"Ye Yun, is she a new friend you made in the provincial capital?" Tang Shu looked at her and blinked her eyes with curiosity.

Ye Yun shook her head.

"No, she's the older sister of someone I know."

"oh……"

Tang Shu nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly her expression froze. "Wait, are you talking about Xiaoyue?"

oh?

"She was abducted to Qin Zheng's hometown." Ye Yun didn't expect Tang Shu to know Liu Xiaoyun either, and didn't hide anything. "The person who abducted her happened to be Qin Zheng's half-brother. Qin Zheng later contacted Director Liu to pick her up, and Liu Xiaoyun came along. You know her well?"

Tang Shu: "She's alright, she's quite cute, we all like her."

Ye Yun responded with an "oh".

"Qin Zheng's brother is quite something, daring to even abduct Director Liu's daughter. Does he think he's living too long?" Tang Shu teased.

Ye Yun was speechless for a moment.

What a misfortune for our family! What a misfortune for our family!

Fortunately, Qin Zheng had severed ties with the Guo family and was capable; otherwise, he would have suffered along with Guo Laosan.

Ye Yun didn't forget her purpose in inquiring about Liu Xiaoyun, and continued, "Do you know someone named Xie Jiaming who's with Liu Xiaoyun?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Shu replied, "Of course I know him. No one can be unaware of him."

"Tell me about it."

"Sigh, he's Liu Xiaoyun's childhood sweetheart and good older brother."

When Xie Jiaming, who was by Liu Xiaoyun's side, was mentioned, Tang Shu's eyes held a hint of intriguing ambiguity.

"Although Liu Xiaoyun isn't very popular, Xie Jiaming is quite well-liked. He's a nice person, and he usually attends our gatherings or events. We maintain a good relationship with him. Although he doesn't talk much, he's calm, gentle, and a very reliable person."

Oh, I see.

Ye Yun recalled the man who had been following Liu Xiaoyun yesterday, who had remained silent. She hadn't expected him to have such a high reputation outside.

"By the way, why did you bring him up?"

Tang Shu became curious again.

Ye Yun snapped out of her reverie and smiled faintly, "Yesterday at the hearing with Ye Xue, Liu Xiaoyun was accompanied by a man. I noticed that their relationship seemed unusual, so I asked out of curiosity."

"Oh..." Tang Shu saw that she was preoccupied and tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Ye Yun, you don't mean you want to befriend Liu Xiaoyun, do you?"

She had just spoken ill of Liu Xiaoyun.

If Ye Yun becomes friends with Liu Xiaoyun, how awkward would it be if they ran into each other in the future?

Ye Yun remained silent.

Tang Shu was unaware of the entanglement between Liu Xiaoyun and her. After thinking for two seconds, she decided to take a chance.

"Yes, I'm planning to get to know Liu Xiaoyun. Can you help me?"

"..."

Tang Shu froze.

Holding the water glass, she blinked and looked at Ye Yun with a complicated expression, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

Ye Yun gave a guilty smile.

She hugged Tang Shu's arm, shook it, and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "Good sister, please help me. If it's done, I'll help you deal with Gu Jin."

Tang Shu's expression changed.

"make a deal!"

It's incredibly fast; I'm afraid that if I'm even a second late, the food will spoil.

...

primary school.

Liu Xiaoyun has been staying at the school recently. The Liu family where she grew up has no warmth for her and she doesn't want to go back at all. The cold and impersonal school office makes her feel like she has found a home.

At that moment, there was another person in the office—

Xie Jiaming.

Perhaps out of concern for Liu Xiaoyun's safety at school alone, Xie Jiaming would always come to the school to keep Liu Xiaoyun company for a while after work.

He had tried to persuade Liu Xiaoyun to stay at his house, but she always refused, saying that she was too old and not like she was when she was young, and that staying at his house would cause gossip.

But they were going to get married anyway, so why should they care about these gossips?

“My dad said that it’s his birthday in a few days and he’s invited you to attend. We can set our wedding date then.”

As the two ate together, Xie Jiaming skillfully picked up the lean meat from his bowl and gave it to Liu Xiaoyun, while putting the fatty meat that she didn't like into his own bowl.

In his memory, Liu Xiaoyun didn't like to eat fatty meat, saying it would make her fat.

But in his eyes, her figure was just right. To be precise, whether she was fat or thin, he felt she was suitable and pleasing from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Xiaoyun did not reply.

She always prefers to remain silent when the topic of marriage comes up, and even her eating slows down at this moment.

Xie Jiaming sighed helplessly.

"Xiaoyun, you're running away again."

"I don't."

Liu Xiaoyun refuted quickly, but soon fell silent again, unable to give a complete reason for a long time.

"I just... I just feel that it's not the right time yet, and my career should take precedence."

"Your career is already very successful."

Xie Jiaming put down his chopsticks, put his hand on her shoulder, and gazed intently at her through his glasses.

“Listen to me, you’ve already surpassed many people, you’re already outstanding.” His voice was gentle, like a feather brushing the surface of water, soothing Liu Xiaoyun’s anxious heart. “We’ve both reached the right age, Xiaoyun, stop avoiding me, give me a chance, okay?”

Liu Xiaoyun looked at him, her eyes slightly bewildered, and even her breathing slowed down.

She didn't dare.

Having a stain on her record is like having a sharp sword hanging over her head, ready to kill her at any moment.

She was afraid of implicating Xie Jiaming.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Xie Jiaming hesitated for two seconds, and his expression unconsciously became more cautious: "Xiaoyun, is it because you feel that I haven't done something well enough, and you are not satisfied with me? If so, can you give me some instructions?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!