TYPnovel Chapter 195: The Plan Proceeds as Usual
Chapter 195: The Plan Proceeds as Usual
Shanshan waved at him, making a "Got it!" gesture.
She casually circled a finger in the air.
"Got it, got it. You’re such a nag."
She muttered, walking over to the coffee table to pick up a glass of water and take a big gulp.
"I don’t want anything to happen to you. Don’t take any risks, not even for my sake. Alright?"
Ling Anxun turned around. His tone was whisper-soft, but his eyes were dead serious.
The moment he said that, Shanshan’s heart melted. She turned and threw herself into his arms.
"Alright, Dad, don’t worry. I’ll be on my best behavior for you."
His daughter’s sweet-talking left Ling Anxun completely dazed, and he absentmindedly nodded in agreement.
By the time his head cleared, he realized he’d actually agreed to let Shanshan spy on Cao Daqiang’s dating life—and even let her pull strings from the sidelines.
’Absolutely not!’
The sudden realization of the problem made his expression change instantly.
He might not know Cao Daqiang well, but the background check he’d run was clear—the guy was no saint.
He was shifty, had a complicated background, and had multiple records of unusual contacts over the past few years. The organization had flagged him as a person of interest long ago.
If he was serious about this and dragged Yuan Zhihe into doing something reckless, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be discovered.
What was worse, Shanshan might be right there watching...
The very thought made Ling Anxun’s head throb.
A cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He shot to his feet, pushed Shanshan out of his arms, and stared intently into her eyes.
"Fine, you can get involved, but I have to go with you! And you can’t leave my sight for a second!"
"Huh? Dad! Are you going back on your word? That’s not what you said a minute ago!"
Shanshan’s eyes widened, her face a mask of indignation.
Her fingers subconsciously tightened on the hem of her shirt, and her voice trembled slightly.
She repeatedly stressed their prior agreement, her tone growing more urgent until she was stomping her feet, trying to use her charm to make her father relent.
But no matter how she argued, Ling Anxun stood his ground, his expression grim, not budging an inch.
With his hands in his pockets, he stared straight ahead as if he couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
In the end, unable to sway him, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and concede.
Her shoulders slumped and her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes filled with resentment.
She looked down, kicking at a loose pebble. ’This is so unfair,’ she muttered to herself.
She had originally planned to make some progress on her own, taking advantage of Ling Anxun’s busy work schedule.
She had every step planned out, right down to the excuses she would use.
The moment he stepped into his office, she could contact Yuan Zhihe and arrange their next move.
But lately, the man had been ridiculously free. Not only did he stop working overtime, but he also started showing up at the lab entrance every day, right on time, to pick her up.
The instant the bell rang, he would already be standing outside the glass doors, poised and steady in a sharp suit.
Sometimes, he’d even be holding a cup of warm milk, claiming it was for her health.
But Shanshan knew it was all for show. In reality, he was monitoring her every move.
"Dad, are you here to pick me up, or is this just your way of supervising me?"
She deliberately drew out her words, rolled her eyes, and slung her backpack over her shoulder, her tone dripping with resentment.
"Both."
Ling Anxun replied without a hint of shame.
He took her bag, then smoothly took her hand and led her outside.
His steps were steady and his movements fluid, as if this had long been their routine.
As they walked out, Shanshan linked her arm through his and started muttering non-stop.
She grumbled quietly about the importance of freedom, complaining that now even her call history was subject to spot checks and she had to get approval before posting a group photo on social media.
She felt this wasn’t how a father and daughter should be. It was more like an agent surveilling a suspect.
"If you have something to say, say it loud and clear. I’m not going to bite."
Ling Anxun glanced at her, his voice even but carrying an undeniable weight.
"Hmph! I’m a grown-up now, old enough to be dating. Why do you still have to control me? You watch me all day long, it’s so annoying!"
Shanshan huffed, her cheeks puffed with indignation, and slowed her pace.
She turned to look at a streetlight, the glow casting her stubborn expression in sharp relief.
She felt she was perfectly capable of handling her own relationships without anyone’s interference.
Especially something like this. Her father had no business getting involved.
"Even when you’re eighty, you’ll still be a child to me. Besides, I was against this from the start. I only gave in because you wouldn’t let it go."
Ling Anxun had his comeback ready and delivered it without missing a beat.
He finished with a light cough, a pointed reminder of how she had camped outside his office, crying for three days straight just to get his approval for this mission.
For the next few days, he continued to pick her up like clockwork.
The plan moved forward as scheduled.
Every day at 5:20 PM, he would be in the first-floor lobby of the lab building without fail.
Occasionally he would be five minutes early, holding a snack box or a thermos.
He learned more and more about the minutiae of Shanshan’s life, to the point where he could even say exactly how many times she’d had a drink of water that day.
With him running interference, Cao Daqiang and Yuan Zhihe’s secret romance remained under wraps.
Their interactions were kept within reasonable limits. Phone calls were scheduled during off-peak hours, and meetings took place at the edge of surveillance blind spots.
Shanshan guided them according to the pre-arranged plan, keeping her progress reports brief and to the point to avoid any unnecessary complications.
But as the days of surveillance dragged on, Shanshan grew restless.
She found the progress excruciatingly slow and the information gathering inefficient.
They were supposed to confirm the status of the relationship within a week, but half a month had passed without any key breakthroughs.
She began to wonder if something was wrong with their methods.
"This is taking forever! What the hell is Cao Daqiang even doing? Is he all talk and no action? He can’t get a single thing done!"
Crouching in a corner of their observation post, she complained in a hushed voice, her brow knitted in frustration.
She stared at the café across the street, watching the pair just sitting there, quietly drinking their coffee with almost no physical contact.
"Don’t be ridiculous!"
Ling Anxun gave her a sharp flick on the forehead. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to make her flinch.
"Stop spouting nonsense."
"What did I say?"
Shanshan batted her eyes, giving him a sly, mischievous look.
She rubbed the spot he’d flicked, putting on an exaggeratedly innocent expression, though she couldn’t suppress the smirk playing on her lips.
Ling Anxun froze. On second thought, he realized his own mind had jumped to conclusions.
He immediately reined in his thoughts, regulated his breathing, and regained his composure.
’What kind of kid would think of something like that?’
’My mind was the one in the gutter.’
He chided himself for letting his imagination run away with him, blaming it on a misjudgment caused by his hyper-vigilance.
’I’m the one who walked right into that one.’
"Hehe, what are you thinking about, Dad?"
Shanshan could tell at a glance that something was off. Instead of letting it go, she bumped him with her shoulder, making him stumble slightly, and pressed for an answer with a wide grin.
Ling Anxun turned his head slightly to avoid her gaze and quickened his pace, trying to end the conversation through action.
Seeing this, Shanshan didn’t press her advantage. She just smiled, backed off, and went back to watching the couple ahead of them.
But she had no intention of wasting any more time. When she saw the two of them enter a private dining room and sit down to eat, she seized her chance. Using the reflection in the window to make sure no one was watching, she quickly pulled a small, newly-made gadget from her sleeve and tossed it into their soup bowl.