Pei Qinghan shook his head, "So this is the ’business’ you were talking about? It really is a business deal." Business is simply a transaction with clear accounts, no debts owed by either side. She sought his help yet wanted to keep her distance. Pei Qinghan understood her meaning. This feeling of estrangement made him somewhat uncomfortable, but he wouldn’t show it. Maintaining this balance was the only way to keep their relationship at the level of mere acquaintances—if it were to break, they might not even remain friends. Pei Qinghan didn’t know why she was so detached, constantly maintaining a distance from him. Although she was very careful about it, his sensitivity allowed him to grasp everything with crystal clear understanding. "If you’re unwilling, let’s forget it." It was still a risk. If Pei Qinghan didn’t want to provoke Qinglong Hall, his refusal would be reasonable. At worst, she’d find another way. "One million, it’s a deal," Pei Qinghan said definitively. Yun Ya took a card out of her bag and placed it on the table, "This is a deposit of five hundred thousand. The remaining five hundred thousand will be paid upon delivery of the results." Pei Qinghan smiled, "Join me for lunch." Yun Ya declined without a moment’s hesitation, "I have a lunch date with my boyfriend, so I apologize." Boyfriend? Pei Qinghan thought of that young man, the eldest son of the Yan Family. "His family background is too profound, being with him, you’re going to have a tough time." Yun Ya smiled with confidence and poise, "From the day I decided to be with him, I knew that no matter what storms we face, we’ll face them together." Her tone was especially calm and confident, and it left Pei Qinghan stunned. To have such a woman by his side, how is Yan Song so fortunate? He felt a pang of loss in his heart but quickly smiled, "I hope he is worthy of your deep feelings." Yun Ya picked up her bag and left, "I’ll call you if there’s any leads. Goodbye." She left the room without looking back. The room fell silent, and the weather outside grew more overcast, mirroring his heart at the moment. For some reason, when facing her, he always felt a sense of familiarity. Not the vague memories from ten years ago, but something from a much more distant past, so distant it seemed like it was from another lifetime... He would catch glimpses of fragmentary memories that vanished before he could grasp them. When he tried to focus, his mind became a jumbled mess, as if spilling a bowl of paste. He closed his eyes and spoke, "Xiao Bai." The next moment, Fu Bai entered the room, "Boss." Sister Ah Ling dropped Yun Ya off at the Pei Family’s mansion gate. Yun Ya looked at the sky, covered with dark clouds, signaling impending rain. The wind whipped up sand and dust, swirling them in mid-air. Tree branches swayed, the ground was a whirl of dust, garbage flew about, and Yun Ya’s long hair fluttered in the tumult. "Looks like it’s going to rain. I should get Miss Ji an umbrella," Sister Ah Ling said. Yun Ya shook her head, "No need, I have an umbrella in my car. You should head back now, Sister Ah Ling." With a wave of her hand, she opened the car door and sat inside. She hadn’t made plans with Yan Song; she just didn’t want to have lunch with Pei Qinghan. In this life, they were only acquaintances, nothing more. Even if she needed his help, she intended to settle it with money, not owing him anything, no matter how insignificant. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on n0velfire.net Right then, her phone chimed. She expected a message from Yan Song but saw it was from Shen Luokui. [Yun Ya, I’m leaving this afternoon. Could we have a meal together before I go? There’s something I want to talk to you about] Yun Ya wondered what it could be about. Could it be something to do with Shen Xudong and Kang Jinse? She had warned Kang Jinse; she ought not to dare. And now, Kang Jinse had disappeared... Speculating was useless. Shen Luokui was leaving, so sending her off was the least she could do as a friend. [Where are you? I’ll come get you] Shen Luokui sent the name of the hotel where she was staying, and Yun Ya had Du Shan drive there. At the hotel entrance, she saw Shen Luokui, youthful and lively in a jumpsuit mini skirt and carrying a little bear backpack. Yun Ya rolled down the car window, "Xiao Kui." When Shen Luokui saw Yun Ya, she waved excitedly and hurried over, opening the car door and sitting down, rubbing her arms. "What terrible weather, it’s freezing me to death." It was indeed chilly today, and the wind didn’t help. It was normal for Shen Luokui to feel cold. "Our Jiangzhou weather is like a child’s face; it changes in the blink of an eye," she said. Du Shan considerately turned up the heat a little. "But, if we’re talking about it, I guess I’m also from Jiangzhou. My dad’s hometown is in the rural areas here, and he only later settled in the Capital City. Just a few days ago, he took me back to our hometown for ancestral tomb-sweeping. It was my first time visiting since I’ve grown up. Oh, there were so many aunties, uncles, grannies, and grandpas, I couldn’t even remember all their names," Shen Luokui complained with a hint of exasperation.