Chapter 15 She wasn't familiar with him, so why should anyone else save her...?

Chapter 15

Halfway there, Wen Yining suddenly noticed a man and a woman lying naked on the floor behind the sofa, their skin pressed together like two piles of white flesh.

"!!!sorry!"

Wen Yining's face turned bright red. She stared wide-eyed in terror, as if pricked by a needle, and turned to leave. After walking a few steps, she still felt it wasn't enough, so she ran to the door.

The man and woman didn't seem to see her and didn't respond at all.

The door was pushed open a crack, and Wen Yining stopped, gripping the handle.

Something seems off.

She hesitated for a moment, then turned her head to stare at the screen, determined not to look at the ground over there, and raised her voice to say, "Hello, guest, I'm sorry to bother you."

As her voice faded, only the accompaniment music continued in the room; no one responded.

Even if you're completely absorbed in your work, if you hear someone talking and get interrupted, you should still yell at them.

Wen Yining tried hard to recall that glance just now. She only saw two naked people before quickly turning her head away, not paying any attention to anything else.

He raised his voice again and shouted it out.

Still, no one responded.

Wen Yining's expression was solemn as she walked back step by step. She mustered her courage and took another look. This time she could see clearly that a man and a woman were lying on the ground, pressed together, with their eyes closed and making indistinct moans.

He didn't die, but something's definitely wrong!

Without a second thought, she flung open the door and ran out, shouting to the person at the door, "Something seems to have happened to the person inside! Go check it out!"

The man at the door was the same waiter from before. A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes. Hearing her panicked words, he showed no sign of nervousness, standing motionless with a nonchalant attitude: "What's the panic? What could possibly happen?"

"Something really happened, you have to go check on it right away!" Wen Yining was extremely anxious.

"Then contact the manager! Why are you calling me?"

Wen Yining was furious, but saving lives was the priority, and now was not the time to dwell on these things. She suppressed her anger and quickly contacted the manager via walkie-talkie, trying to describe the situation clearly and concisely: "Manager, manager, it seems that something happened to the guests in the Xishan Hall. They are lying on the ground and cannot be woken up, and two of them are in bed."

The manager, true to his role, remained completely calm upon hearing her words, asking with unwavering composure, "When did you discover this? There were only two guests in the room?"

Wen Yining gradually calmed down, "I just went in to clean the table and found there were only two guests."

The manager then asked, "Are you the new guy? Let the guy on duty at the door speak."

Wen Yining looked up, gesturing for him to speak. The man was thin, with purplish-red hickeys on his neck. Upon hearing this, a hint of unease flashed across his face. "Manager."

The manager asked a few questions, which the man answered one by one.

"When I went in, everything was normal. They were still singing and didn't ring the bell, so I didn't go in."

"You two stand there and don't move. Don't let anyone else in."

Less than three minutes after the call ended, the manager arrived with two tall, burly, heavily tattooed thugs with fierce eyes. Without even glancing at the two men, he walked past them and went straight into the West Mountain Hall.

Soon, the door opened, and the manager, who had been calm when he first entered, swept his sinister gaze over the two of them inch by inch.

Wen Yining's heart jumped.

The manager gave a signal, and a bodyguard as big as a mountain came over and led the two into an empty room.

The male waiter was punched while his mouth was covered and he was roughly pushed inside.

Wen Yining followed obediently, with a vague guess in her mind.

The manager first made a phone call to the boss behind the scenes.

The gray industry like KTV, especially KTVs of this size, all have powerful backers; otherwise, they simply couldn't operate.

The owner of this company also has a very powerful background.

After hanging up the phone, the manager looked at the East Hall and sighed.

To be honest, they're really lucky. It just so happens that Mr. Li is here today, so it's best for them to handle their family's affairs.

The manager straightened his clothes, bent down, and pushed open the door to enter the East Hall.

"Hey Manager Wang, what brings you here again?" Fang Qi raised an eyebrow.

The manager smiled and said, "There's someone outside who wants to see Mr. Li."

In the corridor, watching the bodyguard follow Li Changjing into the Xishan Hall, the manager wisely stayed outside and didn't dare to go in.

The lights in the room were extremely bright. The manager, fearing trouble, was too timid to move and only covered the naked person with a towel.

The person inside had vaguely regained consciousness and began to struggle and groan.

Li Changjing scanned the room, his face expressionless. "Li Dongyuan."

The person on the ground was unconscious, only raising his head and groaning as he reached out to grab something, like a walking corpse, like a wretched rag, no longer resembling a high-ranking official's son.

Li Changjing lowered his eyes and stared at his cousin for a few seconds before suddenly grabbing his hair and slamming him hard against the corner of the table.

The bodyguard had been with him for many years and naturally understood his meaning. He didn't interfere, but simply went out and closed the door.

*

Wen Yining sat in the room, her face deathly pale. She didn't know what had happened, but it was clearly serious. Now that so much time had passed, she had calmed down and started to think things through, and a guess gradually formed in her mind.

She looked up at the anxious male waiter in the room. He sensed her gaze and subconsciously looked up to meet her eyes. A guilty look flashed in his eyes before he quickly looked away.

This attitude says it all.

He had already noticed something was wrong! He conspired with Yao Yao to let her in on purpose so he could shift the blame onto her.

But the Xishan Hall incident wasn't caused by the employees, so why are they afraid of shifting the blame? It's because what's inside can't be seen by others—is it a person or an event?

Wen Yining stared at him, her pretty and delicate face turning cold, like ice: "You noticed something was wrong a long time ago, and then deliberately let me in."

The man, feeling guilty and angry after being caught red-handed, yelled, "What the hell are you talking about! Don't spout nonsense and falsely accuse people!"

Wen Yining took a breath. She had never met such a bad person in her life. It was truly an eye-opening experience.

She glanced up at the overhead camera. "The manager obviously cares a lot about this. There are cameras all over here. Do you think you can get away with it just by denying it?"

The man's face turned pale.

Seemingly quickly, the thugs, exuding an air of arrogance, led the two out and into the West Mountain Hall.

Wen Yining noticed that everyone in the corridor had been moved away, and her heart sank.

Upon entering, the previously dimly lit room was now brightly lit, illuminating everything inside. The windows were open, and there was a strange smell and a strong stench of blood in the air, though diluted.

As soon as the two entered, the thugs stood at the doorway, seemingly to prevent the people inside from running out.

The manager stood inside, while Yao Yao stood in the center with a terrified expression. Her hair was disheveled, her makeup was ruined by tears, and her face was a mix of black and white, but you could still see the fear on her face, and her hands were trembling.

The two men were pushed to stand next to her, like a group of people waiting to be executed. When the male waiter saw this, his legs went weak, he staggered, and was kicked by the thug, falling to the ground.

Wen Yining quickly glanced around and saw two humanoid figures on the sofa covered with blankets. One of them seemed to have a thick gauze wrapped around its head, and there was a dark red stain on the carpet next to it, which looked like blood.

Wen Yining's already pale face turned even paler.

The carpet underfoot was soft and yielding, making one feel uneasy as if they might fall into an abyss and be smashed to pieces at any moment.

Wen Yining was confused about the situation, but seeing the two people's frightened reactions, her heart sank heavily, and her palms were sweating with fear.

No one dared to make a sound. The only sound in the deathly oppressive room was the rushing water from the bathroom in the corner.

Wen Yining mustered her courage and turned to look. The room was brightly lit, but the bathroom was dark, with only a small portion of the room's light shining in. She could vaguely see a tall figure, seemingly washing his hands.

The water was splashing continuously, and the person inside had been washing for a very long time, but no one dared to urge him on.

Some even began to pray that the sound of water would not stop, so that the unknown horrors to come would never come.

Wen Yining stared at the carpet in front of her. For a moment, she thought of Li Changjing next door. When people are afraid, they subconsciously want to grab onto anything they can. For a moment, she wondered if Li Changjing would save her if she called out to him.

The next moment, she was ashamed and dismissed the inappropriate thought. The person she had offended seemed to have a powerful background, and she was not familiar with Li Changjing. Why should she let someone else risk their life to save her?

Moreover, she wasn't actually sure that Li Changjing would come to her rescue.

It seemed like a short while, yet also like a long time had passed. The sound of water stopped, and the people inside went out.

Wen Yining heard Yao Yao's rapid breathing beside her, a sound born of fear.

The manager standing guard at the door immediately and attentively handed over a clean towel.

Thank you.

The manager looked at the polite and refined man in front of him, recalling the scene when he came in. He smiled obsequiously, but his eyes revealed fear.

That sound...

It's Li Changjing?!

How could it be him!

Wen Yining, who was on the verge of snapping, immediately relaxed and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

But another feeling of guilt and embarrassment welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but steal glances at him.

Li Changjing's arms and clothes were mostly wet. He didn't see her and stood in front of the sofa, slowly wiping his hands with his eyes downcast.

Without his glasses, his refined demeanor vanished almost entirely, revealing sharp, handsome features that were almost striking. His black shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his porcelain-white, clearly defined collarbones. Under the light, he was dazzlingly white, no longer the impeccably dressed old cadre he once was. He looked like a noble young master, but the powerful aura emanating from him made people's hearts pound. He seemed more terrifying than Wen Yining had ever seen him before.

Whether it was because he wasn't wearing his glasses or because of his appearance at that moment, Wen Yining felt that he was somewhat unfamiliar.

Seeing his expression, the manager kicked the nearest male waiter to the ground.

Wen Yining was startled, and Yao Yao next to her trembled.

Because the boss knew him, and in order to get closer to him, the manager didn't call him Mr. Li. "Young Master Li, we checked the surveillance footage. There were three people in total, and they're all here. Their ID cards have been noted down. There's absolutely no one else who saw this. It was handled cleanly and efficiently."

The room was deathly silent.

Li Changjing seemed not to hear him, remaining expressionless and silent, slowly wiping the water off his clothes.

The manager gave a signal, and the henchman stepped forward, first kicking the male waiter hard. The kick looked extremely powerful, and the waiter clutched his stomach, curled up like a shrimp, and groaned in pain.

Yao Yao and Wen Yining, who were "accomplices", both looked very ugly.

The glamorous and magnificent clubhouse outside was actually like this. Wen Yining suddenly felt like she had entered a brothel.

The thug grabbed the male waiter by the collar and pulled him up, his face menacing: "Tell me! What did you see!"

He burst into tears: "I...I didn't see anything! Brother Wu, please let me go! I really didn't see anything!"

Li Changjing casually tossed the towel into the trash can, still not glancing in this direction.

"This is an internal matter for you. You can handle it as you see fit. I believe Liu Zhicheng and Manager Zhou will handle this well."

The manager nodded and bowed repeatedly, making assurances, but inwardly he was groaning.

Logically speaking, if someone did something like this in their establishment, they would either skin the freak out or make them suffer terribly. Unfortunately, their fists weren't strong enough, and their boss was abroad and couldn't come back. So, even if the boss were here, they would still have the same attitude.

Li Changjing walked past and looked like he was about to leave, so the manager hurriedly went to see him off.

Wen Yining's heart tightened, and looking at his profile, she mustered up the courage to call out to him.

The thugs had already grabbed Yao Yao's clothes, and she fearfully pushed Wen Yining away, shouting, "It was her! It was her! She saw it!"

Wen Yining, who was of humble origin, lost her balance and was pushed forward, almost bumping into Li Changjing and the manager. The manager instinctively tried to step in front of Li Changjing.

Wen Yining was grabbed by the arm just before she fell, and all she could see was a black shirt.

"..."

Okay, now you don't need to muster up your courage.

Wen Yining steadied herself, looked up, and forced an awkward smile at Li Changjing while pursing her lips.

Li Changjing's face darkened. He glanced at her clothes and then looked at her face. "No wonder I couldn't get through to you on the phone earlier."

Wen Yining was taken aback, and a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.

It turns out that when she was at Dongling earlier, she saw him standing on the balcony making a phone call; he was calling her...

The manager and everyone else were stunned.

The manager was the first to react, immediately changing his attitude, "Juanjuan is actually an old acquaintance of Young Master Li, oh dear, what a coincidence!"

Li Changjing's gaze shifted to the nameplate on her chest.

Wen Yining was even more embarrassed.

Yao Yao and the male waiter stood there dumbfounded for a long time, staring at the scene in disbelief, their faces ashen.

How could she know him?! How could she?!

Li Changjing withdrew his gaze, placed his hand on her neck expressionlessly, and suddenly pushed her out. Wen Yining was uncontrollably pushed out by him.

Yao Yao's eyes gleamed with a final glimmer of hope as she struggled frantically: "Juan Juan! Juan Juan, I was wrong! Please plead for me!"

Wen Yining turned her head and hesitated to look at Li Changjing's profile. He seemed not to hear her, ignored her gaze, and pushed her out without saying a word.

His already cold profile looked even more chilling without his glasses, inspiring fear in those who saw him and making them afraid to utter a sound.

They were all shrewd people. Seeing this, the manager glared at the thug, who immediately covered her mouth tightly.

The manager then turned to the company with a forced smile and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, our company is a legitimate company. We live in a society governed by law. We're just trying to scare them; they won't do anything. Please don't worry."

Seeing the manager's sincere attitude, Wen Yining thought about it and agreed.

As I approached the door, I saw Li Changjing's bodyguard walk in, followed by three or four other people in plain clothes. One of them was carrying a large suitcase, and there were also two wheelchairs.

The bodyguard was taken aback when he saw her and the clothes she was wearing. Wen Yining gave him an awkward smile.

Li Changjing pushed her past the group and headed towards the elevator without a word, seemingly about to leave. Wen Yining looked at her work uniform and asked, "Where are we going?"

She waited a while, but Li Changjing acted as if he couldn't hear her, not answering at all, and not even glancing at her.

The people in Xishan Hall seemed to be related to him, so it was normal for him to be in a bad mood. Wen Yining thought this, ignoring the inexplicable sense of loss, pursed her lips, and stopped talking.

"gentlemen."

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, the bodyguard suddenly rushed over and handed her something. Wen Yining looked at it and saw that it was Li Changjing's glasses.

Wen Yining, who was standing outside, stepped forward, took the glasses, and handed them to him.

Li Changjing took the glasses, opened them, glanced at her, and suddenly turned to move closer to her.

As Wen Yining watched his hand approach, she subconsciously slowed her breathing. Although he was expressionless, he very gently put the glasses on her face and then let go.

His glasses were a little too big for her face, and they started to slide down as soon as she put them on. She hurriedly pushed them up.

His glasses were very light, yet still had a warm, smooth feel as they gently rested on her nose and ears. She suddenly realized that these were the glasses he often wore, and her heart skipped a beat; she couldn't help but blush.

The elevator on the top floor is separate, only going to the first floor and the underground parking lot. There were only the two of them on the way. Wen Yining was always the quiet one when they were together, and Li Changjing didn't say a word today either. It was so quiet that you could almost hear the elevator running.

When he flirted with her with a smile, Wen Yining only wanted to run away. She dared to use her wits and also dared to reject him righteously. But once he became cold and silent, he seemed to become a different person, and his aura made Wen Yining a little afraid.

Upon reaching the third basement level, the elevator doors opened, and the two stepped out. Afraid his glasses would fall and break, Wen Yining held them tightly with one hand, stumbling as she walked. Suddenly, she realized something...

?

He looked left and right in shock and confusion, adjusting his glasses.

?

Plain glasses?

"No need to look," he said casually. "They're non-prescription glasses."

Wen Yining turned her head in surprise.

He looked down at her but didn't speak. They were too close, and his features were very striking.

Wen Yining immediately understood why he wore glasses.

Wearing it makes him look gentle and mature, like a cadre.

He led her to the car.

Wen Yining finally asked, "Um, are the people upstairs alright?"

She still doesn't understand what's wrong with the people in Xishan Hall.

His tone was indifferent, not like he was worried; rather, there was a chilling coldness in his voice: "You won't die."

Wen Yining didn't know what to say for a moment. She nodded and slowly said "Oh".

They weren't close, and she always felt that people like them had many taboos, so she didn't want to ask too many questions about other people's affairs.

Since nothing's wrong, Yao Yao and the others should also be fine. Although I dislike them, I don't dislike them to the point of wanting to see something bad happen to them.

She suddenly remembered, "You said you'd call me, what did you want to talk to me about?"

He raised an eyebrow, then suddenly resumed his usual tone, "Does missing you mean there's something wrong?"

"..."

With just one sentence, Wen Yining was rendered speechless.

I really admire this person; they change their tune so quickly.

“Teacher Wen,” Li Changjing said suddenly in a serious tone.

"Hmm?" Wen Yining turned to look at him.

It was rare for Li Changjing to speak to her in such a serious and earnest manner. His tone and words were polite and tactful. "Although I shouldn't interfere in other people's lives, this kind of place is not suitable for you."

Most adults know that his attitude is the kind of tone and manner that comes from not wanting to offend the other person but kindly reminding them, since the relationship isn't close enough to be considered "family."

Because of the word "others," or perhaps the unintentional sense of boundaries revealed in his words, Wen Yining felt a small part of her heart sink.

This unfamiliar feeling vanished in an instant, so quickly that she didn't have time to delve into the reason.

She said, "I didn't know it was like this. Luckily it's a part-time job, just for today."

After she finished reading, she realized what she had done and quickly looked away.

Li Changjing didn't move, but stood next to her and answered the phone. He didn't turn on speakerphone, so Wen Yining couldn't hear what was being said on the other end, but she could hear him. His voice was low and his tone was neither hurried nor slow, but it wasn't exactly respectful: "The doctor has already gone up."

"He doesn't even bring anyone with him in public. Does he think those people aren't watching him closely enough?"

Wen Yining thought for a moment, then consciously walked away, stopping only after walking several meters.

As Li Changjing spoke, he glanced at her back.

Just then, there was a commotion over there. Bodyguards and several other people pushed two unconscious people wearing masks down in wheelchairs.

They were dressed properly, but the man's face was obscured, and his head was wrapped in thick gauze, from which blood was still seeping.

Li Changjing was still on the phone.

After they got the person into a black car, he hung up the phone after a few words and came over.

"I'll have Yue Feng take you back to school. I have other things to do."

As he spoke, he walked past her toward the car.

"No need, I have to go upstairs, I have a classmate here."

Li Changjing didn't even turn his head, as if he couldn't hear anything. The bodyguard opened the car door, and he got in.

Wen Yining watched the car disappear.

Wait, she's still wearing his glasses.

The bodyguard named Yue Feng stayed behind and came over. "Miss Wen."

Wen Yining carefully took off her glasses and handed them to Yue Feng for safekeeping. She then looked at her clothes and said, "I need to go change. And my things too."

Now the bodyguards followed her closely, as if she were a criminal. After changing her clothes, Wen Yining sent a message to Xu Yi and went down to the parking lot.

Just as I got into the car, a group of people suddenly came down from the elevator.

Fang Qi spotted Yue Feng immediately. "Hey, isn't that Yue Feng? Didn't Young Master Qing have something to do and leave early?"

Yue Feng stopped. "Young Master Fang."

Wen Yining, sitting in the car, turned her head to look and saw the group of young masters from Dongling Hall, who were also Li Changjing's friends.

As they talked, a large group of people walked towards them. Wen Yining gripped her seatbelt tightly, sitting in Li Changjing's car, and felt very strange and embarrassed as she watched the people she had just served walk over. She secretly moved a little further in, praying that they wouldn't notice her.

Outside the car, a group of people—those who had seen her in the private room—were all looking at her inside the car.

The young master stared at her. "What are you doing here?"

Fang Qi suddenly remembered, "Juanjuan! No wonder she looked so familiar!"

"No way? Holy crap! What are you doing in his car?"

The people outside the car also remembered, staring at her with various expressions. Wen Yining nodded and smiled awkwardly at them.

Fang Qi's eyes lit up. "You're leaving, right? Come on, where are you going? I'll take her, you can drive my car."

Yue Feng hesitated, "Young Master Fang, you've had some wine. How about I send someone to take you back?"

"Oh, so precious? These two glasses of wine are nothing. I could crash this car into a truck and it would be fine." Fang Qi tossed the car keys to Yue Feng without saying a word, leaving the group behind. He pulled open the driver's seat, got in, and stepped on the gas. The car surged forward.

Wen Yining swayed forward slightly, looked at the person in the driver's seat, and silently tightened her seatbelt.

Wen Yining had ridden in this car many times, but this was the first time she felt like she was on an airplane. She nervously craned her neck and stared intently at the road ahead, afraid that he would hit someone or that she would be hit by someone. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night and there was no one on the road.

Yue Feng followed behind in his eye-catching sports car.

Fang Qi turned his charming eyes and looked Wen Yining up and down, grinning, "Oh, so our young master Qing likes this kind of thing."

She's clean-cut, has a natural, unadorned look, and possesses a pure, untainted charm. With such a strong presence by her side, she still manages to take on a part-time job.

My brain feels like it's broken.

Fang Qi was unusually excited, his tone like that of a human trafficker, "Juanjuan, tell your brother, how long have you two been talking?"

Wen Yining shook her head: 'You've misunderstood. We're not in that kind of relationship.'

"If it weren't that kind of relationship, would he give it to you? How come I didn't know he was so kind? What's there to be ashamed of? Don't worry, my brother isn't a bad person, nor is he an outsider. We're best friends who grew up in the same hospital."

Fang Qi speaks with a strong Beijing alleyway accent, but Li Changjing speaks standard Mandarin with a slow, deep tone, without a trace of accent.

Moreover, he was flamboyant and lively, and his behavior was completely different from Li Changjing's refined and restrained ruthlessness.

It's hard to believe these two are childhood friends.

Fearing he might not know who Aunt Liu was, she was thinking of adding, "Who is Aunt Liu?" when Fang Qi simply said "Oh," clearly indicating he knew who Aunt Liu was.

"Office romance, huh?"

"No, it's not..."

Is he really that much of a liar?

"Wait a minute, aren't you from the film academy?" Fang Qi suddenly remembered, looked down at the navigation, and said, "Little sister, you're not being honest."

Wen Yining awkwardly shrank back in her seat without saying a word.

"You're busy enough tutoring and working at a karaoke bar at the same time."

Wen Yining nodded, "The karaoke job is a part-time job, only today."

I'll never come again. I wonder how Xu Yi is doing; she should be doing better than me.

"Why are you so pessimistic? Young Master Li isn't a stingy person. If he treats you to dinner tonight, it'll be enough for you to work part-time for a long time. I don't believe he won't pay you. Or you can just ask him for some resources. With your looks, you're more than qualified to start your own business."

His casual and skillful delivery suggests that this is the norm in their circle.

It's as if she should do the same, and be content to be a kept woman.

Wen Yining said calmly, "My relationship with him is really just that of employer and employee."

Unable to resist, she added in a low voice, "I earn my own money."

His voice was low, yet it revealed the stubbornness of a young man.

Fang Qi raised an eyebrow in the mirror and gave her a deep look of surprise. He drove away without saying another word.

The car was dark, and Fang Qi's face was shrouded in darkness, looking particularly sinister. A cold, hidden light shone in his usually carefree peach blossom eyes.

While waiting at a traffic light, he suddenly asked, seemingly casually, "Do you know which 'Li' in Li Changjing's name refers to?"

Wen Yining looked at him, not understanding the meaning of his words.

Fang Qi glanced at her in the mirror and suddenly smiled.

Even though there were only the two of them in the car, he lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard and whispered three words in Wen Yining's ear.

He didn't even say his name, only his nickname.

Wen Yining, who never pays attention to the news, was stunned after hearing this.

She had considered that Li Changjing's identity was unusual, but she never imagined it would be this high.

She stared blankly at the road ahead.

Suddenly, she realized that as long as he was still interested in her, she couldn't possibly escape.

Author's Note: To avoid being criticized, I'll reiterate again: Li Changjing is not a good person, not a good person at all! In the early stages, he's both a jerk and a kind soul.