Xu Yan didn't know what to say.

Jiang Han looked at her for a while, with a smile at the corner of his mouth, and reached out to her, saying, "Take out your phone."

"Why do you want my phone?" Xu Yan asked, but she still took out her phone.

"Open WeChat and scan my QR code." Jiang Han opened his QR code and placed it in front of her. "For the sake of my coming here overnight, don't blacklist me."

They had added each other as friends on WeChat before, but after she left Canghai City, she never used this WeChat account again.

Hearing him say this, the driver in front turned around and glanced at Jiang Han. Was Jiang Han's late-night, long-distance rush to save a beautiful woman just wishful thinking after all?

Xu Yan had no choice but to scan Jiang Han's QR code. After adding him as a friend, Jiang Han put away his phone and said meaningfully, "I want to know how much Cheng Ji have given you to make you work so hard."

"It's like earning money and being fully committed to my work." Xu Yan turned her head to look at the window on the other side.

"Why did you return? And why did you join Meisi Group upon your return? You are aware that Meisi Group is a competitor of Xinlan Group." He pondered over this question for quite some time. The only plausible explanation he could think of was that she had impulsively left in a fit of anger, and then returned with the intention of seeking revenge on him, when she couldn't find any other resolution.

Looking at the shimmering lights outside the window, Xu Yan said in a low voice, "I am telling you that I'm short of money."

"Do you truly have no desire for vengeance against me?" Jiang Han sought reassurance once more.

"No, it's not worth my time to waste on seeking revenge against you." Xu Yan avoided looking at him.

Jiang Han found that asking this question was simply asking for humiliation. She didn't care about his existence at all.

The car descended into silence and the atmosphere became so stifling that they could hardly catch their breaths.

Xu Yan tried her best to lean to the other side of the seat. She was so close to him that she could smell his scent. It was something she was familiar with. It took her a long time to get out of the dilemma with him. She was determined not to fall back into it again.

Jiang Han fiddled with his phone. Judging by the sound, he should be casually browsing through a short video. After a while, he put the phone in front of Xu Yan and said softly, "You have become quite courageous."

Xu Yan looked down at the screen, which showcased the moment she bravely defended the three girls at the barbecue stall in the night market tonight in Hengshan City. She looked out of the window and remained silent.

Jiang Han continued, "Despite the presence of numerous spectators, those men have yet to step forward and defend the girls. However, you show no fear whatsoever."

"I didn't think too much about it at that time. I couldn't bear to see those girls being bullied." Xu Yan said lightly.

"You weren't like this before. You used to be stubborn, but you never sought to be the center of attention." Jiang Han concluded.

Xu Yan turned to look at him and sneered. "What you're saying is an ancient history. And by the way, you don't know about me. Why are you so blabbering? Does silence imply a death sentence for you?"

Jiang Han was at a loss for words on hearing this. She extremely disliked him.

The driver in front of them took up Jiang Han's refrain, "It will take more than three hours to reach Mingchuan City. I guess you two are tired. Why don't you take a rest first?"

Jiang Han said, "I'm fine. I've been sleeping for two or three hours."

Xu Yan retorted, "If you're not feeling sleepy, take a seat in the passenger seat. Make space for me to get a more comfortable sleep."

Jiang Han hesitated and called out to the driver, "Fellow, pull over to the side of the road for a moment."

The driver slowed down the speed and pulled over to the emergency lane. Jiang Han opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

Xu Yan didn't expect him to be so obedient. In the past, he was a domineering man. No one dared to disobey his orders. Even the connotations in his words, Xu Yan would carefully deliberate, striving to do things flawlessly.

The back seat was empty. Xu Yan wanted to sleep, but she was too embarrassed to lie on it. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the car window.

Jiang Han chatted to the driver, discussing the latter's experiences serving in the military. Xu Yan did not make a sound. She listened to them absentmindedly and fell asleep at some point.

When the car stopped, she woke up and asked in a daze, "Have we arrived at Mingchuan City yet?"

Jiang Han replied, "Not yet. The car is currently parked in the service area. Would you like to use the restroom?"

"Yes." she answered softly and then straightened herself. It was at that moment that she became aware of being enveloped in something. She reached out and realized that it appeared to be men's clothing.

Jiang Han got out of the car from the passenger seat and opened the door for her. He reminded her, "It's a little cold outside. Put on the clothes."

With the help of the light outside, Xu Yan discerned that it was Jiang Han's coat enveloping her.

Xu Yan handed him the coat and said, "Keep it yourself. I'm not cold. I also have a coat myself."

Jiang Han took it and put it on. He reached out to instruct her, "The bathroom is over there."

Xu Yan got out of the car and walked to the bathroom. After a few steps, she turned around and saw Jiang Han looking at her. She asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me?"

Jiang Han said frankly, "It's late at night in the wilderness. It's safer for you to have me keep a watchful eye on you."

Xu Yan was not used to such an approachable Jiang Han. She curled her lips and strode away, just hoping to vanish from his view as soon as she could.

When she returned to the car, the driver had already returned. The car started again and headed for Mingchuan City.

At six o'clock in the morning, the three of them arrived Mingchuan City. At this time, the sun had not yet risen. Mingchuan City remained slumbering. The streets lay deserted.

Because of the unpleasant experience in Hengshan City, Jiang Han Jiang Han was determined to stay in a top-notch hotel. Consequently, the driver took him to the Mingchuan Hotel, renowned as one of the scarce five-star establishments in the Mingchuan City.

Jiang Han reserved three rooms, one of which was for the driver. The driver had been driving throughout the entire night, so Jiang Han felt it necessary to ensure he had a comfortable rest before his departure.

Xu Yan took the room card and jokingly said, "The travel expense is going to exceed the limit."

Jiang Han had a sleepless night. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he had noticeable under-eye bags. He glanced at Xu Yan and said in an unfriendly tone, "Sleep with me. You can save on traveling expenses while applying more for reimbursement."

Xu Yan didn't expect him to say such shameless words. She hastened to check on the driver, but fortunately, he had gone far away and didn't hear what he said. She said fiercely, "If you dare to offend me verbally again, I will ruin you and Xinlan Group."

Jiang Han provokes, "You want to give it a try?"

Xu Yan threw the room card at him and was about to walk out. Jiang Han soon grabbed her hand and said, "What are you going to do?"

"I'll find another place to live. I feel sick when I see you." Xu Yan struggled to get rid of him.

"Stop messing around! Aren't you tired after such a night filled with troublesome events?" Jiang Han said.

"Apologize to me!" Xu Yan said angrily.

"I'm sorry!" Jiang Han said without hesitation.

It sounded insincere, but Jiang Han's reaction surprised Xu Yan. It was the first time that she had heard Jiang Han, who was always superior, apologize to her.

She stood rooted to the spot and forgot to struggle. Jiang Han took the opportunity to drag her into the elevator.

Jiang Han didn't think he had done anything wrong. During their time together in the past, there had been no shortage of intimate actions between them. He apologized because he didn't want Xu Yan to go anywhere else. He wanted to keep close contact with her, despite the presence of an elusive barrier separating them.

After entering the room, Xu Yan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with her eyes open, while recalling Jiang Han's apology. It was rare that he would apologize to her.

In the past, whenever he incited such anger in people that they were on the verge of collapse, he would arrogantly assume the facade of "I hold the ultimate truth." Obtaining an apology from him seemed as impossible as ascending to the sky itself.

Did he put on such an easy-going look merely to deceive and disorient her?

Meisi Group and Xinlan Group were competitors for the time being. While Cheng Ji held Qian Kun back in Canghai City, she visited distributors in other areas, putting Xinlan Group at a temporary disadvantage. Last night, when he was in Linjiang City, he was obviously on his way towards Mingchuan City. His intention was to pay a visit to the distributors in Mingchuan City prior to her arrival.

Xu Yan sneered and thought: so he was taking a risky move, trying to use the handsome man strategy to compete with her for the distributors?

No way!

After analyzing the current situation, Xu Yan had a plan in mind. She set the alarm clock on her phone to ten o'clock and forced herself to sleep.

When the alarm clock rang, she immediately got up and called Wu Hongchang, a distributor in Mingchuan City, to invite him to have lunch together at noon.

Wu Hongchang had known her before and asked in surprise, "Are you working in Meisi Group now?"

Xu Yan openly admitted, "Yes, I am currently a sales consultant at Meisi Group. It's been many years since we last met. Let's have a meal together and catch up, but let's not talk about work."

Wu Hongchang said happily, "Okay, where do you live? I'll pick you up at noon."

"You don't need to fetch me. Simply provide me with a location and I'll visit you."

Wu Hongchang told Xu Yan the name of a restaurant. Xu Yan got dressed, carefully applying light makeup before grabbing her bag and hailing a taxi.

Xu Yan had been waiting in the restaurant for over half an hour when Wu Hongchang finally made his appearance. He was several years older than Jiang Han and had been deeply involved in this industry for more than ten years.

As soon as they met, they chatted enthusiastically. First, they talked about their recent situation, then about the development of the industry. Finally, they talked about Meisi Group.

This was what Xu Yan wanted. How could two people in the same industry not talk about work when they met? It was a businessman's instinct to learn about the market trends earlier and make more money.

Wu Hongchang repeatedly gave a thumbs up and praised when he learned that she helped Meisi Group achieve a sales volume of 170 million yuan during the E-commerce Festival, "Young people's minds are truly remarkable. You have opened up new ideas through the Internet. I'm afraid I can't keep up with you in my whole life."

Xu Yan took the opportunity to say, "Mr. Wu, Meisi Group is determined to enhance the brand's influence in the future. If you develop deep collaboration with us, I believe your company performance will undoubtedly experience steady growth."

Wu Hongchang was a little hesitant. "But Xinlan Group has always remained a good reputation."

Xu Yan pursed her lips and said with a smile, "I admit that Xinlan Group has a good reputation, but they don't have any new growth points now. The market proportion of its brand has reached a peak, resulting in weak sales and an incapability to attract customers."

This truth was undeniable, and no one could refute it. Xu Yan then explained the latest distribution policy of Meisi Group to him. After listening, Wu Hongchang said that he would go back and carefully consider it.

Judging from his expression, he was most likely tempted by the distribution policy. Xu Yan did not continue to ask about his intention, as she understood that undertaking business required considerable patience.

When Jiang Han woke up, it was already half past twelve. He wanted to have lunch with Xu Yan, so he sent her a message on WeChat. "Are you awake? How about go and have lunch with me?"

When Xu Yan saw the message, she did not reply. Instead, she muted her phone and continued to chat with Wu Hongchang.

Jiang Han waited for a while, but he didn't receive a response from her. He speculated that she might still be asleep, hence refrained from sending further messages. He rose from bed, freshened up, dressed himself, and went to the dining room for dinner.

When he passed by Xu Yan's room, he wanted to knock the door and wake her up, but he finally put his hand down after thinking for a while. She could sleep a little longer while he could purchase a take-out meal for her.

Jiang Han enjoyed his meal at the restaurant and requested a take-out meal from the waiter. When he arrived at Xu Yan's room, he knocked on the door and said, "Get up and dine, Xu Yan."

No one responded to him. He felt a bit uneasy. Then he took out his mobile phone and made a video call, yet Xu Yan remained unresponsive. Worried that she might have another accident, he quickly called the room service and used a card to open the door.

He was stunned when he rushed in. Xu Yan's belongings remained, yet the room appeared deserted.