In a luxurious executive suite, the sound of rapid breathing echoed throughout the room.
As the saying goes, the shortcut to a woman's heart is to take her first time.
Fang Ming didn't know what Qin Xiao was thinking, actually sending such a woman to follow him.
Did he think that because he hadn't betrayed him in his previous life and Chen Qian didn't dare to disobey him, the two of them being together was absolutely safe?
One should know that women are fickle. Even if Fang Ming weren't a transmigrator, there was a high probability she would defect for her own interests.
Of course, that was none of Fang Ming's business. What he needed to do was quietly develop right under Qin Xiao's nose.
The two played until the early hours and slept until ten the next morning before waking up bleary-eyed, then each went home to pack their luggage.
At around two in the afternoon, Rong City Tianfu Airport.
The airport during summer break was like a giant beehive, buzzing with noise. The sunlight outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows was blinding, and the roar of planes taking off and landing on the tarmac drifted faintly through the glass.
Chu Yao, Zhang Yue, and Li Wei sat in a row of blue plastic chairs, their respective suitcases placed by their feet.
Zhang Yue and Li Wei were Chu Yao's roommates. Although their looks were quite a bit inferior to Chu Yao's, they still scored a sixty or seventy out of a hundred.
In this day and age, as long as one's figure wasn't too stout, a little bit of dressing up and showing some leg could qualify one as a beauty.
These two girls were exactly like that.
Today, Zhang Yue was wearing a pale yellow camisole dress, revealing her fair shoulders and long legs. She was holding a small mirror to touch up her lipstick, humming a song.
Li Wei was dressed in denim hot pants paired with a white off-the-shoulder shirt, her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking youthful and energetic. She was excitedly flipping through travel guides on her phone.
"Once we get to Yan Capital, we'll go to the Forbidden City first, and then to Houhai at night. I heard the bar street there is really interesting!"
"And Nanluoguxiang, there are so many viral snacks!"
"Right, right, right, and we have to go boating at the Summer Palace!"
The two girls chattered away, their faces full of anticipation for this company-funded trip.
Chu Yao sat beside them, wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, her hair tied in a low ponytail. Her clean face bore no expression.
She held her backpack in her arms, her gaze scanning the passing crowds like radar, discreetly observing.
"Yaoyao, why aren't you saying anything?" Li Wei suddenly leaned over and put an arm around her shoulder. "You look so gloomy."
"I'm not..."
Chu Yao snapped out of it, then deliberately changed the subject. "When is your boyfriend... arriving?"
"Should be soon." Li Wei checked her phone. "He said to meet at Gate 3 at 3:00 PM."
Just as she finished speaking, Zhang Yue's surprised shout came from nearby: "Brother Ming, over here!"
Chu Yao's heart skipped a beat. Almost reflexively, she looked up and followed the direction of the voice.
She saw Fang Ming walking toward them from not far away.
Today, he wore a light gray cotton shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, and slim-fit black casual trousers that made his legs look very long.
Seeing Fang Ming, a smile subconsciously formed at the corners of Chu Yao's mouth, but in the next second, the smile froze on her face.
Because beside Fang Ming, in addition to the big lug Wang Meng who was dragging the luggage, there was also a woman—a very beautiful, exquisitely dressed woman.
She was wearing a champagne-colored chiffon dress that reached her knees, revealing a portion of her calves clad in nude stockings. On her feet were a pair of off-white stiletto sandals.
Chestnut-colored wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her face was meticulously made up. Her eyes, in particular, with their slightly upturned eyeliner, exuded a natural charm.
She had one hand hooked around Fang Ming's arm, her body leaning slightly toward him. She was tilted her head, saying something to him with a coquettish smile.
That posture was blindingly intimate.
Seeing this scene, Chu Yao felt a sudden tightness in her chest for some reason, as if a giant stone were pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
Fang Ming didn't notice. After introducing everyone, he pretended they had just met Chu Yao. Together, they checked in, dropped off their luggage, and went through security.
Throughout the entire process, Chu Yao seemed somewhat distracted.
She tried her best to keep her head down and avoid eye contact with Fang Ming and Chen Qian, but her ears seemed to have a mind of their own, constantly catching the sounds from that direction.
"Brother Fang, where are we staying once we get to Yan Capital?"
"A hotel!"
"Which hotel? Is the environment good? I'm not used to staying in poor places!~"
"You'll know when we get there."
Their conversation was like silver needles, pricking her heart one by one.
Was Mr. Ming like this in private? So... perfunctory toward his girlfriend?
Or was it just because she was there that he was deliberately acting cold?
Chu Yao's mind was a mess, with all sorts of thoughts flooding in.
Wang Meng was playing the role of Li Wei's boyfriend this time. He helped Li Wei carry her bag and followed everyone to their respective seats.
As time passed, the plane soon took off.
"Yaoyao, are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Yue, beside her, noticed her pale face and asked with concern.
Chu Yao shook her head and managed a smile. "No... no, it's my first time flying, I'm just not used to it."
She turned her head to look out the window. The plane had already passed through the clouds, and the sunlight poured in unobstructed, making her eyes sting.
Mr. Ming's full name is Fang Ming? Why did he want her to go to Yan Capital?
...It must be said, with six people on one plane, everyone had their own hidden agenda.
Chu Yao was going to Yan Capital under Fang Ming's guidance. Zhang Yue and Li Wei were there to monitor Chu Yao. Wang Meng was a supporting player. Chen Qian was there to keep an eye on Fang Ming, having already sacrificed herself.
As for Fang Ming? Naturally, it was to save someone.
In his eyes, the other five people were all his pawns.
When the plane landed in Yan Capital, it was already 6:30 PM. Under Fang Ming's guidance, Chu Yao booked a four-star hotel near Lu Chenzhou's manor villa.
How did Fang Ming know the location of Lu Chenzhou's manor villa? Naturally, it was from the location sent by the 'Abusive Novels Naive Flower'.
The Chat Group was an existence far beyond mobile chat apps. Even mobile chat apps could send locations, let alone this Chat Group.
Since Chu Yao booked here, the others naturally had to book here as well.
Fang Ming used the funds provided by Qin Xiao to open three standard rooms: one for Zhang Yue and Chu Yao, one for Li Wei and Wang Meng, and one for himself and Chen Qian.
Taking their key cards, everyone dragged their respective luggage back to their rooms.
As soon as they entered the room, the smile on Chen Qian's face collapsed.
She scanned the room's furnishings with disdain and curled her lip. "This is it? Young Master Qin is reimbursing us anyway, why didn't you book a higher-end hotel?"
Fang Ming couldn't be bothered to deal with her. He put his suitcase in the corner, walked to the window, drew the curtains, and turned on the air conditioner.
With his back to Chen Qian, he sat in a chair, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his mind.
[Nameless Guide]: "@Abusive Novels Naive Flower, I've arrived in Yan Capital. What's the situation on your end now?"
[Abusive Novels Naive Flower]: "group owner, you've arrived in Yan Capital? I'm okay... I've eaten and drunk enough, and my foot injury is much better. Last night... he didn't come back."
One could sense her excitement and a hint of relieved luck between the lines.
[Nameless Guide]: "That's good. I'll try my best to get you out tonight."
[Abusive Novels Naive Flower]: "Really? That's wonderful. But you must also be careful. I heard that Lu Chenzhou's influence is very large, having connections in both the legal and underworld. If you go head-to-head with him..."
[Nameless Guide]: "You don't need to worry about that."
[Nameless Guide]: "@Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine, I remember you have all sorts of medicines there, right?"
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "Yes, there's the Gold Sore Powder for stopping bleeding and regenerating skin, the Heart-Clearing Pill for detoxifying and avoiding miasma, the Bone-Strengthening Ointment for health, the Hallucinogenic Mushroom Powder for causing hallucinations, and the Soft Tendon Powder. If you inhale or eat this stuff, your whole body will be limp and weak within half an hour, but your consciousness will remain clear. The effect lasts for two or three hours..."
Lin Chen listed a long string of medicine names like he was counting his family treasures.
Fang Ming cut him off directly.
[Nameless Guide]: "I don't need the others for now. I want the kind of medicine that is colorless and tasteless, and can make someone fall into a deep sleep quickly after taking it."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "I have it. Since Brother Ming asked, I definitely have it. My own improved Calming Powder. It's colorless, tasteless, in powder form, and dissolves instantly in water. It's completely undetectable when mixed in water or wine."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "A small dose helps with sleep. A larger dose can make a grown man sleep like a dead pig within three minutes, and he won't wake up for six hours. Moreover, he'll feel energetic upon waking, and won't suspect he was drugged at all."
[Nameless Guide]: "That's the one. Send me a portion."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "OK!!"