Qiu Yihe's heart leapt the instant she heard it.
This was exactly the chance to approach the core she'd been dreaming of!
Yet, no matter how thrilled she felt, she put on a look of reluctance.
To Liu Li, that hesitation clearly signaled unwillingness.
It looked as though she wanted Jiang Cheng to buy the place and make her the proprietress.
Seeing this, Liu Li was full of contempt.
The little Girl was naïve; she actually thought she could sleep her way to the top.
Back then Liu Li herself had been someone's plaything for years and had only ended up slightly better off than most women.
In the end, when the man tired of her, she was kicked aside without a second thought.
In Liu Li's eyes, Jiang Cheng might, on a whim, purchase the restaurant.
But whether Qiu Yihe could really become the proprietress was another matter.
Still, the more brainless and greedy Qiu Yihe appeared, the more reassured Liu Li felt.
She added, "Little Lin, starting tomorrow you'll be moved to VIP-box service. It's much easier than your current job—just carry plates and serve dishes. The pay is double what you earn now. We're a new venue and short-staffed; if you do well, promotion to supervisor or manager will be effortless."
When Qiu Yihe forced a faint smile and gazed beseechingly at Jiang Cheng,
Liu Li shook her head.
No man is ever one-hundred-percent sincere to a woman.
As long as sweet talk works, they'll never waste real money.
Liu Li believed she understood men perfectly.
She turned to Jiang Cheng. "Young Master Jiang, rest assured; Little Lin will never come to grief here."
Jiang Cheng gladly took the out.
He looked at Qiu Yihe. "In that case, why don't you give it a try?"
Afterwards he said to Liu Li, "Your sake is decent; next time I'll bring a few friends to taste it."
Seeing Qiu Yihe nod in chagrin, Liu Li wore an I-knew-it expression.
Her smile deepened. "You and your friends are welcome anytime, Young Master Jiang."
Though thrilled at staying on and even being promoted, Qiu Yihe kept up the act.
"But I'm still on probation…," she said, feigning apprehension.
"I say you're qualified, so you are." Liu Li patted her shoulder. "Still, VIP rules are stricter; starting tomorrow someone will train you specially."
Qiu Yihe caught a faint fishy-sweet scent from her hand.
It was perfume mixed with the tell-tale odor of long-term drug contact.
Seen up close,
Liu Li's pupils were unnaturally dilated under the lights,
a classic sign of chronic drug use.
Qiu Yihe knew this so-called "training" would be another test.
But she had to seize the chance.
After giving Jiang Cheng a wronged glance, she looked obedient.
"I understand. Thank you, Manager Liu! I'll study hard!"
She added to Jiang Cheng, "Then you must come often, Young Master Jiang."
When Jiang Cheng asked Qiu Yihe to see him out,
she whispered, puzzled, "Isn't there still someone in your private room?"
Jiang Cheng shrugged. "Not going back. I've told them to settle the bill; she can eat alone."
He had brought Yuan Jing only to rile Bai Xiaoxiao.
Now that Bai Xiaoxiao was gone, what was the point?
Qiu Yihe stared at him, bewildered.
She felt she suddenly couldn't read Jiang Cheng at all.
Moments earlier she'd seen him laughing with Yuan Jing while serving dishes.
Now he'd silently abandoned the beauty in the booth?
"What?" Jiang Cheng feigned incomprehension.
She badly wanted to ask why,
but the setting was wrong for questions.
Without pressing, she simply slipped her arm through his and murmured,
"Thank you."
"Thank me for what?" Jiang Cheng grinned, leaning close.
"For your energetic performance in the restroom?"
"You—!" Qiu Yihe itched to punch him.
Spotting a street-corner camera, she instantly flashed a sweet smile.
"Keep the gun safe; return it when the time comes."
"Which gun do you mean?"
Qiu Yihe pinched his waist hard.
Unable to bear any more,
she hooked his arm and nudged his waist.
Watching the two walk away,
Liu Li ordered a subordinate, "Check his background—verify whether he's really from Jiangtai Group."
After spending the evening at the villa with Zhou Ying, Jiang Cheng drove her back to Taikoo Li.
On the return he glanced at Bai Xiaoxiao's wechat.
Nothing.
So much for that plan.
He closed it and skimmed messages from Yu Xiaoxiao, Wang Yuyan and the other Girls.
They were the usual: daily tidbits and declarations of how much they missed him.
But when he opened Wang Yuyan's chat his brows snapped together.
She had sent photos of Swedish news reports—
gang shoot-outs in Sweden.
Everyone knows that, apart from freedom-loving Pretty Country,
many nations allow limited civilian firearm ownership.
Wang Yuyan: "Only after coming abroad did I realize how good home is."
Wang Yuyan: "The embassy staff told me there were over three hundred shootings here last year."
Jiang Cheng: "Freedom has its price. I worry about you out there. Come home; I'll send the jet."
Wang Yuyan: "No way. I'm learning so much, and the embassy dorm is safe. Out on the streets I might worry, but inside I'm protected. Don't worry…"
That was exactly why Jiang Cheng had arranged her lodgings there.
Buying a house abroad is easy, but safety is low in unfamiliar surroundings.
Inside the embassy was different.
It housed senior staff and their families,
with strict protection.
He remembered a line from Wolf Warrior:
"Wherever you are, as long as you hold a Chinese passport, the country has your back."
Jiang Cheng: "But I miss you…"
Wang Yuyan: "Me too, especially at night…"
The words instantly conjured the memory of her giving him a full-body massage.
Looks like a trip to Sweden is essential.
While he flirted with Wang Yuyan,
a video call from An Xin came in.
He tapped accept; sure enough, Annie's face appeared instead of An Xin's.
"Big-brother Jiang~~"
Smiling at the little Girl, Jiang Cheng asked, "Annie, why aren't you asleep?"
"I'll sleep right after this call. Big-brother Jiang, are you free tomorrow? Can you take me to the zoo?"
Remembering his promise, Jiang Cheng nodded. "Sure, I'll take you to the zoo tomorrow."
"Really? Yay! I'll go tell Mommy!"
"Then sleep early; don't turn into a panda."
"Okay! Good-night, big-brother Jiang~~"
"Good-night~~"
After hanging up, Annie turned grinning to An Xin, who sat on her bed.
"Mommy, did you hear?"
An Xin nodded. "Mm, I heard. Now go to sleep."
Annie obediently handed back the phone.
Snuggling under the quilt, she blinked up. "Mommy, why didn't you call Big-brother Jiang yourself? And why didn't you let me tell him you told me to ask?"