The "Jinhaili Incident" had no impact on Ye Qiu. On one hand, he was uncooperative and couldn't even clearly describe the culprit, leaving the police with no leads. On the other hand, Tang Buyi indirectly had people cover up any traces of Ye Qiu's involvement. No one was foolish enough to cause trouble for the Tang Group, especially without any evidence.
Among the two suspects Tang Buyi mentioned, Ye Qiu had confirmed that Jinhaili was not the kidnapper. The other suspect was vaguely mentioned by Tang Buyi, who seemed reluctant to let Ye Qiu pursue the matter. Unable to glean any useful information, Ye Qiu decided it was best to remain on the defensive.
Leaving the Tang Group building, Ye Qiu thought there was nothing to do if he went back. He might get dragged into some game by those two mischievous women, so he decided to wander outside instead. Better to avoid trouble if he could.
He aimlessly admired the scenery of Yanjing: luxurious and grand high-rises, dazzling shops, charming and unique coffeehouses, fashionable men and women bustling about, exuding the pride of Yanjing's elite. As the political and cultural center of China, Yanjing had the grandeur of a century-old capital combined with the elegance brought by economic development, truly making it a remarkable city.
Ye Qiu's gaze lingered on a red, gossamer-like piece of lingerie displayed in a shop window, imagining how spectacular it would look on each of the three women in his household. Just as he was immersed in these enticing thoughts, he suddenly collided with something soft.
"Hey, you pervert! What are you looking at?" A girl's coquettish voice sounded.
Ye Qiu looked up to see a girl with wavy hair, her face flushed as she scolded him. Her ample chest was heaving under her black professional suit, clearly indicating that he had bumped into her in an inappropriate place. Beside her stood a quiet, long-haired girl with delicate makeup, shyly observing Ye Qiu, giving off a well-behaved impression.
Ye Qiu suddenly realized that these two girls looked familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
"Hey, you pervert, don't you recognize us? We thought you were some kind of gentleman, but here you are ogling dirty things on the street. Our Shanshan must have been blind," the curly-haired girl mocked.
"Xiaoman, don't be like this," the long-haired girl anxiously pulled her friend's arm and apologized to Ye Qiu, "I'm sorry. Xiaoman has this kind of temper, she means no harm. Please forgive her."
"What do you mean, no harm? Shanshan, didn't you see his mesmerized expression just now? Look at that shop over there. It's a lingerie store. You said he had some kind of aura about him, but you really can't judge a book by its cover. Men just like to put on a show."
Lu Xiaoman angrily said. She and Shanshan were the flowers of their office building, loved by everyone. Although they worked in different companies, many men had tried all sorts of ways to approach them, only to be turned away. The last time, after finishing work, they decided to have coffee together. They saw Ye Qiu sitting by the window, seemingly lost in thought. His face was calm, but his brows were furrowed, his eyes fixed outside the window.
Su Shan had stared at Ye Qiu for a while and muttered, "This man has an aura about him."
Lu Xiaoman had laughed and asked what kind of aura, but Su Shan just blushed and smiled without speaking. So Lu Xiaoman had forced Su Shan to write a note and had a waiter deliver it along with a latte, which Ye Qiu had been drinking.
This was a common way for white-collar workers to express interest. If someone liked a person, a direct invitation might seem abrupt, so they used this subtle yet somewhat sophisticated method. Unexpectedly, the guy had looked at the note for a while, left a note saying "See you if fate allows," and then hurriedly left.
Lu Xiaoman was stunned for a long time, never expecting such a reaction.
Fate had a way of playing tricks. The next time they went out for coffee, they again ran into that same guy. Seeing him absorbed in the shop window, Lu Xiaoman had intentionally stood far away in his path to see if he would bump into her. Unexpectedly, he did bump into her and even pushed her, hitting her right on the chest. How could it be such a coincidence?
It was the first time Lu Xiaoman had been so blatantly harassed by a man, but since she had set herself up, she had no right to complain. She had no choice but to shift her attack towards the lingerie store that Ye Qiu had been eyeing.
Ye Qiu finally remembered who the two girls were. He smiled at Su Shan and said, "It's okay." He could tell she was shy, so he didn't make it difficult for her.
He then turned to Lu Xiaoman and asked, "Why do you call lingerie dirty?"
"Why can't I? You were sneaking a look; I can say whatever I want."
"I was just looking. But it's women who wear them, right?" Ye Qiu retorted with a smile.
"Who wears it?" Lu Xiaoman was taken aback, not expecting him to respond from this angle.
"Look, aren't the shoppers in there all women? I don't see a single male customer."
"Women buy them to show off for you dirty men."
Ye Qiu's smile grew wider. "Exactly. So, in the end, those things are for men to see, right? If other men can look, why can't I? Or are you thinking of wearing them for me?"
"You're shameless."
"I know."
"—" Lu Xiaoman was utterly defeated by Ye Qiu. She pulled Su Shan's hand and said, "Let's go. Don't bother with this pervert. See his true colors? There's not a single good man."
Su Shan hadn't expected a man's demeanor to change so drastically. Yesterday, he had seemed so refined and introverted, but today, he had effortlessly argued with Xiaoman. She smiled at Ye Qiu and said, "See you if fate allows."
She suddenly remembered that this was the note Ye Qiu had left for them. Her face flushed red, and she lost the courage to look back at Ye Qiu's reaction. Dragged by Lu Xiaoman, she walked towards the coffee shop ahead.
Confucius said: "Only women and small-minded people are difficult to deal with." This is indeed true. Who knows how he had offended her for her to intentionally cause trouble for him.
Ye Qiu smelled his palm. There was still a faint fragrance. Before he could savor it, he saw Shen Monong's silver BMW pass by, her expression as cold as frost. A matching Mercedes-Benz was closely following behind.
(Note: Urban life is the main theme of this book. Please vote again.)