385 The Secret About the Past 3 (2/2)
An Xiaoning stood up and said, ”Head-of-Office Xu, I've recorded everything you said. Half a year it is, then. I hope she will truly change for the better this time, although I highly doubt it. I will prepare myself for another attack, nonetheless. If this happens again, I'll upload all the evidence online. I'm afraid she won't be the only person implicated when that happens. Military Commander Xu, please watch your daughter closely and take her in hand.”
”Yes,” the Military Commander assented.
”Qingyan, let's go.”
Jin Qingyan left together with her, hand in hand.
After watching them leave, Xu Youran asked, ”Father, you're not really going to put me through reform, are you?”
”I am. I remember telling you again and again previously to not repeat your mistakes, yet you still refuse to repent. Youran, I'm very disappointed in you,” said Military Commander Xu, staring at her.
As soon as he finished speaking, he returned to his bedroom.
Teary-eyed, Madam Xu asked, ”Youran, tell me, why did you do that? There must be a reason for everything. Tell me.”
”I just really detest her,” said Xu Youran, still refusing to reveal the underlying reason.
”Why? Did she do something that made you detest her?”
”I don't know, I just really hate her for no apparent reason. Half a year of reform, huh? I'll just get through it, no big deal,” said Xu Youran, clenching her fists in anger.
Xu Yang stood at the side without uttering a word.
Fan Shixin drove An Xiaoning's car home while An Xiaoning took Jin Qingyan's.
”I'm really so sick and tired of these unprecedented dangers. It makes me feel as if I have to constantly be in fear and on my guard every single day.”
”Shall we go to the beach to relax tomorrow?” Jin Qingyan suggested.
”I still have a case to handle. Let's go when I'm done solving it instead,” said An Xiaoning, whose temples began throbbing all of a sudden.
”Alright.”
”The case I'm working on now is pretty tricky. Under what circumstance, apart from a muscle cramp in his legs or suicide, would a man drown, despite knowing how to swim?”
After a moment of pondering in silence while staring at the road ahead, Jin Qingyan answered, ”I really can't think of a reason. Unless he's mentally unsound, it's very unlikely that a good swimmer would drown if not because of a muscle cramp or suicide.”
”Makes sense.”
—
In the evening, at a certain hotel, Lin Mingxi arrived to see that Gu Beicheng was there before her.
”Order the dishes,” he said while handing her the menu.
Lin Mingxi took the menu from his hands and asked awkwardly, ”What would you like to have?”
”I'm fine with anything. You decide.”
Lin Mingxi expressed assent and proceeded to order a few dishes, which included pumpkin porridge, before handing the menu to the waiter.
”I thought… you'd definitely not want to meet me again.”
”I thought so too. But my mother thinks you're a good catch, thus I decided to get to know you better,” Gu Beicheng said coldly.
Lin Mingxi was not upset by his words. Instead, a faint smile formed on her face as she said, ”You must be the type who puts love above all else.”
”You can tell?”
”Because I belong to that type. I've been through several matchmaking sessions and even tried getting to know them better, but nothing fruitful has come out of it. It's an absolute torture to be with someone you don't fancy at all,” Lin Mingxi said truthfully.
”Have you had any boyfriends in the past?”
Lin Mingxi chuckled and said, ”Would you believe me if I said I haven't?”
”Aren't you already 29 years old? You seriously never had any before?” Gu Beicheng asked apprehensively with raised brows.
”I really haven't had a proper boyfriend before. Those whom I adored never reciprocated my feelings for them while those who fancied me were simply not to my liking. I haven't found someone I could hit it off with. So, I've actually become indifferent towards matchmaking nowadays,” Lin Mingxi explained, smiling wryly.
Staring at her, Gu Beicheng asked, ”Would you like to have some liquor?”
”Sure, let's have a drink or two then. Alcohol makes everything better,” Lin Mingxi said smilingly.
Gu Beicheng gestured for the water to approach and ordered, ”Bring us a bottle of whiskey.”