The study fell into a dead silence, the few people present were as quiet as cicadas in winter, and one could hear a pin drop.

It was nearly four days since Bai Ying’s departure was discovered.

The butler was terrified when he saw the note she left but dared not rashly go out to find her. Over the years, Shen Jin had offended too many people in the business world, and it was unknown how many opponents there were in the shadows.

Once these people caught a whiff of the situation, it would likely bring even bigger trouble, and then who could take responsibility?

Shen Jin probably thought the same, as he did not make a big fuss upon his return.

But it was obvious to everyone that he was in a bad mood.

He put the pen back inside his suit, clasped his hands together, and swept his calm gaze over the two people.

“Someone is muddying the waters.”

Zhao Minghai nodded hurriedly.

“That’s for sure, it would be very difficult for Miss Bai to leave without alerting others. We’ve been checking since yesterday.”

“Within two days, I want to know who this audacious person is.”

“Yes.”

Shen Jin took a deep breath, his temples throbbing slightly.

“Get this done as soon as possible.”

The butler hesitated, “Sir, I’ve been investigating these past few days, and it seems there are no problems, could it be someone from outside?”

It was a matter of great importance and so sudden.

The butler, in charge of the Shen household, naturally did not want the person to be from the Shen residence. Moreover, he really couldn’t think of anyone so reckless.

Knowing how much the master cared for Miss Bai, to actually take her away? The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was those ignorant people from outside, like…

“Miss Bai had seen her former classmates and friends before.”

The butler hinted, “Do you think it could be…”

Shen Jin looked up, “Ye Heng?”

If it weren’t for the inappropriate occasion, Zhao Minghai would have laughed out loud.

Such a bookish student, if he really had the guts, why didn’t he do it earlier? A coward, not likely to do such a thing, even suspecting him was giving him too much credit.

The butler immediately fell silent.

Shen Jin, as if he heard nothing, “No problem is the biggest problem. She can’t leave on her own, and outsiders can’t come in.”

“It’s not entirely without problems.”

The butler was quite dissatisfied with Zhao Minghai’s earlier smirk.

“The bodyguards are all arranged by Mr. Zhao, the new one who came only a few days ago said he had to leave early due to family matters, and then Miss Bai also disappeared.”

Zhao Minghai raised an eyebrow, his tone unfriendly, “What do you mean by that!”

Indeed, all the bodyguards came through his hands. Not to mention the bodyguards themselves, even their familial backgrounds were thoroughly vetted by him, and only after confirming there were no issues would they be hired.

The butler’s words were a direct jab at Zhao Minghai’s sore spot, “Are you saying my people are causing trouble?”

The butler was serious, “The timing is too coincidental, I’ve been watching the rest these past few days, only this person’s whereabouts have not been checked.”

As the two were about to argue, Shen Jin calmly tapped his finger on the table, making a final decision, “Go check.”

Zhao Minghai held back, “Alright.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door, Zhao Minghai was closer and went to open it, the visitor was Shen Jin’s secretary.

Secretary Sun didn’t know what had happened, but he felt that the atmosphere in the Shen residence was very strange today. It was tense, like the calm before a storm.

He reported the situation with bated breath: “Mr. Shen, the secretary of President Jiang of Global called on the 25th of last month, saying they wanted to schedule a meeting with you.”

“Today, Vice President Lin of Huan Qiu called again, requesting another meeting with you, saying there are important matters to discuss in detail.”

Realizing they were discussing business, the butler tactfully left, closing the door of the study behind him.

Zhao Minghai was taken aback by the secretary’s words, “Who? Who did you say??”

Even Shen Jin showed a slight look of surprise.

Secretary Sun said, “Mr. Shen, President Jiang of Huan Qiu wants to meet with you.”

Zhao Minghai instantly put aside all thoughts of bodyguards and Miss Bai, furrowing his brows and muttering, “What is Jiang Mocheng up to? A meeting out of the blue, at a time like this. This matter can’t have leaked yet. What does he mean by this? Is it something else?”

Secretary Sun was waiting for Shen Jin’s response.

After a moment of thought, Shen Jin nodded, “Alright, schedule a time that’s convenient for both.”

Secretary Sun nodded in agreement and then left the study.

Suddenly, only Shen Jin and Zhao Minghai were left in the study. Zhao Minghai stepped forward a few paces and leaned against the desk.

“What trick is he trying to pull? Should we even meet with him?”

To be honest, the relationship between Jiang Mocheng and Shen Jin wasn’t as bad as outsiders speculated, but it certainly wasn’t good either.

They shared the same ambition, the same goals, and seemingly matched abilities. Such people couldn’t even be friends, let alone rivals. Every meeting made those around them sweat with tension.

“It might be related to the Southeast Asian shipping routes. There has to be a result of who goes first.”

Jiang Mocheng’s Huan Qiu and Shen Jin’s Chang Jin are competitors, both companies started with container inland transportation.

The domestic market was already lucrative enough for them, but neither Jiang Mocheng nor Shen Jin were easily satisfied.

They shared the same ambition and, turning their gaze, set their sights on international shipping. The future competition was bound to be fiercer.

Zhao Minghai rubbed his chin, “I can’t figure it out. Why is he, a rich heir, working so hard? He’s not short of money, he’s as rich as they get. Calling him as someone born with a diamond spoon in their mouth would not be an exaggeration. And yet he wants to compete for our market. It’s like he’s asking for trouble.”

“Why is it our market? It’s all about capability.”

Shen Jin smiled faintly, “It’s the tradition of the Jiang family. When they split the family assets, sixty to seventy percent had to go to Jiang Hongcheng. Right now, Jiang Mocheng doesn’t have a say in Yuan Guang. It’s his sister-in-law and his cousin who call the shots, and there’s no way these two women would let him in.”

“Isn’t it that the Jiang family gets along quite warmly?”

“Affection is one thing, business is another.”

Shen Jin said, “Huan Qiu is Jiang Mocheng’s foundation. If he doesn’t fight, if he doesn’t compete, who will remember there’s such a person in the Jiang family in the future? Do you think the side branches of a large family come from nowhere? Go back far enough, they all started as one family.”

Zhao Minghai sighed deeply, “It seems that Jiang Mocheng’s days are not easy.”

Shen Jin smiled without saying a word.

This was the situation Jiang Mocheng wanted.

Shen Jin could see that Jiang Mocheng never really cared for Yuan Guang; otherwise, he wouldn’t have so readily given up on Yuan Guang and taken over Huan Qiu. In another decade or so, who could say for sure whether it would be Yuan Guang or Huan Qiu representing the Jiang family?

“Go ahead.”

Shen Jin said.

Zhao Minghai nodded, but just before leaving, he saw through the slightly ajar door that Shen Jin took out a letter from the drawer, a letter that had been read over and over again.

Shen Jin’s face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.

…

Compared to Jincheng, Ning City was still a bit small, and Bai Ying didn’t have a thoroughly enjoyable shopping experience.

However, winter had just passed and she had been cooped up at home. It was rare for her to shop for so long, and she actually felt a bit tired.

Jiang Mocheng looked at her slender figure several times, finding it incredible—shopping seemed to be good for her stamina.

No matter how tired Bai Ying was, she still didn’t lie down on the bed, nor did she allow Jiang Mocheng to come close.

She put on slippers and walked into the bathroom, standing in front of the bathtub and sighing deeply.

Jiang Mocheng followed her in, and seeing her looking at the bathtub, he asked, “Do you want to take a bath?”

Bai Ying nodded but then shook her head.

“What do you mean?”

“I want to, but I can’t.”

Bai Ying replied candidly, “From the way it looks, someone must have used it before. Just the thought of it is somewhat off-putting.”

The bed was okay, and she checked the sheets and covers; at least they seem quite clean and hygienic.

She didn’t sleep naked, so she could reluctantly accept it.

The bathtub, however, is a different story. It’s the fundamental reason she was hesitating.

“Shall I take you to soak in the hot springs?”

Bai Ying immediately refused without hesitation, “Forget it, it’s too late.”

She was not very interested in hot springs. Usually, they are located in remote areas.

It takes at least an hour or two round trip, and she can only tolerate soaking for about twenty minutes.

It wasn’t worth traveling to the suburbs just for that short time.

Moreover, unless it was a private hot spring, she didn’t want to think about how many people had soaked in the hot springs at those resort pools.

She was tired that day, and when she was tired, she naturally had no interest.

Jiang Mocheng tried to get close to her but was rejected by her, “I am exhausted, I want to sleep early. You, go back to your room.”

Jiang Mocheng didn’t mind and left as instructed.

She slept early and woke up not too late.

Eating in the hotel restaurant a couple of times was enough for her. After looking through the menu, Bai Ying had no appetite for anything on it.

“I’ll take you out to eat.”

Jiang Mocheng said this and went to the balcony, collecting her drying underwear.

Most of her clothes were given to the hotel staff, and the ones washed by hand were given to him. She handled her personal items herself.

Jiang Mocheng found himself thinking, ‘I guess she is that relaxed around me now.’

Since leaving Shen’s house, she had indeed been quite relaxed in front of Jiang Mocheng. She had once heard that a woman only doesn’t care about her image in front of two types of men.

The first type was a man she was not interested in or no longer interested in.

The second type was a man she didn’t see a long-term future with.

Indeed, Jiang Mocheng belonged to the second type.

So, her personal underwear, washed by hand, was directly hung out on the balcony. Whether he would see it or be embarrassed was not within her considerations.

Jiang Mocheng held the scanty underwear without changing his expression, neatly folded it, and put it in her suitcase.

The first time he saw it was when he came to the balcony to make a call. Accidentally turning around, his face directly hit the underwear blown up by the wind.

At first, he was naturally uncomfortable and his mind was unsettled, but the second time he saw it, he was calm.

However, touching it with his palm still felt warm.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t touched it before, but not in this way.

Bai Ying peeked at him and somewhat admired him for being an attentive man.

But could a man always be like this? Soon, she recognized a fact again; when most men were attentive, it often meant they had ulterior motives.

After having breakfast and leisurely walking around, they returned to the hotel. As they exited the elevator, she saw that her room door was wide open, and voices could be heard from inside.

She was stunned and quickly walked over.

It turned out that the manager of this floor and two employees, with inexplicable and astonishing efficiency, had replaced the bathtub in just two hours without damaging the bathroom tiles or pipes.

Fortunately, the hotel’s bathtub was movable, so the replacement process wasn’t too complicated, but…

Bai Ying looked at the mastermind in astonishment.

Jiang Mocheng hugged her waist and said lightly, “It’s new, no one has soaked in it before. Are you happy now?”