Chapter 195: Chapter 148: You’re Right, I Really Can’t Outplay Him
"Why aren’t you calling me ’sis’ anymore? Don’t you just love putting on a show of sisterly affection for everyone? Is the act over?"
Jiang Yunnuan couldn’t resist a taunt.
Jiang Wanwan shot her a glare but didn’t respond. She looked down at Bai Luo on the ground, her expression dark and cold.
"Bai Luo, apologize."
At her command, Bai Luo gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists and shouted, "Jiang Yunnuan, I’m sorry! I apologize for being so blind. Please forgive me."
His voice was thick with resentment.
Jiang Yunnuan was delighted.
"See? If you’d apologized sooner, none of this would have happened."
"Hmph!"
He snorted coldly and angrily turned his head away. The fur on the white cat ears atop his head stood on end, every strand stiff and distinct, showing just how furious he was.
"I heard your Contractor is wanted for annihilating an entire family. Something that major couldn’t have been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Don’t tell me you knew all along and deliberately failed to report it? Withholding information is a major crime, you know."
Jiang Wanwan’s eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with malice.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunnuan’s expression wavered for a second. ’Heh,’ she scoffed internally, and in an instant, everything clicked into place.
’So that was it. She wouldn’t have come here and made such a scene just to confront me about skipping the birthday party. She was waiting to spring this on me about Ming Ye.’
’She came here hoping to laugh at my expense from the very beginning.’
"You need evidence to back up your words. Are you trying to interrogate me? And in what capacity, might I ask? Impersonating an officer is a serious crime in itself."
Instead of getting the reaction she wanted, the tables were turned on her. Jiang Wanwan was furious and snapped.
"Don’t get too smug. The police are busy hunting that Snake Beastman, so they have no time for you right now. But once he’s caught, there’s no guarantee he won’t turn on you to save his own skin. And who knows? Maybe your other Contractors will all get exiled to the mines."
"Thanks for the warning. But instead of wasting your time worrying about me, you should probably go check on your two Contractors. They’re both seriously injured, you know. Sigh. If I’d known, I would have had Fu Yuan make them sign a death waiver beforehand."
Jiang Yunnuan sighed with feigned regret.
Signing a death waiver for a spar meant you were responsible for your own life. Even if someone was killed, there were no consequences. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she’d made a tactical error.
"We’ll see how long you can stay so smug. Hmph!"
Jiang Wanwan looked like she was about to explode. She stomped her foot and stormed off in a rage.
She had come to laugh at Jiang Yunnuan’s expense. But not only did she fail, she ended up paying twenty thousand Star Coins as a ’thank-you gift,’ had Bai Luo and Shen Yi severely beaten, and was even forced to make them apologize. It was a complete and utter humiliation.
"I’m leaving. Let’s keep in touch."
As Ning Xiu was leaving with Bai Luo and Shen Yi in tow, his voice suddenly echoed in Jiang Yunnuan’s mind. She instinctively looked over at him and saw him glance back at her before following after Jiang Wanwan.
"What did he say to you?"
Fu Yuan’s eyes followed Ning Xiu, his voice dripping with jealousy.
’When that guy faked his injury to stay at our house, he was constantly trying to seduce Jiang Yunnuan. His motives were anything but pure. It looks like the scoundrel is still up to no good.’
"Huh? How did you know he spoke to me?"
Jiang Yunnuan looked at him curiously.
’Just now, Ning Xiu used Energy Transmission, not his actual voice. Even with Fu Yuan’s high Cultivation, he shouldn’t have been able to hear it.’
"I could tell from the look in his eyes."
"You could tell just from that? Impressive!"
Jiang Yunnuan praised him before continuing, "He didn’t say much. Just that he was leaving and we should stay in contact. Fu Yuan, I think there’s something strange about him. You know what? He just transferred thirty million Star Coins to me..."
She quickly explained the whole situation with the ’thank-you gift’ and adding him as a contact.
After she finished, Fu Yuan ground his teeth.
’That damn bastard. Could he really be after Nuannuan? Is he playing a double game with Jiang Wanwan?’
’But how could he dare?’
’Throughout history, no Contracted Servant has ever dared to betray their Contract Master, let alone succeeded in doing so.’
"That man became the Chief Governor at such a young age. His family background is powerful, yes, but he himself is not to be underestimated. He’s a deep schemer with exceptional methods. You should just delete him. Otherwise, you might fall into one of the elaborate traps he’s set for you."
"You’re right. I can’t beat him at his own game."
Jiang Yunnuan found his behavior too abnormal, so much so that she couldn’t make any sense of it.
So, she decided to take Fu Yuan’s advice. She opened her Light Brain and deleted Ning Xiu without a second thought.
"Come on, let’s go find Tangtang."
"Alright."
*
「Meanwhile.」
The moment he boarded the Flying Device, Ning Xiu was slapped hard across the face, twice. He didn’t seem the least bit angry. His gaze was profound as he watched the furious woman before him, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"What’s wrong?"
"You have the nerve to ask what’s wrong? Let me ask you: when Bai Luo challenged that Feathered Beastman, why didn’t you intervene? Did you do it on purpose, hoping to see them lose? And when Jiang Yunnuan was humiliating and threatening me, why didn’t you defend me? Have you fallen for her?"
Jiang Wanwan glared at him, her eyes practically shooting fire.
Ning Xiu’s expression remained unchanged, and his voice was exceptionally gentle.
"I didn’t expect that Feathered Beastman to be so powerful. I thought that with Shen Yi at the Second Rank of the Returning Origin Stage and Bai Luo at the First Rank, their fighting skills and physical strength would be more than enough. A two-on-one should have been a guaranteed victory. If it had been three-on-one, a win would have been dishonorable. That’s why I didn’t intervene."
"As for not defending you, it’s because you never officially told me to abort the mission to seduce Jiang Yunnuan. How could I risk completely antagonizing her?"
"I worked so hard to build up a bit of goodwill with her. If I antagonize her now, I’ll have to start all over from scratch. So why don’t you tell me? Do I need to continue with this mission or not?"
Jiang Wanwan: "..."
"Is that really what you were thinking?"
"Of course. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to view my memories. Or you can just assign the mission to seduce Jiang Yunnuan to someone else. I’m very busy with my work; I was never the right person for this task to begin with."
His expression was utterly serious. Aside from a hint of weariness and disappointment at being questioned, it held no other emotion.
Remembering how he had begged her time and again to be let off this mission, Jiang Wanwan felt a pang of regret.
"Fine. I believe you. I was wrong just now; I shouldn’t have doubted you. But as for the mission... let me think it over."
’Ling Ze has already failed.’
’Bai Luo has now completely alienated Jiang Yunnuan. Wen Yanchen and the Shen Family brothers aren’t any more capable than Ling Ze. When I think about it, the only person I have left to use is Ning Xiu.’
"Alright."
Ning Xiu raised an eyebrow and agreed. He then adopted a weary, exhausted expression, closing his eyes as if to nap. In reality, his consciousness had entered his Light Brain.
"Miss Jiang, let’s work together."
After sending the message, he received a bright red notification. He was stunned.
’The contact I’d just paid ten million for... had deleted me...’
