Lu Zheng's eyes remained calm and unwavering as he countered, "Who do you think wants to harm you?"

“Uh…” This question stumped Qiao Luosheng. “I’m just a student, who could I possibly have a grudge against? But this matter is too strange, it’s like someone is behind it all, pushing things along.”

He placed his hands on the table, staring intently at Lu Zheng without blinking, "So far, have you found anything?"

Lu Zheng said, "Those brainless hooligans never act rationally. They're very likely to just grab someone off the street and play pranks on them for fun."

"That's it?" Qiao Luosheng tilted his head in thought.

"Yes, that's right." Lu Zheng's voice was like a heavy, powerful stone settling in one's heart, making one feel reassured and trustworthy.

Qiao Luosheng fell silent; it seemed there was no need to continue this topic.

"Here, take this." Lu Zheng took a music player out of the drawer. "It has some relaxing songs on it to help you adjust your mindset before the exam."

"Thank you, Brother Lu Zheng!" Qiao Luosheng snapped out of his daze and winked at Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng nodded in satisfaction: "This title is alright."

"Just alright?" Qiao Luosheng understood.

Seeing the smirking boy, Lu Zheng knew he had won over all of Qiao Zhen's family members, and a smile curled his lips.

"Then I won't disturb your work any longer." Qiao Luosheng waved his hand and walked briskly towards the door.

As his hand rested on the doorknob, he suddenly turned around and saw Lu Zheng engrossed in his work. "Why is the signal so bad here? Why can't I make calls or access the internet?"

"We came here to enjoy the scenery and relax," Lu Zheng said without looking up, "not to find a new place to play on our phones."

Qiao Luosheng scratched his chin. "I had planned to play a game with my classmates tonight to relax, but it looks like I'll have to cancel."

Just then, Qiao's mother's voice came from outside the door.

"Luo Sheng, why did you take so long?"

Qiao Luosheng quickly agreed, and then said to Lu Zheng, "However, you're right, and spending time with my mother is also more important."

After saying that, he opened the door and went out.

Lu Zheng stopped flipping through the documents and stared intently at the door.

Qiao Luosheng is a quick-witted child, and keeping it from him is not the best approach; this farce must be resolved as soon as possible.

In the evening, Qiao Zhen prepared a sumptuous meal. Although the dishes were not as beautiful as those in restaurants, they were quite delicious.

In addition, she ordered a pot of honeydew melon, conch, and old chicken soup from the resort's restaurant. The nourishing soup required a lot of effort, so she simply handed it over to someone else to make.

She left the villa to retrieve it at the door, watching as her silent phone was flooded with messages.

Because her phone number was also exposed online, she received various spam verification code text messages, as well as insults and abuse from many unknown numbers, which she deleted with one click without even looking at them.

She also received a lot of concern from people, replied to a few she was close to, and then called Yan Simiao.

Yan Simiao exclaimed, "Zhenzhen, are you alright?! I couldn't get through to you on the phone, I was so scared!"

Qiao Zhen comforted her, "I'm fine."

Yan Simiao felt very ashamed. "I had too much fun yesterday and only went to sleep this morning. When I woke up in the afternoon, I saw the police report and the news about cyberbullying you and your brother. Is there anything I can help you with? You should have told me right away!"

Listening to her best friend chattering on and on, Qiao Zhen gently comforted her, "We've hired a lawyer to help us handle it, things will calm down soon."

"No, no, I'm worried. Where are you? I'll come find you right away!" Yan Simiao knew very well that Qiao Zhen was outnumbered and outmatched, and how could she possibly withstand such a bloody storm?

“Thank goodness for the help of kind people…” Qiao Zhen quickly said, “My mom and Luo Sheng don’t know about the cyberbullying. Miao Miao, don’t worry, I’ll handle things here.”

The more she said that, the more heartbroken Yan Simiao felt.

"Zhenzhen..."

Suddenly, Qiao Zhen noticed a tall, slender shadow looming over her own. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned around to look.

The "kind person" I just mentioned is standing right behind me.

She quickly said to Yan Simiao, "My mom is here, I'll hang up now, don't worry."

Yan Simiao understood what she meant: "I'll go and find out more information. This whole thing is too strange..."

"Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, the "kind person" raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "Am I your mother?"

Qiao Zhen deliberately retorted, "Even if you underwent gender reassignment surgery, you still couldn't have a daughter as big as me."

Lu Zheng glanced at Qiao Zhen's still-lit phone screen, and instantly memorized the name "Miao Miao" and her phone number from the latest call log.

It seems that family alone is not enough; Qiao Zhen's only best friend is missing.

He took Qiao Zhen's hand, and like an ordinary couple, they strolled along the winding path.

Qiao Zhen stole a glance at Lu Zheng. The bright moonlight mixed with the warm streetlights cast a beautiful glow on his overly perfect face, making it hard to look away.

She quickly lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes.

Lu Zheng asked, "Are you still worried about your brother's situation?"

"It seems we can keep it a secret for now." Qiao Zhen shook her head. The cool, woody scent mixed with tobacco emanating from Lu Zheng, like a wild horse, swept into her nostrils.

The thought that this man had also become a complete part of her life made her lower her eyes, her long, thick eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions within them. She shook Lu Zheng's hand, but not to shake him off.

"Besides, isn't there some kind person who's saving the day? I don't need to worry about it." She said lightly, seemingly without a care in the world, "Let's go, we're starving."

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