Chapter 44: When did she become a landlord? Impossible!

Ning Jinli's two bodyguards were in the car, but they kept an eye on her situation.

Seeing the situation was not good, they immediately got out of the car and rushed over to help.

One bent Zhao Bin's arm and pushed him away, while the other quickly shielded Ning Jinli.

Zhao Bin staggered and almost fell.

"Miss Ning, are you alright?" the bodyguard asked with concern.

Ning Jinli rubbed her shoulder, which Zhao Bin's grip had made sore, and said, "I'm fine... nothing serious."

Zhao Bin sized up the two men, who wore ordinary clothes but were sturdy, and gave a cold smirk.

Heh, the old man who's keeping Ning Jinli as a mistress really goes to great lengths.

Not long ago he bought her a luxury car, and now he's even arranged bodyguards for her.

Wait...

Could it be because the person I anonymously hired online a few days ago to deal with her has been discovered?

So Ning Jinli's sponsor sent people to protect her?

No wonder that in the past five days I haven't gotten what I wanted, and Ning Jinli is still fine, showing no signs of having been assaulted.

Damn, are those guys even capable...

Zhao Bin muttered to himself, thinking it over.

He couldn't find solid evidence that Ning Jinli was being kept, but he resented that after four years of sweet-talking he still hadn't slept with her, while she gave herself to a wealthy old man.

That's why he resorted to this underhanded method, wanting to retaliate and humiliate her.

"Sir," the bodyguard said sternly, "Miss Ning is here to discuss matters with you; please show some respect."

Zhao Bin flew into a rage, recalling how the bodyguard had just shoved him and nearly made him fall, looking miserable; angry and embarrassed, he lunged at the bodyguard.

At his own front gate, how could he let others bully him?!

After all, the bodyguards aren't thugs; they must consider Miss Ning's safety and cannot use heavy force against an unarmed person.

Otherwise it would become a brawl, causing Miss Ning unnecessary trouble.

So the bodyguards pulled back their punches and kicks, merely blocking and looking for a chance to subdue him.

However, Zhao Bin flailed with clumsy punches, throwing off his balance; his left foot tripped his right and he fell flat on his face.

The two bodyguards exchanged glances.

This guy looks young and fairly tall, but I didn't expect him to be so weak...

Zhao Bin scrambled up, his face full of resentment, wiping the blood from his mouth.

Humiliating, truly too humiliating!

But he can't win in a fight...

He can't swallow this anger!

He suddenly thought of something, shouting angrily: "All right, Ning Jinli, you're impressive! In broad daylight, you dare bring people to my doorstep to beat me! I'm calling the police!"

The bodyguard quickly said, "We didn't lay a hand on you; don't spout nonsense."

Zhao Bin sneered, "No hands? Then why do I have blood in my mouth? Wasn't it you who hit me?"

"You..." the bodyguard said, a bit bewildered, "Miss Ning, this kid is playing the rogue."

Ning Jinli waved her hand, a hint of amusement at seeing a clown flickering in her eyes.

Zhao Bin pulled out his phone, pretending to call the police, and said, "Ning Jinli, this matter is serious, let me tell you! Breaking into a private residence, assaulting people, committing violence—just wait and see how the police deal with you!"

Ning Jinli crossed her arms, half-smiling, and asked, "You really want to call the police?"

"Scared?" Zhao Bin curled the corner of his bloody mouth into a victor's smile, "If you don't want me to call the police, that's fine—kneel down and say sorry to Brother Bin, then compensate me for eighty thousand or so in medical and emotional damages."

Ning Jinli snorted with laughter, "Then you might as well call the police."

Since the clown is eager to perform, she'll reluctantly watch, treating it as a fun diversion to relax after her hard days.

Zhao Bin wiped off his smile, his eyes turning gloomy, "Fine, I'll indulge you."

When a few officers arrived, Zhao Bin rushed to play the victim, exaggerating and twisting the facts, portraying Ning Jinli as a thug who brought thugs to break into his house and commit violence.

He was injured and looked miserable, indeed appearing to have gotten a sound beating.

Plus the two tall, sturdy bodyguards accompanying Ning Jinli, who also look somewhat intimidating.

The officers initially believed some of Zhao Bin's words, but they still insisted on taking statements first to get the full picture.

"Mr. Zhao, you say you're the owner of this place, right?"

One officer looked around, then pointed to the camera above the gate, "Please give us the surveillance footage; that would make things clear."

Zhao Bin said without changing expression, "Sorry, the surveillance is broken."

"Really?" Ning Jinli curled her lip, "How conveniently broken."

She clearly remembered the original landlord saying the villa was well maintained, with nothing old or broken.

"Broken is broken!" Zhao Bin declared righteously, "My home's surveillance malfunctioned—I know that well enough."

Then he told the officers, "You all saw it—she and her thugs entered my gate! I'm injured like this; why bother checking the surveillance? The facts are right before our eyes."

He could never hand over the surveillance footage.

First, giving it would prove he was talking nonsense.

Second, today's surveillance surely caught him bringing another girl over, and he hasn't had time to delete it; if his wealthy girlfriend saw it later, he'd be done for.

"Well then," a younger officer said, "please come with us for a detailed inquiry."

"I know your superiors," Zhao Bin reminded them, "we've even eaten together a few times before."

The younger officer frowned slightly.

But one of the older officers smiled, "Oh, I recall now—our superior is a friend of your girlfriend; I've met you two."

The younger officer was about to say something when the older one lowered his voice in his ear, "These kinds of disputes get messy; better to have less than more. Besides... if we offend our superior, that wouldn't be good."

"Alright, this will do." The older police officer looked at Ning Jinli and said, "Please you three come with us; if you don't want to go, you can choose to apologize and compensate to seek a settlement—hitting someone is always wrong."

Zhao Bin's eyes showed a smug look: "Ning Jinli, this is you who let me call the police."

"I'll give you one last chance to tell the truth and hand over the surveillance." Ning Jinli said, casually unzipping her backpack.

Zhao Bin sneered: "You're not joking, are you? What I said is the truth, and I also said the surveillance is broken! What, you still want to break into my house to look for it? Who do you think you are?"

"I'm the owner of this apartment." Ning Jinli produced the property deed, smiling as she handed it to the officer, "Please have a look."

Zhao Bin froze.

When did she become the landlord?

Impossible!

"Huh? This place… really is yours." After looking, the officer exclaimed in surprise, "What on earth is going on?"

"Fake!" Zhao Bin blurted out in panic, "She, she… she must have forged the property deed!"

In Zhao Bin's view, no matter how far-fetched, this is the only reasonable explanation.

Even if the sugar daddy who keeps Ning Jinli could buy her a two-million-yuan luxury car and provide bodyguards, he could absolutely never afford to buy her a villa at Lanyue Villa.

It costs over a hundred million per unit!

No matter how beautiful Ning Jinli is, she could never hook up with someone that wealthy!

"Forged property deed?" Ning Jinli laughed helplessly, "What do I have to gain from that, you actually thought of that?"

"I don't care what you're after!" Zhao Bin refused to believe no matter what, sticking his neck out, "Anyway… this is forged!"

Ning Jinli casually produced the rental contract he signed with the previous owner, "You can't weasel out of this, can you?"

Zhao Bin took it and glanced at it; his face turned white instantly.

His whole body froze, as if struck by lightning from head to foot.

He stood dumbfounded for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and said, "You… you actually stole the landlord's rental contract! What exactly are you trying to do?"

Everyone else, including the officers, was left speechless.

"I get it!" Zhao Bin suddenly threw the contract to the ground, his features twisted, jumping with rage, "Ning Jinli! I just realized how scheming you are!"

"I don't know what methods you used to find out I'm renting this villa, and then… you wanted to expose me, to humiliate me to my face! You came today just for this, right? You're really despicable!"

Although his speculation is full of holes and cannot withstand scrutiny.

But he has already gone down a rabbit hole, unable to accept reality, so he forced himself to find an explanation he deems reasonable.

"Fine, I'll give you credit for being capable," Zhao Bin said, veins bulging on his forehead as he gripped his phone, "I'm calling the landlord right now to expose your trick! Forging property deeds, stealing others' rental contracts—get ready to go to jail!"

Soon, the call connected.

Zhao Bin, as if grasping at a last straw, hurriedly explained the situation.

However, the reply was that the landlord had sold the villa, and the buyer was Ning Jinli.

Pa-da—

Zhao Bin's phone dropped to the ground.

He stared blankly for two seconds, then roared at the phone with the shattered screen, "You sold the house and didn't even tell me!"

"Why should I tell you? It's my house; do I need your permission? Crazy." The other party said that and hung up.

At that moment, Zhao Bin felt as if his soul had been sucked out of his body, and he collapsed with a thud onto the ground.

Ning Jinli said to the officers, "As the owner of this place, I certainly have the right to provide you with the surveillance footage, right?"

"Do I even need to ask? Of course!" The young officer nodded vigorously.

The older officer said nothing.

Ning Jinli's lips curled slightly, "Then I'll have you all watch closely what Mr. Zhao just did—I'm going to charge him with indecent assault."

"Ning… Jinli…" Zhao Bin, coming to from his daze, crawled over to her feet, "Don't do this… can't I just apologize to you?"

Ning Jinli looked down at his sweat-soaked, fearful, pleading face, pursed her lips, "An apology would be useful—why do we need the police then?"

"Jinli! I beg you!" Zhao Bin continued pleading, "I know I was wrong, really!"

Ning Jinli's gaze had turned cold; she said flatly, "You're not realizing you were wrong—you're just aware you're about to be punished, and you're scared."

The surveillance footage is solid evidence; it not only proves Zhao Bin's injuries were self-inflicted, but at the very least can be used to charge him with indecent assault.

Ning Jinli solemnly told the officers, "I want to file a report and not settle; however the law says to punish him, that's how we'll do it."

Afterward, she handed the surveillance footage to the officers.

After viewing it, the officers made a copy, lifted the limp Zhao Bin like a sack of mud, cuffed him, and shoved him into the police car to take him away.

"How… long… will I be sentenced?" Zhao Bin stammered to the officer.

An officer replied: "Fortunately you didn't do anything more extreme, or rather, the bodyguards intervening actually saved you, kid—if you'd really forced relations, you'd be looking at three to five years behind bars with no escape. But judging from the footage, your offense is minor; a short period of administrative detention will do."

Zhao Bin instantly relaxed.

Just detention—nothing to fear.

As long as he sweet-talks his rich girlfriend, people will spend some money to bail him out.

The police car slowly started moving.

Zhao Bin turned his head to look out the window; Ning Jinli's receding back grew farther away, his gaze grew colder, and he muttered inwardly, "Despicable woman… you just wait for me…"

…

Ning Jinli walked around the villa, taking in the living environment.

A detached villa with excellent landscaping, and a lake nearby.

To have such a quiet spot in the city, convenient for going out and especially livable—I believe Aunt Su will like it very much.

Moreover, the villa complex's property keeps ornamental birds like swans and peacocks.

In front of the villa Ning Jinli bought, one can see on the lake big swans leading little swans playing in the water.

She gazed at stretches of fertile land covered with green plants, and at swans frolicking on the water surface, recalling Su Yi once saying she hoped to return to the countryside in her old age, casually planting some things and raising chickens, ducks, and the like.

Probably every citizen, rich or poor, deep down harbors this sort of pastoral complex, right…

These are notions passed down from our ancestors, etched into our blood.

"Exactly!" Ning Jinli gazed at the beautiful scenery, her thoughts racing, "Over at Lin Xian Village, although it hasn't rained yet, we have groundwater, basically solving the water problem. Since it's still summer, I need to rush over and deliver crop seeds to them!"

"Hmm… and fertilizer!"

"How about buying some chick, duck, piglet, and lamb young? Then we'd also need to arrange feed…"

Ning Jinli immediately took action, picking up her phone to start searching online for relevant manufacturers.

……

In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.

Outside Xi Tun Guan, yellow sand filled the sky and the setting sun was like blood.

The vast loess plain, situated more than thirty li from Xi Tun Guan, suddenly became rugged and uneven.

The bizarre, uneven earth-and-stone hills formed a complex terrain, stretching far to the north and south of Xi Tun Guan, eventually giving rise to towering mountains on both sides and even around Lin Xian Village.

Among the earth-and-stone hills, a drone took off, and in the blink of an eye became a tiny black dot high in the sky.

"Your Majesty, they're here!" the Scout held up the remote controller and showed Xiao Qidi the situation on the screen.

Just as Xiao Qidi had judged from the drone's reconnaissance of the terrain, the Yu Guo vanguard force of thirty thousand was advancing toward this spot.

This place is a valley within the earth-and-stone hill group, where the ground is relatively the most gentle.

"General Li, are the gas-canister explosives all buried?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Li Yao's eyes lit up: "They've been buried long ago; we're just waiting for those bastards to come!"

Xiao Qidi said: "Pass the order down—everyone conceal yourselves and stand ready for my command."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Yao grabbed his waist-worn walkie-talkie, gave a few orders, and immediately the more than one thousand Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army soldiers in the valley hid themselves.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick passed.

The noisy hoofbeats and footsteps of Yu Guo's thirty thousand elite troops drew ever closer, but when they reached the entrance of this valley, they suddenly came to a halt…