"Mm."
"You will change more lives in the future. So, don't be discouraged."
Ren Zhong: "Thank you."
The two fell silent again, each lost in their own thoughts.
A few minutes later, they returned to the villa.
This villa wasn't a newly acquired property by Ren Zhong.
Yang Bingzhong, after selling off much of his property for stock trading, only kept this second-ring villa where his family lived, putting it up for partial mortgage to liquidate cash.
Ren Zhong took on all of Yang Bingzhong's debts and assets, and naturally, this villa became Ren Zhong's property.
The original occupants were evicted after Yang Bingzhong's accident, and Ren Zhong had no idea where they went.
All he knew was that with Yang Bingzhong's citizenship revoked, his offspring had no right to inherit a downgraded status and had to start over as First Level Citizens.
These people are probably now struggling to start afresh somewhere or might have been turned into slaves by other creditors.
The house has always been here, but Ren Zhong hadn't lived there before because he was not eligible to settle in the county seat.
He had no household registration in Liao Yuan County, and even with a house, he could not stay long-term.
Now, having been promoted to Fifth Level Citizen, he has the right to settle freely in any county town on Source Star, resolving the above issues.
Upon entering, Ju Qingmeng tossed her shawl aside, stretched comfortably, and lazily said, "Home is still the best. Wearing these clothes feels so constricting, not at all comfortable. It's unbearable, I need to change into something else. Ha~~"
Ren Zhong glanced swiftly.
As she stretched, her prominent chest formed a graceful curve.
Ren Zhong felt his heart rate slightly increase.
He quickly turned his face away, saying, "You're more used to wearing work clothes, I know."
Ju Qingmeng waved her fingers, "Wrong! It's the little vest, it's the most comfortable while working, cool and not easy to get caught in the equipment."
Ren Zhong made a sound of acknowledgment, but in his mind, he again recalled Ju Qingmeng in her little vest, her face covered in tactical camo-like black oil stains, lying on the workbench with that focused yet sexy look.
He hurriedly made a gesture as if checking the time.
Hmm, it's now eight twenty-five, still a bit early for bedtime.
He decided to spend another hour or so training in the gym and thus said to Ju Qingmeng, "You go rest first, I'll hit the gym."
"Huh!" Ju Qingmeng seemed about to say something but stopped, "Okay… okay then."
Twenty minutes later, Ren Zhong was lying on the equipment doing heavy bench presses when Ju Qingmeng walked in wearing her pajamas, sighing softly, "Ren Zhong…"
Ren Zhong put down the barbell, sat up straight, "What's… uh…"
His pupils suddenly widened.
At the gym's entrance, Ju Qingmeng's long hair was scattered and wet.
A faint scent of shampoo wafted over, mixing with his own sweat to create a unique olfactory experience.
It seemed she just took a shower.
But that's not the point.
The point is her clothing.
It was a familiar yet slightly different magenta sheer nightgown.
Underneath the sheer nightgown, the intricate red lingerie was faintly visible.
In the bright light of the living room behind her, her curvaceous yet slim waist was outlined.
Long time ago, when Ren Zhong stayed at her villa, she sometimes walked around in pajamas before him, but those were ordinary and conservative home wear made of cotton, not see-through.
This scene, for a moment, recalled a buried timeline when he first visited Ju Qingmeng's home at night under the guise of a fake Pu Cha officer.
He used "friendship" as reasoning to reassure her so he could comfortably accept her help.
Later, after resurrecting once more, Ren Zhong chose to reveal his cards during their first meeting at the talent test room of the military weapon store.
He avoided that scene, burying Ju Qingmeng's seductive nightgown show deep within his memories, hidden in the crevices of time.
Yet unexpectedly, with the passage of time, the same people and a strikingly similar scene appeared inevitably again.
As a high-IQ "madman," Ren Zhong only needed a slight reflection to immediately understand that although the scene was strikingly similar, the social relations, emotional contexts, and logical background were utterly distinct.
Ren Zhong told himself.
It's evident, she has fallen in love with me.
She wants to take the so-called "lover" relationship further.
"Ren Zhong, I… I…"
Ju Qingmeng stammered, starting to speak.
Ren Zhong also waged an inner battle.
He questioned himself.