Looking for information, lost in the past, talkative, reminiscent of the present
"Xiao Nian, Ke Yike, come with me. Yiyi, prepare to record the scene with your mobile phone, and Zhou Ying, prepare to call the police." Xue Jiuyue made a prompt decision, and when the voice came out, the person had already walked out.
When everyone approached, Ke Yike saw what was happening and shouted, "Stop it!"
"Sister Mei, Sister Mei?" Qiu Nian stepped forward and called Mei Rugu, but got no response.
"It's you again? What a narrow road for enemies! Today is not your store!" A sinister voice came over.
Only then did Xue Jiuyue realize that the man in the middle of the three men opposite, the one wearing a short-sleeved shirt and showing his tattooed arms, was the "hook-nosed" man who had kissed Tu Xinyue in the store before.
"This is not my store, but this is still the land of the People's Republic of China. You must abide by the laws of our country! Zhou Ying, call the police!" Xue Jiuyue argued and finally shouted it out.
"Very good, very good! You got away with it last time, do you think that's the end of it? Let's see! Brothers, let's go somewhere else to have fun today!" "Hooked Nose" threw down a harsh word and left with the two people beside him.
Mei Rugu, who was already deeply drunk, was completely oblivious to all this, and kept muttering, "Jun'er, Jun'er...you're here..."
"Xiao Nian, call a taxi. Zhou Ying and Yi Yi will help her. Let's go back to the cafe together."
Worried about Mei Rugu's condition, Xue Jiuyue brought her back to the coffee shop and asked Lin Yiyi and Zhou Ying to stay as well. The four of them spent the night on the sofa.
Xue Jiuyue couldn't sleep well in the changed environment and with the lights on dimly. But the weak light became Mei Rugu's only support when she woke up in the middle of the night.
"Where is this?" Although she had only been here once, the unique decoration and sharp memories still reminded Mei Rugu, "Why are we here?"
"Are you awake?" The slight voice still startled Xue Jiuyue. She got up, took a glass of lemonade and walked over.
"Have a drink. You'll be very thirsty after getting drunk." Xue Jiuyue sat opposite him.
"Thanks!"
"You're welcome, it's just a glass of water!"
"No, thank you for saving me!" Mei Rugu recalled many scenes. She lowered her head, not knowing how to face Xue Jiuyue.
Looking at the thin shoulders beneath the thin shirt across from her, "She's just an ordinary woman longing for her husband to come home!" - this thought made sympathy and pity dissipate the previous unhappiness towards Mei Rugu. Xue Jiuyue didn't mention the rescue, but only asked two words in a distressed tone, "Why bother?"
"Wake up, it hurts more now!"
"I feel like there are a lot of misunderstandings between you and Mr. Qian, and they can be resolved! Just like the misunderstanding we had last time!"
"A three-foot-thick ice doesn't freeze overnight, nor is it the product of one or two misunderstandings. You haven't been married, so you won't understand." Mei Rugu smiled, feeling somewhat helpless and even a bit self-pitying. She hadn't expected that the person who would save her today, sitting here comforting her in the dead of night, would be her former "rival" whom she hated so much! Even though Mei Rugu knew Xue Jiyue had no intention of interfering in her marriage, Qian Jianjun's heart was still with this "benefactor" before her! Ridiculous? Lamentable?
"I really don't understand, but as a bystander, I feel sorry for you."
Mei Rugu was Mei Rugu after all. Even if the radiance of rationality had faded for a moment, it quickly returned to her. "Does he want to sign an agreement with you?"
"Well, don't worry, I haven't signed it, and I don't plan to sign it!"
"Can you do me a favor?" Mei Rugu looked at Xue Jiuyue sincerely, biting her lips lightly.
"You said it's within the scope of ability."
"Could you please sign that agreement?"
"What?" Xue Jiuyue doubted her ears.
"I, I beg you to sign that agreement."
Mei Rugu's more sincere, humble and firm tone confirmed Xue Jiuyue's suspicion.
"Why?"
"I'm sorry, I've learned a lot about you from other sources. So I can be sure that you have no intention of interfering in my marriage. His heart is with you, and whether it's now or after the real divorce, I still have enough time to regret or adapt..." Perhaps after an intoxication, Mei Rugu realized more clearly that she was not as strong as she had imagined.
Xue Jiuyue suppressed her suspicion and smiled, then asked provocatively, "You trust me so much, aren't you worried about falling in love with me?"
Mei Rugu also smiled, "Even if you have changed, he can only cheat halfway physically and emotionally! I can always leave some room, which is better than others!"
Xue Jiuyue's suspicion deepened, but she was immediately relieved. Li Jingzi and Qian Jianjun were both likely to tell Mei Rugu about their situations. "You know a lot about me! I know nothing about you. Tell me about yourself. You need my help. At least introduce yourself."
"Me? I'm just an ordinary married woman who owns an accounting firm. If I were to say I'm different, there's a little bit. I'm Dr. Li Jingzi's client and also her friend..."
Mei Rugu's words made Xue Jiuyue understand the reason. The two women, who were originally at odds with each other, talked about the past and gossip like best friends on this wonderful night built by fate...
It was already the early morning of the third day when Xue Jiuyue, who had stayed up all night, finally recovered completely.
Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the rich aroma of coffee and the fresh sunshine, and with a burst of energy, she sorted through the myriad of thoughts. "Well, it's a good day to make a decision!" Xue Jiuyue was in a good mood.
Liu Che's arrival brought Xue Jiuyue the first surprise of the day. Wearing a clean, casual white shirt and beige trousers, which outlined his slender figure, Xue Jiuyue recognized him the moment he appeared.
She hurried to the door and quietly guided Liu Che to his seat, just like last time.
"You didn't tell me in advance, are you trying to surprise me?"
"I just came back from my hometown and have some news to share with you." Liu Che's voice melted his smile and warmed it like the sunshine shining outside the window.
"Oh? Did you bring me news from home?"
"Well, strictly speaking, it's about your dream." Liu Che smiled slightly and spoke slowly, "Let me tell you the good news first. It's about Wei Deyi. Coincidentally, I have a buddy who works at the Dongyuan Public Security Bureau. We were drinking and chatting together, and I asked him to help me do some research. As you guessed, Wei Deyi was involved in tomb robbing and reselling cultural relics and has been arrested. What's more, Wei Deyi's parents are actually professors at Dongyuan University, and the brothers grew up on the Dongyuan University campus. I didn't expect their parents to die early, and they embarked on a wrong path. I hope they can repent and reform this time."
Xue Jiuyue's attention was not on the ending of the two brothers, "Look, I said there is a past life, right?!"
"You're all right, okay. There's also some not-so-good news about Tian Lei."
"Him? Is there really such a person?"
"Yes, and he's your schoolmate. Can you recall anything?" The calm voice also revealed a hint of expectation.
"My schoolmate? I have no impression of him."
"Take a look at this and see if you can remember anything." Liu Che handed over an ID photo.
"It should be him!" Xue Jiuyue was not very sure, "It just feels familiar, but there are not many images of him in the dream, it's not real!"
"No, not just memories in dreams, do you have any memories of him in real life?" Liu Che asked.
Xue Jiuyue could sense Liu Che's urgency and tried hard to recall. But the blankness left no trace, so she could only shake her head and say, "I really can't remember such a person."
From Xue Jiuyue's frustrated voice, Liu Che realized his own gaffe. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was too anxious! It's okay, it's okay. He and you are not from the same department, so you probably don't have much in common. It's normal that you don't have a deep impression of him. Take your time and try another clip in a few days."
"I don't want to think about it anymore. I'm in a much better state now anyway, so there's no need to rush! Why do you think I'm annoying and are in such a hurry to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new?" Xue Jiuyue said jokingly, and her focus at the moment was completely different. "Tell me, what kind of person is this Tian Lei? Is he the same as in my dream?"
"Uh..." Faced with Xue Jiuyue's little girl gossip, Liu Che felt helpless and started joking, "No female hero stood up for him, so he's still alive and well! As for his private life..."
"how?"
"He's now married, and his wife is indeed the daughter of a wealthy family. They're said to be loving and harmonious. He also seems to have had romantic entanglements with several ex-girlfriends, and they weren't very happy. Rumor has it that one ex-girlfriend wanted to sue him for fraud, but it ultimately fell through. I don't know anything more about them."
At first, Xue Jiuyue's attention was focused on Tian Lei's story. It wasn't until Liu Che's final words, "I don't know how much more there is," that Xue Jiuyue suddenly realized that gathering this information from such a vast sea of people based on just one name would be incredibly difficult, even in today's highly developed internet age, let alone Liu Che. He was bound to face many setbacks.
"Thanks!"
Just two words, solemn yet affectionate.
There were only two words, but Liu Che understood.
He explained casually, "What's there to thank me for? I just attended a party and happened to see some Dongyuan University graduates there, so I asked around."
As he said, he was attending a party, but this party spanned time and space.
Since he started to inquire about Wei Deyi, he made many calls, visited many places, and met many people. Although he was questioned, ridiculed, blamed, had the phone hung up on, was turned away, and fell and sprained his ankle, Liu Che still collected various official, gossip, and hearsay information through many "gatherings" to piece together a relatively realistic picture of Tian Lei.
"Wow, what a coincidence?" Xue Jiuyue could always be playful in front of Liu Che. "So, are you free to go to a concert tomorrow?"
"What a coincidence! I'm free tomorrow."
…
The bright sunshine swept away the damp and depressing atmosphere of the previous two days, bringing surprises to many people, including Qian Jianjun.
Early that morning, he received a WeChat message from Xue Jiuyue, asking if he was free to meet up at the coffee shop that afternoon. She didn't specify what they were doing, but Qian Jianjun felt that as long as they could still see each other, even if they could just be ordinary friends again and admire each other from afar, he would be content.
Qian Jianjun arrived early. As Old Zhou parked the car, he peered out the window and spotted Liu Che and Xue Jiuyue sitting by the French windows. From a distance, he couldn't make out the details, but he could still sense Liu Che's gentle demeanor. Xue Jiuyue, on the other hand, though only her profile was visible from this angle, possessed a relaxed, girlish demeanor, unlike the elegant demeanor she wore when she was with him.
Qian Jianjun sat in the car and observed silently. He didn't mean to peek, but he was more or less nervous.
When Liu Che stood up, probably to say goodbye, Qian Jianjun couldn't wait to walk towards "Inch by Inch of Time".
After walking a few steps, I heard a gentle voice in front of me, "I called a taxi, don't send me off, just go do your thing."
"I'll take you to the car and then go back." This was Xue Jiuyue's voice. As she spoke, she also saw Qian Jianjun. "Hello, Mr. Qian."
The polite voice was calm as usual, removing Qian Jianjun's last worries, and replied enthusiastically: "Hello, Xiaoyue, who is this?"
"This is my friend, Doctor Liu. Doctor Liu, this is Mr. Qian."
"Hello, Mr. Qian, Liu Che!" Liu Che smiled, and at the same time, he covered his right fist with his left palm, raised it in front of him at about the height of his mouth, and performed a very standard bow between friends of the same generation.
Qian Jianjun was a little surprised—he had only seen this kind of greeting before when he first met Xue Jiyue—but he quickly returned the greeting with a smile and introduced himself: "Hello, Doctor Liu, I'm Qian Jianjun."
Before the two of them could exchange pleasantries, Xue Jiuyue interrupted, "Mr. Qian, please come into the store and sit for a while. I'll be right there."
Qian Jianjun ordered a cup of coffee, and soon Xue Jiuyue brought it to him personally, smiling and asking, "Can I sit here for a while?"
"Please take a seat. It's my honor!" Qian Jianjun quickly stood up to welcome you.
"Thank you for taking the trouble to come here today, Mr. Qian. I have a few questions that I would like to trouble you to answer." As soon as the two of them sat down, Xue Jiuyue didn't beat around the bush and directly stated her purpose.
"I will tell you everything I know!" Qian Jianjun was very straightforward.
"Are you sure you want a divorce?"
"Sure! I want to have a home! A wife, not a rival!" Qian Jianjun was firm.
"How do you say it?"
"Jianru Group was originally founded by the two of us. While the early days were tough, we always managed to find a way out through consultation. However, as the business prospered, our disagreements grew, from the company to home, with no peace at all! With our careers and family hanging in the balance, we decided that only one of us could remain in the company. Nine shareholders held a secret ballot, and I won by one vote. I bought out her shares with cash based on the market value. Naively, I thought this was the perfect solution. Unexpectedly, she founded her own accounting firm, proving she was better than me. The company made a mistake by keeping me! Sorry, I've gotten off track."
Seeing Xue Jiuyue's eyes wandering, Qian Jianjun interrupted his memories.
Xue Jiuyue felt that she had been rude, and looked at the other party's sincere apology, "I'm sorry, please continue, I am very interested and want to know more about this past."
"Okay, then, several times after Jianru's external audits, her firm found ways to participate, risking violations. If other audits are physical examinations, at most scraping the bone to heal the wound, hers are practically amputations! We argued about this and made a scene. Later, someone reported them for illegally participating in our company's audits. Of course, I didn't instruct them to do this, but she just wouldn't believe it..."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Qian, could you please do me a favor! Please follow the girl in the white dress who just went out. I suspect something might happen to her! I'll explain it to you later!" Xue Jiuyue suddenly interrupted Qian Jianjun and asked him for help very urgently.
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