Jing Yichen nodded gently from inside the elevator. He replied in his usual cool tone. “No problem. I don’t want my fellow tennis player bullied by anyone.”
Shuangguan Ning, who had become more or less immune to his coldness, grinned brightly at him upon hearing these words.
The elevator door closed slowly, separating the two of them into two different worlds. It seemed that they were left alone in those worlds.
In the elevator, Tiger cast a surprised look at Jing Yichen. Master wasn’t a man who explained. But at this moment, he was giving explanation to a woman.
While he was still astonished, Jing Yichen’s calm voice reached his ears. “I need tennis equipment. Ask Deer to get it done. Make every Monday afternoon available for me from now on.”
Tiger replied instinctively “Yes, Master.”
He didn’t realize what Master had said until he responded to his request.
So Master planned to play tennis formally now? Thank goodness! That was great.
This Miss. Shangguan was really a capable woman.
However…
Tiger was a straightforward person. He never asked what he was not supposed to ask. Nor did he hide what he was supposed to speak.
“Master, you have planned to go to America the Monday after next week. It is likely that they found Ms. Tang Yun.”
A horrible silence filled up the elevator, so horrible that it could almost choke people to death at that very next moment.
The elevator door opened with a ringing sound. The air and the light flowed in, breaking the silence.
“You go there for me. If that is true, bring her back.” Jing Yichen finally spoke. He still had a calm and cold look about him, but his slightly hoarse voice revealed a touch of his emotions.
He had been looking for her for so long that he almost forgotten how she looked like. Seeking her had become a habit now.
This habit that had been on for more than a decade, was broken today.
Tiger was shocked inside. Master had been persistent about Ms. Tang Yun for ten years. He never expected that Master would give it up, though numerous people had told him to.
He replied with a “yes” in a low tone, fearing that Master would change his mind again. Master had been suffering enough for what happened in the past and he had paid enough for that.
It was time to end it.
No sooner did Shangguan Ning arrive home, that she started to handle the issue of apartments. It couldn’t be delayed any more. She needed to move out as soon as possible.
She was seeking information about various apartments when her cell phone rang.
It was from her uncle Huang Lihan. It seemed that Aunt hadn’t waited for even a minute to report her.
“Hello, Uncle.”
“Ning.” A slightly aged voice came from the other side of the cell phone. It was a tone full of love and care.
“Uncle!” Shangguan Ning couldn’t help but call him. But her voice was slightly choked. “How are you recently? I haven’t seen you for more than a month. Are you still smoking a lot?”
“I’m very well. Don’t worry, Girl. And I have cut down on smoking as per your suggestion.” Huang Lihan’s voice was mild with pleasantness.
“What about you? Are you eating well? How is work? If you need money, let me know. Buy whatever you want. You are in a blooming age, and you should definitely dress yourself well.”
“I know, Uncle. I won’t hesitate to tell you if I need anything.” Shangguan Ning sniffed, sounding a bit spoiled.
Uncle was the only one person in the whole world with whom she could act like a spoiled child.
Whenever such moments came, she would become grateful to her grandparents for giving birth to two children. Otherwise she would have been totally alone in this world.
Therefore, she had been thinking about having two children as well.
Knowing that his niece still took him as someone to depend on, Huang Lihan felt both comforted and saddened.
This niece had always been very stubborn. She wanted to do everything herself and he was the only person she could depend on. But he had not been able to protect her well because his wife and daughter complained that he favored her over them and caused her trouble every now and then.
It was his own fault. He hadn’t treated her well enough and he felt guilty towards both her and his dead sister.
Maybe the best way was to find a real dependable person for Ning. She was not a young girl any more and she deserved to have someone who could love her and take care of her for the rest of her life.
“Ning, it was your aunt and cousin’s fault today. Don’t dwell on the matter, okay? I have scolded them.” Huang Liyan still chose to mention the incident after some hesitation.
Shangguan Ning immediately replied with sincerity, “It is okay, Uncle. It was my fault for letting my friend hurt Cousin. How is she now? Is she alright?”
“Your cousin is fine. She asked for that and she deserved it. She needed some pain to learn some lessons.” Huang Liyan sounded displeased. He was apparently unhappy with Huang Xinyi’s temper.
Had she not done anything bad, Ning’s friend wouldn’t have touched her.
However, his wife and daughter narrated the entire story to him with some exaggerated narrations. They meant that Ning had got a boyfriend and it seemed that he was a Mafia.
He had always hoped that Niece could marry someone good. He was worried that she was too naïve and would be cheated.
“Ning, who helped you today? How long have you known each other? How is he?”
Shangguan Ning instantly understood what Uncle meant. She explained to him immediately, “He is my colleague’s brother. We just got to know each other. We don’t know one another very well yet. He is a man of ethics, but is a bit impulsive. That was why he hurt Cousin today.”
She disdained herself silently inside her heart. She had become so good at lying.
“Impulsive” was not a word to describe Jing Yichen, who had a cold stance towards everything.
Huang Lihan didn’t completely believe what Niece said. But he also understood that she was a restrained girl and didn’t mess around.
The best way right now was to find her a home, so that she could be protected in the future and stay away from those who planned something bad for her.
For the very first time, he started to discuss the life’s critical matter with his niece.
“Ning, do you have anyone you like? What type of guys do you like? I can help you to look around a bit.”
Shangguan Ning understood that Uncle was just worried about her, so she didn’t feel any embarrassment upon hearing the question.
She tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry Uncle. I am good-looking and well-educated. There will be a man who likes me.”
What Huang Lihan feared most was that she was still unable to forget about Xie Zhuojun. But he didn’t want to mention this man to sadden his niece. So he replied in a roundabout way, “You should learn to look forward. Hold tight if you spot one. I will support you in whichever type you pick. The most important thing is that he should love you and care about you. Nothing else matters.”
For some reason, the handsome, cold face of Jing Yichen flashed across Shangguan Ning’s head.
She shook her head, thinking that she must have been too exhausted.
Now that Uncle was so concerned about her, she also hoped to find the right man as soon as possible.
At this stage, she didn’t expect a deep love relationship. She only wished for a calm, ordinary life. That would be enough.