56: Chapter 56 Xing Zhenkun's Favorability Increases

Over ten minutes later, Xu Qian saw Bai Lu off and gently closed the door. Turning to stand in the middle of the empty, spacious house, an indescribable emotion surged in her heart.

Checking the time, she estimated that Qin Yi should be arriving in Jingnan soon.

At that thought, her lips curled up unconsciously. She picked up her phone, her fingertips sliding briskly across the screen as she dialed Qin Yi's number.

The call was answered quickly, and his familiar, slightly teasing voice came from the other end. "Hello, Qianqian. What's wrong? Starting to miss me already?"

Hearing this, Xu Qian's cheeks flushed slightly. She secretly laughed at his lack of seriousness but didn't respond directly. Instead, she sat down gracefully on the soft sofa and pulled a nearby throw pillow into a tight embrace, as if she could feel Qin Yi's warmth that way.

"Young Master Qin, have you... arrived in Jingnan?" When Xu Qian spoke, her tone was extremely soft, tinged with a hint of shyness; even her gaze had turned unconsciously tender.

Qin Yi had just come out of the restroom at a service area. He was currently in the convenience store, leisurely strolling through the aisles and picking out items. Though he didn't really know what to buy, it was a way to rest his legs.

Hearing Xu Qian's voice, a smile played on Qin Yi's lips, and his voice became doting. "Almost. There are about fifty kilometers left before I get off the highway. Once I'm off, it'll take another half hour or so to arrive."

"Oh, it's still that far. Did I interrupt your driving then..." Xu Qian's words carried a hint of apology as her fingers gently traced the edge of the pillow.

"It's fine. I'm not driving right now; I'm resting at a service area. By the way, have you picked out your apartment yet?" Qin Yi asked with concern.

"Yes, I just settled on it. It's an east-facing unit on the 32nd floor. The lighting is great, and the view is good too, it's just that the area is a bit large. It feels a bit too extravagant for me to live alone." As Xu Qian spoke, her eyes surveyed the spacious living room, and she added sincerely, "Thank you, Young Master Qin, for giving me such an expensive gift."

"There's nothing to thank me for. Didn't I say? Since you've become my woman, I naturally have to give you the best." Qin Yi smiled faintly, his words carrying a bit of a joke but also hiding an unspoken intimacy. "Besides, the 32nd floor is great; it's so close to my place. If you miss me in the future, you can just come up and find me... Hey, what do you think if I connect these two floors? We could call it 'repairing the gallery road in the open while secretly crossing the Chencang'?"

Hearing this, a blush inevitably rose to Xu Qian's face again. Her lips couldn't help but curve upward, and a mischievous light sparkled in her eyes. "Uh... Young Master Qin... you're really funny. Is that even how you use that idiom?"

"Hahaha, alright, I'll stop teasing you. Regarding the car dealership, Brother Kun didn't say anything, did he?" Qin Yi's tone turned serious and concerned.

"No, the boss just told me to rest well for these two days... Oh right, about what happened at the mall last night, I told the boss..." Xu Qian's voice was slightly hesitant, as if she were worried about his reaction.

"Oh? And what did Brother Kun say?" Qin Yi asked curiously.

"The boss didn't say much, just that he would follow up on the case with the police. Also, the boss seems quite interested in the fact that you know kung fu." Xu Qian's words carried a bit of a probing tone.

"Haha, what kung fu? I just know a bit of martial arts, that's all," Qin Yi said self-deprecatingly.

"Uh... that, Young Master Qin, I mentioned it without your permission. You... you won't be angry, will you?" Xu Qian felt a bit uneasy, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the pillow.

"How could I be? This kind of thing isn't something to keep secret. Don't overthink it."

Hearing Young Master Qin say that, Xu Qian's heart finally settled. She said softly, "Okay. Then drive carefully, Young Master Qin, stay safe. Send me a WeChat message when you get home."

Qin Yi gave a 'good' in response and then hung up the phone.

Afterward, he grabbed a bottle of water from the shelf, scanned the code to pay, and walked out of the store.

However, just as he sat in the driver's seat, the System notification sound suddenly rang in his mind, causing his expression to tighten slightly.

[Ding! It has been detected that Xing Zhenkun's favorability toward the Host has increased by 10 points. Current favorability: 80!]

This sudden increase in favorability truly caught him by surprise.

He thought to himself: Could it be because of the conflict last night?

Immediately after, the System notification rang again.

[Ding! Same-sex favorability has reached 80 for the first time. Triggering a random System mission—Within 48 hours, increase Xing Zhenkun's favorability toward the Host to 90!]

[Mission Success Reward: Strength +1, Agility +1, and Lucky Draw chance +1. Mission Failure: Random deduction of two points from the six basic attributes, and 24 hours of continuous bad luck.]

Qin Yi frowned slightly. This System mission really came at a bad time. He was almost at Jingnan; how was he supposed to increase Xing Zhenkun's favorability now?

He pondered for a moment with a frown and decided it was best to give Xing Zhenkun a call first.

After all, Xing Zhenkun already knew what happened last night and had even told Xu Qian he would keep an eye on the police investigation. He should at least show some appreciation. Who knows, maybe Xing Zhenkun would get happy and his favorability would soar straight to 90...

...

Inside Wanhao Car Dealership, Xing Zhenkun sat in the large swivel chair of his office, holding his phone. The screen was playing the surveillance video of Qin Yi's 1v6 fight from last night.

He watched it over and over five or six times, his eyes revealing an unmaskable appreciation and curiosity, as if he were watching a brilliant action movie.

Just as he was still wanting more, his phone suddenly rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was actually Qin Yi.

Xing Zhenkun's heart stirred. He raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, "Why is Young Master Qin calling suddenly? Didn't he go back to Jingnan?"

Despite his confusion, he immediately answered the phone, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry. "Hey, Young Master Qin, have you reached Jingnan?"

Qin Yi smiled faintly on the other end. "Haha, not yet. About eighty kilometers left. I'm at a service area right now. I just heard from Xu Qian that Brother Kun already knows about last night?"

Hearing this, Xing Zhenkun pondered silently, his eyes flickering. He didn't know why Young Master Qin was calling to ask about this. Could it be that he was dissatisfied with his interference in his privacy?

He explained with feigned composure, "Yes. I saw that Xiao Qian didn't come to the dealership this morning, so I thought I'd call and ask about last night, and we ended up talking about it. It just so happens I'm very familiar with the police department, so I thought I'd have an acquaintance help keep an eye on things."

The corner of Qin Yi's mouth curved. Having made his plan, he said with feigned regret, "Sigh, if I'd known Brother Kun had acquaintances in the police department, I would have called you first last night. It would have saved me a trip to the police station in the middle of the night."

Xing Zhenkun laughed heartily. "Young Master Qin, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me when I say this, but I heard the officer who responded yesterday is named Shen Jianan, right? If it were anyone else, I might be able to put in a word. If it's her, even if you asked me, I'm afraid I'd be powerless to help."

Qin Yi naturally remembered the name of the female officer leading the team, but he still pretended to recall for a moment before responding, "Mm, I think that was the name. Why? Is this Shen Jianan very formidable?"

Xing Zhenkun gave a sheepish smile and lamented, "Sigh, more than just formidable. If I run into her, I wouldn't dare provoke her."

"Why? She's just a public security captain at a sub-bureau station, right? Logically, Brother Kun shouldn't be afraid of her. Unless... she has a background?" Hearing Xing Zhenkun say this, Qin Yi also became curious about Shen Jianan's identity and pressed for more.

Xing Zhenkun could only laugh and explain, "It's true she has a background. But the main reason I don't want to provoke her isn't because of her background, but because this 'Auntie' has an explosive temper. Plus, her parents and my parents all know each other... So, when it comes to her, there's really not much I can do."

Qin Yi understood and had some guesses about the relationship between Xing Zhenkun and Shen Jianan. Though their images didn't seem to match, he still teased, "So Brother Kun and this Officer Shen are childhood sweethearts..."

Xing Zhenkun hurried to explain, "Haha, Young Master Qin, don't get the wrong idea. We are not childhood sweethearts. I just treat her like a younger sister."

Qin Yi gave a knowing smile. Why did those words sound a bit off? "I understand, I understand..."

Xing Zhenkun was speechless, silently complaining, 'You understand a hammer.'

Since he couldn't explain it clearly anyway, he simply changed the subject and continued, "However, Young Master Qin can rest assured on one point. Although Jianan has a temper, she never plays favorites when handling cases. With last night's case in her hands, it will definitely be investigated thoroughly. I'll tell you as soon as there's news."

Xing Zhenkun didn't plan to tell Qin Yi about Shen Jianan's family background. Although he had a good impression of Qin Yi, there was no need to tell him everything.

Moreover, he was thinking of observing Qin Yi a bit more. If possible, he wouldn't mind playing matchmaker for Young Master Qin and Shen Jianan.

If he revealed who Shen Jianan's father was now, the situation might change.

Hearing this, Qin Yi's heart stirred, remembering his System mission to bankrupt Hongtai Construction within seven days.

Although he didn't expect this small matter to complete the mission, he was more than happy to cause some trouble for Wang Hao.

He feigned deep thought, paused for a moment, and then slowly said, "Then I'll thank Brother Kun in advance. It's just that regarding the conflict last night, I have a suspect in mind, but I don't have any solid evidence, so I didn't tell the police at the time. Since Brother Kun is familiar with Officer Shen, this could be a lead that might help her subsequent work."

"Oh? Who is it?" A flash of curiosity appeared in Xing Zhenkun's eyes.

"I suspect it was instigated by a university classmate of mine named Wang Hao!" Although he said he suspected it, Qin Yi's tone carried a fair amount of certainty.

"Wang Hao?" Xing Zhenkun ran the name through his head but had no impression of it. However, he remembered what Xu Qian had told him on the phone earlier about what happened at the Sinan Feast last night.

So, he continued to ask, "The one who had an unpleasant encounter with you at the Sinan Feast last night?"

Qin Yi nodded. "Yes, exactly him."

A flash of realization went through Xing Zhenkun's eyes. He thought to himself: Could Young Master Qin be trying to kill with a borrowed knife?

So, he asked further, "So, Young Master Qin suspects he was the one who sent those thugs?"

Qin Yi replied with great conviction, "Those thugs were definitely sent by someone. Think about it, what kind of place is the International Finance Center? How could it be such a coincidence that they started a conflict with us in the Armani store? But as for whether it was him, I'm not entirely sure since there's no solid evidence; it's just my personal guess."

Hearing this, Xing Zhenkun nodded in agreement. "What Young Master Qin says makes sense. But as for that Wang Hao, do you know his background?"

Qin Yi said slowly, "Has Brother Kun heard of Hongtai Construction Co., Ltd.?"

A look of contemplation flashed in Xing Zhenkun's eyes. "Hongtai Construction? I think I have some impression of it. A local construction company in Shanghai. Is the chairman named Wang Hongtai?"

Qin Yi feigned ignorance. "Probably. I'm not too sure about that. But Wang Hao's father should be the chairman of Hongtai Construction."

Xing Zhenkun understood. "So it's Wang Hongtai's son."

Qin Yi asked tentatively, "Does Brother Kun happen to know this Wang Hongtai?"

Xing Zhenkun shook his head. "I've heard of him, but we have no dealings. Don't worry, Young Master Qin, I'll mention your suspicion to Nannan."

Seeing his goal achieved, the corner of Qin Yi's mouth curled. He said with feigned gratitude, "Then I'll thank Brother Kun first. Oh, right, didn't you mention wanting to borrow a car earlier? The keys are all at home. If I don't return to Shanghai in the next few days, I'll have Qianqian help you get the keys."

Xing Zhenkun laughed heartily with a hint of teasing, "Haha, Young Master Qin, you truly are a man of passion. The progress between you and Xiao Qian is quite fast! Impressive, impressive."

Qin Yi also laughed. "Haha, Brother Kun, you're joking. I'll have to trouble you to look after Qianqian more in the future."

Xing Zhenkun patted his chest. "Don't worry, Young Master Qin. I'll transfer Xiao Qian to management later. She won't have to do the grunt work of selling cars anymore."

Qin Yi was naturally appreciative of Xing Zhenkun's kindness, so he thanked him. "Haha, I'll leave it to your arrangements, Brother Kun."

Xing Zhenkun smiled and asked with concern, "By the way, where is Young Master Qin's hometown in Jingnan? I have some acquaintances in Jingnan as well. If you need anything, just give me a shout, don't be a stranger."

Qin Yi replied, "Lanhong Town in Jingnan. It's a small place; I doubt Brother Kun has heard of it. I'm just going back this time to handle some private matters and pick up my parents to bring them to Shanghai. I shouldn't need to trouble anyone else. But thank you anyway, Brother Kun."

"We're brothers; saying thanks is too formal..."

...

Afterward, the two chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call.

After hanging up, Xing Zhenkun looked at his phone screen, a smile curling on his lips as he muttered, "Lanhong Town, Jingnan? Since when did a character like Young Master Qin come out of that place? I'll have to find someone to look into it later..."

Meanwhile, Qin Yi leaned back in the driver's seat with a relaxed expression. Although this call didn't increase Xing Zhenkun's favorability toward him, it did drag that bastard Wang Hao into the mess, which was good enough.