru Xue stopped about a step away from Wan Yun Ting. Her eerie, pale green foxy eyes stared into Wan Yun Ting's eyes, her slightly upturned fiery red lips curving into a seductive smile.
Wan Yun Ting raised an eyebrow. Facing this woman who exuded an evil and dangerous aura, he didn't take a step back. However, Ji Ru Xue's words made Wan Yun Ting's heart tighten. This woman's appearance tonight was indeed for a purpose!
"Li Qun told me to do this!" Ji Ru Xue retracted her gaze and circled Wan Yun Ting with a smile.
Wan Yun Ting turned to look at her, asking in confusion, "Then why are you telling me?"
Circling him and returning to his front, Ji Ru Xue's narrowed foxy eyes gazed into his, smiling, "Because he's no longer valuable to me!"