The next day, as soon as it struck noon, Luo Qianqian and Qin Nuan were sitting in the Time Cafe, quietly sipping their midday tea. Luo Qianqian had unapologetically ordered four slices of cake to serve as her lunch.
Unexpectedly, at just half past twelve, a man wearing sunglasses, slender but with muscle contours visible through his clothes, scanned the cafe and took a seat opposite Luo Qianqian and Qin Nuan, "Are you the ones looking for me?"
Qin Nuan nodded, and only then did the man remove his sunglasses. His delicate features made Luo Qianqian forget to keep feeding herself.
His face was flawlessly pale, the skin so clean that not a pore could be seen. His eyes were bright and clear, but even concealer couldn’t hide the dark circles beneath them.
"My name is An, but I am also Ji Tianao." The man didn’t hide his identity, "Do you have anything you can tell me?"
He always felt when he saw Qin Nuan and Luo Qianqian it wasn’t them he was looking for, but he didn’t want to give up any hope, so he still harbored the desire to glean some information, even if it was just a little.
"I know the information you’re after, I know the most crucial parts." Qin Nuan pursed her lips and then fell silent.
Ji Tianao was taken aback and frowned, "What do you want? Money or something else? As long as it’s within my power..." He had already taken out his wallet while speaking, laid out the bank cards in front of Qin Nuan, and also drew out several stacks of bills without any hesitation.
"I do have a request," Qin Nuan said with a smile, pushing the money and bank cards back, "Let me introduce myself first. I am Qin Nuan, Qin as in Qin Liang."
Upon hearing the name Qin Liang, Ji Tianao’s expression froze, his face betraying a mix of nostalgia or perhaps melancholy, "Qin Liang, huh..." but within seconds, he was back to normal, "And then?"
"I know your purpose, and I won’t expose you. I only ask that you include a fiancée in your plan." Seeing the odd look in Ji Tianao’s eyes, she chuckled softly, "Are you wondering how I know your plan or who your fiancée is? The former is a secret that won’t be shared beyond us three, and the latter, well, could she be our enemy? You might say that, so feel free to use her."
Who would have guessed that upon hearing Qin Nuan’s words, Ji Tianao’s frown deepened and he rose to his feet, his gaze piercing and cold.
Luo Qianqian cleared her throat twice, "Excuse me, even your biological father wouldn’t dare to raise a hand against us." She then set down her cake fork, "I assure you we won’t interfere with your plans, and we certainly won’t speak of them. I don’t have a father, so I understand the importance of a mother."
Who knew that Ji Tianao, who had just wanted to strangle Qin Nuan moments ago, sat down, defeated, upon hearing Luo Qianqian’s words.
Qin Nuan rolled her eyes. Did she look like someone who would disrupt others’ plans? She was clearly offering her assistance.
"Take a look at this, then decide whether or not to trust us." Qin Nuan calmly pulled out a document from her bag that she and Luo Qianqian had just investigated last night.
"This is..." Looking at the photos inside the folder, Ji Tianao almost immediately confirmed that this was the person he was searching for. Though not entirely identical, the similarity in the brows and eyes convinced him. He stopped browsing the file, his eyes sparking with intent, "What are your demands?"
"Didn’t I say it already? Just add one more fiancée to the mix, and once you reclaim your identity, do go ahead and pursue her..." Qin Nuan stated with all seriousness, "Providing her with disastrous consequences is what we hope for."
Luo Qianqian nodded briskly, I won’t provoke others unless provoked. Had Xu Xiaoxiao not challenged them repeatedly, they wouldn’t have taken any action. The insult Xu Xiaoxiao had hurled at Xu Tianyi was still fresh in her memory, how could she dare forget?
"So..." Ji Tianao frowned, hesitating to continue.
Qin Nuan spoke directly, "We’ll create opportunities for you. Our only request is that you take on an additional fiancée, and give it proper attention. Once your identity is settled, you can go find her." As she spoke, she handed another document envelope to Ji Tianao.
"I trust that a person who seeks our help won’t go back on their word, after all, we could shatter it all before you achieve your goal," Luo Qianqian continued to eat her cake, but the words that came out sent a chill through Ji Tianao’s heart.
Ji Tianao nodded, "Can you tell me how you found out? I don’t remember discussing this with anyone."
Luo Qianqian laughed, "Better not to ask. Rest assured, our sources won’t be known to others."
Qin Nuan nodded in agreement, "There’s no need for you to go back. With your identity, you might face obstacles upon your return, despite being an only child."
Without even glancing at the documents, Ji Tianao’s eyes went from alarm to ecstasy upon hearing Qin Nuan’s words.
Being an only child, what did that mean? It meant he didn’t need to scheme to gain the trust he wanted so effortlessly.
Then Luo Qianqian and Qin Nuan watched as Ji Tianao calmly snapped his SIM card, threw his phone into the coffee cup, and stirred it evenly, "Done."
"...Won’t anyone be looking for you?" Luo Qianqian watched the scene, dumbfounded.
"If they can’t find me tonight, they won’t accept my bookings, and after three days of no contact, I’ll be automatically expelled. Nobody in our line of work knows the real information of others." Ji Tianao smiled coldly, "I have other properties in my name, so it’s no problem. It’s time for me to leave this line of work anyway."
Luo Qianqian blinked, "Is it because of kidney deficiency?"
The cold smile on Ji Tianao’s face crumbled with exasperation. Do you know what you’re talking about, child?
Qin Nuan couldn’t help but smile, lowering her head to take a sip of her milk tea and speaking softly, "This milk tea isn’t bad, would you like a cup?" Her gaze towards Luo Qianqian was very gentle.
Luo Qianqian glanced at the milk tea in Qin Nuan’s hand and then at the milk in front of her, shook her head, "Maybe next time. If I drink milk tea now, I won’t be able to drink the milk." While she said this, she leaned over Qin Nuan’s cup and unabashedly tipped it to take a big sip.
Qin Nuan didn’t mind, laughed, and put down her cup, "There’s one more thing. After you go back to that home, we no longer know each other, so don’t slip up."
Ji Tianao nodded as if a weight had been lifted, "Of course, I’ll certainly take care of your matters."
Qin Nuan nodded and began discussing details with Ji Tianao in a low voice. The best course of action would naturally be for him to show up in person before that individual, but it was difficult not to seem too deliberate or arouse suspicion.
Luo Qianqian narrowed her eyes, "Second Uncle is hosting a celebration party next week, it seems to be for the company’s twenty-year anniversary. Why not have him pose as a waiter? Getting a few years’ work certificate under Second Uncle’s companies can still be done."
Qin Nuan’s eyes lit up, then she wore a face full of doubt, "How do you know?" Seeing as they were together the whole time, how could Luo Qianqian know more than she did?