“Got it, boss.” Fu Yingzi nodded in agreement.

“Just for this matter?”

Shen Yuan glanced at Fu Yingzi. She didn’t seem to be leaving, and this sort of minor issue didn’t require a face-to-face report–it could’ve been handled with a phone call or a text message.

Fu Yingzi didn’t reply. She glanced around, and Shen Yuan immediately knew there was more to it, so he dismissed Ji Ya and Tan Xin.

“So mysterious. Don’t tell me you’re planning to confess to me. Let me make it clear first–I’m not the type of man to casually get involved with someone, even if you’re my secretary…”

“Ahem.”

Fu Yingzi interrupted her boss’s narcissistic rambling and got straight to the point: “Teacher Lih has been taking quite a lot of leave lately.”

“Hmm?”

Shen Yuan frowned. The last time he visited Lih Xiao’s house, their relationship had eased up. While it hadn’t returned to the way it was before, Teacher Lih wasn’t overly resistant during moments of intimacy like hugging and kissing.

Teacher Lih had also resumed her work routine. Given her dedication, she wouldn’t take leave unless her illness was particularly severe.

“Was it a long stretch of days off, or occasional leave?” Shen Yuan asked.

“About once or twice a week. Each time she takes half a day or a whole day off,” Fu Yingzi responded.

Knowing Shen Yuan’s connection to Teacher Lih, Fu Yingzi had kept an eye on the school’s updates. Over the years, she’d built good rapport with the lecturers and counselors from her work at the station, and had picked up this information during casual conversations.

A woman’s intuition was telling Fu Yingzi that whatever was going on likely had something to do with her boss.

“Boss, do you want to go check on her?”

Fu Yingzi suggested. She’d interacted with Teacher Lih a few times–apart from her beauty and figure, she had a gentle and thoughtful personality.

“I see. You can get back to work now.”

Shen Yuan dismissed her with a hand wave, feeling like something wasn’t quite right. After Fu Yingzi left, he immediately contacted Lih Meng.

This little brat has drained me of so many resources and yet failed to supply me with crucial intelligence.

Lih Meng hadn’t replied in ages. She hadn’t been answering calls either. Just as Shen Yuan was about to pay a personal visit to investigate, her call came through.

“What’s your deal? Why haven’t you been picking up the phone?” Shen Yuan snapped impatiently.

On the other end, Lih Meng sounded equally annoyed: “Why are you taking that tone? I was busy just now.”

“Let me ask you–has your sister been dealing with something lately? Why is she always taking leave?”

“No, there’s nothing up with her. Everything’s fine.”

“Really? Nothing at all?” Shen Yuan pressed further.

“Nothing. What could possibly be bothering her?”

“Then why’s she been taking leave so often?”

Lih Meng thought for a moment: “Maybe she’s tired and wants to rest.”

After digging into some details, Shen Yuan became increasingly convinced something was amiss. Teacher Lih wouldn’t take leave this frequently just because she felt “tired,” especially for half-days or individual days.

Having spent three years at the school, Shen Yuan wasn’t an expert on everything, but he trusted her professionalism and dedication implicitly. She never let minor issues affect her work. Only severe illnesses, like high fevers or bad colds, forced her to take leave.

Shen Yuan realized it was quite likely that Lih Meng had been persuaded into betraying him.

“I’ve stored so much in her bedroom and even bought her a house and a Porsche! Now she’s stabbing me in the back?”

Shen Yuan was furious, trembling with anger. He resolved to give her a serious punishment next time.

Still, the call wasn’t entirely fruitless–at least he learned Lih Meng was aware of the situation and that it shouldn’t be anything major.

Glancing at the time, now past 9 PM, Shen Yuan made up his mind to visit in person the next day no matter what.

Switching gears, he called Ji Ya into the room to have her contact agents for private jets.

After all those round trips to Japan aboard business jets, Shen Yuan was increasingly convinced they were the ideal form of transportation.

There was no need to adhere to fixed commercial flight schedules or arrive 1-2 hours early for check-in. Plus, private jet terminals existed.

For cross-border flights, cruising altitudes ranged between 12,000 and 15,000 meters, making flights smoother. Private jets could land at smaller airports and routes could even be adjusted en route.

The experience was exceptional, akin to traveling in a mobile luxury suite.

In short: flexible schedules, privacy protection, and ultimate comfort.

Such conveniences would be great for future vacations or business trips.

Of course, Shen Yuan was aware of the expenses: management fees, insurance, crew salaries, fuel costs, landing fees, routine maintenance… Maintaining a jet for a year could cost millions, and even tens of millions for frequent flyers.

Still, Shen Yuan’s cash flow was more than enough, bolstered by the “threefold cashback” system on female companions, letting him spend freely.

“Boss, I’ve already looked into it.”

Ji Ya pulled out her phone and sent a file to Shen Yuan. “This is the info sent by the agent. It includes descriptions of various models like Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Challenger 850, Falcon 2000EX, and Gulfstream G700…”

Shen Yuan nodded with satisfaction: “You really are the best assistant. I’m glad I invested so much effort into you.”

Ji Ya’s face flushed red, then she began explaining each model’s highlights and advantages to Shen Yuan.

After a brief overview, Shen Yuan prepared to take a bath. Ji Ya naturally stayed behind to assist him.

This villa’s first floor housed two bedrooms–one for Tan Xin and the other for the nanny, Auntie He. The second floor had four bedrooms. Shen Yuan stayed in the master bedroom, while Ji Ya usually occupied the adjacent one–and joined the master bedroom for overnight duties when needed.

Down on the first floor…

Tan Xin had finished unpacking her belongings. All her clothing–inside and out–was monochrome black, white, and gray. The only exception was a pair of army-green cargo pants.

Surveying the tastefully spacious bedroom, she thought to herself: So, this will be my permanent space from now on. Satisfaction sparkled in Tan Xin’s gaze.

Reflecting back on the 9-day trip to Japan, Tan Xin’s impressions of Shen Yuan were clear: a man of lechery, irreverence, and unreliability. Only tonight did she realize he had some serious and responsible sides to him as well.