Even though it had only been a few minutes since he took off his mask, Meng Jiuyi was reluctant to leave.
This was her last layer of protection. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying to figure out where she had slipped up. This mask was highly adaptable and had never caused any problems before.
How did he figure that out?
She didn't have much time to hesitate. Someone was knocking on the bathroom door, and the windows inside were sealed shut. There was no way she could escape.
Meng Jiuyi steeled her resolve, turned the doorknob, and went out.
Tan Yuchen leaned back lazily in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his wrist, his eyes peering at her through the smoke.
The soft lamplight enveloped her small, delicate face, glistening with water droplets, making her appear as pale and petite as the moon bathed in the depths of the night.
Under that intense and scrutinizing gaze, Meng Jiuyi walked slowly, suppressing the urge to run away, and strolled to the opposite side of him.
He raised an eyebrow. "You are a beautiful woman, but why did you become a thief?"
Meng Jiuyi pretended not to hear his subtle sarcasm.
"She's not exactly a beauty. She was forced into thievery by life's circumstances. This is the 150,000 they gave me before. I'm returning it to the Third Young Master intact."
She took out her bank card from her bag, but didn't dare to give it to him directly. Instead, she tentatively placed it on the floor mat in the car.
Tan Yuchen didn't look at it, and flicked off the ash from his cigarette.
"What's your name?"
"River Lotus Flower".
He stared at her meaningfully, the curve of his lips enigmatic, "This name suits you."
"...."
Meng Jiuyi tried to negotiate, "I have already stopped hiding anything, and I have returned the money to you. If you need more, I may have to spend time raising it. Please keep your promise, Third Young Master, and forgive me this time since this is my first offense."
"Are you in such a hurry to leave?"
Tan Yuchen smiled enigmatically, "Can you find your way back? Or should I send someone to pick you up?"
As he spoke, he picked up his phone.
She was taken aback. "Who...are you going to call?"
"Officer, by the way, how many days would someone in your situation be detained?"
Meng Jiuyi's hands and feet suddenly turned cold. Seeing that he was really about to make a call, she rushed over and grabbed his arm.
"cousin!"
Tan Yuchen stared at her hand that she wouldn't let go of, and raised an eyebrow.
"Nobody told you that calling someone 'Dad' might be more effective."
"I really am your cousin!"
She gritted her teeth and said, "Your fourth aunt's husband is my father."
Tan Yuchen replied indifferently, "I don't know him."
"......"
“Your fourth aunt’s name is Feng Lan, her sister’s name is Feng Ran, and her husband’s name is Meng Xincheng. If you don’t believe me, you can call and ask. I am his daughter. Before, when your old lady was unwell, my father went to the temple to pray for her and sent her blessed Buddhist beads, hoping that she would recover soon.”
Although his tone was pitiful, Meng Jiuyi cursed him to the core in her heart.
This man is too cunning. He first threatened to kill himself to break down her psychological defenses, then lured her to reveal her purpose and true colors before saying he would call the police.
Going to the police station or waiting to die would be disastrous for her. If the Meng family found out she was involved in this dispute, it would still offend Tan Yuchen.
She will only become a victim.
Tan Yuchen asked, "Didn't you just say your surname was Jiang?"
"...Nickname."
Meng Jiuyi remained unfazed. "I've loved giving myself names since I was little, and I have many more. Would you like to hear them, cousin?"
He held a cigarette in his mouth, looking at her with a half-smile without saying a word. Meng Jiuyi was defeated by his gaze.
"Oh, it really is my cousin. My apologies."
He said sarcastically, "If I had known we were family earlier, I would have been willing to do anything, even if you asked my cousin to sell himself, let alone just a few photos."
"....."
He was talking nonsense and didn't seem to have a shred of sincerity in his words.
She didn't want to be led by the nose anymore. "I was young and ignorant. I hope my cousin will not hold it against me because we are family."
Tan Yuchen said, "It's alright. Since we're family, it's really not worth going to the police station for such a small matter. But my cousin has already given me the money. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to go back like this? You're so clever and have all sorts of skills. Making money would be easy for you."
At such close range, Meng Jiuyi realized that his pupils were pure black, and the lazy and unserious look that had been pressing down on his eyes had long since dissipated like mist.
All that remains is indifference and coldness.
Meng Jiuyi wasn't stupid; she naturally understood what he meant.
She withdrew her hand, her smile somewhat stiff.
"I wouldn't call myself clever, but if my cousin needs my help with anything, I'll definitely do my best."
"It's not as serious as not speaking out when it's not right."
Tan Yuchen's lips curled up, this time with a clear smile of triumph. "I need my cousin's help with a small matter."
He claimed it was to help, but it was clearly a blatant threat.
— Either go to the police station, or listen to him.
After a round of negotiations, the man remained completely discreet, while she was thoroughly exposed by him.
She gritted her teeth and forced a smile.
"What does my cousin want me to do?"
--
Back in the banquet hall, it was much livelier than before.
Besides well-known figures from the art and fashion worlds, many politicians were also present.
Meng Jiuyi changed into a pale yellow dress, looked at the middle-aged man chatting with others not far away, clenched her bag, and had a thousand struggles in her eyes.
This man is named Chen Zhongli. He comes from a humble background and rose through the ranks via the judicial system. He was recently elected as a councilor in Kyushu City.
Getting involved with him will definitely lead to endless trouble.
Thinking of what Tan Yuchen had made her do, Meng Jiuyi gritted her teeth in hatred. This man was really insidious. Was he just looking at her and thinking that she had no choice but to obey him?
But taking a step back meant immediate execution, while taking a step forward meant falling off a cliff for a while before dying; she had no choice.
Meng Jiuyi took a deep breath, grabbed a champagne glass, and walked towards Chen Zhongli.
As the waiter passed by with a tray, she twisted her ankle and spilled the entire glass of wine onto Chen Zhongli's suit.
"I'm sorry, sir!" she said immediately.
Apology and guilt welled up on her face, tinging her cheeks with a rosy hue, making her appear as if she were immersed in a drunken haze under the crystal chandelier.
Chen Zhongli frowned and wiped the water stains off his suit.
Since taking this position, those under his command have known through a single gesture that no one would dare to be so reckless in front of him anymore. He was somewhat displeased.
"How do you even see where you're going?" the secretary demanded.
"I'm so sorry." Her shoulders hunched, her voice trembling with tears. "How about I buy you a new suit?"
Chen Zhongli saw that she was crying, but he couldn't lash out.
"It's alright," he told his secretary, adding that she shouldn't be so harsh on the young woman.
"Everyone makes mistakes; we must allow mistakes to happen."
The secretary quickly agreed, and everyone around praised Councilor Chen for his magnanimity. Meng Jiuyi looked up at him, her eyes brimming with gratitude, "Thank you, you're even more approachable than you appear on TV."
The waiter then came over and said that she could change her clothes upstairs. Chen Zhongli told her not to worry and followed the waiter upstairs.
As soon as the person left, Meng Jiuyi wiped away the moisture from the corner of her eyes. Her guilt and unease, like the receding tide, vanished completely from the depths of her eyes.
She took out her phone and sent a message on WeChat.
I've taken care of it.
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