366: Chapter 365 Concern from Xu Qian and Ye Qingcheng

Inside a guest room at the Si Family Old Residence.

Qin Yi had just finished showering and changed into clean clothes when his phone rang at the perfect moment. Seeing the name "Qianqian" flashing on the screen, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

Checking the time, it was already a quarter past six. It seemed Xu Qian had finished her work.

"Hello, Qianqian." He picked up the phone, his voice carrying an unmistakable hint of doting. "Did you miss me?"

Xu Qian's soft laughter came from the other end, her voice sweet and gentle. "I did. How could I not? I've wanted to call you for a long time, but I was afraid of disturbing your business, so I held back until now." Her words held a touch of grievance, yet were full of consideration.

Qin Yi's heart softened as he realized he was in the wrong. They had agreed that he would call Xu Qian to let her know he had arrived safely in the Southwest. However, as soon as he arrived, he ran into Zhao Lintai and had been with the Si Family ever since, causing him to push the promise to call Xu Qian to the back of his mind.

He quickly said, "Yeah. I have to say, Qianqian, you really are the most understanding."

"Flatterer," Xu Qian chided playfully, her voice tinged with a bit of shyness and sweetness. Then, she changed the subject to business. "By the way, did Brother Fei tell you? Xu Chao, the second oldest in your dorm, has already arrived in Shanghai."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yi's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? That's great. When did he arrive? Fatty didn't send me a message."

"He was supposed to arrive in Shanghai on the high-speed train at four in the afternoon. Brother Fei and the others came over around three to tell me they were going to the station to pick up Xu Chao. I thought they would have called to tell you."

"Heh, those guys are probably out enjoying themselves somewhere right now. I'll call Fatty later!" Qin Yi couldn't help but chuckle as he imagined the three brothers together.

"Mm. Also, regarding the employee salary cards, I've contacted President Xu. President Xu's idea is to let Xu Chao handle it after he reports to the Shanghai branch tomorrow. It'll count toward Xu Chao's performance."

"That works. President Xu is very thoughtful." Qin Yi praised, then changed the subject. "By the way, I have some good news for you too."

"What good news?" Xu Qian's curiosity was piqued instantly.

"Hehe, it's like this: Yiqin Capital will soon receive an investment of four hundred million! Moreover, there are no strings attached—they won't even take any shares, only a share of the profits." Qin Yi's voice held a hint of pride.

"Four hundred million? Why so much?" Xu Qian was startled by the figure, but then, connecting it to the purpose of Qin Yi's trip to the Southwest, she blurted out, "Young Master Qin, this wouldn't happen to be a meeting gift from Miss Si Yao's father, would it?"

"Bah, what's going on in that little head of yours? This four hundred million was won through my own ability." Qin Yi explained with a smile, then briefly recounted his bet with Si Hongjun.

Knowing the truth, Xu Qian breathed a small sigh of relief, but added, "Since there's a stock that's a guaranteed win, you should mention it to Brother Fei and the others. The staff at Yiqin Capital are mostly in place, and the company's business needs to get moving. Otherwise, I'm worried the employees will start having doubts if there's no work. After all, the salaries set during the interviews include performance bonuses."

Qin Yi could tell that Xu Qian was truly looking out for him. His heart warmed as he nodded in response. "Qianqian, you're right. Yiqin Capital's business does need to start. We'll use this four hundred million investment to test the waters. I'll talk to Fatty about it later. By the way, how are things at Yiqian Media?"

"It's proceeding normally. I've been keeping an eye on things here today, and the renovation progress is decent. It's expected to be ready for use in about a week."

"Whoa, that's fast," Qin Yi praised.

"That's because you're paying so much. For every day they finish early, you give an extra 500,000. I don't know how many renovation teams that promise could attract," Xu Qian teased with a laugh.

"Hahaha, you get what you pay for. But you don't need to keep staring at it. Even if they use eco-friendly Materials, it's still more or less bad for your health."

"Mm, I know, so I'm working temporarily on the 13th floor." Hearing Qin Yi's concern, Xu Qian felt a sweetness in her heart. She then added, "Oh, right, there's one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"Brother Kun called this afternoon, saying he's arranged a dinner with the shareholders of that entertainment company tomorrow night."

"Good. You're the lady boss of Yiqian Media, so naturally, you should go. And with Brother Kun there, there shouldn't be any problems. If you're worried, have Xiao Yue go with you."

"Okay, then I'll accept the invitation."

"Mm. Also, I've already discussed the specific acquisition plan with Brother Kun. Just follow his arrangements when the time comes."

"Okay, I've got it."

With business finished, Xu Qian finally couldn't help but ask about his experiences in the Southwest. "By the way, you haven't been found out for pretending to be Si Yao's boyfriend, have you?"

"Sigh," Qin Yi gave a helpless, bitter smile and answered honestly. "Cough, how could our little tricks hide anything from Elder Si? I reckon Elder Si saw right through us the moment we stepped off the plane."

"Ah? Then wouldn't Si Yao's plan be..." Xu Qian's voice was filled with worry.

"No. I didn't expect it either, but the Si Family actually doesn't want to go through with the engagement with the Zhao Family."

"Really? If they don't want to go through with it, why did they make Si Yao come back? Wouldn't it be better if she just didn't return?"

"The Si Family had no choice. After all, the Zhao Family still has influence. If they just directly called off the wedding, where would the Si Family's dignity go?" Qin Yi analyzed logically. After a pause, he added, "Si Yao bringing me back as a fake boyfriend happened to align perfectly with the Si Family's thoughts. Now, we just have to see how the Zhao Family responds."

Hearing this, Xu Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid that the Si Family would take their anger out on Qin Yi after discovering his identity as a fake boyfriend.

Just then, as if remembering something, Qin Yi continued, "Uh, however, there's something I should report to you first."

"Uh, what is it?" Xu Qian asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It's like this. On the way to the hotel, I don't know what the Si Family plotted, but as soon as we got out of the car, Si Yao took the initiative to kiss me... and then, it was caught by some media reporters. I don't know what they'll write later, so I thought I should let you know... so you don't overthink it when you see the news."

Hearing Qin Yi's explanation, although Xu Qian still felt a bit uncomfortable, she felt relieved that he could tell her the truth. At the very least, it showed that Qin Yi truly cared about her; otherwise, he wouldn't have felt the need to explain anything.

She then proactively showed consideration for him. "No, it's fine. I can understand. I guess the Si Family really wants to use you as a shield."

"Yeah. Indeed." Qin Yi agreed and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, what did Zilin and Xiao Yue do today?"

"Oh, there's not much to do at the company right now, so I had Xiao Yue take Zilin to learn how to drive. Zhao Ying and Yoyo went too."

"Mm, that's good. Might as well get their driver's licenses while things are quiet. What about you? You aren't still at the company, are you?"

"It's boring going back alone, so I'm staying at the office a bit longer."

"It's getting late. It's not safe for you to go back alone. Go home early. Be good," Qin Yi urged softly. "Remember to eat. Love you."

"Mm, I love you too. Mua," Xu Qian responded softly, sending a kiss over the phone.

After hanging up, the corners of Qin Yi's mouth curled up unconsciously.

When he was with Xu Qian normally, they rarely contacted each other by phone from thousands of miles away, and it felt surprisingly different. He felt that Xu Qian was more dependent on him and more relaxed. This feeling of being needed and depended upon made Qin Yi's sense of happiness and satisfaction overflow.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, followed by Si Yao's voice. "Qin Yi, are you done with your call? Grandpa is calling you for dinner."

"Oh, coming." As he spoke, Qin Yi picked up his phone and opened the door, only to meet Si Yao's meaningful gaze.

Recalling his conversation with Xu Qian just now, he scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "Um, did you hear all that just now?"

"Get lost! This lady doesn't have a habit of eavesdropping! Hurry up, everyone's waiting for you." Si Yao rolled her eyes at Qin Yi, turned around, and walked toward the main house opposite.

Qin Yi was about to follow when his phone rang again.

Hearing the sound, Si Yao immediately stopped, turned back to look at Qin Yi, and grumbled, "Who is it this time? Why are you so busy?"

Qin Yi picked it up to look, then showed it to Si Yao. "Look, it's Captain Ye Qingcheng's call. Should I answer?"

Si Yao took a breath and waved her hand. "Answer it, answer it. Just remember to come eat after you're done!" With that, Si Yao didn't bother with him further and went straight back to the main house.

Qin Yi strolled to the pavilion by the pond in the courtyard. Watching the koi in the pond, he answered the phone.

"Hello, Captain Ye. Any instructions?"

"Qin Yi, how are things on your end? Is everything going smoothly?" Ye Qingcheng's voice carried a hint of concern and worry.

"Yeah, it's alright. Pretty smooth."

"No conflict with Zhao Lintai?"

"There was a conflict, but I felt pretty good about it. I just don't know how Young Master Zhao's mood is."

Qin Yi didn't want to discuss Zhao Lintai with Ye Qingcheng. In his view, Ye Qingcheng still represented the Security Bureau's stance, which was to prevent him from taking action against Zhao Lintai and leave the punishment of crimes to the law.

However, Qin Yi didn't think that way. He had his own principles and bottom lines, and more importantly, he had System tasks to complete!

Thus, Qin Yi forcefully changed the subject. "Captain Ye didn't call just to ask about Zhao Lintai's situation, did she?"

Ye Qingcheng's voice turned heavy as she replied, "I'm calling to remind you to stay safe. We received news that Hongmen has sent another expert, no less skilled than Zhang Yu. They've already met with Zhao Lintai."

Hearing this, Qin Yi's heart tightened. He cursed inwardly: Hongmen really is like a persistent nuisance, following him wherever he goes.

"Who is it? What are they plotting in their meeting?" Qin Yi pressed.

"It's a woman named Bai Ruoxue. Her strength is at the Peak Anjin level. According to Zhang Yu's confession, her strength is likely even greater than his. Her Cultivation Technique is also very rare, called 'Mystic Ice True Qi,' which can turn thoughts into ice and water into blades. Moreover, her movement techniques are even superior to Chen Mo's."

"Holy crap, what kind of existence is Hongmen? They couldn't have transmigrated from some immortal Sect, could they?"

"Enough. There are many things in this world we don't know about. Instead of chatting idly with me, you should think about how to deal with what's coming."

"Deal with it? You don't mean that Zhao Lintai plans to have this Bai Ruoxue assassinate me, do you?"

"Do you think it's impossible? Or do you think it's hard to kill you?" Ye Qingcheng countered. "I don't know how many skills you're still hiding. However, in today's Dragon Country, Peak Anjin is already among the top tier of the martial path. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark—especially when you're being targeted by a Peak Anjin expert!"

"I understand. Thanks for the warning, Captain Ye. I'll be careful!"

Ye Qingcheng added, "Mm. Also, I'll share some more news with you. Director Xu Anguo of the General Security Bureau arrived in Shanghai today. He revealed something to me. The organization has already taken a clear stance regarding the crimes committed by Zhao Lintai of the Zhao Family. However, we still have to wait for an opportunity. So, if possible, I still hope you won't be impulsive."

"Wait for an opportunity? What opportunity?"

"It's also related to you."

"Related to me? What do you mean?"

"Naturally, the engagement between the Si and Zhao families!"

Hearing this, Qin Yi understood instantly and gave a helpless smile. "Can I interpret this as: if the engagement between the Si and Zhao families continues, the organization can temporarily suppress the crimes Zhao Lintai committed?"

"Qin Yi, don't be resistant. The decisions made by the organization definitely have deeper considerations..." Ye Qingcheng tried to explain.

"Fine, let's not dwell on this issue anymore! I understand what your organization means—it's just about seeking stability. Fine! I can promise you that as long as I can protect myself, if he doesn't proactively provoke me, I can naturally leave him a way out! However, if he still thinks about using others to deal with me, then he'd better pray for himself!"

With that, Qin Yi didn't waste any more words and hung up the phone before Ye Qingcheng could respond.

"Qin—"

Ye Qingcheng's words were cut off. Listening to the busy tone on the phone, she sighed helplessly. She naturally understood Qin Yi's anger, but she was even more worried about his safety. At the same time, she couldn't help but grumble inwardly: This Qin Yi seems like he never knows the meaning of backing down. I really don't know what he's relying on!

Thinking this, Ye Qingcheng rubbed her temples and drove away from the Military General Hospital, calculating how to ensure this troublesome guy wouldn't get into trouble in the Southwest.