"Absolutely not! If you think I’m going to let the ’Bai Tian’e’ be exposed, you can forget it—I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night."
Sheng Ning knew her character well; once she set her mind to something, nothing could change it. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Then how about you wait until my injury has healed, and we do it together?"
"I’ll investigate while I wait," Chen Huaying nodded. "You need to get better soon; without you, I feel like my brain isn’t working properly."
"...When has your brain ever worked properly? If it did, would you argue with Dabao every day?"
Chen Huaying, despite feeling belittled, didn’t get angry considering Sheng Ning was a patient. Worried that Su Huai’an might be waiting anxiously outside, she made their conversation short and sweet. Eventually, she got around to asking about Meng Ping.
"How is he doing? Is that really the end of it?"
"Having five ribs broken by Living Yama, and the department store smashed—let’s just leave it at that!" She would consider the suffering she endured worthwhile, as long as she had no further dealings with him.
"What were you thinking at the time?" Chen Huaying was somewhat frustrated.
"I don’t know." She dodged answering questions about things she found difficult to address with that phrase.
In truth, Chen Huaying knew she didn’t want to talk about it and didn’t press her. Only after finding out her discharge date did she reluctantly leave.
That night, a tall figure glided through the darkness like a ghost, effortlessly infiltrating the highly secured base.
The Provincial Rescue Center and National Security University were both located in the same district. This area was under the strictest security, especially at certain important posts where armed guards were on duty 24/7.
It seemed that the visitor had done his homework thoroughly, knowing exactly when the guards would change shifts, and he breezed past these checkpoints with ease.
It was as if he was strolling through his own backyard.
The Qianjin Dance Troupe had its own independent area inside the Provincial Rescue Center. It took up a significant area, particularly with a grand auditorium that was incomparable to those of other troupes.
Bai Oulan, as a pillar of Qianjin and having advanced early in her career, possessed a unique status that set her apart from the others.
She had her own private quarters—a bedroom, living room, and a small study—which she decorated to be exceptionally cozy and comfortable.
During the day, she would either train or instruct others within the troupe, maintaining her persona—aloof, elegant, yet approachable. Only in the evening, upon returning to this space, could she completely unwind.
For some reason, recently she always felt as if someone was watching her in secret, particularly during the day when people from the neighboring school would often sneak peeks; she had become accustomed to the attention and didn’t mind it.
However, she no longer felt as bold as she had been back at the Research Institute.
With skin pale and smooth as jade, and although it was winter, the room was as warm as spring due to the heating. She showered, slipped into her most daring outfit, and lay on the sofa in her most beautiful pose.
Waiting for a man to call.
Soon after, a secret knock sounded outside the window—three long followed by two short taps—she draped one slender leg over the back of the sofa.
"Swish..." The window quietly opened with skilled manipulation, and a tall man climbed through.
"Bai Oulan, marry me!" the man said, besotted.
"No..." Bai Oulan panicked, forgetting her usual guise and harsh tone, "I can’t marry you, I absolutely cannot."
"Why?" The man grew unhappy too, standing and looking down at her, "After all this covert relationship, can’t you see how much I love you?" At first, his pursuit of Bai Tian’e was merely to satisfy his curiosity about the taste of Meng Fan’s woman.