Hearing this, Jiang Cheng raised his eyebrows in surprise.
He felt as though he hadn't bought enough houses.
Staying in hotels whenever something happened didn't seem very safe...
Soon, the car turned into a small path and stopped in front of a two-story brick house.
Old Zhou pushed open the courtyard gate. "Young Master Jiang, we're here. This house is cleaned regularly, so you can stay here with peace of mind. It's very safe..."
Jiang Cheng got out of the car and looked up.
White walls and gray tiles; the courtyard wasn't large, but it was kept very clean.
There were two old banyan trees at the entrance, their canopies covering half the sky.
The walls were covered with vibrant bougainvillea, their pink and purple petals dotting lush green vines that wound along the wall to the courtyard gate, complementing the clusters of jungle geraniums in the corners and giving the old residence a sense of vitality.
Old Zhou pushed open the door to the main hall and turned on the light.
The light was dim and yellowish, but the room was very tidy.
An Eight Immortals table, Grandmaster chairs, and a map of Southwest China hanging on the wall.
Next to the map was an old photograph.
A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit stood in this very courtyard, with several young soldiers behind him.
Jiang Cheng stared at the photo for a few seconds.
That middle-aged man was his grandfather.
Old Zhou stood beside him, following his gaze. "This was taken when your grandfather came here on an inspection tour back then..."
Just then, the sound of a car came from outside the courtyard.
A small car stopped at the entrance, the door opened, and someone stepped out.
They ran inside in a hurry.
Jiang Cheng turned to look.
He was stunned.
It was actually Qiu Yihe...
She was wearing a black quick-dry short-sleeved shirt, the collar darkened by a ring of sweat.
Below were dark cargo pants tucked into hiking boots, the soles stained with the characteristic red soil of Ruili.
Her hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few stray strands stuck to her forehead and temples by sweat.
Standing by the wall of the old house covered in bougainvillea, the elegance in her features blended with the vitality of the courtyard.
The moment their eyes met, Qiu Yihe's face flushed crimson.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Cheng blurted out.
Qiu Yihe looked away. After calling Zhou Guanshan "Elder Zhou," her voice sounded a bit stiff. "I should be the one asking you that. Why did you come to the border?"
Old Zhou looked at the two of them and spoke up. "Young Master Jiang, do you know Xiao He?"
Jiang Cheng nodded and then looked at Qiu Yihe. "Weren't you in the Magic City? Why did you come to Ruili? For drug enforcement?"
"I transferred units," Qiu Yihe said nonchalantly. "I'm with State Security Bureau now, here for a few months of internship."
Oh, so she really did listen and went to State Security Bureau...
"How long is the internship here?"
Seeing Jiang Cheng's concern for her, the corners of Qiu Yihe's mouth couldn't help but curl up. "Three months. Once I finish learning from Elder Zhou, I'll return to the Capital."
Old Zhou chuckled. "The Old Master of the Qiu Family personally reached out and asked me to mentor this girl. He said she should gain some experience at the border so she can take over properly when she returns."
Jiang Cheng understood.
The Qiu Family was paving the way for Qiu Yihe.
Experience at the border, an internship at State Security Bureau—once she returned, she would be firmly within the establishment.
The Qiu Family relied on the Jiang Family, and Old Zhou was one of his grandfather's people; the connection was perfectly established.
"What about you?" Qiu Yihe's gaze swept over Xia Li, Wang Sheng, and the others behind him. "What are you doing at the border with so many people?"
Jiang Cheng was silent for a second.
In the distance were the shadows of the mountains in Myanmar.
Beside him were Xia Li waiting for his reply, Wang Cong who didn't dare to breathe loudly, and this woman who had suddenly appeared.
He didn't plan to hide it from her.
"I'm going to Myanmar."
Qiu Yihe's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you going there for?"
"What else can one do there? Get my kidneys harvested or my heart and lungs taken out."
Hearing Jiang Cheng's playful remark, Qiu Yihe couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Who are you looking for?"
Jiang Cheng looked at her without saying a word.
The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds.
Finally, Qiu Yihe couldn't help but look away toward the distant mountains, her voice very soft. "There's a war going on over there."
"I know."
"You're still going even though you know?" Her tone carried a hint of imperceptible reproach.
"Are you worried about me?"
Seeing Jiang Cheng ask this so bluntly, Qiu Yihe glanced at Zhou Guanshan shyly, then stubbornly said, "Who's worried..."
After a two-second pause, she spoke. "If you're going in, I'll go with you..."
"You..."
Seeing Jiang Cheng's surprised expression, Qiu Yihe paused, looked at Old Zhou, and then back at Jiang Cheng.
"You saved me last time. Consider this my way of paying you back."
Old Zhou coughed lightly from the side. "You two..."
Qiu Yihe immediately explained, "Uncle Zhou, don't overthink it. I'm just repaying him..."
Jiang Cheng smiled. "I only said I was going to Myanmar, I didn't say I was going alone..."
"What do you mean?" Qiu Yihe frowned.
Looking at Qiu Yihe's shy appearance, a flash of amusement crossed Zhou Guanshan's eyes.
He said to Jiang Cheng, "Young Master Jiang, please take a seat first. I'll go boil some water."
To hide her embarrassment, Qiu Yihe was the first to find a chair and sit down, glancing at Jiang Cheng. "What are you standing there for? Sit."
Seeing Jiang Cheng sit beside her without speaking, Qiu Yihe looked down at her fingers and couldn't help but ask, "You... what have you been up to lately?"
Jiang Cheng looked at her, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Hmm, up to?"
This reply made a row of question marks pop up in Qiu Yihe's head. "What do you mean? I'm asking how you've been lately."
"Oh, so that's what you meant...?"
Seeing that smile, Qiu Yihe knew Jiang Cheng was definitely thinking about something perverted.
Her face turned slightly red as she glared at him. "What do you think?"
Jiang Cheng laughed. "How would I know what you're talking about..."
"You..." After sighing, she asked again, "Who exactly are you looking for here? Coming all this way..."
"You want to know?"
Seeing Jiang Cheng lean in close to her, Qiu Yihe leaned back shyly.
She scolded him, her words contradicting her feelings, "Nonsense!"
"It's hard to explain all at once. How about you come to my room tonight, and I'll give you the full details..."
Hearing this, Qiu Yihe gave him an even more bashful glare. "Bah, trying to get something for nothing, are we? I'm not doing that. Just stick to being your 'Iron-Handed Detective'..."
After saying that, Jiang Cheng suddenly felt a foot gently rubbing against his thigh...
Jiang Cheng tilted his head and glanced under the Eight Immortals table.
So this girl was taking advantage of the tablecloth to do whatever she wanted, right?
Jiang Cheng chuckled. "Do you think I still need to use my hands?"
As he spoke, Jiang Cheng's hand naturally came to rest on Qiu Yihe's thigh.
Feeling Jiang Cheng's touch, Qiu Yihe immediately stuffed her foot back into her boot.
She quickly reached out and slapped Jiang Cheng's hand away.
"What are you doing, you pervert..."
Jiang Cheng looked at her, momentarily speechless. "Girl, who started getting handsy first? Or did your foot decide to go looking for your head on its own...?"
Qiu Yihe's face turned red at Jiang Cheng's retort. "You're so easily tempted. No wonder you have so many women around you..."
Such obviously jealous words made Jiang Cheng burst out laughing. "What's there to hold back on in this kind of situation? It's not like it can't be done, right?"