Chapter 792
Chapter 792
Two hours later, Ning Ran and Ruan Anxi arrived at a teahouse in the city.
Just like always, they ordered food from the neighboring restaurant.
No sooner had they taken their seats than Nan Chen arrived.
He was only let in after Ruan Anxi gave the okay.
Upon scrutinizing Nan Chen, Ruan Anxi was awed by how outstanding the former was.
“You are worthy of Ning Ran.”
His strange comment made it sound like he was helping Ning Ran choose a partner in a matchmaking session.
At that, words eluded both Nan Chen and Ning Ran.
“Why do you want to see my grandfather? You can come with me to Flower City to meet him, or I can convey to him in verbatim whatever you have to say,” Nan Chen remarked coldly.
Ruan Anxi poured a cup of tea for Nan Chen. “Are you trying to keep me in Flower City by force?”
“No. There's no bad blood between us. All this happened because of a woman called Ding Fei,” Nan Chen explained.
However, Ruan Anxi didn't respond to the revelation.
“Ding Fei is a wicked person and is using you,” Ning Ran interjected.
“I'm not a good person either. Moreover, I'm using her too, as she is my servant.”
Ning Ran was once again at a loss for words, for there was nothing appropriate she could think of to say.
Ruan Anxi was a wicked person after all, and it wasn't unreasonable for him to be in league with Ding Fei.
“In that case, why do you want to see my grandfather?” Nan Chen insisted on learning the reason.
Nevertheless, Ruan Anxi answered candidly, “I'm not going to tell you.”
“In that case, what are your plans? Are you coming back to Flower City with me or not?”
“We'll part ways once we finish this meal. If anything happens to me before I leave the country, I won't tell you how you can neutralize the poison in Ning Ran's body. You might be thinking that with the advances in modern medicine, you'll be able to treat her once you know what sort of poison it is. That would be a mistake on your part. One of my subordinates who was poisoned fled overseas with my money. Despite traveling through many developed countries and seeking the help of various specialists, he still failed to cure himself. Therefore, you shouldn't have too much faith in modern medicine. The research on cures for any disease is a time-consuming process where even ten years is considered too short a time. Therefore, you do not have the luxury of waiting. No one else but me can save her.”
Ruan Anxi spoke in a weak yet calm voice.
With his pale and sickly look, one could sense the air of death around him.
That was the reason Nan Chen and Ning Ran didn't doubt his words at all.
For someone physically weak like him to become the most powerful figure in South East Aploth's underworld, he had to be extremely shrewd and ruthless. Otherwise, he would have already died a
thousand times over.
“You'll leave the country safely, for this time at least,” Nan Chen replied.
“I know. You're not someone who will give up on your woman. Also, you're a sharp one, and I like interacting with smart people,” Ruan Anxi commented with a smile.
“As for your mother, I didn't kidnap her. It was a lie I concocted to scare you. In fact, I don't even know where she is. Your subordinate was the one who informed me about baked sweet potatoes being her favorite food,” Nan Chen added.
“I know,” Ruan Anxi promptly responded.
He then continued, “That's why we're even this time. Let's challenge each other when we cross paths again.”
Nan Chen waved his hand to indicate his lack of desire to do so.
To him, they were not the same kind of people, and there was no point in trying to attrit each other pointlessly.
Both of them had their respective advantages and individual strengths.
Even Nan Chen wasn't confident of securing a victory against someone as crafty as Ruan Anxi.
If the latter were to be cornered, there was little one could do if he chose to make a suicidal attack.
The two kinds of people who were the most difficult to deal with were those who were shameless and those who weren't afraid of death.
Between the two, those who didn't fear death were the worst.
Unfortunately, Ruan Anxi was not only the second kind but also wielded significant power and resources.
From Nan Chen's perspective, it was just like going against someone who couldn't be reasoned with at all.
Therefore, keeping the peace was the best choice he had.
At that moment, the dishes were finally served, but Nan Chen didn't dare touch them for fear of being poisoned.
If that were to happen, he would be put in a disadvantageous position.
Looking at Nan Chen's untouched tea cup, Ruan Anxi let out an insidious laugh.
As someone who was already poisoned, Ning Ran didn't share the same concern.
She began to eat without qualms since she was hungry and the food was delicious.
When Ruan Anxi saw how Ning Ran was enjoying her food, he was equally delighted.
Given his inability to enjoy good food due to his weak constitution, he would derive a sense of satisfaction from someone else relishing in their food.
“I encountered Ding Fei inside a dense forest. Back then, she had been attacked by venomous insects, and her face had decayed beyond the point of recognition. After she pleaded with me to take her in, I managed to cure her facial wounds. I'm sure you're aware that I'm a pretty competent doctor too. In spite of that, her vanity drove her to demand plastic surgery. Hence, I personally operated on her, treating her as a test subject. Even though I attended classes on plastic surgery, my practical experience was limited. That said, the results exceeded my expectations as I succeeded in turning her into an entirely different person. I'm truly a talented doctor, don't you think?”
Ruan Anxi was pleased with himself as he told that story.
After all, Ding Fei was considered one of his works of art which he was proud of.
Ning Ran nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes, you're an amazing doctor indeed. Did Ding Fei tell you that it was I who harmed her?”
“Yes. She said that you were her sister, and you harmed her for the sake of taking her man away from her. She also hoped that I would help her return to Flower City so that she could exact her revenge. To be honest, I couldn't be bothered by your grudges, but my interest was piqued when she offered to provide me with money laundering avenues. Since she was both my servant and my artwork, it wasn't a big deal for me to support her in her endeavors. However, the fact that she did things behind my back upset me. That was why I decided to destroy her.” ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Ning Ran nodded in response.
“In that case, do you want to hear the truth? I didn't harm her at all. It was she who was out to hurt me.”
Ruan Anxi put down his chopsticks. “I can tell. It's obvious to me that both of you are very different people. Through the time I've spent with you, I'm certain you're not someone who will hurt your own sister. Therefore, Ding Fei is clearly lying. That said, it doesn't matter to me whether she was harboring ill intentions. What I can't forgive is her going behind my back.”
As Ning Ran and Ruan Anxi chatted happily, Nan Chen couldn't interrupt and wasn't going to do so either.
Although he was a man of few words, the sight of the two hitting it off unsettled him somehow.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for his discomfort other than just disliking the fact that Ning Ran was talking too much with another man.
“All right then, it's time we take our leave. Going forward, we'll stay out of each other's way, how about that?” Nan Chen got to his feet.
To make Nan Chen say such words was in itself an achievement, for it wasn't easy for him to do so.
However, his desire to protect his family from the demon in front of him outweighed all his other concerns.
If Ruan Anxi set his eye on them for some reason, it would be nothing but trouble.
“We'll see about that,” Ruan Anxi replied flatly.
He had no desire to forget Ning Ran just like that.
Instead, he hoped to see her again if he had the chance, for he was intrigued by her.
Although the world was littered with pretty ladies, those who were beautiful and interesting at the same time were considered a rarity.