Chapter Eleven: Deserved Fate

"Alright! I'll go get ready then!" Ruan Mianmian agreed immediately, and Ah Kuan went off to prepare the car for their outing.

Ruan Mianmian put on a little floral dress in the signature Chanel style—this summer’s hottest item. All these clothes had been arranged by Old Zhang, since she had arrived with nothing but the clothes on her back.

"I didn’t expect Old Zhang to have such good taste, and the fit is perfect too—it’s as if it was custom-made for me."

Standing before the mirror, Ruan Mianmian twirled to examine herself. The floral dress was youthful and fashionable, its fabric and cut exuding quality. It was the perfect choice for this time of year—eye-catching and lovely.

If Old Zhang could have heard Ruan Mianmian’s compliment, he would have grinned from ear to ear. But these clothes hadn’t been chosen by him at all; they came from someone in their household... someone who could not be named.

Of course, Ruan Mianmian had no idea where the dress really came from; she was content simply to wear it.

When she went downstairs and saw the imposing Range Rover waiting for her, she was instantly dumbfounded. She was supposed to be sneaking back today, not parading through the streets for all to see.

She looked up at Ah Kuan, who was now dressed in a sharp black suit, his face expressionless behind a pair of cool, opaque sunglasses. He did look every bit the bodyguard.

"Couldn’t we be a bit more discreet? Can’t we take a different car?" she asked, trying to negotiate.

To her surprise, Ah Kuan was momentarily stunned, then said awkwardly, "Miss Ruan, this is the most low-key car in the garage."

Well then, she supposed her standards were too modest.

Ruan Mianmian nodded and got into the car without another word.

But what she hadn’t expected was that the interior was even more lavish, enough to make anyone gasp. Though the Ruan family’s assets were in the tens of millions, judging by this display, it seemed they couldn’t even compare to a tenth—no, perhaps not even a hundredth—of Jiang Ce’s wealth.

She quietly withdrew her gaze and settled into the back seat. Ah Kuan got in as well, buckled his seatbelt, and then she saw him take out a small round object, which he clipped up front, facing her.

"What’s that?" she asked.

Without missing a beat, Ah Kuan replied, "It’s a tracker. Butler Zhang was worried, so he specifically instructed me to use it."

So that was it. Ruan Mianmian nodded without pressing further.

On the other end, where the video feed was received, laughter erupted as soon as Ah Kuan told that calm lie.

Shen Qing, pointing at the monitor in front of him, laughed, "That Ah Kuan is getting clever—calling a camera a tracker! I have to hand it to him."

He fell silent immediately as a cold, oppressive gaze swept over from beside him.

Jiang Ce frowned as he watched the lively, yet still rather pale, face on the monitor. She had lost even more weight these past days—she must have suffered quite a bit under Jian Yanzhi.

Shen Qing glanced over quietly at Jiang Ce’s unwavering stare and smirked to himself. For all his words about indifference and not caring, it was clear his heart was not in agreement. He only hoped Miss Ruan wouldn’t disappoint the boss again.

...

By now, Ruan Mianmian’s car had started and was slowly leaving Starfish Bay. Though it was in the city center, the area was private villas, so there were few buildings nearby, lending the place a sense of seclusion and remoteness, as if on the outskirts.

After driving for a while, traffic and buildings gradually increased.

"Miss Ruan, is there something you want to buy at the mall? I can handle these errands for you. You don’t need to go out with your injuries," Ah Kuan asked.

Ruan Mianmian had told Old Zhang she was going to the mall, not that she was heading to Jian Yanzhi’s company, so Ah Kuan had misunderstood.

But now that she was out, and with Ah Kuan accompanying her, there was no need for deception. She answered directly, "Not the mall. We’re going to Hanhai Group."

"Hanhai Group?" Ah Kuan’s voice betrayed his shock. He glanced nervously at the so-called “tracker,” feeling on edge.

Ruan Mianmian, absorbed in her phone, didn’t notice his nervousness and simply nodded, "Yes."

Ah Kuan watched the road, but inwardly he was feeling increasingly uneasy. He knew exactly what Hanhai Group represented—it was the company of their boss’s nemesis, Jian Yanzhi! And given Ruan Mianmian’s ambiguous past with Jian Yanzhi, his discomfort only deepened.

He could only pray the boss hadn’t caught that little exchange through the camera, or he would be doomed.

But fate was unkind—Jiang Ce had been glued to the monitor, not missing a single expression on Ruan Mianmian’s face, let alone her words.

Shen Qing, seeing Jiang Ce’s face darken, was at a loss for what to say.

"Boss, perhaps Miss Ruan has other business. You shouldn’t take it to heart," he ventured.

Jiang Ce pressed his lips together, silent, but the air around him seemed to chill instantly.

Then Ah Kuan’s voice came again through the monitor as he asked, "Miss Ruan, are you planning to see Jian..."

He didn’t finish the name, but Ruan Mianmian understood.

"More or less," she said, nodding without hesitation.

Ah Kuan took a deep breath. Though the car’s air conditioning was on, he was sweating as if the boss were sitting right beside him.

But really, with the camera there, what difference did it make?

Ruan Mianmian added, "But I’m not going just to see him. There’s something I need to take care of."

Ah Kuan realized he might be able to guide her into explaining a little more, so the boss wouldn’t be too disheartened.

"Is there something you need help with, Miss Ruan? Some trouble you’ve run into?"

Ruan Mianmian, hearing his question, looked up and saw Ah Kuan’s obviously guilty expression in the rearview mirror. She smiled slightly. "That’s a secret!"

The car fell silent. Bored, Ruan Mianmian put her phone back in her bag and glanced around at the car’s interior again.

It was clear this vehicle was brand new, with no signs of previous use—probably one Jiang Ce rarely drove.

Thinking back, Ruan Mianmian realized she actually knew very little about Jiang Ce. Her mind was filled with memories of Jian Yanzhi.

So even though she had read this novel, her knowledge of Jiang Ce was from an omniscient perspective, not her own. In her personal experience, Jiang Ce hardly featured at all.

In that moment, Ruan Mianmian felt as if she deserved the predicament she found herself in.