Chapter 26 I'm Fine

Secretary Wang: ...

He felt Ling Wei's gaze, filled with embarrassment and murderous intent, sweep over him. Startled, he rushed over to retrieve the empty water tank.

Ling Wei was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic fishermen, all talking at once:

"Oh my, girl, your husband looks like a newbie. His gear looks impressive. Did he come here specifically to fish with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, dressed like they're in a movie, could they be some big star?"

“Young man, take my advice. Don’t do these fancy tricks next time. Learn from your wife instead…”

Even You Jingxuan, who was used to big occasions, couldn't stand being ridiculed by so many people.

He clearly had no intention of clarifying things. Once the pain in his foot subsided, amidst a chorus of teasing "Oh my gosh~" looks from the crowd, he strode forward, bent down, and hoisted Ling Wei onto his shoulder.

His movements were swift and efficient, and he even picked up her fisherman's hat that had fallen to the ground.

Ling Wei struggled to get down, but seeing that she couldn't break free, she grabbed the hair of the person beneath her.

You Jingxuan felt a throbbing pain in his scalp and was also getting angry, but he didn't want to let go of the person, so he gave the other person a light tap.

"Don't move!"

Only after the crisp sound of the tap did he realize which part he had just tapped.

The person on his shoulder was quiet for a moment, but You Jingxuan had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the next second, the other person delivered an elbow strike, and he felt his shoulder go numb.

Fortunately, the car was just a few steps away. He endured the pain and carried the person into the car, then instructed the driver to lock the doors.

"Click." The car door locked.

As soon as Ling Wei got into the car, she quickly shrank to the farthest corner, crossed her arms, and glared at him warily.

You Jingxuan rubbed his aching shoulder, feeling that even a deal worth hundreds of billions was not as troublesome as the one in front of him.

"Miss Ling, you have a huge misunderstanding about me."

He laughed in anger again.

Aside from professional combat sports coaches, Ling Wei caused him the most physical harm in his entire life.

Seeing that Ling Wei was still glaring at him, he tried to reason with her: "You are my brother A Ye's girlfriend. Although you told me you broke up, based on my understanding of him, he won't give up so easily."

"As for you and me..." He rubbed his temples, looking a bit annoyed. "Many things happened by chance, not because I meant to. I hope we can clear up these misunderstandings."

“After all, if you and A-Ye are together, I don’t want my previous…outburst and misunderstanding to affect your relationship.” His gaze was sincere. “A-Ye is my only brother, and I care about him a lot.”

When You Xingye was mentioned, Ling Wei's tense body and eyes visibly relaxed a little.

Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, You Jingxuan immediately took out a compensation agreement with extremely generous terms that he had prepared beforehand, and handed it to her with a sincere attitude:

“Ms. Ling, I sincerely apologize again for the trouble and fright I caused you before. This agreement represents my apology and sincerity in making compensation. If you have any other requests, please feel free to make them.”

Ling Wei took the agreement, glanced at the astonishing figures and tempting job promises, and then put it back without much concern.

She took out her phone, her fingers flying across the keyboard, and then turned the screen towards You Jingxuan:

No need for compensation. I already sent it back.

You Jingxuan: ...

Thinking of her textbook-perfect self-defense techniques, and how she had made him cough repeatedly while holding a fire hose, his face darkened.

An awkward silence fell over the car.

Fortunately, Secretary Wang, who had cleaned up the mess, arrived just in time. He carried the water tank and climbed into the car, panting, breaking the tense atmosphere.

“Ahem, Miss Ling,” Secretary Wang said, struggling to find the right words, “What our CEO You means is that, regardless of the cause or whether the outcome was that you… uh… successfully acted in self-defense, it is a fact that you, as an innocent party caught in the crossfire, were frightened.”

Therefore, we should make compensation; it is our responsibility and our duty.

Secretary Wang straightened his back, his face righteous: "Our CEO You's character is absolutely trustworthy!"

Of course, the idea of ​​having Ling Wei accept the compensation as evidence of reconciliation, so as to avoid future regrets and trouble, was the thinking of these people who were good at navigating the business world and had a slightly dirty heart.

You Jingxuan was also waiting for her response.

His gaze unconsciously fell on her hand holding the phone; her fingers were slender and fair, and she was unconsciously stroking the edge of the phone.

The girl gazed out the window, seemingly deep in thought.

The caressing was very light, one stroke after another... like the strange sensation of her fingertips unconsciously slipping into his hair on that chaotic night...

You Jingxuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He turned his head to look out the window somewhat uncomfortably, adjusted his posture, and coughed lightly: "Let me take you back first."

In the car, Ling Wei fell into deep thought.

The system offered a suggestion: "Host! This is a great opportunity! Why not let him help you get rid of Xu Ziqi? Anyway, Xu Ziqi drugged him, which has already offended him badly!"

【No way. Our two families have business dealings and intertwined interests. You Jingxuan wouldn't go after Xu Ziqi for the sake of an 'outsider' like me.】Didn't you see that Xu Ziqi wasn't affected much after being drugged?

But it would be a shame to give up such a "compensation" opportunity that's been offered up so easily; it's better to put some pressure on them.

After much deliberation, Ling Wei quickly typed in her requirements on her phone and handed it to You Jingxuan.

[Mr. You, regarding what happened that night, I have only one request: please keep the news under wraps and prevent anyone with ulterior motives from finding out what happened that night.]

You Jingxuan raised an eyebrow, keenly catching the key phrase: "A person with ulterior motives?"

Ling Wei nodded: [Naturally, it's the person who drugged President You. If they knew what happened that night, I'd probably be in trouble again.]

again?

You Jingxuan smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "It seems Miss Ling knows who that person is?"

Ling Wei rolled her eyes without any politeness, her expression clearly saying: What do you think?

You Jingxuan's smile faded. "Really? You don't want the rest?"

Besides the exorbitant compensation, the agreement also included a direct hiring offer from Huayou Group's top-tier laboratory, with an annual salary starting at one million yuan—a starting point that many researchers dream of.

Ling Wei gave a soft hum, a hint of arrogance in her voice, and typed on her phone:

[Poaching me this way? Mr. You, are you compensating me, or Huayou?]

You Jingxuan was amused by her question: "Oh? Miss Ling means... you don't think much of Huayou's laboratory?"

Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. You. However, I already have a place to go.

You Jingxuan was now truly interested: "As far as I know, among the top platforms in your field in China, Huayou's laboratory is undoubtedly the leader in terms of both resources and prospects. I wonder where Miss Ling plans to work?"

[Keep this confidential!]

The girl proudly raised her head and gave another soft snort through her nose.

The humming was soft and gentle, with a hint of smugness, like a feather brushing against the heart.

Little did they know that the very word "secret" had already revealed far too much information to a seasoned shrew like You Jingxuan, who had been navigating the business world for many years.

He leaned back in his seat, a knowing glint in his eyes, and said slowly, "It seems Miss Ling has great ambitions and intends to serve the country? Truly admirable."

He had barely finished speaking when he saw Ling Wei suddenly turn her head, her beautiful peach blossom eyes wide open, her little face filled with "How did you know?!"

"It seems that was indeed the case." You Jingxuan chuckled softly. "It was just a guess originally."

Ling Wei glared at him angrily, then turned her head away and ignored him.

You Jingxuan leaned back in the back seat in a good mood, his smile almost overflowing: This girl's thoughts are really... too easy to understand.

However, he also admires this keen insight and choice.

He did indeed intend to recruit top talent, but since the other party had chosen a more noble path, he was naturally happy to see it succeed.

The fact that she suffered from psychogenic aphasia in high school, yet still managed to overcome numerous obstacles and achieve what she has today, is truly moving.

Although Xu Ziqi's role in the film is not yet fully clear, looking at Ling Wei's slightly thin but upright back, You Jingxuan felt a strange urge to protect her.

"...Do you need my help?"

This sentence was uttered almost without thinking.

As soon as the words left his mouth, You Jingxuan was stunned. He unconsciously furrowed his brows, revealing an unusual sense of inner turmoil.

Hoshino is already investigating what happened back then; this shouldn't be his business...

But this urge to clear obstacles for her came suddenly and intensely, completely breaking his usual style of planning before acting.

Before he could figure out where this emotion came from, he saw Ling Wei turn her head and shake her head at him.

She smiled.

The smile was light and pure, without a trace of gloom, except for a fleeting glimmer of water in her eyes.

"It's all in the past." She typed earnestly, "I'm fine now, really."