About to return to the special base once again, Hu Li still hadn't called, and Old Yang suspected that Hua Yan hadn't given him her new number. Occasionally, Hua Yan would sit by the window lost in thought, worrying Old Yang.

"Hua Yan, don't you plan to contact Hu Li?" Old Yang finally asked after a few moments of silence.

Continuing to gaze outside, Hua Yan took a few seconds before responding, "Perhaps we've oversimplified what it means to love someone. Maybe we still don't know what we truly need from each other? We don't understand how to love? It might be better not to contact him for now."

That night, Hu Li had looked at her with unfamiliar eyes, and until now, Hua Yan didn't understand why he had been angry. Out of love for her father, she hadn't told him about many troublesome matters, and out of affection for Hu Li, she hadn't told Li Dong's secrets either.

And the photos Cheng Yunqi sent often flashed in her mind, piercing her heart. Even if Hu Li were standing in front of her now, she wouldn't want to face him. She felt weak in love, but right now, she just wanted to be alone, quietly contemplating things or letting her mind go completely blank.

Seeing Hua Yan lost in thought again, Old Yang sighed helplessly and quietly left. To distract Hua Yan, he secretly accepted an invitation to a banquet hosted by a prominent leader's wife.

Deep in her afternoon nap, Hua Yan was abruptly awakened by Old Yang's pulling and tugging, feathers and water flying around. Eventually, she woke up. Upon inquiry, she learned that Old Yang wanted her to attend a banquet. For Hua Yan, the banquet was boring and tedious, a troublesome affair. Old Yang helped her change into a brown silk dress, accentuating her delicate features.

Accompanied by Old Yang in a sharp suit, Hua Yan experienced what seemed like a simple yet extraordinary banquet. Every detail, from the cups to the flowers, and even the carpets, exuded a luxury beyond imagination. Simple in appearance yet bustling with opulence, the party revealed the host's exceptional status.

When the host, wearing a simple but intricately tailored gown, appeared before everyone, Hua Yan couldn't help but stare in awe. She must have been over fifty, with wrinkles on her face and sagging neck indicating her age.

But her eyes sparkled with youthful vitality and liveliness, along with the charm unique to mature women. She exuded the same beauty as the elderly Rose from the Titanic movie.

With so many remarkable people in the capital, Old Yang and Hua Yan were there too. Keeping a low profile, they attracted little attention, but one person still approached them.

"Hua Yan, we meet again," Li Dong said, appearing familiar despite Hua Yan's obvious dislike of him. He didn't leave, despite being severely scolded by his elders for his actions against Hua Yan. As a superpowered soldier and a national treasure like a giant panda, his actions could have endangered her. If anything happened to her, Old Qiao would come after him. His temper would be his downfall. Initially, he didn't know about Old Qiao, but now he realized her relationship with Old Qiao.

"Mr. Li Dong, it's rare to see you back from Haibin City," Old Yang said as soon as Hua Yan mentioned Li Dong. After observing Li Dong, Old Yang also felt that he was not an easy person to deal with. However, he sensed a hint of weakness in Li Dong's current attitude.

Li Dong smiled awkwardly and said, "We're all family here. If I had known you were one of Boss Qiao's soldiers, I wouldn't have acted so recklessly. How about I make up for it with a drink?"

Hua Yan and Old Yang remained silent. Li Dong promptly finished his large glass of wine. "I'll make it up to you next time," he said, ignoring their expressions, and left.

"This man has strong self-control, but I wonder what he's hiding behind that smile?" Old Yang muttered to himself.

"It should be fine for now. I have no connection with him, so you can rest assured. I quite like this banquet, and their pastries should be delicious. It's a good treat for my poor stomach since Nanny Chang went abroad. Li Dong won't act, and I'm prepared to wait and see," Hua Yan replied calmly. In the midst of opulent simplicity, an old and a young person sampled nearly every kind of pastry, unfazed by the disdain and disgust of others. Whenever they noticed such reactions, Old Yang and Hua Yan exchanged a knowing smile, paying no attention to the opinions of others.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Far away, in a villa by the seaside, a man with a cold, snake-like countenance stared blankly at the only photo of a woman in his phone album.

A man entered from outside and asked the cold man, "Master, Miss Cai Cai wants to see you. Shall I let her in?"

"Tell her I'm not here." His eyes reflected disgust as he coldly spoke.

The man returned to the living room, where the cold man, Hu Li, asked, "Still no news from her?"

"No, but I found out that Miss Hua's father and their servant, Nanny Chang, left the country not long ago. Their whereabouts are unknown," Hu Er reported. Since Miss Hua left, his master had become increasingly silent and cold. Only when he looked at her photo did his eyes soften slightly.

"Use the next layer of resources to continue searching," he ordered.

"But, Master, Lord Qiao is already displeased with you for using too much influence," Hu Er said anxiously. Because they couldn't find Miss Hua Yan, his master had used many resources that shouldn't have been used or shouldn't have been used for such matters. Lord Qiao was extremely angry. If anything else went wrong, his master's family's candidate quota could be revoked.

Without the protection of influence, his master would be at the mercy of many who feared him, and that was a result he didn't want to see.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Hu Li looked coldly at Hu Er.

Faced with his master's pitch-black gaze, like a moonless night in the mountains, Hu Er didn't dare to say anything more.

At that moment, Hu Er's phone rang, and a subordinate informed him of important news. Hu Er's eyes lit up with joy, and he excitedly said to Hu Li, "Master, our people have seen Miss Hua Yan in the capital."

Hu Li immediately instructed Hu Er, "Prepare the car, we're going to the capital."

When Hu Li arrived in the capital late at night, expecting to meet his subordinate, he found out that the subordinate was in the police station. It turned out that after leaving the banquet, Hua Yan and the others had noticed someone following them. With one phone call from Old Yang, a few police officers arrested the person, who, after interrogation, was found to have no malicious intent. Upon learning the news, Hua Yan had the police station detain him for twenty-four hours.

As Hu Li left the police station with his subordinate, they searched for Hua Yan but found no trace. That was because after attending the banquet, Hua Yan rested for a few hours and then boarded a plane to the special base with Old Yang.

Without Hua Yan, Hu Li didn't want to stay in the capital for even half a minute longer. He rushed back to Haibin City overnight. As Hu Er drove, he watched Hu Li in silence, trying to console him, "Master, perhaps Miss Hua Yan is on a special mission and can't explain to you right now? When the mission is over, she will definitely look for you first."

Although Hu Li remained silent afterward, Hu Er noticed that his master's eyes softened. In Haibin City, apart from Cheng Qingqing, Shang Guanning, and Gao Ruqing, who missed Hua Yan, everyone else was happy about her disappearance.

Walking side by side into the elevator were Gao Ruqing and his secretary, conversing as they walked. "Originally, I was worried that if Little Yan disappeared, Mr. Hu would be angry with us and cancel the contract without providing the raw materials. But in fact, he still keeps his personal and professional matters separate," Gao Ruqing said with a smile. He had been in a good mood lately, looking as energetic as a young man in his twenties.

"You're still too naive, Mr. Gao. Someone like Mr. Hu doesn't care about personal or professional matters. If he didn't have Little Yan in his heart, do you think he wouldn't break the contract? Wouldn't get angry? It's just unclear what happened between him and Little Yan that led to this situation," the secretary suddenly said. When Gao Ruqing was about to say something, he added, "But I don't plan to tell Mr. Hu, regardless of whether it's true or not, he needs to suffer a little."

Gao Ruqing laughed and said, "Are you really fond of Little Yan? If you are, you'd better hurry up!"

Receiving a disdainful look from the secretary, Gao Ruqing just laughed happily without saying anything. Then the secretary, acting like a child, got angry and ignored Gao Ruqing. Such scenes were warm in the deep autumn.

Once again walking on the mountain path to the special base, Hua Yan teased Old Yang, "You won't change your mind this time, will you?"

"Huh? You little brat still remember that? You really hold grudges." Old Yang, after a moment of confusion, immediately understood what she was referring to. Hua Yan's resilience at that time was still fresh in his memory. "Although Doggie and Strongman aren't here, I dare not change my mind again. Last time, I almost got a disapproving look from Doggie."

"That's your own fault. Let's make a bet this time. Whoever reaches the end of the mountain first, if I lose, I'll split my snacks with you; if you lose, without my permission, you can't eat any snacks. How about that?" Hua Yan carried a big bag, but she still stood tall and proud, just like a heroine.

Old Yang patted his chest and straightened his back, showing great momentum as he replied, "No problem, I guarantee I'll beat you this time. You know the secret of my body, after all."

"You old man are really cunning..." Hua Yan chased after him, shouting and grumbling, unable to help but think to herself that he should be called Old Fox instead of Old Vulture.