Discussing the recent incident, Ji Mingqian gave a cold laugh, "On the way to the airport, the driver went to the bathroom and was swapped out. The replacement was skilled, an adept in using poison, it seems they’re a professional poisoner in routine life."

No matter what, he had to find that person.

Ye Jiuliang furrowed his brow, "Did you get a look at his face when you fought with him?"

Ji Mingqian shook his head, "He wore a human skin mask, so I didn’t see, but he did get shot by me."

If that person had used poison, he would have been caught earlier.

"Could the person who ambushed Aqian this time be part of the same group as the black-clad people who set up an ambush for you last time?" Gu Xinuo speculated.

Ye Jiuliang said, "Possible."

At that moment, the mobile phone on the table vibrated.

Ji Mingqian looked over and saw it was a message from Chu Chen.

"Achen has asked me to look up something. Let’s talk about this later," he said.

With that, he headed over to the computer desk.

Gu Xinuo and Ye Jiuliang exchanged a glance, then both turned and left the room.

In the corridor, Xiaoyu drifted in.

Ye Jiuliang leaned against a pillar, lightly tapping the ground with the tip of her foot.

Across from her, sensing her distraction, Gu Xinuo smirked slyly, "Ajiu, are you missing your man? There’s nothing urgent here for the moment, so why don’t you head back first?"

Ye Jiuliang tugged at her lip, her smile forced, "I had a bit of a disagreement with him, though it’s not really a disagreement."

"Hm?" Gu Xinuo’s expression became serious, "Did he bully you?"

It was as if she was ready to go straight to Li Mochan and settle accounts the moment Ye Jiuliang nodded.

Ye Jiuliang shook her head.

"Then what happened?" Gu Xinuo asked.

"It’s a long story," Ye Jiuliang replied helplessly, "When I first returned to the capital, I once intruded into Li Mochan’s residence. I was trying to find something, but not only did I not find it, I ended up in a fight with them. I was wearing a mask at the time, so they didn’t recognize me."

Hearing this, Gu Xinuo’s lips twitched slightly, "What were you looking for at his place?"

When they first intercepted Dark Hall’s goods and she returned to the capital, Aqian and the others had warned her repeatedly not to provoke Li Mochan. Why was she so audacious?

"It was a previous auction item I just wanted to have a look at," Ye Jiuliang told a little white lie.

Gu Xinuo was bemused, "So are you and Li Mochan fated, or what? Always stirring up trouble with him."

Now the two of them were still together, fate was indeed inexplicable.

"So were you recognized?"

Ye Jiuliang gave a faint hum and downplayed the events of that night.

After listening, Gu Xinuo was just as helpless. What even was all this?

"Do you think Li Mochan won’t believe you?"

"I don’t know."

"Then why are you sulking around here? Didn’t you say that no matter what, Li Mochan would believe you? You..."

Ye Jiuliang interrupted, "He gave me a ring."

"A ring?"

Gu Xinuo, startled, became inarticulate, "He, he proposed to you?"

Ye Jiuliang’s eyes were downturned, "No."

Gu Xinuo urged, "Then what is it, hey, can’t you finish what you’re saying, you’re killing me here."

"It’s like our necklace," she said in a muffled voice.

Gu Xinuo was taken aback.

Like their necklace.

That meant...

She looked incredulously at Ye Jiuliang, "No way, Li Mochan actually gave you the ring?"

The symbol carried significant meaning.

Ye Jiuliang’s voice was very light as she hummed in affirmation.

"Where is the ring?" Gu Xinuo looked at her hand, which was bare.

She said, "I gave it back to him and then came back here."

Gu Xinuo, "..."

Being in love seemed so complicated.

"So you’re not going back to explain things to him?"

Ye Jiuliang’s red lips were tightly pursed as she fell silent.

"Miss him? Just go back and see him, instead of fretting here," Gu Xinuo teased.

Ye Jiuliang stubbornly retorted, "Who said I missed him?"

Gu Xinuo hooked her arm around Ye Jiuliang’s shoulder, ridiculing, "Oh come on, your face has already given you away."

It only lacked the words "I miss Li Mochan" written across it.

"Really not going?"

Dodging the question, Ye Jiuliang said, "There’s still some stuff to take care of at the base, I’ll go check it out first."

"Hey, Ajiu..."

Gu Xinuo shook her head helplessly as she watched her retreating figure.

This girl...

...

Deep into the night, Ye Jiuliang left the base.

She grabbed two cans of beer and climbed up to sit on the rooftop.

Taking a swig, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, and Jiang Yisheng’s voice came through, "Jiuliang?"

Ye Jiuliang cleared her throat, "It’s me."

On the other end of the line, Jiang Yisheng hesitated, "Jiuliang, where did you go? Your cousin has been looking for you like crazy."

Ye Jiuliang’s gaze flickered, "Has he gone back?"

"Cousin came back yesterday to visit grandma, and left this morning," said Jiang Yisheng.

"Is his cold better?" she asked hesitantly.

"I heard from Wei Nan that he isn’t taking his medicine on time. When I saw him yesterday, he looked very pale," Jiang Yisheng replied.

Ye Jiuliang frowned and said softly, "There is medicine in the backpack I left there, remind him to take it."

"Jiuliang, did you guys have a falling out?" Jiang Yisheng asked warmly, "I heard from Wei Bei that your cousin has been looking everywhere for you. Whatever it is, you should come back and talk it over."

Ye Jiuliang hummed almost inaudibly.

After ending the call, Jiang Yisheng sent her a photo. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

She clicked on it to enlarge.

In the photo, Li Mochan was sitting on the couch, his deep eyes bloodshot and tiredness etched into his brows, looking very haggard.

She gripped her phone tighter, her nose tingling against her will.

"Master Jiu pining for Li Mochan by the moonlight—how does that headline sound?" Gu Xinuo’s teasing voice arose from behind her.

She walked over, her sharp eyes catching a glimpse of the photo on Ye Jiuliang’s phone.

With a smile, Gu Xinuo sat beside her.

"Is a photo better than the real person?" she joked.

Ye Jiuliang stayed silent, put away her phone, and tossed her a can of beer.

"Really not going back?" Gu Xinuo took a sip of beer and asked.

With her head lowered, Ye Jiuliang’s cool voice was a bit hoarse, "Nuo, I miss Li Mochan."

Gu Xinuo choked, "Didn’t you say this afternoon that you didn’t miss him?"

Typical stubborn denial.

"He has a cold, and hasn’t been taking his medicine on time."

"And he’s lost weight."

"I freaking miss him so much."

Gu Xinuo was force-fed a mouthful of dog food and quickly interrupted her monologue, "Get going, stop flaunting your love in front of me."

"That bastard Li Mochan must have cast a spell on me," Ye Jiuliang stood up, gulping down another mouthful of beer, furious and anxious.

He was like a vexing little demon.

Gu Xinuo laughed out loud, took a car key out of her pocket, and tossed it to her, "Hurry up and go."

Ye Jiuliang caught the key, her lips curling into a smile, "Off I go."

"Get lost, get lost," Gu Xinuo said with a look of disdain.

Under the night sky, she gazed at the departing figure, tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Hmph, no one to drink with her now.