Chapter 141: An Awkward Night

Carrying Bai Muqing on his back, Zhang Mingyang finally arrived at his front door.

"I'm exhausted!"

Unable to fish out his keys, Zhang Mingyang had to punch in the password on the digital lock: "202020."

*Thud!*

The door swung open, and Zhang Mingyang hurried into the bedroom, dumping Bai Muqing straight onto the bed.

"Ouch, my lower back!"

He stretched his back, dragged Bai Muqing up onto the pillow, and pulled the blanket over her.

As he stepped out, he pulled the bedroom door shut behind him. Walking into the living room, he switched on the lights and collapsed onto the sofa. "This is bliss!"

Lying on the sofa, he glanced at the time—it was only seven in the evening.

*Snort... snort...!*

The sound of snoring drifted from the bedroom. "Good grief! A young lady snoring this loud?" He shook his head, utterly speechless.

Seeing that it was still early, he turned on the television, lowered the volume, and began browsing the latest news.

*Special Report: Mr. Nie Zihao, Chairman of the Northern Group, has officially been discharged from the hospital. Five days ago, he was ambushed three kilometers away from the Northern Group's headquarters. All members of his accompanying motorcade were killed in action, and the terrorists who orchestrated the attack were subsequently eliminated in a follow-up operation. Police are currently investigating the motives and organizations behind the conspiracy...*

"Chairman Nie has been discharged?"

Zhang Mingyang hadn't expected him to recover so quickly. He had been so caught up in his university project over the past few days that he almost forgot to ask Senior Brother Tian about Jin Yaowen's status.

He quickly retrieved his communicator and dialed Senior Brother Tian's number.

*Beep... beep...!*

"Hello? Junior brother, how are your injuries?"

Tian Wenyuan jumped straight into asking about Zhang Mingyang's health. "I'm mostly recovered, Senior Brother. Are you at the base right now?"

Tian Wenyuan replied, "I am. The base has been extremely busy these past few days. Old Peng and I are working overtime every single day."

"Really? Is it because of Jin Yaowen?"

"Yes and no." Tian Wenyuan began to vent his grievances to Zhang Mingyang. "The day before yesterday, the base pushed forward with the construction schedule for the *Energy*, and the entire base has been working overtime for it. To make matters worse, Jin Yaowen has been locked up in the base as well. Between running back and forth, your Senior Brother Peng and I are worked to the bone."

"Jin Yaowen has been locked up in the base?"

Zhang Mingyang quickly asked, "Senior Brother, why would Jin Yaowen be imprisoned at the base?"

Tian Wenyuan answered, "There's a fallout shelter beneath our base, originally constructed to withstand nuclear strikes. The Director deemed it secure and solid, so he had Jin Yaowen locked away down there."

"Senior Brother, how do they plan to deal with Jin Yaowen?"

Hearing this, Tian Wenyuan suddenly lowered his voice. "Junior Brother, you have no idea. Jin Yaowen was interrogated the very same day he was locked up. But he's tight-lipped and refuses to say a word. The interrogators sent from higher-ups have exhausted every possible method, yet he still won't crack. Even the Director went down yesterday, but he still wouldn't say anything."

"That's strange..."

Zhang Mingyang couldn't wrap his head around it. If Jin Yaowen wasn't going to say anything at all, why did he surrender voluntarily in the first place? Given the circumstances at the time, he could easily have slipped away, yet he chose not to.

Hearing the silence on the other end of the communicator, Tian Wenyuan immediately guessed what Zhang Mingyang was thinking. He replied, "We've considered everything you're thinking about, Junior Brother. Yesterday, Old Peng and I even discussed it—do you think he just got sick and tired of running and decided getting caught was the end of it?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

Zhang Mingyang said with absolute certainty, "Senior Brother, I understand the situation back then. He ordered his subordinates to evacuate first, and from my conversation with him, I am entirely convinced that he let himself be captured on purpose. Who knows what other hidden agenda he might have?"

"A hidden agenda?"

Tian Wenyuan pondered for a moment. "He's been locked inside the most secure prison there is. Could he possibly escape from that?"

"Hard to say!"

Zhang Mingyang had a lingering gut feeling that the matter was far from simple.

"Zhang Mingyang, get over here right now!" Bai Muqing suddenly woke up and shouted from the bedroom.

"Good grief! Whose voice is that, Junior Brother? Is that Bai Muqing? Did the two of you sleep together?"

Tian Wenyuan rattled off three questions in a row, completely catching him off guard. He hadn't expected Bai Muqing to wake up at this exact moment, and he hurriedly replied, "Senior Brother, don't jump to conclusions. Bai Muqing is just drunk today, and I only just dragged her back."

"I understand! I understand!"

Tian Wenyuan chuckled knowingly. "No need to explain, Junior Brother! Once she's drunk, it's much easier to make your move; I get it! I won't keep you any longer, I'm afraid I might ruin your romantic evening. I'll hang up now, I'll catch up with you tomorrow if anything comes up."

"Senior Brother, what on earth are you thinking? It's not like that at all!" Zhang Mingyang tried his utmost to explain, feeling so anxious he could practically tear his hair out.

*Beep... beep... beep!*

"He hung up? He actually hung up?" Zhang Mingyang froze. "This is bad! Once Senior Brother Tian finds out, he'll definitely tell Senior Brother Peng. And once Senior Brother Peng knows, everyone at the base will know! Won't I become a public target the day I return to the base?"

"Zhang Mingyang, get your ass over here!" Bai Muqing yelled again.

"Coming!"

*Forget it, I can't worry about that right now. I have to deal with the person right in front of me first.*

He scrambled up from the sofa and bolted into the bedroom.

"What the!"

The moment he stepped through the door, Zhang Mingyang was dumbfounded. Bai Muqing had actually stripped off her dress and was standing there in just her underwear.

Blushing fiercely, he covered his eyes with his hands and stammered, "Uhm, can you put some clothes on?"

"Clothes?"

Bai Muqing glanced down at herself. "Aren't I wearing clothes?"

"Looks like she's still completely out of it."

Keeping one hand over his eyes, Zhang Mingyang pointed a finger at himself. "I mean put your dress back on."

"No way!"

Bai Muqing giggled at him, swaying as she began walking unsteadily toward Zhang Mingyang. "I'm going to throw up."

With his eyes covered, Zhang Mingyang couldn't see her and failed to notice her approaching him. "Put your clothes on first, and I'll take you to the bathroom."

"I'm going to throw up."

Stumbling forward, Bai Muqing closed the distance to Zhang Mingyang, and as her vision blurred, she launched herself right at him.

"Whoa—!"

The sudden impact knocked him flat on his back. Right before hitting the floor, Zhang Mingyang instinctively cushioned her fall with his own body so she wouldn't get hurt.

"Ouch!"

Before Zhang Mingyang even had a chance to register the pain in his back, Bai Muqing's little lips clamped down onto his cheek.

"Ow! Ow, ow!"

He hurriedly pushed her face away. "Are you part dog or something? Why are you biting my cheek?"

Zhang Mingyang quickly felt his face, only to find a neat row of teeth marks pressed into his skin. "Unbelievable! She actually left bite marks!"

"I'm going to throw up!"

Bai Muqing made gagging noises right against Zhang Mingyang's face, looking as though she was about to vomit at any second.

"Don't you dare!"

Panicking, Zhang Mingyang shoved Bai Muqing away, leaped to his feet, and hauled her into the bathroom.

*Blech...* Bai Muqing vomited.

"Crap!"

Smelling the odor, Zhang Mingyang squeezed his eyes shut with a grimace—he was about to throw up too.

"You didn't even eat anything today, how can you throw up this much?"

*Blech...* Bai Muqing threw up again.

"I can't take this anymore!"

"Ah, much better!" After throwing up, Bai Muqing wiped her mouth, looked back at Zhang Mingyang, and puckered her lips. "Kiss me!"

"I... Ugh—!"

He threw up too.