An Xiaoning agreed with a nod, “Seems like it. Hurry and explain.”
“Wu Lianzhi used to be lovers with Long Tianze’s wife in our previous lifetime. I’m talking about Yu Jiao.”
An Xiaoning’s eyes widened in shock and she asked, “You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“What do I stand to gain from lying to you? I only knew about him because Lord Xihou mentioned that he was jealous of him on a few occasions. I found out later that he was not actually in love with you but was fond of your maid instead.”
“…”
Having understood what he meant, Wu Lianzhi asked, “Who’s Yu Jiao?”
Laughing wryly, An Xiaoning answered, “My maid in my previous lifetime.”
“And in this lifetime?”
“In this lifetime, she has already gotten married and given birth to children. Her husband is Long Tianze, the owner of an advertising and media company in our city.”
Wu Lianzhi nodded and asked, “Mr. Xiao, was Yu Jiao in a relationship with me in my previous lifetime?”
“Like I said, you two were lovers. However, you two definitely didn’t end up together because I heard that you died after the Wu family killed you.”
“Oh, I see, but all of that happened in the previous lifetime. Xiaoning, how is Yu Jiao doing now?”
“She’s doing very well. Her husband really dotes on her, and they have a daughter and a son. She’s enjoying a blissful marriage.”
“Good to hear. Since I didn’t get to meet her early in this lifetime, it just means that we’re no longer destined to be together. I’m contented enough knowing that she’s living well now. But do you have a photo of her?”
“I do.” An Xiaoning opened her photo album on her mobile phone and showed him a photo of Mei Yangyang. “This is her. Her name is Mei Yangyang.”
Wu Lianzhi smiled and remarked, “She’s quite pretty.”
“Yeah, her daughter resembles her greatly. They both have chubby cheeks.”
“Xiaoning.”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t tell her or her husband about our relationship in our previous lifetime. I don’t want to intrude or disrupt their peaceful life.”
Surprised to see how considerate he was toward Mei Yangyang, An Xiaoning said, “Alright, I’ll keep it from her, in that case. Like you said, since you’re not fated to be together in this lifetime, it’s better that you not cross paths.”
It was time for them to talk about the main topic.
“Have you found him yet?” An Xiaoning asked Xiao Chenyang.
“I’ve already sent my men to hunt him down. We’ll bring him back immediately once we find him. Did he come all the way here to look for you, though?” Xiao Chenyang asked, returning to his usual austerity.
“I don’t think so. No idea. Did you go to the Donggong family mansion yet?”
“Yes, I’ve already gone there. I got into a brawl with the old fogy too. I thought that he would have impressive skills but I managed to subdue him effortlessly. I’ve already brought him back to S Nation.”
“…”
An Xiaoning stuck her thumb up and said in compliment, “Well done, how suave of you.”
“You flatter me.” Xiao Chenyang decided to tell her about Fang Erlan. He continued, “Now that there are new artistes in your entertainment studio, Erlan will retire after the filming for this television series draws to a close.”
“Yangyang and I have already guessed that you would do that, so we’ve prepared ourselves for it. However, when do you two plan to get married?”
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but we can’t rush the wedding. It’s a serious matter, and we ought to prepare for it well. I initially didn’t want to throw an extravagant wedding because I thought that it was a private matter that should be kept between us and amongst our closest friends and family. However, I’ve now changed my mind. On the day of our wedding, I’m going to announce to the entire world that she’s my woman.”
An Xiaoning remarked, “Oh wow, you’re planning to throw such a grand wedding, huh? Do you plan to go bankrupt and spend all your money on it?”
“Do you know how much my net worth is?”
“Fifty billion?”
Xiao Chenyang opened the bottle of liquor on the table and poured three glasses of liquor. “You’ve really belittled me. I’ll toast to myself. You guys suit yourself.”
He then poured the liquor into his mouth slowly.
An Xiaoning picked up one of the glasses and handed it to Wu Lianzhi before taking a few sips from the other one. “How did you get so much money?” she asked.
“I stole them.”
“Psht… lies.”
“Where do you think I got the money from, then?”
An Xiaoning looked at him for a few seconds before whipping out her phone. “I believe Erlan doesn’t know about this yet. I must report it to her. I wonder how she’s going to react.”
Xiao Chenyang hurriedly grabbed her wrist to stop her. “I was wrong.”
“Will you be more frank with me?”
“Apart from hibernating, I used to also do some business while searching for Erlan, in order to live a fulfilling life and spend each day to the fullest. I dabbled in almost every trade. Ages ago, my family used to be merchants. I had three older sisters and I was the only son in my family. Hence, all of my family’s assets were bequeathed to me. I began to expand my businesses and, in recent decades, I also started investing in jewelry, real estate, and many other investment vehicles. After earning pots of gold, I decided to stop. I’ll tell Erlan about it when I get back. She indeed doesn’t know about this.”
“When did you stop investing in real estate?”
“Two years ago.”
“You’re the epitome of a capitalist. I’ve truly belittled you. However, it’s good that you pulled out in time. Some merchants never know when it’s time to stop,” An Xiaoning remarked.
“How much money is considered enough? I’ve already started applying for a household register in S Nation. It’s really troublesome to not have one.”
“Where are you currently registered in?”
“Y Nation. I’ll have to renew it every few decades. I’ll just transfer the register over.”
An Xiaoning looked at Wu Lianzhi and asked, “Do you have any plans for the future?”
“Not at the moment.”
“You can start thinking about it now. Didn’t you hear that Wu Haigang has already been brought back to S Nation? I believe your family members will start looking for me in S Nation very soon. I’m certain that they’ve pinned me as the culprit. By then, I’ll address your issue too. Hence, you can start making plans for your future now.”
“I want to… settle down with a woman I love and live peacefully.”
“You will.”
….
The three of them continued to wait for news from Xiao Chenyang’s underlings. Two hours later, they finally received an update. Xiao Chenyang’s underlings initially attempted to nab him and bring him back. However, they did not manage to subdue him and allowed him to escape. Thus, the three of them had no choice but to rush to the hotel.
Upon the sight of him, An Xiaoning immediately removed her mask and yelled, “Henry!”
Henry turned around in bafflement and caught sight of her.
An Xiaoning scurried toward him while he stood rooted to the ground.
An Xiaoning chided, “Didn’t I tell you not to wreak any havoc? Why are you so defiant?”
“I just wanted to take a breather because I was too bored at home.”
“Couldn’t you have brought some bodyguards with you? If you did, you would have been allowed to go anywhere you want,” said An Xiaoning.
Just as she was about to hold his arm, he cruelly retracted it. “Everyone’s trying to catch me. I feel like I’m a criminal,” he said.
