Chapter 176: Girlfriend

Jiang Lai had just met Ke Zhongying when she received a message from Ke Zhongyu saying the opportunity to repay her favor had arrived.

Ke Zhongying inadvertently saw it, and the corner of her mouth twitched: "My brother won't ask you to accompany him back…"

She hadn't even finished saying "old residence" when her brother's message popped up.

【Tonight come with me to a place to handle some matters.】

Ke Zhongying: "……"

This damned blood‑relative psychic connection of hers.

Jiang Lai looked puzzled, about to ask for details, but Ke Zhongyu said they'd talk in person.

Ke Zhongying rolled her eyes.

"Do you know?" Jiang Lai asked her.

Ke Zhongying nodded: "Gu Zhiyan's sister Gu Yinxue is coming to my house tonight to visit my mother; I told you about Gu Yinxue and my brother, right?"

"En, Secretary Cen also mentioned a bit."

"Looks like you know a lot—my brother wants to use you as a shield, how hateful, he actually wants to hide behind you!"

Whether the favor is repaid early or late, it still has to be repaid; Boss Ke has helped her more than twice or thrice, Jiang Lai replied: 【Where are you, Boss Ke? I'll come find you.】

Ke Zhongyu: 【Don't move, I'll come pick you up.】

Jiang Lai looked at those words, hesitated for a moment, then sent her location.

Half an hour later, Ke Zhongyu found Jiang Lai at an afternoon tea café.

Beside Jiang Lai sat his sister as well.

Ke Zhongyu: "You're everywhere."

Ke Zhongying bit her straw, innocent yet smug: "You're the one who's lingering like a ghost."

Seeing that the two had said more or less the same thing, Jiang Lai asked in a business‑like tone: "Boss Ke, what do you need me to do? How would you like me to do it?"

Ke Zhongying said: "I told Sister Jiang Lai that Gu Yinxue is coming to the old residence tonight to visit my mother."

Ke Zhongyu gave her a sideways glance, then looked at Jiang Lai: "The place I want you to go with me is the old residence, and the person to deal with is Gu Yinxue."

Jiang Lai agreed quickly, then asked: "In what capacity?"

Ke Zhongyu pressed his lips: "Girlfriend."

Ke Zhongying: "!!!"

"Whoa!"

Suddenly this brave?

Jiang Lai looked into Ke Zhongyu's deep, calm eyes, confirmed there was no other meaning, then continued: "How long?"

Ke Zhongying: "Forever and ever!"

"Wait, did I just blurt out what I was thinking?"

Ke Zhongyu gave her a death‑glare, gritted his teeth and said word by word: "What do you think?"

Ke Zhongying hurriedly pressed her lips together.

Ke Zhongyu looked at Jiang Lai again: "One day."

Jiang Lai let out a sudden sigh of relief: "All right, Boss Ke."

"Still calling me Boss Ke?" Ke Zhongyu's lips curled slightly, "Starting now, you need to get used to your new identity."

Ke Zhongying's eyes rolled around: "Then we should use a name, right? Or call you baby? Or babe?"

She was all excited.

Jiang Lai looked at Ke Zhongying, uninhibited, and called out: "Baby, eat something."

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Ke Zhongying suddenly hugged her arm, rubbing her head against Jiang Lai's shoulder: "Yes, I'm your baby, I'm your baby."

She didn't forget to give her brother a provocative look.

"Oh dear, Sister Jiang Lai called me baby~"

"Some people are just nothing!"

Ke Zhongyu pinched the bridge of his nose, a cold aura began to spread, and Ke Zhongying immediately wiped the smug look off her face, urging Jiang Lai.

"Sister Jiang Lai, you can call him by his name—Ke Zhongyu, or Zhongyu—or come up with another nickname, hurry up, hurry up, I feel he's going to hit me any second now… sob sob…"

"Ke Zhongying, have I ever hit you?" Ke Zhongyu gave her a cold glance.

"Don't spread rumors in front of Jiang Lai!"

Ke Zhongying immediately answered loudly: "No!"

She sat very properly.

Jiang Lai couldn't help but laugh and said: "Just call him by his name."

"Ke Zhongyu."

Her voice was clear and steady.

Ke Zhongyu suddenly thought, how could his name sound so good when she called it?

He grunted an "un", and unnoticed, he lifted the corner of his mouth.

Ke Zhongyu raised his wrist to check the time.

5:52 p. m.

"We can go to the old residence now." He stood up, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai also stood up, lowering her head slightly, revealing her fair, tender nape.

The next second it was covered by a scarf, and Ke Zhongyu withdrew his gaze.

The three got in the car together; before they even reached the Ke family's old residence, the sky had already turned pitch black.

Jiang Lai's phone vibrated from time to time, and another message came in.

【Jiang Lai, was it you who initially recommended Shen Lao to me? Can you help me again……】

The rest wasn't displayed, Jiang Lai had no mood to look, and she quickly blocked it.

Ke Zhongying saw her swift operation and asked, "Another harassing message from Shen Xun?"

Jiang Lai nodded: "En."

Ke Zhongying: "What does he want again? Every day he's there apologizing to you, turning what you have into nothing, then asking you to go back and continue serving him? He continues his flirtatious romance with Lin Shutong? The abacus beads are bouncing on our faces."

Jiang Lai: "This time it's about Shen Lao's matter; the old master gave the patent in his hand to another company, not giving it to the Star Universe side."

"Wow!" Ke Zhongying's face lit up, "I haven't heard such good news in a long time; let's celebrate, eat more tonight, our family's cook is very skilled."

Jiang Lai smiled faintly, also quite happy.

Ke Zhongyu gave an "en" sound, indicating he wanted to celebrate.

"Shen Lao's project can't be secured; if Shen Xun doesn't have other corresponding weighty projects to support him, he will surely fall."

Ke Zhongying: "What if he does have them?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Hope for the best."

Ke Zhongying: "That definitely won't happen; it's unjust for Shen Xun not to fall."

Ke Zhongyu told Jiang Lai: "In these two days he will be even more eager to find you than before; when going out, be more careful; he can't approach the Nanshan Villa side, and he can't enter the Ke Clan either."

Then there's no gap for Shen Xun to exploit.

Jiang Lai still follows her usual two-point routine.

Ke Zhongyu said in a low voice: "Fu Youlin is like a sword hanging over his head; if he makes a mistake at work, Fu Dong will know immediately; if it's a major mistake, Fu Youlin will take over."

"Shen Xun either gets transferred away from A City, completely distancing himself from the power center, or stays in A City and becomes a senior eunuch under Fu Youlin."

"The worst possibility is leaving Star Universe Technology; leaving voluntarily, shedding a layer but keeping dignity; being forced out, being completely abandoned by the Fu family, like a stray dog."

Jiang Lai listened seriously to Ke Zhongyu's analysis, thinking of Shen Xun's recent message, she frowned: "Looking for me is useless; not to mention the old master already gave the patent to another company, even if he hadn't, I wouldn't go to him again to speak with the old master."

Ke Zhongyu's eyebrows slightly rose, he felt greatly relieved in his heart.

The Ke family's old residence has been reached.

The driver got out and opened the door for them; Ke Zhongying went first, saying, "Take your time, I'll go tell Mom and Dad."

Mom and Dad will be overjoyed!

Even a day's daughter-in-law is still a daughter-in-law!

Dad, Mom, your son has made good!

Ke Zhongyu looked at Jiang Lai, he had already readied his arm, just waiting for Jiang Lai to link hers with it.

Jiang Lai watched his action, obviously stunned for a moment, she understood the meaning.

Shen Xun is a gentleman outside, but he has never let her link arms with him in public.

Ke Zhongyu is very much like Shen Xun's control group.

Seeing her delay in reaching out, Ke Zhongyu uttered an "en?"

Jiang Lai reached out and linked her arm, her palm resting on his arm.

The muscles were as hard as wood.

He had trained.

"Let's go, Ke, Zhongyu."

"En."

Ke Zhongyu's legs are long, his steps are big; for Jiang Lai to keep up, her legs need to move quickly.

Noticing her walking posture, Ke Zhongyu did not immediately slow his steps, but instead lightly opened his thin lips: "Jiang Lai, do you know how to express your needs?"

Jiang Lai looked at him doubtfully, how could he ask such an irrelevant question?

But she still replied.

"I know."

"Then let me walk slower."

The man's voice and gaze were as cold as ever, his words left no room for rebuttal, yet Jiang Lai felt no fear.

It was more like he was guiding her.

Ripples rose in Jiang Lai's eyes as she said, "Ke Zhongyu, walk slower."

"If you have a mouth, use it more." Ke Zhongyu repeated this line.

The man slowed his steps, Jiang Lai also didn't need to quicken her pace to keep up.

When the two appeared arm-in-arm at the Ke family's old residence, Ke Mother and Ke Zhongying stood together, the mother and daughter's gazes full of meaning.

Even the manor's servants, while appearing to lower their heads to work, were actually glancing wildly at Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu.

After glancing, they supervised each other, not allowed to look around or stare too long; the lady and the miss said so, lest they frighten the person, otherwise the young master would remain single for life.

Only Ke Fu, sitting calmly on the sofa, lifted his head and said, "You're back."

"Aunt, Uncle." Jiang Lai greeted politely.

Ke Fu rose and said to Jiang Lai, "Welcome to my home as a guest."

Jiang Lai: "Thank you, Uncle."

Ke Fu: "I should be thanking you; I've taken in this troublemaker and am giving him to you, no need to return him."

Ke Zhongyu: "."

Ms. Nian: "……"

Ke Zhongying: hahahahahahahahahahaha……

Jiang Lai pressed her lips, silently lifted her head to glance at Ke Zhongyu, not knowing why she felt like laughing.

"Just laugh if you want to laugh, do whatever you want to do." Ke Zhongyu, faced with his family's habitual disdain, remained calm and composed, his dignified aura still present.

It seemed as if this family had formed its own school.

Ms. Nian took Jiang Lai's hand and sat down: "First have some fruit, eat whatever you like; there are still guests coming over today, so we have to wait a bit before dinner."

"Thank you, Aunt." Jiang Lai felt especially close whenever she saw Ms. Nian, and a faint smile would unconsciously appear on her brow and lips.

Ke Fu then called his son to the side, the two father and son with their backs to the living room, speaking privately: "Chongying says you're just coaxing her into being your girlfriend for a day?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Don't bring up the pot that isn't boiling."

Doesn't he want it a bit longer?

If Jiang Lai could agree, why bother saying just one day? Even an extra day would make her refuse outright—she wouldn't even accept a day.

Ke Fu looked at his son with a hint of disdain, still wanting to say something, when the butler came to report that Gu Yinxue had arrived.

Also carrying four gifts.

"Nian Aunt, Uncle Ke, Chongying, Ke Zhongyu." Gu Yinxue hadn't even sat down yet she was already laughing as she called out to each person in turn.

Jiang Lai and Ms. Nian rose together, looked up, and saw it was the woman who had collided with them in the coffee shop.

Gu Yinxue's gaze swept over Jiang Lai, and her expression also clearly froze.

The woman who resembled her father somewhat in his youth actually was in the Ke family.

Living here?

Or did she just happen to come by?