Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 51

The walls of the studio, connecting to the entire ceiling, were blackened by thick, rolling smoke, and the entire office area was burned beyond recognition.

Fortunately, the fire was discovered in time, preventing the flames from spreading uncontrollably. At this moment, the firefighters had packed up their gear and were leaving the scene one after another.

Ling Xi pushed and squeezed her way through the wall of onlookers. She frantically ran into the studio, the whirlwind at her feet stirring up dust from the fire retardant.

Without waiting for Xiao Mo to explain the situation, she ignored everyone’s attempts to stop her and rushed into the room specifically used to store clients’ collections.

Fortunately, the anti-theft door was made of reinforced, heavy-duty material, and the inside was spared from the fire’s impact.

Ling Xi tiptoed, leaning on the side of the cabinet. Her nervous and anxious expression finally eased after repeatedly checking the collections and ensuring none were damaged.

Saving these priceless treasures was like saving her life. The tightly strung nerve snapped, and all the delayed exhaustion surged up at once. Ling Xi weakly leaned against the wall, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.

Qiao Bo’er stood with her arms crossed, quietly observing the messy office area. Amidst the chaos, she smelled something suspicious. She then turned around, winked at Qu Ye, and signaled him to find out the cause as soon as possible.

Qu Ye nodded knowingly and discreetly left.

Walking to the door, seeing Ling Xi’s expression of relief after excessive anxiety, Qiao Bo’er also let out a sigh of relief.

“How could a fire just happen for no reason?” Ling Xi raised her voice, her questioning tone clearly laced with anger.

Xiao Mo put his hands on his hips and explained aggrievedly: “I temporarily don’t know where the source of the fire came from. We are still waiting for the fire department to investigate. But when I was leaving, I specifically turned off the main power and checked the office area before I left. How could this happen…”

The collections in this room were estimated to be worth at least several ‘small targets’ (a common Chinese term for a hundred million). Su Yunjin walked up to the two to mediate: “Ling Xi, calm down first. The problem isn’t Xiao Mo’s fault. It’s already a blessing in disguise that the clients’ collections weren’t affected.”

“Then how do you plan to proceed with your work?” The person who calmly took over the conversation was Qiao Bo’er. Her pointed question made the eyes of the three archaeology enthusiasts turn to her.

This question truly stumped the trio.

Su Yunjin, the brain of the operation, calmly made a judgment and replied: “Tomorrow, we will first gather the studio staff to take inventory of the documents and assess the losses. We need to quickly find a temporary office location. The autumn auction is approaching, and this situation is certainly troublesome.”

Qiao Bo’er’s smile was cunning. She raised her eyebrows and beckoned to Ling Xi: “Xi Xi, come here.”

This was the first time Qiao Bo’er had used Ling Xi’s double name, but Ling Xi was in no mood for joking or squabbling. She suppressed her emotions and walked closer, asking with a hostile tone: “What wicked idea are you thinking up now?”

The smile faded from Qiao Bo’er’s lips. She seemed to stand at the height of a savior, throwing out an olive branch with pity and sternly warning: “I advise you to adjust your attitude toward me. What I’m about to say is very important to your Xiaoyunxi Studio.”

Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin couldn’t deny that when a serious problem was placed before them, only this woman, with her powerful background, could provide the most direct and substantial help. Therefore, they remained silent.

“A while ago, one of your old clients, who was preparing to entrust their collection to your studio, ultimately gave it to another company. Mr. Xiao should be familiar with this matter, right? I won’t hide it—the competitor that the boss chose was Rongzhi Company, a subsidiary of Jiatie Group.”

Qiao Bo’er stated the facts in a calm, indifferent tone, which made the trio temporarily unsure whether she was friend or foe, and the atmosphere instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Qiao Bo’er unhurriedly found a chair and sat down, asking with an arrogant smile as she spread her hands: “Aren’t you curious why this happened?”

In Ling Xi’s eyes, although Qiao Bo’er was arrogant to the point of being unreasonable and her moods were unpredictable, she was kind-hearted at the end of the day, and at least she was gentle and caring towards her.

She silently turned her head to look at the reception room where they first met, recalling how she had walked around the seat Qiao Bo’er sat in, and an unintentional comment she made now proved to be true.

The shocking contrast between this crazy woman’s good and bad sides once again disturbed Ling Xi’s heart.

A rare cold glint appeared in her eyes. In an instant, she seemed like a different person, with an unprecedentedly steady demeanor: “Why did you do that?”

Faced with Ling Xi’s hostile questioning, the magnificent, jewel-like pupils slightly contracted. Qiao Bo’er stared intently at her face, then sneered and began to explain the reason: “The afternoon you slapped me, I specifically went to Rongzhi Company for a meeting and conducted a detailed background check on you three archaeology enthusiasts. My temper was flaring at the time, so I proposed to the Rongzhi senior management the idea of either merging with or dissolving Xiaoyunxi Studio.

So, Rongzhi Company quickly intercepted the business from that boss, as a warning to you. In fact, just this small incident shows that you are experts in your profession, but business management is your Achilles’ heel.

So, have you ever considered that perhaps this incident today was deliberately caused by someone? Never mind, let’s talk about something else.

Mr. Xiao and Ms. Su are smart people; they should be able to tell that I am very fond of Ling Xi. During this time, I have tried everything to get close to her, and I have gained a deep understanding of the person she is now. If she encounters trouble, I will naturally help her with everything I have.

Jiatie Plaza can provide a brand-new office location for the studio. If needed, I can also mobilize people from Rongzhi Company to help you quickly resolve document-related issues.

Please rest assured, all of this is free of charge. I only have one small request: please do not hinder my pursuit of Ling Xi, and Ling Xi must listen to me and not make me angry.”

After hearing Qiao Bo’er’s words, the first person to lose his temper was Xiao Mo. He smashed his fist fiercely onto the door, then angrily roared: “You have capital, and you think you’re great, talking about maliciously stealing clients as if it’s a matter of course, and now you’re acting all high and mighty as a savior.

Qiao Bo’er, do you think that by offering us help when we’re in trouble, we will be tearfully grateful to you?

The more you act like this, the less we will agree to you being with Ling Xi. Relationships are her business; she can do whatever she wants, and it shouldn’t be put on the table as a bargaining chip!

What’s more, bringing up your meddling at this critical moment makes it very difficult for me not to suspect you have something to do with this fire.”

Qiao Bo’er pursed her lips, staring straight at Xiao Mo. It turned out this man wasn’t as honest and timid as she had imagined. But judging by his unfounded suspicion, he was still foolish.

Su Yunjin stood with her arms crossed, silent for a moment. Compared to Xiao Mo, her statement was very calm: “Ms. Qiao, I think it’s inappropriate for you to stay here right now. Even if we need outside help, this isn’t the way to negotiate. Why don’t you leave first?”

Having been given the boot, Qiao Bo’er stood up. Before leaving, she once again took out her business card and quietly placed it on the chair, saying confidently: “You will definitely need my help.”

Xiao Mo didn’t want to see this scheming woman for a second longer, and he shouted angrily: “Get lost!”

After hearing Qiao Bo’er’s words and seeing Xiao Mo’s rare outburst of temper, Ling Xi had not yet stated her position. She just clenched her fists, unsure of how to deal with the tense situation at hand.

A feeling that was difficult to describe arose in her heart, like a trapped, ferocious beast wanting to burst out of her chest and annihilate everything in front of her.

This feeling was neither anger nor sorrow; it suddenly swept over every nerve in Ling Xi, and it was also like being fitted with a crushing, tightening spell. The explosive impact was a pain that tightened more and more.

Thud. It was the dull sound made when a body hits the floor.

“Ling Xi…”

“Ling Xi!”

Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin simultaneously looked down at the ground, calling out in shock in unison.

Qiao Bo’er looked back at the sound. Ling Xi was sprawled on the ground, motionless.

In that instant, her pupils violently trembled, and the anxiety in her heart almost screamed out.

Rushing to Ling Xi without hesitation, Qiao Bo’er frantically pushed Xiao Mo away. She cradled Ling Xi’s head in her arms, carefully checking her face for injuries from the fall.

The trembling fingertips and the immense heartache in her expression were noticed by Su Yunjin. This small detail shook her perception of Qiao Bo’er.

“120… What are you waiting for? Call 120!” Qiao Bo’er looked up and shouted at the two.

Only then did Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin manage to regain a shred of composure from their panic, and they both took out their phones to call for help.

Ling Xi’s face was buried in Qiao Bo’er’s arms, and her pale complexion made it hard for anyone not to worry.

Qiao Bo’er suppressed her emotions from fluctuating too greatly, just continuously shaking her head. She couldn’t… she couldn’t let herself reach a state of frantic despair at this moment.

“You don’t understand… You simply don’t understand how important she is to me…” Qiao Bo’er wailed hysterically and helplessly—it was the helplessness of being unable to save the one she loved.

The unfounded accusation left Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin stunned. They couldn’t comprehend why Ling Xi made this woman so deeply infatuated.

Qu Ye drove far away from the city center until he reached a large factory building in a suburban development zone, where he finally stopped the car.

The overgrown outdoor parking lot was filled with various rugged off-road vehicles and motorcycles.

The only entrance and exit to the factory building were secured by heavy-duty, bulletproof double doors. Inside, the sounds of punching sandbags and sparring shouts continuously echoed.

Qu Ye walked to the closed doors, took out an access card from his suit jacket lining, and smoothly swiped it. The mechanism of the double doors activated and slowly opened.

The factory building was fully equipped with fitness facilities. Looking across the space, there was a vast crowd of tall, muscular men each doing their own exercises. The entire air was filled with the distinct smell of male hormones.

The woman standing in the second-floor corridor was now leisurely resting her hands on the iron railing, holding a can of beer, creating a sharp contrast with the world downstairs.

The woman’s full forehead line smoothly transitioned to a high, straight nose bridge. Beneath her sharp eyebrows were a pair of phoenix eyes whose keen edges were hard to hide, with a profound depth that concealed unfathomable thoughts.

Her shoulder-length short hair was loosely tied into a half-ponytail, naturally revealing her long, slender neck. The bangs across her forehead were also casually styled, adding a relaxed beauty.

Her white shirt was tucked into impeccably pressed, wrinkle-free trousers, highlighting her tall frame. A leather-textured shoulder holster strap was worn over her shoulder.

The tight strap emphasized her upright posture and her inverted triangle physique with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Her height, close to 180cm, combined with an aura of imposing strength and menace, created a presence that commanded awe and fear.

“Nan Cen, I temporarily need your help to investigate something. It’s urgent.”

Taking a sip of beer, Ji Nancen leaned lazily against the railing. Hearing Qu Ye state his purpose, she half-closed her eyes and teased: “Coming over so late, has your difficult-to-serve boss gone crazy again?”

“No choice. I dare not delay the boss’s orders.” Hearing Qu Ye’s reply, a greedy light flashed in Ji Nancen’s eyes, and she immediately waved her hand in refusal: “I never work overtime, unless…”

As she dragged out the end of her sentence, Qu Ye naturally understood her meaning and immediately pulled a thick stack of bills from his inner pocket: “It’s nothing more than asking for more money, easy to discuss… I came prepared.”

Ji Nancen took the money and fanned it a few times in her hand, a look of pleasure appearing on her face, indicating that she was very satisfied with the thickness of the bills.

She didn’t even need to count. This naturally money-loving woman could discern the price Qu Ye was offering just by weighing it in her hand.

She raised her eyebrows and readily accepted the impromptu task, saying with a smile: “As long as the money is right, anything can be discussed. But… I don’t do murder, arson, or anything illegal.”

“If murder and arson were needed, the boss would just send Zanda out. This matter is simply important, and we don’t want to involve acquaintances, which is why I sought you out.”

Tapping the bills a few times in her palm, Ji Nancen nodded knowingly: “Honestly, even though your boss is annoying when she has a fit, she’s never stingy when it comes to paying. As long as she’s generous, you can find me anytime. Come on inside, let’s talk in detail.”

Saying this, Ji Nancen took another sip of beer and led Qu Ye toward her office.

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