"It’s nothing." Situ Xuan shook his head, then glanced again at the beside, soulless Zhao Ziyin. "It’s not easy to hail a cab here. Where do you need to go? I can take you."
Upon hearing his words, Ya Jiayi became anxious, "But we have arranged with Director Chen that later we need to....."
Situ Xuan shot her a look, his presence imposing like a mountain, akin to a sword’s edge pressing down upon her shoulders. Ya Jiayi immediately took a step back and dared not say more.
"How could I impose?" Jian Anning, not someone who was oblivious to subtleties, immediately shook her head, supported Zhao Ziyin, and nodded at him again, "Mr. Situ, I really appreciate your help today. You have work to do, so I won’t bother you any longer. Goodbye."
She was neither servile nor overbearing. She didn’t seem overly familiar, nor did she appear impolite, and she expressed her gratitude very well.
What was more interesting was that she clearly knew of her extraordinary background. Even the Director of the Construction Bureau of Shangcheng had to bow and scrape before him, yet when she looked at him, her expression remained unchanged, devoid of any opportunistic or flattering traits!
She truly was an intriguing and graceful woman. Even if it wasn’t for the fact that she was Yu Zexiao’s companion, whom he intended to get close to, Situ Xuan would still have wished to approach her, to pursue her, just for her behavior alone.
The previous night, he had gone out to investigate Jian Anning’s identity. However, she held a Canadian passport with the name Jian Anning, and on the surface, there seemed nothing amiss. Although he wielded great influence in the United States, as she was Canadian, investigating her would prove much more troublesome.
Anyway, even if he didn’t chase after her today, he would have plenty of opportunities and time to meet her in the future.
He no longer pressed the issue and, accommodatingly, nodded, "Uh, then I won’t give you a ride."
Afterward, he spoke with his deep baritone voice, "William, you can call me William."
Jian Anning nodded, and he suddenly imparted a string of numbers, "1314....."
Jian Anning was puzzled, but Situ Xuan explained indifferently, "If you ever find yourself in a situation you can’t solve, you can call this number."
Then it dawned on Jian Anning! She immediately bowed her head, memorized the sequence of numbers, and then dialed her own number. Situ Xuan’s personal phone soon rang.
"This is my number, my name is....."
"Jian Anning, right?" A glint flashed in his eyes, and a spark of interest lit up within his gray-blue pupils, like a piece of fine glazed pottery reflecting a brilliance.
His voice was low and mellow, a stark contrast to Yu Zexiao’s ethereal and clear tone. It was like a cup of rich black coffee, spontaneously giving one a sense of stability and tranquility.
She nodded and then, once again, curtsied, helping Zhao Ziyin to leave.
Situ Xuan remained standing on the spot, watching her leave and hail a cab before he withdrew his gaze.
Ya Jiayi stood by his side, observing his gaze that followed Jian Anning as she departed. Though she knew that his approach to Jian Anning had an ulterior motive, she had been with him for many years and had seldom seen Situ Xuan show such favor to a woman!
She couldn’t help but feel a little restless, "Mr. Situ, Director Chen is still waiting for us inside."
Situ Xuan didn’t speak but merely gave her a cold glance.