"It's alright, nothing has changed."

Ruan Qing'an said casually, turning back to look at the entrance of the tavern.

Wearing a black tactical uniform, Jia Lan waved her hand, signaling the superhumans in the action team to close the door and guard the tavern. Only then did she come to Ruan Qing'an's side and sit down at the bar.

She casually picked up the wine on the table, took a swig, and scoffed, "It's really cheap. The smell here is awful too. With Mr. Zhou here, he definitely wouldn't want you to drink this stuff."

"Is that right, Nguyen Thanh An?"

I don't drink alcohol.

Ruan Qing'an said coldly, "Is there something you need?"

Despite their previously tense and irreconcilable relationship, Jia Lan was now able to speak calmly to Ruan Qing'an: "Aren't you curious how I knew about your situation?"

“I’ve been having people keep an eye on the research institute lately. As Mr. Zhou’s bodyguard, you should naturally stay by his side every step of the way. But a week ago you left on your own. And that’s not all—since then, you’ve been running into obstacles everywhere you go.”

"Whether it's work or housing, everything has been blocked for you. According to the investigation by the superhuman team, you even got your current house through a shady real estate agent. You look quite pathetic."

Ruan Qingan did not speak, but kept his eyes half-closed.

As Jia Lan said, she had indeed had a hard time during this period. Zhou Ziqi had said that he would kill her with his own hands if she left.

Before the person who was supposed to kill her could even arrive, her days at the base were effectively cut off.

Zhou Ziqi seemed to be pressuring her.

—How miserable life would be without him.

—Returning to his side brings boundless glory.

Seeing that Ruan Qing'an didn't speak, Jia Lan assumed that she was a little dejected: "Mr. Zhou has always been extremely indulgent towards you. To be honest, even if you put a knife to Brother Lu's neck, Mr. Zhou would still protect you with a smile."

"But now, it seems that it is Mr. Zhou himself who is targeting you. In just one week, such a big change has occurred."

Jia Lan gave a soft scoff and took a swig of her drink.

Ruan Qing'an's indifferent expression finally changed slightly. She glanced at Jia Lan and asked, "What exactly do you want to say?"

“Ruan Qingan, I admit that I wanted to recruit Mr. Zhou before.”

Jia Lan paused, then turned to look at Ruan Qing'an, his gaze as if he were looking at a fellow sufferer, his tone filled with the sentiment of "we are both in the same boat."

She explained, "But now, I've given up on that idea. Back then, outside the base, you risked your life to protect him, but now... ha, things can change so easily."

“Men are really unpredictable. I’ve been through what you’re going through, Ruan Qingan.”

What Jia Lan was talking about was her experience in her previous life.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Qing'an's gaze became even stranger. To be honest, even she didn't understand what this woman wanted to do.

She paused: "You want to recruit me?"

“Yes, I originally preferred Mr. Zhou, but he is obviously no different from the ruthless scumbags I have met before, so I came to you, Ruan Qingan.”

"Jialan, I remember you tried to kill me before, didn't you?"

Faced with Ruan Qing'an's words, Jia Lan showed no remorse whatsoever: "Only children talk about preferences; adults only consider advantages and disadvantages. Ruan Qing'an, I thought you understood."

"With enough benefits, why can't we turn enemies into friends? As long as you agree to do things for me, I can hire you or provide you with a better life, even if it's not as good as Mr. Zhou's."

Hearing this, Ruan Qing'an finally understood what Jia Lan was thinking.

She lowered her eyes and smiled, "You didn't give up on Zhou Ziqi, but you simply didn't dare to provoke him, because he's too crazy, and more importantly, because he's far less controllable than Xu Wenshan and Lu Ting."

"...That's not very interesting of you to say it like that."

Jia Lan's eyes darkened slightly, and she said, "Don't be so aggressive. If I really wanted to harm you, Ruan Qing'an, the time Mr. Zhou was blocking you was the perfect opportunity for me to kick you when you were down."

Ruan Qing'an chuckled lightly: "Don't make it sound so nice, Jia Lan. You just found out that Zhou Ziqi and I have fallen out, so you're here to take advantage of the situation."

"Isn't offering help in times of need and empathizing with others your forte? Besides, if you really bring me to your side, my reconciliation with Zhou Ziqi will be a bridge for you, a buy-one-get-two-free deal. If we don't reconcile, then you've just gotten me as a henchman for free."

"Jia Lan, you've got a good plan."

Seeing that her thoughts had been made clear, Jia Lan simply stopped trying to appeal to emotions and stopped hoping to empathize with Ruan Qing'an.

She sneered, "Let's be realistic, Ruan Qing'an. You're not having an easy time right now, so this is a win-win situation for us. Don't you want to go back to your old life instead of staying here?"

"So...dirty, messy, and squalid."

Jia Lan looked around the tavern and scoffed.

Ruan Qing'an lowered her eyes, her fingertips tracing the scabbard, and chuckled: "Instead of trying to control all the high-ranking officials in the base, why don't you first get those two leaders under your control?"

"Emotions controlled by mental power are not stable."

Jia Lan's pupils contracted sharply, but she didn't give herself away. Instead, she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"nothing."

Ruan Qing'an stood up, slung her Tang sword across her waist, pulled up her heavy hood, and flicked her slender fingertips, sending a glittering crystal core landing on the bar: "Bartender, here's your tip."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door, speaking as she went.

“I don’t need your help, Jia Lan. As for my previous life… he would have taken me back himself if I had just given in, but I just didn’t want to.”

"You must remember, Xu Wenshan and Lu Ting are not necessarily the same."

'jingle--'

The wind chimes at the tavern entrance swayed as Ruan Qing'an disappeared outside. Without Jia Lan's orders, the superhumans in the action team dared not approach and simply stood guard outside.

Inside the tavern, Jia Lan's face suddenly darkened.

Recalling Ruan Qing'an's words, Jia Lan said in a low voice that Xu Wenshan and Lu Ting were her biggest support right now.

"Since you don't agree, then forget it. The action team is planning to take a group of people out of the base for a mission soon. Without Zhou Ziqi protecting you, you'd better be careful."

—Be careful not to die out there, Nguyen Thanh An.

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