"That scoundrel, why hasn't he returned yet?" Nan Gong Qianyu held her phone, her eyes filled with worry.
She kept glancing outside the car.
At this moment, the ten minutes Ye Ming had agreed upon were almost up.
Seeing the figure still hadn't returned, Nan Gong Qianyu couldn't sit still any longer. "No, I need to find someone for help."
Just as she was about to make a call, a familiar face suddenly appeared at the car window.
"Beautiful lady, can I get a ride?" Ye Ming said with a grin.
"Ye Ming, are you alright?" Nan Gong Qianyu looked Ye Ming up and down.
Opening the car door, Ye Ming plopped into the passenger seat and asked leisurely, "Do I look like something's wrong?"
Nan Gong Qianyu indeed saw no abnormality in Ye Ming. But she knew very well that the people from Hengshan were definitely here to cause trouble.
They wouldn't let Ye Ming off easily.
Yet, seeing Ye Ming looking so relaxed, he didn't seem like someone who had just encountered trouble.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Ye Ming felt a bit self-conscious as Nan Gong Qianyu stared intently at him.
"Ye Ming, who exactly are you?" Nan Gong Qianyu looked at the man in front of her, her expression suddenly turning serious.
"Do you really want to know?" Ye Ming beckoned to Nan Gong Qianyu and smiled, "Come closer, and I'll tell you."
Driven by curiosity, Nan Gong Qianyu slowly leaned her head over, not forgetting to threaten, "If you dare to play any tricks, I'll choke you to death."
As the slowly approaching Nan Gong Qianyu drew nearer, a refreshing fragrance wafted into Ye Ming's nostrils.
It made him feel somewhat intoxicated.
"Quick, say it!" Nan Gong Qianyu said with a cold face.
"Actually, my identity is very simple." Ye Ming looked at the beauty in front of him, smiled charmingly, and whispered in her ear, "Of course, I'm your man!"
Upon hearing this, Nan Gong Qianyu's eyes widened, and her thoughts came to a halt.
What followed was an eruption of anger:
"Ye... Ming..."
...
The Mayor's Office of Minghai City.
A middle-aged man in a black suit paced back and forth in the office, his face etched with worry.
This man was Hua Tianmin, the top leader of Minghai City.
Just a moment ago, he had received a call from the provincial party committee.
During that call, he learned that a young man had suddenly appeared in Minghai City.
This young man was said to have won the championship of that year's World Martial Arts Competition three years ago as a Chinese, once again making China's prestige known to the world.
However, at that time, before the Chinese officials could even bestow any awards upon the young man, he had suddenly disappeared.
Only three years later did he reappear.
Therefore, the higher-ups had decided to bestow the title of "Honorary National Scholar" upon this young man.
Thus, the responsibility of awarding the young man fell upon Hua Tianmin.
If it were only this, Hua Tianmin wouldn't have been so dejected.
Because during that phone call, he could clearly sense that the people above wanted him to persuade the young man to join the military and serve the country.
After all, with the young man's martial prowess, it would be a waste not to let him achieve great things.
It was just that the people above were unaware of what the young man had been doing during the years he was missing.
If they had known, their attitude towards the young man might have been different.
In fact, Hua Tianmin finding himself in this situation could be considered an opportunity.
If handled well, a further advancement might not be impossible.
Conversely, perhaps his entire life would be stuck at this point.
"Send out a notice to schedule an urgent meeting for tomorrow. All bureau leaders must attend, no exceptions," Hua Tianmin said to his secretary after deep thought.
Regardless of anything else, it was wise to build a good relationship with the young man first.
On his turf, Hua Tianmin still had ways to make the young man feel his sincerity.
As for when to award the young man the "Honorary National Scholar" title, he would naturally choose a perfectly timed moment to maximize its effect.
"I think that young man's name was Ye Ming," Hua Tianmin nodded thoughtfully.
"That's a good name."
...
At this moment, Ye Ming was unaware that an emergency meeting specially convened for him was being prepared.
As for him now, he was enduring merciless cold treatment.
As for the reason!
Those who understand will understand!
Ziyun Mountain.
A mountain located in the suburbs of Minghai City.
Because the climate on the mountain was pleasant and the scenery of purple clouds often appeared from the east, it was famous far and wide.
Of course, apart from its own fame, Ziyun Mountain was also home to a place that countless people yearned for: the Ziyun Mountain Villa complex.
From the foot of Ziyun Mountain to its peak, there were twenty independent villas.
At the summit of Ziyun Mountain was the location of Villa Number One.
However, the owner of that villa remained a mystery to this day.
Nan Gong Qianyu drove the car, winding her way up the mountainside of Ziyun Mountain until Villa Number Ten appeared in her sight, and then she stopped the car.
"Get out of the car!" Nan Gong Qianyu coldly uttered a sentence, then opened the car door and walked towards the villa in front of them.
It seemed that our Miss Qianyu was still sulking over a certain person's words.
Ye Ming could only shake his head with a bitter smile and then followed.
Reaching the villa's entrance, Nan Gong Qianyu looked at Ye Ming expressionlessly but couldn't help but admonish, "Although I don't know where your confidence comes from, I remind you, when facing my best friend, it's best to put away your philandering ways. Otherwise, you won't even have the chance to talk to her."
"Uh..."
Being told this by Nan Gong Qianyu, Ye Ming's face was somewhat difficult to bear, and he seemed a bit embarrassed. "I... I understand."
Nan Gong Qianyu shot Ye Ming a sidelong glance, then opened the door.
Upon entering the villa, a sense of warmth instantly enveloped Ye Ming.
Looking around, the villa's decor was not as lavish or luxurious as people might have imagined.
Instead, in some relatively conspicuous places, small trinkets bought from street vendors were placed, adding a unique charm to the main hall.
In the air, two invisible fragrances intertwined freely.
One of them naturally came from Nan Gong Qianyu, constantly exuding a vibrant, energetic aura.
As for the other, Ye Ming was very unfamiliar with it, clearly belonging to the villa's other owner.
Yet, within that wisp of fragrance, Ye Ming sensed a hint of cold elegance and pitiable sorrow, a feeling of keeping others at bay.
It seemed to deliberately warn outsiders that its owner was difficult to approach.
Seeing that no one was in the living room, Nan Gong Qianyu was about to speak when several footsteps, light and heavy, echoed from the stairs nearby.
A few seconds later, a woman wrapped in a bath towel, lowering her head and drying her hair, came out.
"Qianyu, why are you back so late?"