Chapter 1317
I didn't mean to
"I... I didn't mean to!"
As if burned, Luo Fei abruptly threw the things in his hands back into the shopping bag, the movement so large that he almost jumped off the sofa, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"I just... I accidentally bumped my arm, and then... I don't know how it happened..."
He tried to explain incoherently, feeling like he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Jiang Qinqin stared intently at him, her chest heaving, clearly not believing his story. What normal person would "accidentally" pull a pair of women's underwear precisely from a shopping bag?!
Several seconds later, she suddenly turned around, her voice filled with suppressed embarrassment and anger.
"I...I'm going to take a shower!"
After saying that, she practically rushed back to the sofa, grabbed the bag containing the underwear, along with several other shopping bags, and hurried into the guest room bathroom with her head down.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and the sound of it being locked could be clearly heard!
Luo Fei stared at the closed bathroom door, slumped back onto the sofa, and rubbed his temples in frustration.
This is it. In Jiang Qinqin's mind, his image has probably completely changed from a "reliable protector" to a "perverted rogue with special fetishes."
Just as he was feeling conflicted and unsure how to defuse the awkward situation, his phone rang. It was a video call request from Chen Xuanran.
Luo Fei took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and pressed the answer button.
Chen Xuanran's gentle smile appeared on the screen, with her at home in the background.
"Honey, where are you? Are you done with your work?"
Chen Xuanran asked.
"Things are a bit complicated in Kyoto, so I may have to stay for a few more days."
Luo Fei tried his best to make his tone sound normal.
Chen Xuanran, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the environment behind Luo Fei was unusually luxurious.
"Huh? You're in a hotel? It looks so luxurious."
"Yes, the presidential suite at the Langpu Excelle costs over 60,000 per night."
Luo Fei did not hide anything.
"More than 60,000?!"
Chen Xuanran's eyes widened in surprise.
"You're staying in such an expensive hotel on a business trip? Isn't that over budget?"
Luo Fei gave a wry smile and explained.
"Special circumstances. This time, I'm temporarily acting as a 'bodyguard for Zhongnanhai' to protect an important figure—Jiang Qinqin, the heiress of the Zhiyun Group."
Her father was Jiang Tiansheng, a victim of the Xuanyuan 816 air disaster.
She's a key figure now; if something happens to her, the plane crash investigation will be even harder. I just arrived in Shenzhen and found her when someone tried to kill her, so I had to bring her to Beijing for protection.
"You're protecting her all by yourself?"
Chen Xuanran frowned slightly.
"Otherwise what? We can't protect her bodyguards too, can we? These days, even the people around her aren't necessarily reliable."
Luo Fei said helplessly.
"Oh……"
Chen Xuanran nodded thoughtfully, then asked casually.
"And... what about Miss Jiang? What is she doing now?"
Luo Fei glanced subconsciously at the closed bathroom door of the guest room and answered honestly.
She's taking a shower.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
Immediately, Chen Xuanran's voice remained gentle, but carried a subtle, almost imperceptible meaning.
"Our Luo Fei is really amazing; he can even be a bodyguard for the daughter of a trillionaire."
She paused, her voice softening even more, yet it felt like a feather gently tickling Luo Fei's heart.
"Go home early after you've finished your business. The baby in my belly and I are waiting for you at home."
Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood the warning and admonition in Chen Xuanran's words.
She was telling him not to forget that he was about to become a father.
He couldn't help but recall the incident where Tianji's sister's underwear went missing. He had gone to great lengths to explain it clearly, so it seemed that Chen Xuanran's "trust" in him wasn't 100%.
"I know, don't worry, I'll go back as soon as there's any progress here."
Luo Fei quickly assured him.
After chatting about everyday things for a few more minutes, Chen Xuanran hung up the video call.
Luo Fei put down his phone and let out a long sigh.
Before the awkward misunderstanding on this side could be cleared up, the "boss" at home started to worry again. It's really a headache.
To distract himself and get down to business, he took out his phone, opened the detailed information about the sixteen "super second-generation" individuals sent by the staff of the Divine Bow Bureau, and began to carefully read through it.
According to available information, after the Tianji Group disbanded, the former members returned to society and, relying on their own abilities and the character honed by that special experience, most of them have done quite well.
Some have become well-known entrepreneurs with a net worth of hundreds of millions.
Some people have become experts and scholars in a certain field.
Others opted for a relatively ordinary but stable life.
Although the Divine Bow Bureau continuously monitors them, as long as they do not abuse their superpowers or expose their special abilities to the outside world, causing social unrest, the Divine Bow Bureau will turn a blind eye, after all, they have made contributions to the country.
Luo Fei's gaze swept across the list, spotting names such as Long Yuxuan, Li Zihao, Xu Yaqing, Xu Yahan, and Zeng Yuanchen, followed by brief information about their parents and their current situations.
When he saw the name "Zeng Yuanchen", he paid special attention to the information about his father, "Zeng Liguo".
According to the records, Zeng Liguo was one of the less successful members of the Tianji Group back then. Now in his forties, he seems to still be struggling to make a living, doing ordinary odd jobs, which is in stark contrast to the other veteran members who have achieved great success.
Luo Fei noted this down; perhaps Zeng Liguo, or his son Zeng Yuanchen, would be a breakthrough.
He continued browsing the materials, his mind beginning to conceive of how to bring together this group of proud and talented "second-generation elites" to form a "Sky Team" capable of dealing with potentially more severe challenges in the future.
The immediate priority is to resolve the awkward situation with the young lady in the restroom.
In Jiangcheng, at Luo Fei and Chen Xuanran's home.
Chen Xuanran had just ended a video call with Luo Fei, and his face still showed a thoughtful expression, when the bedroom door was gently pushed open, and his sister Chen Hao walked in carrying a plate of cut fruit.
"Are you video chatting with Luo Fei?"
Chen Hao placed the fruit on the bedside table and casually asked.
"Ah."
Chen Xuanran nodded and picked up a piece of apple, taking small bites.
"Luo Fei hasn't come to visit in a while. My parents were talking about him the other day."
Chen Hao sat down to the side.
"Is he so busy lately? He hasn't even had time to visit his parents?"
Chen Xuanran sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness and a barely perceptible complaint. "Yeah, one mission after another. I was investigating that plane crash in Shenzhen, and now I've suddenly flown to Kyoto, and... I'm staying in a presidential suite with a rich heiress."
"Presidential Suite?"
Chen Hao raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Staying so luxuriously on a business trip?"
"They said it was to protect the daughter of the wealthy man who was killed in a plane crash."
Chen Xuanran explained.
"It's Jiang Tiansheng from Zhiyun Group. His daughter is also in danger now, and Luo Fei has to protect her closely."
Chen Hao frowned, her tone clearly showing disapproval and concern.
"Close protection? Just the two of them, a man and a woman alone?"
This...this is a bit inappropriate, isn't it? Luo Fei is really something, doesn't he know how to avoid suspicion?
"It's necessary for work, and it's also for safety reasons."
Chen Xuanran said this, but a complex look flashed in his eyes.
"Work is work, but we still need to pay attention to certain things!"
Chen Hao offered this advice, speaking from experience.
"Xuanran, it's not that I'm criticizing him, but Luo Fei's experience with women is anything but simple. You forgot, on your wedding day, there were over thirty girls sitting at his ex-girlfriends' table!"
Although he became much more restrained and honest after marrying you, a man's nature... you can't completely let your guard down!
She lowered her voice and gave an example.
"Like your brother-in-law, he seems honest, right? I recently discovered he was secretly contacting his ex-girlfriend from college using a secondary WeChat account! I caught him red-handed, and he finally shut up!"
Chen Xuanran paused for a moment, then asked softly.
"Sis, do you think... Luo Fei's needs in that area are quite strong?"
"Is that even a question?"
Chen Hao gave her a look that said, "You're too young."
"When you first got married, didn't he pester you every other day? I noticed that you sometimes didn't have any energy at work the next day."
Chen Xuanran blushed but did not deny it. In the early days of their marriage, Luo Fei was indeed very enthusiastic in that area, wanting to be intimate almost every night, and she sometimes couldn't resist.
"So... what about you now? After you got pregnant, did you still..."
Chen Hao asked tentatively.
Chen Xuanran shook his head, his voice even lower.
"Everyone online says it's best to avoid intercourse during the first two months of pregnancy, and we... haven't had sex for more than half a month."
"Oh dear! My silly little sister!"
Chen Hao slapped her thigh, her tone becoming serious.
"This is the most dangerous time! Men are all driven by their lower instincts. If they suppress their desires for too long, problems are bound to arise! Especially since Luo Fei is currently with a young and beautiful rich heiress, staying in a presidential suite. It's like dry wood meeting a raging fire... You'd better be careful!"
Chen Xuanran felt even more confused after what his sister said, and he clutched the hem of his clothes in a conflicted manner.
"Then... I can't exactly go to Kyoto now and keep an eye on him, can I? I'm pregnant..."
"No need for that."
Chen Hao leaned closer and offered her advice.
"You can video call him from time to time to check up on him! Especially at night! If he hesitates or doesn't answer, or takes a long time to connect and his words are incoherent, then there might really be a problem!"
Chen Xuanran frowned, feeling that this method was a bit too deliberate, as if it showed doubt and distrust towards Luo Fei, which she didn't like.
Not wanting to continue the topic, she changed the subject and asked...
"Sis, stop talking about me. How are you and your husband doing lately?"
When her family was mentioned, Chen Hao's face darkened and her tone became indifferent.
"What else can we do? The same as always."
"After the last hospital check-up, my brother-in-law... didn't say anything more, right?"
Chen Xuanran asked cautiously. Previously, her sister and brother-in-law had gone to the hospital for checkups because they couldn't conceive, but the results didn't seem ideal.
A hint of unease flashed across Chen Hao's face, and her tone became somewhat stiff.
"What can he say? It's not like I don't want to have children!"
Chen Xuanran observed his sister's expression, lowered his voice, and tentatively asked a question that had been buried in his heart for a long time.
"Sis... tell me the truth, before you married your husband... did you... have an abortion with another man?"
Chen seemed to have been stung by a scorpion; he suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with panic, and his voice abruptly rose in pitch.
"What nonsense are you talking about! That's not true!"
But Chen Xuanran did not miss her momentary panic and evasive gaze.
Chen Xuanran understood and didn't press the matter further. Instead, he sighed and offered a tactful reminder.
"Sis, I was just asking casually. But... Brother-in-law got a promotion and a raise, and his situation is much better than before. If he has any lingering thoughts about the past... sometimes you shouldn't be too harsh on him. Be a little softer."
Chen seemed to have been stepped on, and immediately raised his eyebrows, displaying a fierce yet cowardly demeanor.
"Do I need to be soft on him?"
What's he thinking? Hmph! Don't worry, your sister has plenty of ways to handle him! He's really gone too far!
Just then, Zhang Yong, the brother-in-law, called out impatiently from the living room. His tone was harsh and commanding.
"Chen Hao! Chen Hao! Where have you been? Hurry up and wash my socks that are soaking in the bathroom basin! They've been soaking for ages!"
"And one more thing! That 4090 graphics card I told you about, hurry up and buy it for me! The Black Myth is coming out on August 26th, and I'm looking forward to playing it on my new computer!"
"Let me tell you, if I don't see what I want by then, don't blame me for turning against you!"
"Let's not live like this anymore!"
This string of blunt, even threatening words clearly entered the bedroom.
The tough look on Chen Hao's face vanished instantly, replaced by an almost humble panic. She hurriedly responded loudly.
"They're here! They're here!"
"I'm going to wash it now! I'll go to the computer mall tomorrow... no, I'll go this afternoon to check out the graphics card!"
As she answered, she hurriedly stood up and forced an awkward smile at Chen Xuanran.
"Well... Xuanran, you wait here for a bit, I'll go wash your brother-in-law's socks..."
Watching her sister almost run away from the bedroom, and hearing her sister's cautious, ingratiating voice outside, Chen Xuanran sat alone on the bed, too shocked to recover for a long time.
She could hardly believe her ears and eyes! Her once domineering and assertive older sister had become so... submissive in front of her brother-in-law? Just because he got a promotion and a raise, and was making more money?
The contrast before and after is just too great! My brother-in-law has completely turned his life around and is now shaking it up!
Chen Xuanran felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, she felt sorry for her sister and felt it was unfair. On the other hand, she gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of reality and human nature.
She secretly resolved that in the future... she should try to bring Luo Fei back to her parents' home less often, so as not to be influenced by this bad trend.
She glanced down at her still-flat stomach. The doubts and unease she felt about Luo Fei, who was far away in Kyoto, stemming from her sister's words, seemed to have lessened somewhat with the more tangible reality of her family situation. However, a deeper, more complex emotion quietly lingered in her heart. (End of Chapter)