Chapter 690: A Million Times for You (52)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“You’ll have to come up with your own solution for that. On top of that, if you manage to break An Xiaoning’s arms and send her out of the country, the organization will be so kind as to offer your husband a chance to leave together with you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. This is what the higher-ups said exactly. If you manage to accomplish this mission, the two of you will no longer be related to the organization.”
“Got it. Is there a time limit?” Bai Zhi asked earnestly.
“We’ll be allowing you a time frame of six months. If you don’t manage to complete the mission within six months, you may forget about leaving and continue to take on missions. If you refuse to abide by the instructions, you’ll be subjected to section 108 of the penal code. I’m sure you know very clearly what it is.”
The 108th section of the organization’s penal code was death.
“Got it. I’ll do my best to accomplish it,” Bai Zhi answered, her voice trembling a little.
“Do as you deem fit. You’re on your own.”
After ending the call, Xu Baizhi looked at Madam Xu and exclaimed gleefully, “Mother, they’ve given me half a years’ time.”
“What do they want you to do?” Madam Xu asked eagerly.
“Don’t let anyone else know about this, except Father. Not even my brothers.” Xu Baizhi then leaned closer toward Madam Xu and whispered into her ears.
A grave expression formed on Madam Xu’s face the moment she heard her words. “That’s not very appropriate, I suppose?”
“What’s so inappropriate about it? I don’t have a choice either, I’m just trying to save myself. This is the first time I’ve heard of the organization allowing their members to leave so long as they fulfill the conditions stated. Is this the miraculous change that’s going to turn my life around after the elderly lady had changed my fate?”
“Baizhi, do you still remember what the elderly lady said?” Madam Xu asked in apprehension.
“What did she say?”
“I can’t remember her exact words, but she said something along the lines of your destiny being in your own hands, despite the fact that she had already restored your fate. How your life progresses in the future will still ultimately depend on you. From the way I see it, striking a deal and making this exchange with the organization is akin to harming others. That way, you’ll still be going about evil ways.”
Completely disagreeing with her train of thought, Xu Baizhi rebutted, “Mother, if I succeed in this mission, my husband and I will get to leave the organization for good. We’ll then get to live a peaceful life. I won’t be going on a ruined path. They merely said that they wanted me to find out An Xiaoning’s birth characters and send her abroad. They didn’t mention anything about killing her. If they really wanted to take her life, wouldn’t they have just told me to kill her straight away? Clearly, they’re not out to kill An Xiaoning and they just want to use her to the organization’s advantage.”
Madam Xu was muddled and confused after hearing her words, thinking that her daughter did make some sense.
“Mother, didn’t you say that An Xiaoning shares the exact same birthdate as me? That makes things much easier then. I just need to find out her exact birth timing now. You and Father are longtime friends of Commander-in-chief Jin’s family. I suppose it’d be easy for you to find out her birth timing from them,” said Xu Baizhi, who could vaguely see a glimmer of hope in leaving the organization together with her husband.
Madam Xu immediately recalled visiting An Xiaoning at the Gu family mansion and pleading for her to help alter Xu Baizhi’s fate, during which she informed An Xiaoning of Xu Baizhi’s exact birth characters and timing. “Ms. An knows your birth characters too. What if she harms you after finding out what you plan to do to her?” Madam Xu asked worriedly, filled with fear and uneasiness.
“She won’t. Old Madam said that ethical psychic mediums will only use their powers to help others. She wouldn’t use it to do evil,” said Xu Baizhi.
Madam Xu thought otherwise, however. Who would just sit back and not take revenge on someone who tries to harm them?
“I doubt Ms. An will be able to retaliate as long as you don’t let her find out that you were the one behind it. Well, but, the elderly lady used up the rest of her remaining lifespan to help you change your fate. I don’t feel good about doing this. It feels like we’re being ingrates and biting the hand that fed us. Baizhi, why don’t we think of another solution?” said Madam Xu, holding her hand tightly.
“The only other way out is death or becoming a vegetable.”
Needless to say, Madam Xu would not bear to let her daughter be reduced to such a state. “How could I bear to watch you die or become crippled? That’s much more painful for me than death. But Ms. An is not one to be trifled with…”
“No matter how capable she may be, she’s still a woman at the end of the day. Mother, once my husband and I manage to leave the organization, we’ll be filial toward you and Father,” Xu Baizhi said reassuringly, staring at her.
“Your father and I will be contented as long as you two are safe and sound.”
Xu Baizhi again instructed, “You mustn’t let my brothers hear of this.”
“I understand.”
——
Ah… Ah… Choo! An Xiaoning sneezed and wiped her nose with a tissue. Staring at the pool of tissues in the dustbin, she thought to herself, Am I catching a cold?
Did someone talk about me behind my back?
Feeling weak and feeble, she lay in bed and switched off the lights at past eight o’clock in the evening.
She decided to get a good night’s rest.
Yet, she heard the door being opened all of a sudden a while after she had fallen asleep.
An Xiaoning sat up straight and switched on the lights, only to see a man walking toward her.
“How did you get the key card?” she questioned.
“I got it from the concierge.”
An Xiaoning recalled the name of the hotel and immediately realized that it was one of the hotels belonging to a franchise owned by the Jin Corporation.
She lay back down and asked with half-closed eyes, “What’s the matter?”
“What’s wrong with you? Did you catch a cold?” Jin Qingyan placed a hand on her forehead and continued, “Your forehead feels a little warm. Seems like you’re about to get a fever.”
An Xiaoning did not respond while Jin Qingyan quickly sent his bodyguard, Xiao Huang, a text message. Shortly after, Xiao Huang appeared with a bag of medicine and a pot of hot tea.
“Sit up and take some medicine,” said Jin Qingyan.
An Xiaoning opened her eyes and stared at the medicine on the headboard and at the cup of piping-hot tea.
She sat up straight and took the medicine abidingly. However, it did not mean that she was willing to get closer to Jin Qingyan, but rather, it was because she was really feeling unwell and dizzy. She did not wish to trouble anyone else to help her buy some medicine and, thus, decided to accept his kind and timely gesture of bringing her medicine.
Jin Qingyan felt relieved to see how cooperative she was.
“Very obedient of you.”
An Xiaoning placed her cup down onto the table and rolled her eyes at him. “Thanks, you may leave now.”
“You’re burning the bridge once you’ve crossed it,” he said before switching off the lights.
An Xiaoning thought that he would be a gentleman and leave straight away. To her astonishment, he lifted the duvet, kicked his shoes off, and lay on the bed, spooning her from behind.
“Jin Qingyan, you’re crossing the line.”
“I’m just going to lie here and do nothing else. Be good and go to bed.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’ll prove it to you then.”
“Men and women shouldn’t have so much physical contact. Go away.”
“Psht…” He chuckled, which was to her annoyance.
“What are you laughing about?” she questioned.
“There’s no such thing as no physical contact between us. I can touch you whenever I want to.”
“You’re such a narcissist. I want to take a good rest. Hurry and leave.”
He hugged her tighter, despite her incessant struggling. He then patted her back gently, as if he were cajoling an infant.
“I’ll leave once you fall asleep. I mean what I say.”
An Xiaoning closed her eyes and soon fell asleep, due to the drowsy effects of the medicine.
Jin Qingyan held her in his embrace, his heart fluttering with overwhelming joy.
He could not help but sneak a few kisses on her face while she was asleep.