Chapter 116 The Pursuit

The video is 30 seconds long.

The footage was very unstable, with the camera shaking back and forth, but you could vaguely see two or three bamboo houses in the dense bamboo forest, with guards carrying heavy firearms around the houses.

Yan Qian paused the video and looked at Jiang Mingyue, "The person who was supposed to meet Meng Huai was seriously injured and is currently in the ICU."

"Before Meng Huai went to the southwest, he set me as his contact person, just in case something happened and it reached Grandma Qin's ears, making her worry."

"The Southwest Detachment is making every effort to search for Meng Huai, but the search and rescue is more difficult due to its proximity to a no-man's-land."

“Mingyue, in terms of closeness, you are closer to Meng Huai. I would like to ask you to check which direction he is in so that we can buy some precious time for rescue.”

Actually, even without Yan Qian's pleading, Jiang Mingyue would have helped. She knew Meng Huai's birth date and had inadvertently seen his identification documents.

"It's not difficult. Just give me a pen and some blank paper, thank you."

"Hold on."

Yan Qian got up and went to the study to get paper and pen. Jiang Mingyue opened the map on her phone, zoomed in on the screen, and started writing and drawing on the paper.

Five minutes later, she wrote the coordinates on a piece of paper. "Please ask Brother Huai's colleague to look in this direction. He is not in immediate danger, but we must hurry."

Yan Qian readily agreed, took a picture of the coordinates, and sent it to the captain of the Southwest Detachment.

Should I take you back to Dahuai Village or to Grandma Qin's place?

"Back to the village."

Today is Friday, and Jiang Mingyue is going to Qin Xue's place, but she took two days off. Cao Hualan is still waiting for her at home, so she needs to go back.

Yan Qian personally drove Jiang Mingyue back. On the way, passing through the capital city of Beijing, he casually asked, "Why don't you buy yourself a place?"

Jiang Mingyue tilted her head to look at the three high-rise buildings by the roadside. "I'm fine with living anywhere. I prefer living in the countryside to high-rise buildings."

“That courtyard house in Tianxi Bay is nice. Grandma Qin has good taste. If you don’t mind, I’ll buy one for you as a birthday present.”

"Or a villa in Biyue Garden would also be fine, you can choose whichever you like."

Whether it's Tianxi Bay or Bishui Haoyuan, a villa costs over two million yuan, which is considered a luxury home in a small, third-tier county town.

As expected of a domineering CEO, he always likes to give away houses.

"No need for the villa, those two dresses are my birthday presents."

Jiang Mingyue doesn't like to take advantage of others. The two dresses that Yan Qian gave her were enough to buy a house in Tianxi Bay and a house in Bishui Haoyuan.

Seeing that she didn't object to the birthday gift, Yan Qian tried to explain in different ways, "A dress is a dress, and a birthday gift is a birthday gift. They can't be confused."

"Besides, you don't need to feel indebted to me. You wore those two dresses, which boosted the sales of two haute couture stores, making them profitable. As an investor, I also made money."

Jiang Mingyue raised an eyebrow. She hadn't thought about it that way before, but Yan Qian's words lessened her sense of guilt considerably.

"Yanqian, did you used to give villas to girls you were pursuing?"

The light ahead was red. Yan Qian turned his head to look at Jiang Mingyue in the passenger seat. She was also looking at him, her phoenix eyes filled with obvious teasing.

Sure enough, he shouldn't have expected her to feel jealousy, unease, or nervousness.

The all-powerful Sister Jiang even takes the lead when it comes to men pursuing her.

Yan Qian withdrew his gaze and answered while counting the red lights, "I've never given her a gift. When I was in college, I only gave girls books and snacks when I was pursuing them. After graduation, I started an internship at the group and didn't have time to date."

He is thirty-three years old this year. It would seem too fake to say that he has never been in a relationship. Besides, there is nothing shameful about having been in a relationship.

Jiang Mingyue responded with an "oh," seemingly just asking casually and not taking it to heart.

Yan Qian continued, "Mingyue, you probably don't lack jewelry, and you rarely wear it anyway. You prefer to keep a low profile, and you certainly don't want a luxury car. So, after thinking it over, a house is the most suitable gift for you."

Renato gave her two bracelets, but she only wore them once. The sapphire bracelet on her left wrist at the celebration banquet was probably a gift from Don Juan, and she was never seen wearing it again afterward.

On the day the South Island concert ended, Grandpa He asked her to give him a jade bracelet, but she never wore it.

Jiang Mingyue pondered for a moment, then said, "Then let's give it to Tianxi Bay. I like the Chinese style."

Yan Qian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had agreed, fearing that he would not be able to give the gift.

"Okay, next week, take half a day off and I'll take you to complete the transfer."

The villas in Tianxi Bay were sold out long ago. The one Qin Xue bought was the one she saw at a real estate agency. The one Yan Qian wanted to give her was the best four-courtyard villa in Tianxi Bay.

The original buyer was in a hurry to sell his business due to losses. The film studio project manager was chatting with his colleagues and said that it was a pity to sell the house at such a low price. He said that if he had money, he would buy the whole house.

Yan Qian happened to be passing by and overheard this, and that's when he had the idea of ​​buying it, because he had participated in the design of Tianxi Bay and was deeply impressed by it.

Unable to turn into the side road, Yan Qian turned off the engine, got out of the car, walked around to the back of the vehicle, and took out a bunch of gift boxes from the trunk.

Jiang Mingyue closed the car door and saw that he was carrying a bunch of colorful gift boxes. She teased him, "It's not a holiday, why are you carrying a bunch of stuff?"

The gift box was quite heavy, and Yan Qian couldn't bear to let her share the burden.

"I came in a hurry this morning and it would be impolite not to bring anything. I'll make sure to bring you something when I take you back tonight."

Since he had already bought it, Jiang Mingyue stopped trying to persuade him and turned to lead him forward.

Cao Hualan was overjoyed to see Jiang Mingyue return unharmed, and looked her up and down.

"It's good that you're awake. Are you hungry? Have you eaten?"

Jiang Mingyue held Cao Hualan's hand, "Aunt, I've already eaten. Don't bother. Yanqian said he didn't bring you a gift this morning, so he's making it up to you tonight."

Cao Hualan then noticed Yan Qian behind Jiang Mingyue and gave an awkward smile.

"Oh, Mr. Yan, you're here all of a sudden. There's no need to be so polite. If you hadn't come and helped take Yueyue to the hospital, she wouldn't have woken up so quickly."

Cao Hualan refused to accept the gift, but dared not argue with Yan Qian. In the end, Jiang Mingyue persuaded her to accept it, and she finally agreed to take it.

It was already late at night, and Yan Qian could not stay any longer. He did not go inside to sit, but exchanged a few simple pleasantries in the courtyard before taking his leave.

Cao Hualan gestured for Jiang Mingyue to see him off.

Yan Qian quickly told them to stop. He was a man and did not need the ladies to come out to see him off, especially since it was only a few steps away.

Cao Hualan inwardly praised Yan Qian for his insight and ability to handle things.

Afterwards, Jiang Mingyue took a hot shower, dried her hair, and returned to her room. Cao Hualan brought her a cup of hot milk.

"Yueyue, tell your aunt, are you talking to President Yan?"

Jiang Mingyue picked up her milk and took a sip, then told the truth, "Auntie, we haven't officially started dating yet; he's just pursuing me."

Although Cao Hualan thought Qi Da was not a good match, Yueyue was also quite good-looking and capable of making money. She and Yan Qian were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

What does your aunt think of him?

Cao Hualan smiled and said, "President Yan is a good person with strong work ability. He is also the general manager of a large company. If you want to date him, your aunt will support you."

"But will their family look down on you? Don't blame your aunt for speaking frankly upfront, but parents from wealthy families might look down on you for not having parents."

Jiang Mingyue's parents were not a taboo subject for her, and Cao Hualan had nothing she couldn't say either; her reminder was correct.

Jiang Mingyue reached out and put her arm around Cao Hualan. "Aunt, don't worry about that. There are quite a few people who like me. If Yanqian's parents object, I'll find someone else."

She hadn't originally planned to consider dating anyone so soon, let alone getting married in the future; she was just giving Yan Qian a chance.

Besides, Grandma Yan Qian quite likes her, while Grandpa Yan seems to be afraid of his wife.

Cao Hualan shook her head and smiled. She had married Yueyue's uncle through a blind date and had never been with another man in her life. The young people of today have different ideas from them, claiming that they should date several men before marriage, just like trying on several pairs of shoes to know if they fit.

Times have changed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"You silly child, your aunt won't say anything more. You can decide for yourself. You know more than your aunt does."

"Yes, I know."

On Saturday morning, Jiang Mingyue went to Tianxi Bay. When Qin Xue saw her, she quickly asked if her cold was better.

Jiang Mingyue lied and said she had done it and slept at home for two days.

Qin Xue specially brewed ginger tea for her, nagging her that she usually wears too few clothes and doesn't pay attention to keeping warm.

Jiang Mingyue dared not refute, and obediently endured her master's nagging.

"Teacher Qin, would you like some pork and vegetable wontons for lunch? We can use the chicken broth from yesterday."

Aunt Li, the nanny who was in charge of taking care of Shao Quan, introduced another reliable person to be Qin Xue's nanny, who would be responsible for Qin Xue's three meals a day.

Qin Xue isn't picky about food, but she prefers a light diet. "Mingyue, do you want some?"

After Jiang Mingyue finished her ginger tea, she handed the bowl to Aunt Xue, saying, "Eat!"

Aunt Xue smiled and took the bowl. "Okay, I'll go to the supermarket near the entrance to buy it."

There is a comprehensive supermarket at the entrance of Tianxiwan residential area. The supermarket has a full range of fresh ingredients and the prices are not expensive, saving you the trouble of going to the market.

After lunch, Jiang Mingyue took a nap and then left Qin Xue's house. Yan Qian invited her to see a courtyard house.

The apartment he wanted to give away was in the very middle of the community, a five-minute walk away.

When Jiang Mingyue reached out, Yan Qian was already waiting at the door, accompanied by his assistant, bodyguard, and a real estate agent.

She strolled leisurely to the door. "Why isn't the landlord coming?"

Yan Qian looked at her. Today she was wearing a red and white polka dot halter dress with a beige vest over it, looking youthful and beautiful.

As May draws to a close, the weather is gradually getting warmer, but today the wind is strong and it feels somewhat chilly.

Yan Qian reached out and touched her arm; unsurprisingly, it was cold.

"The landlord has entrusted Manager Chen with the entire process."

A real estate agent standing nearby greeted Jiang Mingyue warmly, "Hello, Ms. Jiang."

Jiang Mingyue nodded to the other party as a greeting, then glanced at Yan Qian. He was really pushing his luck, daring to touch her.

Seeing that she did not resist his touch, Yan Qian simply took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "It's windy, you're not dressed warmly enough, be careful not to catch a cold."

Jiang Mingyue chuckled. There's a kind of cold that only your mother feels. Master Xue used to complain that she wasn't dressed warmly enough, and now Yan Qian is complaining about her too.

In front of outsiders, she gave him face and did not refute him.

The group stepped through the gate and entered the courtyard.

At a glance, Jiang Mingyue knew that this courtyard house was much larger than Qin Xue's. After walking around for a while, she realized that it was actually a four-courtyard house.

The original landlord loved growing flowers and plants, and the yard was planted with wisteria, peonies, tree peonies, climbing roses, and other plants.

The peonies and tree peonies have faded, but the wisteria is still in bloom and in full bloom. The climbing roses have already sprouted flower buds, waiting to bloom in a breathtaking display.

The interior decoration was also lavishly done, with a total of about ten bedrooms, all furnished with beech wood furniture.

Even at the lowest price, this four-courtyard house would cost over five million.

Jiang Mingyue looked at the person beside her, "You're really willing to do that."

Yan Qian noticed a fallen leaf brushing against her head and reached out to remove it for her. "The gift I give you should naturally be the most suitable one. This courtyard is big enough. After you move in, we can fill in the pond in the backyard and turn it into a vegetable garden or an art studio."

Jiang Mingyue was fairly satisfied with the four-courtyard house. Yan Qian knew she wouldn't be moving in for the time being, and that he would have all the bedding replaced after the property was transferred.

After watching it, Yan Qian took her to Shao Quan's place and invited her to dinner that evening, saying that the chef would make her scallion oil poached chicken.

Jiang Mingyue felt that Yan Qian's indulgence in pursuing her was mostly due to this dish.

"Okay, don't come too early to pick me up, 5:30 is fine."

"good."

Yan Qian verbally agreed, but in his heart he was calculating the time. He preferred to arrive at five o'clock, preferring to wait for her rather than make her wait.

In the afternoon, Shao Quan taught Jiang Mingyue another set of acupuncture techniques. The techniques were more complex and the difficulty was increased. Jiang Mingyue was not familiar with them at first and was pricked by the needles several times, causing her right index finger to bleed.

She rinsed it with running water and then continued practicing.

Around 5:40, Jiang Mingyue remembered her appointment with Yan Qian and immediately said goodbye to Shao Quan. Shao Quan wanted her to stay for dinner, but she was too embarrassed to mention that Yan Qian was waiting outside and only said that she had an appointment with the Sun family.

Shao Quan didn't try to stop her, but told her to drive carefully on her way home.

As Jiang Mingyue stepped out of the Shao family compound, she saw a black minivan waiting on the left side of the road.

The person in the back seat saw her, opened the car door, and got out.

Jiang Mingyue walked quickly toward Yan Qian. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I've been learning new lessons and I'm still getting used to them, so I was a little delayed."

"It's nothing, I just arrived too." Yan Qian didn't mention at all that he had waited for forty minutes, and besides, half an hour was nothing to worry about.

It was a bit chilly in the evening, so Yan Qian draped the wool scarf he had prepared over her shoulders. "I just bought it this afternoon. It's already been washed and dried."

"Thank you." Jiang Mingyue bent down and sat down in the back seat.

Yan Qian got into the car from the other side, signaling the bodyguard to drive back to Biyue Mansion.

Yan Qian prepared warm tea for Jiang Mingyue, in her own thermos with a pink lid and a moon logo printed on it.

Jiang Mingyue saw through it but didn't say anything. She picked up her cup to drink tea, and accidentally bumped her index finger while twisting the lid, making a hissing sound.

"You ran into them? Let me see."

Yan Qian was full of vigor in college and didn't pay much attention to the details when pursuing girls, which made it easy for him to win them over.

Graduation season is breakup season. His ex-girlfriend said he wasn't serious about the relationship and that he was too arrogant, and that he would definitely fall hard when he met his true love in the future.

So much so that now that he has met Jiang Mingyue, and after realizing that he cares about her, Yan Qian has begun to re-examine his shortcomings and secretly read through several super popular CEO novels sent by He Qi.

The key is just two words: details.

Jiang Mingyue raised her index finger and screwed the cup lid back on. "It's okay. The new needle technique I learned is complicated. My index finger got pricked by the needle a few times."

Yan Qian guessed that she must not have disinfected, so he opened the storage box and took out disposable iodine and bandage.

Give me your hand.

Seeing this, Jiang Mingyue laughed at him for making a mountain out of a molehill. Seeing that he insisted, she had no choice but to move closer to him and extend her right hand.

Yan Qian first wiped her hands clean with alcohol wipes, then took out a few tissues and placed them under her right index finger. She tore open the packaging, broke one end, and dripped the iodine from the tube onto her fingertip.

He gently applied the cotton swab to her fingertip and then applied a bandage to it.

Jiang Mingyue was both amused and exasperated, looking at her index finger wrapped up, feeling a sense of helplessness, like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Is this what it feels like to be pursued and pampered?

To be honest, she doesn't dislike it.

Yan Qian threw the tissues and packaging scraps into the car's trash can. Seeing Jiang Mingyue staring at her right hand fingers, he assumed she was disgusted by his bandaging skills.

"Not feeling well? Shall I get you a new one?"

"No, it's just that I'm not used to the look of it."

Jiang Mingyue decided to tear it off when she got home that night, so that Cao Hualan wouldn't overthink it if she saw it.

Later that evening, they returned to Biyue Garden.

The chef has prepared dinner. In addition to the scallion oil poached chicken, he has also prepared several dishes that Jiang Mingyue likes, such as dry pot blackfish and stone pot freshwater prawns.

Yan Qian put on disposable gloves and peeled shrimp for her first, before slowly having dinner.

Jiang Mingyue has a big appetite; she ate two bowls of rice. After the meal, she went to a restaurant and had fish and shrimp.

It was raining heavily outside, and since it was raining, she wasn't in a hurry to go back. She decided to stay a little longer.

Yan Qian, worried that she might be bored, took her to the study, pointed to a room full of books and told her to look at whatever she wanted. He went out to attend a conference call and would be back soon.

Jiang Mingyue gestured for him to go about his business; she didn't need him to stay with her.

The books in this room are not decorations; most of them are finance and management books, and they show signs of being read and annotated.

Yan Qian's handwriting is very beautiful, with a sharp and vigorous stroke, just like his personality.

Looking back on their first encounter, it wasn't exactly amicable, and she hadn't expected him to have such a gentle and kind side.

Fifteen minutes later, Yan Qian came to the study to find someone after finishing his meeting. He saw Jiang Mingyue standing by the bookshelf, holding a magazine and looking at it intently.

He walked towards her. "Why don't you sit down and watch?"

Jiang Mingyue was engrossed in reading when she was suddenly startled by Yan Qian's voice, causing her to drop the magazine she was holding.

Yan Qian chuckled and bent down to pick up the magazine for her. "It's my fault for scaring you."

This also confirms that she was very relaxed and let her guard down in his villa.

Jiang Mingyue then noticed that she had been standing for quite a while. "I ate too much, standing helps with digestion. I was just reading the article you published, it has unique insights."

Which one?

Yan Qian remembers that he published many articles, and this magazine included one of them.

Jiang Mingyue leaned closer and reached out to find the article about economics and thought that she had just been reading.

Just then, a thunderclap boomed outside the window, and the lights inside went out instantly. It's unclear who grabbed whose hand first.

When Jiang Mingyue realized what was happening, she and Yan Qian were standing very close, close enough to hear each other's heartbeats.

That magazine has long since disappeared.

Author's Note: Hahaha [laughing out loud] I'm so happy! Finally, I've gotten to the sweet romance part. Let's transition a bit; the next chapter will move on to the main plot~

For the Best Actor segment, a separate "what if" story will be included.