Chapter 9 Backing Up: "If we don't stand by her side, are we supposed to stand by yours?"...

From the moment they met, Wen Hong had always acted arrogantly and haughtily in front of her. This was the first time he had stood in front of her in such a disheveled state.

Wen Hong felt a little awkward and coughed lightly, "It's nothing, I thought you weren't here. Go back to sleep!"

Qiao Yunzheng assumed this was a private matter he didn't want her to know, so she only stared at his face for a few seconds before casually looking away and saying, "Oh."

After saying that, she casually pulled the corner of the blanket up. Although it was a little awkward to lie down under Wen Hong's watchful eye, she preferred the former to the awkwardness of staring into his eyes and having nothing to say.

She lay down very naturally, then, ignoring the man standing at the door, reached out and decisively turned off the light.

She lay with her back to the door, waiting for Wen Hong to leave through the doorway, hoping he would be sensible enough to close the door behind him.

One second, two seconds.

The man standing by the door remained silent, without making a sound.

Qiao Yunzheng was puzzled when suddenly, Wen Hong unceremoniously turned on another double-control switch on the wall by the door.

The room was once again as bright as day.

Qiao Yunzheng knew then that this night was unlikely to be peaceful.

She sat up and saw that Wen Hong's face looked terrible, completely different from how she looked just now.

He looked at her coldly: "Aren't you going to ask where I've been these past few days?"

Qiao Yunzheng closed her eyes helplessly: "Didn't you tell me to keep sleeping?"

“You’re being obedient now,” Wen Hong said with a smirk. “Back then, I told you not to break up, did you listen?”

She knew that he could always bring up old stories from the past, no matter what the issue was.

Qiao Yunzheng slowly sat up, staring at him intently with a smile on her face, and asked readily, "Wen Hong, where have you been these past few days?"

Wen Hong, who was about to continue his outburst, suddenly froze. He looked Qiao Yunzheng up and down a few times as if he didn't recognize her, and gave her a thumbs up: "Qiao Yunzheng, well done. You've improved a lot in the years we've been apart."

A few minutes later, Wen Hong sat on the sofa in the living room, in front of him was Qiao Yunzheng's fair and slender neck, as white as jade.

He lowered his eyes, trying to avoid eye contact, but the words that came out of his mouth were full of impatience: "Qiao Yunzheng, why aren't you done yet?"

Qiao Yunzheng held a cotton swab and bent over to disinfect the bruise on his lip.

Her posture was somewhat uncomfortable, and she was afraid of hurting this living ancestor if she didn't control her strength properly, so she appeared a little clumsy. She wanted to help him stand up, but felt it was better to avoid trouble, so she could only swallow her anger and endure it.

Wen Hong's ears were tickled by the strands of hair that were falling down her head. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and snatched the cotton swab from her hand: "Alright, that's enough. Why are you being so delicate, you big man?"

Qiao Yunzheng silently rolled her eyes, speechless.

Who was it that solemnly rummaged through the first-aid kit, laid out all sorts of wound medicines, and rudely smeared them on his face? Or was it that she couldn't bear to watch anymore and kindly helped him apply the medicine?

But she readily agreed, saying, "Yes, not delicate."

These words seemed to have the opposite effect, earning him a sharp glare from Wen Hong.

She pretended not to notice, smiled, and then abruptly changed the subject: "But it's still better to be careful."

Wen Hong was relieved. He took out a stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them in front of Qiao Yunzheng, saying, "Wen Jinliang agrees not to get involved in Qiao's affairs. No matter who wins or loses, or whether Qiao's family lives or dies, the Wen family will not interfere."

Qiao Yunzheng flipped through the documents page by page, and found that they contained information about her good cousin Qiao Zhenhuai, including details about his family assets and his major activities in recent years.

She had no idea that her seemingly loyal and obedient uncle had already begun plotting something while her father was still alive.

Qiao Yunzheng became increasingly alarmed as she looked at the document, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.

Wen Hong continued, "In the days to come, you'd better not go out alone, especially when you go back to Kunming. I have to accompany you, understand?"

Qiao Yunzheng was certain that there was no sarcasm in his words, and that he genuinely cared about her, so she asked seriously, "Why?"

Wen Hong replied matter-of-factly, "Of course it's for your personal safety."

His implication was that Qiao Zhenhuai might do something to his cousin in a moment of extreme anger, so he shook his head firmly: "Qiao Zhenhuai is just a little greedy, but he wouldn't go that far..."

Wen Hong curled her lips into a cold laugh and tapped the table directly: "Don't be so quick to draw conclusions, let's see what happens next."

The more you look at Qiao Zhenhuai's "great achievements," the more astonishing they become, including but not limited to embezzlement of public funds, bribery, and even using his position to seek many benefits for his relatives. Although they may not seem remarkable on their own, when listed together, they are inevitably alarming.

"The ultimate business wars often employ the most primitive methods of combat. This industry is far less clean than you think, understand?" Wen Hong rarely had the patience to tell her this. "Don't be too kind to people. Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall, let alone someone like him."

She lowered her eyes, frowning as if deep in thought. It seemed she needed some time to process the information she had just received.

Wen Hong moved her lips, but swallowed back what she was about to say.

He returned to Kunming these past two days, not only to handle matters at the Wen family home but also to catch up on the recent personnel changes at the Qiao family. Having decided to help Qiao Yunzheng, his actions would undoubtedly be swift and decisive.

Qiao Zhenhuai appears to be superficial, pedantic, and eager for quick success, but a little investigation reveals that his misdeeds are not so simple and seem to extend beyond just economic crimes.

There seems to be something suspicious about the death of Qiao Yunzheng's father.

But until there were concrete clues, Wen Hong thought it best not to let her know.

So Wen Hong changed her approach: "Besides, I've already done what I promised you. So, shouldn't we have a proper talk about what you promised me?"

"My first demand is that I must know where you, Qiao Yunzheng, are going. Otherwise, if the agreed time hasn't arrived and you can't be found, who can I complain to?"

The topic jumped so quickly that Qiao Yunzheng didn't react for a moment: "Huh?" Her brows were still furrowed, and she looked at Wen Hong with a blank expression.

Wen Hong suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to sit down next to him.

Qiao Yunzheng felt a little uncomfortable from his sudden movement and instinctively moved in the opposite direction, but Wen Hong pressed down on her shoulder with one hand.

"You promised to stay with me for three months, what? You can't even do that?"

Qiao Yunzheng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she finally gave up resisting, obediently sitting down beside him, though her expression was not very pleasant.

Seeing that she stopped moving around, Wen Hong put his hands behind his head and leaned back lazily into the sofa: "Don't make it sound like I've bullied you, okay?" He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, "After all, back then, during the few months I spent with you, you took advantage of me the most...."

Qiao Yunzheng opened her mouth, unable to refute it.

Although it was Wen Hong who confessed to her back then, and he seemed calm and experienced, the result was not so.

They lay side by side on the grass. When Qiao Yunzheng impulsively kissed his cheek, Wen Hong's face didn't show it, but the roots of his ears turned bright red. At that time, Qiao Yunzheng even mocked him fiercely.

If you look at it that way, it seems like she really did take advantage of him.

So, a few days later, Wen Hong, as Qiao Yunzheng's lawyer, boarded a flight to Kunming with her.

Perhaps because Wen Hong was by her side, Qiao Yunzheng was not as bewildered and nervous as she was last time when she stepped into the conference room again.

The huge conference hall was soon packed with people.

Qiao Zhenhuai arrived late, and when his eyes fell on Wen Hong sitting next to Qiao Yunzheng, his mouth dropped open.

He clearly recognized Wen Hong, and quickly walked up to him, smiling obsequiously: "If I remember correctly, you are the young master of the Wen family, right?"

Wen Hong rested one hand on the back of the chair, said nothing, but gave him a questioning look, the meaning of which was very clear: Who are you?

Qiao Zhenhuai rubbed his hands together, and a glimmer of hope rose on his ashen face: "Your father and I are good friends. He often talks about you, and I have also seen your photo in his study."

Wen Hong gave an ambiguous "Oh".

His reaction seemed to have given Qiao Zhenhuai a lifeline. He leaned in a little closer and said softly, "Would it be convenient for us to talk in private?"

Wen Hong was somewhat annoyed by his sudden closeness, and her brows furrowed slightly: "I think this place is quite convenient."

Qiao Zhenhuai swallowed hard and asked, "I wonder if you came here on behalf of your father... or..." He was convinced that his earnest attitude the day before yesterday had moved the Wen family, which was why they had Wen Hong represent him at today's meeting.

He seemed completely unaware of the relationship between Wen Hong and his father, only feeling confident of victory and his heart burning with excitement.

Unexpectedly, Wen Hong paused for a moment, then suddenly poured cold water on him: "He is him, and I am me."

Qiao Zhenhuai's expression changed: "Then why did you come here today...?"

“Oh,” Wen Hong said deliberately, drawing out his words like he was teasing his prey, then suddenly put his arm around Qiao Yunzheng’s shoulder. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am her boyfriend and also her lawyer.”

Qiao Zhenhuai had considered the worst possible outcome for today, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.

In a moment of desperation, disregarding the presence of many people, he blurted out, "Young Master Wen, how could you be so foolish? Have you forgotten how Qiao Yunzheng and her father humiliated you back then? No matter what, you shouldn't have sided with her!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Their gazes toward Wen Hong shifted from inquiry to admiration to astonishment. No one had expected that the eldest daughter of the Qiao family and the young master of the Wen family had such an unknown past, and it seemed that the young master of the Wen family was the one who was dumped.

Qiao Yunzheng's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Wen Hong with concern.

He's such a proud and arrogant person; how could he tolerate someone saying such humiliating things to him in public?

She even suspected that Wen Hong would flip the conference table and walk away without a care in the world.

Her fingers twisted helplessly under the table, her heart clenching in agony.

Suddenly, a warm, large hand covered hers and enveloped her uneasy hand.

Wen Hong, still with her nonchalant and carefree demeanor, glanced at Qiao Zhenhuai and said, "If I don't side with her, am I supposed to side with you?"

"Even if she really humiliated me, it's my choice!"

The two-hour meeting went very smoothly, as expected.

In comparison, Qiao Yunzheng realized that Wen Hong's attitude towards her was already quite good. He always had the ability to make people furious without batting an eye. When the meeting ended, Qiao Zhenhuai's eyes looked like he wanted to devour her alive.

As soon as Qiao Yunzheng stepped out of the conference room, she received a call from Su Ran.

"Ranran, um...yes, it's over, no problems," Qiao Yunzheng said, glancing furtively at Wen Hong while holding up her phone. "It was very impressive, and went quite smoothly..."

Wen Hong put one hand in her pocket and moved half a step to the side to give her space to answer the phone. She leaned against the decorative pillar next to her as if she had no bones.

She was relaxed, as if she didn't care at all who she was talking to.

After a long while, Wen Hong seemed to finally sense Qiao Yunzheng's gaze. She raised an eyebrow at her slightly, still expressionless, but the corners of her lips curved up almost imperceptibly.

Upon hearing the news of Qiao Yunzheng's resounding victory, Su Ran cheered and was already discussing with Qiao Yunzheng how to celebrate: "Qiao Qiao, we must celebrate today's victory properly!"

Qiao Yunzheng hesitated for a moment: "Tonight?"

"Of course, it's not for nothing that Qiaoqiao hasn't been eating or sleeping well for months. How about this, I'll treat, let's go to our usual bar?"

Qiao Yunzheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay!"

After all, Su Ran had helped her a lot these past few months, so she should thank her both out of courtesy and reason.

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Yunzheng hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Wen Hong, thank you so much for today."

Wen Hong nodded: "So? It's just talk?"

"Of course not," Qiao Yunzheng was used to his teasing her whenever he had nothing better to do, but she still thought about it seriously. It seemed that she didn't have anything he needed, so she could only tentatively ask, "How about I treat you to dinner?"

Having won a battle, Wen Hong seemed to be in a good mood and was unusually agreeable: "Okay."

With that, he took a step and walked outside.

"Um," Qiao Yunzheng called out to him, "it might not be possible today..."

Wen Hong raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

Qiao Yunzheng organized her thoughts, trying to make her words sound as sincere as possible: "I just made plans with a good friend, but something came up... Maybe next time, I'll treat you to dinner next time, okay?"

A note from the author:

I was working overtime today, so I'm a little late.

Thank you "Corn" for the nutrient solution! *mua*