Outside the store.
As soon as Tang Xiao got into the car, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
What could be more beautiful than a stunning beauty doubled over in laughter?
She was a feast for the eyes!
Wu Jie fastened his seatbelt and didn't start the car; instead, he quietly watched Tang Xiao laughing nonstop.
A proper lady chuckles behind her hand!
A bold woman laughs loudly with her head thrown back!
And Tang Xiao… she laughed with her waist bent, her head buried in mirth.
"Hahaha… I'm literally dying of laughter!"
"Wu Jie, oh Wu Jie! I didn't expect you to be so badass! A big eater you are!"
"By yourself you ate away over a hundred thousand, this must have definitely made Mr. Wang's heart ache!"
...
After laughing to herself for a good while, Tang Xiao finally stopped.
Her exquisite face, now tinged with a flush of pink, looked even more attractive.
"What are you looking at? Drive already!" Tang Xiao chided with a laugh.
"With such devastating beauty, no wonder Mr. Wang adores you to the point of generosity!" murmured Wu Jie as he drove.
Tang Xiao lightly twirled her hair, snorted with a laugh, and said, "Stop praising me. In this day and age, there are no ugly women, only lazy ones. As long as one is willing to put on makeup or go under the knife, anyone can become a great beauty."
"Does someone like Wang Kun, a wealthy and influential young master, lack beautiful women? There are plenty who are prettier than me, and whose figures are more voluptuous, as many as they want. But those vase-like women only drain their energy and wealth!"
Wu Jie laughed, "But getting you is different. Not only would they have a beauty to call their own, but they would also gain the vast network and astounding wealth of the Tang Family. That's why you've become the prey that all these wealthy suitors are vying for!"
Prey?
Tang Xiao laughed, nodding in agreement, "You're right. I'm nothing more than their prey in their eyes. They're always restless until they get what they want, but once they do, they don't know how to appreciate it."
Turning slightly, Tang Xiao looked deeply at Wu Jie, "So, who do you think I should believe? Sometimes I wonder, if I weren't the daughter of Tang Long, not the president of the corporation, just an ordinary person, would I still have so many suitors?"
Wu Jie shook his head, "Physical training, cosmetic surgery. With today's advanced technology, you can find many beauties with big eyes, small noses, and oval faces. If they also get carefully dolled up and packaged, what kind of beauty can't they get? Why would they bother chasing you?"
"Is that so?" Tang Xiao huffed, "According to what you're saying, aside from family background, do I have no other qualities that attract men?"
Wu Jie glanced sideways and teased with a laugh, "Oh, you do! You have a pretty face, one in a million. Your figure is perfect too, fitting every man's dream standard!"
Tang Xiao gave Wu Jie a look, "No matter how beautiful a face is, it will age one day. No matter how perfect the figure, it can lose shape. I was asking about inner qualities, like personality, talent, and the like."
"Uh…" Wu Jie thought for a while, then shook his head, "We've had too little interaction to discover those, but I can say quite responsibly that your domineering temper is definitely not a plus."
Tang Xiao raised an eyebrow, "I admit I may have a fiery temper sometimes, but don't you think that I actually have many other good qualities?"
A fiery temper? Just a tad?
Please!
If it wasn't for my skills protecting me, wouldn't you have beaten me to a pulp yesterday?
The beating starts at the smallest disagreement!
And you have the nerve to say it's just a tad…
Watching Wu Jie daydream, Tang Xiao waved her hand in front of him, "Hey, I told you to think about my good qualities, and you don't need to ponder that long. Do I have no charisma at all?"
Wu Jie curled his lip, "If you want to hear nice lies, I could say you're extremely smart, kindhearted, and compassionate. But if you want the truth, then there's really nothing, because after all, we've only been pretending to be a couple for two days. You don't understand me, and I don't understand you."
Tang Xiao crossed her arms and said aloud, "Then let's get to know each other properly! I'll start. I grew up in a military compound, started martial arts at the age of five, and began handling guns by the age of eight…"
By eighteen, I had taken down armed criminals in actual combat…
At nineteen, I became a special forces soldier with top honors…
At twenty, I represented my country in the international female scouts competition and won the all-around championship…
```
At twenty-one, he performed excellently in overseas operations, earning a first-class merit...
...
"In any case, I'm actually quite a straightforward person, without much guile, just straight-talking and a bit hot-tempered!" Tang Xiao seemed quite pleased with herself.
However, Wu Jie just chuckled and shook his head, "You call yourself simple? How many women in the world can split bricks with their bare hands like you? Who else can go into battle unarmed and knock down three burly men by themselves?"
Tang Xiao cursed, "Who asked you to talk about brute force? I'm talking about inner beauty! Think about it, do I or do I not have inner beauty?"
"Of course you do! Keep dreaming!"
"You're asking for it!!"
...
Luling International Elevator Apartments.
After parking and escorting Tang Xiao upstairs, Wu Jie had just left the apartment complex when he received a notification for a money transfer.
It was a transfer from Tang Xiao's secondary account, with a note attached: "For mobile chat and tonight's dinner expenses!"
Wu Jie wasn't one to stand on ceremony; he immediately accepted the money and quickly replied, "From now on, when we chat, I won't charge for emoticons or one or two-word messages!"
"Good, be careful on your way home!"
Tang Xiao replied promptly.
Be careful? What does she mean by that?
Wu Jie didn't inquire further but pocketed his phone and looked around cautiously.
The street was bustling with vehicles and pedestrians, but nothing seemed amiss.
Even though he'd just received three thousand, Wu Jie still didn't want to splurge on a taxi and instead followed the signs toward the subway.
Surrounded by the comings and goings, he sensed nothing abnormal.
He went through security, took the subway, and headed home.
On his way, Wu Jie was extra vigilant, and after a careful look around, he indeed noticed three people following him.
One of them was huge and muscular, while the other two were skinny and had a shifty look about them.
The trio had been tailing Wu Jie the whole way, without any attempt at subtlety; wherever Wu Jie went, they'd follow.
Soon, he arrived at the residential area he was renting in.
The complex was enormous, encompassing three phases and over a hundred buildings, housing thousands of relocated families from the vicinity.
Once Wu Jie confirmed he was being followed, he naturally couldn't go home, so he headed toward the less populated Phase Three.
While walking, he messaged Tang Xiao.
"Smart move, I'm indeed being followed!"
Tang Xiao quickly sent a voice reply, "Did you think Wang Kun's lavish meal would come easy? You took tens of thousands from him, so him sending someone to beat you up to vent his anger is only normal! However, I trust in your strength; you'll definitely handle it!"
Wu Jie, "Whether I win and get detained or lose and end up in the hospital, it's a loss either way!"
Tang Xiao laughed, "Can't you find some deserted place and quickly finish the fight? Hurry up, I want to see the results!"
Wu Jie looked around, no cameras or bystanders in sight, and most importantly, it was secluded.
"Give me one minute!"
After replying, Wu Jie pocketed his phone and suddenly stopped walking.
Huzi, with his two underlings, immediately slowed their pace.
Since they heard they would be dealing with a regular wage earner, they hadn't brought any weapons.
They also didn't bother with the lengthy monologues you'd find in movies or TV; they found their opportunity and lunged at him ferociously.
In this line of work, when you hit someone, it has to be solid! Accurate! Ruthless!
```