"Hey, what else do you need to buy? Hurry up and get it, don't drag your feet," Xiang Ri said, his arms already laden with various shopping bags, all filled with the belongings of a certain female secretary. He couldn't understand why she had already purchased so much, yet continued to wander aimlessly for nearly an hour without buying anything.
Xiang Ri began to suspect that she was toying with him, otherwise, why would she be walking around doing nothing? He remembered how, at the beginning, she had bought everything in sight, but now she just walked for the sake of walking.
"Didn't you say you'd carry anything for me without hesitation? Can't you, as a brother, help me out just this once?" Despite her pretended expression of disappointment, Fang Yingying felt quite pleased with herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to buy what she originally came for; the problem was, with him following her around, she couldn't bring herself to do so.
"I can't. I need to rest. You go ahead and buy what you need, and I'll carry it for you once you're done," Xiang Ri said, sinking onto a nearby bench meant for tired shoppers.
In truth, he wasn't as helpless as he appeared. He had been out for so long without any opportunity to contact a certain blonde empress, which was weighing on his mind. So, taking advantage of the momentary distance from the secretary, he planned to discreetly make a call to the empress and perhaps arrange a meeting to discuss a few matters.
"Well, I guess I'll have to go by myself then," Fang Yingying said, feigning disappointment, but inwardly quite pleased. She gave him a playful glance before briskly walking toward the section she had already set her sights on.
Xiang Ri shook his head in resignation, watching as the secretary grew farther away. Suddenly, it dawned on him—perhaps she didn't want to buy the item in front of him, and thus, it must be something very private, maybe even lingerie.
The thought of the busty secretary possibly buying such intimate items stirred something within Xiang Ri. Had he known, he would have followed her. But now, she was out of sight. Oh well, a call would have to do.
He pulled out his phone, dialing a number he had already saved. After two rings, the call was answered, and a seductive female voice greeted him: "Hello, good afternoon."
His heart skipped a beat. His voice became slightly strained with excitement: "May I speak with Miss Atrotone?"
"This is she. Who's calling?"
"Ha ha," Xiang Ri chuckled lightly, "Has Her Majesty the Empress forgotten my voice?"
A brief silence on the other end followed by an astonished response: "Is it... Mr. Xiang?"
"Yes, it's me!"
"Ah, Mr. Xiang, how did you get my number? Oh, right, I almost forgot—you're acquainted with Miss Tie. By the way, what can I do for you?"
"Nothing much, really. I just arrived in Paris and am unfamiliar with the city, so..." Xiang Ri's tone was casual, though his underlying intention was devious. He had helped her immensely back home, and now, on her turf, he was certain she would be more than happy to show him the hospitality of a grateful host.
Sure enough, as soon as the empress heard this, she responded immediately: "Mr. Xiang, you're in Paris? Why didn't you notify me earlier? I should have sent someone to pick you up. Where are you now? I'll send someone to collect you."
"Ah, I wouldn't want to trouble you," Xiang Ri responded modestly, then swiftly revealed his location: "I'm at a shopping mall on the Champs-Élysées..."
"Okay, wait there, I'll have someone come for you right away!" The empress ended the call with a decisive "click."
Xiang Ri felt a rush of satisfaction. Being picked up meant fine wine, delicious food, and, of course, the beautiful empress herself.
To be honest, Xiang Ri was eager to see that unforgettable mixed-race beauty again. As for the secretary, he didn't care much about her. As long as he was enjoying himself, that was enough. He had no interest in attending the evening reception—it was just another tiresome social obligation he detested. He wasn't one for exchanging pleasantries with a group of hypocritical, well-dressed sycophants.
"Just making a call?" a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Xiang Ri was startled and turned around, only to find that the secretary, holding a pink shopping bag, had silently appeared without his noticing. He responded absentmindedly, "Yes."
"Is it a woman?" Fang Yingying pressed further, her suspicions about the real reason behind the playboy's trip to France beginning to form. The official reason was business, but she suspected the true motive was to meet a particular woman.
"Sort of," Xiang Ri replied, somewhat awkwardly.
"Why not take me along?" Fang Yingying asked, her eyes lighting up. She had made up her mind to be a third wheel. She didn't want to see yet another woman fall into the hands of this playboy who was known for playing with others' emotions. If possible, she might "accidentally" mention how many women he had, though she wasn't sure of the exact number—after all, there was always the term "roughly."
Xiang Ri, however, misunderstood her intent, thinking that she, like him, was "eager" at the mention of other women. It was as if the mention of a woman triggered an uncontrollable impulse, just like a cat chasing after fish. Since she wanted to follow, so be it—he didn't think she had the ability to reel in someone like the mixed-race empress.
"Sure, but we'll have to wait a bit. Someone is coming to pick us up."
"Alright then!" Fang Yingying tossed the bag in her hand to him, nonchalantly. Since he had offered to carry things, she felt it was only fair to let him fulfill his promise.
On the surface, they appeared harmonious, but each had their own thoughts hidden beneath.
Not long after, their ride arrived—someone familiar, though only to Xiang Ri. It was Susan, the black bodyguard who had once been the first to challenge him.
"Mr. Xiang, hello!" Susan greeted him warmly now, with a hint of admiration mixed with gratitude.
"Hello, Susan. It hasn't been long, and you've become even more beautiful," Xiang Ri flattered, though in his eyes, all black people, regardless of gender, looked similar—beauty or not, it didn't matter. Still, while abroad, he needed help, so offering a few compliments was no loss.
"Mr. Xiang, please follow me," Susan said, her face betraying a subtle smile—more than she had shown when they first met.
Fang Yingying let out a derisive hum, her contempt for the playboy growing. He would even flirt with someone as dark as coal—truly shameless.
"And this lady?" Susan asked, noticing Fang Yingying's ample figure. She was confused; when she left, she hadn't heard of anyone else accompanying Mr. Xiang, especially not a stranger.
"Oh, this is a friend of mine. She also wants to meet Miss Atrotone," Xiang Ri quickly explained.
"No problem. I'm sure Her Majesty won't refuse to meet anyone who is Mr. Xiang's friend," Susan said with a smile, signaling for them to get in the car. But inside, she was curious. Mr. Xiang's girlfriend was Miss Tie, yet this woman obviously wasn't her. Was this another girlfriend? Looking at the bags in his hands, Susan quickly surmised that he had brought his lover to Paris for shopping.
Xiang Ri, unaware of the suggestive expression on Susan's face, threw the bags into the car and climbed in, followed by Fang Yingying, who, without hesitation, sat next to him, leaving a few inches between them.
As soon as they were settled, Susan started the car, speeding off.
Not far behind, a black Cadillac silently followed their route. Inside, two tall men were talking.
"Hey, Anderson, doesn't that Asian guy look familiar?" the black driver asked.
"I've seen him before. He's the target our boss wants us to take out. I can't believe he's in France—this is excellent news!" the white driver replied.
"Enough, Anderson, you damn idiot! Drive carefully!" The black driver shouted, noticing that the white driver had nearly swerved into an oncoming truck.
"Relax, baby, don't you trust my driving?" the white driver responded casually.
"Damn it! Don't lose him! Or the boss will feed you to the fish in the Seine," the black driver growled.
"Thanks for the reminder, buddy. I feel like I'm becoming a driving god... Damn, there's so much traffic. I curse these damn red lights!" The white driver cursed as they hit a red light, relieved when the target's car also stopped. Otherwise, he would have run the red.
"Don't get distracted with curses, Anderson. Keep an eye on the target."
"Don't worry, I don't want to end up as fish food," the white driver grinned, then suddenly leered. "Hey buddy, did you notice the woman sitting next to that Asian guy? She's perfect. Her chest is even bigger than Liv's. I bet she's an F cup."
"Don't mention that vile woman, Livis. She's nothing but a promiscuous harlot, willing to spread her legs for anyone with money," the bald black man shouted, as if provoked by some unseen trigger.
"Fine, I won't bring her up. Let's focus on that Asian woman instead. Oh, my God, she must be a goddess sent from the heavens. I've made up my mind—once I take care of that Asian man, I'll ask the boss to reward me with her," he declared with renewed determination.
"Dammit, stop talking about women! They've already left in the car!"
"Alright, buddy, hold on tight, the driving god is about to unleash his fury..."