Chapter 86. "Stay away from her from now on..."

Wen Xue passed through the gate and exited the station. In the throng of people, she saw Wu Yuejiang, who had come to pick her up. His kind smile made her feel like she was about to cry.

She composed herself and walked towards him.

The first words she uttered were tinged with helplessness: "I couldn't persuade him to come back."

This was something they agreed on yesterday on their way to the airport, but she didn't do it.

Wu Yuejiang shook his head nonchalantly, took her backpack, glanced around, and laughed, "There are too many people here. Come on, let me take you to eat first."

She followed him half a step behind and went to the parking lot with him.

Wu Yuejiang came to pick her up today, and also to return the car. He was driving that white sedan. After getting in the car, he carefully observed her complexion. She looked even worse than yesterday, probably because she hadn't slept well. He sighed inwardly, "He's away on a business trip recently, and you're busy too. I'll let the dog stay with me for a few days. Nana and the others will also help take care of it, okay?"

Wen Xue paused for a moment, then said, "Okay."

Then she asked Shi Tou in detail about his condition yesterday and today, how much he ate, whether he had a bowel movement, and so on.

Wu Yuejiang answered each question one by one.

The vehicle drove out of the high-speed rail station area and headed towards Xida University.

They tacitly avoided mentioning He Yan along the way, but Wen Xue's phone would occasionally vibrate.

Without even asking, Wu Yuejiang could guess who was sending her the message.

In the end, Wen Xue found it hard to be hard on He Yan. She lowered her head, unlocked her phone, and replied to He Yan's anxious inquiry: "Brother Yuejiang took me back to school. We've already met up, don't worry."

The reply came instantly: 【Okay】

He finally quieted down.

Wen Xue gripped her phone tightly, staring blankly out the windshield.

Xicheng is big enough that it takes almost half the city to get from the South Station to Xida. Wu Yuejiang was also very considerate and bought bread in advance to help her eat, worried that she would be hungry. She opened the package and took small bites, but she didn't seem to have an appetite.

It was almost 2 PM when Wen Xue arrived at the hot pot restaurant that He Yan had mentioned over the phone. She was stunned.

After taking her seat, she hesitated and looked at Wu Yuejiang, who was sitting opposite her ordering food.

After ordering her favorite tripe and duck blood, Wu Yuejiang handed her a pencil and menu, and explained with a smile, "After you left, he called me in a hurry and asked me to pick you up at the station." He omitted the part about He Yan wanting to fly back but being sternly stopped by him, "He said you liked this hot pot restaurant."

Even a few simple words made Wen Xue feel guilty.

From yesterday to today, she has been too impulsive and willful. She went to Huacheng without a second thought and then left without saying goodbye.

Wu Yuejiang noticed the changes in her expression and sincerely advised her, "Sister, don't overthink it. He was wrong, so he needs to be taught a lesson. He didn't even tell us before getting involved in those dangerous things. Now that he's been caught, we're not allowed to be angry? That's not fair!"

Wen Xue smiled.

Urged on by his gaze, she lowered her eyes to order.

The number of customers in the store dwindled, and they sat in a quiet corner. The waiter brought over a hot pot with two broths, steaming and rising. Wen Xue's cheeks began to flush, regaining their color.

Wu Yuejiang would occasionally scoop out a few pieces of meat for her, saying, "Don't just eat vegetables, eat more meat."

"Um."

"You'll graduate in a year. What are your plans?" he asked casually.

"I expect to start my internship in October," she said softly. "I'll apply to a few more companies then."

"Try more while you're young. I almost got into a very famous company back then, and they tricked me into starting a business together. My parents wanted me to go back to Haicheng to take the civil service exam, but I definitely couldn't go back." He said jokingly, "If I had gone back to my hometown, I might be married by now. You have no idea how terrible it is for my parents to urge me to get married."

Wen Xue was amused by him.

She already knew the outcome, but she still couldn't help being interested in his and He Yan's experiences back then. "And then?"

“Then I lied to my parents and said I got a job at a big company, and they were quite happy.” Wu Yuejiang’s gaze was distant as he recalled, “I lied to them for more than a year, right? I only dared to tell them the truth after I had settled down and started making money.”

Wen Xue wasn't stupid; she understood the unspoken meaning behind Wu Yuejiang's words.

The Wu Yue River of yesteryear is now He Yan.

They ate hotpot for a long time, and it was already past three o'clock when they left the restaurant. Wu Yuejiang simply parked the car there and walked back to the school dormitory with Wen Xue. When they passed a fruit shop along the way, he remembered his friend's earnest advice and stopped to go inside.

A few minutes later, he handed Wenxue a bag of fruit, saying, "He told me to, saying you like to eat it."

Wen Xue's gaze softened.

Wu Yuejiang sighed inwardly, realizing he had never experienced such treatment before.

His brother of over twenty years took the saying "valuing women over friends" to the extreme.

From the fruit shop to the dormitory building, Wen Xue remained silent. The afternoon temperature rose, making her palms warm. When she said goodbye to Wu Yuejiang, she whispered, "Actually, I'm not angry, I just..."

She was just afraid of losing him.

As she spoke, she lowered her head.

Wu Yuejiang felt conflicted. After hesitating for a few seconds, he raised his hand and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, he wouldn't dare."

If Wen Xue hadn't appeared in He Yan's life, he would definitely have no scruples.

But now He Yan has his biggest weakness, and he dares not.

“Besides himself,” Wu Yuejiang said jokingly, his previous seriousness gone, “he doesn’t trust anyone else with you, and I can vouch for that.”

The girl in front of him didn't know that with her around, He Yan would value his life and wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

Wen Xue's ears turned slightly red, and she nodded gently.

She said, "Brother Yuejiang, I'm going up now. Thank you for today."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Wu Yuejiang looked up at the dormitory building. "You must be tired after catching a plane yesterday and taking the bullet train today. Go up and get some rest."

Wen Xue waved to him, turned around, stepped onto the stairs, and walked inside.

Only when she was completely out of sight did Wu Yuejiang turn around, scan the room, and see He Yan emerge from behind a hidden tree. He couldn't find the right words to curse. Wen Xue, who had been too immersed in her emotions, was completely unaware, but when he patted her shoulder, he keenly sensed an intense gaze, like someone guarding against a thief—it was insane.

really.

A stubborn person is a stubborn person. Even though he made his point so clearly, He Yan still took a plane back to Xicheng.

This guy wouldn't feel at ease unless he saw Wen Xue enter the dormitory with his own eyes.

It really came true what he just said.

"What's going on?" Wu Yuejiang strode over and rolled his eyes.

He Yan remained noncommittal, looking towards the dormitory building.

He promised not to chase after Wen Xue, but he didn't promise not to return to Xicheng.

"Did you have hot pot?" he asked.

"We've had hot pot, bought fruit, and delivered the person." Wu Yuejiang stretched his stiff neck. "Let's go, the car is still parked in front of the hot pot restaurant, we need to move it."

He Yan glanced at it a few more times before turning his gaze away and walking out of the school side by side with Wu Yuejiang.

The two walked quickly and got into the car in no time.

Wu Yuejiang leaned back comfortably: "Back to Huacheng today?"

"Go back." He Yan took out his phone to book a flight. After a moment's thought, he booked a late-night flight.

Wu Yuejiang leaned over to look and clicked his tongue: "Isn't there an 8 o'clock flight?"

"I have something else to do."

"I give up." Wu Yuejiang remembered that his phone was dead, so he casually opened the armrest box.

He Yan's gaze swept over it casually, then suddenly froze. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and picked it up. The light was so strong that the three characters "Lin Baizhou" on the business card were glaringly obvious.

His face instantly darkened, and he crumpled the business card into a ball and held it in his hand expressionlessly.

Wu Yuejiang was busy charging his phone and didn't notice the change in his expression.

Wu Yuejiang had other things to do that evening and wouldn't be able to stay there for long.

He sat with He Yan in the car, chatting idly before finally getting to the point: "What are your thoughts on the Zhou family matter?"

"It's too late to get a refund," He Yan replied truthfully.

He would keep his distance from Wen Xue.

But there's no need to do that with Wu Yuejiang.

Although he helped Zhou Zhan not for personal gain, that doesn't mean he would turn a blind eye to those things.

He needed Zhou Zhan to rise to power, and he also needed to leverage Zhou Zhan's connections to strengthen himself.

At least the events of his past life were enough for him to see clearly that without sufficient strength, he wouldn't be able to protect the person he cherished most when things happened.

After hearing what he said, Wu Yuejiang was upset. If it were someone else instead of his childhood friend He Yan who was taking the risk, he would have agreed with it more than anything else... But he cared about the interests, and he cared about He Yan even more.

I'm so annoyed I want to smoke.

He reached for the cigarette pack, but before he could touch it, he heard a calm warning from beside him: "Try smoking in this car?"

Wu Yuejiang: "..."

That bastard!

After Wu Yuejiang left, cursing and swearing, only He Yan remained in the car.

He let go of the business card, staring at it expressionlessly. Lin Baizhou was like that business card; he threw it away once, but who knows when or where he would reappear.

It's okay, he can just throw it again.

-

Dusk fell.

Lin Baizhou took off his glasses and put them aside. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked away from the dense data on the computer screen. He got up and went to the kitchen, took out a beer from the refrigerator, opened the can with one hand, and took a few sips.

Suddenly, the cell phone rang throughout the entire room.

On the screen was a string of unfamiliar local numbers. He froze, put down his beer, calmed himself, and answered the phone, his tone composed: "Hello."

at the same time.

He Yan sat upright in the car, a crumpled business card in his right hand. The streetlights illuminated his cold face, creating a dim light. "Mr. Lin, it's me," he said without wasting a word, skipping the self-introduction. He was confident that Lin Baizhou, with his keen senses, would know who he was. "If it's convenient, let's meet. I'm downstairs at your apartment building."

Lin Baizhou seemed unsurprised: "Okay."

They've met many times since last year, but this is their first direct confrontation.

After hanging up the phone, He Yan got out of the car and casually threw the business card into the trash can. He leaned against the car door, his gaze fixed on Lin Baizhou as he came into view and got closer and closer.

Unlike before when he wore a shirt and trousers, Lin Baizhou walked over calmly, his face expressionless.

The two men were of similar build, and neither of them took the initiative to greet each other.

He Yan lowered his gaze, absentmindedly stroking the lighter in his hand, as if carefully choosing his words. After a moment, he said calmly, "That day, besides you, who else saw me get into Zhou Zhan's car?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Baizhou's eyes behind his glasses.

He hadn't expected He Yan to ask that question, but he quickly understood what it meant. "No."

He was helping his friend catch his breath when his friend, who was extremely drunk, didn't even recognize He Yan.

He Yan nodded, seemingly lost in thought: "This matter—"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Baizhou said, "I only told her. Don't worry, I won't bring this up again."

Using the light of the streetlamp, He Yan subtly observed him.

Lin Baizhou was also observing him.

After a long while, He Yan put the lighter in his pocket. He couldn't express his gratitude to this person, nor could he bring himself to make things difficult for him because of his suppressed jealousy, because he knew clearly that this person was a good person.

Just as he was about to get into the car and leave, Lin Baizhou's voice came from behind: "It seems she didn't convince you. You've still decided to get involved with the Zhou family's mess."

Not only was Wen Xue puzzled, but Lin Baizhou was even more perplexed.

He understood the saying "fortune favors the bold," but that didn't mean he agreed with it.

He likes wealth and power, but he would rather not have them than put himself or those around him in danger.

He Yan paused.

Lin Baizhou stopped there: "There are many ways to make money, there's no need to take such a risk."

He Yan chuckled slowly and silently, then quickly composed himself.

He lowered his eyes, looking at Lin Baizhou's undamaged and freely moving legs, unlike the slight limp he had in his previous life. A mix of emotions welled up inside him, incredibly complex. Zhou Xian was no ordinary person; he was utterly uninhibited.

He had doubts about it in his past life as well.

But he only paused for a few seconds, at which point he thought Zhou Xian had become more restrained in his actions after taking power.

Looking back now, it's ironic that he actually understood why Zhou Xian left some room for maneuver when dealing with Lin Baizhou.

Because in Wen Xue's life, there can be no second He Heng.

"Muddy waters?" He Yan repeated the word, almost laughing.

At this moment, Lin Baizhou felt like he was wading into muddy waters, but in his previous life, Lin Baizhou had always been immersed in muddy waters, giving everything he could for Wen Xue.

He Yan glanced at Lin Baizhou one last time.

He's doing the same thing now.

"Let's go." He opened the car door and got in.

Lin Baizhou felt a mix of emotions. Everyone has their own ambitions, and he said that he had said all he needed to say. He turned and walked towards the other side, but after taking only a few steps, he was stopped. Looking back, he saw He Yan in the car with the window down. In the night breeze, his sharp gaze carried an invisible sense of oppression: "Stay away from her in the future."