“Third Brother, do you have another mission?” Bai Zhenzhu leaned closer, asking in a low voice.

Pan Bohua nodded, “Yes, a very important mission.”

Why had he let Gao Huabin, that calculating kept man, go? Because Gao Huabin was secondary. Dealing with him would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. After Gao Huabin, there would be Li Huabin, Wang Huabin… A wealthy single female business owner was naturally an attractive target. Due to Zhenzhu’s martial skills and the Bai Family Martial Arts Hall’s people, no sensible thug would dare attempt kidnapping or extortion. But besides forceful methods of extorting money, there were gentler approaches – targeting her emotions to make Zhenzhu willingly give away large sums of money!

Giving away money was a minor concern. Being deceived emotionally was what—

Pan Bohua had spent considerable time thinking on Qiong Island about what Jiang Yan and Xia Xiaolan had said. Only after he’d sorted through those thoughts and made up his mind did he decide to find Bai Zhenzhu.

Upon arrival, he’d witnessed her supposed blind date match stirring up trouble at the building materials store! Would any decent person pursue a woman like that? Pan Bohua was so angry he wanted to cripple him on the spot!

Even at the police station, he’d restrained himself from attacking Gao Huabin. While force could handle thugs and make kept men beg for mercy, it couldn’t truly help Bai Zhenzhu. Pan Bohua figured once he and Bai Zhenzhu reached an understanding, that kept man wouldn’t matter at all!

After leaving the police station, he’d wandered around the small commodities market for quite a while before entering. It was his first time doing something like this at his age, and he wasn’t experienced… But unexpectedly, while Bai Zhenzhu was happy to see him, she immediately asked if he was here on a mission.

Eh?!

What was Little Sister Zhenzhu thinking?

What were the chances he’d just happen to have a mission in Pengcheng?

Remembering how Zhou Cheng, that disrespectful brat, had advised him before departure not to stay single by sheer force of will anymore, Pan Bohua felt conflicted.

He admitted he had been staying single through sheer determination.

But Zhenzhu wasn’t much different from him in that regard.

Pan Bohua saw that Bai Zhenzhu truly believed he was on a mission. Just as he was about to steel himself and explain things clearly to her, the building materials store’s phone rang.

“Manager Bai, it’s for you. She says she’s your sister-in-law.”

“Third Brother, wait a moment while I take this call!”

Bai Zhenzhu felt awkward.

Third Brother was still here – why would her sister-in-law choose this moment to pressure her about blind dates?

Bai Zhenzhu hadn’t quite figured it out herself, but she instinctively felt Pan Bohua shouldn’t know about these things—Third Brother handled important matters, and their relationship had recently progressed so rapidly that they were as close as siblings. How embarrassing would it be if Third Brother knew her family was forcing her to go on blind dates!

Yes, that was it.

Bai Zhenzhu had intended to brush off Chang Ying quickly, but after hearing a few sentences, her expression darkened.

“Alright, Sister-in-law, I understand. I’ll come back then.”

It would be good to clarify everything at once.

Chinese people believed in keeping wealth private. She hadn’t revealed the full extent of her business to her family. If she explained her current business scale, it would permanently prevent her sister-in-law from trying to set her up – Bai Zhenzhu thought this would be worth it!

“What’s wrong?”

“Third Brother, I need to return to Yangcheng, there’s some family business—”

Bai Zhenzhu hesitated, but Pan Bohua waved his hand casually, “Then hurry and get in the car. I happen to be heading to Yangcheng, I can give you a ride.”

It was probably that kept man running back to tell something to Zhenzhu’s family.

That was also one reason why Pan Bohua had scared him off but let him go.

He wanted the kept man to run back to Yangcheng to “tattle,” so the Bai family could see his true nature.

Bai Zhenzhu didn’t suspect anything and got into Pan Bohua’s Jeep. During the journey, they didn’t discuss Bai Zhenzhu’s blind date at all. Pan Bohua mentioned how he wasn’t used to her sudden departure from Qiong Island:

“I heard your grandmother had an emergency illness. How is she now?”

“It wasn’t an illness – she accidentally fell and hit her head. She stayed in the hospital for observation for a few days and had some medical checks. Her health is fine; she was discharged today.”

Bai Zhenzhu explained seriously.

Pan Bohua responded with an “Oh, that’s good!”

He drove Bai Zhenzhu to her building, and just as she was about to tell him not to delay his work, Pan Bohua retrieved several bags from the back seat:

“Since I’m here, I’ll go up and see the old lady.”

“Third Brother, this—”

“What, not welcome?”

“No, no, I just think Third Brother spent too much… Ah, what am I saying?”

Her sister-in-law’s family was waiting upstairs to discuss Gao Huabin’s matter!

Pan Bohua looked so straightforward that Bai Zhenzhu could only reluctantly let him come up. How could she turn someone away at her doorstep? She should invite the Third Brother up for tea, even dinner. She’d been confused by Xiao Gao acting so rudely.

Bai Zhenzhu felt her face heating up, but fortunately, her dark skin concealed any blushing.

Bai Zhenzhu led the way with Pan Bohua following.

Both were straightforward people with excellent physical condition, and they quickly climbed to Bai Zhenzhu’s floor.

This was the Bai family’s old house, where Bai Zhenzhu, her siblings, and Grandmother Bai used to live. After Bai Zhiyong married, it was renovated as their new home, and Bai Zhenzhu occasionally stayed there too.

Pan Bohua felt nervous carrying the gifts.

He wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

When Bai Zhenzhu opened the door and formally introduced Pan Bohua, Grandmother Bai and Chang Ying didn’t think much of it.

“This is my friend Third Brother Pan, he’s Big Brother’s colleague.”

He was Big Brother’s superior’s superior, Bai Zhenzhu silently added… How many levels are above? She couldn’t count at the moment.

Hearing he was Bai Zhiyong’s colleague, Grandmother Bai was very welcoming.

Chang Ying, however, was shocked.

Third Brother Pan?

Could it be the same Third Brother Pan?!

As Bai Zhiyong’s wife, they naturally corresponded regularly, and since Bai Zhiyong took annual leave – how else would they have had children – they had opportunities to meet. While many things at their unit were confidential, colleagues could be discussed.

Bai Zhiyong admired two people above all: one was Third Brother Pan, supremely skilled in combat with outstanding qualities across the board, a true master!

The other was Zhou Cheng who, despite his youth, had earned his promotions through ability, was intelligent, and had taught Bai Zhiyong many things, helping him improve his temperament.

Chang Ying knew of Zhou Cheng but had never met Third Brother Pan.

Was this the same “Third Brother Pan” that Zhenzhu had brought home?

Chang Ying’s gaze fell on the scar on Pan Bohua’s eyebrow, sensing his unstoppable presence, her heart racing.

She wasn’t swept away by Pan Bohua’s masculine charm.

She was intimidated by Pan Bohua’s rank.

If calling Zhou Cheng “leader” was a bit of a stretch, the man before her was unquestionably a leader – what face he was giving Zhiyong by coming to see his grandmother!

“…You’ve come, please sit, please sit!”