Chapter 120 – Not Even Calling Me Daddy Will Help

“Brother Huang, the paint over here is a bit uneven~”

“Where? Oh, got it, I’ll fix it right away…”

“Master Li, the skirting board’s crooked~”

“Oh, once it dries it’ll be fine.”

“Brother Wang…”

The entire morning, Jiang Ning was busy running around in the store at Times Plaza.

Upstairs, downstairs.

From outside to inside.

Busy to the point she was practically bouncing on her heels.

At first, the renovation workers liked this pretty girl well enough.

But after being subjected to her nitpicky, obsessive attention to detail—

Even the most seasoned of them started to show signs of irritation, clearly holding back what they really wanted to say.

Just like that, the morning flew by.

Right as the workers were about to take their lunch break,

Suddenly, the curtain at the door was lifted, and several people came walking in, each carrying one or two packed meals.

“Lunch is here~!”

Zhou Xian called out, waving at the renovation crew.

“From Lion Pavilion.”

“You guys are in for a treat…”

The workers were dumbfounded.

It wasn’t like they’d never been treated to meals before.

But it was usually just fast food or some generic boxed lunch.

Not once had it been from a well-known restaurant.

Yet this time?

The client had gone all out and ordered food that was on par with a four-star hotel.

The crew couldn’t help but feel flattered and a bit overwhelmed.

At that moment—

Another person came in, walking briskly while carrying a bag.

She approached Jiang Ning and handed her a carton of cigarettes from the bag.

Miss Jiang took the cigarettes, handed them to Zhou Xian with a bright smile, and said:

“Once the workers have eaten, hand these out to them.”

“Consider it my apology for bothering all you master craftsmen this morning.”

As soon as she said that,

The workers who had just taken their food looked completely flustered, waving their hands repeatedly to say it wasn’t necessary.

But Jiang Ning paid them no mind.

After giving the cigarettes to Zhou Xian and saying goodbye, she left the shop with Wang Jianguo.

The moment they stepped outside,

Breathing in the fresh air, Jiang Ning took a deep, satisfying breath.

“Ah—”

She let out a sigh, then turned to look at the girl next to her with the suspicious expression.

“What do you want for lunch? My treat.”

“Why did you give them so many perks?”

“Cold-skin noodles stir-fried, maybe? I know a really good place nearby!”

“Boss! I’m talking to you!”

“Geez, little girls these days, so many questions.” Jiang Ning’s tone was full of mock annoyance.

But Wang Jianguo wasn’t letting up, still staring at her like she wanted answers.

With no choice,

Jiang Ning explained as they walked.

After a while, Wang Jianguo finally nodded in understanding, then looked at Jiang Ning with a curious expression.

“Boss~ you’re only 18, right? How do you know all this?”

“Seventeen, actually. Why else would I send you to buy cigarettes for me?” Jiang Ning replied, holding out her hand to the girl.

“Lunch was 360, the cigarettes were 135, I gave you 500, you owe me 5.”

“Money. Fork it over!”

“Boss~~~”

“Not even calling me Daddy will help!”

A moment later,

The two girls wandered into a cozy little restaurant tucked in an alley behind the city center.

“Cozy” meaning: small, crowded, and not exactly the best environment.

Normally, Jiang Ning would avoid this kind of place.

But ever since she’d been reborn, maybe her mindset had changed.

She actually enjoyed these hole-in-the-wall joints now—seeking out the familiar taste of the past.

“Boss~ One cumin beef cold-skin noodle…”

“You?”

“Peanut sauce tossed noodles…”

“Huh, not getting the cold-skin noodles?”

Hearing that Wang Jianguo had only ordered tossed noodles, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but persuade:

“The cold-skin noodles here are really good. Want to try?”

In the end, under Jiang Ning’s convincing, Wang Jianguo also ordered a plain cold-skin noodle.

Then the two of them found a seat by the window.

“Thanks for your help these past couple of days.”

“No big deal. I’m just a worker. I get paid, I get the job done.”

Hearing that, Jiang Ning smiled, pulled two napkins from the dispenser on the table, handed one to Wang Jianguo, and began wiping down the table.

“When are you leaving?”

“Not sure~ Might stay a few days. I’ve never been to Jiangzhou before~”

“Have you thought about staying longer?” Jiang Ning felt like this nosy little reporter had a personality that really clicked with hers, so she casually extended the invitation.

“Stay longer? To work for you?” Wang Jianguo lifted her chin.

“Boss, I’m expensive!”

Just then, their cold-skin noodles were brought over by a young waiter and placed in front of them.

“Enjoy…”

“Thanks.”

Wang Jianguo responded politely, but noticed the waiter’s eyes were all on Jiang Ning.

She pouted instantly.

Once the waiter left, she suddenly said:

“Boss, do you not have any friends?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ning had just picked up her chopsticks. She looked confused by the question.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so pretty. Being around you would make most people feel super insecure.”

At that,

Jiang Ning rolled her eyes, pulled her hair back with the scrunchie on her wrist, and tied it up.

As her smooth, delicate face and fine features were fully revealed,

Everyone around—men and women alike—

Had their eyes drawn to her in that moment.

But she didn’t seem to notice at all and just dug in with her chopsticks.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

No image to uphold whatsoever.

Wang Jianguo was momentarily stunned, then started eating as well.

First bite.

Tasted good.

Second bite.

Pretty solid.

Third bite.

This is amazing…

Like discovering a whole new world, Wang Jianguo polished off her bowl in just a few mouthfuls.

Then, she looked at Miss Jiang with a pitiful expression in her eyes.

Half an hour later—

Wang Jianguo walked out of the shop alongside Jiang Ning, clutching her stomach in frustration.

“I overate again. Ugh, so annoying…”

——————

February 19th.

Monday.

The sky was overcast and grey.

There was not a trace of sunlight to be seen.

Such was the norm in early spring—intermittent showers, fleeting sunshine.

The greenery of trees, shrubs, and grass was beginning to peek through.

Early in the morning—

Hua Mingqiang was already seated by the side of a wild pond, leisurely fishing.

He had discovered this wild pond not too long ago.

There were plenty of fish here, mostly grass carp and silver carp.

Last time, due to time constraints, he had only managed to catch a dozen or so catties before heading home.

This time—

Hua Mingqiang deliberately freed up his schedule and arrived early in the morning.

After spreading out the bait he’d prepared in advance, he sat calmly by the riverside.

While admiring the natural scenery, he waited for signs of life in the pond.

Half an hour later—

Sensing that the time was about right, Hua Mingqiang turned off his phone and took up his fishing rod.

He hooked the bait.

Cast the line.

The moment the bobber floated to the surface, a wave of indescribable joy rose within him.

But as time ticked by—

No matter how long he waited, as the day crept toward noon, not a single fish took the bait.

That pleasant mood of his gradually evaporated.

Skunked.

It was a word that filled Hua Mingqiang with shame.

A man who prided himself on his angling prowess—

Could not accept going home without so much as a minnow.

So even though lunchtime had passed—

He remained rooted on his small folding stool.

Suddenly—

The float on the water twitched.

Hua Mingqiang instantly held his breath.

His eyes locked onto the float, watching intently for the next sign of movement.

When the float trembled a few more times and then suddenly plunged downward—

Hua Mingqiang sprang into action.

Gripping the rod tightly, he gave a steady upward tug.

As soon as he felt the tug of resistance beneath the rod—

A gleam lit up in his eyes.

A big one!

And then—

His movements became even more cautious.

Pulling slowly, steadily.

Finally—

When the splashes of water appeared in his field of vision—

Hua Mingqiang excitedly began hauling it in.

As he dragged the large fish slowly toward the shore and reached down to scoop it up with his hand net—

Suddenly.

He felt his footing slip.

His body tilted forward uncontrollably.

On reflex, he let go of the fishing rod and planted his hands on the ground to stop himself from tumbling into the water.

But the fish, now free of any restraint, gave a few powerful splashes—And disappeared from his sight.

In that moment—Hua Mingqiang was filled with overwhelming fury.

Then—He turned back to glare at the culprit.

It was a pale green plastic bag, with three bold characters printed clearly across it: “Shi Ning Ji.”

Ten minutes later—Hua Mingqiang was back in his car.

He pulled out his phone.

Powered it on.

Found Li Guang’s number.

Dialed.

But the moment the call connected—

Before Hua Mingqiang could say a word—The sentence that came from the other end made his heart sink instantly.

“Mingqiang, something’s wrong!”

“The promotion review for Second-in-Command has been halted!”

(End of Chapter)