Chapter 570 - 585: You Won’t Do

An Ning and Jiang Xia went to the police station to cooperate with the investigation.

After a thorough investigation, it was confirmed that the agent was indeed unaware. However, the property-selling gang, led by Brother Li, had already defrauded people of hundreds of thousands of yuan.

They used vacant private houses, forged property deeds, and faked stories about needing to sell quickly due to high expenses for going abroad, tricking many buyers.

Of course, an accomplice at the property exchange office had also been a great help to them.

Following the arrests, Brother Li’s entire criminal gang was rounded up. The female agent stood at the scene, stunned, unable to believe any of it was real.

She had, after all, worked with this Brother Li several times.

This meant that the previous buyers had no right to live in the houses they had purchased and could even be evicted. The agent felt like her world was crashing down; her reputation in this industry was ruined.

An Ning and Jiang Xia also worked through the night to check on the properties in their names. Fortunately, they were both still secure, likely because the prices were too high to be sold off quickly.

After they had mostly finished tidying up the small courtyard house, Jiang Xia used a hand-pulled flatbed cart to move An Ning’s luggage over. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t drive, but a cart was more convenient in the narrow alley.

An Ning even got herself an electric scooter, which was very convenient for getting around the neighborhood.

「One week later」

Yin Xuemei started showing pregnancy symptoms.

An Ning could only feel thankful that she had arrived a little early, because no one had expected Yin Xuemei’s pregnancy symptom not to be nausea or discomfort, but hypersomnia.

To what extent? Out of twenty-four hours in a day, she could sleep for twenty-one of them. The remaining three hours were reserved for meals.

An Ning and An Guoming took turns staying with Yin Xuemei, ensuring she was never home alone.

「Two weeks later」

An Ning had to attend a banquet on behalf of Green Land.

A women’s silk blouse paired with flowing trousers and a pair of slender but not-too-high heels accentuated An Ning’s tall, graceful figure.

An Guoming looked at An Ning, then at the pile of gowns she had rejected, a pang of regret in his heart.

’My little sister, when did she get so beautiful!’

’How many boars must be out there trying to root up this prize cabbage!’

’And most importantly, what on earth is that fool Jiang Xia so busy with!’

He saw him coming and going every day, yet their relationship hadn’t progressed one bit.

Now changed, An Ning was putting on her jewelry and watched An Guoming’s shifting expressions in the mirror.

"Second Brother, you don’t need to be so nervous. I won’t mess things up."

"Huh? No, that’s not it. Your brother trusts you."

An Guoming seemed to have found an opening for a chat. He sat down on a chair, feigning casualness, and asked nonchalantly, "Little sister, is there anyone you like?"

The pearl in An Ning’s palm nearly shattered.

"Second Brother—"

"An Ning!"

The fool Jiang Xia had arrived. An Guoming looked at the entering Jiang Xia with an expression of pure exasperation, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Second Brother An, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that everything happens for a reason."

Jiang Xia watched blankly as An Guoming left. He turned to ask An Ning what was going on, only to be met with the sight of a formally dressed, beautiful An Ning.

"You look... different."

"A good different?"

"Definitely. Ready to go?"

Jiang Xia made an inviting gesture. An Ning followed, watching his perfectly proportioned figure from behind. ’The grass by my own burrow is getting more and more handsome.’

She hadn’t noticed it before, but now she felt that Jiang Xia’s aura and even his clothes were different.

Each lost in their own thoughts, the two of them got into the car.

Today’s banquet had nothing to do with Jiang Xia, but he had volunteered to be An Ning’s driver and escort to help her, as she wasn’t very familiar with the company’s dealings.

At the entrance of the five-star hotel, Jiang Xia handed the car keys to the valet and, like a gentleman, escorted An Ning into the hotel on his arm.

A golden invitation was taken by the staff at the door, who politely ushered the two inside.

Today’s banquet was a celebration for those within the agricultural industry chain. But calling it a celebration was just a pretense; it was really a platform for insiders to network, get to know each other, and drum up business.

The higher-ups provide the platform; how you use it is your own business.

The combination of An Ning and Jiang Xia was conspicuously young.

The moment they walked into the banquet, they were sized up by many people, who were all trying to place them.

’Who are these two?’

Some people found Jiang Xia familiar, but from the way he stood with An Ning, it was obvious the woman was the principal guest. This led many to dismiss any prominent figures they might associate with his name, failing to make the connection.

"Hello, I’m Zhang Feng, a representative from the Beidahuang Group."

Zhang Feng offered a business card. An Ning accepted it and returned one of her own, saying, "Hello, I’m An Ning, the person in charge of Green Land."

’Green Land? An Ning?’

"Your surname is An. Might I ask what your relationship is to An Guoming?"

"An Guoming is my second brother."

An Ning didn’t shy away from the question, and her voice wasn’t quiet. Many people overheard, and the news began to spread.

Before long, An Ning had collected quite a few business cards and had brief conversations with many people.

Green Land’s position was unique. It was on the sales end of the supply chain, but most of its products were self-produced and self-marketed.

After the networking period wound down, the dinner banquet began. An Ning was seated at a very important table.

Jiang Xia sat down with her. Most of the people around them were their seniors in the industry.

A CEO sitting next to An Ning, unable to hide his admiration for her, asked during the banquet in a seemingly offhand manner, "An Ning, do you have a boyfriend?"

That one question made both An Ning and Jiang Xia tense up for a moment.

An Ning: ’I can’t say I have one, but I also can’t make the grass by my burrow too wary.’

Jiang Xia: ’If she has one, should I just go hang myself?!’

"I don’t have a boyfriend."

"Is that so? You’re so beautiful and capable, there must be plenty of boys chasing after you."

An Ning looked up and replied very seriously, "Actually, no boys have ever pursued me."

As she said this, An Ning finally realized something. No boys had ever pursued her... just whose fault was that?

"How is that possible? You must just be saying that out of modesty."

"I really haven’t."

An Ning’s reply was very earnest, which suddenly made the CEO sitting across from her even more enthusiastic.

An Ning, sensing something, looked at the CEO and said bluntly, "You won’t do."

"Ah?"

Those words threw the CEO for a loop, and then he burst out laughing.

"You silly girl—honestly! What were you thinking? I wanted to introduce you to my son. He just got back from studying abroad and is slowly taking over my company. I thought you two could have a chat."

An Ning finally understood his intention, but...

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m not looking to date right now."

After saying this, An Ning gave him no room for hope and immediately changed the subject to something else.

Beside her, Jiang Xia’s emotions had gone from nervous to happy, then from happy back to nervous, and finally to a state of indescribable disappointment.

She said she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend.

Jiang Xia comforted himself with a thought: ’It’s okay if she doesn’t want one now. As long as I’m always here, maybe I’ll be her first choice on the day she finally decides she’s ready.’