Chapter 17 Solution
The young man who walked into the bar with a grin was wearing a black windbreaker and a baseball cap. His rugged appearance made him look very sunny and eye-catching.
He quickly found the booth where Lian Yi was.
After all, the men who were still groaning were quite eye-catching, and there was also a fat man who had crawled up from under the glass table, his face pale, looking at him with an awkward expression, not knowing whether to sit or stand.
"What's going on, Lian Xiaoyi?"
Chen Jingze grinned and walked to the booth, casually leaning one hand on the edge of the seat and putting the other hand in his pocket as he looked at the seat.
She then met a pair of clear, emotionless eyes, and a little girl with red eyes next to her.
Looking again, Chen Jingze saw that his good-for-nothing friend lying in the girl's arms, enjoying a massage. He cursed under his breath, withdrew his hand, and stood up straight.
"Lian Xiaoyi!" he shouted angrily.
Lian Yi then leisurely opened her eyes, "Are you trying to call back the soul?"
"No, why did you call me over in such a hurry? What? Weren't you pretty arrogant back in your little corner of Yunhai? Now you know to call your buddy for help?" Chen Jingze was amused and annoyed by her reaction.
Lian Yi scoffed, "Chen Jingze, you always brag about how influential you are in Hecheng, but I don't see how much you really have. Is your Chen family going bankrupt?"
"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point." Chen Jingze knew better than anyone how sharp Lian Yi's mouth was. If she continued, he would only end up getting so angry that he was powerless to do anything about it.
Lian Yi got up from Meng Er's arms, raised her chin slightly, nodded at the group of people over there, and clicked her tongue, saying, "These guys have a much bigger temper than you, Young Master Chen. They sound like they can control everything."
"I need to borrow your legal team. I want them in jail."
Chen Jingze then glanced at them, their faces bruised and swollen, but he couldn't recall any of them. He said, "Oh, that's it?"
"And that fat guy too."
Lian Yi's lips curved slightly, and she lightly tapped her fingertip on the leather sofa. "I want to cripple him."
"Wow."
Chen Jingze's usually nonchalant smile turned slightly serious. He looked down at Lian Yi, realizing she wasn't joking, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Sure, how do you want to play?"
Lian Yi smiled with satisfaction.
She and Chen Jingze met in elementary school at an entrepreneur exchange meeting, a banquet with a social aspect, where most of the invited entrepreneurs would bring their families.
They were all children who had been repeatedly told by their parents not to be naughty before leaving home, but once they arrived at the mansion where the banquet was held, they were all as well-behaved as quails.
But there are always those unruly kids.
When Chen Jingze was little, he looked malnourished, like a skinny monkey. He was bullied by other children in the garden and they tried to force him to eat mud.
The leaders are all children of entrepreneurs from Hecheng.
Although he was small, he was very stubborn. He would pick up pebbles and throw them everywhere, and grab handfuls of dirt and throw them around haphazardly.
It just so happened that the princess dress worn by Lian Yi, who was impatient with listening to a group of people exchanging insincere business compliments, was thrown at her.
What kind of temper does Lian Yi have?
While pressing down and beating Chen Jingze, he leered and ordered the group of screaming brats to line up. Then he tore off Chen Jingze's clothes, scooped up a bunch of dirt, and smeared it on each of them.
She has no manners; even children who upset her will be bullied.
Strangely enough, after the banquet, Lian Yi and her parents received an invitation from Chen Jingze's grandfather.
After that, their long-distance, rival-like friendship began.
Their relationship can be best summarized in one sentence: they both fear the other's misfortune and their own good fortune. If either of them makes a mistake and is grounded or scolded by their elders, the first person to come and mock them is always the other.
Seeing that the two of them seemed to have already decided his fate, He Si gritted his teeth, his fat face trembling uncontrollably, and said, "Young Master Chen! I am He Si, and He Baitian of He's Steel Industry is my father!"
“Look at this, I really didn’t know she was your friend, but this really isn’t our problem. It was your friend’s friend who started the fight. Look how badly she’s been beaten.”
He quickly came up with a clever idea: "I really have nothing to do with this. I'm just helping out for a few friends. But anyway, since they're your friends, I should at least give them face—"
Who is Chen Jingze?
His grandfather, known as Chen Bancheng, went through such hardships back then and resolutely donated most of his family fortune to the country, even risking his life to secretly transport supplies with a fleet of ships.
Moreover, Chen Bancheng's two sons and two daughters have all died, and now only Chen Jingze, the sole heir of the Chen family, is left. He is cherished and pampered as if he were a fragile treasure.
This young master was notorious for his arrogance, but he was even more famous for the legal team that his grandfather had specially arranged.
What could be more disheartening than a rich kid causing trouble and then immediately having a legal team step in to clean up the mess and resolve the dispute for him?
He Si was genuinely afraid; that vile woman was now truly abusing her power, but he dared not show the slightest resentment.
He knew very well that even if Chen Jingze crippled him here today, he would at most just have to pay some money to settle the matter.
His father would probably be grinning from ear to ear just because he ruined one of his sons and was able to establish a connection with the Chen family... after all, his father had more than one son.
Lian Yi scoffed, "Your face?"
She drew out the last syllable, making no attempt to hide her sarcasm.
Is it valuable?
He Si protested, "I admit that I'm a straightforward person and sometimes my words and actions make people dislike me, but you threaten to cripple me at the drop of a hat? What kind of logic is that?"
"Young Master Chen! This is really unreasonable!" He looked directly at Chen Jingze, trying to open his eyes wide, hoping the other could see his sincerity.
"Heh." Chen Jingze leaned against the sofa and chuckled. "Don't try to get on my good side. You keep calling me 'Young Master Chen,' what kind of era do you think this is?"
"One more."
He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at Lian Yi on the sofa. "What she said makes sense. So, do you not want your hands or your legs? Choose one. If you dawdle any longer, I'll choose both for you."
Chen Jingze's words made even Bai Tian feel afraid and move closer to Meng Er.
That kind of arrogance in deciding other people's fate so casually, even if you're on their side, still makes people feel uncomfortable and scared.
Meng Er suddenly said in a calm voice, "Just now he tried to have someone take us away and imprison us, and he kept looking at us with a lecherous and greedy gaze."
"ha?"
He Si's expression changed, especially when he saw Chen Jingze standing up straight with his eyes slightly narrowed, his figure slightly bulging out of his windbreaker, his explosive power seemingly ready to be unleashed.
"Don't make false accusations!" So what if he has this plan?
"Miss, I admit that the three of you are indeed very beautiful, but I, He Si, am not that kind of person. To put it bluntly, if I really wanted to, would I be afraid of not finding a girlfriend? Why would I need to do something illegal?"
Lian Yi ignored his clamor and said to Chen Jingze, who was standing beside her with a slightly imposing aura, "Remember how much compensation you owe for those lying down, and then send them to jail. These idiots look brainless, but they must have some dirty secrets and can't stand up to scrutiny."
"Um."
Chen Jingze nodded, then strode towards He Si, whose expression was gradually turning terrified.
Judging from their physiques, He Si looked much bigger than Chen Jingze. Although he was more than a head shorter, he was quite heavy.
Even so, as Chen Jingze walked towards him step by step, He Si didn't dare to move an inch, and only explained quickly, "Young Master Chen, please don't listen to their instigation, I really didn't do that!"
Chen Jingze chuckled and looked down at the fat man's sweaty, oily face.
His deep voice resonated in the space, impossible to ignore.
"You can fool your buddies, but don't fool yourself. If the person she called today wasn't me, would Young Master He still be so understanding?"
He lowered his eyes slightly, speaking in a calm tone as if he were discussing something, "I'm going to break both your hands and give you a wheelchair. Someone will contact you about the compensation later."
"However, I will have people investigate every single one of the despicable things you have done."
Chen Jingze patted his shoulder and grinned, "Brother, if you're truly innocent, I'll come to your door and make you pay for all the suffering you've endured today."
He Si instinctively wanted to get away and run away.
Based on the things he's done, those that could be suppressed with money in the past, and those that his brother's men could intimidate, have never been exposed.
But if Chen Jingze steps in, how can I possibly clear my name?
Chen Jingze chuckled and crushed the fat man's neck with one hand, rendering him immobile. He then greeted Lian Yi, "Sit down first, I'll take you guys out for a late-night snack after I'm done with my work."
After saying that, she grabbed He Si by the neck and dragged him away, forcing him to kick his legs backward.
As Chen Jingze passed by the security captain, he nodded to him.
Security captain: "..."
He opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything. He had seen a lot of things in this nightclub.
He Si really did nothing.
But if that girl hadn't been able to summon someone like Chen Jingze, would he really have done nothing?
A pig-like scream suddenly came from a distant corner, but it quickly became muffled as if its mouth had been gagged, though it still faintly echoed without ceasing.
Meng Er clearly felt the girl beside her tremble with fright, her clear black and white eyes blinking.
"What? Are you scared?" Lian Yi peeked out from in front of her and smiled at Bai Tian.
"No...it's just..." Bai Tian was caught off guard by her sudden question and subconsciously stammered in denial, but then fell silent.
She didn't think Chen Jingze's actions were excessive.
At this age, there are still many rules among adults in society that she doesn't understand.
But Bai Tian still understood some things. Why would that seemingly powerful man stand up for them for no reason?
Ultimately, this whole thing started because of her, but now her two older sisters have to bear the consequences and even owe her a huge debt of gratitude. Bai Tian knows that her self-blame is useless.
But she still couldn't help feeling guilty and sad about her own uselessness.
"Don't be afraid."
Lian Yi leaned back and said casually, "Considering you are Meng Er's sister, I'll kindly explain this to you this once, and only once."
Don't put unnecessary constraints on yourself.
She didn't look at Bai Tian; her usually smiling eyes were slightly curved at this moment, but there was little smile in them as she stared at the spiderweb pattern on the amber glass table.
"If you feel useless right now and are unwilling to be mediocre, then remember how you feel right now, instead of restraining yourself and setting more and more rules for yourself."
"Evil people won't ignore you just because you back down, hiding in a corner thinking you're safe."
"You're still young, and there are many things you can't control, but—"
Lian Yi said lazily, "They'll grow up eventually."
She doesn't deny that when she saw the girl wearing sexy clothes that didn't match her youthful face at all, and with heavy makeup, an inextinguishable fire rose in her heart.
But from the very beginning, she had no intention of directing her anger at Bai Tian.
Bai Tian lacks both the family background of the powerful and the abilities and advantages of the less powerful.
She was just a child who grew up in an orphanage, living without parental care and without much confidence, yet still dreaming of changing her fate through hard work and giving herself and those she cared about a better life.
She is not wrong; Lian Yi has already said that.
Chen Jingze returned quickly, and at the signal of the security captain, two security guards rushed over with a medical kit.
He didn't seem to care, patted his clothes, and walked up to Lian Yi with a smile, "Come on, let's go get some late-night snacks?"
"Arrange for someone to accompany them to the police station to give their statements."
Lian Yi glanced to the side and said, "Remember to make it clear to your lawyer that we acted in self-defense. The specific characterization depends on whether they are justified in receiving the salary they receive from the Chen family every year."
Chen Jingze's face darkened slightly as he squinted at her. "Lian Xiaoyi, do you really treat me like a little brother?"
"A while ago, someone gave my dad a model of a military aircraft. I think it was some kind of specially customized model that's not available on the market?" Lian Yi said, pretending to frown. "Well, my dad isn't a military enthusiast, so it's a bit out of place to have this in his study—"
Chen Jingze paused, then took out his phone and, considering there were other people present, restrained himself from cursing and dialed a number.
"You better be telling the truth, don't try to fool me with models from over a decade ago."
He was on the phone.
Lian Yi beckoned to Bai Tian, signaling her to come closer.
Bai Tian glanced at Meng Er and suddenly felt something was strange. From the beginning until now, the two older sisters had hardly communicated, and hadn't even exchanged a glance.
At first, she didn't pay much attention to it, but as Lian Yi spoke several times, Bai Tian couldn't help but notice it.
Seeing that Meng Er didn't react, she obediently leaned forward, assuming a listening posture.
“When you get to the police station later, just tell them what happened these past few days. Don’t feel ashamed. This isn’t your fault, understand?” Lian Yi said.
Bai Tian nodded vigorously, then felt that her reaction was not clear enough.
She pursed her lips and whispered, "I know, sister. If I don't stand up, they might get away with it, right? If that happens, other girls will have to go through the same thing, won't they..."
"I won't back down." Bai Tian's voice was very soft, as if she was encouraging herself, and she repeated, "I won't back down."
Lian Yi paused for a moment, then smiled and looked at her with her eyes crinkling, "You're really smart and brave."
Whether she can speak out or not will not affect the final outcome for those few people who are lying haphazardly in the booths, barely daring to breathe.
Lian Yi has never liked to leave people a way out. Once she makes a move, she is determined to leave the other party with no chance to fight back.
However, the girl's willingness to testify will greatly help in identifying the gang that lured her and "sold" her to these people.
Bai Tian lowered her head shyly, then raised her face, glanced at Meng Er, and finally looked at Lian Yi, saying earnestly, "Sister, thank you."
"Sister Meng'er, I'm sorry." As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears again. She sniffed hard and whispered, "Thank you."
"Pfft... Hahahaha!"
Chen Jingze, who had just finished making two phone calls standing not far away, walked over and heard her heartfelt gratitude, which made him smile immediately.
Meeting Lian Yi's dangerous gaze, Chen Jingze coughed lightly, "No, this is truly the first time in all these years that I've heard someone express gratitude to you. I'm really not used to it, pfft—"
"Really?" Lian Yi feigned doubt and said "Oh". "I'm not as good as you in this respect. Yes, Young Master Chen is so kind. The titles of leader of the Cat Cult and deputy leader of the Dog Cult should be yours, right?"
"Lian Xiaoyi!"
Chen Jingze's handsome face, slightly tanned beneath his baseball cap, showed anger as he gritted his teeth and said, "Didn't we agree not to mention this?!"
"Okay, okay."
Lian Yi stood up lazily and said perfunctorily, "If you don't want to mention it, then don't. Why are you in such a hurry? Everything has been arranged, right? Let's get going."
After saying that, he waved his hand and walked towards the gate.
Chen Jingze suppressed the shame and indignation rising in his chest from her anger, and looked at Meng Er with a sullen face.
His tone softened considerably. "Someone will come to meet you later. It's someone from Tianrui Law Firm named Fang Jinghuai. You are Lian Yi's friends, so as long as you trust her, you can trust this person completely and follow his arrangements as much as possible."
Meng Er nodded, then turned to look at the security captain beside him.
"I've already spoken to your boss about things here. He knows how to use people. I'll need your help looking after my two friends for a while longer, is that alright?"
Upon hearing this, the security captain immediately became serious, and his posture became much more upright than before.
He knew that Chen Jingze was a powerful figure, but not to the point that he would fawn over him. Originally, if He Si refused to settle the matter privately, he would have no choice but to call the police.
But he didn't expect that Chen Jingze and his boss knew each other. His working-class nature made him even want to salute to show his professionalism for a moment.
Chen Jingze gave the security guard a strange look, estimating that the weight of those words was enough to make him take them to heart, so he nodded slightly, turned around and strode out.
The way the figure looked from behind seemed to suggest a hasty escape.
As Chen Jingze walked onto the street, he immediately spotted Lian Yi leaning against his car.
Chen Jingze opened the car door without greeting her. After she got into the passenger seat, he sneered, "Lian Xiaoyi, you're really something. You just tear up our gentleman's agreement like that?"
"What's wrong? This title is so cute."
Lian Yi raised an eyebrow. "If I hadn't seen those two banners, I really wouldn't have known you had such a gentle side."
"Fine." Chen Jingze stepped on the gas, the roar of the sports car monster exploding in the noisy street. He rolled his eyes. "I can't argue with you, okay?"
Lian Yi chuckled and stomped on the somewhat cramped car seat.
"Could you please not drive this lousy car to pick me up next time? Don't you find it uncomfortable to drive yourself?" she said with a look of disgust.
"Good heavens, who's the kind person who drives a different car to race?" Chen Jingze said speechlessly, gripping the steering wheel. Then, unable to resist his cheeky taunt, "Besides, I don't even feel uncomfortable with my long legs, and you're complaining about being cramped?"
"Chen Jingze." Lian Yi smiled and called out to him in a calm and ordinary tone.
"Hmm?" A bad feeling rose in Chen Jingze's heart, and he looked at her warily.
"I heard that model can be disassembled."
Lian Yi clicked her tongue and said, "You know how curious I am—"
"Sister, calm down."
Chen Jingze drove toward a barbecue restaurant ahead, muttering, "You're my sister, please stop messing around."
The sports car came to a smooth and steady stop by the roadside. Lian Yi smiled, opened the car door, and got out. She smiled at Chen Jingze, who had an angry but speechless expression on his face, and said, "I still prefer your unruly attitude from earlier."
Knowing her true nature, Chen Jingze forced a smile, his tall frame looking somewhat forlorn in the night.
"Before you, how dare I claim to be unruly?"
This statement would be even more convincing if the car door were closed even more quietly.
Sitting down at the folding square table set up on the sidewalk, Chen Jingze skillfully recited the names of the dishes to the barbecue restaurant owner who was grilling a bunch of skewers.
"Put less spice, I'm feeling a bit hot today!" He added, subtly adjusting the spiciness level.
The boss nodded without looking up, and the busy waiter brought over two opened glass bottles of orange soda and placed them on the table.
"How long has it been since you last came to Hecheng? I think it's been since you started high school." Chen Jingze always liked to dab at the straw while drinking soda.
"You've caused such a mess as soon as you arrived. You're something else."
Lian Yi tore at a tissue idly, saying lazily, "Busy, huh? You're doing just fine even when I'm not here."
Chen Jingze smiled, his eyes slightly probing, and asked, "I heard... your family is going to have a marriage alliance with the Gu family. Is it true or false? If it is true, Gu Yiyu will probably be crying and wailing again."
"Chen Jingze, it's been a while since we last met. When did you learn to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Lian Yi didn't even bother to look up at him.
He gave a self-deprecating laugh, then said in a low voice, "I just didn't expect that Uncle Lian would arrange a marriage for you."
Many people, including Chen Jingze, believe that there is no doubt about the doting of Lian Yi by Lian's parents.
No matter how much trouble she caused outside, her parents never scolded her. The next day, Lian Yi would reappear the next day, lively and carefree, just like always.
However, it was a marriage alliance, and they chose the Gu family, which was considered a good match.
The fact that Lian Yi is a girl almost signals to the outside world that she will lose her right to inherit control of the Lian family business in the future.
"If there's anything I can do to help you, tell me while you still can." Chen Jingze took a sip of orange soda and squinted his eyes. "I can't say how much I can help, but I'll do my best, you know that."
Lian Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "What, did your physical exam reveal a terminal illness?"
"Can't you wish me something good?" Chen Jingze's face darkened.
"ha."
Lian Yi smiled and stretched. "Come on, you know what kind of person I am. I'm unambitious, lazy, and a good-for-nothing playboy. If my dad really gave me a company to manage, I could take it over today and make it go bankrupt tomorrow."
"No one knows a daughter better than her father. Stop with the conspiracy theories."
Chen Jingze was silent for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I don't believe it."
Lian Yi paused, glanced at him, and scoffed, "Believe it or not."
“That time we were kidnapped…” He wanted to prove that what he said wasn’t unreasonable, but as soon as he started speaking, he met Lian Yi’s ambiguous smile. Knowing what that look meant, he stopped talking.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
Chen Jingze couldn't help but say, "Lian Yi, sometimes I really don't understand what you're trying to do."
“You’re the only child in the Lian family. Even if you had brothers or sisters, you could fight for it if you wanted. Why shouldn’t you? I don’t believe you have no ambition at all.”
Few people outside the community know that he and Lian Yi are friends, and some even think that they don't get along.
Even if some people knew, they just considered them as like-minded cronies.
But Chen Jingze knew very well the extent to which he could trust Lian Yi.
It was to the point that Lian Yi knew about how he secretly took his pocket money to donate to the stray animal protection association when he was a child, and how he treasured the banner the association gave him and hid it in a safe.
So if it were someone else, he wouldn't say these things. There's no need to care about other people's lives or deaths, let alone confide in them.
But she is Lian Yi, so she is different.
“I did fight for it,” Lian Yi laughed. “So I ruined this marriage alliance. Don’t worry, you said I’m the only child in the Lian family, so I’m just typical of someone who has nothing to fear.”
Seeing her attitude, Chen Jingze got a little annoyed and simply drank the whole bottle of orange soda in one gulp.
His phone suddenly beeped.
Chen Jingze took out his phone, opened it, and then tapped the screen a few times with great interest before focusing intently on the screen without saying anything more.
Even the barbecue served on a plate didn't catch his attention. Lian Yi was used to using her chopsticks to pick off pieces of meat and vegetables from the skewers and eat them, which Chen Jingze always found objectionable.
Eating skewers without pinching the skewer and biting off the pieces is soulless.
But even after she finished slicing all the skewers today, Chen Jingze didn't shout anything about his soul.
"Chen Jingze, I'm warning you, don't watch porn in the street in front of me. I don't want to die with you." Lian Yi picked up a piece of mutton coated with cumin and chili powder and put it in her mouth.
Chen Jingze's bright eyes widened immediately upon hearing this, and he said with a dark face, "Lian Xiaoyi, can't you speak with a little more manners?"
"oh."
Lian Yi swallowed the meat and said, "Then what are you looking at so intently?"
“I know the owner of the bar where you two were fighting. I just had him send over the CCTV footage of what happened tonight.” Chen Jingze turned his phone around and waved it at her.
The screen was dark, but the scene was still clearly visible.
Chen Jingze exclaimed in surprise, "I thought someone would come to your aid, but it turns out it was just your friend all by herself. She's really skilled!"
"Hey, who's she?"
"No background, an orphan, just a poor student," Lian Yi said without batting an eye.
Chen Jingze said "oh". He wanted to take the surveillance footage to express his opinion at the bar, but he didn't expect to actually see such an interesting fight scene.
The girl's moves were clean and efficient. Although she was not in a good position in terms of size and strength, she was very good at striking the body's weaknesses.
Almost every move he made was purposeful. In that environment where the light was both blinding and dim, each move would render his opponent incapacitated to some extent.
“I’ve never envied you in anything else, except for how you make friends.” Chen Jingze’s handsome face actually showed a look of envy. “For example, me, and this girl, we both have outstanding qualities.”
"..."
Lian Yi sneered, "You really have the nerve to flatter yourself."
But then she thought about it again and quickly put on a sweet smile.
"Chen Jingze, you admire her?"
"Grandma, please speak normally. If you want to trap me, just say so. I'll jump into the trap myself. No need for formalities." Chen Jingze wasn't buying it. Just as he was about to reach out his hand, his lips twitched.
"Lian Yi, you ruined my kebabs again, didn't you?!"
In the end, Chen Jingze still took apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and deliberately rummaged through the plate with a sour face.
"Don't be angry, I'll treat you to dinner next time," Lian Yi said perfunctorily, then leaned forward. "You still haven't answered my question from earlier. Do you admire her?"
"...I'm not familiar with her, what's there to admire about her?"
Chen Jingze leaned back speechlessly and said with disdain, "Why are you getting so close when you're just talking? Your mouth is all greasy."
"My impression of him is alright. After all, people with weak mental fortitude can't be your friends. He's good-looking and can fight. I'd be quite at ease if you could make a friend like him."
Lian Yi asked curiously, "Why?"
"Heh, so you won't get caught in a sack next time you come to Hecheng, and I won't be able to save you in time."
Her lips curved into a smile, but her eyes gleamed with a fierce light as she stared at Chen Jingze, crunching loudly as she chewed on a chicken cartilage.
"...Alright, what do you want to say?" Chen Jingze straightened his expression, stretched out his long leg under the table, and nimbly dodged a light kick.
“She’s planning to start a company soon. You’re somewhat useful here in Hecheng, so could you keep an eye on things for me?” Lian Yi said.
Chen Jingze paused in his chopsticks, frowned slightly, and carefully observed Lian Yi's expression. This change in expression vanished in an instant.
“I think she’s about your age. It’s not that I’m looking down on her, but you know your background and you know that there will always be people who approach us with ulterior motives.” He paused for a moment and said, “I won’t ask you anything more. Just tell me whether she is someone you can trust.”
Lian Yi smiled. "If he's not trustworthy, why would I specifically ask you to help look after him?"
"Oh." Chen Jingze didn't ask any more questions about that issue, and instead asked about other things, "So what does she plan to do? These days, nine out of ten startups fail, and the tenth one runs away. Isn't she afraid of losing money?"
"I'll cover for her, and besides, she's incredibly capable, smart, and always gets things done perfectly. She's very farsighted. I'm so envious."
Lian Yi rattled off a string of words without blinking, then took a sip of soda through the straw.
"..."
Chen Jingze nearly dropped his chopsticks. His sharp eyes widened slightly as he scrutinized Lian Yi as if she were an alien.
He simply put down his chopsticks, and a cold smile appeared on his slightly dark face as the corners of his mouth curled up.
"Wow, Lian Xiaoyi, this is the first time I've ever heard you praise someone so succinctly without any sarcasm."
"Is she really that good?"
"Alright, I think the police have taken enough statements, how about we invite her over for a late-night snack?"
Lian Yi blinked, wanting to say that it wasn't really necessary, since Xiao Hao could still get mental satisfaction even if she ate, but after making a fuss all night, Xiao Hao hadn't eaten yet.
On second thought, it would be convenient to come over for a bite to eat and then go home together later.
So he nodded and said, "Okay, let her tell you about the company's initial business direction. You don't need to worry too much about it. Just help keep things under control and prevent any troublemakers from causing problems."
"...What's with that expression?"
Chen Jingze was almost amused by her matter-of-fact statement.
He is tall and spends his years rock climbing and sea fishing. Underneath his windbreaker, he has muscular physiques that, while not exaggerated, possess explosive power.
She looked perfectly proportioned and attractive, but she felt too uncomfortable sitting in the plastic chairs and low square tables of this old-fashioned barbecue shop.
He was slightly hunched over, his head lowered a little, and the baseball cap cast a shadow on his face, making him look inexplicably aggrieved.
"Lian Xiaoyi," Chen Jingze snorted, "When have I ever brought anyone here? Neither have you, have you? This is our secret base. You just let anyone come here so casually?"
Lian Yi froze, scratching her head as she noticed the gossipy stares that had been secretly watching them.
I couldn't help but gasp.
Chen Jingze, that idiot—
But then I thought about it again and felt a little guilty.
When she was twelve years old, she was invited by Grandpa Chen to attend his 70th birthday celebration. Then, at the birthday banquet, she was implicated and kidnapped by a group of people along with Chen Jingze.
This is a group of human traffickers who commit crimes in multiple locations. Their unorthodox background makes them incredibly bold, daring to take the risk of kidnapping two teenagers for a sum of money.
The people who originally paid them to do this task asked them to create the illusion that the abduction had failed and they were destroying the evidence.
Fortunately, this group of people were too greedy. Seeing that the two children were too beautiful, they had a wicked idea and wanted to sell them abroad.
Leaving aside Lian Yi, Chen Jingze started to work hard to improve himself after being bullied like that the first time he met her, and his family even arranged various lessons on anti-kidnapping.
Under Lian Yi's guidance, the two eventually escaped unharmed.
After making a phone call to the Chen family, they were all starving, so they sat down at a small barbecue restaurant across the street from the traffickers' temporary hideout and ordered a bunch of meat.
Seeing the child's barely concealed fear and terror, Lian Yi, unusually kind-hearted, offered him a word of comfort.
"Don't be afraid. There's food and drink here, and your grandpa will come to pick you up later. What place could be safer than this? Just think of this as a secret base. There's nothing to be afraid of here."
“It’s our secret base.” The little boy, who was shorter than her back then, was slapped two or three times for refusing to eat food laced with drugs, and whose face was swollen high, earnestly corrected her.
"..."
Lian Yi coughed lightly, her slightly round eyes curving into a sweet smile, "What are you thinking? What I mean is, don't you love eating skewers directly from the stick? I can't finish these."
"Let her come, and we'll pack up the leftovers and take them home to eat."
"Secret base!" Lian Yi's crescent-shaped smiling eyes shone in the dim light. "How could I forget? Oh, and let's order some more skewers. What do you want to eat?"
Chen Jingze lowered his eyes and reluctantly accepted her explanation, but the sullen feeling in his heart from earlier still lingered.
"Eat what your friend is eating, and then order the rest for her."
-
In the end, Chen Jingze still didn't get to eat the skewers that Meng Er ordered after he arrived.
Bai Tian, the little girl, was still shaken by the fright she experienced that night, despite repeatedly telling herself that she was alright.
But she still took the little girl back to the orphanage, without telling anyone there what had happened that night, only saying that she would go to the hospital tomorrow to pay the fees for the old director.
After Chen Jingze paid the bill, the two got into the sports car.
Lian Yi looked at him, who was leaning back in the car seat with a cool and arrogant demeanor, letting his baseball cap hang down and cover most of his face, which also affected his vision. She slapped his arm impatiently.
"Alright, that's enough. If you keep pretending, you'll just become pretentious."
The car was dark, and only the dim light shining in from the window made the young man's sharp features somewhat blurry, making it impossible to discern his expression.
After a long while, he raised his hand and pushed his baseball cap up, revealing his usual somewhat irritating and unruly expression.
"I knew you only had that little patience."
Chen Jingze's voice was deep, "I heard your card has been suspended. Are you staying at your friend's place too? Let me get you a room, or you can come back to the old house with me. Anyway, Grandpa is happier to see you than I am."
Forget it.
Lian Yi smiled, finally feeling that the atmosphere was right. "You don't care about him, but I know not to disturb his rest. I'll send you the address, you can navigate there."
Chen Jingze opened the location she sent and activated the navigation after a few clicks.
He became much quieter along the way. Lian Yi felt sleepy after eating and was still drowsy despite the roar of the sports car.
"Lianyi, does your friend's company need investment?" he suddenly asked.
Lian Yi, who was almost asleep, was startled awake by these words. Her gaze was still somewhat unfocused. "No need. We have enough funds in the early stages. We'll decide whether to accept investment later based on the situation."
"You seem to know it all very well, quite attentive." He seemed to chuckle.
Lian Yi muttered, "Of course, we're as close as family."
You have to admit Chen Jingze is a good driver, she was really sleepy—
"Oh."
Chen Jingze chuckled softly, his eyes bright beneath his hat brim, only dimming as the shadows of the streetlights and treetops slipped past him.
He never imagined that he would one day feel upset because his friend had a friend who was more important to him than him.
But it wouldn't be accurate to say that Lian Yi is heartless.
There's really no way to argue with her about these things.
Chen Jingze turned the steering wheel to the right and drove into the street of the urban village, slowing down the car accordingly.
"Tomorrow I will have someone contact your friend to finalize the investment and shareholding. It will be in my name, and I will own some shares, which will save me the time of keeping an eye on it."
Lian Yi hummed in agreement. Once the car stopped, she unbuckled her seatbelt, waved to Chen Jingze, opened the car door, and got out.
Chen Jingze got out of the car and walked behind her until he escorted Lian Yi to the door of her rented apartment.
He had been unconsciously frowning ever since he went upstairs, until Lian Yi took out her key and opened the door. He finally couldn't help but say, "I can open this kind of lock in a few seconds."
"rest assured--"
Lian Yi yawned and shook her slightly curly long hair, trying to clear her head. "There are safety locks and door stoppers inside."
Chen Jingze still disagreed somewhat. He looked at Lian Yi, who was nodding sleepily, and sighed almost imperceptibly, "Alright, I'll come find you again tomorrow."
"Uh-huh……"
"Oh, right."
Just before closing the door, he paused as he turned to leave, his back to Lian Yi, and asked hesitantly, "Jiang Yu hasn't contacted you for the past year?"
Jiang Yu?
A gentle, smiling face appeared in Lian Yi's mind, and she casually replied with some doubt, "No."
"oh."
"You can lock the door now. I'll leave after you lock it."
Chen Jingze raised his hand and pulled his baseball cap down a little, but unfortunately it couldn't hide the corners of his mouth that were unconsciously turning up slightly.
Lian Yi closed the door and finished washing up before her consciousness completely faded, finally able to sink into the soft, warm bed filled with Meng Er's cool fragrance.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, I inexplicably remembered the person Chen Jingze had mentioned.
Yes, if he hadn't mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about her sickly and proud childhood sweetheart.
We haven't been in touch for so long, could it be that he died of illness?
Lian Yi barely managed to remember that if she remembered tomorrow, she would call her childhood friend to check on him.
Speaking of which, Chen Jingze was wearing a hat the whole time today, and his behavior was also strange.
Forget it, her sleepy brain couldn't handle the strain, so she simply stopped thinking about anything, then snuggled into her soft blanket and fell asleep.
-
"Sister Meng'er".
The welfare home does not have single rooms; children over the age of twelve are arranged to live in four-person rooms.
The small room contained two bunk beds.
Meng Er lay on the wooden bed without any discomfort. When Bai Tian called out softly, she responded in a low voice.
"Sister Meng'er, thank you." The girl's voice was childish, still carrying the innocence and naivety of her age.
"If you rank among the top in the grade in this final exam, it will be more sincere to express your gratitude," Meng Er said calmly.
The girl's big eyes shone brightly in the darkness. She blinked and then gave a strong "Mmm."
"Go to sleep." Her tone remained cold and indifferent.
The sun will rise again tomorrow, and everything is still full of hope. The buds can still absorb nutrients and bloom at any time.
"Buzz".
My phone, which was in the storage bag on the metal shelf next to my bed, suddenly vibrated slightly.
Meng Er paused for a moment, then reached out and took it.
Should tomorrow's class be postponed?
I've already processed these videos. The technology isn't too difficult, but because it involves some core business information...
Teaching might be a bit difficult, so this can be considered part of the compensation.
The message came from Xu Yitong. Ignoring the long string of technical terms and code in his second message, Meng Er saw the screenshot he sent.
It was a video recorded by some people in the bar tonight, although most of the footage showed her and Lian Yi with their profiles or backs to the camera.
But those who know them will naturally recognize them easily.
Lian Yi didn't care about this, and neither did Meng Er.
The Lien family's public relations department has considerable experience in handling these kinds of matters.
After a moment of slight surprise, Meng Er politely replied with a thank you and said that tomorrow's class would not be postponed. She then turned off all message notifications on her phone and carefully tossed the phone into her storage bag.
After doing these things, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
【OK. 】
[Kitten nodding.jpg]
The room was extremely large and nearly five meters high, and there was not a single piece of furniture. Several computer towers and screens were placed on the floor.
Xu Yitong sat among these machines, surrounded by lights reflected from various screens.
Beneath his obedient, drooping black hair, his emerald green eyes were illuminated with a deep, dark light, yet they held a bewilderment and a hint of helplessness that did not match his appearance and demeanor.
He was worried that Meng Er might not be aware of the specifics of his poor communication skills and might become bored with teaching later on. So when he saw some discussion posts mentioning Meng Er on the school forum, he was concerned.
Seeing those unfriendly words made Xu Yitong instinctively want to clean them up as a way of making amends.
At least, this might make the other party more patient?
But now—
Xu Yitong lowered his eyes, looking at the chat box that hadn't received any new messages for a long time.
Did he do something again that he thought was right and offended the other person...?
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