Chapter 201201
Soon, what happened in the club that day spread quickly in a certain social circle of Lingcheng's upper class society.
At first everyone thought it was a rumor. After all, the Zhong family had a great reputation in Lingcheng, and Zhong Ling was well-known in this circle for being clean, gentle and refined, and was the object of admiration for many young girls.
But what happened that day was witnessed by too many people, and it was so blatant that one could not cover his mouth. Not only did Zhong Ling's friends see it, but also the opponents in the next room, who took this opportunity to start talking nonsense.
And now, Zhong Ling's reputation in the circle has indeed plummeted. After all, this is not a good thing, and what he did that day was indeed excessive.
The next morning, Zhong Ling was on the phone. His personal phone was bombarded with calls from his family and those who were trying to get information.
The situation is probably that the more elegant and graceful a person is, the more likely it is that his reputation will be spread and criticized. Many people called to curse him, but there were also those who expressed sympathy and understanding, saying that they believed in his character.
Zhong Ling did not have any major emotional fluctuations, and even felt that it was a little ridiculous. It was better to believe those rumors than to believe in his character. After all, no matter how good a person's character is, there will be times when he loses his temper and wants to get something or someone by any means necessary.
He might have been a little impulsive, but the consequences of his impulsiveness are not unsolvable. It just takes some time and effort.
Zhong Ling raised his hand to hang up a call from a friend and lowered his head to deal with the work documents at hand.
The pen scrawled across the latest contract document, and the rustling sound echoed in the quiet office. The assistant beside him put the document away, turned around and said:
"Boss, the current situation may not be very good. It may be that the news of your impulsive behavior in the club has spread. Several companies that were originally going to cooperate with us are planning to withdraw their orders and prepare to go to the other side."
The male assistant reminded him again, "Boss, I suggest you clarify the public relations as soon as possible, or collect the evidence of those who spread the rumors privately, and sue them in court as soon as possible. After all, the impact of this matter is too great, and it has a very negative impact on the company and your personal reputation and image."
"Also, your personal cell phone has been bombarded with calls from the Zhong family. Your mother has been urging you to go home and explain everything. I have rejected her for now. Boss, please try to keep calm."
Zhong Ling didn't even raise his head when he heard this, and responded casually, "Well, thank you for your reminder. I have already asked someone to handle this matter. Someone in the company is already collecting evidence. If there is nothing else, you can go and do it yourself."
Zhong Ling put down his pen only after his assistant left. He dropped the documents on his desk, leaned back, rested his head on the cushion, and began to think about what happened yesterday.
In fact, he didn't have any regrets in his heart. The only thing he cared about was that Nan Yan might not be so close to him in the future, but so what? If she had always turned a blind eye to his feelings, it would be better for her to see his true face, rather than for her to ignore him like this.
Maybe he had been suppressing his emotions for too long, and after completely releasing all his emotions and malice towards one person, he felt less suppressed. However, his behavior must have really scared her, right?
Thinking of those things, a ripple flashed unconsciously across Zhong Ling's pupils, which were as calm as an inky lake. His heart was slightly moved, but it soon disappeared.
He really wanted to do those things to her a long time ago, and now he doesn't need to suppress his emotions and thoughts, especially after realizing that he can't forget her, so why not try harder?
Thinking of this, Zhong Ling actually breathed a sigh of relief.
On the other hand, He Mian spent a whole day coaxing his girlfriend who was in a bad mood. He also thought that his girlfriend was frightened by Zhong Ling's behavior.
But in fact, she was not frightened. Instead, she approached him on. She pretended to test him just to see where this bastard's bottom line was. However, after pretending for so long, she found that He Mian was at most a little angry and had no intention of settling the score with Zhong Ling at all. So, did this bastard really treat her as a tool?
All right, a tool is a tool. She has plenty of time to work with him slowly. She doesn't believe that she can't work him down?
Having said that, He Mian is currently a fairly responsible boyfriend. At least when she is in a bad mood, he still knows how to cheer her up and fulfills his boyfriend's responsibilities by taking her out to play. The two of them spent a whole day watching a horror movie. Nan Yan did not show any emotional fluctuations from beginning to end, but the person next to her kept holding her hand, saying that he was afraid that she would be scared. Ha, don't think she can't see it, it is obviously him who is scared!
After watching the movie, the two went to the amusement park near the venue. Her boyfriend was quite playful and had more fun than her. When they came out, they passed by a tattoo shop. Her boyfriend suddenly had an idea and said to her, "Let's go get a couple tattoo."
Nan Yan was reluctant to go at first, but she couldn't resist the man's insistence. He insisted that it was a love tattoo, and that young couples nowadays all did it, so she could just tattoo it on her arm. In the end, she had no choice but to follow him in.
The shop owner is a man with a buzz cut and tattoos on his arms. He looks quite polite, which is normal, as shop owners are always warm and polite when they meet customers.
The two of them carefully selected. Nan Yan looked left and right, and saw that the little girl who was getting a tattoo next to her was bleeding on her arm. She couldn't help but step back. In the end, there was no choice but for He Mian to get the tattoo alone, until He Mian finished his tattoo.
Nan Yan lifted up his sleeve and saw that her boyfriend had a complete tattoo of a pink Peppa Pig on his arm, with some small blood beads oozing out of the skin around it.
Nan Yan: “…”
Is this true?
She didn't expect her boyfriend's hobby to be so unique.
Nan Yan really couldn't help it this time. After a moment of silence, she burst out laughing on the spot.
He Mian, who was beside her, pulled her out of the tattoo shop. On the tree-lined path across the intersection, the two of them stopped in a small park nearby where there were few pedestrians, and sat on a bench to rest.
Nan Yan couldn't stop laughing as she looked at the Peppa Pig on He Mian's arm.
No wonder the shop owner's expression looked so strange when he was cutting the meat. He wanted to laugh but tried not to. He probably had never seen such an outrageous customer before.
She really didn't expect this man's hobby to be so unique. As expected, if he is a social person, he must have a Peppa Pig tattoo, otherwise his incomparable style and temperament cannot be revealed.
Nan Yan patted her arm and laughed mercilessly, unable to stop. He Mian was so angry that his teeth itched. Who was he doing this for? He was just trying to make her happy, but she was happy now, but she turned around and started to laugh at him so heartlessly. What a joke! Did she think he had no face?
He Mian was a little overwhelmed now. He should not have believed the nonsense on the Internet, saying that this stuff could make his girlfriend happy. He would wash it off after a few days, and it was a good love photo. It was obvious that he was the only one who had to endure this pain and this ruthless ridicule.
Seeing her laughing so happily, He Mian simply stretched out his hands to pinch her armpits and waist. Nan Yan was pinched so hard that she kept shrinking back, and he held her down so that she couldn't move. In the end, she laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back on him. Tears came out, and she could only shout at him in a panic: "You are bullying me. You are taking advantage of your height to take revenge. This is not fair! If you have the guts, let I give you a hand!"
He Mian beside him narrowed his eyes and smiled. He clamped Nan Yan's waist with one hand, adjusted his posture, and actually let her use one hand. However, one hand could subdue her completely. Finally, he pressed her down on the park bench and asked her:
"Unfair? Now is it fair? I've let you use one hand, but I can still knock you down. So, are you convinced now?"
Nan Yan was pinned down on a bench and couldn't get up. She discovered that this guy was not only stupid, but also a bit straight. What boyfriend and girlfriend would have to decide who wins and who loses after a fight?
Is he really stupid?
Nan Yan glared at him, but he still refused to let go, so she struggled even harder, her face turning slightly red. Finally, she had no choice but to reach out her hand stealthily, and just as she was about to grab his ear, she accidentally pulled out a silver scallop-shaped flap chain from his neck.
The chain had been covered to the same temperature as his body surface. It suddenly slid down from his neck and fell directly onto Nan Yan's cheek. As she moved, it slid from her chin to her neck, slowly penetrated into the collar of her clothes, and finally fell onto the skin of her chest. The hard metal hit her skin, carrying the other person's body temperature, making her feel a distinct warmth.
Nan Yan stopped struggling this time. Out of curiosity, she reached out and grabbed the chain. Then she looked up at him and asked, "What is this?"
She touched the warm chain. It looked like it was made of platinum. It hadn't changed color after being worn for so long. It was of moderate thickness. The scallop pendant in front had a flip cover. "It seems like you've been wearing it for a long time and never took it off."
He Mian's body froze for a moment, but soon returned to normal.
He casually took the chain from Nan Yan's hand, and pinched the small pendant and touched it twice. He saw his girlfriend next to him staring at his hand with curiosity.
He Mian couldn't help but chuckle and replied, "Are you a curious baby? Why are you so curious about everything? It's just a chain, what's so good about it? If you like this, I'll buy you an identical one later, okay?"
He held his chin up and thought for a moment before explaining: "This was given to me by a friend in the next ward when I was hospitalized after a car accident. He said it could keep me safe, so I accepted it. I have been wearing it for many years, and it doesn't have any special meaning."
Nan Yan said nothing, still tilting her head to look at him.
Can you wear something meaningless for so many years?
Nan Yan vaguely smelled some kind of "affair".
Seeing that she looked unhappy, He Mian couldn't help but rub her face with his hand and pinch her rosy cheeks. It seemed that she really didn't take it to heart.
But only he himself knows whether it is true or not.
He explained in a casual tone, "As you know, I had just escaped a near-death kidnapping case in a car accident, so I was very emotionally unstable during that time. My family was busy with work and couldn't be with me, so I only hired a few caregivers to take care of me, so I often lost my temper and tormented people."
"The patient next door couldn't stand it anymore, so he came over and said a few words, and that's how the two of them got to know each other."
That friend was younger than him, but he said a lot of words to encourage and comfort him, so he left a deep impression on him. In fact, it was more than just a deep impression. It was probably because they got along quite well. After all, the affection in youth is different from that in adulthood. At that time, I was not as calculating as I am now, and I could be considered a passionate and innocent boy.
At that time, the other person accidentally rolled down the stairs and broke his leg, and he also broke his leg in a car accident. The two of them often pushed the wheelchair around the wards, and were caught and scolded by the doctors from time to time, but they would return to their old ways the next day, causing a group of caregivers and nurses to follow them every day. Thinking about it this way, the time in the hospital was quite interesting.
After hearing this, Nan Yan knew that something was wrong. She could basically imagine a breakup scene in which the man has a crush on his girlfriend. As his current girlfriend, it was time for her to express her reasonable doubts in a timely manner.
"Is it that simple?"
He Mian did not hide it and explained it very clearly, making himself sound innocent and sounding like an especially innocent and beautiful young man.
"What else?"
He Mian lowered his head and smiled, not looking at her face again, "Do you think there is anything you can't say?"
"It's not a big secret. A lot of people know about the car accident during that time. When we meet up someday, you can ask my friends. Is there any need for me to lie to you about this?"
His tone sounded very natural, without any unusual emotions, and his explanation was reasonable, but there was still something strange and wrong with his attitude.
After hearing this explanation, Nan Yan still refused to believe it. She couldn't help feeling depressed, so she reached out to open the scallop pendant in his hand to see what was inside.
However, He Mian avoided this move without leaving a trace. He responded casually: "It's just a small thing, nothing to see."
Although she said so, the avoidance still made Nan Yan's fingers pause. She immediately showed an obviously unhappy expression on her face and asked, "There's nothing to see, so why can't you let me see it?"
"And why have I never heard you talk about this before? If I hadn't discovered it, would you have kept it to yourself?"
Her voice was muffled, just like most girlfriends who can't control their temper and start to get jealous when they accidentally find out that their boyfriends still have the things given by their ex.
He Mian was not a fool, so it was impossible for him not to hear the concern in her tone. He felt a little amused, "Isn't that certain? I'm not stupid. What can I say about this? Besides, she's not my ex-girlfriend. This is a trivial matter that happened more than ten years ago. Is there any need to bring it up again?"
When He Mian said this, his facial expression did not change. He looked really normal, without any hidden thoughts. He smiled and said:
"Besides, who said I wouldn't show it to you? I was just letting you know in advance so you can't get angry after I show it to you."
He Mian's words were well-reasoned and could not be refuted. "Don't you think about it? You are already angry before I show you anything. If I tell you about our past in more detail and show you things more clearly, won't we have a big fight? I am avoiding risks. Isn't it because I am afraid that we will have a fight if I don't tell you?"
This actually makes a lot of sense.
But is Nan Yan the kind of person who would just give up easily? She can create something out of nothing, not to mention that the pasts of these two people are clearly not simple.
At least it's not as simple as he said.
Nan Yan looked at him without saying anything, and He Mian teased her on purpose. Perhaps seeing that she was really unhappy, he reached out and took the chain off her neck, and casually passed it to her, "You're angry over such a small matter. How come you're completely different from before? You didn't care about me at all before, but now you're different."
"Do you like me so much?"
He teased her deliberately, "What should I do? If I leave you in the future, you won't be reluctant, right?"
He Mian didn't know what he felt deep down, but he didn't find this feeling offensive.
He couldn't help laughing, then he stretched out his thumb and vigorously rubbed the skin around her eye sockets. His fingertips were slightly cool and delicate, and with a little force, he rubbed her skin until it turned slightly red. He rubbed it gently, trying to see if she was going to cry, but after wiping for a long time, not a single tear came out.
I was still thinking in my heart, well, it seems that my girlfriend is not as fragile as I imagined. She won’t cry easily. But she is quite fun to watch when she cries. I had to coax her for a long time yesterday before she stopped crying.
He now finds it quite interesting to make others happy.
Nan Yan slapped away his messy fingers and reached out to take the piece of material that was passed to her. The temperature of the pendant had gradually cooled down, and it felt cool and delicate in the palm of her hand.
She opened the scallop pendant and saw a photo of a girl inside. The girl in the photo had young and tender eyes and eyebrows, probably only thirteen or fourteen years old. She had a beautiful smile, and was particularly sunny and sweet.
It has come to this. If someone said that the two of them had no past at all, Nan Yan would never believe it. Would she wear something she didn't care about around her neck for so many years?
Nan Yan pursed her lips and looked up at He Mian's expression. He still looked very natural, with calm eyes, without any unusual emotions. But sometimes being too calm is abnormal in another sense, isn't it?
After all, this is something that might cause his girlfriend to misunderstand him. Shouldn't he be a little anxious to explain his reaction?
Nan Yan remained calm and looked down at the girl in the photo. Although her face was pale, it was not difficult to tell who she was. So Nan Yan asked,
"This girl seems familiar? Is she the girl who drank with you guys at the party that day?"
He Mian turned his head and looked at her. Her long legs were folded and bent, and she sat in a lazy and casual posture, looking particularly casual. Then he laughed, "Why do you care about this again? You have good eyesight. You only looked up a few times that day, but you can still remember the other person's appearance."
Isn't that a sure thing?
How could she not recognize Ruan Xiaoxiao's photo?
The last time she took a quick glance, she certainly did not miss the panic and fear that flashed across her eyes when she looked at Zhong Ling.
Although the photo is of her teenage years, her features haven't changed much. The youthful and sunny look of her teenage years hasn't changed much in adulthood, but the youthfulness is gone, and she still has that sweet and sunny look when she smiles.
It's hard for anyone to reject a girl like this, right?
Moreover, she not only knew who the girl in the photo was, but also knew that this person was the girl who took care of and comforted He Mian during his car accident.
How could such a warm and sunny girl like the little sun not be likable?
The most important thing is, isn't she the person that He Mian has always cared about in his heart? From the very beginning, he used a photo to trick Ruan Xiaoxiao back because he still couldn't let her go?
He Mian was indeed hiding something very secretive. After all, how could a man who was generally considered by many of his friends to be someone not easy to mess with appear so simple and harmless in front of her?
He just deliberately restrained his spirit and aura in front of her. He was able to fight Zhong Ling on equal terms and even suppress him. Nan Yan didn't believe that he was a simple person.
He Mian's eyes calmly swept across the smiling face of the girl on the necklace. In fact, not even Zhong Ling knew about this, and almost no one knew about it. This should be considered a secret between the two of them.
At the beginning, he met Ruan Xiaoxiao in the hospital. How could he not be attracted to such a lively and sunny girl? He had a crush on Ruan Xiaoxiao, but after he found out that there was something wrong with his body, his initial excitement was suddenly extinguished by a ball of ice water. No boy could tolerate such a defect, let alone let the girl he liked know about it!
So on Christmas day, when Ruan Xiaoxiao nervously walked up to him with a greeting card in her hand and confessed her love to him, He Mian hesitated and finally rejected her confession. Since that day, the two have never had any contact again.
This incident happened in secret. Apart from the two parties involved, almost no one else knew about it, not even He Mian's friends.
Afterwards, Ruan Xiaoxiao fell in love with a boy again, and that boy was Zhong Ling. Their relationship was very smooth after they were together. Ruan Xiaoxiao also gave up everything about her past with him. After they met again, the most they did was nod and smile. The other party treated him as her boyfriend's brother. She didn't tell anyone about their affairs, and she also privately asked him not to tell Zhong Ling about her previous confession.
She said she was afraid that Zhong Ling would be unhappy if he knew about this, and she was also worried that it would be awkward for them to meet in the future.
He Mian agreed, and he had no intention of telling anyone about this from the beginning. However, since then, He Mian always felt a little unwilling in his heart, and mixed with a bit of helplessness. His feelings for Ruan Xiaoxiao were very complicated. His initial affection for her was not false, but it was also a fact that he rejected her confession because of her flaws. It can only be said that there is no fate between the two of them.
It's just that the other party withdrew too quickly, which made him feel more and more unable to let go. Perhaps there was always some regret and unwillingness in a corner of his heart, and He Mian has always been nonchalant when it comes to love since then.
He didn't think that there was any overly close or inseparable relationship between him and Ruan Xiaoxiao, but the first heartbeat of youth was indeed hard to forget.
After learning that she broke up with Zhong Ling, He Mian didn't know what was wrong with him. He gave Zhong Ling a bad idea for some reason. He didn't know whether he really wanted to help Zhong Ling save the relationship or wanted to take this opportunity to completely break up the relationship between the two.
After all, any normal person knows that this approach will only drive the two sides further apart.
If Zhong Ling really fell in love with someone else, or if Ruan Xiaoxiao was a little more stubborn, then would there be no future for her and Zhong Ling?
In recent years, Ruan Xiaoxiao has been studying abroad, and the two had originally planned to settle abroad. After he sent her the photos of Zhong Ling kissing other girls, Ruan Xiaoxiao talked to him on the phone for a long time that night, and finally decided to return home.
This was his original purpose.
Let Zhong Ling and Ruan Xiaoxiao separate, and then let Ruan Xiaoxiao come back from abroad, and he has now done both of these things.
Even now, few people realize that he was the one pushing it behind the scenes.
In fact, he has prepared a lot of plans.
However, some minor problems occurred during these plans. For example, he found that his body was not completely bad, but might need some stimulation to slowly recover. And at this time, he happened to be entangled with Wen Nanyan. Dating Wen Nanyan was an accident.
But an accident doesn't mean that he intentionally plays with the other person's feelings. Although he is not a good person, he would not deceive a girl's feelings, especially such a gentle and kind girl, who would never make people feel bad about her.
Although there were some minor frictions between the two in the beginning, he couldn't help but like her after getting to know her for a long time. He did like her a little because she was indeed a very likable girl, but it could only be said that he didn't like her that much and he had other requests for her.
When love is mixed with many things, it is likely to become less pure. He has a limit in his heart. After breaking up, he will try his best to compensate her for whatever she wants, but it is limited to some material needs.
Most importantly, isn't this what love is all about?
He has always felt that love and marriage are two completely different things. When it comes to love, all he needs to do is be happy. As for marriage, he has not considered it yet. It should be said that he has never thought about it from the beginning to the end.
He estimated that if his behavior was posted online, he would probably be called a scumbag. Why would he date someone if he didn't want to get married? But the fact is that many couples in love will eventually break up due to various problems and remarry with someone else.
So in a sense, he is just an ordinary, normal person, but he met a very gentle, nice and obedient girl, which magnified his inherent scumbag nature countless times.
So he has been trying his best to accommodate her, and has done a lot to please his girlfriend during this period. Under normal circumstances, he would not have this kind of patience to treat girls who like him.
But to be honest, he had never been in love before, and this was his first time to have a serious relationship with a girl who was six or seven years younger than him. He felt that he had done a pretty good job, after all, he had done a pretty good job in taking care of her and accommodating her.
However, when it comes to love, you don't need to be too careful about whether there is ulterior motive or not. After being together for a long time, it will be easy for others to detect it.
Nan Yan could clearly sense that this man was absent-minded. How should she put it? Although He Mian seemed to be very nice to her, it was entirely because he had to compromise because of some need, which was obviously different from wanting to be nice to someone from the bottom of one's heart.
Maybe this person has some feelings for her, but that feeling is probably not that great and is the kind that can be abandoned at any time.
Especially after Nan Yan recognized the girl in the photo, he seemed to be reluctant to talk about this topic. However, the more he didn't want to talk about it, the more Nan Yan insisted on asking:
"Do you like this girl?"
"Um?"
He Mian turned his head, raised his eyelids slightly, and glanced at her calmly. His expression actually changed slightly, and Nan Yan could even feel the change in his momentum, but he still held back and said, "Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Can't I ask?" Nan Yan seemed to have not expected him to answer like this. She tightened her grip on the chain instantly, and a look of grievance appeared on her face.
"Have you forgotten that I'm your girlfriend now?"
He Mian couldn't help but laugh when he saw her like that. He stretched out his hand and pinched the soft flesh on his girlfriend's cheek. He seemed to be in a good mood. "How dare I? If I tell you the truth, will you be angry?"
Nan Yan slapped the hand away and glared at him:
"Tell the truth first!"
"Okay, I'll tell you." He Mian raised his hands in surrender. He lowered his voice. It was obviously normal, but Nan Yan heard a hint of grievance in it. However, his eyes were particularly sincere.
"The story is actually quite simple. My brother was very handsome when he was young. This little girl was attracted by his looks and was attracted by his extraordinary beauty. After she confessed her love to my brother and was rejected, she turned around and got together with my brother's good friend."
He pinched her fingers as he spoke, and said with disdain, "This kind of person is a typical revengeful person who has the mentality of 'even though I can't get your body, I can get your brother'! My dear girlfriend, now you understand, there is really no private relationship between her and me."
Nan Yan couldn't help but look at him suspiciously, "Are you telling the truth? Why does it sound so unreliable to me? Isn't it that you pursued someone but were rejected, and then you were alone, sad and crying?"
He Mian: “…How is that possible!”
What kind of image do you think of my brother? He is so sad. Is he so hopeless? It is impossible for me to cry. I will never cry in my life.
Nan Yan grabbed a strand of his hair, pinched his face and asked again:
"Are you telling the truth? Are you not lying to me?"
He Mian patted Peppa Pig on his arm and handed it over to guarantee, "Of course it's real, more real than pearls."
It was indeed true, he did not lie, but he did not deny the question Nan Yan asked at the beginning.
After all, he still hadn't forgotten the little girl who comforted him in the hospital at the beginning.
Nan Yan was not unaware of his avoidance, but if he didn't intend to break up for the time being, she would continue to play with him. After all, now was not a good time to break up, and she couldn't just hold on to him over such a trivial matter. There would always be a chance to settle the score in the future.
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