Those who hadn't managed to latch onto Su Ning only needed to rack their brains figuring out how to do so, but those who had already secured a connection with her had far more on their minds.
"Rest assured, those sneaky fellows have all been caught and are currently being interrogated in the questioning room. I guarantee you that within three days, we'll extract the name of the mastermind behind them."
"I will absolutely not let you be in the slightest bit of danger."
In truth, even without an interrogation, he pretty much knew who was behind it. But if he didn't go through this process, how could he demonstrate his deep concern for Miss Su?
Besides, the more difficult the matter appeared, the more it would highlight his capabilities.
He was also pondering how to embellish the confessions, so that those rivals who wanted to push him aside would lose a few points of favor before they even got to see her. It would be best if Miss Su only invested in him alone.
Jian Ren was multitasking.
While his mouth expressed loyalty, his mind was churning with several vicious schemes.
Yet, his face showed absolutely none of it.
The dark circles under his eyes, caused by days of running around, didn't detract from his image; instead, they added a touch of the charming vulnerability of a haggard beauty.
Su Ning genuinely appreciated this kind of beauty.
Even though she could guess that eight out of ten parts of this haggardness were intentionally displayed by Jian Ren to win her favor, it only made her like it more.
No wonder in palace drama shows, when the emperor knew his favorite concubine was putting on an act, not only would he not expose her, but he would also dote on her even more. After all, everything she did, whether good or bad, was aimed at making him happy.
Who wouldn't be fond of that and soften their heart?
On the other side, Jian Ren also felt Su Ning's gaze falling upon him. At first, he felt a bit uncomfortable, as the social climate of the time didn't see women being so bold.
Suddenly, another thought popped into his mind...
His thoughts drifted, and he couldn't help but raise his eyes to look at Su Ning.
Even when viewed with the most critical eye, one had to admit that Miss Su was a beauty. Her skin was soft and delicate, her figure tall and slender, and her features were extremely well-proportioned.
There was only one thing: although her demeanor was composed, it was a bit too cold.
Looking at her inspired awe and fear.
In the eyes of most men, this would be a flaw. It was fine for a woman to be proud and have a bit of temper; it could even be considered a sort of charm. But Su Ning was completely different.
She made people feel uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was the preciousness of being the only daughter of a wealthy family, perhaps it was the education she received when Mr. Su was alive, or more likely, it was the difference in her upbringing abroad.
In short, perhaps she hadn't even realized it herself, but the way she looked at people... regardless of gender, her gaze carried a mix of curiosity and condescension. Yes, condescension.
Jian Ren had once racked his brains but couldn't come up with a suitable description, until one day, while teasing his own pet, it suddenly dawned on him.
Right, it was exactly how he looked at his pet.
An absolute sense of superiority. He might feel tolerance, affection, or even annoyance due to the pet's actions, but he still wouldn't take them to heart.
If Su Ning had known, she would definitely have felt deeply wronged.
She was, after all, someone who had traveled back from a century in the future. How could she immediately immerse herself in the mindset of people from the Republic of China era? What was wrong with finding them novel and amusing?
Anyway, because of this.
Jian Ren previously hadn't developed any romantic feelings for Su Ning at all.
To tell the truth, he hadn't even treated Su Ning as a woman!
Did a wealthy patron and god of wealth have a gender?
But at this moment, he couldn't suppress the thought that was bubbling up in his mind. He was quite good-looking, and his position as the police chief was fairly secure. He could certainly be considered a promising young man.
Miss Su was also at a prime age.
If there was a chance...
His mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, calculating and weighing the possibilities, and then imagining how much support he would gain if he succeeded. His blood began to boil with excitement.
In his heart, he was feeling remorseful.
He should have brought a bouquet of flowers when he came.
Although fresh flowers in winter were hard to find and very expensive, and even he would have to expend a great deal of effort to get them, it would be worth it if it could make Su Ning feel even a tiny bit more favorably toward him.
He had just decided that once he got back, he would have someone look for fresh flowers, no, not just flowers, but any other precious and interesting trinkets. As long as Su Ning liked them...
Suddenly, a cold female voice reached his ears:
"It was your fault to begin with. Making up for your mistakes is one thing, but are you seriously coming before me to claim credit?"
What?
These words were like a thunderbolt, striking Jian Ren's brain into mush. When he first heard them, he thought there was something wrong with his ears, and he hurriedly raised his eyes to look at the person across from him.
He met a pair of deep, dark eyes.
Su Ning waited for three seconds. Seeing that he was still staring blankly, she frowned in dissatisfaction and impatiently tapped the table. "I remember an old Chinese saying: A skillful fighter makes no grand display of their merits."
"Could you really not guess that someone would come to spy on me? If you didn't, I would have to doubt your abilities. If you did, why didn't you arrange for people to guard me in advance?"
"Instead, you waited until suspicious people had been watching me for days before taking action."
"Like this, do you still expect me to praise you?"
After saying this, she chuckled softly, a hint of sarcasm and amusement revealing itself at the corners of her eyes and brows.
Watching Jian Ren's face turn ashen, while hearing the system's reward notifications popping up one after another in her ears, she thoroughly vented the displeasure that had been accumulating in her heart for days.
Su Ning's mood instantly became extremely relaxed and pleasant.
Venting her anger immediately and never letting it sit overnight was actually such an exhilarating experience.
She had long anticipated that after the newspapers were distributed, people would come to keep an eye on her. Whether their intentions were good or malicious, to her, they were all sources of hidden danger.
But what she hadn't expected was this.
These people actually hadn't disappeared from her sight at the very first moment?
Perhaps Jian Ren was indeed very busy. He had to train his subordinates, run errands for her all over the streets, and deal with all sorts of people trying to test the waters...
But Su Ning didn't want to consider that much.
Nor did she need to consider that much.
She thought coldly that giving him thirty thousand US dollars to save him from a desperate situation, and allowing him to use the opportunity of running errands to win over the hearts of everyone in the police department, was already more than enough.
Jian Ren should have done better, more flawlessly.
Failing to do so was a mistake!
......
He was indeed wrong.
Jian Ren felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him; his blood ran cold, his heart chilled, and his brain finally came back online.
Reacting swiftly, he didn't say anything to excuse himself. Instead, he deeply reviewed his mistakes and apologized to Su Ning, while also stating that from now on, he would leave ten elite men specifically to protect her.
He would absolutely never let the stalking incident happen again.
With great difficulty, he managed to satisfy Su Ning. Only when he breathed a sigh of relief did he realize that his back was drenched in sweat.
It was no wonder he was so nervous.
Just the people he knew who were eager to latch onto Miss Su numbered no less than twenty, and that wasn't even counting the petty thugs and the like whom he didn't even consider worthy of his attention!
The competition was incredibly fierce.
Jian Ren ruthlessly discarded all those thoughts he just had. He had truly lost his mind. A cold-hearted woman like Su Ning wouldn't give her all to help her husband even if she really got married.
She might even chew her husband up and spit him out.
Thinking like this, his mind started wandering again.
He didn't know what kind of family, or what kind of father, had raised her to have a personality so much like... a man's.
And not just any man, but the kind of ambitious, overbearing, arrogant, and ruthless men he frequently encountered in official circles.
On the other side.
The system detected Jian Ren's erratic heartbeat and reported it to its host in full detail, adding one more sentence:
"Before you held him accountable, his heart rate was rising steadily; he must have been thinking of something that made him very happy. After it abruptly stopped, his heartbeat became chaotic."
What it could not understand was this.
When Jian Ren's heart skipped a beat, it actually squeezed out a whopping reward of 500,000 points. Just how heavy of a blow had he suffered?
To think such a major villain could be so fragile.
Yikes...
Unlike the System, Su Ning quickly figured out the reason. She scoffed inwardly but did not make a fuss. After all, simply having thoughts was not a crime, not to mention he probably would not dare to harbor such thoughts ever again.
She silently praised the System for being so considerate.
Returning to reality, Su Ning looked at the fidgeting Jian Ren and offered a reassuring smile: "To err is human. As long as you recognize your mistakes and correct them, all is well. As your punishment, Director Jian, you can be my driver for today."
Jian Ren froze for a moment, then smiled and said:
"This is no punishment. It is my absolute honor to serve you, Miss Su."
"Where would you like to go?"
"To my uncle's house, but there is no rush." Su Ning waved her hand dismissively, sending someone ahead to notify them first. This would give the Su family and the surrounding plot characters ample time to prepare.
Who knows, this trip might just squeeze a considerable amount of rewards out of those plot characters once again.
