Chapter 31 Lian Yi = A Good Person
"I'll do whatever you say." Lian Suning's voice was soft, but it was quickly drowned out by the noisy laughter in the environment.
Lian Yi watched as Lian Suning tried to lift her face to meet her gaze, and suddenly smiled from the bottom of her heart. Her eyes crinkled, and she happily lowered her head to touch Lian Suning's hair.
How come I never realized before that my older sister is actually such an interesting person?
This scene, as it appeared in Qian Jingrui's eyes, only further confirmed his inner thoughts.
He had asked around about Lian Suning's character, and this rich heiress was indeed living up to her reputation, a stark contrast to her cold-blooded and cunning father in Hong Kong.
She enjoys painting, music, and flower arranging, and rarely buys jewelry. She also loves volunteering on weekends. With a gentle and kind nature, she is the perfect candidate to be a legal wife.
I initially thought it was just a cover-up, but through the investigation of a private investigator, they couldn't find a single flaw.
The scene before him revealed to Qian Jingrui Qian Jingrui his helplessness and indulgence towards his spoiled and domineering younger sister. As for Lian Yi's smile, he saw it as the temperament of a spoiled young lady who couldn't hide her thoughts.
These two sisters...
Qian Jingrui lowered his eyes slightly, his smile remaining unchanged, exuding elegance and sophistication.
"Young Master Qian, my sister says she'll listen to me." Lian Yi blinked. "That means if you want to pursue her, you really have to get past me."
Even though the girl's voice couldn't hide its wickedness, it still sounded pleasant, like she was being coquettish.
Qian Jingrui shrugged helplessly and sighed, "If I can't even pass your test, then I really don't deserve to appear in front of Su Ning again."
"I think I will do my best so that I can meet her again."
He smiled at Lian Suning, and when he looked at Lian Yi, the smile became more carefree and accommodating, as if he were indulging a naughty child, showing a calm and mature demeanor.
Lian Yi stared at him, her smile unrestrained. "Since you've said that, if I really make things difficult for you, wouldn't it make me seem like I'm bullying you?"
"...How could that be?" He chuckled and shook his head. Even if a little girl is spoiled, she should still know her limits.
Are you suggesting we make him run naked in public? Even if we did, I doubt even Su Ning would tolerate it.
"Whatever you ask me to do, as long as it's not illegal or immoral, I'm willing to try." Qian Jingrui said humorously, "I don't think pursuing a beautiful lady would lead me down a path of crime, would it?"
Upon hearing this, some people chuckled in agreement.
Besides Lian Suning, Li Xilai and Lü Ping.
Lu Ping couldn't help but lift his eyelids again and glance at Qian Jingrui, his expression quite strange.
Back when he was bullied by Lian Yi... no, it should be said that he was being taught a lesson, Lian Yi hadn't yet set such a trap. What did this brother do to deserve Lian Yi blocking all his paths?
The thing is, he seemed quite confident, as if he was really enjoying himself.
Lu Ping felt a mixture of sympathy and schadenfreude, and silently continued to watch. As long as the fire didn't burn him, he didn't care how this guy surnamed Qian died.
"If it's not illegal, of course I won't do it."
Lian Yi smiled and looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes, "Since we are in Huanyue now, why don't we go down and have a race? If you win, I will admit that you are qualified to pursue my older sister."
"If you lose, I won't stop you, as long as you're shameless enough to show up again."
Her chin was slightly raised, and her aloof posture did not give people a sense of oppression. Instead, it made people feel cute and wanted to smile.
If it weren't for the need to avoid ruining the atmosphere, Li Xilai, who was standing next to her, would have really wanted to reach out and scratch Lian Yi's chin.
Qian Jingrui became more and more relaxed. He had actually guessed that Lian Yi would suggest racing, after all, they were in a club where racing was the main form of entertainment.
Most people in this circle have a hobby of cars. Coincidentally, he has a lot of experience with cars and even owns shares in a racing club.
However, on the surface, one should always appear humble.
"Let me make this clear first, I didn't mean to show off." Qian Jingrui raised his hand, his tone sounding very casual.
“I’m a minor shareholder in the Z-T9 club, and I occasionally spar with the club’s drivers. How about you give me a different challenge? This one might be a bit too easy for me.”
"T9?" someone exclaimed in a low voice.
Wow, that's awesome!
Perhaps because Lian Yi was present, these people did not dare to show their astonishment too obviously. Even so, there were still some uncontrollable exclamations.
This attracted a lot of attention from people in the vicinity.
In fact, even before Lian Yi arrived, many people were already paying close attention to her movements, both openly and secretly.
Her group of cronies received advance notice from Li Xilai, which is why they didn't come to join the fun. As for the others, it was because Lian Yi was never one to keep a low profile.
Her family background and her way of dealing with people were often the focus of their discussions.
Nobody knows what kind of trouble this young lady will cause today.
But as long as it doesn't involve themselves, they always observe quietly with a happy, gossipy attitude, occasionally whispering a few words to their companions.
It's likely that only the higher-ups at Huanyue Club have been secretly praying, because if you really think about it carefully, Huanyue seems to be the only 'nightclub' that hasn't been vandalized by Miss Lian over the years.
Surely this one and only record can't just disappear tonight, right?
Looking at the somewhat strange atmosphere in that spot, they all felt heavy-hearted.
"What lousy club? Never heard of it." Lian Yi's attitude remained arrogant and domineering.
But these words silenced those who heard them. Z-T9 is one of the few clubs in China that is well-known in the world of motorsports. If Qian Jingrui wasn't lying, he had no reason to lie.
That means it's completely impossible for Lian Yi to embarrass him on this issue.
Lian Yi seemed oblivious to the reactions of those around her. Staring at Qian Jingrui, whose smile remained unchanged, she curled her lips into a sneer and said, "Let's just say whether we're going to compete or not."
"All right."
Qian Jingrui touched his nose and shrugged helplessly. "I should be more of a gentleman, but when it comes to pursuing love, I have to be a coward. It's just a race, and whoever gets there first wins, right?"
"Yes and no," Lian Yi said with a smile.
"I'd like to add another request, and a wager."
Qian Jingrui gave a wry smile, glanced at Lian Suning, and said, "May I hear what the requirements and the stakes are first?"
Lian Yi straightened up, intending to withdraw her hand from Lian Suning's shoulder, but was suddenly pressed down by Lian Suning's hand.
"One by one." Lian Suning only started to try to dissuade him after hearing the word "bet".
She can play however she wants, but when it comes to betting, even Su Ning is worried that she might act impulsively due to her emotions and make some kind of bet with Qian Jingrui.
This is something Lian Suning does not want to see.
Qian Jingrui's behavior may seem perfect to outsiders; he is indeed a pampered young master from a wealthy family, with proper manners and a graceful demeanor. However, in her eyes, his gaze sometimes makes her feel uncomfortable.
However, Lian Suning was not the type to gossip about others, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Even Qian Shao is interested, big sister, why don't you wait until I finish speaking?" Lian Yi rarely showed her any patience, coaxing her, "Okay, you have to be on my side."
Lian Suning blushed slightly. Lian Yi was already standing almost next to her. Having never enjoyed her younger sister's coquettishness since childhood, she felt a little dizzy and subconsciously nodded.
Lu Ping and Li Xilai both looked like they'd seen a ghost, but they quickly concealed their expressions, afraid that Lian Yi would see them and retaliate later.
"As for the wager, let's make the loser do one thing at the winner's command."
Lian Yi tilted her head. "As for the additional requests, it's just a competition, how boring is that? I want my older sister to sit in my passenger seat, and I'll designate someone else to sit in your passenger seat."
"The person who reaches the finish line first will receive ten points, while the passenger in the front seat will evaluate the driving skills of both drivers and choose one to give ten points."
"In the end, whoever has the higher score wins, how about that?"
The sudden addition of this rule left everyone speechless. To be honest, Lü Ping had a feeling that Lian Yi was indeed the one in charge.
When Qian Jingrui heard this, he only found it amusing, and felt no anger at being targeted.
His marriage to Lian Suning was almost a done deal; the current situation was simply a matter of speeding up the process, since Lian Suning's attitude greatly influenced the progress of the engagement.
No matter what Lian Yi does now, it won't affect the success of this marriage. He's not Lian Suning's real suitor.
Even with such an outrageous rule, Qian Jingrui readily agreed. He believed that Lian Suning would only admire him more for his nonchalant attitude despite being put in such a difficult position by Lian Yi.
Qian Jingrui keenly noticed Lian Suning's slight frown and change in expression, which made him smile with satisfaction.
really.
'He's actually quite cunning.'
A thought crossed Lian Suning's mind: she knew that Qian Jingrui's agreement to this unfair rule was not an indulgence or leniency towards Lian Yi, but rather that it would ultimately leave Lian Yi with a reputation to be ridiculed, thus benefiting himself.
My already negative feelings towards him actually had room to decrease, and they sank even lower.
Lian Yi didn't pay attention to the changes in other people's eyes and expressions. Seeing that Qian Jingrui had agreed, she then surveyed the entire room.
Many people greeted Lian Yi warmly when she looked at them, but many others silently looked away. Some even made no attempt to hide their disgust and loathing, wearing sour faces, but no one chose to bravely look her in the eye.
Qian Jingrui, of course, noticed this scene and was not surprised at all.
He could guess that Lian Yi would deliberately choose someone who seemed unfamiliar with her, but who actually knew her, to sit in the passenger seat.
This conjecture did not affect Qian Jingrui's consistently composed demeanor; he smiled faintly and waited for Lian Yi to choose that person.
"Xi Lai, please invite that young lady over for me." Lian Yi glanced around perfunctorily and found her target among the group.
She gestured towards that spot with her lips.
"Look, it's that short-haired one wearing Valentino."
Li Xilai looked in the direction Lian Yi pointed, identified her based on the described features, and chuckled, "Oh, Zeng Minmin, okay."
She walked directly toward the woman who was standing at the bar chatting with her friend.
Lian Yi turned her head and looked at Qian Jingrui, whose gaze seemed to be fixed on that side for a moment, and sneered, "Young Master Qian, are you satisfied with the passenger I chose?"
"I respect your choice. There's no question of whether I'm satisfied or not." Although Qian Jingrui maintained his charming smile, his emotions seemed somewhat lacking.
The others only realized that Qian Jingrui was doomed to lose the match against Lian Yi.
It's normal to be annoyed by being repeatedly disrespected. If it were them, they would have already flipped the table and lost their temper if the other party wasn't Lian Yi. This young master's manners are truly admirable.
Only Lian Yi and Lian Suning knew the source of his emotional change.
"Isn't it amazing that we have so many beautiful girls in Yunhai?" Lian Yi rested her hand on her older sister's shoulder, casually playing with her finger, and said with her eyes downcast, "Anyone you point to is pretty."
Qian Jingrui smiled, crossed his legs and then sat in a different position. "I shouldn't casually comment on other people's appearance, but I agree with your opinion."
After saying that, he picked up the water glass that hadn't been touched on the table, lowered his eyes, and took a sip.
Is it really that much of a coincidence?
Qian Jingrui instinctively found this coincidence hard to believe, but he couldn't fathom Lian Yi's motives for doing these things.
Lian Suning's interpersonal relationships had long been thoroughly investigated. Although he didn't know much about Lian Yi before, he knew that Lian Suning's relationship with this cousin was quite ordinary.
The relationships within wealthy families are inherently complex, especially since Lian Suning and her personality are like two extremes, as can be seen from the distant attitude of Lian Yi's friend towards Lian Suning.
These two sisters definitely don't have any feelings for each other.
But why did she choose Zeng Minmin when so many others didn't?
Qian Jingrui gripped the water glass tightly, then quickly put it down again. Lian Yi's face still held a smile, but her delicate features revealed her natural disdain for everything.
Perhaps he was overthinking it. He had seen too many rich girls with this kind of mentality, and few of them were truly intelligent.
Besides, why would she stand up for Lian Suning? What is her motive? Even if her relationship with Zeng Minmin is revealed in this situation, what difference does it make? It won't shake the established fact that he and Lian Suning are going to be married.
People will only think of this as a romantic affair of his, and the only damage will be to Lian Suning's reputation.
Thinking of this, Qian Jingrui's vague unease gradually subsided, and the smile on his lips returned to confidence and composure.
When Li Xilai invited Zeng Minmin in the past, she was initially refused, albeit in a very tactful manner.
When Zeng Minmin saw Qian Jingrui over there, she received a warning in his smiling eyes. She bit her lip, hiding her resentment and unwillingness well, and politely declined Li Xilai's offer.
Unfortunately, the person opposite her was Li Xilai.
"Zeng Minmin, is it because I spoke to you politely that you misunderstood this as a request?" Li Xilai did not smile, but flicked the wine glass in front of Zeng Minmin with her finger, making a crisp sound.
"I'm letting you pass, so please be obedient."
Even though the person in front of her was almost half a generation younger than her, Zeng Minmin's face still paled slightly when she heard this, and she nodded with a somewhat forced smile, "Okay, then I'll go over there first."
After speaking to her friend, she took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and followed Li Xilai, who had turned and walked away.
"The person has arrived."
Without asking whether the other party agreed, Lian Yi clapped her hands and said happily, "Young Master Qian, where's your car?"
"Just stop down there." Qian Jingrui's expression remained unchanged, without even glancing at Zeng Minmin. "We won't interfere with their competition, will we? Should we wait until they're finished?"
Lian Yi chuckled lightly, "You don't need to worry about that."
She reached out to Li Xilai, who tossed her the car keys.
Lian Yi had already obtained her driver's license, but since she was driven around by a driver, she didn't actually own a car. Since she hadn't asked to buy one, her parents didn't seem to have thought of it.
As for the race, the moment the news that Lian Yi was going to race against someone was released, the whole place became much more lively than before.
Club staff quickly came to confirm the situation and then went to communicate with each of the people who were originally scheduled to play.
In short, you can wait if you want, or go grab a late-night snack and go home if you don't.
Can't you see everyone's more interested in Lian Yi betting on matches right now? If you're so capable, why don't you tell Lian Yi to stop betting on matches?
The club immediately arranged for more people to check the road conditions along the way. They couldn't persuade Lian Yi, this little devil, so they could only look for problems within themselves and try their best to prevent any incidents from happening in Huanyue's territory.
Qian Jingrui stood up, took out his car keys, and said with a smile, "In that case, let's go down and get ready."
He acted naturally and gestured to Zeng Minmin to move forward.
"Old classmate, please."
Zeng Minmin was stunned for a moment, then nodded and was about to take a step.
"Wait, do you know each other?" Lian Yi's expression changed slightly as she called out to them.
Qian Jingrui nodded frankly and said, "This is my college classmate. I was a little surprised when you chose her. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence... You're not worried that she'll give me points because we were classmates, are you?"
"certainly."
Lian Yi squinted at him and said, "I've thought about it, and to be fair, I'll let my older sister ride in your car. After all, friendship is not as reliable as family. If my older sister is in my car, she might feel embarrassed to share with you."
“That makes sense.” Qian Jingrui remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about Lian Yi’s behavior of arbitrarily changing the rules.
Such a humble attitude naturally makes people like him a lot.
Lian Yi patted Lian Suning's hand, released her, and ignored her questioning look.
"Zeng Minmin?"
"Yes, I'll follow your arrangements." Zeng Minmin's heart was already filled with unease, and her smile was somewhat forced. "This is my first time experiencing a race car competition. I don't know anything about it, so you can arrange everything."
She had heard of Lian Yi. No matter how vast Yunhai was, news circulated among different circles, so it was hard not to have heard of the deeds of this renowned Miss Lian.
Zeng Minmin's family owns a chain of convenience stores, which is quite large and is headquartered in Yunhai. They don't actually have any business dealings with the Lian family.
But she didn't want to offend Lian Yi in the first place, and besides...
Zeng Minmin's gaze swept over Qian Jingrui and Lian Suning imperceptibly, then her eyes looked down slightly.
She harbored resentment towards her boyfriend's marriage to the Lian family, but this was something that could never be openly discussed.
Those relationships involving money and the surname Lian are destined to be beyond what she and her family can afford.
She may not have had a clear concept before, but she couldn't even turn against Li Xilai's merciless words. Now, standing in front of Lian Yi, she clearly felt the pressure brought by the difference in family background.
Zeng Minmin remained silent and did not say a word.
"Then ride in my car." Lian Yi smiled at her, picked up Li Xilai's car keys and waved them in front of her. "Don't worry, I'm a very steady driver."
As Qian Jingrui watched Lian Suning walk towards him, he took in the expressions on everyone's faces.
Lian Yi and Lian Suning didn't exchange glances, and their expressions showed no unusual behavior, indicating that he had indeed been overthinking things.
The fear that Zeng Minmin would lose control of her emotions and become irrational did not materialize.
Qian Jingrui breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't show it on his face. He jokingly whispered to Lian Suning, "Your sister has a very straightforward personality, but this time I don't want to let her have it, since it's a gamble on whether she can pursue you."
He sighed softly.
"Su Ning, what I said tonight may have been a bit offensive, but it really was what I was thinking."
“…Okay, I understand.” Lian Suning was somewhat lost in thought.
To her recollection, she had never heard of Lian Yi buying or driving a car.
Forget it, whatever Lian Yi wants to do, since we said we would support her in the first place, we should trust her.
Seeing her lost in thought, Qian Jingrui smiled and moved a little closer, his voice low and deep, "I believe you can see it."
"..."
Lian Suning subconsciously took a step back. She had a very bad impression of Qian Jingrui, but she didn't show it to him. One reason was that Lian Yi's plan was clearly about to be implemented.
On the other hand, she was simply adhering to the social etiquette she had cultivated over the years, restraining herself from embarrassing the other party.
-
Qian Jingrui's car is a black McLaren 570S, transported from Xining City. Parked among a group of luxury cars, it is in no way inferior.
He didn't take the game seriously, but his smile was faint, replaced by a serious expression.
When Lian Yi drove Li Xilai's car out from the depths, it immediately caused a series of exclamations and whistles from the hillside.
They were certainly familiar with the Dodge Demon, but they didn't know the owner's identity.
The sight of the sleek muscle car driving out of the parking lot was enough to make them look at it with the same admiration they'd give a romantic glance. It was undeniably cool, but as the McLaren smoothly glided past, they all showed expressions of regret.
On the track, the Demon's disadvantage is universally acknowledged to be inferior to supercars.
But no matter how much analysis or debate there is, most people's attention is not actually focused on the comparison between the two cars.
The club's work to confirm the road conditions was nearing completion. The two cars had stopped at the starting line, their headlights on, their poised stance drawing everyone's attention under the special lighting.
"What's going on? Sister, dear sister, please, please give me a hint."
"I was so suffocated just now, what kind of trick is Lian Yi up to now!"
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but if you want to crush that kid in racing, go find Xiao Hai! Why did you have Lian Yi personally take the field?"
The group of friends who had finally managed to get close to Li Xilai started talking all at once, crowding around the fence and staring intently at the two cars below.
"You're still willing to lend your precious darling to Lian Yi? Sigh, you just spoil her!"
They had never seen Lian Yi drive before. She had always been uninterested in racing, so no one could guess what Lian Yi's purpose was in personally getting on the track.
But I firmly believe that she wouldn't make baseless accusations.
Li Xilai had no idea what to expect. She trusted Lian Yi completely, but she couldn't show weakness in front of her friend at such a moment. She just smiled slightly, and everything was understood without saying a word.
"Is Lian Yi stirring up trouble again?"
The conversation among the others, whether they were leaning against the railing or sitting calmly in their seats occasionally glancing at the big screen, all turned to this incident.
"I heard that he is Qian Jingrui, the young master of the second branch of the Qian family."
"How did he get involved with Lian Yi?"
"Who knows? Let's just watch the show."
"Didn't you notice? Qian Jingrui's female companion before was Lian Yi's cousin, Lian Suning from Hong Kong."
"Oh?"
It's common for two groups of people to decide to race here, for various reasons, but if one of them is Lian Yi, it becomes quite interesting.
One is being able to get the latest gossip, and no matter what the root of the matter is, it will eventually become known to everyone.
One reason is that they had never actually seen Lian Yi drive before, and no one had taken it seriously before. They wouldn't dare to say a word about whether the young lady Lian drove or not.
But things are different now. When you compete, we, as spectators, can at least offer a few comments, right?
No matter how people commented, no one had a good opinion of Lian Yi.
The most important thing is not the difference in ability between the two, but that the advantages and disadvantages of the two cars are not on the same track. Even if two ordinary drivers were to drive them, they would not believe that Lian Yi's Demon could beat Qian Jingrui's McLaren on the Huanyue Mountain Circuit.
Until someone found out the rules of the competition, everyone had the same thought: "I knew it!"
Sympathetic glances fell on the sleek and sharp lines of the McLaren.
Zeng Minmin silently got into the car, feeling disgusted and self-loathing at being forced into this gambling match.
She and Qian Jingrui clearly met and fell in love in college, and their relationship was perfectly legitimate even if it were made public. However, because of that arranged marriage, she seemed to have been inexplicably placed in the position of a mistress.
Zeng Minmin always felt resentful, even though Qian Jingrui kept explaining that he had no choice in the matter.
This resentment reached its peak when she saw the distance that Qian Jingrui showed, and then added another weight to the scales in front of the Lian sisters.
Once in the car and seated in the passenger seat, Zeng Minmin felt uneasy as she could faintly feel the sports car vibrating beneath her. Her gaze didn't fall on Lian Yi in the driver's seat beside her; instead, she stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.
"Fasten your seatbelt," Lian Yi glanced at her and reminded her.
"Oh, oh, okay."
Zeng Minmin immediately took action, lowering her head to fasten her seatbelt.
"Are you alright? Do you have any illnesses?" Lian Yi lowered her eyes to check the vehicle's data. Li Xilai had modified this car, but most of the time, she didn't have the opportunity to use its full potential.
After all, those who race in the city are all idiots, and Li Xilai wasn't confident enough to let loose on the mountain track; she couldn't control this devil.
When Lian Yi asked to borrow the car, Li Xilai repeatedly reminded her that the car had been modified and its performance was vastly different from when it left the factory, and that she should never floor the accelerator when starting.
If all else fails, take it for a couple of spins.
She was terrified that if Lian Yi stepped on the gas, the car would plunge down the mountainside.
Zeng Minmin was a little stunned. She really didn't expect that the second thing Lian Yi said to her would be about her health. She stammered, "Uh...no."
The environment, as well as their identities and relationships, made this question seem very strange.
She thought for a moment, then hesitated before adding, "I just had a full physical exam this month, and the report shows I'm very healthy."
"That's good."
Lian Yi nodded. A notification appeared indicating that the race was about to begin. She held the steering wheel with one hand and stared ahead with an indifferent expression.
The McLaren was parked on the right. She had no intention of communicating with her 'opponent' before the race, and didn't even open the window.
"By the way, you recorded that just now, didn't you?" Lian Yi tapped the steering wheel lightly and suddenly asked a question out of the blue.
The countdown to the start of the match has begun.
Zeng Minmin didn't react at first, but soon she opened her eyes wide in surprise, turned her face to stare at Lian Yi, murmured her lips, wanting to say something, but held back.
Did she find out...?
After her initial panic subsided, Zeng Minmin tried to calm down. Her relationship with Qian Jingrui wasn't something to be ashamed of. So what if Lian Jia found out?
On what grounds is Lian Yi questioning this? Just because her sister is engaged in a marriage with the Qian family, does she already consider herself the legitimate wife even before the news has been announced?
Zeng Minmin revealed a mocking smile, it was unclear who she was referring to.
"If you're trying to intimidate me and make me back down..." she said with some resentment, but then she remembered what Qian Jingrui had told her.
He said he was only forced to do it because it was the most critical moment for the Qian family's inheritance. He said he would not actually marry into the Lian family; it was just a cooperation. He said he only loved her.
He had been out of contact for a month because he didn't know how to face her, but he never forgot the days they spent together.
Zeng Minmin pursed her lips, trying to regain her composure. She sniffed and looked ahead. "I do hate Li Xilai, but to be realistic, I don't even dare to talk badly about her behind her back."
Regardless of how much trust she had in Qian Jingrui, she could not possibly show weakness in front of Lian Yi.
"Recording? I don't know what you're talking about."
"I see."
Lian Yi smiled but didn't press the matter further.
The countdown jumped from three to two, and the huge round light changed from red to yellow.
As the number one appears, the green light turns on.
She stepped on the gas, and with a sudden, deep roar, she laughed and said, "Then hold on tight."
The next second, the car, a blend of dark red and black, transformed into a streak of red and black light almost instantly in everyone's sight, like a bullet fired from a gun with the trigger pulled, and flew out in a flash.
The demon's roar was like a black hole swallowing the surrounding air, brutally extracting everyone's hearing.
In an instant, it disappeared from everyone's sight. In contrast, the McLaren's start, although equally fast, was unknowingly overlooked by them.
"Damn, that's cool!"
A collective gasp of shock quickly followed by excited whistles and screams as everyone's attention shifted to the drone's live feed on the large screen.
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, Li Xilai! What do you mean by this? You're keeping this from us with Lian Yi, aren't you? That's so unfriendly!"
Li Xilai's shoulder was repeatedly patted in shock by her cronies.
She took a deep breath and glared angrily at the group of ignorant people. Did she have to say that she didn't know it would be like this until the very last second before Lian Yi stepped on the gas?
"Accelerating on the straightaway is just the beginning; the important part is the curves that follow," Li Xilai calmly analyzed.
No one could tell how excited her heart was beating beneath her calm exterior.
Has her demon finally been able to unleash its ultimate potential?
As spectators, we naturally enjoyed the visual and sensory experience brought by the high speed. Under the night lights, the Demon lived up to its name, traversing the mountain track, and every turn caused gasps and exclamations.
They even gradually forgot who was driving. As the driver drove at such an extreme speed that seemed to be risking their lives, any comments or predictions about how the devil would perform on the curves got stuck in their throats as the driver handled one dazzling and heart-stopping, sweat-inducing maneuver after another.
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the show, but Zeng Minmin, sitting in the car, was not so comfortable.
The moment the car started moving, she felt as if she had been slammed against the back of the seat. The strong push gave her a momentary illusion that her internal organs had shifted back a position.
Zeng Minmin's originally healthy and beautiful wheat-colored skin was now completely pale.
The feeling of weightlessness filled her entire body, and the scenery outside the car window was rushing past at breakneck speed. Especially when turning, she felt as if she was about to break free of her seatbelt and fly away.
“…Me.” Zeng Minmin started to speak, but quickly shut her mouth again, her sweaty hands gripping the seatbelt tightly.
Feeling nauseous was one thing, but she was even more afraid that her words would attract Lian Yi's attention. At this speed, if there was even the slightest unexpected situation, they would probably bump into each other.
Zeng Minmin was quite rational, but Lian Yi didn't let her have her way, smiling slightly as she glanced over, "What's wrong?"
"Watch where you're going! Watch where you're going!" Her face turned deathly pale in that instant, and she almost screamed.
The ferocious sports car almost grazed the railing as it rounded the bend, with the McLaren's headlights faintly visible behind it.
Lian Yi held the steering wheel with one hand, her eyes bright and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.
"Don't be afraid, I drive very steadily, didn't I tell you that from the beginning?"
“Yes…” Zeng Minmin immediately shut her mouth with a pale face. The feeling of weightlessness and being pushed back was intertwined. She felt as if she had been thrown into a blender, and the urge to vomit became stronger and stronger.
"Okay, can we talk about the recording now?"
If it weren't for being in this speeding car, ignoring all the sensations and the deep roar of the sports car, and only hearing Lian Yi's relaxed tone, Zeng Minmin would have had a momentary illusion.
She seemed to be sitting in a warm, comfortable, and quiet coffee shop with Lian Yi, when she heard the other person ask her a question with a slight smile.
But what followed were several turns in a row. Zeng Minmin, whose brain seemed to have been shaken from side to side, came back to her senses and almost cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Please wait until we reach the finish line before you ask me anything, okay?"
Lian Yi glanced at her. "Don't be nervous, relax, okay? Take a deep breath, okay? Come on, inhale, exhale."
No matter how calm the sound was, the sports car did not slow down.
Zeng Minmin gripped the seatbelt tightly. In this unsafe environment, she subconsciously did as Lian Yi said.
"I don't like beating around the bush, so this is the last time I'll ask you: did you record this?" Lian Yi's eyes curved slightly, and despite the rapid surge of adrenaline, she remained calm.
"...It was recorded."
With tears in her eyes, Zeng Minmin said weakly after a long while, "So, you were there at that time too? You heard everything?"
"So what do you want me to do? Do you want me to give you the recording, or do you want me to be sensible and not disturb the marriage between the two young masters and ladies who are well-matched?"
She tried to force a smile to appear less disheveled, but under constant pressure, she couldn't manage it.
"Delete the recording." Lian Yi ignored her sad and self-deprecating demeanor. The route of the mountain circuit appeared in her mind like a three-dimensional image. She gripped the steering wheel and suddenly turned it to the right, the sports car tires screeching as they gripped the ground.
Zeng Minmin once again experienced what it means to not drive too fast, but to fly too low.
After a moment of blankness and confusion, she finally asked in a daze, "Why did you delete the recording?"
Zeng Minmin stared blankly at Lian Yi in the driver's seat. She hadn't expected that even Lian Yi, who was known for her arrogant and domineering behavior, would do something like whitewashing things at a time like this.
For a moment, Zeng Minmin didn't know whether to laugh at Lian Suning for being pitiful, having to marry a man who didn't love her, and having her own sister clean up after her fiancé.
I still envy Lian Suning; at least someone is willing to do these things for her.
Lian Yi chuckled lightly, "You don't actually think that recording Qian Jingrui's words will allow you to use them as leverage later, do you?"
"..." Zeng Minmin's face was pale, and she covered her mouth to suppress the urge to vomit, without answering.
“Once the Lian and Qian families are united by marriage, all transactions and collaborations based on this marriage will not be allowed to be shaken by any unstable factors.”
Lian Yi smiled slightly mockingly and said in a calm voice, "If you're not stupid, you should be able to figure it out."
She had seen plenty of people like Qian Jingrui. When she overheard him talking to Zeng Minmin in the open-air entertainment area, Lian Yi could even guess about 70-80% of what he was thinking.
Of course, he could choose not to make a choice, marry a wife who could bring him benefits, and weave a lie about the future to coax his 'true love'.
Lian Yi could tell that Zeng Minmin was on the verge of struggling between reason and emotion.
She wasn't interested in saving others, but at the time, the other person's phone screen was lit up in their pocket, and Lian Yi vaguely saw the recording interface.
It's somewhat amusing that Zeng Minmin wasn't careful enough, and surprising that Qian Jingrui hadn't noticed this at all.
But no matter what, there was no need for this recording to exist.
It's just a recording. Even if Zeng Minmin can't bear the hopelessness one day and uses it to threaten him, by then, Qian Jingrui will have plenty of ways to deal with the interception.
Even if he is incapable, for the sake of both families' reputation, the Qian family and the Lian family will not allow this recording to be made public.
Zeng Minmin clearly still had some naive ideas.
Of course, Lian Yi made her delete the recording simply because she didn't want her eldest sister's reputation to be affected by a good-for-nothing. After all, there are many ways to deal with Qian Jingrui.
But let's not involve her older sister in their love-hate entanglement.
Zeng Minmin never expected that Lian Yi would speak so frankly to her. Her first instinct was to retort, "Even so, but he and I..."
Her voice gradually lowered as she saw the smile on Lian Yi's face, and was eventually drowned out by the roar.
"You're rich and educated, how could you not understand these things?" Lian Yi chuckled. "Besides, how much of Qian Jingrui's words are true and how much are false? You're not really fooling yourself, are you? Didn't your parents teach you the principle of cutting your losses in time when they were doing business?"
"Besides, I'm not discussing this with you, and I hope you haven't misunderstood."
"..."
Zeng Minmin's mind was filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts, like a tangled ball of yarn.
Reason told her that Lian Yi was right, but the other party's attitude made her feel mocked.
The last section of the track was a straight road. With the sudden acceleration, Zeng Minmin was pushed back against the seat back before she could even think clearly.
"I, I'll delete it, I'll delete it, ah—"
What racing? She's clearly using torture to extract a confession!
The red and black streaks of light passed through the finish line, the speed gradually decreased, and finally, with a cool drift, the car turned around and faced the finish line.
Lian Yi smiled slightly with satisfaction and looked to her side.
Zeng Minmin quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door. When she got out of the car, her legs felt like they were stepping on cotton, and she felt weak as noodles. Zeng Minmin staggered a few steps with a pale face, then reached up and pressed her collar down with her head.
“yue——”
Lian Yi unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over to the car window, smiled and whispered to her, "Remember to give me a five-star review!"
“You…yue—”
Soon, staff members came over, patted her back skillfully, handed her water, and someone took out testing equipment to conduct a basic examination on Zeng Minmin.
Lian Yi waved her hand, signaling the staff member carrying the equipment to leave.
Less than half a minute later, the McLaren also appeared at the finish line.
Inside the car, Qian Jingrui's expression wasn't very good; his smile always seemed somewhat forced. He hadn't taken this race seriously from the start, and even his initial stance was one of compromise.
It wasn't until Lian Yi's car sped out of sight that he vaguely realized something was wrong.
But even when she got serious, Lian Yi's seemingly reckless yet precise and confident maneuvering kept him far behind.
In the end, Qian Jingrui even lost the desire to talk to Lian Suning. His initial intention to take care of her and not to do anything too exciting was unknowingly thrown into a corner.
When he opened the car door, he calmed himself down several times before the smile on his face became natural.
Only then did he remember Lian Suning in the passenger seat. He turned around to talk to her, but saw that she had already hurriedly opened the car door and was running towards him.
Qian Jingrui paused for a moment, then got out of the car and walked towards that direction.
"all!"
Lian Suning's heart was still pounding, not because Qian Jingrui was driving so fast, but because she kept seeing the performance of Lian Yi's car along the way. It was really scary. Several times it seemed like it was about to break through the fence and fly out, but it just missed by a few centimeters with a fishtailing.
Her heart was in her throat the whole way.
The woman, her face filled with worry and fear, walked to the car and couldn't help but pat Lian Yi's hands, which were clasped together on the edge of the car window.
"You're not allowed to drive like that again! No, you should drive less." Just thinking about Lian Yi driving so dangerously in the future made her palms sweat.
"Ouch, big sister, why are you hitting people? That hurts!" Lian Yi said lazily.
His dismissive and shameless attitude clearly showed that he didn't take her words to heart.
Lian Suning was somewhat helpless, but she still reached out and gently touched her arm, frowning as she said, "This is really dangerous. You mustn't do it again."
"Okay, okay, fine." Lian Yi drawled out the last syllable.
The finish line of the mountain circuit is not far from the start, and as the race neared its end, a large number of people had already moved their positions and run over there.
"This must be Lianyi's older sister, right? You're Lianyi's older sister, and you're also our older sister!"
"Sister! Sister! Hello!"
A group of friends walked over excitedly, laughing and joking, but their behavior subsided when they saw Lian Suning standing by the car.
But these people were all restless wild monkeys. Seeing that Lian Yi treated her, their older sister, well, they started calling her "sister" in a funny way and kept introducing themselves.
The group of about ten people formed a semi-circle around the car, making it impossible for Qian Jingrui, who had a polite smile on his face, to squeeze in.
Li Xilai leaned closer to the car window, looked down and touched her car, then suddenly smiled at Lian Yi and said, "You've kept this a secret. I didn't even know you had this skill."
"Do I have to tell you that I can fly a rocket?" Lian Yi smiled.
"Now you're going to be famous," Li Xilai clicked her tongue.
People have an innate tendency to admire the strong. She knew that many people secretly looked down on Lian Yi, but on the surface they ridiculously only dared to fawn over her or avoid her. Perhaps racing was not a real skill.
But the aura that Lian Yi displayed in this match was enough to wash away many people's impressions of her.
Even Li Xilai thought that Lian Yi, who was leaning against the edge of the car window with his slightly curly long hair covering his small face and looking delicate and beautiful, was incredibly handsome.
"Hey, is it so strange that I'm famous when I'm this good?"
Lian Yi tilted her head at her, her eyes crinkling, and said with a smile, "You're so smitten, aren't you?"
“…Get lost.” Li Xilai was amused by her little expression.
Lian Suning, who originally wanted to reason with Lian Yi and make her understand that what she was doing was really dangerous, was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic young people. The girls were especially affectionate, blinking their bright eyes at her and showering her with compliments until Lian Suning blushed.
He could only glance helplessly at Lian Yi, whose face was full of innocence, and then start talking to them.
Qian Jingrui finally managed to squeeze into the crowd. When he came over, he saw Zeng Minmin being helped to the side to rest, but he quickly looked away. When he squeezed in, his carefully styled hair was a bit messy.
"Lian Yi, I didn't expect you to be so amazing." After glancing at Lian Suning, who had become the center of attention and was surrounded by people, he thought for a moment and decided to give up the idea of squeezing in.
Looking at Lian Yi, Qian Jingrui made no attempt to hide the admiration in his eyes.
He said with genuine remorse, "It's because my skills are inferior. Tell me, what do you want to ask for?"
Qian Jingrui felt regretful. Unfortunately, as a third-generation member, he was not qualified to marry into the Lian family in mainland China. If the Lian family in Hong Kong had not chosen him due to their business expansion strategy, he probably would not have been eligible to marry Lian Suning.
Even so, he couldn't help but daydream, but his gaze towards Lian Yi remained unchanged, his handsome face bearing a faint smile.
Lian Yi raised her head, sat back in her seat, and from outside the car, all that could be seen was her fair chin and faintly visible rosy lips.
Qian Jingrui narrowed his eyes; he seemed to sense some kind of hint.
"If even a car like this can't outrun me, it must be pretty useless. I might as well smash it."
A girl's clear voice came from inside the car, her tone nonchalant.
Qian Jingrui's vague reverie was instantly abruptly cut off. He was slightly taken aback. "What?"
"You don't even understand this?" Li Xilai, leaning against the car, sneered. "There's no need to keep this piece of trash around. I'll let you smash the car so you won't remember losing to Lian Yi today when you drive it. I'll think more about you."
"..."
Qian Jingrui's smile faded slightly. He raised his hand to rest on the car roof and bowed his head slightly. "Lian Yi? I don't think I've offended you. Although I'm pursuing your sister, I've always been very careful."
He sighed, looking helpless, as if watching a mischievous child.
“If there is anything I did not do well enough, you can point it out directly. This way of doing things will not solve the problem, and if the elders find out, it may not be good for you.”
This top-of-the-line car cost him several million.
Money is a small matter, of course it's a small matter. The important thing is that he would never smash his own car, no matter the reason. What's the difference between that and smashing his face?
He believed that Lian Yi understood this principle as well. Rather than saying that she genuinely wanted to do this, it would be more accurate to say that she was intentionally making things difficult for him.
Thinking of this, Qian Jingrui felt a little annoyed, but he was still able to maintain his composure.
"Actually, I really admire people like you. As long as there's profit involved, even if someone throws a pile of dog poop on your head to achieve their goal, you can still smile and thank them for their kindness as long as they have something you need."
Lian Yi sat in the car, her chin slightly raised, her expression nonchalant.
"It's not a problem to think of yourself as a smart person or someone who is good at scheming. It's normal for people to have ambitions to climb the social ladder."
"But shouldn't we respect others and not treat them like fools?"
She didn't bother to look at Qian Jingrui's expression and sneered, "Which elder would treat me badly if they found out? Call him now and let's see who has the power to control me."
"..."
Qian Jingrui found it absurd. He had no idea where Lian Yi's hostility came from. Suppressing his unpleasant expression, he said in a low voice, "Lian Yi, don't make things too ugly."
"You should also know that your sister and I will soon be announced as getting married. It's a marriage between our two families. If you insist on doing this, you know how serious the consequences will be."
He took a deep breath and spoke slightly faster.
"I can give you that McLaren as punishment for losing to you this time. After all, you'll still have to call me brother-in-law from now on, so there's no need to make things so awkward."
"Oh."
Lian Yi admired Qian Jingrui's confidence, but upon closer reflection, it wasn't surprising. Aside from his family background, the fact that his uncle had chosen him as a son-in-law meant he couldn't be too stupid.
It wasn't that he couldn't see the situation; rather, he assumed that everyone was within the rules. Since the two families were going to form a marriage alliance, Lian Yi, who had a nepotistic relationship with the other family, should not and could not, openly, disrupt or influence the process, regardless of her true intentions.
Want to embarrass him, want to intimidate him? Fine, but there has to be a bottom line.
Giving his sister-in-law a car could be considered generous, but if the car gets smashed here, that's a completely different story.
Qian Jingrui's hint was very direct. He stared intently at Lian Yi, not believing that she would really dare to do such a thing.
"I generally don't like to repeat myself," Lian Yi said casually. "But since you can't understand human language, I'll reluctantly say it again."
"A bet's a bet. You, smash your car and let me hear the noise."
Qian Jingrui's face instantly turned cold. He straightened up and said in a deep voice, "I can accommodate you because you are Su Ning's sister, but this accommodation is not without limits."
“I won’t let word of what happened today get out, but I hope you won’t have this kind of thinking again in the future. Otherwise, I won’t mind disciplining you on behalf of your elders.”
After he finished speaking, he was about to walk towards Lian Suning. If the younger sister is so ignorant, shouldn't the older sister be more knowledgeable?
If he wants to leave, can Lian Yi really stop him?
Lian Yi's behavior did indeed infuriate Qian Jingrui, but he managed to suppress his anger. There are priorities, and Lian Yi was someone he couldn't easily offend. However, he knew he would eventually have a chance to get revenge.
But when he turned around, Qian Jingrui was stunned. Lian Suning was being led intimately by several girls to the rest area.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, he was about to take a step.
"This is a sea of clouds, money is scarce."
A girl's nonchalant voice came from the car behind them.
"Do you know what I'm trying to say?" she chuckled softly.
Li Xilai stood by the car and clapped her hands with a light laugh.
A group of friends gathered around, all looking at Qian Jingrui with curiosity and mockery.
Lian Yi tapped the steering wheel and said calmly, "Stop with your hypocritical act. I'll give you two choices: either you obediently smash the car, or I'll get someone to help you, and then you'll crawl down the mountain."
"Go ahead and try, see if I dare, and if I can."
"..."
It wasn't until this moment that Qian Jingrui finally realized that Lian Yi's reputation was not exaggerated at all. His face turned ashen, but he was helpless against Lian Yi's audacity in disregarding the unspoken rules that everyone accepted.
She's completely insane, knowing full well the consequences of her actions and how enraged her elders would be.
But she did it anyway, without any scruples.
Why? Qian Jingrui couldn't understand it at all. What benefit would she gain from doing this?
Is he really just an arrogant playboy who purely does evil for fun? That's way too outrageous!
"What are you standing there for? Pay me and take less tools," Lian Yi said with a light laugh.
This kind of person wants to marry her older sister?
Lian Yi opened the car door and got out. She leisurely walked around the car and stood in front of Qian Jingrui. There was no smile on her face. Even though she had to look up at Qian Jingrui slightly, her posture looked like she was looking down on him.
"I've said it before, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can chase after my older sister. If you want to make a living this way, you should at least clean your mouth. Do you really think that just because you have a face and a bit of money, every woman will flock to you and be infatuated with you?"
Lian Yi's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You really didn't notice how disgusted my older sister was by your confidence just now, did you?"
"...Lian Yi, whatever your purpose in doing this."
Qian Jingrui forced himself to ignore her sarcastic remarks and said in a deep voice, "The fact that your sister and I are getting married cannot be affected. What you are doing will only implicate her and ruin her reputation."
"So you actually thought you could marry her?" Lian Yi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Do you really think that doing this will affect the cooperation between our two companies?" Qian Jingrui asked rhetorically, but his tone was assertive, and his face was cold.
"Don't be so naive. Perhaps you are resistant to the arranged marriage, or perhaps you have some misunderstanding about me, but the things that the elders of both families have decided will not be shaken so easily."
Qian Jingrui's expression gradually calmed down, revealing a hint of confidence.
"You want to go crazy? Fine, I'll go crazy with you, but I hope you can handle the consequences."
Despite his seemingly calm demeanor, he still harbored resentment towards Lian Yi's words about wiping his mouth clean.
Fueled by anger, Qian Jingrui just wanted to end this farce as soon as possible. He didn't believe that the Lian family would let it go so easily after they found out about it. Lian Yi had gone too far, and his performance was impeccable.
I believe the Lian family will make the compensation they deserve.
A cheerful, sunny-looking boy with a baby face walked over, carrying a baseball bat he'd somehow found, and handed it to the two of them with a grin.
Lian Yi smiled and glanced at him, "Please, Mr. Qian."
Qian Jingrui took a deep breath, took the baseball bat, and turned to walk towards his car with a clean and decisive motion.
He knew that in the current situation, it was impossible to reason with a spoiled, lawless rich girl, but soon she would pay the price for her actions.
Fuming, Qian Jingrui raised his baseball bat high and slammed it hard against the car window.
The loud noise instantly drew everyone's attention.
Lian Yi's smile turned slightly cold. She glanced at Li Xilai, who had already taken out her phone and was squinting as she took pictures, and said in a low voice, "Don't just take pictures, turn on the video and record it."
Since both families value reputation so much, she decided to make Qian Jingrui famous throughout the world.
I'm sure everyone is happy to hear this gossip.
Grandson of shipping magnate smashes luxury cars in the middle of the night: Is this a sign of the loss of humanity or the decline of morality?
Look, she's already come up with a title.
Lian Yi watched Qian Jingrui vent his anger and suddenly sneered. She forgot that these photos were going to be sent to the media in Hong Kong, and their ability to come up with headlines was far superior to hers.
She's so fond of this false prosperity, yet she's determined to overturn the table and show everyone what's hidden underneath.
Lian Yi was very curious whether her good uncle could still keep his temper after learning about this.
Everyone was startled by the noise of the car being smashed. Those in the rest area were quite far away and could only vaguely see the outline, but those who had been watching the race earlier could easily identify the car that had been smashed and the person who had smashed it.
this……
Why would someone smash their own car for no reason?
Among the girls who were surrounding Lian Suning and asking her about interesting things in Hong Kong, one of them suddenly spoke up in surprise.
"Seriously? You lost, so what? You can't take a joke, are you? You even smashed a car to vent your anger?"
"Tsk, what a temper."
The crowd's expressions changed slightly; it seemed that this was indeed the case.
Many of them had heard of Qian Jingrui, and upon hearing this, they chuckled and commented, "It seems that this Second Young Master Qian is under a lot of pressure lately."
"He seemed like a pretty good person at first, but I never expected him to be this kind of person."
Zeng Minmin stared blankly at the figure who had smashed the hood of the car and then tossed the baseball bat aside. Her pale face was filled with a dazed expression.
She suddenly felt very unfamiliar with Qian Jingrui, and for a moment she didn't know what kind of person he was.
The words Lian Yi had said inexplicably surfaced in Zeng Minmin's mind, and her heart, which had been swayed by Qian Jingrui's almost humble coaxing, gradually shifted in another direction.
She covered her mouth, suppressing the nausea that was rising from her emotional turmoil, and walked through a group of people craning their necks to watch the show. She reached Lian Suning and tried to smile at her, but she couldn't manage it.
“Ms. Lian…” Zeng Minmin lowered her hands from her sides and clenched her fists. She lowered her voice and said, “Can I talk to you about something in private?”
Lian Suning looked up, her quiet eyes gazing at her.
“Okay.” Stopping the girl next to her who was about to speak, Lian Suning smiled slightly, nodded and stood up, saying softly to them, “This young lady and I are going to talk about something. We’ll come back later to share the story with you, okay?”
The girls exchanged glances, and then one of them cheerfully looked up and said, "Okay, sister, we'll all be waiting for you here."
On the other side, Qian Jingrui could no longer maintain his polite smile. He didn't even glance at Lian Yi with a cold face. He searched around but couldn't find Lian Suning anywhere.
The young man, who had been behaving very politely, eventually turned pale, brushed aside the staff member who tried to ask him questions, and walked straight down the mountain.
Who knows what connection this club has with Lian Yi? If you ride in their car, you might get dragged out and beaten up halfway through the journey.
It's not like I haven't heard of this kind of thing before.
"...So, you really just dislike him, that's why you did all this?" Li Xilai lowered her eyes and sent out the photos she had just taken, instructing her to process them and send them to the appropriate media outlets according to her plan.
Lian Yi smiled and glanced at her, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Let's talk about the fake one first." She replied to the other person while her fingers were still tapping the screen lightly.
“My older sister doesn’t want to marry him, so he’s not qualified to be my brother-in-law.” Lian Yi put her hands in her pockets, warmed them up, and then couldn’t help but take them out to touch her nose and cheeks, which were freezing cold.
Li Xilai paused in her typing, unable to resist looking at her, "The truth?"
"I don't like him." Lian Yi sneered, "He doesn't even know how to watch his eyes and expressions when he's scheming. He pretends to be a gentleman, an elite, but his eyes are always wandering around. I'm lucky I didn't gouge his eyes out."
Li Xilai shook her head, lowered her eyes, and chuckled.
Suddenly, she asked, "If I meet someone I don't want to marry in the future, will you do the same?"
"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Lian Yi raised an eyebrow.
"It's a lie, that's all I'll believe." Li Xilai said with a smirk, "I prefer hearing you tell lies; the truth always ruins the atmosphere."
"I see—"
Lian Yi smiled and said, "Given the chance, I could still use my status to do whatever I want. We'll see who's unlucky enough to be the one to do it."
…
Sitting in the corner with Zeng Minmin, Lian Suning's face had lost all trace of a smile, and she felt a chill run through her body.
At first, she thought Qian Jingrui was a person who was not serious about relationships and had a flawed character. She also had the selfish desire not to marry someone she couldn't even remember clearly what he looked like.
So Lian Suning thought she would go on a silly spree with Lian Yi this time.
At the very least, she wanted her parents to know what she was thinking.
Perhaps doing so is very unladylike, and not how a lady from a respectable family should behave.
But from Zeng Minmin's intermittent, choked-up voice, Lian Suning realized that if it weren't for Lian Yi, if it weren't for the final question she asked Lian Yi, "What should we do?"
What kind of person will she marry in the future?
“He really…” Lian Suning’s voice trembled slightly. She paused, trying to calm herself down, “How could he, how could he say such a thing?”
Looking at Lian Suning, whose composure remained intact even at this moment, Zeng Minmin smiled self-deprecatingly, "When Lian Yi was in the car, she asked me to delete the recording. If you don't believe me, I can let you listen to it."
"Including the promises and guarantees he made to me before."
Zeng Minmin's voice was bitter, "I'm sorry, I did get stuck on things before, even if they were wrong, but I..."
"It's not your fault."
Lian Suning shook her head, her mood becoming calmer. She let out a soft breath and looked earnestly at the woman opposite her. "I just didn't expect him to be so... vicious."
"Since you've been asked to delete all the recordings, just delete them."
Zeng Minmin was stunned for a moment. "Why? Do you still want to marry him? I don't want to stop you two. To be honest, I've given up. But... and these recordings can make him wary. At least they can be used as a bargaining chip."
“Lian Yi may think I’m not a good person, that I’m in cahoots with Qian Jingrui, but you should understand that what she did wasn’t enough to stop the marriage between your two families.”
She was a little anxious, worried that Lian Suning would misunderstand her as having ulterior motives.
Admittedly, even now, Zeng Minmin cannot deny that besides resentment, she also feels reluctant to part with Qian Jingrui.
But after getting out of Lianyi's car, the countless near-death experiences gave her new insights.
At least for now, she genuinely hoped that this seemingly gentle and kind woman wouldn't step into a pit of fire.
Lian Suning smiled, shook her head, lowered her eyes, and spoke with a hint of doting, "You misunderstood Yiyi. She wasn't threatening you or warning you."
"I asked you to delete these recordings just to protect you."
"Don't you understand?"
“Her,” Lian Suning said gently, “has always had this awkward personality.”
Zeng Minmin opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but even with Yi's arrogant demeanor, it didn't seem like she had any genuine good intentions.
But the open mouth eventually closed silently.
"I will never see him again. As for your matter, I think it has nothing to do with me anymore. I will delete the recording. I hope you can get rid of this man."
"Yes, thank you for being willing to tell me the truth." Lian Suning smiled at her.
-
"But, can this whole commotion really ruin your sister's marriage?" After finishing her business, Li Xilai looked up at Lian Yi and asked curiously.
Lian Yi, chilled to the bone, shrank back into the car. Hearing this, she gave a cryptic snort, "How would I know? I just didn't like Qian Jingrui and decided to mess with him. A marriage alliance? I don't know anything about that. Don't make me take the blame."
Li Xilai scoffed, "Forget it, you don't have a backup plan? I don't believe it."
"What backup plan could I possibly have? As long as he's clean, nothing will happen to him." Lian Yi looked completely innocent. Even if she held a grudge, she wouldn't fabricate rumors out of thin air. Such methods were low-level and boring.
But the premise is that Qian Jingrui is truly innocent.
Otherwise, he would be the one to bring shame upon the Qian family, and he would also be the one to cause Lian Xuhan to lose a promising son-in-law.
What does this have to do with Lian Yi?
As they were talking, Zeng Minmin walked over behind Lian Suning. The atmosphere between the two was surprisingly harmonious. Zeng Minmin had come with a friend, but she insisted on taking Lian Suning to Lian Yi's side first.
"Alright, go find your friend." Lian Suning stood by the car, reached out and touched Lian Yi's head sticking out of the car window, then turned to Zeng Minmin and said with a smile.
Zeng Minmin hummed in agreement, lowered her eyes, but made no move.
Until Lian Yi looked at her, still confused, she suddenly said "thank you," and without waiting for Lian Yi's reaction, she turned around, flicked her short hair, and walked away cleanly and neatly.
“…Huh?” Lian Yi looked bewildered.
Li Xilai also looked at Zeng Minmin's back with a strange expression, then glanced at Lian Yi who was blinking blankly, wanting to laugh but holding back.
This was the first time she had ever heard someone say thank you to Lian Yi.
Lian Suning looked down at Lian Yi and said gently with a smile, "Miss Zeng was actually just deceived. She told me a lot just now, and I think she has figured it out, which is why she sincerely thanked you."
With that awkward tone, where's the sincerity? Lian Yi frowned speechlessly, then vaguely sensed something was wrong. "What is she trying to figure out?"
"Qian Jingrui is a really bad person." Lian Suning whispered, relaying some of what Zeng Minmin had said.
Qian Jingrui was simply trying to please both sides, wanting both, but in front of Lian Suning, he would still pretend to be a gentleman and a charming gentleman.
All the promises he made to Zeng Minmin were just that he would use up the Lian family's resources and, once he had a voice, he would divorce Lian Suning and marry her properly.
"As for what she's figured out, she probably realized she misunderstood your feelings—let me tell you..."
Every time her eldest sister used this sentence structure, it was usually followed by a long explanation of reasoning, which made Lianyi raise her hand to interrupt her with a headache.
"No, what feelings could I possibly have for her?"
"Alright, alright, if you don't have it, you don't have it." Lian Suning looked at her with a somewhat helpless smile.
“Li Xilai”.
Lian Yi paused for a moment.
"Okay, I'm listening. Go ahead." Li Xilai suppressed a laugh. When had she ever seen Lian Yi lose an argument? She really should record it.
"If you don't want me to tell your brother about your car modifications, you'd better not laugh too obviously."
"cough."
Li Xilai covered her mouth and made an OK sign.
"Alright, big sister, get in the car, I'll take you home." Lian Yi sat back down in her seat, somewhat annoyed.
Both Lian Suning and Li Xilai, who were inside and outside the car, instantly changed their expressions.
"No, Yi-yi, let someone else drive."
"No, Lianyi, there are many ways to punish me. Don't take it out on my precious baby."
"..." Ugh, so annoying.
…
…
The Lian family's old house.
The two elders always rested very early. Although the garden and the house were far apart, they generally followed their habit of going to bed early and getting up early. After midnight, they would only leave some non-glaring night lights on.
As Lian Xuhan listened solemnly to his subordinate's report on the other end of the video conference, his phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly vibrated.
He glanced at the screen, and the reporting in the video conference stopped.
"Hello? It's me." Lian Xuhan answered the phone with his eyelids slightly drooping.
As time ticked by, the expression on his face grew increasingly somber.
Lian Xuhan hummed in agreement, hung up the phone, and then looked at the computer screen expressionlessly. He nodded and said, "Continue."
Until the hour hand points to one point.
Lian Xuhan stood up, picked up the landline and dialed Lian Decheng. Both of them were very busy people with a lot of responsibilities, so they couldn't go to bed so early. Lian Decheng's question came through the receiver very quickly.
"Big brother? Why are you calling so late? What's up?"
"Lian Decheng! Look what kind of good daughter you've raised!"
After being harshly reprimanded like that, Lian Decheng's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. He frowned and asked, "What did Lian Yi do?"
Even though Xu Han hadn't intended to hide his plans for a marriage alliance with the Qian family, Lian Yi had now gotten involved. Despite his anger, he remained rational and said in a deep voice, "Su Ning took one of her friends out to play."
"But your good daughter bullied him so much that she smashed his car! Now the news is everywhere, and even the Qian family called to ask me what our Lian family means by this!"
Lian Decheng's furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he revealed the information, and he comforted him, saying, "The child is young and doesn't understand, brother. It's not good to get angry so late at night."
"I'll find out what happened tomorrow, and they'll apologize for everything they owe."
"you!"
Lian Xuhan lowered his voice, "Qian Jingrui is one of the most outstanding grandsons of shipping magnates. Lian Yi had his car smashed, forcing him to walk down the mountain. There are many places that can make a big deal out of this, whether it's a minor or major issue. Don't you know that?"
“Children fighting and roughhousing…” Lian Decheng frowned and thought for a moment, “Did that young man from the Qian family get beaten up?”
"No." Lian Xuhan said with a stern face.
"Hmm... your clothes were taken off?"
"No!"
"What were you forced to do?"
"No! Isn't this enough?" Lian Xuhan said angrily, "The grandson of the mighty Qian Ship King came to Yunhai and was humiliated like this by the Lian family, with his car smashed. What will people think of us?"
Lian Decheng's imposing expression relaxed slightly. "If the car is smashed, compensation will suffice. Does the Qian family expect Lian Yi to apologize? We can't expect her to pay with her life for that car, can we?"
“…This is utter nonsense!” Lian Xuhan’s lips twitched slightly, and he slammed down the phone.
"It's nothing serious."
Lian Decheng glanced at his wife sitting beside him and sighed, "She's getting more and more of a worry, but this time the trouble she caused wasn't too big."
"well."
Mother Lian sighed softly, but her expression showed little worry. She said calmly, "Fortunately, we made plans in advance."
Lian Decheng paused slightly, "Go and find out the details tomorrow. Pay whatever compensation is due. As for the Qian family... I remember you have a friend who is the Qian family's daughter-in-law? Let her be the middleman."
"It's just a car that was smashed. Brother, you're making a big fuss over nothing. If he wants to find a son-in-law like this, why should we have to be so polite?"
Mother Lian nodded. "You've been treating Lian Yi better lately. She has a short temper, and if she's unhappy with you, she'll always try to make up for it elsewhere. Luckily, this time it was just a car that got smashed. What if she hurts someone next time?"
Lian Decheng waved his hand and said nothing more.
However, the next morning, the couple were having breakfast in the garden pavilion.
Even Xu Han, somewhat out of control, hurried over and slammed his phone on the stone table, making a crisp sound.
"Lian Lao Er, what exactly do you mean, huh?"
Even the old man had never spoken to him like that over the years, and even his own elder brother made him frown.
His gaze fell on Lian Xuhan's slightly thin and angry face, then shifted to the phone screen.
Lian Decheng paused for a moment, and the slight displeasure in his heart immediately vanished.
"this……"
He organized his thoughts, his solemn, square face now displaying a sincere expression, "Children don't understand—"
Looking again at the magazines and newspapers on the screen with their exaggerated headlines and close-up photos, Lian Decheng added, "Besides, how could these things have anything to do with Lian Yi?"
"How can it be unrelated?!"
Even Xu Han didn't want to look at those disgusting contents anymore. Compared to them, the photos of Qian Jingrui smashing cars seemed ordinary.
“These magazine articles, about how his car was vandalized last night because of Lian Yi, and these things breaking out this morning, are you telling me it has nothing to do with Lian Yi? If you still consider me your older brother, you should call Lian Yi right now and ask her to come back!”
Lian Decheng frowned as he listened to his elder brother's aggressive tone. He sighed, his gaze becoming slightly grave.
How did Lian Yi manage to obtain so many private details about Qian Jingrui overnight, and then get multiple media outlets to publish them so quickly?
Compared to what his older brother cared about, he was more concerned about this point.
Under pressure from Lian Xuhan, Lian Decheng had no choice but to comply and dial Lian Yi's number.
I had to call twice before the call finally went through.
"Lian Yi—"
In front of his elder brother, he still had to show him respect. However, Lian Decheng simply called out his name in a deep voice, and then he heard Lian Yi's slightly sleepy voice lazily ring out from the other end of the phone.
"Is Uncle angry? I can't be bothered to listen to his rambling. Dad, could you please pass on this message? His taste in choosing a son-in-law is really terrible. If this kind of person's behavior is exposed after my eldest sister gets married, tsk, it will really affect the stock price."
"Tell him he doesn't need to thank me; after all, it's what I should do."
Before hanging up the phone, Lian Yi yawned and added, "Dad, you don't need to be too proud of me. That's all. Good morning."
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