Hearing the words that Peng Mingzhu whispered into his ear, the man fell backwards in shock as he spoke, "Y-you...you know something...right? Otherwise...w-wh-why would you say those words?"
As he struggled to face the question that Peng Mingzhu asked him, he stared around the room - the place that began to spiral around him. All of a sudden, his entirely tensed body slackened and he fell to the ground with closed eyes.
"What happened to him?" Wei Kangnuan asked with a raised brow.
"He's in shock," Peng Mingzhu answered. "He'll wake up soon."
"And about Kang Huian?" Wei Kangnuan also asked as he finally moved from his still position from earlier on.
"Didn't I already answer?" Peng Mingzhu asked back with a frown. "You guys can decide to do whatever you want with her."
"But you were the one that discovered her," Wei Kangnuan stated with a light smile. "You should have the right to punish her as her founder."
"I don't want to punish a random passerby," Peng Mingzhu replied with a shrug, causing Wei Kangnuan to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm too lazy to punish someone, nor do I have the time to punish someone."
"You do not have the time?" Wei Kangnuan questioned as he crossed his arms. "At this moment, I am sure that you have the time. I am also very sure that aside from us, the royal princes, taking up your time, there is nothing else."
"You guys would not be taking up my time if I did not care for you guys," Peng Mingzhu told Wei Kangnuan while walking to the man who had just passed out due to shock and surprise.
"I am quite flattered," Wei Kangnuan joked with a chuckle. "Wait…"
Then, Wei Kangnuan realized something, 'She just said that she cared for me… SHE CARES FOR ME!'
He was currently screaming internally from bliss and happiness. Of course, his face expressed his joy at her words like a puppy.
"Don't look at me like that," Peng Mingzhu immediately told him off with a disgusted face. "I don't like it when you give me that face and those eyes."
"Do you know how many missus would love to see such a face from me?" Wei Kangnuan spoke a joke once again with a smile from his glee.
"Then, you should go to them," Peng Mingzhu said after examining the condition that the man was in. "Well, he's okay. He'll wake up in a few hours, so it'd be nice if you could lay him on a comfortable bed somewhere."
"Why do I have to give him a bed to sleep in? And when he is causing harm to our country, too…" Wei Kangnuan sulked.
"Because I have a private discussion with him," Peng Mingzhu answered before walking to the door to exit the room.
"You cannot talk with me in the room?" Wei Kangnuan asked with a frown and unsatisfied face.
"If you're in the room, he'll surely not believe anything that I'm saying," Peng Mingzhu stated with a sigh.
"Why do you guys have to talk privately?" Wei Kanguan asked again.
"It's our business," Peng Mingzhu warned Wei Kangnuan after giving him a piercing stare. "So, you shouldn't get involved."
After Peng Mingzhu finished speaking, she finally left the room. Leaving behind only her unique fragrance that Wei Kangnuan had grown accustomed to while he got his men to handle moving the man and throwing Kang Huian into the imperial prisons.
When Wei Kangnuan completed all the tasks that he needed to do, he happily walked to the room where Peng Mingzhu was supposed to live. However, before he even managed to get halfway there, Headmaid Yang walked up to him with a warning.
"Your Highness, this servant thinks that not visiting Miss Peng at this moment would be best," Headmaid Yang advised.
"Why? Is there something wrong?" Wei Kangnuan asked with a worried expression on his face.
Hearing his question, Headmaid Yang calmly told him what happened, "While Miss Peng was walking towards her room, she was indeed calm and quite normal to say the least. However, once Miss Peng reached the door of her room, this servant saw that she had frozen at the last step for a short while. There was not a single person near the room belonging to Miss Peng and this servant did not see Miss Peng look around anywhere or distracted at the surrounded views."
"That does not sound like there is anything to worry about, Headmaid Yang," Wei Kangnuan gave a relieved sigh.
"Yes, that is what this servant thought at first," Headmaid Yang agreed with Wei Kangnuan. "However, once Miss Peng entered the room...that...this...this servant heard...um…"
"You heard what?" Wei Kangnuan asked in an agitated tone due to the hesitating voice of Headmaid Yang.
"Miss Peng was speaking to someone," Headmaid Yang finally spoke. "Your Highness, there is no one in the room of Miss Peng and this servant has not seen a single person enter or leave the room. How could there be someone for Miss Peng to talk to?"
"You did not mishear?" Wei Kangnuan questioned with a serious frown on his face. 'There was no way that someone could enter my estate without my guards knowing, right?'
"This servant assures Your Highness that this servant did not hear wrong," Headmaid Yang assured Wei Kangnuan with a respectful bow before getting up to say more words. "This servant clearly heard Miss Peng call out, 'Qiang-gege.'"
"Qiang-gege?" Wei Kangnuan repeated, his frown becoming even deeper than before, creases now fully apparent.
"Yes," Headmaid Yang answered while putting her head down.
"Qiang-gege...such a close term of addressing…" Wei Kangnuan muttered with his hand on his chin.
"Yes...that is why this servant wanted to warn Your Highness," Headmaid Yang stated with another bow.
"Alright," Wei Kangnuan nodded with a sigh. "You can go now. I will go to Ah Nai."
Headmaid Yang knew that Wei Kangnuan would definitely go search for Peng Mingzhu, even more so now that he heard that there was a male somewhere in the equation so she did not say anything against his actions.
Agitated and curious as to who this "Qiang-gege" was, Wei Kangnuan reached before the door to the room of Peng Mingzhu at record time. However, he did not enter and only stood in front of the door with his ear pressed against the door, trying to hear if this man named "Qiang" was still there.
And what do you know!? He was still talking to Peng Mingzhu, the woman he loved!
Just...there was an issue.
He only heard Peng Mingzhu speak. He did not hear "Qiang-gege" reply at all. It almost sounded like a one-sided conversation.
"Qiang-gege, don't worry about me," Peng Mingzhu spoke assuringly, the joy in her voice very noticeable.
Though Wei Kangnuan could not hear what "Qiang-gege" was saying, Peng Mingzhu could clearly hear every word. After all, this was the communication between her and the Communications Center (CC).
Currently, there were many people situated at the CC, wanting to know her situation. However, the only person speaking to her at the moment was Xiao Qiqiang because he held the highest rank and power compared to the rest. Unless he was done talking to her, they could not since they were not on a super friendly relationship with her.
They were only colleagues. That was all.
"How can I not worry about you?" Xiao Qiqiang sighed worryingly. "You suddenly left and disappeared without any warnings. Xiao Nai, what should I do with you?"
"Nothing," Peng Mingzhu joked with laughter in her voice. "Qiang-gege, don't worry too much. I'll send you guys lots of information about the place where I was taken to by the portal."
"Right now, I wish for nothing more than your safety," Xiao Qiqiang said, his sighs at a constant.
"Qiang-gege, if you continue sighing, you'll grow old. Old like a grandpa," Peng Mingzhu laughed out loudly before reassuring him. "Qiang-gege, I wish you could see what I'm seeing. This place is a beautiful place. It's so beautiful with flowers, elegant with architecture, and rich in history that I wish you could also come here with me."
"In a while," Xiao Qiqiang told Peng Mingzhu. "I'll be with you in a while."
"Huh? You-" Peng Mingzhu tried to organize her sentence. "You're doing the surgery?"
"Yes," Xiao Qiqiang answered, his voice extremely clear and resilient.
"Qiang-gege…" Peng Mingzhu called out with worry in her voice.
"Why are you worried about me?" Xiao Qiqiang chuckled even though he was also worried about her. "Xiao Nai, how can I be afraid to follow you when you are strong enough to lead by yourself?"
"Qiang-gege…" Peng Mingzhu called out once again. "You know why already. You should already know why…"
"It's exactly because I know that I'm not assured of having you by yourself," Xiao Qiqiang interrupted. "Xiao Nai, stay safe. I'll come to you very soon now."
"I…" Peng Mingzhu tried to say.
"Don't say anything," Xiao Qiqiang stopped Peng Mingzhu. "Just normally send your data entries like you've been doing for the team and stay safe. Don't put yourself in unnecessary troubles. That world is not like our world and you don't have the power to do whatever you want now."
"Actually…" Peng Mingzhu wanted to tell Xiao Qiqiang about Wei Kangnuan, but then she decided not to. "Qiang-gege, when you come, I have something to tell you."
"Alright," Xiao Qiqiang replied. "The team wants to talk to you, so I'll leave now."
"Wait!" Peng Mingzhu quickly called out.
"What is it?" Xiao Qiqiang asked with a patient voice.
"Who's going to handle the company while you're gone?" Peng Mingzhu questioned with a frown on her face that no one could see.
"Ah Fang," Xiao Qiqiang answered.
"She doesn't have anything to say about you following me?" Peng Mingzhu asked as she did not want to break their relationship apart.
"I've told her that I'll be back after three months," Xiao Qiqiang told Peng Mingzhu.
"Qiang-gege, I don't know if the bracelet will truly allow us to go back after three months," Peng Mingzhu honestly stated her worries. "Without anyone to personally test if this actually works, I don't want anybody to follow me."
"I'm sure that the bracelet will allow me to go back home after three months," Xiao Qiqiang said with utmost confidence.
"How can you have so much confidence in the bracelet?" Peng Mingzhu asked with a sigh.
"It's not the bracelet that I'm confident in, but you," Xiao Qiqiang corrected her. "Xiao Nai, I know better than any other person just how hard you worked on this project, and with your personal approval, I know that the bracelet will certainly work."
"I…" Peng Mingzhu tried to tell him to not believe in such a thing.
"Let's forget about this topic because I'll surely be following you if I don't feel like you're safe," Xiao Qiqiang told Peng Mingzhu, his tone showing that he would not take refusal as an answer. "Oh, right, Xiao Nai, I have good news to tell you."
"What is it?" Peng Mingzhu asked with a raise of her brow
"Ah Fang is pregnant," Xiao Qiqiang said with happiness really apparent in his tone - Peng Mingzhu could almost see him glowing with joy.
"Already? Haven't you guys only been married for three months?" Peng Mingzhu questioned with a raise of her brow due to the sudden joy. "Oh, wait, don't tell me… Wow… Qiang-gege, you're so tough. You're too much!"
"What?!" Xiao Qiqiang raised his voice from her sudden criticism.
"I've been wondering why my personal assistant was always missing from work…" Peng Mingzhu said. "So, it seems she's been being tortured by you. Tsk tsk."
"Shush shush," Xiao Qiqiang hushed her. "Are you trying to embarrass me now?"
"Embarrass?" Peng Mingzhu scoffed. "I'm sure everyone in the room wants your stamina."
"Ugh! Secretary Xiao, can we discuss with Ma'am now!?" someone from the team asked with a red face. "You guys can have your private talk at another time!"
Peng Mingzhu laughed along with the rest of the team that was laughing at Xiao Qiqiang and the scientist in the team that had spoken out.
'How I've missed them…' Peng Mingzhu lamented in her head. 'And it's only been five days. How will I manage three months?'