"h.e.l.lo, Mr . Xiao . I hope I'm not bothering you . I know it's very late . "

Xiao Bing recognized her voice . He wondered how she got his number and why she didn't introduce herself, because Zhu Liya did not seem to be a reckless person .

"Is it Zhu Liya? It's okay . I'm just coming back from my friends' house . "

"Oh . Can you . . . come to my place tonight?"

"A single woman inviting me to her home in the middle of the night?"

It did not sound like a good idea to him . While Xiao Bing was deciding whether he should say yes or not, Zhu Liya spoke in a worried voice, "Mr . Xiao, I know that this sounds abrupt . But it's very important . I heard that you want that shop of mine . I can give it to you now . But I urgently need an advance payment of 100 thousand . I hope you can bring the money when you come . "

Xiao Bing was even more confused, especially by her way of speaking . She did not sound like the taciturn and arrogant queen he met on that day . Xiao Bing contemplated for a while and since it concerned the expansion, he decided to give it a go . "Well, give me your address . I'm coming right away . "

Xiao Bing told the address to the driver and asked him to pull over in front of a bank . Then he made a withdrawal of 100 thousand, put the money in his pocket and got back in the car . Then the car was driven towards Zhu Liya's home .

It was a two-story house not far from the Su Family's manor . After Xiao Bing got out the car, the driver craned out of the window and said, "Mr . Xiao, go on with your business . I'll wait here for you . "

"No need for that," said Xiao Bing, "I live near here . Thanks for the ride . "

"I'll leave then . "

"Be careful . "

Xiao Bing walked to the door, knocked it and waited patiently . After a few dozen seconds, Zhu Liya answered the door . His eyes suddenly brightened upon seeing her . It seemed that she had just taken a shower . Her hair was still wet, hanging on her back . Her skin looked even more smooth and fair after the shower . The black large-framed gla.s.ses were still on her nose . The robe did not cover her smooth and long legs . Her red toenails sparkled in her slippers .

Xiao Bing put on a smile, "Ms . Zhu . . . "

"Come in . " Though she seemed to be trying hard to pretend to be composed as per usual, Xiao Bing noticed the anxiety in her eyes . So he instantly put on the slippers and walked in .

After walking into the living room, Zhu Liya pointed at the sofa and said, "Please sit . What do you want to drink?"

"Anything will do . "

Although she was extremely worried at that moment, she still remembered her etiquette . Xiao Bing sat down on the sofa and felt some warmth on it . It suddenly occurred to him that he was sitting where Zhu Liya just sat . He turned around and saw her making coffee . She was arching her back, which enabled Xiao Bing to see more of her round, tight a.s.s and smooth long legs . Xiao Bing covered his chest with his hands because his heart was beating so fast .

After finis.h.i.+ng making coffee, Zhu Liya turned around and walked towards Xiao Bing with it . Then she sat opposite him after she put the coffee on the table in front of him . She adjusted her gla.s.ses and smiled, "I don't know if there is enough sugar . I can add some if you want more . "

Xiao Bing laughed, "Ms . Zhu, I know you called me in for the shop . Why don't we start to talk about the real business and let the coffee cool itself?"

"Okay . " Then she grabbed her purse and took out a stack of paper . After giving it to Xiao Bing, she said, "I roughly printed a transfer contract when you were coming . You can have a quick read through and tell me your opinion . The price is not on it though . But we can work it out and write it in the contract . "

Staring at Zhu Liya, Xiao Bing asked, "You are in trouble, right?"

There was a fl.u.s.ter flas.h.i.+ng in her eyes for a moment . But soon she appeared composed again . She adjusted her posture and crossed her legs . Then she spoke in a calm voice, "You're thinking too much, Mr . Xiao . But I do need a big sum of money at the moment, so I asked you to make an advance payment of 100 thousand . But for the total price, we still need a thorough discussion . After all, a successful deal demands both sides' satisfaction . Also, I can't sell it at a low price simply because I need money . Am I right?"

Xiao Bing could not help complimenting her inwardly . Even in an urgent time, she still acted like nothing had happened . What a remarkable woman she was! Even though she said that she would not sell it at a low price, Xiao Bing knew that there was still room to bargain . Since she was brave enough to invite a strange man to her house in the middle of the night, he was 100 percent sure that she was badly in need of money .

But Xiao Bing was not the kind of person who liked to take advantage of others . According to his estimate, though the shop was small, it was worth 800 to 900 thousand . After all, it was near the university town, which was a good place to run a business .

As Xiao Bing intended to say the expected price, the phone in Zhu Liya's purse suddenly rang . She took the phone out and looked surly when seeing the numbers on the phone . She stood up in a flurry, walked into a corner and answered the phone . A few seconds later, she sounded furious, "I'm working on it and I'll give the money to you as soon as I have it . But I'm warning you . If you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds do any harm to my husband, I'll call the police . "

Then he realized that she was a married woman when he watched her getting angry on the phone . That explained why she was so mature like a ripe honey peach .

Zhu Liya looked even more terrible when she hung up . She walked up to him, but she did not sit down next to him . She knew there was no need to pretend to be calm anymore . It was obvious that she was urgently in need of money and she could barely wait for it . And it was unrealistic for her to be on the dominating side during the bargain now . Looking pale, she said to Xiao Bing, "You're right . My family has come to a difficult period and I need that 100 thousand tonight . How about this? You name a price you deem appropriate . It can be fairly low or even less than the shop's true value . I must have that 100 thousand tonight . "

But Xiao Bing just quietly stared at her . "What happened?"

"My husband lost money in a casino," Zhu Liya sighed with sorrow . "It's the third time he has lost money this month . I just sold my car a couple of days ago, I would never have expected . . . "

Xiao Bing felt sorry for her . He wondered why this great woman had such a disappointing husband and how she managed to put up with him .

Zhu Liya glanced at the contract and said, "He lost nearly 200 thousand this time, how am I supposed to give him the money? I invested almost all of my money into the restaurant . I never thought that during the most crucial stage of my career, he actually . . . "

She turned her head around . Her eyes turned reddish . Maybe it was because she was angry or feeling wronged, or both .

Xiao Bing sighed . He picked up the contract and neatly folded it . Zhu Liya turned around and saw Xiao Bing putting the folded contract on the table .

She was confused, "Mr . Xiao, why did you fold it?"

"I don't take advantage of others," answered Xiao Bing, smiling . "How about this: You give me an IOU on which you write 'I borrowed 100 thousand from Xiao Bing' . When can you return it? If you don't return it on time, you will have to transfer that restaurant to me at a low price, which should be 100 thousand cheaper than the market price . "

Zhu Liya was surprised . She could barely believe what she had just heard .

"Hurry up, your husband's waiting for you!"

"I'll, I'll write it now . " Then she ran upstairs in a flurry . A moment later, she came back with a slip of paper, looking more composed than before . She handed it to him and asked Xiao Bing while fixing her eyes on him, "Mr . Xiao, why are you doing this for me . . . You know that you can't gain anything from it . "

Xiao Bing took a glance at the paper and noticed that the deadline was one year and she had already signed her name on it . Then he picked up a pen and signed it . The IOU was duplicated, so both of them took a copy each .

He met her inquiring eyes and smiled, "You can take me as a kind person . "

"Thank you . . . " It was the first time she revealed her true feelings in front of Xiao Bing . This haughty queen finally dropped her pretense for a moment . Her eyes were filled with grat.i.tude . "You really are a kind-hearted man . I've never seen any man like you . . . I owe you one this time . Your kindness will be repaid one day . "

Xiao Bing shook his head, "That would be unnecessary . Well, here's your money . Go and save your husband . "

Xiao Bing took the money out of his pocket . But he suddenly took it back as he was giving it to her . Zhu Liya's face changed instantly . She frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Just trust me . " Xiao Bing stood up, put the money back into his pocket and straightened his clothes . Then he said, "I'm worried that they still won't let your husband go even if they have the money . After all, the world is never short of those kinds of rascals . "

"So . . . so what should we do?" Although she was confident and domineering in character, she was still a woman . She didn't know how to deal with these rascals .

Xiao Bing looked at Zhu Liya . Their eyes met for a moment . Then he put up a confident smile and said in a serious voice, "I'll go with you!"

"h.e.l.lo, Mr . Xiao . I hope I'm not bothering you . I know it's very late . ".

 .

Xiao Bing recognized her voice . He wondered how she got his number and why she didn't introduce herself, because Zhu Liya did not seem to be a reckless person

 .

"Is it Zhu Liya? It's okay . I'm just coming back from my friends' house . ".

 .

"Oh . Can you . come to my place tonight?".

 .

"A single woman inviting me to her home in the middle of the night?".

 .

It did not sound like a good idea to him . While Xiao Bing was deciding whether he should say yes or not, Zhu Liya spoke in a worried voice, "Mr . Xiao, I know that this sounds abrupt . But it's very important . I heard that you want that shop of mine . I can give it to you now . But I urgently need an advance payment of 100 thousand . I hope you can bring the money when you come . ".

 .

Xiao Bing was even more confused, especially by her way of speaking . She did not sound like the taciturn and arrogant queen he met on that day . Xiao Bing contemplated for a while and since it concerned the expansion, he decided to give it a go . "Well, give me your address . I'm coming right away . ".

 .

Xiao Bing told the address to the driver and asked him to pull over in front of a bank . Then he made a withdrawal of 100 thousand, put the money in his pocket and got back in the car . Then the car was driven towards Zhu Liya's home

 .

It was a two-story house not far from the Su Family's manor . After Xiao Bing got out the car, the driver craned out of the window and said, "Mr . Xiao, go on with your business . I'll wait here for you . ".

 .

"No need for that," said Xiao Bing, "I live near here . Thanks for the ride . ".

 .

"I'll leave then . ".

 .

"Be careful . ".

 .

Xiao Bing walked to the door, knocked it and waited patiently . After a few dozen seconds, Zhu Liya answered the door . His eyes suddenly brightened upon seeing her . It seemed that she had just taken a shower . Her hair was still wet, hanging on her back . Her skin looked even more smooth and fair after the shower . The black large-framed gla.s.ses were still on her nose . The robe did not cover her smooth and long legs . Her red toenails sparkled in her slippers

 .

Xiao Bing put on a smile, "Ms . Zhu . ".

 .

"Come in . " Though she seemed to be trying hard to pretend to be composed as per usual, Xiao Bing noticed the anxiety in her eyes . So he instantly put on the slippers and walked in

 .

After walking into the living room, Zhu Liya pointed at the sofa and said, "Please sit . What do you want to drink?".

 .

"Anything will do . ".

 .

Although she was extremely worried at that moment, she still remembered her etiquette . Xiao Bing sat down on the sofa and felt some warmth on it . It suddenly occurred to him that he was sitting where Zhu Liya just sat . He turned around and saw her making coffee . She was arching her back, which enabled Xiao Bing to see more of her round, tight a.s.s and smooth long legs . Xiao Bing covered his chest with his hands because his heart was beating so fast

 .

After finis.h.i.+ng making coffee, Zhu Liya turned around and walked towards Xiao Bing with it . Then she sat opposite him after she put the coffee on the table in front of him . She adjusted her gla.s.ses and smiled, "I don't know if there is enough sugar . I can add some if you want more . ".

 .

Xiao Bing laughed, "Ms . Zhu, I know you called me in for the shop . Why don't we start to talk about the real business and let the coffee cool itself?".

 .

"Okay . " Then she grabbed her purse and took out a stack of paper . After giving it to Xiao Bing, she said, "I roughly printed a transfer contract when you were coming . You can have a quick read through and tell me your opinion . The price is not on it though . But we can work it out and write it in the contract . ".

 .

Staring at Zhu Liya, Xiao Bing asked, "You are in trouble, right?".

 .

There was a fl.u.s.ter flas.h.i.+ng in her eyes for a moment . But soon she appeared composed again . She adjusted her posture and crossed her legs . Then she spoke in a calm voice, "You're thinking too much, Mr . Xiao . But I do need a big sum of money at the moment, so I asked you to make an advance payment of 100 thousand . But for the total price, we still need a thorough discussion . After all, a successful deal demands both sides' satisfaction . Also, I can't sell it at a low price simply because I need money . Am I right?".

 .

Xiao Bing could not help complimenting her inwardly . Even in an urgent time, she still acted like nothing had happened . What a remarkable woman she was! Even though she said that she would not sell it at a low price, Xiao Bing knew that there was still room to bargain . Since she was brave enough to invite a strange man to her house in the middle of the night, he was 100 percent sure that she was badly in need of money

 .

But Xiao Bing was not the kind of person who liked to take advantage of others . According to his estimate, though the shop was small, it was worth 800 to 900 thousand . After all, it was near the university town, which was a good place to run a business

 .

As Xiao Bing intended to say the expected price, the phone in Zhu Liya's purse suddenly rang . She took the phone out and looked surly when seeing the numbers on the phone . She stood up in a flurry, walked into a corner and answered the phone . A few seconds later, she sounded furious, "I'm working on it and I'll give the money to you as soon as I have it . But I'm warning you . If you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds do any harm to my husband, I'll call the police . ".

 .

Then he realized that she was a married woman when he watched her getting angry on the phone . That explained why she was so mature like a ripe honey peach

 .

Zhu Liya looked even more terrible when she hung up . She walked up to him, but she did not sit down next to him . She knew there was no need to pretend to be calm anymore . It was obvious that she was urgently in need of money and she could barely wait for it . And it was unrealistic for her to be on the dominating side during the bargain now . Looking pale, she said to Xiao Bing, "You're right . My family has come to a difficult period and I need that 100 thousand tonight . How about this? You name a price you deem appropriate . It can be fairly low or even less than the shop's true value . I must have that 100 thousand tonight . ".

 .

But Xiao Bing just quietly stared at her . "What happened?".

 .

"My husband lost money in a casino," Zhu Liya sighed with sorrow . "It's the third time he has lost money this month . I just sold my car a couple of days ago, I would never have expected . ".

 .

Xiao Bing felt sorry for her . He wondered why this great woman had such a disappointing husband and how she managed to put up with him

 .

Zhu Liya glanced at the contract and said, "He lost nearly 200 thousand this time, how am I supposed to give him the money? I invested almost all of my money into the restaurant . I never thought that during the most crucial stage of my career, he actually . ".

 .

She turned her head around . Her eyes turned reddish . Maybe it was because she was angry or feeling wronged, or both

 .

Xiao Bing sighed . He picked up the contract and neatly folded it . Zhu Liya turned around and saw Xiao Bing putting the folded contract on the table

 .

She was confused, "Mr . Xiao, why did you fold it?".

 .

"I don't take advantage of others," answered Xiao Bing, smiling . "How about this: You give me an IOU on which you write 'I borrowed 100 thousand from Xiao Bing' . When can you return it? If you don't return it on time, you will have to transfer that restaurant to me at a low price, which should be 100 thousand cheaper than the market price . ".

 .

Zhu Liya was surprised . She could barely believe what she had just heard

 .

"Hurry up, your husband's waiting for you!".

 .

"I'll, I'll write it now . " Then she ran upstairs in a flurry . A moment later, she came back with a slip of paper, looking more composed than before . She handed it to him and asked Xiao Bing while fixing her eyes on him, "Mr . Xiao, why are you doing this for me . You know that you can't gain anything from it . ".

 .

Xiao Bing took a glance at the paper and noticed that the deadline was one year and she had already signed her name on it . Then he picked up a pen and signed it . The IOU was duplicated, so both of them took a copy each

 .

He met her inquiring eyes and smiled, "You can take me as a kind person . ".

 .

"Thank you . " It was the first time she revealed her true feelings in front of Xiao Bing . This haughty queen finally dropped her pretense for a moment . Her eyes were filled with grat.i.tude . "You really are a kind-hearted man . I've never seen any man like you . I owe you one this time . Your kindness will be repaid one day . ".

 .

Xiao Bing shook his head, "That would be unnecessary . Well, here's your money . Go and save your husband . ".

 .

Xiao Bing took the money out of his pocket . But he suddenly took it back as he was giving it to her . Zhu Liya's face changed instantly . She frowned, "What do you mean?".

 .

"Just trust me . " Xiao Bing stood up, put the money back into his pocket and straightened his clothes . Then he said, "I'm worried that they still won't let your husband go even if they have the money . After all, the world is never short of those kinds of rascals . ".

 .

"So . so what should we do?" Although she was confident and domineering in character, she was still a woman . She didn't know how to deal with these rascals

 .

Xiao Bing looked at Zhu Liya . Their eyes met for a moment . Then he put up a confident smile and said in a serious voice, "I'll go with you!".