Pei Yuan's fever had almost subsided by the second day, and Tang Ning also resumed her normal work routine.
But because he always looked unwell and was sickly, and his voice on the phone was listless, Tang Ning's heart softened, and she slept in Blue Whale Bay for five whole nights in a row. Every morning when she opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Pei Yuan, and every night when she closed her eyes, the last person she saw was also Pei Yuan.
The reason why Tang Ning repeatedly softened her heart towards Pei Yuan was simply because she knew that such a life couldn't last.
If she wasn't mistaken, Pei Yuan would soon need to travel abroad again, a timeline he had unexpectedly revealed when he later came to the original owner's side.
Pei Yuan is an interesting character; he likes to mix truth with falsehood when he lies. Although he deceived the original owner of the body time and time again in the story, he also told her a lot of the truth, such as the small crisis he encountered abroad this time.
In the story, he told the original owner that he had returned to China to look for her before, but he couldn't find her. Then his half-brother caused some trouble abroad. If he hadn't left then, Tang Ning might not have met someone like Su Mo, and she wouldn't have suffered such harm.
After all, given Pei Yuan's personality, with him around, he would absolutely not allow any of Tang Ning's bed photos to be leaked, not even fake ones.
The only reason was that he was tied up at the time and wasn't in the country at all.
Thinking this, Tang Ning, who rarely had the leisure to do so, was watering flowers in the garden downstairs from the villa when she slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
Meanwhile, in Pei Yuan's room on the second floor, Pei Yuan, who had just received a phone call from abroad, stared intently at Tang Ning downstairs. Although he was still smiling, a murderous ruthlessness quickly rose in his eyes.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
After uttering such a calm sentence, Pei Yuan hung up the phone immediately.
He quickly took the elevator down to the second floor, and just as he reached the garden entrance, a few drops of icy water splashed onto his chin.
"Oh, why did you come down here? It's cold outside, and you're still recovering from your cold. Did you get splashed with water?"
Upon seeing Pei Yuan, Tang Ning immediately put down the hose she was holding, ran over in small steps, and reached out to wipe the water droplets from his chin with a tissue.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan smiled and shook his head.
Tang Ning, having dried his chin, had no intention of chatting with him in the garden. She pulled him by the hand and led him inside, nagging, "Don't do this again! Running out without a word, what if you get another fever? You're already a bit slow; if you get fevers a few more times, you'll just get even slower..."
Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, the hand she was holding was suddenly tugged gently by Pei Yuan. Caught off guard, she bumped directly into his arms and was gently embraced by him.
"I……"
Pei Yuan's voice rang in her ear. Slightly uncomfortable, Tang Ning struggled a little, then heard the man say reluctantly, "I may have to leave for a while. My half-brother abroad has run into some trouble, and I have to go back to help him deal with it..."
"ah?"
Tang Ning looked up, somewhat bewildered. "What...when?"
"My flight is tonight."
"So urgent?"
Tang Ning frowned. "The company isn't too busy lately. Do you need me to come with you?"
Pei Yuan was genuinely tempted by Tang Ning's suggestion, but the thought of his half-brother, who was like a wild dog, forced him to suppress his feelings.
"No need, it's just a small matter, I can handle it myself. Because of my illness, I've already taken up a lot of your work time, I can't let it take up any more. Don't tell me you don't care, I do. I don't want my momentary stubbornness to make you spend even more time at work to make up for the lost time. Don't worry, I'm just blind, I can manage everything else..."
Pei Yuan spoke softly in her ear.
"If possible, I hope you can spend more time with me outside of work, and think about me more, okay?"
Since he had already spoken so reasonably and considerately, what could Tang Ning do but agree?
Pei Yuan left, and Tang Ning personally saw him off at the airport.
While the two of them were reluctantly parting ways and carefully exchanging words in the waiting hall, on the other side, Su Mo, who hadn't seen Tang Ning for five whole days and whose only contact with her was the message she sent to his phone every night saying she wouldn't reply, frowned as he looked at the empty, lifeless villa, wondering what excuse he could find to continue approaching her if she never came back.
Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
Su Mo pulled out his phone, and upon seeing the number displayed on the screen, his expression instantly darkened. He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and quickly answered the call, a fawning smile reflexively appearing on his face.
“Brother Chen! It’s me. I’ll definitely pay back the money this month, principal and interest. It’s 90,000 in total, right? I’ve already prepared… What? Why do I suddenly have to pay back half? Where am I supposed to get the extra money? No, don’t touch my sister! I’ll think of something. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely find a way to raise the money! Within two hours, where am I supposed to get so much money in two hours? Brother Chen, Brother Chen, Brother Chen…”
Su Mo stared blankly at his phone screen after the call was disconnected. He didn't understand. They had agreed that the interest would be higher and he would pay in installments each month. Why, why was he suddenly asked to pay half of the debt immediately? Where was he supposed to get the money?
Xia Yang, Xia Yang must be rich!
Her previous boyfriend was a rich second-generation heir. She was with him for ten years. Given her personality, she must have made a lot of money. Now she's entangled with Han Jun. He doesn't believe she'd be so interested in something that doesn't benefit her!
Thinking of this, Su Mo forced himself to suppress his worries and fears and calm down. He found Xia Yang's phone number and started dialing.
But to everyone's surprise, the call was immediately disconnected as soon as it connected.
With a pale face, Su Mo continued to call, unwilling to give up, until the ninth call before the other end finally answered.
"What are you doing? Don't you know I'm getting a spa treatment right now? If you hadn't been reporting your progress to me, you'd be dead meat! What? More money? And so much? Ha, Su Mo, do you think this place is your personal bank? Let me tell you, I have no money! Waiting for money to save your life? Oh, is something wrong with your sickly little sister again? If you ask me, why are you still working yourself to death supporting that kind of burden who only holds you back? Don't you understand the principle of 'the sooner she dies, the sooner you're free'? Oh, I forgot, you only graduated from junior high school, you haven't really had any education..."
"Shut up!"
"Ha, even though you don't want me to say it, I'm going to say it anyway. Anyone with a modicum of sense would have already strangled themselves with a rope for that kind of money-eating disease. I've heard she's attempted suicide more than once. Why are you still trying to save her? It's better to just let her die than to be dragged down into the mire by her..."
These words inevitably reminded Su Mo of something she had told her sister back in town: if he hadn't discovered her early that night, Su Ya's body would probably have been cold by the next day.
The thought of this made Su Mo's heart ache with hatred, but he still needed money, he needed the money in Xia Yang's hands, and time was running out.
The veins on the back of Su Mo's right hand, which was gripping the phone, bulged.
"Don't give me all that nonsense, I just want the money..."
"You want money? Beg me!"
Xia Yang's voice came lazily from the other end of the phone.
It could be said that she and Su Mo had a long-standing feud, but out of respect for the dead old swindler, she kindly offered a few words of advice to his sickly sister. But instead of being grateful, he stormed into her house that day and almost strangled her to death.
From then on, she and Su Mo were like oil and water, and since she finally had this opportunity, she naturally wanted to play a trick on him.
"Please, I beg you."
"That gritted teeth doesn't sound like he's begging me, it sounds like he wants to eat me alive!"
Xia Yang looked at her newly done nails and slightly curled the corners of her mouth.
"Sister Xia Yang, I beg you!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a burst of giggles came from the other end of the phone.
"Okay, but I don't have any money either, sorry!"
"You're playing tricks..."
Before Su Mo could finish speaking, Xia Yang had already hung up the phone, turned it off, and tossed it aside.
Su Mo was left with bloodshot eyes. He kicked the coffee table in front of him. Seeing that half of the two hours had passed, a trace of fear flashed across the boy's eyes. He hurriedly dialed Brother Chen's number again with trembling hands. As soon as the call was connected, his voice immediately became gentle.
"Brother Chen, Brother Chen, could you please give me a couple of days? No, just one day. I promise I'll transfer all the money to your account tomorrow. Please give me some more time, I beg you, I beg you all..."
As he spoke, Su Mo's voice trembled and weakened involuntarily, and tears rolled down his cheeks for no apparent reason.
"At worst, you can add more interest, but don't hurt Xiaoya. She's sick, she doesn't know anything, she really doesn't know anything, Brother Chen, Brother Chen, Brother Chen..."
Su Mo started shouting into his phone like a madman.
He heard the sound of mahjong tiles on his phone. Without a doubt, Brother Chen had lost a lot of money tonight, which was why he was taking it out on him and forcing him to pay up. But if he was just taking it out on him, that would be fine. He was afraid that Brother Chen might actually do something to Xiao Ya in a fit of anger. He was currently far away in Qing City. How could he get back as quickly as possible?
Having completely exhausted all other options, Su Mo raised her sleeve and forcefully wiped away her tears.
Calm down, Su Mo, calm down, there must be a way, there must be a way...
As soon as he turned around, the boy with red eyes met Tang Ning's smiling gaze as she stood in the entryway.
A flash of surprise crossed his eyes. It could be said that even Su Mo hadn't noticed when she had returned. His heart was pounding in his chest as he frantically tried to recall every word he had just said and the sound of Tang Ning's return.
In Tang Ning's eyes, the black-haired boy in front of her stood in the hall with a look of astonishment on his face, as if he had suffered a great injustice, his eyes red as red as a rabbit's.
"What's wrong? Why are you so surprised to see me? Were you so focused on the phone call?"
Tang Ning asked with a smile as she changed into her slippers.
Seeing her like this, Su Mo felt a little relieved. He quickly lowered his head to hide his expression and hurriedly walked over to Tang Ning, just about to say something.
Tang Ning looked him up and down. "So you really do have a sister who's seriously ill in bed? And you even took out a high-interest loan for her?"
As she spoke, Tang Ning walked to the sofa and slowly sat down.
Su Mo, caught completely off guard, stood there in a panic, his fists clenched tightly.
She heard it!
How much did she hear?
Did you hear his previous phone call with Xia Yang?
What to do? What to do? What to do?
How should he explain this?
Having been rejected by Xia Yang, he now only had this last straw to cling to. He hadn't even asked her for money yet, but she had already seen through his sinister intentions. What was he going to do?
Su Mo lowered his eyes slightly, his mind already a complete mess. Just as he moved his lips, about to say something, he...
Suddenly he heard Tang Ning's voice again.
"How many?"
She asked him.
Still somewhat dazed, Su Mo looked at her with a bewildered expression.
"I asked you how much more money you need? Aren't you in a hurry for the money?" Tang Ning shook the checkbook in her hand and asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Su Mo's pupils dilated suddenly, and his breathing became rapid as he looked at Tang Ning in disbelief.
"Why don't you fill it out yourself?"
Tang Ning stood up, grabbed Su Mo's sleeve, pulled him to sit on the sofa, and stuffed the pen in his hand.
Trembling, he grasped the pen Tang Ning had given him; he hadn't even started filling in the numbers yet.
Tang Ning watched as the boy's favorability rating skyrocketed, increasing by +1, +2, +3...
As expected, this is a target whose favorability can be bought with money.
Tang Ning raised an eyebrow inwardly, then saw Su Mo, sitting next to her, glance at the clock in front of him and immediately ask, "What's wrong? Is there a time limit? Otherwise, give me your account number, and I'll have my assistant transfer the money to someone right now, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Su Mo suddenly turned to look at Tang Ning beside him.
Tang Ning had just dialed her assistant's number when she saw Su Mo still standing there in a daze. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and give me the card number."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo hurriedly found an Agricultural Bank of China card number on his phone and gave a specific number. He didn't ask for more than the amount Brother Chen wanted.
Then he watched as the sum of money that had troubled him for a whole hour, almost driving him to the brink of despair, was resolved by Tang Ning in just five minutes.
Tang Ning had just hung up the phone when Brother Chen's phone rang on the other end.
Su Mo listened to Brother Chen's praise of him on the other end of the phone with a blank expression after the call connected.
"Now that I've repaid the money, Brother Chen, if possible, I hope you won't bother my sister!"
"Of course, Brother Chen, I mean what I say..."
After finishing his call with Brother Chen, Su Mo turned around and saw Tang Ning sitting on the sofa, resting her chin on her hand and smiling at him. Tears welled up in his eyes without warning. To avoid Tang Ning seeing his tears, the boy lowered his head rather awkwardly and pinched the seam of his pants hard.
"I will pay it back, Sister Tang Ning. I will definitely pay you back. Thank you for your help. I am truly grateful!"
As he spoke, Su Mo bowed deeply to her.
Seeing him like this, Tang Ning quickly reached out and helped the boy up. "What are you doing? It's just a small favor..."
"What's a small favor to you is a life-saving grace to me."
Remembering that he had actually taken money from Xia Yang, he wanted... wanted...
Su Mo felt that he was not even as good as an animal.
A faint sense of panic even rose in her heart. If Tang Ning found out that he had approached her with such intentions, then she...
Su Mo, who had tightened his grip on the seams of his trousers, paled slightly.
"It's okay, really, don't feel so guilty. I haven't thanked you yet. The styling you did for me last time really made me stand out at the alumni reunion."
Tang Ning smiled gently.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention, I might have to go on a business trip for the next few days and won't be back for a while. As for you, do you need to go back and check on your sister? I've dealt with those kinds of people before; they say one thing and do another. What if they break their promises..."
Tang Ning frowned.
Even if she didn't say it, Su Mo wanted to go back to his hometown, but he had just taken Tang Ning's money, and if he left now, it would make him seem too... Now that Tang Ning had taken the initiative to suggest it, his guilt had lessened considerably.
"Is it okay? You...aren't you afraid I'll just take the money and run?"
"Sure, you're going to take the money and run? Aren't you afraid? My money isn't so easy to steal."
Tang Ning teased him with a smile, and seeing Su Mo's somewhat bewildered expression, she couldn't help but reach out and pat his fluffy little head. She had wanted to do this since their first meeting.
After touching him, Tang Ning noticed a slight blush rising on Su Mo's face and realized what she had done. She immediately withdrew her hand and said, "Well, it's getting late, I'll go upstairs to rest now!"
"Would you like anything to eat? I'll make it for you right now!"
Su Mo hurriedly asked a question.
"No need, I've already eaten out."
Tang Ning, who had already gone upstairs, replied directly.
As Tang Ning's figure disappeared around the corner upstairs, Su Mo said thank you again.
Su Mo's current favorability rating: 62.
Back in her room, Tang Ning checked her gains from the evening and saw that Su Mo's favorability rating had increased by 50 points. She immediately whistled inwardly.
Things bought with money are truly valuable!
She loved this kind of relationship where you could buy favorability with money; it was a completely fair and transparent transaction.
Unlike others, who work themselves to the bone and rack their brains just to gain a tiny bit of favorability from her.
However, Su Mo was indeed different from the others. He started from a low point, and although he rose to 62, he felt more moved and grateful.
He was bewildered by the feeling that someone had reached out and helped him when he was at his wit's end.
What Tang Ning needs to do now is to thoroughly perpetuate these illusions, ideally making it impossible for him to ever regain his senses.
The day after Pei Yuan left, Su Mo also left. Before leaving, he specially made her an incredibly lavish breakfast. It was then that Tang Ning realized that the breakfasts Su Mo had made before, which were already quite delicious, had been somewhat perfunctory. Now, with a little effort, the breakfasts tasted even better.
After Su Mo left, Tang Ning went straight to the company and booked her upcoming trip to Wenshan.
Wenshan is Su Mo's hometown.
It was also the place where the original owner of this body encountered the black cab driver while she was out negotiating a deal, which spurred her to become even more powerful.
Her trip was both to increase Su Mo's favorability and to verify something she had a suspicion about, but the original plot hadn't given her any hints about.
Sitting in the car on the way to Wenshan, Tang Ning thought to herself.
Author's Note: Su Mo: My life was so boring. I was cleaning a villa when suddenly a rich woman contacted me. She had a sweet voice, looked good in her photos, and was in her thirties...
Tang Ning: Stare—
Su Mo: Age... age is forever 18!
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