Chapter 1095: I never forced her to treat me with kindness (1/2)

Jin Zi went to see Ning Cheng at the same time he saw Mu Linger coming out of the man’s room. Ever since they settled down at this estate, Mu Linger had been avoiding him. Because Jin Zi was under watch from the shadow guards, he was more or less under house arrest. However, he hadn’t requested to see her, either.

Now that they ran into each other, Mu Linger’s first reaction was to avert her eyes. She didn’t know what she felt so guilty about. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t fulfilled her promise to him to get his indenture agreement. She fled to the sidelines while Jin Zi’s gaze trailed after her in silence. It wasn’t until her figure vanished from sight that Jin Zi stepped forward to knock on the door.

In a cold voice, he announced, “Ning Cheng, I’m here!”

“Come in!” Ning Cheng said in a heavy voice.

The shadow guards stood watch by the door while Jin Zi entered. He saw that Ning Cheng wasn’t lying in bed, but sitting on a long bamboo couch on the side. Jin Zi walked over and examined him before grinning coldly. “I never thought your life would be so hardy.”

“Have a seat,” Ning Cheng intoned.

Jin Zi sat down. Back as a hostage in Northern Li, he and Ning Cheng had minimum chances to speak. However, he could perceive by the man’s eyes that he hadn’t told Jun Yixie much. He and Ning Cheng were master and servant in name, but also friends for over twenty years. Of course, they were also each other’s enemy. Jin Zi had used the business of Three-Way Market’s gambling halls to open up a black market private bank. He had long earned enough money to buy his indenture agreement back and even offered prices hundreds of times higher than the market price. But Ning Cheng refused to sell. On this matter, he and the man were absolute enemies.

After sweeping his gaze over the tea on the table, Jin Zi laughed coldly and said, “Heheh, since when has Ning Clan Head switched to drinking tea?”

All these years, he’d seen nothing but wine at the man’s tables.

“Doctor Gu won’t give me wine. How about you help a brother out and bring me two tankards?” Ning Cheng smiled.

“Brother?” Manager Jin laughed out loud. “Brother, do the things you promised me as a brother back then still count?” Back at Myriad Merchant Hall, Ning Cheng had agreed to give him the indenture agreement as long as he took care of Mu Linger and gained the Mu Clan.

If not because of that promise, how could he proactively chase after a stupid girl like her? And if he hadn’t chased after her, how could he have provoked Han Yunxi into standing up for the girl, tricking away his private bank, then racking up massive debt when Mu Linger used his gold card to start a spending spree? If he hadn’t owed such a huge debt to Kangan Private Bank, how could he have teamed up with Uncle Cheng to kidnap people? And end up in today’s sorry state? And take a fancy to Mu Linger of all ghastly coincidences?

Ning Cheng had been waiting for his visit, just as he’d been waiting for him to wake up. It was about time to settle accounts!

Mu Linger couldn’t convince Han Yunxi to give up the indenture agreement, so he could only place his hopes on Ning Cheng.

“Of course it still counts! When have I ever failed to give you what I promised?” Ning Cheng retorted.

Jin Zi’s lips curved up into a cold smile. He didn’t speak, but simply extended his hand.

“Jin Zi, you haven’t finished that matter yet, so isn’t it too early to ask me for the indenture agreement?” Ning Cheng arched his brow at him.

“Mu Linger has already agreed to marry me and even told her big sister,” Jin Zi replied.

Ning Cheng laughed out loud. “Does this count as fixing her up? She could tell her big sister the truth at any time. Even I won’t be able to protect you then!”

Before Jin Zi arrived, Mu Linger had a long talk with Ning Cheng. He knew very well how the man had threatened the girl. This “threatening” had no relation to “fixing her up!”

At last, Jin Zi knew why Mu Linger had come to find Ning Cheng. He suddenly burst into laughter, so much that even Ning Cheng, who knew him best, had no idea what was going on. Although it was a cold laugh, it still carried a hint of desolation.[1]

“Release that girl. Within three months, I’ll figure out a way with you to get your indenture agreement back,” Ning Cheng said seriously.

“Why should I believe you?” Jin Zi retorted coldly.

“When have I ever lied to you?” Ning Cheng’s voice chilled as well.

Of course Jin Zi knew Ning Cheng was a man of his word, but he still refused. “No can do!”

Ning Cheng asked, “Is it fun to force a little lass like this?”

“I never forced her!” Jin Zi denied vehemently. “She can go tell Han Yunxi and Long Feiye the whole truth any time! I never stopped her!”

“Jin Zi, you’re using that girl’s kindness!” Ning Cheng fumed.

Jin Zi lost his temper as well and rose to his feet. “I never forced her to treat me with kindness!”

Perhaps he was waiting! Waiting until she stopped being kind, or until his own heart gave up. He had tried his best to give up on her and failed. Now he could only stall until someone else passed sentence on him to kill his heart. What else could he do?

Ning Cheng had never seen Manager Jin so upset. He gazed at the man for a long time, then asked, “Why?”

“Ning Cheng, you haven’t met one yet, so you wouldn’t understand,” Jin Zi said as he sat back down.

Ning Cheng fell utterly silent without a word. Jin Zi soon stood back up. “Farewell!”

At last, Ning Cheng spoke. “Jin Zi, I don’t care about your matters with Mu Linger, but we can still talk about getting your indenture agreement back.”