C11 Do You Have Time on Saturday?
When Dung Tao left, he slammed the door with such force that the whole room trembled.
Yin Tian breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted his own name in Dung Tao's data.
"Name: Dung Tao.
Age: 38.
Regional Sales General Manager at Knevoof Group's Hai Ning Insurance branch.
Greedy, lustful, henpecked, detests Yin Tian, and plots to take down Ning Shang and Yin Tian using underhanded tactics.
At home, a hefty 'tigress' holds the purse strings.
Net worth: 3 million."
Yin Tian was now on the list of people Dung Tao wanted to target.
Yin Tian understood that Ning Shang's recent spat with Dung Tao was to prevent him from sabotaging her, and he was moved by her consideration. He couldn't stand by and let her face danger alone.
If Dung Tao bore a grudge against him, there was a good chance he would strike at them both simultaneously. This way, Yin Tian could ensure Ning Shang's safety.
Alternatively, if Dung Tao went after Yin Tian first, Yin Tian could take him down in one fell swoop, thereby protecting Ning Shang from harm.
If Dung Tao targeted Ning Shang first, whether or not Yin Tian was on his hit list was irrelevant.
Yin Tian was ready to face peril alongside this naive girl.
Once Dung Tao was gone, the team picked up the pace and quickly processed the insurance everyone needed.
In reality, Yin Tian could have handled all these orders alone, but his energy was finite, and he couldn't attend to everyone's needs.
Moreover, considering his colleagues were not the most skilled but always friendly and had helped him out before, he decided to bring them all on board.
Most importantly, he wasn't as concerned with the petty cash anymore.
In the past, he might have squabbled with colleagues over every deal, but now that he had the means to change his fortunes, his aspirations had grown.
"You're impressive, where did you find all these people?" Ning Shang nudged Yin Tian with her elbow as the last person signed the document.
Impressive? You're a Knevoof Group heiress; if you asked for help, you could probably pack this whole street.
Muttering to himself, Yin Tian playfully squinted his eyes and declared, "A man's got to do what a man's got to do!"
After a bit of playful scuffling, Ning Shang turned serious and asked, "Why did you have to fan the flames at the end?"
Yin Tian understood where she was coming from.
She had taken a stand against Dong Tao on Yin Tian's behalf, likely thinking her unique status would protect her from any retaliation.
But society was cruel, and unseen dangers were always lurking; it wasn't as simple as she imagined.
"We agreed to share life's ups and downs, so how could I miss out on the fun of taking on Dong Tao?" Yin Tian said with feigned ease.
As expected, Ning Shang's annoyance melted away at his words.
"Who said I wanted to share life's hardships with you?" she said, her cheeks flushing as she playfully punched him.
"If not sharing hardships, then let's do it this way: I'll take the bitter first, and you can just keep being sweet," he teased.
Before Ning Shang could retort, her phone rang.
Yin Tian gestured for silence, indicating she should take the call.
She answered the phone with a smile, glancing at the caller ID.
To Yin Tian, her phone displayed:
"Fruit 11
In call, Caller ID: Mom.
Phone number: 136xxxxxxxx
..."
Could it be anyone else?
Yin Tian was taken aback.
"Hello?"
"My sweet girl, missing your mom?"
In Yin Tian's eyes, the data on Ning Shang's phone continued to change, revealing the caller's words!
"Yes, I miss you."
There's a cocktail party this Saturday, and you should come.
"Saturday... Okay," Ning Shang replied, her eyes betraying a hint of irritation.
Make sure you dress up; the Qiao family's second son will be there. It's a good chance to meet him.
"I..." Ning Shang glanced at Yin Tian, her voice dropping, "Didn't we agree I'd handle this myself?"
You handle it? How many times will you get fooled? We've watched the Qiao family's youngest grow up; we know him inside out. You'll definitely hit it off with him!
Despite the gravity of the situation, Yin Tian nearly burst into laughter.
She was definitely a mother through and through, well aware of her daughter's naive ways.
"Then I'm not going," Ning Shang pouted.
"No way, have you forgotten the conditions you agreed to?"
Ding-dong.
Ning Shang abruptly ended the call.
Her thoughts swirled as she gazed at Yin Tian, tilting her head in contemplation.
"Yin Tian!" Ning Shang called out to him, "Didn't you promise to share life's ups and downs with me?"
"You didn't seem too keen, did you?" Yin Tian had a hunch about what was on her mind.
Blushing, Ning Shang playfully retorted, "I don't care about that. Are you free this Saturday?"
"Saturday..." Yin Tian feigned contemplation, though he was actually taking her measure.
Ning Shang's hopeful eyes met his, her face tense with the fear of rejection.
"Are you free? What's up?"
Having enjoyed the sight of the anxious beauty before him, Yin Tian decided to stop teasing her and got straight to the point. "What do you need?"
"I need to go to a cocktail party, but I'm without a date. You're quite handsome; any interest in joining me?"
Just as he suspected!
As soon as Ning Shang spoke, Yin Tian's suspicions were confirmed.
Yin Tian was torn between amusement and disbelief. The idea of being a 'shield'—something straight out of fiction—was actually happening to him.
"Is it really just a cocktail party?" Yin Tian asked skeptically, "This isn't going to turn into one of those cliché scenarios from the internet where I play the role of a 'temporary boyfriend,' is it?"
Despite his words, he was inwardly chuckling.
"What? No way!" Ning Shang's eyes darted away, yet she stubbornly maintained, "It's simply a cocktail party. Don't make a drama out of it!"
"Why so nervous?"
Yin Tian gave Ning Shang a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Even if it were true, it's no big deal. Renting boyfriends is all the rage now, right? Just pay me the rental fee, and I'll be the perfect 'boyfriend' for the occasion."
"I told you, that's not it!"
Ning Shang flushed with annoyance.
