Chapter Sixty-Five: Frivolity (Third Night)

Nangong Xiao’e set down the binoculars and opened the suitcase beside her, which was packed with clothes. She rummaged through the garments haphazardly, then removed a piece of foam board, revealing a hidden compartment within the suitcase.

This secret compartment had been crafted from special materials, allowing her to conceal a disassembled firearm inside and easily evade security checks. Nangong Xiao’e swiftly assembled the weapon, checked her stopwatch, and frowned slightly—it seemed she was three seconds slower than before. Clearly, she had been neglecting her practice lately.

The scope on her rifle was far clearer than the binoculars. Through it, Nangong Xiao’e observed every move Qin Tian made in the kitchen. She realized that, when focused, the man possessed a certain charm; Qin Tian was, in fact, rather interesting.

But Nangong Xiao’e quickly shook her head: Nonsense! What was she thinking? She had just lectured Song Wan about not developing feelings for a target, and here she was letting her thoughts wander.

“Hm?” Just then, Nangong Xiao’e noticed an incoming call and pressed her earpiece.

“Sis E, how’s it going? Did you get him?” Song Wan’s voice came through.

“No, I’m still observing the target. But I’ll make a move soon,” Nangong Xiao’e replied.

“Good luck! The girls are waiting for you to come back and celebrate. I won’t distract you.” Song Wan laughed and hung up.

Nangong Xiao’e smiled, turned off her earpiece, and switched off her phone, preparing to act.

“Someone’s coming!” Suddenly, Nangong Xiao’e frowned, quickly packed her things, slipped to the other end, and climbed down by rope, pulling it up after her.

Shortly after Nangong Xiao’e left, a man in uniform, carrying a rifle, arrived on the rooftop.

“Captain Lin, I’m at the designated spot. From here, I have a clear view of the Jiang residence and its surroundings,” the uniformed man reported into his earpiece.

“Good. You and Xiao Wang will take shifts for the next few days,” Lin Jian’s voice replied.

“Yes, Captain Lin! I promise to complete the mission!” The man hung up, set up his rifle, and used the scope to survey the area around the Jiang residence.

“Damn it!” Down below, Nangong Xiao’e heard the man’s words and frowned. She had been a step too late; now, assassinating her target would be far more difficult.

Nangong Xiao’e found a secluded spot and called Song Wan.

“Hello! Sis E, did you get him?” Song Wan asked excitedly, surprised it could be over so quickly.

“Call him back and tell him to add another ten million! That bastard’s clearly tried to have someone assassinated before, but it failed and alerted the Bureau of Comprehensive Management!” Nangong Xiao’e said.

“What? Alright! I got it!” Song Wan hung up and immediately called the man in the black robe.

The black-robed man listened to Song Wan’s sharp tone without anger, and cheerfully doubled the price to twenty million. Money was just numbers—if it meant killing Qin Tian, what was a little extra expense?

With confirmation, Nangong Xiao’e crept toward the Jiang residence, careful to avoid the rooftop sniper’s line of sight, a challenge that hardly needed to be stated.

After a tremendous effort, Nangong Xiao’e finally neared the residence, acting nonchalant as she sat on a bench in the central garden, having hidden her tools in a fish pond.

When night fell, she left and found a place to rest. The next morning, she posed as a jogger, circling the Jiang residence three times.

She dared not make too many rounds, for fear the rooftop sniper would spot her.

“There’s a garage. Maybe I can get in through there tonight,” she concluded after observing for some time.

At night, with all the curtains drawn, once she was inside, whatever she did would be invisible to the rooftop sniper. At such a distance—two kilometers—he could only see, not hear, anything.

Of course, it was possible they’d planted listening devices in the Jiang residence.

As darkness deepened, Nangong Xiao’e kept glancing toward the rooftop two kilometers away. She had found an angle, and had even secretly installed a bug in the sniper’s building. She was waiting for her chance.

A sniper is still human; deep in the night, even he would grow drowsy. The moment he yawned, his gaze would drift, perhaps even close his eyes altogether.

“Aaah…” Just then, she heard the sniper yawn through her earpiece. Reflexively, Nangong Xiao’e darted out like a panther in the night, pried open the small door by the garage, and slipped inside.

The sniper caught a glimpse of a dark shape but dismissed it as a hallucination from his yawn and thought nothing of it.

Inside the garage, Nangong Xiao’e exhaled in relief. She had finally made it in! Now, it was her stage.

First, she checked the house, using a precision instrument to ensure there were no hidden bugs. Then she equipped herself and crept toward Qin Tian’s room.

By this time, Jiang Tianxiang and Jiang Yingying were already asleep. Since it was unclear whether Shen Xiaoqing was also a target, she continued to stay with Jiang Yingying for protection.

Qin Tian’s ears twitched; suddenly, he heard the lock turning. As he rose, a dagger lunged for his chest.

Qin Tian didn’t panic. He grabbed the pillow behind him and blocked it in front. As the dagger plunged into the pillow, he twisted hard, wrenching the weapon from Nangong Xiao’e’s hand.

She lost one dagger but immediately drew a second, slashing the pillow to shreds and thrusting at Qin Tian’s heart.

Qin Tian rolled backward on the bed, then stood on the floor. Seeing the lithe figure in a tight suit before him, he realized it was a woman.

“Who are you? Who sent you?” Qin Tian demanded.

“I’ll tell you just before you die!” Nangong Xiao’e hadn’t expected Qin Tian to be so skilled, dodging her attacks twice in a row.

Recalling the files noting Qin Tian’s identity as a bodyguard, she felt it made sense—a bodyguard to a tycoon would have some abilities.

The two quickly tangled again. Facing an assassin, Qin Tian abandoned all notions of propriety, attacking Nangong Xiao’e’s chest to force her back each time she went for a killing blow.

“You scoundrel!” Nangong Xiao’e snapped angrily.

“Come on! You’re here to kill me—am I supposed to be a gentleman about it?” Qin Tian scoffed.

“I’ll kill you!” Nangong Xiao’e lunged again.

Qin Tian wasn’t about to go easy just because she was a woman. If she wanted his life, she had to be prepared for the consequences. With a swift move, he disarmed her and trapped her under his arm, making escape impossible.

“Let me go!” Nangong Xiao’e shouted.

“Trying to kill me? Then let me show you what it feels like when the tables are turned!”

As he spoke, Qin Tian smacked her on her springy backside.

Nangong Xiao’e’s mind went blank with shock—she had actually been taken advantage of?