However, Xu Yan didn't do that. Instead, she calmly waited for her to finish getting ready before preparing to leave. This shows that she still had a strong sense of justice and disdained doing such sneaky things.
“I asked Sister Anjing to bring some people up to help. You can leave these luggage to them. Can you go downstairs by yourself?” Xu Yan asked.
Zhou Luming blinked and said, "Going upstairs is not easy, but going downstairs is easy." After she went out, she sat down on the railing and slid down.
Xu Yan remained silent.
Isn't this railing dirty? As the two stepped onto the escalator to go downstairs, the escalator suddenly stopped, causing everyone on the escalator to gasp in surprise. The person on top tumbled down, and the person below also fell and lay sprawled on the ground.
Almost instantly, Zhou Luming pulled Xu Yan to her feet, and the two embraced, pressing her head against his chest as they rolled down together...
Chapter 23
===================
Zhou Luming didn't have much luggage, perhaps because she didn't plan to stay long, so she only brought her personal belongings. For her, the less she brought, the better, so as not to accidentally give herself away in front of the shrewd Xu Yan.
Because Zhou Luming had difficulty walking, Xu Yan arranged for her to stay in a guest room on the first floor. Zhou Luming knew that Xu Yan's secrets were hidden on the second floor, including that mysterious room with an extra electronic lock.
Apart from the bathroom and bedroom, Xu Yan's house is full of security cameras. It was thought that after Li Li's death, there would be no one to maintain this sophisticated and high-end equipment. However, Li Li's former senior, Wang Anjing, took over the job. Therefore, Wang Anjing often comes to Xu Yan's house as Xu Yan's technical advisor as an estate administrator.
A once sparsely populated residence suddenly became occupied by a beautiful woman named Zhou Luming, and a mature young woman named Wang Anjing frequently came and went. This made the security guard at the gate curious about what Ms. Xu from building 33 did for a living, and why all the women coming and going were beautiful and elegant ladies.
Could it be—
Is that what you do?
Xu Yan sat at the dining table, sipping hot coffee, with a slice of toast and a fried egg beside her. She had changed into formal attire, but as usual, she was wearing fluffy bunny slippers.
While drinking her coffee, she glanced at Zhou Luming's closed door out of the corner of her eye. She could see Zhou Luming's room from where she was sitting, so she knew whether Zhou Luming was already awake.
Actually, letting Zhou Luming stay here was partly to thank her for her glorious injury. Although Xu Yan didn't approve of certain traditional social interactions, she felt it was important to show some gratitude, so she decided to take care of Zhou Luming while she was spraining her ankle. On the other hand, having Zhou Luming under her watchful eye would prevent her from causing any bigger trouble. It was obvious that someone in the Zhou family wanted to deal with her, and she needed to continue observing her.
Taking a sip of warm coffee, Xu Yan felt her arrangements were exceptionally well-thought-out. However, she had also left an extremely cunning seaweed by her side. The reason she considered Zhou Luming a cunning seaweed was because while her appearance was as beautiful and soft as seaweed, she was actually cunning and treacherous, always smiling, but her smile concealed a dagger; she never knew what she was plotting.
However, Xu Yan felt that only someone with an innocent appearance but a cunning and treacherous heart could be Zhou Luming. She could play the fool and take advantage of the danger in the Zhou Group, a place fraught with crises. In the current situation, the enemy is in the dark while she is in the light. Being too high-profile would only make people wary.
From this perspective, Ms. Zhou Luming is very intelligent.
At this moment, Zhou Luming's door opened. She was wearing a thin silk nightgown with nothing underneath. A ray of light slanted in, revealing her graceful and voluptuous figure to Xu Yan.
But she herself looked sleepy and bewildered.
Although Xu Yan has lived abroad for a long time, she loves China's traditional culture. At this moment, the phrase "natural beauty without artifice" comes to mind.
Zhou Luming's face was without makeup, and she hadn't even washed her face. She was less charming and clever than usual, but at the same time, she looked like an innocent young girl, making it easy for people to feel affection for her.
Xu Yan repeatedly compared Zhou Luming's face before and after makeup in her mind and came to a conclusion: Miss Zhou's focus in makeup was on her eyebrows. Because her skin was naturally very good, fair with a rosy glow, red lips and white teeth, almost without any flaws. Only her eyebrows made her face look youthful and delicate when she wasn't wearing makeup, but when she went out, she would draw extra eyebrows to add a touch of heroism and sharpness, which changed her entire temperament.
Zhou Luming greeted him energetically, "Good morning, where's my breakfast?"
Xu Yan said, "In the kitchen, if it gets cold, I can heat it up myself."
Zhou Luming grinned, "You're so nice, you're the best boss in the world."
Xu Yan ignored her and continued enjoying her breakfast. She had only prepared breakfast for Zhou Luming on the spur of the moment; she still owed him a favor, so it wasn't anything to make a fuss about—it was just a necessary courtesy when entertaining a guest.
Zhou Luming was already used to Xu Yan's indifference, and skipped off to the bathroom to wash up. A while later, she came out refreshed and sat down next to Xu Yan.
"Mr. Xu, please do me a favor and bring out my breakfast. I'd also like a cup of coffee." Zhou Luming said coquettishly.
Xu Yan caught a faint scent emanating from her, perhaps her natural fragrance. He frowned slightly, quickly stood up, and headed towards the kitchen, actually going to heat up breakfast and make coffee for Zhou Luming.
Zhou Luming rested his chin on his hand behind the dining table, watching Xu Yan's profile in the kitchen, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Judging from Xu Yan's reaction, the plan to tease Xu Yan has a chance of success.
"Are you going out today?" Zhou Luming asked.
Xu Yan said, "Days off are for resting."
Zhou Luming glanced at the curtains, which remained tightly closed even in broad daylight. "Since it's a one-way window, why not open the curtains to let the sunlight in? Won't leaving the lights on all day waste electricity?"
“I’m happy to.” Xu Yan placed Zhou Luming’s breakfast in front of her, then immediately turned and walked away.
"Aren't you going to eat with me?" Zhou Luming asked.
"I've already finished eating." Xu Yan went upstairs. "Clean up your own dishes after you're done eating, and don't bother me."
Zhou Luming gave a disappointed "Oh," silently biting into his toast. At the same time, he was surprised to find that the fried egg sandwiched in the middle of the toast was actually runny. Xu Yan's cooking skills were quite good.
At this moment, Xu Yan was in the second-floor room filled with surveillance cameras. Looking up, he could see Zhou Luming eating, and looking down, he saw a pile of documents. The wall-mounted TV on the left was playing news on a loop, and the large screen on the right was displaying the market fluctuations of major motherboards.
She also manages the estates entrusted to her by clients, a task that requires constant vigilance. One of the responsibilities of an estate administrator is to protect the value of the estate before it is distributed, and to take measures, if necessary, to prevent its depreciation.
A message popped up on her phone from Wang Anjing: "How's the newly built monitoring system I gave you?"
Xu Yan replied, "Very good."
Wang Anjing: "I'm glad I can help you. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to work with you as well as Li Li."
Xu Yan: "Your abilities are no less than his, and this system is easier to operate than his."
Wang Anjing: "Thank you for your compliment. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'm always here to help."
Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, then typed back: "Sun Ren's car has an intelligent vehicle networking system. Can you hack into it?"
Wang Anjing: "Let me try. Do you want to access his driving records?"
Xu Yan: "Hmm, I want to know where he went and who he met."
The matter of the mall escalator cannot be left unresolved. Sun Ren is just a pawn; the real mastermind is still hiding behind the scenes. Xu Yan wants to follow the clues to find that person, and perhaps this will be an opportunity.
Wang Anjing: "Understood, I'll get back to you when it's done."
After discussing important matters with Wang Anjing, Xu Yan turned around to see what Zhou Luming was doing, only to find her sitting in the living room, turning on the TV to play a video, then spreading a yoga blanket on the floor and starting to do yoga.
The yoga clothes she changed into were form-fitting and showed off her waist. Even through the camera, you could clearly see the muscle lines on her waist and abdomen. They were not only free of excess fat, but also firm and well-proportioned.
Zhou Luming tied her long hair up in a bun. Her head was quite round, like a ball, which was very cute. Her neck was long and slender, and her posture was upright. She didn't look like a yoga novice, but rather like a professional yoga practitioner.
Xu Yan paused for a moment, but couldn't help but leave the room, rush downstairs, and stand on the stairs looking at Zhou Luming in the hall, saying, "You sprained your ankle, and you can still do yoga?"
Zhou Luming, who was warming up and stretching, said, "I don't move my feet, I just move my hands and twist my waist."
"That won't do either." Xu Yan planned to turn off the TV and let Zhou Luming go back to his room to lie down. But when she turned around and saw the pitiful Zhou Luming, her heart softened. "No yoga, no exercise, you can only sit or lie down. The doctor's order says: rest quietly."
Zhou Luming said miserably, "You don't keep me company, I'm so bored."
Xu Yan pulled out a few CDs and cartridges and asked, "Watch a movie or play games?"
Zhou Luming knew he couldn't rush things. "You can all stay here. I'll play by myself. But could you come down and keep me company when you're done with your work?"
Xu Yan replied indifferently, "I'm very busy."
"There's still one flight attendant we haven't visited after the Singapore Airlines incident. Shall we go to her house tomorrow?" Zhou Luming asked.
Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, but then thought that if Zhou Luming stayed at her house, who knows what she might do? It would be better to take her away and continue working.
"Okay, let's continue working tomorrow." Before going up the stairs, Xu Yan warned, "If you want to work normally tomorrow, I advise you to be quiet today and not do anything strange, so as not to hurt yourself again. Otherwise, it won't be considered a work injury and you won't get reimbursed."
"Understood, as you command." Zhou Luming suppressed her ulterior motives and decided to spend the day leisurely lounging around Xu Yan's house. There wasn't much she could do at Xu Yan's house anyway, and besides, the house was full of surveillance cameras. Looking at her phone's signal, Zhou Luming even suspected there were signal interception or eavesdropping devices. Wang Anjing's skills were top-notch; she was indeed very capable. She couldn't contact Q for the time being, but she would find an opportunity to report back to Q when she went out tomorrow.
Xu Yan's house and the area outside his door were like a fortress, and it was unclear who he was guarding against lurking in the shadows.
Chapter 24
===================
The only remaining flight attendant in the Singapore Airlines incident was Zheng Fangyuan, who was Chen Xiaowei's colleague. Unlike the others, she did not board Singapore Airlines and did not go missing.
After that incident, Zheng Fangyuan applied for a transfer from her flight attendant position to a ground handling job, where she usually worked at the flight window checking passengers in and out. As usual, Zheng Fangyuan was checking in and handling baggage for passengers about to board when two people appeared in front of her. One had a sweet smile on her face and was very pretty and friendly, while the other had a cold face and exuded an aura that was not easy to mess with.
Seeing the friendly girl leaning on a cane, Zheng Fangyuan assumed she was a passenger needing special assistance, so he said with a professional smile, "Please show your identification documents, and does this lady need any special care?"
The one using crutches was Zhou Luming, who had insisted on coming to the airport with Xu Yan. He smiled and replied, "We're not here to catch a flight; we're here to question you."
Xu Yan said, "We are investigators from an insurance company, and we need to ask you about some things."
When Zheng Fangyuan heard that it was someone from the insurance company, her expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and maintained her professional smile. "Sorry, I'm working right now, I don't have time." She waved to the next passenger to check in.
Zhou Luming took out two plane tickets and pointed to the luggage in the back several boxes as if by magic, "We also bought tickets for this flight, so we are your passengers. Also, I have a lot of luggage, so please handle it properly."
Zheng Fangyuan frowned. "According to regulations, we cannot check in this much luggage—"
Zhou Luming smiled and laid out the plane tickets in his hand. "But what if I had this many tickets?" The passengers behind him were almost all people they had hired.
This was Zhou Luming's idea, and Xu Yan was responsible for paying for it. Since the cost could be reimbursed by the insurance company, she didn't care.
Zheng Fangyuan asked helplessly, "Who exactly are you?"
An ordinary insurance company investigator wouldn't be so generous, which made her realize that the two people in front of her were not ordinary people.
Zhou Luming's eyes gleamed slyly. "We're just ordinary insurance company investigators."
Zheng Fangyuan sighed, had a colleague replace her, and led Xu Yan and Zhou Luming to the airport coffee shop. They found a corner seat. "What do you want to know? I missed the plane due to an accident, and then the plane crashed. Although I bought your insurance, I didn't claim it, and I'm not entitled to claim it, so it should have nothing to do with your company."
Zhou Luming enthusiastically ordered coffee for the three of them. She was mainly responsible for eating, drinking, listening, and taking notes, while Xu Yan was the most professional at asking questions.
Xu Yan asked, "Why didn't you board the plane back then?"
Zheng Fangyuan replied, "Because I wasn't feeling well that day, I had to ask Chen Xiaowei to go in my place."
Are you sick?
“You should understand what women go through. I was in so much pain I was rolling on the ground, unable to even straighten my back. Painkillers didn't help, so I asked Xiaowei to go in my place.” Zheng Fangyuan smiled bitterly. “But if I had known that flight would crash, I definitely wouldn't have asked Xiaowei to go in my place. It would have felt like I was sending her to her doom, and I would have felt so sorry for her—”
“That was an accident, no one could have predicted it.” Xu Yan stared into her eyes, not missing a single change. “But if you knew that plane would crash and still sent someone to take your place… then you would be the murderer, or an accomplice.”
Zhou Luming bit the straw and paused, not understanding what Xu Yan meant.
Sitting opposite Xu Yan, Zheng Fangyuan seemed taken aback by his words and retorted somewhat agitatedly, "How could I possibly know something like this would happen? I'm not a god! Xiaowei is my good friend, how could I let my friend die?!"
“I apologize for jumping to conclusions. I take back what I just said, but I’m afraid I need you to explain your relationship with the co-pilot,” Xu Yan said. “We’ve been to Singapore Airlines and have a lot of records from your colleagues and the company that prove your relationship with the co-pilot is not simple. Excuse my boldness, but are you two in a romantic relationship?”
Zhou Luming's eyes darted around before settling on Zheng Fangyuan's face opposite him. Zheng Fangyuan looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with great skin. Although she wasn't the type to be considered a beauty at first glance, she had regular features and a tall, well-proportioned figure, so she probably had quite a few suitors.
Xu Yan took out several photos and a schedule from the airline. "These are screenshots from the surveillance footage showing the two of you together. You often eat together in the airport restaurant, chatting and laughing, and your interactions are very intimate. It shouldn't be a relationship between ordinary male and female colleagues. Moreover, according to the schedule, you often work on the same flight. In addition, I asked the insurance employee who handled your insurance, and they said you came together when you bought the insurance. Apart from you being boyfriend and girlfriend, I can't think of any other reason why you would act so intimately."
"Glug—" A strange sound came from Zhou Luming's side. She had a straw in her mouth and, after hearing this gossip, she took a few big gulps of coffee in shock.