Chapter 25
Yan Qing never expected to meet Shen Hanyang here.
She was still in shock, staring blankly at his face in the shadows, wondering for several seconds if she was seeing things.
Only the sensation of her wrist being held reminded her that everything was real.
Whether it was the powerful grip that made her reluctant to leave, or her weary body that had lost the courage to move, she stood rooted to the spot like a wooden statue, despite her initial desire to escape.
The male anchor, upon first seeing Shen Hanyang, gave him a furtive once-over. His keen instincts told him this man was no ordinary person, and he immediately dropped his lewd act: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, just joking with the beautiful lady." He wiped his hands on his clothes and offered a handshake to Shen Hanyang, "SNK anchor, Lai Yingde."
Although Lai Yingde was shameless, his eye for people was exceptional. Someone like Shen Hanyang was a precise target for his upward social connections. At this moment, he had lost the arrogance he displayed when harassing girls; his hunched back, smile plastered on his eyes, and obsequious manner were a veritable satirical cartoon.
However, Shen Hanyang didn't even glance at him, his gaze fixed on Yan Qing.
"Who bullied you?" The concern and gentleness in the voice made Yan Qing feel unfamiliar.
Yan Qing didn't want to cause trouble, so she pretended not to care and said, "It's nothing." But this pretense crumbled easily under Shen Hanyang's caring gaze.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Shen Hanyang pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her forehead: "I'm here, it's alright."
This comforting kiss, devoid of any erotic intent, was enough to make Yan Qing's heart skip a beat.
On the other side, Lai Yingde saw that the situation was not right and wanted to make a quick getaway, but he felt that he was being slowly cut by two sharp eyes. He was so frightened that his legs felt like lead and he was stuck on the ground and could not move.
By the time he reached out to meet Shen Hanyang's gaze, Shen Hanyang's eyes had already returned to Yan Qing: "I'll handle it."
Shen Hanyang's solution was simple and direct—call the police.
Initially, Lai Yingde insisted that he was just joking and had not committed any actual assault, so it didn't constitute sexual harassment at all. He was convinced that the police had limited resources and wouldn't make a big deal out of such a trivial matter. Sitting in the police station, he still acted nonchalantly, crossing his legs and asking the officers for cigarettes. It wasn't until the police presented him with a video recording that documented his entire behavior outside the bar's restroom that he was dumbfounded.
At first, Yan Qing wanted to roll her eyes when she heard that Shen Hanyang had not only calmly watched the whole process but also calmly recorded it on his phone. However, since this video became important evidence in the indictment of Lai Yingde, she suppressed her urge to complain and obediently said thank you.
The harassment scandal had finally settled, but Yan Qing felt far from relieved. She had always been someone who disliked causing trouble for others. Lai Yingde was indeed sent to jail, but what about the aftermath? Would Kevin be affected? Would Gu Feimeng be affected? Would it spread to the school? Would Teacher Huang be affected? A barrage of negative speculations assaulted her mind. From the moment the police informed her they could leave to the moment she stepped out of the police station, a thousand possibilities had flashed through her mind in those few short minutes.
Even less courageous than her was her alcohol tolerance. She was already feeling unwell after being forced to drink most of a glass of strong liquor, and the night wind suddenly brought on a wave of dizziness. The contents of her stomach surged upwards, and she stumbled to the roadside green belt to vomit.
She had known for a long time that humans could be easily controlled by alcohol. Feng Xin wasn't a heavy drinker, but during holidays or celebrations, he would often find himself intoxicated after just a few drinks with his cronies. When drunk, Feng Xin completely lost his senses, and friends who were once his brothers would become bitter enemies. Emboldened by alcohol, Feng Xin would get into fights, but he was always the one who was outnumbered and ganged up on. After being beaten bloody, Feng Xin would take his anger out on Yan Qing when he got home… These were the past memories Yan Qing least wanted to recall.
Now, Yan Qing has experienced the power of alcohol firsthand. She vomited violently, feeling like her insides were about to come out. The cool breeze continued to take away her body heat. She hugged herself, her fingertips touching a layer of tiny goosebumps.
A coat was pulled up around her, gently enveloping her shivering. She couldn't quite place the fabric, but it felt soft and comfortable. The warmth lingering on the coat felt like a real hug.
Yan Qing was stunned.
Her brain told her she should return the coat to Shen Hanyang immediately, but her body went against her thoughts, clinging to the warmth and unwilling to leave.
Just as they were caught in a dilemma, Shen Hanyang handed them a bottle of water.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Shen Hanyang looked her over: "I thought you had a huge capacity for alcohol."
She muttered under her breath, "I don't drink at all..."
"Then why do you still dare to come here? This is a famous nightclub in S City, gathering half of the city's spiritual rock scene."
Yan Qing sighed, "I didn't expect this, I had no choice..." Realizing what had happened, she looked up at him, "Are you also mentally unstable?"
Shen Hanyang gave her a disapproving look, but finally couldn't help laughing out loud: "Do I look like one?"
It was clearly a joke, and Yan Qing lowered her head and laughed. She was unaware that her face was flushed, red from the corners of her eyes to the roots of her neck. She was even less aware that the previously casual gaze opposite her was silently gathering.
After the false alarm, her body, which had been tense all day, slowly began to show signs of fatigue. Yan Qing took off her coat and handed it back to Shen Hanyang: "Thank you."
Shen Hanyang glanced at the clothes she respectfully handed over, but did not take them.
"Only verbal thanks?"
Yan Qing's throat bobbed, and she swallowed hard. "Then please make your request..."
"Let me think about it." Shen Hanyang seemed genuinely considering it. "If we're talking about monetary representation..."
Yan Qing held her breath in her chest.
Fortunately, he immediately rejected the idea: "I don't need that money."
Just as Yan Qing was secretly relieved to have escaped a disaster, he suddenly leaned closer and said, "Be my girlfriend."
Yan Qing froze, and the mineral water bottle in her hand clattered to the ground.
The smell of alcohol returned, permeating her from all directions. He was so close that their cheeks bumped against each other, their noses touching.
If their physical contact in the bar was an act of humanitarian aid, his dark gaze now bewildered her. Something was clearly churning within it, like a whirlpool hidden deep underwater, drawing in all of Yan Qing's pent-up breath.
She was momentarily distracted and forgot to refuse.
Several angry honks echoed through the road, completely dispelling the last vestiges of alcohol fumes and jolting Yan Qing awake. She opened her mouth to say something, but her words were drowned out by the incessant blaring of car horns.
Finally, it quieted down. Before she could even speak, Shen Hanyang said, "It's temporary."
Yan Qing was completely confused: "Temporary?"
Shen Hanyang stepped back, and the two returned to their original distance. "Yes, it's temporary. Simply put, I've run into some trouble, and you'll play the role of my girlfriend and help me deal with it."
"That's outrageous, I can't do it." Yan Qing said no without even thinking, and casually took off her coat, folded it haphazardly, and stuffed it into his arms.
Shen Hanyang smiled: "I can add money—lots and lots of money."
Lying in her dormitory bed in the dead of night, Yan Qing still couldn't believe that she had agreed to Shen Hanyang's outrageous request.
But what could we do? He had given us far too much.
More importantly, and what prompted her to make up her mind, was Shen Hanyang's promise to use his connections to arrange a consultation with a renowned doctor for Qiao Yi at the best hospital in S City.
With this condition he offered, she had no reason to refuse.
Before parting, Shen Hanyang instructed, "Come to the company tomorrow afternoon and bring me a meal you made yourself."
"I'm not good at cooking," she tried to use as an excuse to decline.
Shen Hanyang didn't mind: "No need to make anything too complicated. Just make the same dishes you made for Cheng Jiaming as you make for me."
The next day, she arrived at Huanyu Technology Company at the agreed time. Standing at the entrance of the building, her heart rate was a little irregular. She clutched her chest, guessing it was probably because she hadn't slept well for two consecutive nights.
Huanyu Technology is a well-known rising star in the technology industry in S City. From its inception, it has reached cooperation frameworks with several major domestic industrial groups, and its popularity is unparalleled.
Yan Qing looked up and saw the glass curtain wall stretching straight up to the top. The angle of the setting sun cut a straight golden beam along the diagonal of the building, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, making Huanyu's building the most dazzling among the countless high-rises in the CBD.
Stepping into the lobby, the interior environment perfectly matched her expectations—a world composed of mirrors, straight lines, and hard materials. The men and women moving around strictly adhered to the office building's dress code, and their conversations were punctuated by occasional bursts of English vocabulary, exuding an air of sophistication.
Yan Qing was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, carrying two lunch boxes; she looked exactly like a food delivery person.
The only thing that comforted her was that the access card Shen Hanyang gave her was really useful, allowing her to pass through without any hindrance.
The elevator stopped on the thirtieth floor. Even before the doors fully opened, she could smell a strange, dangerous odor in the air. She still had no idea what Shen Hanyang was up to.
With a nervous heart, she tiptoed down the quiet corridor, carefully noting the office numbers.
A woman in a suit politely stopped her.
The woman also fit Yan Qing's impression of urban beauties in office buildings: a standard suit, standard makeup, and even the curve of her smile was perfect.
Who are you looking for?
Yan Qing still felt that what she had done was ridiculous, so she spoke without much confidence: "I'm looking for... looking for Mr. Shen."
Do you have an appointment?
Yan Qing was taken aback: "I need to make an appointment?"
A voice came from a door at the end of the corridor. Shen Hanyang put one leg over the door, revealing half of his body: "I'm here."
"President Shen." The woman gave him a slight bow. Yan Qing, however, bowed to the woman and then fled into Shen Hanyang's office as if escaping a disaster.
"Why are you sneaking around?" Shen Hanyang asked cheerfully as he closed the door.
Yan Qingyun calmed her rapid breathing, glanced at him, and didn't respond, instead looking around at her surroundings. His office was nothing special, a typical CEO's office: unreasonably spacious, with a cold, impersonal color scheme and ridiculously low space utilization, all adhering to the rule that unnecessary waste is the most direct way to display wealth and power.
“Come here,” he beckoned to her, gesturing for her to sit in his swivel leather chair.
"I'll just stand," Yan Qing said.
Shen Hanyang smiled and didn't press the matter. He glanced at the lunchbox in her hand: "What good food did you bring me?"
Just as Yan Qing was about to answer, the landline rang. Shen Hanyang answered it.
"Don't stop her, let her come up."
Seeing that Shen Hanyang had hung up the phone, Yan Qing guessed and said, "You have guests, right? I'll be going now."
"etc."
Shen Hanyang called out to her, but gave no further instructions. He propped himself up on his hand, leaning against the desk, his eyes lowered as if deep in thought, or perhaps waiting.
There was a gap in time and space between them, allowing Yan Qing ample opportunity to appreciate the face before her. Indeed, this face was worth the time to admire. Perhaps its creation was itself a work of art requiring time and talent. To paraphrase a popular internet saying: A Nuwa graduation project.
Shen Hanyang picked up his phone and looked down at it. After about five minutes, he glanced back at the electronic timer on the wall: "Five seconds left."
Yan Qing was confused, but she couldn't help but follow his gaze. On the screen, the numbers representing the second hand were ticking at a steady pace.
Five, four, three, two, one—
The office door was pushed open forcefully from the outside, and the sudden noise startled Yan Qing.
She wanted to turn around, but felt a force transmitted from her wrist to her whole body. She staggered a few steps and was pulled into Shen Hanyang's arms.
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