Chapter Twenty-Nine: Mission Accomplished

Qianyin thought this was a good opportunity, so she pretended to be startled and leaned against President Liu, taking a seat beside him. The others seemed to hold this boss in high esteem—President Liu was indeed a figure of some standing. Once she sat next to him, none of the other men pressed further.

But the rotund middle-aged man was less impressed. Raising his glass, he insisted on toasting Qianyin. He beamed as he spoke, “Come, let’s have a drink. Fate has brought us together tonight. I’ll finish mine first, as a sign of respect!”

“Alright!”

Everyone lifted their glasses. Qianyin, feigning nervousness, picked up a glass as well—this was actually strong liquor. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed none of them intended to leave sober tonight.

Seeing Qianyin’s anxious expression, the other men broke into laughter. In a nearby location, Coldblood was watching Qianyin through binoculars borrowed from the Mo family’s branch. His fists clenched in fury as he saw her about to lean against another man’s shoulder.

Even if completing the mission required some sacrifice, there was no need to trade on her looks.

The drinking continued, and it seemed they’d become addicted to the wine, barely touching their food. Qianyin soon sensed something odd: the aura around that man was different from the others. Was he not of this world?

Qianyin had once encountered a woman from another realm. That woman possessed exceptional skills and the power of thunder. If anyone dared harm her, the electricity she commanded would strike them down instantly.

But the woman had said she could only remain in this world for one year. Qianyin met her on the very last day of that year—a time when she and Mo Lan were undergoing secret training.

That woman had warned Qianyin that in her twenty-third year, an even more formidable man would appear. He would shatter her life, make her lose the one she loved most, and take away everything she once had. So Qianyin’s birthday wish that year was simply not to meet this man.

The reason Qianyin hunted down those villains was to prevent them from being used by that man. Meeting him was both fate and calamity.

Through his dark sunglasses, that man seemed capable of reading hearts. His gaze burned, as if intent on reducing her to ashes with sheer intensity.

If he truly was from another world, what kind of power did he possess?

Qianyin drank just one glass and then declined any more. The men didn’t force her, but they remained wary—since her arrival, not a word of business had been discussed.

At that moment, Qianyin focused her attention on the ring on President Liu’s hand. That ring was forged from Black Polaris Stone—only two such fist-sized stones existed in the world. President Liu had paid a fortune for one, turning it into a matching pair of rings: one for himself, one for his wife.

The buyer had long since commissioned a high-quality replica, which had already been delivered to Qianyin. She wore it tonight as well.

Feigning carelessness, Qianyin raised her glass to toast President Liu. He didn’t notice as she deftly spilled her liquor onto his hand. Flustered, she snatched up a napkin and apologized profusely, wiping his hand and “accidentally” knocking his ring to the floor with a clatter.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry!” Qianyin bowed her head, searching for the ring. Both rings were now wet, but she immediately recognized the imitation, picked it up, wiped it clean, and handed it back to President Liu. The genuine Black Polaris ring was quietly slipped into her clothing.

The others thought it was all an accident. Only the man called “boss” seemed to see through the act, his gaze fixed on Qianyin, though he said nothing.

“It’s alright!” President Liu waved it off with a smile, making no effort to inspect the ring.

Qianyin continued to tremble, looking suitably “terrified,” her head bowed in silence. Around the table, calculations and schemes flickered in the eyes of the men.

They kept drinking. Suddenly, Qianyin’s phone lit up—it was Mo Lan, looking for her after not finding her in their room, inviting her to the night market.

Flustered, Qianyin answered, glancing awkwardly at the others present.

“Hello?”

“Where did you go?” Mo Lan’s anxious voice came through.

“I… I’m with someone I just met. Don’t worry, I’ll be right over to join you in the private room!” Qianyin acted as if she’d suddenly remembered her friend, smacking her forehead lightly before hanging up quickly.

On the other end, Mo Lan understood. Qianyin was handling her own affairs, and the call had provided a timely rescue. Relieved not to have interrupted, Mo Lan smiled to herself.

“My friend is looking for me. Let’s meet another time. Goodbye, everyone!” Qianyin said, sounding anxious as she stood up.

“Alright, here’s my card. Come find me if you’re ever free,” President Liu responded graciously, knowing better than to insist.

Qianyin nodded, grabbed her bag, and walked out in her high heels, leaving the group behind, still in a daze.

No sooner had Qianyin left the restaurant than she realized she was being followed. Her brow furrowed as she slipped into a narrow alley. Sure enough, two men came after her.

She stopped near the end of the alley, where it was dark and deserted. The two men caught up, only to see her waiting for them—their faces changed instantly. As they tried to back away, Qianyin darted forward, delivering powerful blows to their backs and sending them sprawling.

“Who are you? Why do you want to get close to our boss?” they demanded, blood trickling from their mouths—Qianyin had not held back.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind them, tossing two daggers that instantly silenced them, each blade to the throat.

Their eyes widened with unwillingness and shock—why was there someone else lurking in the shadows?

Qianyin rarely used weapons—not because she was unskilled, but because she disliked the bloody mess and the trouble of cleaning up afterward.

“Are you alright?” Coldblood approached as he spoke, carefully retrieving the daggers from the bodies and wiping them clean before hiding them in his sleeve.

“What are you doing here? Were you following me? Did you see everything I did?” Qianyin’s face grew cold—she detested being watched.

“I was helping you out of kindness. Are you planning to kill me to cover your tracks?” Coldblood’s tone was both angry and exasperated.

“I don’t need your—” Qianyin began, but her head spun, and she collapsed forward. Her tolerance for alcohol was abysmal—just one glass of strong liquor had been too much.

Coldblood caught her at once, noticing her flushed cheeks. So she was simply drunk; for a moment, he’d feared she’d been attacked.

Despite her fine figure, she was astonishingly light—Coldblood frowned, resolving to feed her better and help her gain weight.

Back at the Mo family’s branch, Mo Lan saw Qianyin’s drunken state and knew there would be no night market stroll tonight.