Chapter 56

Ruan Ning let out a sigh. She had thought that after confessing to the two young masters, they would fly into a rage and stop paying her any mind. Instead, not only did they not let go, they held on even tighter.

She truly couldn't understand—she had said everything there was to say, yet what more did the two young masters need to finally let her leave?

Now the two of them sat like two silent stone buddhas in the police station, surrounded by a ring of officers cajoling and keeping them company. Each was quietly trying to outlast the other, neither willing to be the first to leave, as if something remained unresolved.

Ruan Ning couldn't stand it any longer. She patted Jiang Yihao on the shoulder and pressed him to take out his phone.

Jiang Yihao sat sideways in the armchair of the mediation room, a bruise darkening one corner of his sharp jaw. He resisted touching it, but his tongue kept prodding the inside of his cheek, trying to soothe the dull, aching throb.

"What?" He looked up, his tone gruff.

Ruan Ning kept her face cold. Without a word, she reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and quickly held it up to his face to unlock it.

Jiang Yihao watched her suspiciously, wondering what she was up to. Ruan Ning swiftly dialed his agent's number: "Hello, is this Zhang Hao's agent? Yes, yes, he's here with me right now—could you come pick him up?"

Jiang Yihao snapped out of it and lunged to snatch the phone back. "What the hell are you doing?!"

But Ruan Ning had already finished. Expressionless, she ended the call and handed the phone back to him. "Don't you have a charity event this afternoon? This is your first public event since going pro—do it well, don't be late. Leave with your agent when he gets here."

Jiang Yihao had been planning to outlast Bu Chen, but her reminder brought his afternoon obligations back to mind.

They had signed the settlement, but the real contest had only just begun—there was an unspoken rule that whichever one left first was admitting defeat. Even though Jiang Yihao found sitting in a police station embarrassing, he had stubbornly planted himself there for the sake of pride.

He was a little surprised that no one, not even the chief of police, had dared to intervene in the earlier chaos, yet Ruan Ning had bravely stepped in and sent him off in such a proper manner.

Even though it was exactly what he wanted, Jiang Yihao still frowned as he snatched the phone back. "That's my business. Don't make decisions for me next time."

"Yes, yes, I know," Ruan Ning said, putting on a sweet, obedient tone to appease him.

Jiang Yihao pulled on his hat and mask, ready to leave. A crowd of police officers immediately followed, escorting the young master out with deferential steps.

Jiang Yihao's eyes were fixed only on the uneasy Ruan Ning, his gaze glued to her face. Ever since they'd entered the police station, she had walked evenly between the two of them, not leaning closer to either—that pleased him.

He gave her a few parting instructions: "I'm heading out. Consider today's events as if they never happened. I'll come find you later."

Ruan Ning took a deep breath and nodded helplessly.

Jiang Yihao said nothing more, his face dark as he walked out, glancing sideways at Bu Chen before he left.

As soon as Jiang Yihao was gone, the police officers tactfully filed out, leaving only Ruan Ning and Bu Chen in the room. Everyone could tell that the young lady had a special relationship with Young Master Bu, and now that the Jiang young master had been sent off, staying in the room would only get in the way.

"Impressive, coming up with a way to slip out—too bad it didn't work out the way you wanted."

A smile tugged at Bu Chen's lips, as if nothing had happened at all, as if he hadn't just brawled his way into a police station.

He kept his previous posture, lounging on the sofa with one leg crossed lazily. Bu Chen was particular about his appearance; during the fight, his face had taken only minor damage—the rest was hidden beneath his clothes.

Ruan Ning ignored his mockery. She leaned back against the oval conference table in the mediation room, her slender, graceful silhouette visible in profile.

The silent room was so quiet that the heartbeat of both could be heard, and Ruan Ning's tone was as light and distant as the air itself.

"I wasn't joking with you. I've had enough of living in hiding. I want to bring this to an end."

"So you mean to go public..." Bu Chen raised an eyebrow lazily, his gaze drifting onto Ruan Ning. "Rare that we think alike. Since Jiang Yihao already knows today, there's no need to avoid him anymore."

Bu Chen's eyes traced Ruan Ning's figure with burning intensity, his expression as calm and composed as usual, but the more he looked, the more a vast emptiness crept in.

During the chaotic scuffle earlier, he had seen Ruan Ning's small frame recklessly throw herself between him and Jiang Yihao, desperately trying to stop them from hurting each other. In that moment, he suddenly understood why he—who had been through countless pleasures, unmoved by any stunning beauty—had become so bewitched by this woman.

Among the women he had known, Ruan Ning was neither the most beautiful, nor the smartest, nor the highest born, but he had never been able to figure her out.

She was like a small, unsteady boat adrift in a storm, unable to see what lay ahead, with nothing to rely on, simply drifting with the waves, fighting for a chance to survive.

The first time he saw her, he thought she was a fallen bar girl; yet she proudly refused his invitation and left without a word.

The next time, he mischievously forced her to stay by his side, expecting her to refuse outright for the sake of her chastity—but she unexpectedly compromised.

This time, he expected her to swallow her pride and survive between him and Jiang Yihao, but instead she found the courage to expose herself and cut things off decisively.

Every choice she made defied his expectations. Every time, she seemed to waver with the current, but she never gave in.

That fragile yet stubborn tenacity drew him in deeply. He couldn't help but want to keep her by his side and see where this trembling, desperate, yet brave little boat would ultimately sail.

"Brother Chen, so it's settled then about Hongye... As long as the old duke handles this for us, our Song family will repay your great kindness even if we have to serve you like beasts of burden..."

A crackling recording suddenly broke Bu Chen's reverie. His eyes instantly shifted to a sharp, imposing glare, a cruel glint flashing through them.

"What do you mean by this?" Bu Chen narrowed his eyes, the words from his thin lips instantly freezing the entire mediation room into an icehouse.

Ruan Ning's jaw tightened into a straight line—stubborn, enduring—as she turned her head away. Her long, fair fingers held up the phone, trembling.

"I'm just a commoner; I know nothing of world affairs. All I know is that if this recording gets out, it might have some impact on the old duke's upcoming election next year."

Ruan Ning lowered her thick lashes, saying these words that carried the weight of a nuclear bomb with a flustered, defeated air. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she didn't cry, looking pitiful—yet no one would dare treat her as a weak woman now.

The recording in her hand could very well decide the outcome of next year's election.

Though the Duke of Banting had many supporters in the country, if this recording were made public, it would inevitably trigger an anti-corruption investigation.

People in different regions of Country A had varying religious inclinations, but all despised corruption and dereliction of duty.

Now, the recording contained clear evidence of a prime ministerial candidate colluding with business conglomerates, and it involved the country's largest economic diplomacy crisis, which would surely cause public uproar and cause Bu Kai's approval ratings to plummet. If the matter escalated, it could very well destroy Bu Kai's dream of becoming prime minister.

Bu Chen's gaze turned icy.

"I kindly took you out for fun, and you use it to get a hold on me. Very well done."

"I knew you wouldn't come to me empty-handed. So this is what you had in store."

"If you hadn't acted first, how could I have gotten the recording?"

Ruan Ning could barely stand against Bu Chen's sharp stare. She held onto the conference table beside her, trying to steady her trembling voice as sweat gathered in her palms. "I told you, I'm just a commoner. I don't understand your great affairs. If you're willing to let me go, this price is fair enough for you."

Ruan Ning lowered her eyes, clenched her fists, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Bu Chen's cold, knife-like gaze swept over Ruan Ning, cutting across her throat. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and a trace of blood red flashed in his deep, dark eyes.

Private club.

The electronic voice at Bai Xingmiao's door sounded, carrying a rare hint of emotion. "She exposed herself?"

Jiang Yihao sat with legs sprawled, slumped into a plush, top-tier handmade sofa chair, his eyes vacant.

"Pity. She could have played along as if nothing were wrong."

The electronic voice sighed softly, whether in admiration of Ruan Ning's bravery or lamenting her impulsiveness.

Jiang Yihao stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. "Tell me, why did she suddenly have to bring someone to the comic convention?"

Silence came from the other end of the electronic voice.

Jiang Yihao mused to himself, "Why did she have to think so much? Even if she had ten or eight ex-boyfriends, what would it matter? As long as we're together from now on, that's enough."

Since cutting ties with Bu Chen, the club had become a space for just Jiang Yihao and Bai Xingmiao. Jiang Yihao would come by whenever he could to pour his heart out to his only remaining friend.

These past few days, Jiang Yihao had been full of energy at the team, but in front of Bai Xingmiao, he was a completely different person, dejected and listless. Bai Xingmiao stayed behind the door frame all day, listening to Jiang Yihao's rambling chatter, occasionally offering a word or two.

Once he calmed down and looked back on that day, he regretted treating Ruan Ning so harshly.

He wasn't actually angry at Ruan Ning; he just hated himself for not realizing the truth sooner and protecting her, letting her suffer in silence. Now, looking back, every clue was a mark of regret.

"Ugh—"

As Jiang Yihao talked, fatigue swept over his whole body, and he was drenched in sweat as if he'd just been pulled from water.

These past days, he had trained relentlessly, pushing himself to the brink until he collapsed into sleep, scaring Lao Fang.

Lao Fang advised him to rest, but Jiang Yihao told him not to interfere and kept training day and night. Only by exhausting himself could he keep from thinking about the words Ruan Ning had spoken that day, the words of parting.

After a long while, the electronic voice at the door asked, "What about the gift box on the table?"

Jiang Yihao opened his heavy eyelids and glanced at the unopened Mei'ang gift box, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "She sent it back."

The electronic voice was slightly surprised. "She sent it back?"

Jiang Yihao grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Bai Xingmiao's door, shouting in frustration, "Yes, that's right. She doesn't want me, and she doesn't want my things. Satisfied?"

The room fell into silent stillness.

Jiang Yihao had been plagued by irritations these past few days. After leaving the police station that day, he had gone straight to the orphanage, and that same day, photographers captured a photo of his dark face, accusing him of throwing a diva fit.

Jiang Yihao was furious—he'd been sincerely spending time with the elderly and children, playing games and eating with them. Where was the diva fit? He'd done the charity work earnestly, so why did every photo catch him grimacing?

The day after the charity event, he received the returned Mei'ang handbag from Ruan Ning. When he'd given it to her, he hadn't mentioned it, but it was the latest design by Jiang Yihao's mother, Du Yue, not yet on the market. His mother had released her first design in seven years, and only a few people had samples. He'd specially brought it to give to Ruan Ning to keep.

But she hadn't even opened it; she'd sent it back exactly as it was.

The courier hadn't delivered it to him directly but to his assistant. When the assistant received it and saw it was the very one he'd personally sent out, he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and sent it to the private club for the young master to handle. When Jiang Yihao got it in his hands, his first instinct was to throw it away. But on second thought, he didn't dare, so he'd left it on the coffee table, untouched.

The electronic voice at the door spoke again: "The Bai family's birthday banquet is coming up. Your mother added several wealthy young ladies to the guest list. You'd better think about how to handle that."

Jiang Yihao, who had been lounging lazily, jumped to his feet. "Seriously? What is my mother up to?!"