The private plane landed smoothly in the Capital and the group of five descended. Maybe it was because of Xu Binchen's show of wealth that had numbed her mind but when they exited the arrival terminal only to find an ordinary Volkswagen waiting for them, Shi Nian's face expressed genuine shock.
Xu Binchen confirmed their destination with the driver and put their luggage into the trunk. Her change of expression didn't escape his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you so shocked that I am not driving a Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini?"
It wasn't wrong but him saying it like that didn't seem true either…
Shi Nian's face turned conflicted and in the next moment, a fleeting touch fell upon her head.
"Get on." Xu Binchen slid into the passenger seat.
Shi Nian touched the place where Xu Binchen's hand had just landed and all of her thoughts went out of the window. The three women slid into the back seat while Wang Chengbing waved them goodbye. After resting for a full three hours on the plane, his complexion was suffused with rosiness. He looked nothing like the walking dead he was before.
"I will go my own way from here on. Goodbye, Senior Ru, Madam Shi and Shi Nian! Let us meet again soon!" Hugging a backpack with only a laptop in it, Wang Chengbing slid into the crowd and disappeared from their sight in a blink of an eye. It was a wonder how he could do that with his plump body.
Wang Chengbing excluded Xu Binchen from his greeting and the latter didn't care either. He rolled up the window and commanded in a cool tone. "Start driving."
The airport in the Capital was totally different from how it was in City A. Afterall, City A was only deemed as a big city due to its public hospital, university and green, suburban area which had a huge potential in development. However, the Capital was a truly busy and lively city for everyone in every aspect of life. The whole place seemed to be soaked in a jubilant and exuberant mood.
The cars were denser in count and traffic jams were a common sight everyday. Railway trains were built above their heads with criss-cross roads circling like a stack of lego. It looked very novel and sophisticated.
"Hello, Madam and Miss Shi." The driver introduced himself with a bright smile. He looked around Xu Binchen's age but the temperament between the two was contrastly different, like those of moon and sun. "My name is Qin Weizhe. I am a detective in Police HQ, Miss Ru and Binchen's colleagues."
When Qin Weizhe smiled, his eyes crinkled and the area around him seemed to light up along with him.
"Nice to meet you, Mr.Qin." Qiang Fei greeted.
"Oh, no, no. Madam. Don't be so polite. Just call me Weizhe or Xiao Qin. I am very welcome toward beautiful ladies—oof!"
Xu Binchen slapped the back of his head. "Don't flirt with every woman you meet."
"How can you slander me like that?" He grumbled incessantly yet when he turned to Qiang Fei and Shi Nian, his million watt smile returned in full force. "It's very tiring to be with Binchen right? I am a year older than him but he never gives me any respect at all. He's rude, standoffish, cold and not afraid of anything—"
Xu Binchen frowned. "Can you shut up?"
"See?!" Qin Weizhe's joke melted the awkward atmosphere and the car was filled with laughter. He peeked out from the rearview mirror to see Ru Meiqi looking at her phone seriously. Clearing his throat, he asked. "Miss Ru, what are you doing? So busy…have you possibly got a boyfriend in City A?"
He asked in a casual tone yet the tightening motion of his hands on the steering wheel betrayed his thought.
Ru Meiqi didn't notice anything and answered. "Oh, I am just informing our captain that we have landed safely. He's quite a worrywart, you see."
"The Captain? Jin Renguang?"
Ru Meiqi hummed, not realizing the hidden sour tone within Qin Weizhe's question. But the man skillfully covered everything and returned to joking around with Qiang Fei and Shi Nian to loosen the atmosphere. "Don't be afraid. Capital is very safe with us around. You can stay in the place we've arranged temporarily. There's a supermarket up ahead, a laundry shop, mall and the nearest police station is only two streets away!"
Qiang Fei offered her immense gratitude. "Thank you very much, Mr.Qin—ah, no Weizhe."
Shi Nian nodded along with a smile.
Qin Weizhe grinned foolishly. He acted like a tour guide, introducing them to the interesting places along the street like the street food, karaoke, downtown, salon, spa, mall, school, university. He practically knew every single corner in the Capital.
The place which the police arranged for them was an apartment district which had a tight security around. The area was serene, peaceful and beautiful. There was also a public park and jogging track. It was more than they could have asked for.
"Just stay here for a while until you find a fixed place, okay? No, no, don't worry. The right side of the area, including the two apartment buildings, belongs to our Binchen here, so feel free to stay in there as long as you want. Right, Binchen?"
Thus, two pairs of wide eyes turned to Xu Binchen. Ignoring their shock, Xu Binchen nodded. "I live here too. So, you two are considered my tenants."
Qiang Fei questioned what was also in Shi Nian's mind. "Mr Xu, so…you're from Capital then? Sorry, I thought that you're a native in City A."
The car stopped in front of a twenty story apartment building which had a rotating door. The floor was covered in ceramic and the wall was painted in a clean, woody color. Xu Binchen took off his seat belt and got out of the door. "Yes, I used to live in the Capital. These days, I follow where my captain goes."
Qin Weizhe pulled the rug out of his feet. "Oh, don't say it like you're so loyal to your captain. Jin Renguang will get a heart attack if he hears that."
Ru Meiqi muffled a laugh at his words which made Qin Weizhe grow more energetic.
"You don't know right, Madam Shi?" Qin Weizhe excitedly sold his colleagues out. "The total amount of Xu Binchen's wealth can rival the CEO of Henan Corporation. He could have lived his life freely as a landlord and money would still fly into his pocket but he insisted on applying to be a detective. Isn't it such a waste?!"
Xu Binchen pulled open the trunk and called out. "What are you dilly dallying for? Come here and help me."
Qiang Fei felt awkward discussing the wealth of someone who wasn't familiar to her and laughed dryly. Instead, it was Shi Nian who grew curious. She had once asked Xu Binchen why he wanted to be a detective but the man didn't give her a definite answer.
It looked like there was something more to it than what met the eye.
The security guards, upon seeing Xu Binchen, hastily went to help, which Xu Binchen gladly accepted. He went ahead of everyone and went to the receptionist to get the key, Shi Nian followed behind him.
Xu Binchen beckoned to Shi Nian. "Come here and see. Which floor do you want to stay on?"
This…was such a CEO-like question, Shi Nian mused inwardly. She pointed at Qiang Fei, meaning that she would go with whatever the latter wanted.
Upon hearing Xu Binchen's question, Qiang Fei hastily waved her hand, grimacing. "Please, don't be so courteous, Mr.Xu. We can do with whatever."
Xu Binchen nodded curtly and said to the receptionist.. "Give them the room beside mine then. It's still empty right?"