On the same night, in the equally quiet night, King Jingyao finished sending Jiang Chaoge back, sat on the sofa for a while. He had recently developed a habit of daydreaming here every day.

The servant did not dare to disturb him, gently placed a cup of milk on the coffee table, and was about to leave when King Jingyao stopped her: "Wait a minute."

The servant was taken aback, "Sir?"

King Jingyao looked up, "Did any calls come in for me today?"

The servant was even more confused, and after a while spoke softly: "No, sir, is there someone or something particularly important?"

"No." King Jingyao placed his hands behind his head and gazed at the chandelier above, "It’s just that I feel this is simply a place to rest, without any vitality, you see, no one comes to me except for work."

He continued, "That little brat was right, I’ve turned myself into a work machine, working all day, knowing nothing but power schemes, with no personal time left. Even when it comes to women, I can’t choose as I please."

The servant was a bit flustered; she hadn’t expected Mr. Wang to say these things to her. This, this, Mr. Wang’s private affairs were not something she dared to comment on. After weighing it over and over, she only dared to feign ignorance and say: "That little brat was talking about Ms. Anxi."

She then muttered to herself in a pretending-to-not-understand way: "Speaking of which, Ms. Anxi hasn’t been here for quite some time. She used to love the meals I made, always having two bowls of rice."

Mentioning this made King Jingyao smile slightly and then say: "You believe her nonsense; she always speaks compliments whether it’s to a person or a ghost, saying everyone’s cooking is the best."

The servant feigned surprise: "Really! I always saw Ms. Anxi enjoying her meals heartily."

"That little rascal, always knows how to charm people." King Jingyao took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.

The servant cautiously asked: "Then why hasn’t she come recently?"

King Jingyao’s fingers trembled slightly as he squinted at her, "Miss her? If you miss her, just call her. She’ll definitely come for the food, and possibly even search through my study for something."

The servant laughed: "How could I have that privilege, Mr. Wang, you’re joking. In fact, if Mr. Wang misses Ms. Anxi, you could also make the call, Ms. Anxi would definitely come for the food."

King Jingyao was almost choked with anger, glared at her, picked up his jacket, and went upstairs.

The servant called from downstairs: "Sir, you haven’t had your milk yet."

"Not drinking it." King Jingyao slowly went upstairs, responding grumpily.

He went upstairs, took a shower, and then sat in the living room. With nothing much to do, he grabbed a magazine to read, though somewhat distractedly.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from the courtyard. He was a bit surprised; who could be visiting so late?

He walked to the terrace and leaned over the railing to look down. It was a white sports car parked in the courtyard, a car he recognized as Lin Hua’s.

He was surprised that Lin Hua came here so late.

Even shocked.

Lin Hua was born into a family of artists and had always been the epitome of a proper lady from a young age, never crossing the line, let alone visiting at such a late hour.

He silently watched below, seeing the servants already stepping over to talk to her. The servant seemed quite troubled, and he could vaguely hear something about him possibly already being asleep.

King Jingyao called from above, "Lin Hua, come on up."

He then instructed the servants, "Bring two cups of hot milk up."

Even in the dark, he could tell Lin Hua’s face didn’t look well.

The servant was startled but then respectfully said, "Ms. Lin, please go on up first; the milk will be brought up shortly."

Lin Hua softly said thank you, and as she began to go upstairs, she raised her head to look at King Jingyao above. Across the darkness and distance, neither could see the other’s face or expressions clearly.

After about half a minute of silence, Lin Hua then lowered her eyes and slowly started climbing the stairs.

She had always been elegant, seeming more fragile and beautiful after losing some weight recently. King Jingyao watched silently for a while, wondering if he should change out of his bathrobe but ultimately decided against it.

The sound of Lin Hua’s footsteps grew closer, and only then did he move to the living room, just in time to encounter her.

The two exchanged a brief glance. King Jingyao thought to maintain his usual, well-practiced composure but found it too pretentious, so he dropped it, becoming quite informal: "Lin Hua, what brings you here so late?"

Lin Hua lowered her eyes slightly: "I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it? Have a seat and let’s talk." King Jingyao gestured for her to sit down. At that moment, the servant downstairs came up, bringing two cups of hot coffee, and thoughtfully included some snacks.

Once the servant left and closed the door, King Jingyao gently asked, "Is the Feng family giving you a hard time?"

Lin Hua shook her head: "No."

Being a man of affections, King Jingyao had always had a fondness for Lin Hua. Seeing her so pitiful now made him even more compassionate, making him speak even more softly, "If there’s something I can do for you, Lin Hua, just say it, I will make it happen."

Lin Hua’s eyes gazed directly at him.

Oh dear, her gaze made his heart pound. Why hadn’t he realized before how beautiful Lin Hua was? It wasn’t just her outward beauty but the kind that made a man feel heartache. Perhaps she had always been too dazzling, making him overlook that she too needed care, rather than him feeling compelled to entertain and protect her.

Having felt regret before, the feelings were more intense now that she came to him seeking help.

After he spoke, Lin Hua bit her lip, yet still took out a document and laid it on the coffee table, pushing it toward him.

King Jingyao looked at her, then smiled: "This is..."

He reached out to open it, glanced through it, and slowly closed the documents...

Lin Hua stared into his eyes, softly asking, "Mr. Wang, are you willing to help me with this favor?"

For someone of King Jingyao’s stature, he surprisingly didn’t answer directly. Instead, he lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke it, letting it burn at his fingertips for a while, and then said: "Lin Hua, this is an international case. Even for someone like me, it’s not something I can intervene in as I please. This time Feng Sheng got into trouble; I know it’s related to that case, that he has crossed paths with someone he shouldn’t have. But the Feng family will seek justice for him. I heard Feng Mian has taken over this case, hasn’t he?"

Lin Hua’s voice was hoarse, "Feng Mian has indeed taken over, but he can’t avenge Feng Sheng, nor can the Feng family. I’m left with no choice but to turn to Mr. Wang, as only you have the capacity to assist me."

King Jingyao leaned back on the sofa, under the lamplight, closely looking at the beauty before him, and after a long pause, he smiled, "Lin Hua, we’ve known each other for many years now, and you still call me Mr. Wang. You’re really putting me in a difficult position with such a big request."

The person she needed help with, someone from Italy, was a powerful figure, not someone who could be taken down easily. What Lin Hua wanted was to eliminate the person behind it all.

In saying this, Lin Hua understood, and she lowered her eyes: "I know my friendship with Mr. Wang isn’t strong enough, but it’s a bold move on my part." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

She truly appeared pitiful.

King Jingyao felt a mix of pity and frustration; how had she been so charmed by Feng Sheng in just a few days that she’d become like this once he was gone? What of him, then?

Despite his frustration, reason told him there was no point holding grudges against someone already departed. Besides, Lin Hua wasn’t his wife... Suddenly, King Jingyao was dumbfounded.

Wife...

The words of that little rascal echoed in his mind, saying even his own sacrifices were not spared. Instantly, countless thoughts whirred through his brain, each more perilous than the last.

He considered himself somewhat despicable for thinking such thoughts when Lin Hua was at her most vulnerable, yet he couldn’t help but continue justifying them to himself.

After all, both were unmarried.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chaoge had long been forgotten by him.

Though King Jingyao felt sympathy, he was no longer a spontaneous young man, past the age of recklessly acting for a beauty. He had too many concerns. The last time he made a decision, it ended in a fallout with his beloved little rascal, and now it was Lin Hua’s turn.

He knew that he could either help or not help with this matter, but if he didn’t help, he might lose face when reaching out to her in the future. However, if he did help...the cost would be significant.

King Jingyao was silent for a long time, and Lin Hua kept looking at him until he could bear it no longer, hoarsely saying, "Let me think about it; this isn’t a trivial matter."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang," Lin Hua softly replied.

King Jingyao chuckled, "What? Am I not worthy of being called Jingyao by you?"

Lin Hua’s lips moved slightly, yet in the end, she said nothing.

King Jingyao stood up, "It’s late, don’t go back; you can stay here for the night."

Upon saying that, Lin Hua was stunned.

Seeing her freeze, King Jingyao was taken aback too...