Clearly, Hu Lou has already considered Meng Wan as one of his own and has no intention of hiding anything from her.
After all, in times like these, honesty is the only way to bind the two of them together tighter. Only by understanding each other's weaknesses can they truly become a community of shared destiny.
"You know Tang Zhiyi uses drugs, right?"
"You did this?"
Hu Lou looked completely innocent. "I just ordered her a drink and accidentally added something to it."
Hu Lou spoke frankly and openly, showing absolutely no remorse for ruining someone's life.
"So you're using the same old trick again this time?"
Hu Lou raised both hands, "This is different. I just let it slip a little, and they flocked to me. They're all thrill-seeking young people. I was just helping them out."
"You really are kind." Hu Lou could naturally hear the sarcasm in Meng Wan's words.
"Then what about the two drinks you handed me?"
"It's just a tiny dose, not enough to get you addicted. Anyone with a bit of willpower can get through it. I believe you won't let me down." Hu Lou spoke frankly, without any guilt or unease about harming anyone.
There was a hint of anger in Meng Wan's eyes, but she laughed in exasperation.
"Is this how you approach me when you want to cooperate?"
"Don't be angry, I'll apologize to you later. We're in the same boat now, and I've been completely honest with you. I've been sincere enough. I have to have a way out for myself."
Hu Lou smiled ingratiatingly, seemingly unconcerned that Meng Wan would betray him. After all, if people found out she also used drugs, it wouldn't just be a matter of damaged reputation.
"What about Xu Jiaojiao? Why drag her into this?"
Meng Wan seemed to accept this as well, took a deep breath, and then asked.
"Her?" Hu Lou scoffed.
"There's no other way. I can't approach you directly, so I have to start with her. Coming from the countryside, she's not very worldly, insecure yet competitive. With just a few words, I can stir up her dark side. A few photos, a few ambiguous words, and a piece of clothing will create her fantasies, and getting her under my control will be a piece of cake."
When Hu Lou spoke, his expression and tone were full of pride, as if he was quite satisfied with his methods.
"Hu Lou, your methods are truly brilliant." Meng Wan clapped her hands and sneered.
Even she couldn't help but admire Hu Lou's cunning methods. She wondered how many people he had harmed using them.
Meng Wan's eyes turned cold. "Come in."
Hu Lou's expression changed, and he looked warily towards the door.
With a 'beep', the door unlocked. Hu Lou's pupils contracted, and he turned around to subdue Meng Wan, but Meng Wan kicked him in the back of the knee.
Hu Lou felt the pain, his legs went weak, and he half-knelt on the ground.
Without hesitation, Meng Wan grabbed his hand, pulled it back, and yanked it. Hu Lou let out a wail and curled up on the ground, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
With a 'snap', the incandescent light replaced the dim yellow light, and Meng Wan fell into a familiar embrace.
"I'm fine." Meng Wan patted Yan Nian's back. Although she was the one involved, the other person seemed more like an insider than she was, with sweaty palms and ice-cold hands.
"Never do this again, this is the last time." Yan Nian hugged Meng Wan tightly, as if afraid she would disappear.
His tone was full of lingering fear. Yan Nian, who was usually meticulous in his planning and very calm about everything, panicked just because the person who entered the station was Meng Wan.
Meng Wan nodded, "No, no."
She was forced to participate in this dangerous situation because she knew it was a perfect opportunity to eliminate any potential threats.
"Ahem." Xu Jiaojiao looked at the two sticky people and coughed lightly twice with a slightly flushed face.
Meng Wan then realized that Xu Jiaojiao was also there.
However, she wasn't as easily embarrassed as Xu Jiaojiao; instead, she calmly stepped out of Yan Nian's embrace.
"How's it up there?"
"The police are already investigating. They're escorting them to the police station now, and they'll probably be checking here soon," Xu Jiaojiao reported the latest situation to Meng Wan.
"You...you've been acting against me from the very beginning?"
Hu Lou gritted his teeth. The pain in his arm made him feel as if all his strength had been drained, and he couldn't get up. He could only writhe on the ground like a worm.
“Yes, from the very beginning.” Meng Wan looked down at him coldly, emphasizing the last four words.
"Xu Jiaojiao, you!" Hu Lou wanted to say something, but Meng Wan stepped on his back.
Hu Lou grunted and shut his mouth.
"Me? What about me? What makes you think I would betray my best friend who has taken care of me and made me more positive and cheerful since my first day of college for a cheating guy who only knows how to manipulate and make empty promises?"
Xu Jiaojiao put her hands on her hips, trying to look fierce, but unfortunately, she has always had a gentle temperament, and no matter how she poses, she still gives people a soft and easy-to-manage feeling.
Meng Wan smiled and patted her head.
"You knew from the beginning that I was the one who hosted the party?" Hu Lou paused, the words almost squeezed out between his teeth.
Meng Wan looked at his flushed face, raised an eyebrow, and nodded. A slight smile played on her lips, radiating a confident and reassuring air of control.
From the very beginning, Hu Lou wasn't the one who set the trap. On the contrary, it was thanks to him setting the trap that they were able to defuse this ticking time bomb of his smoothly.
The story goes back to when Xu Jiaojiao finished attending the meeting.
After seeing Xu Jiaojiao inside, Meng Wan planned to leave after shopping, but something felt off. Although Xu Jiaojiao was an empathetic and sensitive person, she was usually proactive and hardworking in pursuing her goals, and rarely felt so down.
After hesitating for a while, Meng Wan still couldn't put her mind at ease, so she decided to take a walk on the nearby playground and wait for Xu Jiaojiao to come out so she could try to find out more about the situation.
She arrived right on time, but to her surprise, she witnessed Jiang Yu verbally abusing Xu Jiaojiao.
"A country bumpkin is a country bumpkin. No matter how expensive the cosmetics or how nice the clothes, he will only exude a poor and shabby vibe. Don't be blinded by the hustle and bustle of the city and resort to any means to climb the social ladder."
"I didn't know Miss Jiang had such a keen sense of smell that she could detect even the smell of poverty."
Xu Jiaojiao was pale and unsure how to respond when Meng Wan suddenly appeared, giving her a sense of relief for no apparent reason.
“Wanwan.” She felt like she had found a safe haven.
Meng Wan patted her head and stood in front of her.
"Meng... Meng Wan." Jiang Yu didn't expect Meng Wan to appear here. She took two steps back, her expression changing. She wanted to leave but felt embarrassed. If she didn't leave, she couldn't afford to offend her.
"Miss Jiang, as someone who's been through it all, don't look down on the path you've walked. You know, with your family's status in the industry, you can't even get into the lowest-level gatherings, right? Or should I put it more bluntly?"
Meng Wan smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes; instead, it sent a chill down one's spine.
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