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Nearing eleven o'clock, the cruise returned to Lin City port, which was a hundred kilometers away from Beijing, and guests began disembarking in succession.
Jiang Ni held onto the lighter in her pocket, lacking enthusiasm as she walked out.
Qin Jijing didn't stay on the fourth floor for too long; after playing cards and taking a call, he left and didn't return. The lighter stayed on the table, and he didn't take it with him; she picked it back up.
She walked out last, without having waited for Qin Jijing, not knowing if he had disembarked before her.
In the parking lot, Bai Shu, who had drunk alcohol, couldn't drive. He sat in the passenger seat and waved to her.
"I still have a game going; it's probably going to last till dawn. What about you? Should I have someone take you back to Beijing? Or do you want to go back tomorrow morning?"
Jiang Ni seemed not to hear his words, concerned about Qin Jijing's whereabouts, "Where's your brother?"
"..." Bai Shu sighed, "If he hasn't come back, it means he's not interested in you. Just stop it already."
"You are not him," Jiang Ni's hoped stubbornly.
Bai Shu had no way to deal with this young lady. He pointed behind him, "As soon as we docked, he disembarked, but he hasn't left yet. I just saw his assistant."
That means he's still in the parking lot.
Jiang Ni raised an eyebrow and scanned the luxury cars with Beijing license plates; she asked, "What's his license plate number?"
Bai Shu was silent for a long time before staring at her and suddenly laughing, "Jiang Ni, you're really not giving up, are you?"
"You don't have to worry; I won't do anything to him."
"I'm not worried about my brother..." Bai Shu left the rest unsaid with a smile, shaking his head before reporting a Beijing A-series license plate, "Forget it, just be careful on your own."
"Don't say I didn't warn you; my brother is not a good man."
"Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew."
Jiang Ni shrugged her shoulders, undeterred by his words, her tone breezy, "Then Bai Little Young Master needn't worry about me."
She hadn't planned to leave after returning to the country this time.
——
Noticing the Maybach turning the corner from the corner of her eye, Jiang Ni gripped her phone and ran towards it.
"Mr. Qin, someone is hailing the car."
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, asking the man in the back seat for instructions.
The place was deserted, and it was possible to bypass her.
Yet, there was no reply from inside the car.
The driver, uncertain of what to do, exchanged a glance with the assistant in the front passenger seat and slowed down to continue forward.
It was only when the car was less than a meter away from the girl in front that the instruction to stop was received.
The driver stepped on the brakes with a sense of relief.
Following that, the rear seat window was tapped from the outside.
The force was very light, stopping after two knocks, showing how cautious the other party was.
Qin Jijing turned his head expressionlessly.
The person outside bent down, peeking into the car. She was so close he could clearly see the conflicted expression on her face.
After observing for a few seconds, Qin Jijing finally lowered the window unhurriedly.
"Mr. Qin?"
The girl looked surprised, as if she hadn't expected the person inside the car to be him.
Qin Jijing observed the changes in her expression, remained silent, and asked with his eyes.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I can't seem to hail a cab here. I wondered if you could... give me a ride?"
"What about Bai Shu? Didn't he leave with you?"
"He had an early round and left way before."
"Where to?"
"I'm heading back to Beijing; I have things to do in the morning, so I need to get back tonight," she said, not wanting to trouble him too much and with great understanding, "If it's on your way, you can just drop me off somewhere I can hail a cab."
Jiang Ni clasped her hands behind her back, fidgeting nervously as she looked at him with a pitiful gaze.
```
Fortunately, the man didn't make her wait too long. He gave his front-seat assistant a look, and the assistant got the hint immediately, stepping out of the car to open the other rear door for her: "Miss Jiang, please get in this side."
After boarding the car, Jiang Ni hastily expressed her gratitude.
Qin Jijing didn't speak—it was his assistant who asked her, "Miss Jiang, where do you live in Beijing? Since Mr. Qin is also returning to Beijing, we'll drop you off first."
Jiang Ni didn't respond but turned to look at Qin Jijing sitting beside her.
Noticing her gaze, the man propped his head up with one hand, giving her a sidelong glance with a tone that seemed teasing, "What, can't remember the address either?"
Jiang Ni blinked, "…I remember!"
She hurriedly gave the name of a hotel and thanked Qin Jijing again.
"Hmm."
The car had been quiet ever since they hit the highway.
In the backseat, there was an armrest box separating the two of them.
The man's tie was loosened, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a segment of his collarbone. His eyes were closed, lashes drooping, and his chest rose and fell steadily, as if he were asleep.
Jiang Ni stole glances at him several times, not daring to make a sound and disturb him.
With nothing else to do, she took out her phone and started chatting with Bai Shu.
Bai Shu had sent her several messages.
Ten minutes ago: "How's it going over there? Did you find my brother?"
Three minutes ago: "If you've been abandoned, just say the word, and I can turn around to rescue you."
Jiang Ni typed: "I'm already in the car."
Bai Shu's response came quickly and with surprise, "That smoothly? Weren't reduced to tears?"
Seeing this, Jiang Ni glanced at the man beside her and retorted with her typing, "Your brother seems to have better manners than that. He's much more polite compared to your 'friends.'"
Bai Shu sent a sticker of a person sliding on their knees, "Alright, alright, I'm being scolded again."
"You yourself were pretty awful just now too."
"…" Bai Shu seemed speechless. After a pause, he messaged her, trying to defend himself: "Wasn't I doing you a favor? If I hadn't acted so detestably, would you have gotten the chance to sit next to my brother?"
Well, when you put it that way, it does make some sense.
Jiang Ni nodded, "Thanks."
"Bai Shu?"
"!" A sudden voice took her by surprise; Jiang Ni's hand trembled, hitting the lock screen button as she hurriedly looked up, "Ah... yes."
Qin Jijing had woken up at some unknown time, maintaining the same posture as when he was resting, just looking down at the phone in her hand. After she turned it off, he slowly lifted his eyelids, moving his gaze back to her face, not missing her flustered expression.
"He's coming to pick you up?"
"No." Jiang Ni wasn't sure if he had seen it; from this angle, he probably hadn't.
She should probably get a privacy screen protector someday.
"He was just asking if I'd managed to find a ride. I told him I ran into you."
"What did he say?"
She shook her head.
A light chuckle escaped, and Qin Jijing said, "Leaving his girlfriend to me, he sure trusts me a lot."
"…" Jiang Ni was at a loss, recalling he had said something similar before, she muttered softly, "I'm not his girlfriend."
He seemed to have some misunderstanding about her relationship with Bai Shu?
"I'm not Bai Shu's girlfriend." This time she spoke louder, with a more determined look, and she corrected seriously, "We are friends."
Throughout, Qin Jijing's expression didn't change much. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why explain this to me?"
"I wouldn't want you to misunderstand," she replied.
"Does it matter?" The car lights weren't on, so she couldn't read his expression while he reclined on the leather rear seat.
But from his tone, he wasn't angry—quite the opposite, in fact. He sounded amused, likely finding her clarification somewhat naïve and childish.
"Of course, it matters." Getting a read on his temperament, Jiang Ni straightened up, answering earnestly, "What if this misunderstanding were to block my love life?"