Chapter 7
1510 Words
Indeed, Lu Yuan was none other than Xue Nuo.
Thinking back to being dismissed at the Eastli Bar by He Min’s roommates and his breakup with Li Mengyao, Lu Yuan began to question his worldview.
Honesty and simplicity were virtues, but in this world, wealth was the true currency.
If that was the case, he would speak in the language of money.
Watching Li Hongfei flaunt himself on the livestream, especially as he repeatedly mocked and belittled Zhang Hui and Song Chun, Lu Yuan sneered, adding two hundred thousand yuan to his account without hesitation.
This sum was nothing to him, merely a fraction of a fraction.
When he saw Yin Yi addressing Xue Nuo as "big brother," her gaze filled with an innate, feminine allure, a peculiar satisfaction surged in his chest.
Damn, could it be that, deep down, I am a spoiled, arrogant rich kid?
Alright then, let’s take things slow.
By noon the following day, Chen Feng returned.
“Old Chen, finally back, eh? Bet your legs are jelly, huh?” Song Chun winked playfully.
“Man, having a girlfriend is really something,” Zhang Hui added enviously.
Last night, Chen Feng hadn’t returned to the dorm; after the gathering at Eastli Bar, he and He Min had gone out and hadn’t come back. What they were up to was obvious.
“Brothers, something’s wrong,” Chen Feng said, cutting in.
“Wait, what? You broke up with He Min?” Zhang Hui blurted out.
“No way, He Min’s a nice girl,” Song Chun replied, sounding troubled. He knew that if Chen Feng and He Min broke up, the dorm’s gatherings with her friends would end, and he’d lose any chance of seeing them.
Though he knew dating one of He Min’s girlfriends was unlikely, just hanging out, sharing a meal, or going out was satisfying enough.
“No, that’s not it.”
Chen Feng rubbed his nose. “Qin Jiu’er is in trouble.”
“She’s in trouble?” Zhang Hui blinked, then slapped his hands together. “Good! Serves her right!”
“Exactly. The wicked get their dues,” Song Chun chimed in, clapping. “Look at how she treated Old Lu yesterday.”
“What happened, exactly?” Lu Yuan asked.
Though Qin Jiu’er had dismissed him yesterday, he knew she was He Min’s close friend, and He Min was Chen Feng’s girlfriend. This connection couldn’t be ignored.
“You all know that guy she bumped into last night when she stormed out?” Chen Feng asked.
“Yeah, wasn’t he trying to toast her?”
“Probably a friend of hers; we didn’t hear much of what they said.”
“But didn’t she slap him? Fiery temper, that one. Looks like the guy was just some commoner who crossed her,” Zhang Hui and Song Chun recalled the events of last night.
“You’re both mistaken. That guy wasn’t a friend; he was hitting on her,” Chen Feng clarified. “And far from being some nobody, he’s actually a wealthy young heir named Yu Tianqi from the Shengtang Corporation. His father is none other than Yu Dayong, the company’s president.”
What?!
Both Zhang Hui and Song Chun were shocked.
They weren’t Jinling locals, but after a few years here, they knew Shengtang Corporation had a formidable presence in the city.
It was a huge company with undeniable clout.
“Qin Jiu’er’s father might own a business and be quite well-off, but compared to Shengtang, it’s no contest,” Chen Feng continued. “Word is, when Yu Tianqi went home, he told his father what happened. Having been raised as Yu Dayong’s pride, he wasn’t about to let a slap slide.”
“Yu Dayong wasted no time. He launched an investigation, confirmed it was Qin Jiu’er who slapped his son, and found out her background. By this morning, Yu Dayong’s people had already moved in, hitting her father’s Jiujiang Company with a band of thugs to cause havoc. He then put out the word in business circles, scaring off over a dozen suppliers and partners from doing business with them. The company’s operations have now ground to a halt.”
“No way, that’s ruthless!” Song Chun’s eyes widened. “Qin Jiu’er’s really in over her head.”
“Qin Jiu’er’s father tore into her, and I’ll bet she’s deeply regretting it. Right now, she’s crying in her dorm, with He Min and the others consoling her. She hasn’t eaten since last night,” Chen Feng sighed.
“So what does Shengtang want out of this? There must be some ultimatum,” Lu Yuan asked.
“Yeah,” Chen Feng nodded. “Yu Dayong is still a gangster at heart. His condition is that Qin Jiu’er spends a night with Yu Tianqi, who will face no legal consequences for anything he does to her, so long as her life isn’t endangered.”
“Basically, he just wants her for the night? Trying to make it sound sophisticated,” Zhang Hui muttered.
“Man, poor Qin Jiu’er,” Song Chun said, sympathizing despite his initial dislike for her.
“Yeah, there’s nothing we can do to help.” Chen Feng shook his head.
“Let’s go visit her and offer some comfort. After all, she’s a friend of a friend,” Song Chun suggested.
“Yeah, let’s go. Lu Yuan, come with us.”
The group went to the girls’ dorm, checked in downstairs, and found He Min, Qin Jiu’er, and her roommates’ room.
The girls’ dorm was pristine and decorated beautifully; everything from chairs to bedding was adorned with cute decor.
Sure enough, Qin Jiu’er was crying, and He Min, Chen Man, and Gu Na were softly consoling her.
“Jiu’er, we’re here for you,” Chen Feng said.
“Qin Jiu’er, you don’t need to worry too much. This is a society of law. Shengtang wouldn’t dare go too far, right?” Zhang Hui tried to offer words of comfort.
“Yes, report them to the police. They can’t just do whatever they want,” Song Chun added.
Qin Jiu’er no longer had her former arrogance.
She looked haggard, her hair a bit messy, and sat there, expression blank, eyes red from crying.
“You don’t understand,” she shook her head. The gravity of the situation had sobered her pride.
And since they came to check on her, she didn’t act superior.
Yet Qin Jiu’er still thought Zhang Hui and Song Chun knew nothing. After all, they were commoners who couldn’t comprehend the rules of the wealthy.
The police? Please. Would that even work?
Yu Dayong’s got connections in law enforcement.
The phrase “the best of both worlds” wasn’t empty talk.
“Let’s keep searching for help,” Chen Feng offered. “I’ll ask my dad if he has any connections in Jinling.”
“Yeah, I’ll ask, too,” He Min, Chen Man, and Gu Na replied, knowing their families were no match for Shengtang, but they had to try.
“Don’t worry. This will all pass soon enough,” Lu Yuan said calmly.
“You’re here, too?” Qin Jiu’er looked up at him, icy. “You have the nerve to show up!”
Everyone froze.
“Jiu’er, Lu Yuan came to check on you, too,” Chen Feng interjected.
“Check on me? I think he came to laugh at me!” Qin Jiu’er accused, walking up to him and pointing. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have left early yesterday, wouldn’t have met Yu Tianqi, and none of this would have happened!”
“Uh…”
Everyone was at a loss for words.
“It’s all your fault! Now get out!” She pointed to the door.
Lu Yuan laughed softly, knowing words were pointless.
He left.
Chen Feng and He Min followed him out.
“Lu Yuan, don’t take Jiu’er’s words to heart. Her family is in a crisis; she’s devastated and said things she didn’t mean,” He Min explained.
“I know. I’m fine.” Lu Yuan replied. “Go back and keep comforting her.”
He left.
Back in the dorm room, Qin Jiu’er’s anger hadn’t subsided. She pulled out her phone. “Right, your suggestions reminded me. I have a high school friend named Wang Lei; his dad’s quite powerful. I’ll see if he can help. There’s also Ye Feng, whose dad’s influential…”
Chen Feng also began calling his parents.
He Min, Gu Na, and the others took out their phones.
“I know a guy who works in construction, from my village; I’ll call him too,” Song Chun chimed in, grasping at straws.
“Yeah, I’ll call my brother!” Zhang Hui wasn’t one to be left behind.
Meanwhile, after leaving, Lu Yuan took out his phone, pondering a moment, then dialed a number.
“Old Bear.”
“Third Young Master! It’s wonderful to hear from you!” came the spirited, aged voice on the other end.
- Writer
