The Rejected Heiress's Possesive Tycoon Husband-Chapter 31: Ninth Master Successfully Defuses the Crisis

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Ninth Master Successfully Defuses the Crisis

Ninth Master clearly has no particular demands for food! He always eats whatever is prepared! But today, Ninth Master not only personally ordered the dishes but also told Miss An Yan that these few dishes, which he claimed he’d never eaten, were his usual favorites! This... The chef seemed to have an epiphany. He summoned all his enthusiasm and dashed into the kitchen, vowing to be Ninth Master’s divine support!

After dinner, the chef presented a platter of beautifully arranged fruit.

An Yan’s eyes lit up instantly.

Conditions in the mountains were limited; growing up, the fruit she ate was always served whole. She would just peel it and take a bite; there was never any artistry to speak of.

The chef smiled silently. I’m one step closer to a raise, he mused.

Li Tianyao forked a piece of apple and handed it to An Yan.

The apple was crisp, sweet, and bursting with juice.

An Yan couldn’t help but squint her eyes in blissful satisfaction.

"Little girl, this thumb ring looks quite old. Where did you get it?" Li Tianyao asked.

An Yan swallowed the apple and replied, "It was given to me by a friend of my grandfather’s."

"For him to give you something so valuable, he must have had a very close relationship with your grandfather."

Li Tianyao’s voice was calm, but the movement of his fingers across the Buddha Beads unconsciously slowed.

"I suppose so. However, I haven’t seen him since. Grandfather never mentioned him again either, so I assume he must have passed away."

The man’s deep eyes lowered slightly as he extended his hand behind him.

Li Han, concealed in the shadows, quickly stepped forward and placed the thumb ring into his hand.

An Yan blinked in surprise. When did Li Tianyao give the thumb ring to Li Han? I didn’t even notice.

"Life is unpredictable. My condolences."

He handed the thumb ring back to An Yan, his voice gentle. "Since he gave it to you, he surely hoped you would cherish it. Don’t mention giving it away again."

An Yan was silent for a few seconds, then took it. "Actually, this thumb ring is the key to a secret realm!"

"A key?"

"Legend has it that this thumb ring provides access to a secret realm teeming with Spiritual Energy, filled with all sorts of heavenly and earthly treasures! It’s even said to contain Spirit Plants and Spirit Grasses that are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years old!"

An Yan raised the thumb ring, holding it up to the light. "And look, don’t the patterns on it resemble a map?"

"Unfortunately, I have no idea where the secret realm is. Besides, it’s from such a distant era. Mountains and rivers change over time. I’ve compared it with many places using satellite maps, but I haven’t found a single match."

Li Tianyao turned his head, examined it for a moment, and said, "That’s not a map. It’s a royal totem from the Qin Dynasty period, composed of three parts: a Dark Bird’s fallen egg, hands held in offering, and grain sprouts."

An Yan paused for a moment, murmuring, "It isn’t?"

This news was a blow to An Yan. She seemed to wilt, and even the bun on top of her head looked as if it had lost its spirit. "So, it’s really just a legend?"

Li Tianyao found this amusing and said, "Not necessarily."

At his words, the young woman’s spirits instantly lifted. "Did you figure something out?" freewebnøvel_com

Li Tianyao leisurely added, "It’s also possible that the original owner fabricated the story to emphasize the thumb ring’s value."

An Yan was silent for a few seconds, then said, "You said before that it was an antique. Just its age alone makes it valuable enough. Why would they need to concoct a story to inflate its worth?"

"Who knows? After all, people’s hearts are hard to fathom. But since you believe it’s real, why not try to find it?"

"How would we search for it?" An Yan’s eyes shone with anticipation as she gazed at him. The Li family is so influential, with branches all over the country. If he mobilized his employees, perhaps...

Li Tianyao reached out and gently pinched the bun on top of her head. "Shall I try to think of a way then?"

"Yes! If we really find the secret realm, we can go together. You can choose any of the heavenly and earthly treasures inside!" An Yan was making a grand promise.

Li Tianyao’s lips curved into a smile. "Then I’ll thank you in advance."

"You’re welcome!"

After some lighthearted conversation and teasing, An Yan’s awkwardness had completely vanished, and her smile returned.

At eleven o’clock, An Yan rose to leave.

Li Tianyao watched her hop over to the neighboring house and climb up to the second-floor balcony before he slowly turned around. His black suit outlined his tall, imposing figure, and a suppressed rage smoldered in his deep eyes.

"Ninth Master, please punish me!" Li Han knelt.

Only he knew how much effort Ninth Master had expended to find this thumb ring. Now that it had finally been located with great difficulty, he couldn’t allow Ninth Master to lose it simply because his own skills were inferior.

So, while An Yan was undergoing surgery, he had stolen the thumb ring, created a replica, and swapped the genuine one with the fake. Who could have guessed that Miss An Yan would actually give the fake thumb ring to Ninth Master? And Ninth Master, in turn, had returned the genuine one to Miss An Yan! At that moment, he knew this punishment was inescapable.

Ninth Master’s cold gaze landed on him, carrying an immense pressure that seemed to crush him, making him unable to straighten his back.

"Depart immediately. The mine in South Africa was attacked, wasn’t it? It’s currently lacking a key figure to take charge."

Li Han’s body trembled, and he prostrated himself further. "Ninth Master! I was wrong! I’ll accept any punishment. Please, just let me remain by your side."

Li Tianyao’s voice was icy. "I do not keep individuals by my side who act on their own initiative."

In the shadows, several figures stood silently, none daring to intercede on his behalf.

"Lu Feng."

"Present."

"Collect as many ancient travelogues as you can find. I want original ancient texts."

The secret realm that little girl mentioned... Gu Shifang must have deliberately leaked information about it. Is he trying to lure me into searching for it? Little girl, you absolutely must not stand against me!

Li Tianyao rotated the Buddha Beads on his wrist, a sinister, dark glint flashing in his deep amber eyes.

「An Family.」

An Shimeng gritted her teeth as she watched An Yan through binoculars.

The moment An Yan appeared next door, several schemes flashed through An Shimeng’s mind. I’ll let everyone know she’s not sleeping at night but sneaking out for secret trysts with men! I’ll ruin her reputation! But the thought was fleeting, and she quickly dismissed it.

An Yan was framed by Madame Lin, causing such an uproar online that her reputation was nearly destroyed. Then, suddenly, everything turned around! An Yan, who had been condemned as a serial homewrecker, transformed overnight into someone countless people envied, admired, and adored. Although it wasn’t publicly revealed online, I know Li Tianyao was definitely behind it. Why should such an exceptional man be An Yan’s fiancé? My only consolation is that Father hasn’t yet agreed to publicly acknowledge An Yan’s relationship with Li Tianyao. But if Father found out about An Yan and Li Tianyao’s clandestine midnight meeting, would he simply go along with it and approve their relationship? If that happened, wouldn’t I, An Shimeng, become an unwitting accomplice in helping them? I can’t do something so foolish. A man like Li Tianyao, a true chosen one, absolutely cannot fall into An Yan’s hands!

As she was silently making this vow, a pair of dark, ink-black eyes met her gaze from across the way.

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