C34 She Was about to be Set

Shi Qian gazed at Shaang Sizhan with a vacant expression.

She knew him well; once he made up his mind about something, it was set in stone.

So it didn't matter what she said, whether she was willing or not.

Shaang Sizhan had made his decision about her.

After a brief pause, Shaang Sizhan gently patted Shi Qian's head and spoke again, "I have a business trip tomorrow. I'll be back in about three or four days.

Take this time to come to terms with this reality. If you try to avoid me when I return, I won't be so understanding."

Not so understanding!

But how exactly? Shi Qian didn't dare to ask.

Tonight was bound to be a night of restlessness.

She curled up on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.

A message popped up on an unreleased app on her phone.

[A, what have you been up to recently?]

This was the internal app of the Hacker Legion, exclusively for the use of its members.

Seven years ago, she had hacked into the U.S. security department. Following that, a member of the Hacker Legion approached her with an invitation to join, which she accepted impulsively.

Her code name was Ace of Spades.

She hadn't taken on many jobs in recent years, but the pay was substantial.

Those who sought the Hacker Legion's services were never short on cash.

The message was from Gui Mo, one of the core members of the Hacker Legion, a man known for his elusive presence.

Shi Qian tapped her response on the screen: [Hiding.]

Gui Mo: [Hiding? Did someone discover you?]

Shi Qian: [Almost, so I've decided to lay low for a while.]

Gui Mo: [Who is it? They must be pretty skilled to track you down!]

Who else could it be?

It was the elite team working for her formidable boss.

Mainly, it was because she had sent Shaang Sizhan confidential information on multiple occasions that they had started watching her.

But they were unaware that Ace had already joined the Hacker Legion.

Shi Qian reassured him, [Don't worry, there's no ill intent. I've already shaken them off.]

Gui Mo: [Oh, that's a relief. You disappeared for so long, I thought you might have run into trouble.]

Shi Qian declared, "Who dares to cause trouble for me?"

Gui Mo chuckled. "That's true. By the way, when will you come visit us at headquarters? We all miss you terribly."

Shi Qian replied, "I'll see how I feel."

Gui Mo fell silent.

Shi Qian smiled, her gaze drifting to the starry sky outside the window, lost in thought.

The next morning, Shaang Sizhan left on a business trip.

Shi Qian went for a run in the garden.

Baili Yi intentionally waited for her in the garden, then joined her for the run.

Shi Qian gave him a sidelong glance. "Why the sudden burst of energy today?"

Baili Yi grinned. "Qian, when did things start between you and Master Zhan? You didn't even tell me about something so significant. That's not very considerate."

"I don't even know when it began. What is there to tell?" Shi Qian muttered.

She truly didn't know when Shaang Sizhan began to have feelings for her.

Even though Shaang Sizhan had always treated her well, she hadn't considered the possibility of romance.

She instinctively believed that a prodigy like Shaang Sizhan wouldn't fall for any ordinary person.

Baili Yi furrowed his brow. "What do you mean you don't know when it started?"

Shi Qian paused, turned to face Baili Yi, and asked, "Baili Yi, let me ask you something. In your opinion... does Master Zhan like me?"

"Of course he does."

"I mean in a romantic way, between a man and a woman."

Baili Yi replied, "Well, you're a man and a woman, so obviously it's that kind of liking. It's not like you're the same gender, which wouldn't even be an option."

"How can you be so certain?"

Baili Yi retorted, "Everyone but you can see that Master Zhan is into you, alright?"

Shi Qian was at a loss for words.