Chapter 71: Zhen Yuqi’s Train of Thought

After boarding Jiang Yaowen’s yacht, a woman shamelessly followed—none other than Zhen Yuqi. Otherwise, she had no idea how to get back from this place; she’d already experienced Sinan’s attitude and, thick-skinned as she was, wouldn’t dream of sharing a boat with him again. Truth be told, she felt somewhat embarrassed before Jiang Yaowen as well, but he was far more mature and gracious than Sinan, with greater composure and skill. If she had to lose face before someone, Zhen Yuqi would certainly choose Jiang Yaowen over Sinan. It was a calculating, yet entirely practical, decision.

Jiang Yaowen’s expression was somewhat odd, but he didn’t refuse her boarding. He did have that much courtesy, unless Xiao Ma explicitly objected. Yet though Xiao Ma knew who Zhen Yuqi was, he’d scarcely interacted with her, and there was no real animosity between them. Besides, it wasn’t his boat, so he let her be.

One’s perceptions always shift with changing circumstances. When the mind is caught in a certain mood, Zhen Yuqi would look at someone and see only flaws, the more she found, the more she disliked them. But now, with the situation changed and unwilling or unable to find fault with Xiao Ma, her gaze shifted. Now, looking at him, everything seemed praiseworthy: his broad-mindedness in not showing her a cold face, his youth and good looks, his close friendship with the formidable Jiang Yaowen, not to mention his beautiful, elegant girlfriend. The list was endless.

Standing silently at the prow, Zhen Yuqi dared not approach, but mulled these thoughts over, feeling a strange turmoil in her heart.

Xiao Ma, meanwhile, was once again in high spirits, thoughtlessly ignoring the business with the Poseidon, singing a playful tune—first stroking Feng Chenchen’s cheek, then her hair, and so on.

This left both Jiang Yaowen and Feng Chenchen at a loss for words, though neither dared say anything. Feng Chenchen didn’t actually mind being touched—in fact, she rather enjoyed it. But today, her pretense had failed her, her face nearly exposed—an undeniable setback. Fortunately, her skin was thick, and she was a mischievous vixen adept at thriving in “adversity.”

So, even in her gloom, she began to cater to Xiao Ma, sweet but never cloying.

If she hadn’t, perhaps things would have been better. But once she began offering the vixen’s charms, the Demon King within seemed to rebel, as if the body itself rejected such pleasures.

This left Xiao Ma somewhat frustrated. After a brief internal struggle, he got up and said lightly, “You all sit, I’ll go over there for a bit of quiet.”

Feng Chenchen wanted to follow, but Jiang Yaowen gently shook his head, signaling her to let him go.

Feng Chenchen was taken aback; rarely had she seen Young Master Jiang so deferential to anyone.

Jiang Yaowen, in truth, was deeply impressed—Xiao Ma had managed to stun the formidable boss Elsa with barely a word, and it seemed some major incident had occurred in those waters, one even Jiang Yaowen couldn’t fully unravel. Now, he was thoroughly alarmed; he’d already gotten himself into trouble by showing off with Xiao Ma, and without his protection, who knew what fate awaited him…

Standing at the bow in the dusk, watching the sea, Xiao Ma gradually found his calm, entering a state of indifference and quiet daze, gazing silently at the water. Unconsciously, he exuded a new and unusual aura.

Zhen Yuqi, still conflicted, noticed he was alone—a rare opportunity. She deliberately approached and stood beside him, looking out at the sea.

She expected Xiao Ma to speak first, but he did not.

At length, Zhen Yuqi couldn’t help but break the silence. In a soft voice, she said, “I misunderstood you before, let myself get caught up in my own biases and failed to see things clearly. I’m sorry.”

This time, Ma Weimin didn’t put on an act. He didn’t even glance at her, just stared at the sea for a moment, then gave a faint nod.

Zhen Yuqi was taken aback. Was that really his response?

She tried again: “About your arrest warrant… I’ll consider Senior Officer Zhang Jing’s advice and revisit the matter.”

“It’s not important, do as you like,” Ma Weimin replied coolly, still gazing at the sea.

Zhen Yuqi was at a loss for words. Since when did the question of going to jail become a trifling matter?

Xiao Ma, too, was a little frustrated, thinking the Demon King truly knew nothing about posturing. How could he let such a golden opportunity slip by?

After a brief inner struggle, he decisively seized control again, changed his expression, and said, “Just kidding with you. Still, I appreciate your understanding.”

Zhen Yuqi was caught off guard by his sudden change in attitude, uncertain what to make of it. He seemed a little neurotic, but when she tried to see him without prejudice, even that became something of a charm.

He stood about 179 centimeters, not exactly tall or burly, but there was a peculiar, almost morbid elegance about him. In terms of looks and status, he now seemed to surpass both Qu Changfeng and Sinan.

Yes, this was how Zhen Yuqi’s mind worked—spinning daydreams about such things.

To Xiao Ma’s eyes, Zhen Yuqi seemed like a mischievous and alluring enchantress. Such a vixen, he thought, should be decisively claimed and kept close—wasn’t that the merciful way of a Bodhisattva?

“This Jade Rabbit spirit is impressive…” Possessed by the Bodhisattva, Xiao Ma blurted it out, a little delirious.

“Jade Rabbit spirit?” Zhen Yuqi echoed in surprise.

“Er, slip of the tongue…” Xiao Ma quickly regained his composure. “Actually, I was hoping to get your WeChat and number, perhaps invite you to dinner to discuss the details of the case.”

Zhen Yuqi blushed, glancing at him then quickly looking away, dizzy from the sudden shift. Was he really already asking her out?

Xiao Ma couldn’t decipher her reaction, so he ad-libbed, “Or you could invite me, that works too.”

This time, Zhen Yuqi didn’t hesitate. Seizing the opportunity, she smiled and nodded, “That sounds great.”

“All right, it’s settled then,” said Xiao Ma.

Wishing to smooth things over further, Zhen Yuqi laughed and continued, “You call that settled? Are you always this clumsy talking to women? You haven’t even set a time—how can it be settled? Let me offer you some professional advice: be specific, give a time, place, and people. That way, you show sincerity. If you just say ‘let’s meet sometime,’ most people, men or women, will subconsciously take it as an excuse.”

“Fair enough. Your professional advice often misses the mark, but this time you’re right,” Xiao Ma replied, making a mental note of it.

Zhen Yuqi smiled again. “Then let’s say tomorrow at six in the evening, Little Bear Restaurant. Just the two of us, no one else. Does that work?”

Xiao Ma, feigning eccentricity, said, “Does Little Bear Restaurant have cloth napkins? I’m a rich man, only eat at places like that.”

Zhen Yuqi, somewhat embarrassed, was left speechless for a moment by his odd behavior, but quickly nodded, “Yes, the owner’s a friend of mine. I’ll reserve a table.”

Now things seemed promising—so long as the Demon King didn’t make a scene tomorrow, there might well be some “perks” to come.

With that thought, Xiao Ma’s spirits lifted as he appraised her figure. Not bad at all, he thought, looks like it’d be quite enjoyable.

His look wasn’t exactly lecherous, but it was certainly intimate enough. It wasn’t the pace or manner Zhen Yuqi preferred, so she blushed again, pretending not to notice, giving no response.

After docking, Xiao Ma and Feng Chenchen left together by car “for home,” leaving Jiang Yaowen and Zhen Yuqi at the pier.

Given how Zhen Yuqi and Xiao Ma had thawed things between them on the boat, and seemed to have had a close conversation, Jiang Yaowen was now much more cordial toward her. He smiled and said, “Don’t overthink this. I’ll make a few calls to offer some citizen’s feedback, so no one in the police or prosecutor’s office will give you a hard time. Just follow proper procedure.”

Zhen Yuqi nodded quickly.

Before getting into his car, Jiang Yaowen turned to her again, “Would you like me to arrange a car for you? It’s not easy to find one here.”

“That would… that would be very kind of you, Mr. Jiang,” Zhen Yuqi replied gratefully.

“No trouble at all.” Jiang Yaowen instructed his assistant, “Arrange a car for her.” With that, he got in and left the pier.

Though she’d been roughed up a bit, Zhen Yuqi’s thick skin held out. All in all, she felt things had gone well. These movers and shakers might be flawed, but their strengths were far more evident than those of the immature Sinan. Moreover, Zhen Yuqi sensed there was something unusual about Jiang Yaowen’s attitude toward Xiao Ma—ordinary friendship hardly explained it. Perhaps Brother Xiao Ma was truly an extraordinary figure.

When her musings ended, the car arrived—a Mercedes S320. Odd, since Jiang Yaowen himself favored a low-key Lexus…