The detective hung up without giving Yun Rong a chance to speak, rolling his eyes.
"She wants something for nothing? What's wrong with her brain?!" the detective grumbled, pulling his baseball cap down and looking for a place to eat.
Meanwhile, Yun Rong felt as though her throat had been constricted, trapped in a state of breathless panic, unable to recover from her racing heart for a long time.
She clutched her phone tighter and tighter, then walked out of the room, throwing the phone onto the bed.
Liu Ling was in the bedroom, trying on the new clothes that had just been delivered. Yun Rong tiptoed quietly to her mother's side.
"Mom, do you have any money?"
"Didn't I give you your allowance this month?" Liu Ling, holding up the hem of her skirt, didn't even look at Yun Rong in the mirror.
Yun Rong pursed her lips. Her monthly allowance was only fifty thousand yuan. How was she supposed to come up with sixty million yuan for the private investigator she'd hired?
But she couldn't give the detective the money. Not only had he failed to get her the position Yun Shuning held, but he also threatened to expose what she had done.
How could she let that happen? If he exposed her, she would not only ruin her reputation but might even be kicked out of the house by Yun Hongzhi.
She had worked so hard to obtain all of this; how could she let it go so easily?
"What? I'm asking you a question! If you have nothing to do, hurry up and get out." Liu Ling became impatient seeing Yun Rong still standing there.
Yun Rong pouted and left.
Given the current state of the Yun Corporation, Yun Hongzhi couldn't even come up with sixty million yuan, let alone Liu Ling.
However, if she told the truth now, she might be kicked out by Yun Hongzhi before the detective even had a chance to expose her.
Yun Hongzhi was greedy and fond of beautiful women; Yun Rong knew this all too well. Otherwise, she and her mother wouldn't have risen to their current positions so quickly.
Yun Rong, who had been excited just moments ago about the prospect of climbing into Mu Qi's embrace, was now like a crushed eggplant, enveloped by fear and pressure.
After leaving Yun Hongzhi and Liu Ling's room, Yun Rong grabbed her bag and walked out in a daze, becoming a ghost on the street.
Suddenly, a man driving a luxurious car and dressed opulently pulled up beside her. "Beautiful lady, you look unhappy. Why don't you come with me? I'll help you forget your troubles."
"Scram." Yun Rong might have engaged in a bit of banter if it were any other time. But now, preoccupied with the sixty million yuan, she had no mood to deal with such advances.
The driver seemed unfazed by her blunt retort.
He drove slowly alongside her, his eyes constantly scanning her.
Yun Rong was wearing a white, form-fitting dress. Distraught by the sixty million yuan, she had forgotten to bring her matching shawl.
As a result, in the man's eyes, Yun Rong was almost as good as naked.
"What a figure!"
The man's gaze lingered on Yun Rong for a long time before his interest was piqued.
Having made up his mind, the man immediately got out of the car and, after a few steps, caught up to Yun Rong.
"Beautiful lady, tell me what's bothering you! With me here, you can rest assured." Whatever it was, it would involve money, he thought.
The man feigned a look of warm concern, but inwardly he sneered.
Yun Rong ignored him, her brow furrowed as she walked faster.
Seeing this, the man stepped forward and blocked her path.
"Beautiful lady, come with me. Seeing you like this pains me.
Tell me what's wrong, and I'll solve it for you." The man's tone was suggestive, and his gaze was filled with lust.
At this point, Yun Rong was forced to look up.
Looking at the expensive clothes the man wore and his fair, rosy complexion, Yun Rong's eyes gradually focused, and a flicker of hope ignited.
Perhaps he could really help her.
"How about it? Beautiful lady, get in the car with me." The man said, opening the car door and making a gentlemanly gesture.
Yun Rong pretended to be demure, but inwardly, she was eager to use this man to get the sixty million yuan.
After a few seconds of "hesitation," Yun Rong stepped into the flashy red BMW.
***
"Little Niannian, come eat." The old man had finished cooking and called out to Yun Shuning, who was gazing down the mountain road.
"What? Are you reluctant to see him go? You're the one who chased him away," the old man teased as he served the dishes.
Being old, he could tell at a glance that it was the man Yun Shuning had driven away.
"Sometimes, I just want some peace and quiet. This is the perfect time for you to learn diligently with me," the old man said, chewing on his food as he spoke to Yun Shuning. However, Yun Shuning hadn't snapped out of her reverie.
The old man continued to talk...
The old man kept talking...
...
The old man gave up.
"Young Master, let's go back," Shan Gong said, trailing behind Mu Qi. He had almost lost his master, who had been shuttling back and forth between more than a dozen paths without rest.
Fortunately, his master had eventually found Yun Shuning, and he hadn't lost his master.
However, he had managed to eat a few pieces of compressed biscuits, while his young master had gone without a bite for so long.
Shan Gong looked at Mu Qi with concern, fearing that he might collapse at any moment.
"Shan Gong, she's going to hate me again. I'll wait for her here until she's no longer angry," Mu Qi said, his tone dejected but his gaze exceptionally persistent.
Shan Gong felt uneasy hearing Mu Qi's words.
Who in the capital city dared to treat their young master with such disdain? Yet, his master was completely infatuated with this woman.
Although the woman seemed to be treating their master better now, had she ever compensated for the harm she had caused him before?
Moreover, she was still tormenting him like this. The thought of Yun Shuning's face made Shan Gong grind his teeth in hatred.
However, Shan Gong knew that he had to use Yun Shuning to persuade Mu Qi.
After all, one had to fight fire with fire.
"Young Master, the young madam is angry. Just waiting here won't do. You should buy her a gift to appease her," Shan Gong said, speaking against his own wishes for the first time, his tone extremely unnatural.
Mu Qi naturally noticed this, but he was still moved. "Yes, I need to buy a gift."
Mu Qi muttered to himself as if in a trance.
Shan Gong was surprised that Mu Qi had actually taken his words to heart and felt overjoyed. However, seeing his young master's dazed state, he also felt a pang of sadness.
Their young master was truly... too pitiful.
Shan Gong could never have imagined that one day these words would be used to describe their young master. It was all because of that woman, Yun Shuning!
"Yes, Young Master. Choose a gift with care, and the young madam will surely forgive you."
After saying the first sentence, Shan Gong no longer felt awkward and his tone returned to normal.
"No, I can't. I want to be here for her, to be here for my baby. I can't afford to lose her again." Mu Qi's gaze shifted back to the mountain path, his eyes filled with an extreme obsession.