The moment he pushed open the door,
Jiang Cheng felt a fragrant breeze wash over him.
He looked up and froze on the spot.
Jiang Ruoxue?!
Why was she in my house? What was going on here?
Jiang Cheng rubbed his eyes. He had to be hallucinating.
"Jiang Cheng, you're back."
Jiang Ruoxue stood up and blinked at him.
Jiang Cheng's mouth twitched. "Why are you here?"
"Your Aunt Jiang and Uncle Jiang went on a business trip to Jinling. It's a little dangerous for Ruoxue to live alone as a girl, so she'll be staying with us for a few days."
Dangerous?
Mom, did you forget what Jiang Ruoxue does for a living?
If some thug broke into the Jiang Family's house, she could kick him so hard he'd never have children again.
I'm the one in danger with her staying in our house!
"Jiang Cheng, aren't you happy to see me?"
Jiang Ruoxue chuckled, deliberately stressing the last few words.
A threat!
A blatant threat!
Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth, forced out a smile, and looked at Jiang Ruoxue with pleading eyes.
"Of course I am. Welcome!"
Mother Jiang watched the two of them with a knowing smile. Her instincts told her there was something going on between them!
Li Shiyao looked at Jiang Ruoxue warily, while the latter returned her gaze smugly.
"Xiao Cheng, why are your clothes wet?"
The moment those words came out, a trace of discomfort flashed across Jiang Cheng's face.
Though it lasted only an instant, Jiang Ruoxue still caught it.
"It's nothing. I wasn't paying attention when I was drinking water."
"You're already this old and still so careless. Hurry upstairs and change, or you'll catch a cold later."
Mother Jiang shot Jiang Cheng a reproachful look and spoke irritably.
As she watched Jiang Cheng's retreating figure head upstairs,
Jiang Ruoxue clenched her fists, her expression unreadable.
Don't forget what she did for a living.
She had deliberately stood by the staircase earlier and had clearly smelled a woman's perfume on Jiang Cheng.
Soon, it was the middle of the night.
A figure quietly opened her bedroom door and crept out on tiptoe.
"This time, I have to succeed!"
Li Shiyao wore a pale yellow nightgown embroidered with white patterns, making her look pure and adorable.
"What is Shiyao doing up so late?"
Before Li Shiyao could make a move, Jiang Ruoxue's voice drifted over.
This woman was here to ruin things for me again!
Li Shiyao turned around angrily.
"Sister Ruoxue, staying up this late isn't good for your health. When you're older, you should get proper rest."
"Thank you for your concern, little sister."
Jiang Ruoxue stretched lazily, folded her arms across her chest, and chuckled.
"I am indeed older than you!"
Ahhh!
Li Shiyao looked down at herself and nearly lost it.
Tch. What's there to show off about? Senior Jiang Cheng doesn't like that anyway.
With a light snort, Li Shiyao turned and went back to her room.
Having achieved her goal, Jiang Ruoxue did not linger. She had something more important to do tomorrow.
She needed to find out who that woman was?!
By late morning,
Jiang Cheng got up and had a simple, unpretentious breakfast.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
When he opened the door, there was no one outside. Only a gilded invitation card lay on the ground.
"Huatai Auction House."
Why did that name sound familiar?
Jiang Cheng frowned and muttered to himself.
Isn't that under the Qin Family of the Capital?
In the original plot, Ye Bufan successfully bought a Thousand-Year Blood Ganoderma at the Auction and used it to break through to Internal Strength.
"Brother Cheng, hurry and check the news. That kid Ye Bufan..."
At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly called, his tone somewhat excited.
Ye Bufan?
Don't tell me something happened again!
Jiang Cheng hurriedly opened the Jiangcheng Official Account. The first headline he saw read:
"Recently, Jiangcheng police dismantled an Underground Boxing Ring. Suspect Ye and several others have been arrested."
He opened the photo.
Holy shit!
Jiang Cheng could not help cursing.
Wasn't Ye Bufan standing right in the center?
Well, well. The Protagonist had made it onto the government payroll too!
But what was going on? With the influence of the Protagonist's Halo, this should not have blown up so badly.
It seemed that, for the time being,
Ye Bufan would not be getting out anytime soon.
With that in mind, Jiang Cheng's gaze slowly fell on the invitation card in his hand.
Before leaving, he would fleece the Protagonist one last time!
Jiangcheng Police Station.
Jiang Ruoxue stared intently at the computer screen.
One hand gripped her teacup tightly, while waves of chill radiated from her body.
She gritted her teeth. "Mu Qingcheng, so it was you!"
Taking several deep breaths, Jiang Ruoxue tried her best to calm herself.
She was not worried. Jiang Cheng had spent less than twenty minutes entering and leaving the hotel on the surveillance footage.
Subtracting the time it took to go up and down,
there was no way the two of them could have done anything too intimate in such a short time. That was how much faith she had in Jiang Cheng!
Elsewhere,
Jiang Cheng brought A Long and arrived at Huatai Auction House without a hitch.
Though it was not yet time for the Auction to officially begin, all kinds of luxury cars already filled the entrance.
As they entered the main hall,
many wealthy young masters and socialites had already arrived, chatting and laughing in small groups.
They went upstairs and entered the Jiang Family's VIP Room.
Jiang Cheng sat on the sofa by the window.
He drank clear tea while observing the situation in the main hall.
Something was off!
According to the original plot, most of the people attending this Auction were prominent figures from Jiangcheng's upper class. Why were there so many unfamiliar faces?
Just as he was wondering,
Jiang Cheng saw a group of young female attendants in cheongsams enter through the side door.
Each was exceptionally beautiful and elegant, the sort of beauty ordinary people would rarely see outside.
After all, Huatai Auction House had the Qin Family of the Capital behind it. Those selected to enter such high-society settings were naturally the best of the best.
The lights in the hall gradually brightened, and the Auction officially began.
"Now, please welcome Miss Qin Yan, the host of this Auction, to deliver her opening remarks."
Inside the VIP Room,
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened as though he had seen a ghost.
Had he misheard?
The next second, a cold and stunning woman in an elegant evening gown walked onto the stage.
She was tall and slender, with jade-white skin that seemed to gleam coldly. Her long black hair was pinned up with a hairpin.
Her graceful figure exuded feminine charm.
Simply standing on the stage, she drew everyone's eyes like a magnet.
Compared to her, the socialites present were like fireflies before the moon, instantly reduced to common, gaudy beauties.
At that moment,
Jiang Cheng's mind was a complete mess.
That made no sense. In the original plot, Qin Yan had not appeared yet!
Why would the Qin Family's eldest Miss personally take the stage for a mere Huatai Auction House?
No wonder there were so many unfamiliar faces. They must have heard the news and come to make an impression on Qin Yan.
Though he did not know why Qin Yan was here, there was one thing Jiang Cheng could be sure of.
Before this, he and Qin Yan had been complete strangers with no connection whatsoever.
He only needed to get the Thousand-Year Blood Ganoderma, then quietly leave.
If nothing unexpected happened,
Qin Yan would be the last Heroine he ever met.
This time, when he went overseas,
he, Jiang Cheng, would not be coming back!
Before you continue