Chapter 175 Just What You Like
Meet, talk, chat? That's all, no other bad motives or purposes. Zhong Minxin would be surprised by Ning Zhiyuan's words! She is not a three-year-old child, and Ning Zhiyuan is even less so.
"I don't believe it!" Zhong Min said with certainty without even thinking. Ning Zhiyuan knew even the smallest details, such as her dislike of tea, and she found it hard to believe that the man before her could have such pure intentions as he claimed.
Ning Zhiyuan couldn't help but smile slightly upon hearing such a firm denial. He was obviously not at all surprised by Zhong Min's direct decision. He put down the teacup in his hand, looked at Zhong Min seriously and said, "Okay, believe it or not, that's what I think anyway."
Zhong Min pursed her lips slightly, clearly not taking Ning Zhiyuan's words seriously. All the probing and counter-probing had been nothing more than these seemingly boring and irrelevant topics. The so-called psychological warfare was nothing more than a practiced exercise of falsehood and reality.
Seeing Zhong Min remained silent, Ning Zhiyuan softened his smile and continued, "You're wary of me, and that's understandable. But if I really meant to harm you, why would I bother with so much trouble? I know you're straightforward and don't like beating around the bush, so why not be direct today? Actually, I know everything about your past, from your previous identity as a secret agent to your work for Prince Mu after losing your memory and establishing a comprehensive security system, to the reason you left Prince Mu's mansion in the end—I know everything."
"It's just that no matter what you did in the past, who you served, or what you do now, none of this matters. To me, we're simply serving different masters, and there's no real personal vendetta against each other. Even if we're still on opposite sides, I'll only target your stance, not you personally. So, I wouldn't give you a hard time before, and I still won't give you a hard time now."
His expression was very serious, without the slightest hesitation or delay, as if he was stating the most normal fact, with certainty and calmness.
These words immediately surprised Zhong Min. She had never thought that Ning Zhiyuan, who was always very cunning, would say such direct words. Moreover, these words made it clear to Zhong Min that Ning Zhiyuan had known everything from the beginning, but he just didn't take the initiative to expose it or take any unfavorable actions against her.
For a moment, she couldn't explain the feeling in her heart. The feeling of thinking that she had done everything perfectly but being told in an instant that he actually knew everything was extremely frustrating.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm afraid you have misunderstood something. I'm just an idler now. How can I be in an antagonistic position with you?" She tried her best to remain calm, trying to tell herself that maybe these words were just a way for Ning Zhiyuan to trick her and he said them deliberately.
But what Ning Zhiyuan said next completely shattered the last bit of fantasy and hope in Zhong Min's heart. She wished that time could go back to ten days ago. If so, she would never go to that restaurant at that time and would definitely avoid this troublemaker whose IQ was definitely higher than hers.
"Ever since I met you ten days ago, I've guessed the purpose of your visit to the capital. Then I sent someone to investigate, and only then did I discover that Prince Mu's intelligence agency in the capital had indeed revived, and it's even more hidden than before, with a strong anti-tracing capability, making it difficult to break it like last time. You've done a really good job. If I'm not mistaken, your intelligence played a crucial role in Prince Mu's successful rescue this time. I previously suspected that there was some hidden reason behind your leaving Prince Mu's mansion, but I never expected you to take the initiative to come to the capital and take on the task of rebuilding Prince Mu's intelligence network in the capital. It became clear to me when I met you this time."
Ning Zhiyuan spoke calmly, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him, and there was no trace of the unhappiness he should have felt because Zhong Min had ruined his business.
Zhong Min could no longer pretend nothing had happened. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she remained silent. She sighed inwardly. Fortunately, she had Mo Ming and Mo Yan re-upgrade the security measures at the intelligence points according to her method. And since meeting Ning Zhiyuan, she had them again be cautious and avoid direct contact between the various points. Otherwise, there was no guarantee that the same mistake would have happened again.
As for Ning Zhiyuan knowing all this, it was understandable. As a smart man, how could he really believe everything she said? However, Ning Zhiyuan's confession this time really surprised Zhong Min.
Seeing that Zhong Min remained silent and instead looked at him thoughtfully, Ning Zhiyuan continued, "I think I understand both you and Prince Mu quite well. Given your temperament, you wouldn't be so impulsive as to cause such an obvious conflict with a woman. And given Prince Mu's character, he absolutely wouldn't abandon the capable and trustworthy Min'er for a woman who's merely pretty and completely untrustworthy. So, everything was just a game, a good move that killed two birds with one stone. Prince Mu played it well."
"Since the adults know everything, what are the plans?" Zhong Min had already adjusted his state of mind. In a sense, the two of them now had a tacit understanding, and there was nothing worth panicking about.
"How?" Ning Zhiyuan asked back, then smiled and said, "I've said this before. No matter what you do, I won't make things difficult for you, and naturally I won't do anything to hurt you personally. As for what you're doing now, I'll still treat it the same as before. There's no right or wrong in this kind of confrontation, only different standpoints. We're not targeting people, but the issue. In the future, we'll each rely on our own abilities. As for the outcome, I do care, but what interests me most is the process. Because this time, the person I'm directly facing isn't someone else, but you."
After hearing this, Zhong Min couldn't help but look at Ning Zhiyuan with a new respect. He was not the one who was being unfair, but the one who was being objective. He only had different perspectives, not right or wrong. Even as a modern woman, she couldn't help but feel ashamed and inferior. Honestly, she didn't have Ning Zhiyuan's broad-mindedness and courage. If they had different perspectives, they wouldn't have been fair and impartial.
"Your Excellency's words make me feel extremely ashamed. I admit that I previously thought you were too sinister. Today, we can be honest and fair. You are right. There is no absolute standard for judging good or bad in many things in this world. Especially when interests are involved, the so-called right and wrong are only relative to one's personal standpoint."
Zhong Min frankly said, "Given our completely opposing positions, it's truly remarkable that Your Excellency is able to speak to me today. Regardless of any future confrontations, I must now solemnly apologize for my previous petty behavior."
Hearing Zhong Min's words, Ning Zhiyuan's smile widened. He shook his head and continued, "Don't rush to apologize or praise me. You should know that I'm not so fair and impartial with everyone. It's you. If it were anyone else, they would have been arrested long ago and dealt with accordingly. So, I'm not as gentlemanly as you say. After all, it's all just my own selfishness."
Ning Zhiyuan's confession made Zhong Min feel relieved. No matter what other intentions this person had, at least in a sense he was quite honest and had the courage to admit what he was thinking. Even if he believed that he would never be his opponent, let alone become the decisive factor in his ultimate loss, it was not easy for a person who acted very cautiously to be able to do so.
"Whether in public or private, it's truly remarkable that you're so candid." Zhong Min smiled nonchalantly. "But my Lord, you need to consider carefully whether the price is worth it. After all, even if you do this, I won't change my stance."
"It's okay, as long as I like it." Ning Zhiyuan smiled again, speaking very calmly. He stared at Zhong Min, not hiding his love at all: "Who makes Min'er so attractive to me? Even if I die under the peony flowers, I will still be a romantic ghost."
This time, Zhong Min did not feel uncomfortable at all, but found it extremely funny. It was the first time that Ning Zhiyuan showed such an "unserious" side. In her opinion, it was simply damaging his usual good "image".
"Your Excellency's words truly satisfy my vanity, but it also damages your usual gentle and kind image, which is more trouble than it's worth."
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, this only happens in front of Min'er. It's impossible to do this in front of others."
Ning Zhiyuan continued to speak in that calm yet serious tone, but this time, Zhong Min could no longer remain calm.
She gave a few awkward dry laughs, then stopped talking, picking up the teacup in front of her and began to drink. Many times, whether true or false, silence is the best response.
Ning Zhiyuan, however, was very measured and didn't pursue the topic any further. Seeing Zhong Min's eyes seemingly casually looking elsewhere, he said, "Well, I told you I only invited you here to talk and chat, with no other purpose. Let's talk about something light and do something relaxing. How about a game of chess?"
Hearing this, Zhong Min thought to herself that Ning Zhiyuan was really in a good mood. It seemed that he really couldn't leave for a while. After all, she was now a fish on the chopping board in the Ning Mansion. The decision of the head of the family was not hers.
Although Ning Zhiyuan repeatedly said that he would not make things difficult for her and would not do anything to hurt her personally, this could also be understood as not taking her life for the time being, but he could not guarantee anything else.
"Sir, please give me some other suggestions. I'm really not very good at playing Go." She confessed honestly, but her mentality was unusually calmer than ever before.
PS: Thank you for the reward of sachets from 愛灬那么疼. My performance has been very bad recently. A lot of orders have been canceled. I feel very depressed. Please give me some motivation. If you think there is something wrong, please leave a message to Qingqing so that Qingqing can find the right direction to improve. Thank you.
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