Chapter 269: Has This Person Begun to Have an Effect on You?

Jiang Lai never imagined she would make such a colossal blunder while adjusting the car seat.

The first time she adjusted the seat, the backrest tilted backward.

The second time she adjusted the seat, the backrest pushed forward.

With a bang, her forehead nearly slammed into the steering wheel in front of her.

"Nearly," because Ke Zhongyu once again reacted swiftly and reached out to shield her forehead—her forehead landed against Ke Zhongyu's palm, and the car let out a honk.

Ke Zhongyu kept one hand protecting Jiang Lai's forehead while using the other to readjust her seat.

Jiang Lai slowly sat upright, her hair slightly disheveled. She rested both hands on the steering wheel, gripped it, and blew a breath forward—the strands of hair blocking her eyes were blown aside. She sat upright again and took a deep breath, gazing ahead.

There was no embarrassment in Jiang Lai's eyes, only the determination to try again after this experiment failed.

"Ke Zhongyu." She turned her head, looking straight at the source of her racing heartbeat just now. "You seem to be affecting me."

Ke Zhongyu looked at the redness on her forehead fading—it seemed she was fine.

His gaze slowly moved from her forehead to her dark brown eyes.

"Has this person begun to have an effect on you?" The man's voice was low and magnetic, his pace unhurried, as easy to fall into as his deep eyes.

Jiang Lai: "That's not how you say that line."

Ke Zhongyu nodded: "Mm, the original line goes..."

"Ke Zhongyu." Jiang Lai stopped him once more. "You said it yourself—we only have one hour each day to practice driving, and the rest of the time we're both very busy."

Ke Zhongyu smiled: "Continue."

For the rest of the time, both were very focused. Jiang Lai didn't make any major mistakes again—there was simply a gap between theory and practice that required a few more tries to master.

One hour later.

After finishing practice, one returned to the CEO's office, the other returned to the lab.

Before entering the lab, Jiang Lai stood at the sink, Ke Zhongyu's words from the car echoing repeatedly in her mind.

"Has this person begun to have an effect on you?"

The original line came from Notes of a Crocodile: Has this person begun to have meaning for you?

"Dr. Jiang?"

Someone beside her called out, and Jiang Lai snapped back to her senses, noticing that both her hands had been hovering in front of the faucet sensor the whole time, water running continuously.

She moved her hands away, the water stopped, yet the turmoil in her heart remained.

Jiang Lai put on a mask and entered the lab.

When she emerged from the lab again, it was already eight in the evening. This time Ke Zhongyu was not standing outside the lab, but there was a message from Ke Zhongyu on her phone, along with one alarm after another marking the end of the workday.

Ke Zhongyu: 【I have a meeting tonight. The car is at the entrance.】

She walked out of the building. A Cullinan was parked by the roadside; the driver spotted her and immediately opened the car door.

Jiang Lai took the initiative to ask: "Not waiting for him?"

The driver said: "Mr. Ke instructed me not to wait. Mr. Ke is relatively busier before the holidays."

So busy, yet he still carved out an hour at noon to teach her driving. Jiang Lai thought to herself.

"Let's go."

"Of course, Miss Jiang."

Jiang Lai was somewhat distracted the entire ride back. Upon returning to Nanshan Shu Jiuhao, she saw through the window Mo Yi busy at work, with one cardboard box after another placed in the center of the living room.

"Mo Yi."

"Miss Jiang, you're back. Go wash your hands and head to the dining room—I'll bring the dishes over right away."

After washing her hands, Jiang Lai came out and looked at the cardboard boxes on the floor. Her belongings had been placed with great care. The box of paintings and letters sent from Fuli Yuan had also been transferred into a new cardboard box, arranged neatly.

Mo Yi passed through the hall carrying dishes and asked as she walked: "Has Miss Jiang decided which day to move in? We need to invite Miss Jiang's elders over first to light the stove, then invite Miss Jiang's friends over for New Year's Day. Miss Jiang, you need to give me a guest list so I can prepare—see how many people, and any dietary restrictions and such."

"Okay, I'll tell you in a bit."

Jiang Lai looked at the dinner on the table—at this hour it was practically a late-night snack. She had just sat down when a message popped up on her phone.

Ke Zhongyu: 【Are you home?】

Jiang Lai: 【I'm here.】

Ke Zhongyu: 【What are you having tonight?】

Ke Zhongyu: 【Photo】

Jiang Lai raised her phone, took a photo, and sent it over. Mo Yi watched from the side as Jiang Lai took a photo to send to the Young Master, her heart brimming with delight.

Don't young people nowadays all value the desire to share?

The Young Master finally knew how to mount a proper offensive.

Ke Zhongyu: 【Eat slowly.】

Ke Zhongyu: 【Save some for me.】

Jiang Lai paused briefly: 【What time do you get off work?】

Ke Zhongyu: 【Not sure yet.】

Ke Zhongyu: 【Still in a meeting.】

After that message was sent, there was no further reply. Ke Zhongyu had no choice but to set down his phone and continue listening to the meeting, his gaze glancing briefly toward Secretary Cen's meeting minutes.

Secretary Cen silently angled the laptop screen.

She knew Mr. Ke would look the moment he slipped away from the meeting.

In a few brief seconds, Ke Zhongyu had already memorized the content and continued looking at everyone without batting an eye.

The meeting ended at half past nine.

Ke Zhongyu left first. On his way out, he ran into Assistant Zhou returning from an errand. The two exchanged a glance and entered the CEO's office.

Assistant Zhou produced some items: "The surveillance footage of Lin Shutong's miscarriage has been copied over. A total of three cameras captured it. The details of Lin Shutong's surgery have also been pulled up. The doctor said she had taken abortion medication before she fell, but it wasn't tested at the time, so the specific drug is unknown."

Ke Zhongyu watched the three video segments together, and for the time being found no problem.

Indeed, Shen Xun reached out and pushed Lin Shutong.

Regarding the abortion drug matter, it stems from the doctor's experiential judgment; if the two factors were not acting together, merely a fall, the fetus would have a certain chance of being preserved, but because the two factors acted together, Lin Shutong suffered fundamental injury.

Assistant Zhou asked: "Do we need to continue investigating?"

Ke Zhongyu nodded: "We must put some chips in Jiang Lai's hands; Jiang Lai not wanting to have any further ties with the Shen Family and Lin Shutong does not mean the other side won't dig up dirt."

Assistant Zhou indicated understanding and continued the report: "Shen Xun's mother's surgery was very successful; in the evening many people went to visit her, including Lu Hongyuan."

Ke Zhongyu's eyes narrowed: "Lu Hongyuan of Yuan Shu Technology?"

Assistant Zhou nodded: "I suspect he wants to hire Shen Xun for Yuan Shu Technology; Yuan Shu Technology's main battlefield is overseas, only recently shifting its base to China, and among professional managers in the tech industry, Shen Xun is quite a notable figure."

"However, the Fu Family should have already activated the non-compete agreement."

"In the hospital."

Shen Xun declined Lu Hongyuan's invitation citing the non-compete agreement, he looked at Lu Hongyuan before him and recalled the photo Jiang Lai had made public in court, in which Lin Shutong and he had also taken a picture together.

"No way……"

"Then he really felt like vomiting."

"President Shen?" Lu Hongyuan, unaware of the specific details of the trial, said with a beaming smile, "You really aren't considering coming to Yuan Shu? Yuan Shu greatly needs someone like you; I can offer a salary on par with Star Universe Technology."

Shen Xun knew his true intention was not to hire him, but to obtain his knowledge of Star Universe Technology.

"President Lu," I don't want to go through lawsuits again; such an experience once is enough.

"President Shen doesn't necessarily have to be nominally affiliated with Yuan Shu Technology," Lu Hongyuan said with a smile, "As long as you're willing to help me, money is no problem; President Shen, after this incident, your finances must be tight."

Shen Xun: "You want me to work behind the scenes?"

Lu Hongyuan didn't respond, but instead let him think it over: "President Shen, you can't just go downhill because of two women; follow me, make a comeback—what else could you want in the future?"