Chapter 104: So you're allowed to shout through a megaphone?

Chapter 104: So you're allowed to shout through a megaphone?

He was clearly harboring malicious intentions, yet he tried to shift the blame elsewhere.

Xu Xiangbai's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The first betrayal of the day came from his good brother.

With Fu Yanjing's exaggerated and presumptuous words, Wen Jin once again became the focus of the entire audience.

Wen Jin gripped her water glass tightly, feeling an urge to throw it at Fu Yanjing's face.

The instigator, however, remained calm and composed, exuding elegance and grace in every gesture, with no hint of malice on his face.

Professor Chen was surprised, not expecting such a coincidence. "Xiao Wen, do you know Xiang Bai from our family?"

"Yes, we know each other." Wen Jin also composed herself, and her answer was somewhat ambiguous, half true and half false. "I am a financial reporter. Mr. Xu has a great reputation in the industry. We have met many times before at events."

The old lady glanced at her unruly grandson and snorted, "He calls himself a teacher? You don't need to give him any face in front of me."

Xu Xiangbai: ?

Fu Yanjing and Xu Xiangbai were inseparable during high school. Now that Fu Yanjing has returned to Jiangbei, the Xu family intends for Xu Xiangbai to learn composure and restraint from Fu Yanjing, so they attend most events together.

The old lady asked, "Then you know Ah Jing too, right?"

“I interviewed Mr. Fu before.” She had now completely regained her composure as a financial reporter, and even the smile on her face had an impeccable businesslike quality.

"Many financial journalists should know Mr. Fu and would love to interview him, after all, he has unique insights, incisive views, and remarkable achievements in business."

Their words were impeccable, with just the right amount of flattery, as if they were afraid of letting anyone see any hint of something amiss in their relationship.

Everyone looked like they understood.

Fu Yanjing, however, had no intention of letting her go.

"I didn't expect reporter Wen to speak so highly of me."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and his drawn-out voice carried a myriad of implications, "You didn't say that the last time we met."

She used a variety of insults to describe him: "You bastard," "You hooligan," "You scoundrel," "You trash"...

Someone was so engrossed in listening that they couldn't help but ask, "Was there a previous time?"

Only after asking did she realize how abrupt it was, and she awkwardly covered her mouth.

Wen Jin's smile froze for a moment. "Mr. Fu misunderstood. I'm already honored to have followed up on Mr. Fu's interview. How could I possibly have a biased opinion of you?"

This explained the reason for their meeting while cleverly avoiding the trap in Fu Yanjing's words. The reasonable explanation did not arouse any suspicion from anyone.

After all, in everyone's eyes, Wen Jinye and Fu Yanjing were not on the same level. Even though Fu Yanjing's words seemed a little strange, no one would think much of it.

Fu Yanjing's gaze shifted indifferently from Wen Jinye, and when he glanced at Meng Qinghe out of the corner of his eye, it dimmed slightly.

"You're so honored, yet you don't even bother to greet me." This time, his tone was somewhat mocking.

Wen Jin was also pushed further and further by his cryptic words, and her patience ran out, causing her rebellious feelings to surge up.

She nodded slightly. "You are so refined and elegant, with a cool and aloof air that makes people hesitant to approach you. I—"

"It's hard to talk about."

Her lying skills had improved considerably. She maintained a gentle demeanor throughout, and even her tone was one of perfectly measured admiration. No one would find anything wrong with her answer.

Only Fu Yanjing understood the hidden meaning in her words.

The playful smile on the man's lips faded, and his face regained its usual aloofness.

It's really grown thorns, like a cat with sharp claws, soft on the outside but always scratching Fu Yanjing unexpectedly when he tries to touch it.

The pain wasn't excruciating, but it was clear enough.

Xu Xiangbai secretly kicked Fu Yanjing and whispered, "What's wrong with you? Wasn't that our private conversation? Why are you bringing it up to harass the reporter?"

Fu Yanjing's behavior was too abnormal. Even if Xu Xiangbai couldn't believe it, he couldn't help but wonder, "What? Am I part of your play?"

This realization instantly instilled in Xu Xiangbai a resolute, unyielding spirit, like that of a virtuous man who would rather die than submit. "I will not be your flirting tool."

"You don't deserve it." Fu Yanjing took a leisurely sip of water. "So you're the only one who likes to shout through a megaphone?"

It turns out it was a report that he had let his guard down.

Xu Xiangbai felt guilty and could only curse Fu Yanjing in his heart, thinking that he was truly vindictive.

*

After the dishes were served, the entire private room was filled with laughter and conversation, unaffected by the earlier incident.

Professor Chen never plays low-level games; he has trained a group of highly knowledgeable students who are either experts or university professors.

The conversation covered everything from the history of psychology to the mental stress people experience in today's society.

Ordinary people really can't get a word in edgewise.

Xu Xiangbai yawned so hard that tears streamed down his face, “It made up for the regret of not attending classes for four years of college.”

He only perked up his ears when someone mentioned depression.

“Depression is so common now, and it’s affecting younger and younger people. The last time I saw a little girl in my clinic, she was only 14 years old and had severe depression. She had attempted suicide several times but was saved by her family.”

Xu Xiangbai was very interested in this topic.

After all, depression is a common ailment among most celebrities in the entertainment industry, and in the past two years, there have been increasing news reports of stars committing suicide due to depression. He aspires to be a humane boss, and naturally, he also needs to pay attention to the mental state of the artists in his company.

Xu Xiangbai asked, "Under what circumstances is it easy to get it?"

"Work problems, life pressures, relationship failures are all possible. The human spirit is sometimes invincible and full of possibilities, but at other times it is very fragile."

Someone chimed in, "Moreover, many young girls nowadays struggle to get over breakups, leading to severe depressive episodes and even somatic symptoms that cause difficulty swallowing."

Wen Jin also heard these words, and her hidden feelings were undoubtedly exposed. The painful past surged up like a mountain wind, and she slowed down her eating.

The hand holding the soup paused, spilling a little onto the back of the hand.

It's very hot.

Meng Qinghe noticed her unusual behavior and carefully wiped Wen Jinye's hand with a napkin.

Her fair skin flushed red.

Meng Qinghe's clear, cool voice had a soothing effect: "It's alright."

"Be careful not to burn yourself."

"Thanks."

This thoughtful gesture sparked another round of gossip. This time, a female classmate teased, "Qinghe, what a deep revolutionary friendship you and Xiao Wen have! We've known each other for so long, and I've never received such treatment."

She probably didn't want Fu Yanjing to know that she had been sick. Her upper body was tense as she sat upright, and her hand holding the chopsticks clenched uncomfortably, which was an obvious sign of unease.

Meng Qinghe smiled politely, "We've been friends for a long time."

"How long has it been?" someone interjected. "We were classmates for four years in college, and I've never met this Miss Wen before."

When people are eager to gossip, their tone inevitably carries a hint of persistent questioning.

Meng Qinghe's calm reply was ambiguous: "That means you met me too late."

The man suddenly realized, "You two wouldn't happen to be high school classmates, would you? I remember you went to Jiangbei No. 8 High School."

"yes."

Meng Qinghe gave a vague answer to the question with just two words, creating the illusion that it was true.

"No wonder, we've known each other for a long time. High school classmates know each other inside and out. Our psychology experts at Meng University need to work harder."

"I told you not to tease her."

His protective tone sounded so intimate to everyone.

But everyone was tactful and didn't bring it up again.

The conversation also moved beyond the topic of depression.

Wen Jin's posture gradually relaxed.

She had been feeling a bit tense, but she picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and suppressed all her unease.

When she looked up, her eyes met Fu Yanjing's again, this time across the large round table.

The man's gaze slowly and deliberately sized her up, finally settling on Wen Jin's hand, which was also red from the burn.

——————

A note from the author:

The comment section seems so much quieter now that school has started.

I feel like tomorrow's chapter will be a bit intense, so you can all look forward to it. I was writing until 1 a.m. last night after get off work!

I'm just a humble author who, even if I haven't achieved anything significant, has certainly put in a lot of hard work.

Please shower me with five-star reviews and requests for more updates!