Chapter 1022: Perplexed and Smitten (82)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The air was hot and humid. Just as she was about to drive away after switching on the air conditioner inside her car, someone began knocking on her window.
An Xiaoning took a look and saw that it was Tuoba Danxue.
She rolled down the window and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“May I speak to you alone in your car?”
“Hop in.”
Tuoba Danxue walked over to the passenger’s seat.
Once she got inside the car, she cut straight to the chase and asked, “Were you the culprit behind my brother’s death?”
“Your brother killed himself. At that point, there was no need for me to kill him,” said An Xiaoning, staring at her.
“Are my mother and grandfather dead?” she asked with tears in her eyes.
“Are you going to try and save them if I told you that they are still alive? If you really miss them, I can take you to see them,” said An Xiaoning, staring at her solemnly.
“No.”
Noticing how afraid she was, An Xiaoning said, “One should make plans to deal with the worst case scenario before trying to harm others.”
Tuoba Danxue fidgeted constantly, and An Xiaoning could tell that she was extremely ill at ease.
“Will you plan to kill me?” she asked after much hesitation.
An Xiaoning answered, “Why would I kill you? Live your life properly.”
Surprised to hear the words of reassurance from An Xiaoning, she said, “Are you still going to say that to me even though I hate you?”
“Does it matter whether or not you hate me? I don’t care about you anyway. What you think and how you feel about me doesn’t affect me at all. There are plenty of people who detest me. You don’t make a difference.”
Tuoba Danxue was taken aback by how calm she sounded, as if they were talking about someone else.
Tuoba Danxue looked away and said, “In that case, I won’t impose on you any further.”
Watching as she alighted from the car, An Xiaoning added, “Tuoba Danxue.”
Tuoba Danxue paused her actions and asked, “Yes?”
“No one is born with a desire to kill.”
A look of dejection formed in Tuoba Danxue’s eyes as she expressed assent and closed the door.
An Xiaoning watched Tuoba Danxue leave, recalling the days when she was disguised as the latter’s bodyguard in the Autumn Palace.
Back then, Tuoba Danxue was still Her Highness while Tuoba Gucheng was His Highness; the maid, Zhi Yin, had also yet to die in the fire. My mother was also still being tortured in the secret chamber…
Everything felt like a passing cloud.
However, she would never want to go through the past again.
Upon returning to Wei Ni Estate, An Xiaoning parked her car at the entrance and rolled down the window. Staring at Long Tianze, who was standing at the entrance, she asked, “The sun is blazing right now. What are you doing standing right below it?”
“Sis-in-law, please discipline your sister. She’s getting out of hand,” Long Tianze said with a look of dismay.
“What happened to Yangyang?”
Long Tianze lamented, “I was just enjoying myself while watching some television. All of a sudden, she switched off the television and chased me out of the house.”
“What were you watching?”
“Oh, I was watching the beauty pageant that was airing on XX channel.”
“You deserved it.”
An Xiaoning rolled the windows back up and drove in slowly.
“Hey, hey, Sis-in-law…”
—
It was five o’clock in the afternoon.
“I’m going to the studio for a meeting, what are you following me for?” said Fang Erlan, who tried to stop him from tagging along.
“Since I’m your bodyguard, I obviously have to follow you.”
“Did I hire you to be my bodyguard? I’m not hiring you.”
“You can’t reject me. I won’t charge you a single cent and you’re allowed to order me around,” Xiao Chenyang insisted.
Fang Erlan stared at him in bewilderment and asked, “Why… why do you have to cause me such a great disturbance?”
“Because I have already fallen for you.”
“You’re too willful.”
“I’ve gotten used to it.” He took a look at the time on his wristwatch and said, “Let’s go, it’s getting late.”
The helpless Fang Erlan had no choice but to walk toward the door while he followed closely behind, clad in a pair of shades.
He escorted her all the way to the studio.
An Xiaoning had already informed Mei Yangyang about what happened to Fang Erlan. Although Mei Yangyang knew the truth, she was at a loss for a solution while hearing Fang Erlan’s complaints.
“Sis Yangyang, Sis Xiaoning advised me against calling the police. What do you think I should do? What must I do to drive him away?” Fang Erlan asked eagerly.
Mei Yangyang answered softly, “Erlan, just forget about sending him away. Sis has already told me everything about him. In my opinion, he’s really handsome, capable, and treats you very well. If you…”
Fang Erlan refuted, “No. It’s impossible between us. Regardless of how great of a catch he may be, I still don’t fancy him.”
Mei Yangyang instructed, “There’s something I must remind you about. No matter who you fancy, you can’t let such an obstinate man like him find out. Don’t end up implicating others and causing them unnecessary harm. Got it?”
Having understood what she meant, Fang Erlan asked, “Sis Yangyang, is there really no other solution?”
“No, unless he chooses to leave out of his own accord.”
“Sis Yangyang, tell me the truth, does Sis Xiaoning know him?”
After contemplating for a long while about whether or not she should divulge some information, Mei Yangyang nodded and said, “He’s far more formidable and powerful than Sis. She can’t deal with him either.”
Shock and bewilderment was written all over Fang Erlan’s face. She decided to abort her initial plans after hearing Mei Yangyang’s words.
“I think it’s a good idea for him to be your bodyguard since he’s so skilled and powerful. He’ll definitely be able to guarantee your safety.”
“But, Sis Yangyang, he’s a danger to me himself.”
“Erlan, have you ever truly thought about why he’s treating you like this?”
“He said that he has fallen for me.”
Mei Yangyang sighed and said, “Erlan, do you think Yan Ge would do that if he too has fallen for you?”
Shaking her head, Fang Erlan answered, “No, Yan Ge is not such a person.”
“You’ve met Xiao Chenyang not long ago. How could you be so quick to judge his character? He did that purely because he fancies you. Rarely will men be able to put in so much effort for their beloved woman, regardless of how much they may fancy them. Don’t you agree?”
After giving her words some thought, Fang Erlan found that they did make a lot of sense.
“I really can’t think of another reason…”
“You have to find out about it yourself, then. Erlan, I know you must be feeling intimidated about the fact that such a man popped up out of nowhere. However, I think it’d be a good idea to get to know him better. Perhaps you might even fall in love with him, who knows?”
“Fall in love with him? Impossible! How could I fall in love with such an extreme and stubborn man?” Fang Erlan exclaimed in displeasure.
“No one knows what will happen in the future. Since he’s willing to become your bodyguard for free, I shall dismiss those two bodyguards of yours.”
“Alright…” Fang Erlan changed the subject to work-related matters and asked, “Are you planning to arrange for me to start starring in another television series?”
“Yes, we have to strike the iron while it’s hot. I’ve shown you the script. It’s a splendid storyline. Although we’re not investing in this production, the other sponsors and investors have all agreed to make you the female lead. I’ve already signed the contract on your behalf.”