22: Chapter 22 Second Round of Intelligence

After Liu Yanran entered the bar, she led Qiao Yichen to a relatively secluded, curved booth toward the back.

She took off her coat, draped it over the armrest of the sofa, leaned slightly into the soft cushion, and let out an extremely light, satisfied sigh.

The waiter approached and handed the wine list to Qiao Yichen.

After a quick glance, he chose an Oberth Chardonnay white wine. After signaling the waiter, the waiter nodded and left.

The small space was once again left with just the two of them. Music flowed, and the crisp sound of ice cubes clinking against glasses could be heard from not far away.

The corners of Liu Yanran's lips curved. "What did you order?"

"White. Good for drinking right now."

"Chardonnay." Liu Yanran stated the wine name directly, sinking completely relaxed into the sofa...

She tilted her head to look at him, her gaze appearing bold and direct in the dim light. "I thought you would order something strong."

"Slow and steady. The strong stuff is for later," Qiao Yichen replied just as directly, his gaze locked onto her.

Liu Yanran's smile deepened, carrying a hint of provocation: "Mr. Qiao, are you not confident in yourself, or not confident in... my alcohol tolerance?"

"I'm confident in the time we have tonight." Qiao Yichen leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, closing the physical distance between them. His voice lowered, carrying a magnetic resonance. "I don't want to get drunk too quickly, or... end things too soon."

His words were undeniably suggestive. Liu Yanran did not retreat; instead, she also leaned forward slightly, the distance between them instantly becoming close enough to hear each other breathe.

"Oh? Then what does Mr. Qiao consider 'not ending too soon'?"

The air almost instantly solidified.

The waiter arrived with the wine at that exact moment, briefly interrupting the tense atmosphere.

The chilled Chardonnay was poured into the glasses, and the waiter stepped back.

Qiao Yichen didn't touch his glass, maintaining his forward-leaning posture, remaining very close. He looked at Liu Yanran, then reached out and lightly touched her chin with the back of his finger.

Liu Yanran didn't move, watching him.

As Qiao Yichen leaned in, her eyelashes betrayed her, trembling incessantly, and her breathing unconsciously deepened slightly.

He quickly brushed his lips against hers—a fleeting touch.

The moment their lips met, it was cool and soft.

"Ms. Liu," his voice was a bit low, but fully assertive, "Are you satisfied now?"

A blush spread across Liu Yanran's face. Not daring to reply, she slightly turned sideways, lowered her eyes, picked up her wine glass, and took a sip.

The two were quiet for a few seconds. The atmosphere subtly eased, but they remained close.

The blush had not faded from Liu Yanran's face. Her fingertips gripped the cool base of the glass tightly.

She didn't look at him, her gaze fixed on the swirling golden liquid in the glass, as if it held some secret.

Qiao Yichen finally sat up a little straighter, picked up his own glass, and took a large gulp.

The cool liquid suppressed the agitation churning in his heart, allowing him to observe her reaction more clearly.

"The wine," Liu Yanran finally spoke. Her voice was softer than before, with a barely perceptible tremor. "It is indeed... quite good."

Qiao Yichen also softened his tone: "Mm, the acidity is well-balanced, and the fruit notes are sufficient."

Liu Yanran took another sip of wine; this time her movement was more natural. She seemed to have regained some composure. She raised her eyes, her gaze swept over Qiao Yichen's lips, then quickly moved away to land on his eyes.

"Qiao Yichen," she called his name, omitting 'Mr.' this time, her tone complex. "Are you... always this unexpected?"

Qiao Yichen met her gaze, a meaningful curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "It depends on the situation, and it depends on the person."

He paused, then added, "But with you, it seems... easy to lose control."

Hearing this, Liu Yanran's heart skipped another beat. She lowered her eyes and lightly traced a circle around the rim of her glass.

Neither of them spoke after that, each drinking several glasses of wine.

Qiao Yichen stood up and gently supported Liu Yanran, who was leaning on the sofa in a slightly tipsy state. "Let's go back."

"Mm." She only responded lazily.

He naturally draped his coat over her shoulders, and she naturally leaned against him.

Waving to the waiter to store the wine, the two prepared to leave.

The slightly tipsy Liu Yanran nestled against him. Reaching the door, she handed back the coat, her fingertips trembling slightly. She averted her eyes to avoid his overly clear gaze and whispered, "Good night."

Qiao Yichen stepped close and gently tapped her forehead. "Good night, Ms. Liu."

The door then closed softly.

After returning to his rental apartment, Qiao Yichen unconsciously thought of Liu Yanran. It was a long-lost feeling of excitement!

...

Qiao Yichen's life settled into a weekend rhythm.

Saturday evening at 6:17 PM, his phone screen lit up. It was a message from the principal of an aromatherapy brand:

"Teacher Qiao, how are the data running?"

Qiao Yichen tapped to open the backend and glanced over, replying:

"Good. About 20% above the platform's average for similar products. Choosing the weekend slot was right."

"That's good then."

The other party quickly responded, the relief evident in their tone.

Aside from keeping an eye on the weekend sales data for this client on his computer, this weekend seemed no different from any other.

April 13, 2025, Sunday, Sunny, 14 ~ 22°C.

Time flowed silently, and suddenly it was Sunday morning.

As usual, Qiao Yichen was jogging in the green space behind his complex.

Buzz.

It felt as if a string had been gently plucked deep within his brain.

In the next instant, several lines of cold, blue text appeared without warning in the center of his vision:

[Intelligence Package (3/3) has been fully distributed.]

[Next refresh time: 29 days 23 hours 58 minutes later.]

[Intelligence One]

The "Auction House" (local branch) will hold an overseas returned antique Private Negotiation Fair in ten days.

One item, catalog number LC-17, a "Ming Dynasty to Early Qing Dynasty huanghuali inlaid with hundred treasures flower and bird pattern square corner cabinet," was misjudged as a "Late Qing Dynasty to Republic of China imitation" due to misleading source information.

Private Negotiation Price: 280,000 RMB.

Current Market Valuation: 1,800,000 — 2,500,000 RMB.

[Intelligence Two]

Wu Mengyao, a 21-year-old female student at the University of Finance and Economics, will fall into a scam trap under the guise of a "high-end event part-time job" three days later (Wednesday) in the afternoon at "Creative Park Area A."

The perpetrator will extort money under the pretense of "damaging clothing for the shoot," potentially leading to physical conflict or financial loss.

Key intervention window: 15:00 - 16:00, outside Studio 3.

[Intelligence Three]

Your personal bank account (ending in ****) used to receive payments for "side jobs" has recently shown frequent deposits of 50,000 to 100,000 RMB with vague remarks, characteristics that severely deviate from stable wage income.

The bank's anti-money laundering system has flagged the account. It is expected that in fifteen days, the relationship manager will formally request an appointment, requiring you to provide the corresponding "Business Contracts" and "Tax Payment Certificates" for these transactions.

If reasonable explanations and proof cannot be provided, some account functions (large transfers, non-counter transactions) will be restricted.

...

Having the experience of the first time, Qiao Yichen was noticeably calmer.

He finished his run as usual and sat down on a nearby bench.