Volume One, Chapter 15: A Deductive Escape

“Oh?” Lin Tingyuan sighed lightly, his discerning gaze shifting back and forth between Susan and Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming, however, paid no heed, his eyes fixed on Susan with a coldness like an ice blade. He parted his thin lips and softly uttered three words:

“Swim… trunks… bro!”

Jiang Ming’s delivery was seventy percent genuine, thirty percent performance—a heavy blow thrown with precision.

Susan recalled her earlier embarrassment and flushed crimson, filled with awkwardness.

“I... I already apologized. I didn’t mean it!”

Seeing this, Lin Tingyuan narrowed his eyes, his expression inscrutable. His intuition told him these two had a deeper connection than mere acquaintances; he decided to probe further.

“Jiang Ming, a man shouldn’t fuss over a woman. Or is it that Reporter Su is someone special to you?”

Lin Tingyuan was no fool, and Jiang Ming was clever. Jiang Ming’s face darkened, his voice colder than before, leaving no room for doubt as he replied:

“She is indeed special. The first person to make me angry upon first meeting.”

“Just met” — those three words were absolute! Jiang Ming deftly distanced himself from any implication of closeness.

Susan silently applauded. If not for the others present, she would have loved to shout, “Acting bro, please accept my admiration!”

Fortunately, Jiang Ming could not hear her thoughts; otherwise, instead of a cold stare, he might have rolled his eyes.

A convincing performance required a partner. Thinking quickly, Susan infused her embarrassment and guilt with a touch more vividness.

“Jiang Ming, I’m sorry! I truly didn’t mean it! You’re magnanimous—please forgive my mistake, won’t you?”

Jiang Ming remained unmoved, his face still stern. He glanced sideways at the ID hanging from Susan’s neck.

“Are you really a TV reporter? I treated you kindly, and yet you slander me.”

“It’s not slander! Really, it’s not! I can’t swim; being near water tends to make my head go fuzzy, which is why I’ve never covered swimming events before. If it weren’t for the station insisting I come, I’d never set foot near a pool—no way!”

Susan waved her hands desperately, looking innocent and pitiful. A humble beauty was always easier to soften. Finally, Jiang Ming’s cold expression softened somewhat.

Seeing this, Susan clasped her hands together and poured out a sincere apology.

“What kind of compensation do you want?”

“I can clarify things with everyone right now.”

“You name it. As long as you’re satisfied, as long as I can do it, I’ll do whatever!”

Susan’s eyes shone with hope, but Jiang Ming snorted and looked at her with a haughty gaze, calm as ever, replying:

“Compensate with meat.”

Those two simple words hit like a bombshell.

Susan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stepped back two paces, folding her arms instinctively over her chest. Lin Tingyuan and Yan Lai, who were watching nearby, were equally shocked.

Because Susan often switched between her own identity and Zoe’s, she thought acting this out would be a breeze, something she could handle with ease as long as she cooperated with Jiang Ming, improvising without a script. She never expected this guy’s game to be so hard to follow.

Usually quick-witted, Susan was suddenly left speechless. She clicked her tongue and only managed one syllable: “You…”

“Jiang Ming?” Lin Tingyuan called softly, surprise evident in his eyes, as if he were just getting to know Jiang Ming.

Yan Lai exclaimed, “Ming bro, you must be joking!”

Jiang Ming frowned slightly, staring at Susan as if she were an idiot, and huffed impatiently:

“Hm?”

Seeing Susan still hadn’t caught on, Jiang Ming lifted her ID to reveal the cafeteria card behind it.

“Two pounds of beef, to forgive your carelessness.”

Without giving Susan a chance to protest, Jiang Ming grabbed the ID and dragged her along. His movements weren’t rough, but there was no trace of gentleness.

Susan stumbled after him but breathed a sigh of relief. So it was beef.

The next moment, she grew even more annoyed.

In just two minutes, her complexion had undergone a rollercoaster of changes—sometimes flushed, sometimes pale, sometimes ashen.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ming’s face remained expressionless all along, the stark contrast between them heightened.

Thinking this, Susan felt even more embarrassed. She twitched her mouth, gritting her back teeth:

“Fine, fine, don’t talk about two pounds—I’ll pay twenty!”

“Cut the big talk. If you can buy two pounds, then you’re something.”

...

Watching Jiang Ming and Susan’s figures disappear around the corner, Yan Lai relaxed with a smile and teased:

“Yuan bro, see? I told you they’re not involved. You even said Jiang Ming has no feelings for women—either he can’t, or there’s something off about his orientation.”

“Not involved? Didn’t you see how close they were just now?”

“That doesn’t count. Jiang Ming has a strong ego, and Reporter Su made him look foolish—of course he had to save face. That scene just scared the young lady. He didn’t want things to escalate; after all, she’s a reporter. No point in making enemies. He’s just downplaying it.”

Yan Lai’s analysis was reasonable and exactly what Jiang Ming wanted them to think.

But Lin Tingyuan was more thoughtful. Though Yan Lai’s words eased his mind somewhat, he didn’t dare fully let his guard down, murmuring with a somber expression:

“Compensate with meat? Would Jiang Ming be so trivial?”

“Boss, don’t overthink it. You and Jiang Ming are the top two in the team; it’s not something new. If he wanted to oppose you, he wouldn’t be waiting until now.”

“Am I just being overly sensitive, imagining things?”

“Yeah! After last night’s covert filming, it’s natural for you to be nervous. But don’t worry too much about it. Nothing significant happened. I’ll keep monitoring online activity and report any stirrings immediately.”

As they spoke, a noisy crowd approached in the distance—team members finishing training and heading toward the locker rooms.

“All right, keep an eye on things.”

Lin Tingyuan whispered his instructions and ceased the discussion. They walked toward the locker rooms, acting as if nothing was amiss.

Meanwhile, after Jiang Ming had dragged Susan quite a distance, she finally snapped. She stopped, firmly tugging at the top of her ID lanyard in protest.

Jiang Ming, who had only been pulling her lightly, felt the resistance and stopped, turning to appraise her.

“Had enough tugging? Let go.”

Susan retorted, irritated like an agitated kitten.

“You were looking all guilty just now, and now you’re acting like you don’t know me?” Jiang Ming released her and raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Ming thought Susan was smart enough to understand he had just helped her out. In fact, she had reacted quickly and cooperated well afterward. Her overall performance was natural and authentic, without any glaring flaws, likely enough to dispel Lin Tingyuan’s doubts for now.

This confirmed his initial impression of her: occasionally absent-minded, but clear-headed when it matters most.

Yet now, she wore an expression of anger and grievance—what was that about? Jiang Ming was puzzled, thinking perhaps he truly didn’t understand women.

But what surprised him most was that, usually so emotionally steady, he found himself repeatedly influenced by the woman before him.

Susan was unaware of the turmoil in Jiang Ming’s mind; she only saw his calm face and felt even more frustrated.