Chapter 31: The Second Most Talented Girl in Tokyo

Chapter 31: The Second Most Talented Woman in Tokyo

Before Li Qi arrived, he had emphasized to Uncle Wu Furong several times that he was going to handle a very important matter today. If Wu Furong were to see that this so-called important matter was just him lying here taking a nap, Li Qi truly wouldn’t know how to explain it.

Suddenly, he sprang up from the ground, shaking his head and looking around in every direction, but there wasn’t a single soul nearby—not even the woman in white could be seen. He gasped in shock. Could it be... am I seeing a ghost?

At that moment, a soft giggle came from behind a tree. “Why are you so nervous? I never expected you to be afraid of Uncle Wu.”

Li Qi’s head buzzed with a sudden jolt, his expression darkening instantly. Turning his head, he saw the woman in white step out from behind the tree, her voice cold as she asked, “Did Uncle Wu send you to spy on me?”

Her words clearly indicated she knew Li Qi, and that she was aware of his background.

As a young man striving in the 21st century, Li Qi valued his privacy highly. His bottom line for business partners was trust. If this woman had indeed been sent by Wu Furong, it meant that Wu Furong or Madam Qin didn’t trust him at all. Such a partnership was one Li Qi would rather forgo.

Seeing his grim expression, the woman in white was slightly taken aback and snorted, “I am not sent by Uncle Wu.”

“Then are you sent by Madam Qin?” Li Qi asked, puzzled.

She shook her head again, smiling gently at Li Qi and giving him two encouraging looks, urging him to keep guessing.

Li Qi was tired of this game of hide-and-seek and asked directly, “Then who exactly are you?”

The woman in white pursed her lips, smiling. “Do you really not recognize me?”

Li Qi didn’t have to think twice. He definitely hadn’t met her before, or else he wouldn’t have forgotten someone so beautiful. Testing her, he said, “Have I met you before?”

“How would I know?” she smiled slightly, then added, “But just yesterday, you personally praised this young lady for being kind, well-educated, gentle, and charming.”

Sweat! I haven’t even seen you before, so how could I have praised you? This is clearly a trick. Li Qi scowled. “Miss, is this something you’ve been telling yourself? I don’t recall praising you, and besides, I don’t have that kind of eloquence. When I compliment a woman, it’s just two words: beautiful and very beautiful.”

The woman in white chuckled softly. “I’m not as shameless as you. Do you remember around noon yesterday when a maid came to buy stinky tofu from you?”

“Noon?” Li Qi thought for a moment. “Yes, but there were two maids. I wonder if you’re the one—” Suddenly, realization dawned on him. He pointed at her and said, “Could you be that lady—oh no, Lady Bai?”

The woman in white nodded with a smile. She was Bai Qiannuo, known as the Second Most Talented Woman in Tokyo.

“So it’s Lady Bai! My apologies.” Li Qi quickly cupped his hands and smiled, but in his mind, he was already wondering why she had suddenly sought him out. Could it be because of yesterday’s matter? If so, that would be easy to deal with. If not—Li Qi suddenly recalled Bai Qiannuo’s previous assistance with the couplets for Jade Pavilion and was struck with urgency. This matter had to be clarified. He laughed awkwardly and said, “By the way, Lady Bai, that little maid named Xing’er yesterday—was she really your servant?”

Bai Qiannuo smiled, “Yes and no. It doesn’t seem to matter much to you, does it, Mr. Li?”

That was definitely sarcasm!

Li Qi forced a smile. “Lady Bai, what are you talking about? If I knew that little girl was sent by you, it wouldn’t just be a few pieces of stinky tofu—I’d even deliver them to you personally. If I’ve offended you in any way, please forgive me.”

“Don’t just say what you want to hear. I’m not buying it,” Bai Qiannuo rolled her eyes and said, “But you don’t need to worry. I didn’t come today because of that.”

Li Qi’s heart skipped a beat. He feigned curiosity and asked, “Then why did you come to see me—”

Bai Qiannuo frowned prettily and cut him off, “Who said I came to see you?”

“Uh, it’s just the two of us here. If you didn’t come for me, then why did you come all the way to this deserted place alone?” Li Qi clearly didn’t believe her.

“I went with my maid this morning to pick herbs in the grove up ahead,” Bai Qiannuo pointed to a dense forest not far away. “On the way back, I happened to see you lying here asleep, and I saw your fishing rod by the river, so I was curious and came to take a look.”

Originally, Bai Qiannuo didn’t want to explain to Li Qi, nor did she think it necessary. But having experienced Li Qi’s unpredictable thoughts, she worried that if she didn’t clarify, who knew what shameless things he might say next. So she decided to make it clear—after all, the innocent have nothing to fear.

“I see,” Li Qi glanced behind Bai Qiannuo and asked, “By the way, what about your maid?”

Knowing Li Qi still didn’t believe her, Bai Qiannuo continued, “Someone is waiting for these herbs, so I asked her to deliver them first. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Oh, Lady Bai, you’re too formal. Even if I didn’t trust my own parents, I wouldn’t doubt you. By the way, who’s waiting for these herbs? Don’t misunderstand, I’m just asking out of concern, nothing else. If you don’t want to say, that’s fine too.” Seeing Bai Qiannuo’s pale face and trembling body, Li Qi realized she wasn’t acting. If she were, he would have given up and felt relieved.

How could there be such shameless people in this world? Bai Qiannuo forcibly suppressed the urge to turn and leave and said, “Alright, I’ve told you everything you wanted to know. Aren’t you going to answer my question?”

“My question?” Li Qi scratched his head. “What question?”

“Why are you here right now?” Bai Qiannuo pronounced each word distinctly, thinking Li Qi was pretending not to understand. But this time, he really didn’t get it.

“Oh, that question. Of course, I’m here to—fish!” Li Qi said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise, Lady Bai, where do you think I should be?”

“Fishing? What kind of fish do you plan to catch?” Bai Qiannuo glanced at him sideways.

Li Qi laughed heartily. “Lady Bai, I didn’t expect you to be beautiful and witty. This river has at least seven or eight kinds of fish. How would I know which one will bite? That’s something I can’t plan.”

Bai Qiannuo gave him a meaningful look and said softly, “From the installment payments to the promise of a thousand strings of cash, to the now well-known stinky tofu—every step has been calculated precisely. I believe a calculating person like you, Mr. Li, wouldn’t casually cast a fishing line unless you already knew a fish would bite.”

After she finished speaking, Li Qi was frozen like a statue, staring blankly at her.

(End of chapter)