Page 449

"I invited you here as a guest, not to have you cook. We'll hire a chef for the occasion," Chu Yuening said with a smile, and the tiny mole on her nose wrinkled along with her grin.

"Right, Brother De, do you have any idea which coupé is both safe and comfortable? It doesn't need to be too expensive, something within a million would be fine."

"Wow, wow, wow, Ning Ning, your words are becoming more and more astonishing. Hiring a chef and buying a coupé that costs over a million?" Zhang Jiande threw up his hands, gesturing with his fingers as he spoke. "Money really changes people."

"Let me think about it. With a budget of a million, there are many coupés that offer top-notch comfort. I'll go check out some car dealerships first."

As they chatted, the dishes they had ordered started arriving.

After their afternoon tea, Zhang Jiande was the first to leave the tea restaurant.

Looking aside, Chu Yuening noticed Shi Boren's distracted state, while Gan Yizu remained slumped on the table, and Zhou Fengxu...

She gave him a closer look.

The light illuminated Zhou Fengxu's thick hair as he lowered his gaze, his handsome face adorned with a hint of contemplation. His long legs were crossed, his striped blue-and-white shirt rolled up to reveal his wrists, and slender fingers flipped through page after page of documents.

Suddenly.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes meeting hers.

Chu Yuening immediately sat up straight, shoveling two spoonfuls of red bean ice cream into her mouth. Her usual composure suddenly turned a bit flustered. The couch sank as a crisp scent approached her.

"Ning Ning." Zhou Fengxu hadn't spoken for a while; his voice was slightly hoarse.

He picked up the glass of water from the table, took a sip, and then handed over the documents, "Could you take a look at this?"

"What?" Chu Yuening blinked her eyes.

A subtle weariness could be seen between Zhou Fengxu's brows, "It's Ren's case."

He had come to Temple Street specifically to deliver these documents to Ning Ning.

Shi Boren and Gan Yizu exchanged glances, both promptly standing up.

Shi Boren nudged Gan Yizu's shoulder. Today, his behavior was peculiar, unusually quiet. He only said, "Take your time chatting, Yizu and I ate too much, we'll go for a walk to digest."

Gan Yizu also commented, "Brother Xu, I'll head out with Ren first then."

Zhou Fengxu glanced at them and said, "Go on."

As they exited the ice chamber, Chu Yuening had already opened the file and was studying its contents.

She furrowed her brow.

The couple running the wonton shop were murdered in one night, while their two children managed to survive by hiding in the cellar. Over two decades later, there was still no information on the perpetrator, only a bloodied footprint indicating the size of a shoe found at the scene.

The file contained photographs of the victims taken at the crime scene.

A man lay face down, his back torn apart, with dark red blood suggesting he might have been caught off guard while turning around.

The woman had been stabbed in the abdomen and collapsed in a chair.

Further along, there were photos of the elderlies, Shi Boren's grandparents, all deceased with their eyes wide open, unable to find peace in their final moments.

In a single night, Shi Boren and his brother lost all their loved ones and were sent to an orphanage.

"No wonder Inspector Shi had to step out. With the case resurfacing, he must have revisited that tragic incident from years ago."

Zhou Fengxu massaged his temples. "Ren and his brother had a tough journey all along. In the early years, when Ren first joined the police force, he was obsessed with solving the case. He'd sleep at the station every day, but it didn't yield any results."

For 20 years, not a single trace of the murderer was found. It was as if the person had vanished into thin air in broad daylight.

"The case remained unsolved and has been handled by various major crime units. Just recently, I applied to retrieve the case files for you to review. Once I'm back at the station, I'll submit a request for a reinvestigation."

"Let's do the reinvestigation," Chu Yuening said, her mood somewhat heavy. "I'll do my best to help."

"Sure." Zhou Fengxu had full faith in Ning Ning's abilities. With her assistance, the chances of solving the case would increase significantly.

"Oh, right."

Remembering something, he stood up and pulled a folded piece of paper from his jeans pocket. "This list contains carefully selected bodyguards, with their identities and health information clearly stated. Take a look and see which one suits you."

"Woah."

Chu Yuening became intrigued and took the paper, scanning the rows upon rows of bodyguard details. "There are so many?"

A slow smile spread across Zhou Fengxu's face. "Since your place is spacious, you can choose a few for shift work."

Yuening leaned on the table and asked, "What do you think of this one? Trained in England, I feel like this candidate would be quite competent."

"I'll take a look." Zhou Fengxu leaned over, his long fingers tapping on the name below. "This one was born a mercenary; even more capable."

"Really?" Yuening turned her head to look at Zhou Fengxu's chin.

Zhou Fengxu chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Indeed."

"Alright, let's settle on this one." With a ballpoint pen in hand, Chu Yuening promptly circled the name.

The two continued their conversation for a while longer.

In the end, Chu Yuening assigned six candidates to Zhou Fengxu, wincing at the cost. "Six bodyguards, how much will their salaries be? Will it be very expensive?"

Back then, she had dreamed of purchasing a mansion in Hong Kong. Now that she owned one, she hadn't expected so many expenses to arise.

Water and electricity bills, servants, chauffeurs, bodyguards, and security personnel – all these expenses added up.

Chu Yuening sensed a subtle pressure, deciding that she couldn't merely rely on her millions in the bank account for a comfortable life. She resolved to keep working hard and earning more.

She clenched her fists!

Zhou Fengxu took a sip of water from his cup and said, "Let's settle all the bills through my account." Concerned about Chu Yuening's burden, he added, "If you feel pressured, you can help me check the feng shui at home. The fee for one feng shui consultation would be enough for me to treat you for life."

Chu Yuening felt a sudden flush on her cheeks. She coughed lightly and replied, "Sure, I can look into the feng shui, but there's no need for you to pay for everything."

Zhou Fengxu tried to speak, but Chu Yuening shook her head persistently. "I know you're a wealthy young master from the Zhou Corporation, but I really don't need you to cover the costs. However, regarding the feng shui, I'll keep that in mind. Blood is thicker than water, so we should settle accounts clearly. You'll have to pay when the time comes."