Chapter Twenty-Eight: An Unfathomable Killing Intent

Ma Wu leaned against the front desk and asked one of the young nurses, “Hello, beautiful. Could you tell me where Ye Qing’s office is?”

The nurse seemed a bit flustered, stood up quickly, and pointed to the room at the very end of the corridor. “Ye Qing’s office is down there, the one at the very back.”

Ma Wu nodded, about to leave, when he noticed the nurse’s gaze glued to his Submariner Rolex watch.

His watch was adorned with three aquamarine gemstones, each half a carat, and the hours, from one to twelve, were marked with tiny diamonds. The overall dark, subtle style of the Submariner made it both luxurious and tasteful.

Ma Wu smiled and said, “Pretty, isn’t it?”

The nurse snapped out of her trance, cheeks flushing as she hurried to explain, “No, not at all, I just got a little lost staring. I didn’t mean anything by it…”

Ma Wu shrugged, unbothered. He took off the heavy Submariner from his wrist, gently took the nurse’s soft hand, and placed the watch in her palm. “If you like it, it’s yours.”

Without looking back, he headed straight to Ye Qing’s office.

A real man never looks back at the explosion!

Behind him, Ma Wu heard a chorus of nurses gasp in shock, and the nurse herself squealed with barely contained delight, “Oh my god, he’s so gentlemanly and handsome!”

Ding. You gave away a Rolex worth hundreds of thousands, astonishing the nurses. Pretentiousness value increased by two hundred points.

Ma Wu shook his head. If he had no money, simply grabbing the nurse’s hand would have earned him nothing but scorn and criticism. Yet, just because he was wealthy, he was called a gentleman.

Money, truly the universal key. Thankfully, he had plenty now.

Thinking this, Ma Wu stepped through the door into Ye Qing’s office.

Ye Qing was seated at her desk, reviewing a patient’s medical records. Her posture was upright and rigid, her expression serious. Her slender brows and delicate nose caught the light, seeming to shimmer, and her lips, lightly pursed and tinged with red, made one wonder at their hidden sweetness.

Ma Wu placed the rose before Ye Qing and said, “Beautiful, would you grace me with your company for lunch?”

Ye Qing stared at the rose in surprise, looked up at Ma Wu, and a hint of helplessness flickered in her gentle eyes. “Ma Wu, are you ever going to stop?”

“Stop? Of course not. You haven’t accepted yet, so my invitation still stands.”

Ye Qing frowned softly. She had a quiet demeanor, carrying an air of ancient elegance reminiscent of women from old China. Losing her temper or uttering harsh words simply didn’t exist in her vocabulary. Even now, though she was clearly weary of Ma Wu, she tried hard to restrain herself.

After a moment’s hesitation, she finally said, “Ma Wu, you’re disturbing my work. You’re not a patient, so please don’t interfere with my job. If necessary, I may have to call security.”

Ma Wu was instantly displeased, exclaiming, “What do you mean? Just because I’m not a patient, I can’t talk to you? If that’s how it is, I’ll go downstairs and register as a patient immediately. Will you treat me better then, beautiful?”

Ye Qing finally couldn’t bear it any longer. She made a sudden, dramatic gesture as if to open a drawer, then forcibly restrained herself. Sitting upright at her desk, she managed to squeeze out, “Ma Wu, leave. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what’ll happen next.”

Ma Wu wasn’t intimidated by such light words from a beauty, but this time, Ye Qing’s voice was low and gentle, and yet Ma Wu sensed an almost imperceptible murderous aura. His heart skipped a beat.

He stared at Ye Qing in disbelief. She looked so gentle and charming, her gaze, shaded by her bangs, as soft as the waters of West Lake.

Was it just an illusion?

Ma Wu’s heart raced. Where did that sudden chill come from? He couldn’t ignore it.

Recalling how Ye Qing had been with Liu Mang that day, he realized that Ye Qing was not like other women—her background seemed mysterious.

With that thought, Ma Wu decided to retreat. Ye Qing was clearly immune to his usual charms, and he felt a real threat to his life in her presence. No reason to linger.

He smiled, quietly backing toward the door. “I’ll leave the flower here, then. I’m off.”

With that, he left Ye Qing’s office decisively.

Outside, Ma Wu found his back drenched in cold sweat. Who exactly was Ye Qing?

Just then, the system chimed:

Ding. Ye Qing’s storyline side quest activated. Next task: Ensure Ye Qing’s safety before tonight.

Task reward: Five hundred success points, twenty million Huaxia dollars.

Task failure penalty: Loss of sensation in the right hand, incurable for life.

Ding. System reminder: This side quest is extremely dangerous for you at present. Please proceed with caution.

Damn!

Ma Wu was stunned. He hadn’t even gotten close to Ye Qing—she’d just thrown him out—and now her storyline side quest had started?

And “extremely dangerous”? Did this mean he could lose his life in this series of tasks?

Ye Qing, not simple!

This was the only thought left in Ma Wu’s mind. He’d expected just a straightforward conquest task, like with Li Mida before, but now there was an entire side quest line—and a high-risk one at that!

He gritted his teeth and eyed the reward for this first task: twenty million Huaxia dollars. He needed that money, because without it, he had no hope of raising enough in thirteen days to repay Goldfish TV’s debt.

Lost in thought, Ma Wu wandered back to the front desk where the young nurse was stationed.

The nurse’s eyes lit up at his approach, and she teased in a sweet voice, “Sir, did you give your rose away?”

Ma Wu gave a bitter smile. “Not really. Ye Qing refused it.”

The nurse giggled, “That’s just how Ye Qing is. Plenty of rich young men and big bosses have tried to woo her, but she’s never accepted any of them.”

Now that Ma Wu knew Ye Qing’s identity wasn’t simple, it made sense—she wasn’t an ordinary woman, and wouldn’t easily agree to anyone’s pursuit.

The nurse glanced at Ma Wu, her gaze lingering, and after a moment, she licked her lips and said coyly, “Sir, since Ye Qing isn’t interested, why not try me?”

Ma Wu looked at the adorable nurse, feeling tempted, but he knew now wasn’t the time for flirtation. Ensuring Ye Qing’s safety before tonight was no simple task.

Ye Qing’s unusual background meant she could handle most threats, but the system still required his involvement—today’s events were bound to be extraordinary.

After considering, Ma Wu said, “Sorry, I’m not in the mood today. Maybe next time. But I do need your help with something.”

The nurse was a little disappointed, but tilted her head in curiosity. “What is it?”

Lowering his voice, Ma Wu leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Help me keep an eye on Ye Qing’s movements. If she leaves the hospital or does anything unusual, let me know immediately. My number is…”

After arranging everything, Ma Wu returned to his supercar parked in the hospital lot. To protect Ye Qing, he needed to track her whereabouts. She should be safe inside the hospital.

But he’d already been warned by Ye Qing—if she saw him loitering inside, who knew what would happen? Ma Wu couldn’t risk it.

So he found himself an “inside agent.” If Ye Qing left the hospital, he’d follow to ensure her safety.

Sigh. Ma Wu was speechless.

To have to protect a woman who despised him—what kind of trick was this system playing?

He didn’t have to wait long. Around five in the afternoon, he got a call from the nurse: “Sir, it’s the end of the workday. Ye Qing is preparing to leave.”

Ma Wu perked up and fixed his gaze on the hospital entrance.