These past few days, because Tang Yin was suspected of dating someone else's brat without any restraint, Tang's mother's expression had been quite bad, and the atmosphere in the Tang family was extremely tense. Even when the four of them were eating together at noon, Tang's younger brother made a slightly louder movement and the spoon hit the soup bowl, which drew a glare from Tang's mother, scaring him so much that he didn't even dare to drink the soup in his bowl.

This situation has become the norm these past few days. Seeing that Tang's mother had finished clearing the table and gone to the kitchen to wash the dishes, Tang Ruo and Tang Jun exchanged a helpless glance, wondering when this kind of life would end.

"Ring ring ring".

Just then, the telephone in the living room suddenly rang.

Upon hearing the sound, Tang Ruo had just run to the phone and hadn't even had a chance to answer it when a hand immediately snatched the receiver from the side.

It is Tangyin.

"Hello, yes, it's me. What? I got the job? I got hired by the New Moon Newspaper!"

Tang Yin exclaimed in disbelief.

Tang's mother, who had just rushed out of the kitchen, overheard the conversation and also showed a surprised expression.

After thanking her, Tang Yin immediately hung up the phone, shouted excitedly, and jumped up and ran into her mother's arms right in front of her.

"Mom, did you hear that? Did you hear that? I got a job! I got a job at the New Moon Newspaper! From now on, I'll have at least 25 yuan a month, and my salary will keep increasing if I get promoted!"

Tang Yin had never been so excited in her life. She felt like she had won. Tang Ning had always said that she would eat her food and use her things, but now she had a job and her own salary!

"real?"

As if infected by her own enthusiasm, Tang's mother smiled and asked in return, then gently touched Tang Yin's fair face, "Good, good, good, that's wonderful! My dear Yin Yin has made something of herself, made something of herself..."

As she spoke, Tang's mother's eyes reddened, and then, as if remembering something, she took a deep breath and said, "Yinyin, from now on, I can only rely on you. Your eldest sister... I'm afraid I can't rely on her."

"……Um."

Tang Yin nodded gently. Her mother was about to go out to buy groceries, completely forgetting about Tang Yin's relationship. She only remembered that she hadn't been able to buy groceries properly these past few days because she was in a bad mood. Poor Yin Yin had suffered. She decided to buy some pork and a crucian carp that evening to nourish her Yin Yin properly.

No sooner had Tang's mother left than Tang Yin, whose lips were still smirking, turned around and saw Tang Ruo secretly pouting.

This caused her smile to fade slightly, and she looked intently at Tang Ruo. "Ruo Ruo, did Second Sister do something to upset you?"

"No!"

Upon hearing Tang Yin's abrupt question, Tang Ruo immediately frowned and denied it.

"Since there isn't, why don't you feel happy for your second sister at all?"

Tang Yin frowned slightly. "Also, whether you believe it or not, I really have never been in a relationship. I don't understand why my older sister would slander me in front of Mom, causing me to suffer an undeserved disaster. Now, no one at school wants to be my friend anymore..."

"That's why I made up my mind to find a job. I've learned a lesson: you can't rely on others; you can only rely on yourself. But don't worry, Ruoruo, once I get my salary, I'll definitely take good care of you and Xiaojun. After all, we're the closest of family, aren't we?"

Hearing Tang Yin's words, Tang Ruo's brows furrowed immediately. "Second sister, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'we are family'? What about eldest sister? Isn't she family? Even if she misunderstood you before, you don't have to act like this, do you?"

"Ruoruo, is there some misunderstanding about me? Don't misunderstand me, I simply..."

At this point, Tang Yin sighed helplessly, "Never mind, I won't talk to you anymore. When my mother comes back later, I might go shopping with her to buy clothes, after all, it's my first job. Is there anything you and Xiao Jun want? I'll bring it back for you."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ruo shook her head. Seeing Tang Yin about to go upstairs, she muttered in a low voice that the other could hear, "Buying clothes again... She just said that her older sister wasn't family, and now she wants to use her older sister's money to buy clothes. She acts like she's so great. Everything inside and out, coming and going, isn't it all paid for by her older sister? Humph..."

Upon hearing Tang Ruo's words, Tang Yin paused slightly in her steps as she went upstairs, then clenched her fists before continuing her slow ascent.

"ah!"

As soon as Tang Yin's figure disappeared around the corner, Tang Ruo immediately rushed upstairs, then slammed open the door to Tang Jun's room with a bang, let out a low cry, and threw herself onto the bed. But as if she wasn't satisfied, she clenched her little fist and punched the bed hard.

Who offended you?

After witnessing his sister's series of actions, Tang Jun was quite puzzled.

"Nobody has offended me!"

Tang Ruo said irritably, "I just feel sorry for my eldest sister. Mom has become more and more strange these past few years, and so has my second sister. I didn't like listening to what she said before, but now I get really angry just hearing her!"

After saying that, the girl raised her small hand, looked at it carefully, and her anger subsided. "I'm really too small. When will I grow up? I want to help the older sister..."

"Ruo Ruo..."

"Don't mind me, I'll just lie down for a while and be fine."

Tang Ruo grabbed the blanket from the side and quickly pulled it over her head.

Tang Jun was left with no choice but to turn around helplessly.

Yes, I don't know what's wrong with this family.

——

Just as Tang's mother and Tang Yin were so happy about their new jobs that they didn't know how to celebrate, Tang Ning still took to the stage at Li Du City.

Xu Sinian was too busy with work and had told her early on that he wouldn't be able to come and listen to her sing tonight. Tang Ning didn't care much. After all, Xu Sinian hadn't come to Lihui many times over the years, and she couldn't really care if she did.

However, today was a bit special because Tang Ning, who was singing her second song, actually saw Lu Chen standing there casually listening to her sing from the pillar on the second floor. He was wearing a black trench coat.

Almost as soon as her eyes met the other person's dark gaze, Tang Ning was so startled that she almost dropped the microphone. In the end, she relied on her rich stage experience to finish the song. But when she bowed to take her leave and looked up again, there was no one left by the pillar.

After stepping off the stage, Tang Ning didn't even go backstage. She was about to go straight upstairs to look for him when she saw that familiar figure disappear quickly around the corner.

Upon seeing this, Tang Ning was startled, bit her lip, and immediately lifted her skirt and chased after him...

Meanwhile, in a small alley next to Lidu, Xu Sinian kept playing with the jade Buddhist beads in his hand, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Just then, a man rushed out of the side door of Li Du Hui and ran straight to Xu Sinian's car, shouting, "Master!"

"how?"

"The man surnamed Lu has indeed appeared, and now... now Miss Tang has gone after him..."

Upon hearing these words, the man paused slightly as he continued rolling the prayer beads in his hand, letting out a barely audible "hmm."

He immediately put the prayer beads back into his jacket pocket and said, "Lead the way."

"yes!"

The car, which had been parked in the alley, finally started moving slowly.

"stop!"

Meanwhile, Tang Ning, wearing high heels and a long dress, watched as the man in black ran onto a stone bridge. She was still some distance from the bridge, while the man was already preparing to walk down. Unable to contain herself, she suddenly shouted out.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

Tang Ning breathed heavily, her eyes fixed on the man's back, and tentatively began to speak, "You..."

Before she could finish speaking, Tang Ning saw the man on the bridge slowly turn around and take off the hat he was wearing.

Upon seeing that all-too-familiar face, Tang Ning froze on the spot, not daring to even blink, and slowly walked towards the stone bridge.

At first, she walked slowly, but soon she couldn't control her pace. She walked faster and faster, and she didn't even care that her white skirt was stained black by the dust on the ground. Almost as soon as she reached the center of the stone bridge, she suddenly threw herself into the man's arms, hugged him tightly in disbelief, her eyes wide open, and tears fell in large drops.

“Lu Chen…”

Tang Ning's voice was terribly hoarse.

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat as the person in his arms threw him into a tight embrace.

Tang Ning seemed a little unsteady on her feet, perhaps because of the high heels, and the man almost instinctively hugged her back.

"It's me, I'm back, Ningning..."

The familiar address made Tang Ning's eyes redden even more, and tears streamed down her face, but she still bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying out loud.

Across the river, Xu Sinian, sitting in his car, took in the entire scene.

The temperature inside the car was shockingly cold; Ah Sheng and Ah Li didn't even dare to breathe too heavily.

It wasn't until Tang Ning on the bridge finally came to her senses that she suddenly let go of her embrace, took two steps back, and Lu Chen could clearly see the tear stains on her face. However, she still tried to cover it up by turning her body to the side and wiping them forcefully with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure..."

After wiping away her tears, Tang Ning finally had a chance to look at Lu Chen again. "Actually, the man who invited me to dance at the ball was you, wasn't he?"

She asked that question instinctively.

In response to Tang Ning's question, Lu Chen slowly lowered his raised hands, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Are you sure you want to chat with me in such an open space? I don't care, but you... you're both a pillar of Lidu and Xu Sinian's woman. Are you sure you want to chat with your ex-lover here? Aren't you afraid..."

"If you trust me, come with me. Of course, if you don't want to trust me, there's nothing I can do."

With that, Lu Chen turned and walked down the bridge.

Watching the other person walk further and further away, Tang Ning frowned on the bridge, but still followed after them.

Seeing Lu Chen stop in front of a teahouse called Yuqian, Tang Ning hesitated for a moment, then walked in with Lu Chen one after the other.

After they entered the private room, Xu Sinian and the other two also sat down in the next private room.

Then Xu Sinian heard Tang Ning's worried question.

"Why are you back in Haicheng again?"

"Is Haicheng some kind of den of dragons and tigers? I can't even set foot there?"

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow as he poured Tang Ning a cup of tea, then slowly pushed the teacup towards her.

"I did not mean that……"

Tang Ning bit her lip.

"So what do you mean?"

Lu Chen showed no weakness.

"Lu Chen, if you insist on talking to me like this, then I think our conversation can't continue!"

Tang Ning frowned, stood up abruptly, and was about to walk out of the private room when Lu Chen suddenly grabbed her wrist, which was hanging by her side. "I'm sorry, don't go..."

Lu Chen raised his head, his eyes slightly red, and looked straight at Tang Ning.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Chen at this moment merged with the Lu Chen of five years ago, who was beaten bloody but still had bloodshot eyes, stubbornly clinging to the car door and refusing to let her get in.

With just one glance, Tang Ning's eyes reddened instantly. Her expression startled Lu Chen, and before he could look at her again, Tang Ning had already looked away.

"Actually, we don't have much to talk about now. I can tell from your clothes that you're doing well, and that's... enough..."

Tang Ning said this in a low voice.

"Am I doing well? For the past five years, I haven't forgotten you for a single day. I've lived in torment and contempt every day. Am I really doing well? Maybe, after all, I've made money, a lot of money, maybe several times more than that cripple Xu Sinian. So what? Anyway, you like money, not people. Why don't you just dump that useless cripple and get back together with me? After all, I can give you everything he can give you, and I can give you things he can't give you!"

Lu Chen said, enunciating each word clearly.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning suddenly raised her head and looked at Lu Chen opposite her in disbelief. Then she laughed out loud, "Heh, perhaps... it was a mistake for me to run out today. I should go back. Besides, Xu Sinian has a name and a surname. Please don't use such words to mock other people's shortcomings!"

After saying that, Tang Ning suddenly pulled her wrist out of Lu Chen's hand and started to walk forward.

"What? You've been with him for five years and developed feelings for him? I was just saying it casually, and you feel sorry for me? Five years ago, he beat me up like a dog, and you didn't feel sorry for me then? Don't you think that's unfair?"

"If I told you that what happened five years ago was a complete misunderstanding, I don't think you would believe me now, right?"

Tang Ning paused slightly and said softly.

"I believe you. You may have forgotten what we said together before, but I haven't. I said it myself, and I will always unconditionally believe anything you say. As long as..."

Lu Chen's voice was so close it was right behind Tang Ning. Before she could turn around, she was tightly embraced from behind, and at the same time, the man's hoarse voice rang in Tang Ning's ear, "You're willing to come back to me, Ning Ning..."

Caught off guard by being hugged, Tang Ning panicked for a moment, then abruptly broke free from Lu Chen's embrace and reflexively slapped him across the face. Her sharp nails even managed to cut a small gash on the man's cheek.

At this moment, Tang Ning's other hand was already on the doorknob of the private room. A flash of panic crossed her eyes when she saw the bleeding wound on Lu Chen's face, but she still clenched her fist tightly, refusing to let her heart soften. She forced herself to say, "I'm sorry, Lu Chen, what's past is past. I'm Xu Sinian's woman now. You've made so much money, isn't that great? You can go find a woman who loves you, and you love her, and live a good life. Don't think about me anymore..."

After saying that, Tang Ning pushed open the door and was about to walk out.

"Really? But what can I do if I'm hopelessly in love with you? Can you honestly say you have absolutely no feelings for me now? Are you really happy with Xu Sinian?"

Lu Chen hit the nail on the head.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning paused slightly.

"I won't give up, Ningning. You are the first woman I've ever loved in my life. Even if I die, I will never give up on you!"

Lu Chen said firmly.

After hearing his words, Tang Ning turned around and walked downstairs without looking back.

Watching Tang Ning walk further and further away, her back growing faster and faster, Lu Chen reached out and touched his slightly stinging cheek. Seeing blood, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

He won't give up...

A fleeting glint of darkness flashed in the man's eyes.

Meanwhile, Tang Ning, lifting her skirt, ran further and further away, until she reached a small alley. There, she half-squatted down, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling.

It's unclear how much time passed before her voice finally came out.

"Haha, hahahahaha..."

That's hilarious, really!

Lu Chen's self-righteous and affectionate demeanor was absolutely hilarious!

Tang Ning slowly raised her head.

However, since the original owner was easily swayed by his charms, she had no idea that Xu Sinian had been staying in the next room the whole time. She was easily swayed by Lu Chen's sincere confession and the sound of their kiss was almost entirely heard by Old Xu next door. In addition, her happy and satisfied appearance after returning home deeply hurt Xu Sinian's eyes.

Even the original owner herself probably didn't notice that from that day on, Xu Sinian never got any closer to her again.

With Xu Sinian's keen eye, he could naturally see Lu Chen's treacherous intentions, yet he still coldly watched Tang Ning fall deeper and deeper into ruin until she was utterly destroyed.

Just as she was thinking this, Tang Ning, who was squatting in the corner, suddenly heard the sound of a bamboo stick hitting the ground not far away.

Tang Ning looked up in surprise and saw a young Taoist priest dressed in blue, with his hair tied up high except for a few strands hanging down on both sides, his robe rustling slightly in the night wind. He was walking slowly toward her with his eyes closed, tapping a bamboo stick.

The young Taoist priest had a refined and elegant appearance that Tang Ning had never seen before. He had thick, dark eyebrows, a high nose, and a chin that looked as if it had been carved by a knife. Combined with his attire, he exuded a dashing and unrestrained air, with an extraordinary demeanor.

But none of these are the most important things. The most important thing is the several large blue characters above the young Taoist's head.

Yu Ming.

System score: 85.

Current favorability rating: 0.

Huh?

Tang Ning had just thought to herself "Huh?" when she suddenly realized that the dull-witted Taoist priest's head was about to hit a lamppost.

Seeing this, Tang Ning quickly took two steps to the other person's side, and in a moment of urgency, she raised her hand and directly blocked his forehead.

Feeling a soft, warm sensation on his forehead, Yu Ming opened his eyes in surprise, only to meet a pair of smiling eyes. "Little Taoist, if you go any further, you'll bump your head..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ming stared blankly at Tang Ning.

What he was thinking was that this time when he went down the mountain, he tried it again according to his master's method, but he did not expect that the first girl he saw when he opened his eyes was not the round-faced, smiling Tang girl, but a woman whose smile was like a night-blooming cereus.

Yuming's current favorability rating: 20.

Wait, no, she just smiled, how could that be...?

Thinking of this, Tang Ning's smile tentatively brightened a little more.

Then she saw the young Taoist priest Yuming blink.

Yuming's current favorability rating: 21.

Tsk tsk, it seems this little Taoist priest is not pure of the six senses!