Ding Lan was genuinely puzzled: "I'm so curious! What is it about Chu Hongyu that's worth your help? Ning Yuan, what do you want from her?"
Ning Yuan looked at Ding Lan's strange and somewhat distorted expression.
I suddenly remembered a certain hyena, the king of anal-cleaning dogs, that all the animals hated, found annoying, and feared in an animal documentary.
That kind of behavior—secretly following behind all the grassland animals, pretending to play, sleep, or even just passing by;
Then, taking advantage of the other animals' unpreparedness, it rushes up, bites off their anus, drags their intestines out, and eats them.
A pack of hyenas can hunt down a lone lion.
The commentator's final words were—
What wrong did the hyena do? It was despicable and shameless, but all it wanted was to live.
Ding Lan is that kind of person.
Ning Yuan remained calm, sighed softly, and a faint hint of mockery appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Her voice was soft: "Ding Lan, it seems you have some misunderstanding about me."
Ding Lan straightened her back and met Ning Yuan's gaze without fear: "Misunderstanding? I don't believe it. There's no such thing as unconditional kindness in this world. You, Ning Yuan, aren't some saint who would be kind to others without expecting anything in return?"
Ning Yuan nodded: "You're right in some ways. We're quite similar in some ways. You are indeed very smart and resilient."
Ding Lan revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."
Ning Yuan smiled and said, "But that's precisely why we can never be true friends, because you never consider anyone a friend."
"Even if I make money with you, I still have to be wary of you stabbing me in the back. But I'm not worried that Hongyu and Yangyang will stab me in the back."
Ding Lan froze, opened her mouth as if to refute, but found herself unable to do so.
She truly dared not trust anyone, because she herself was not a trustworthy person.
She approaches others with a purpose, always hoping to gain something from them.
Whatever Ning Yuan asked her to do, she always had a backup plan. For example, right now, she didn't hesitate to sell the secret that Ning Yuan had asked her to keep.
Seeing her unpleasant expression, Ning Yuan continued calmly—
“I admit that Chu Hongyu is luckier than us. She has loving parents and a comfortable life, unlike us, who have struggled to survive.”
She paused for a moment: "I envy her, but so what? There are many, many people in this world who are luckier than us, I can't be jealous of them all."
Chu Hongyu's expression was complicated.
Ning Yuan smiled and said, "I'm not a good person. I've killed people and been killed myself. Someone pointed a gun at my head. I hid in a stinking garbage can to escape. I've also stabbed many people in the thighs."
Ding Lan's face turned pale and then red as she listened.
She knew Ning Yuan had a rich experience, but she didn't expect it to be this "rich".
Chu Hongyu's expression also darkened upon hearing this, and she instinctively gripped Ning Yuan's arm tightly.
Ning Yuan gently patted Chu Hongyu's hand and looked at her—
"But honestly, I didn't intentionally push people into a fire pit or hurt others to benefit myself. A senior colleague told me that this would narrow my path, and that's probably the biggest difference between us."
Ding Lan's face was pale. She lowered her head, clenched her fists, and remained silent.
Ning Yuan chuckled lightly: "Ding Lan, it's pointless for people like us to talk too much about grand principles. Let me give you a piece of advice: since you risked your life to escape that terrible environment, don't narrow your path again."
After saying that, she picked up her things and went downstairs, then said to Chu Hongyu, "Sister Hongyu, let's go."
"Okay." Chu Hongyu glanced at Ding Lan with a complicated look in her eyes, but in the end she didn't say anything and turned to follow Ning Yuan.
Ding Lan watched their departing figures, clenching her fists. She remained silent for a long time, then suddenly sneered, "Hmph, I won't let myself down this path!"
So what if it's the Hong Kong government? She'll go wherever she can make money sooner or later!
As Ning Yuan walked down to the dormitory building, she suddenly stopped, turned to look at Chu Hongyu, and gave a helpless yet apologetic smile.
"Hongyu, I'm sorry, I..."
“Xiao Ning,” Chu Hongyu interrupted her, reaching out to hold her hand, her eyes slightly red, “thank you.”
Ning Yuan paused for a moment, then understood, and shook her head with a smile.
"There's no need for thanks between us. I did this with the mindset that you would either forgive me for interfering in your relationship or become estranged from me. There was nothing I could do about it."
This is ultimately Sister Hongyu's life.
"Was I... too..." Chu Hongyu took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging emotions in her heart.
Besides surprise and gratitude, she also felt...guilt, because Xiao Ning had done so much for her.
"I know." Ning Yuan gently patted her hand, interrupting her softly, "Just remember that we are friends, that's enough. It's getting late, let's go back."
"Mmm." Chu Hongyu nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again. She held Ning Yuan's hand tightly and smiled.
...
Hong Kong Government
As night falls, Victoria Harbour is ablaze with lights, reflecting on the shimmering water, where luxurious yachts sway gently with the waves.
Inside the yacht, a graceful lady with the most fashionable short curly hair sat by the window.
A custom-made black Dior suit accentuated her composed and elegant demeanor.
She gently swirled the champagne in her hand, her gaze fixed on the shimmering neon lights on the shore, lost in thought.
"Miss Mann, here is the information you requested."
A tall, well-groomed female secretary in a black business suit respectfully handed a document to the woman, her tone neither servile nor overbearing.
"Miss, the young master is really lucky this time, he actually managed to secure such a large order."
Ning Man'an took a sip of champagne, looked at the documents in her hand, and smiled slightly.
“Ah Yu has always been lucky. He was born as the eldest grandson of the Ning family, which makes him luckier than me. He is also quite intelligent. This time, he even found his little sister and received the full support of his second aunt.”
The female secretary lowered her eyes slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them: "What Miss says is true. I didn't expect that Madam Ning, who has been away from the mainland for many years, would still have such great influence."
Originally, with the other companies competing and Ning making such a huge blunder, the board could have easily ousted him with a little encouragement.
Despite the difficulties with communication, he preferred to send people to the Hong Kong government for three days every week, insisting on staying in the mainland for so long to secure the order.
Upon hearing this, Ning Man'an paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass, and smiled gently.
"My second aunt has always been the kindest person in the Ning family. She was also known for her good relationships in the mainland back then. Now that my younger sister is back, I must celebrate with my second aunt properly."
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