Chapter 117 So Cruel!
Shen Jingni and Wen Shuyi chatted for a long time, and Shen told her about her trip to Los Angeles.
She didn't try to persuade Wen Shuyi either.
Perhaps, a dignified separation is the best outcome for Wen Shuyi and Song Yanting.
Since their hotel, the Lisboa Hotel, was not far from there, the two had dinner at the revolving restaurant and then walked back along a nearby path.
Although Macau has generally maintained good nighttime security and a low crime rate in recent years, with police patrols, there are still some desperate street thugs who will defy the law and commit crimes.
Shen Jingni and her friends were out of luck. As soon as they entered a quiet street, they were blocked by three or four thugs.
The leader of the thugs laughed arrogantly, his voice rough: "Hey ladies, can I borrow some money?"
His accomplices behind him lazily spread out, partially surrounding the two men.
Shen Jingni's heart sank. She said in as calm a tone as possible, "We can give you the money, but please let us leave."
Then, she quietly reached into her bag, fumbled for her phone, and tried to make an emergency call.
Just then, several muscular men in black uniforms jumped out from the shadows.
They moved swiftly and nimbly, silently closing in and instantly sealing off all escape routes.
As she got closer, Shen Jingni could see clearly that the one leading the group was Pan Hong.
Nie Yunhui's subordinates.
Pan Hong, with a buzz cut and a gun in his hand, walked towards the leader of the thugs. The thugs were too scared to move and were kicked hard by him.
He squatted down again and said in Cantonese, "You bunch of good-for-nothings, are you blind? Don't you want to live?"
"Apologize now if you don't want to die."
The thugs were so frightened that their legs were trembling, and they hurriedly bowed and apologized to Shen Jingni and Wen Shuyi.
They all said in unison, "Sorry."
Pan Hong waved his hand, "Get lost, get lost, with this kind of character you dare to come out and rob people, a bunch of losers."
Those thugs quickly ran away.
Pan Hong was a rough man who didn't know much about chivalry. He simply raised his voice and asked, "Miss Chen, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, did you just happen to be passing by?"
Shen Jingni felt it was too much of a coincidence.
It was very timely and convenient.
"This, uh..."
Pan Hong scratched his head, unsure how to answer. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "My boss is here too. Why don't you go ask him?"
Nie Yunhui's car was parked at the entrance of the alley not far away.
As Shen Jingni approached, he was just getting out of the car.
"Thank you, Mr. Nie. I'm sorry to trouble you again."
Whether it's a coincidence or something else, you should definitely say thank you.
“Miss Shen, you’re too kind,” Nie Yunhui said directly, having been in this business for a long time and disliking riddles. “It is my duty to do what Mr. Zhao asked me to do.”
"Zhao Zonglan?"
Shen Jingni's eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes welled up with moisture, and her heart felt a bittersweet ache.
"Yes, Miss Shen, please feel free to contact me if you need anything in the future."
“Mr. Nie still has some influence in Hong Kong and Macau.”
The two words Nie Yunhui valued most in his life were loyalty and righteousness.
Mr. Zhao invested 20% of his new project, which is over 10 billion yuan. If he can't even protect a girl, what kind of business is he?
Shen Jingni never expected that Zhao Zonglan would go to such lengths for her.
Even when I'm not by her side, I will do everything I can to keep her safe.
This is the love Zhao Zonglan gave her.
Nie Yunhui's men escorted them back to the hotel.
On the road, street performers were playing and singing classic Cantonese old songs. Their voices were melancholic and affectionate. Under the bridge, the reflections of buildings swayed with the water, appearing indistinct but their outlines remained unchanged.
——
Shen Qingyan booked a flight to Los Angeles for Monday evening.
Sunday evening.
When Shen Jingni returned home, Xu Ningwan had already packed her luggage.
"I didn't pack you too much stuff. Clothes, cosmetics, bags, etc., I'll have Shen Qingyan buy them for you when we get there."
"Okay, thank you, Mom."
Shen Qingyan laughed and complained from the side: "Oh, so this trip was a trap for me, huh? I'm just a sucker."
"I don't care, you have to buy it for me." Shen Jingni raised her chin high and said righteously, "You're the one who told me to go."
"Okay, okay, I'll buy it."
At this critical juncture, how could Shen Qingyan dare to say he wouldn't buy it? If his little darling got upset and changed his mind, he wouldn't be able to leave.
He needs to go back and start his career.
After washing up in her room, Shen Jingni lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep as she thought about leaving tomorrow.
She wanted to call Zhao Zonglan and tell him.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she picked up her phone and dialed his number.
The call was answered quickly.
Before Zhao Zonglan could speak, Shen Jingni asked, "Did I disturb you?"
"No."
He asked her in a casual tone, "Did you have fun in Macau?"
“I’m happy,” Shen Jingni glanced at the bright, blazing light above her head, her eyes half-closed, her voice crisp and sweet, “Zhao Zonglan, thank you.”
Zhao Zonglan sat in the car, the dashboard still lit, the faint light illuminating his cold, stern jawline, half-lit and half-dim.
"Only thank you?"
Shen Jingni paused, as if she didn't understand, and then said in a deep voice, "I'm going to Los Angeles with my brother for a few days tomorrow."
Zhao Zonglan remained silent.
He flicked open the metal lighter, lit the cigarette between his lips by the flame, took a deep drag, and the grayish-white smoke filled the cramped carriage.
After a long while, his slightly hoarse voice finally reached her ears.
“Shen Jingni, if you don’t like me, you don’t need to hide abroad.”
Shen Jingni gripped her phone tightly and hurriedly explained, "I'm not avoiding you, I just want to find a different place to think things through."
I'm considering whether or not I should actually be with him.
"Besides, our family planned to spend Chinese New Year in Los Angeles this year. We were going to go anyway, can you understand?"
Zhao Zonglan remained silent for a moment.
He leaned back in his chair, pressing his throbbing temples with the hand holding the cigarette. "But baby, I might not be able to hold on much longer. You have to forgive me."
“I won’t forgive you,” Shen Jingni said, knowing what he meant. Her voice was sweet and a little aggrieved. “You were the one who said you would give me time.”
Zhao Zonglan chuckled helplessly on the other end of the phone, his voice deep and resonant, "So ruthless."
Hearing him say that, Shen Jingni knew he wouldn't do anything reckless, which made her even more emboldened.
She turned over, hugged the soft down comforter, and subconsciously said to him in a coquettish tone, "I can't sleep, I want to hear you tell a story."
Zhao Zonglan took a drag of his cigarette. "What do you want to hear?"
"It will be all right."
Perhaps because it was him who said it, she didn't pick it up.
As usual, Zhao Zonglan told her some short stories, all about other people.
The voice was deep and calm.
Shen Jingni fell asleep quickly, occasionally uttering a few indistinct syllables, soft and cute.
Zhao Zonglan stopped talking and just listened.
Her shallow breaths, little by little, filled the void in his heart, yet deepened the bitterness and suffocation within him.
And so, after an unknown amount of time, the ashtray was filled with many cigarette butts.
A short beep came from the phone, probably because her phone battery had run out and the call had been automatically disconnected.
Zhao Zonglan looked at the window that was already dark, and sat quietly for a while.
Until dawn broke.
The black Maybach then quietly drove away.
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