Chapter 9

Aunt Zhou had cooked the noodles, and seeing her sitting in the living room, she brought the bowl over and placed it in front of her.

Wen Ling was still staring at that phone number, not even noticing when Aunt Zhou sat down beside her.

"Ah Ling, is he worth you doing this for?"

"Mm." Wen Ling pressed her lips, lifted her gaze to Aunt Zhou, a glint of moisture flashing in her eyes: "Worth it."

Back then, Zhou Yinghe was a heaven‑chosen prodigy; aside from what his family background could give him, he himself was quite talented, and because of his arrogant and unruly personality, the first impression he gave others was that Zhou Yinghe was someone who looked down on everything, looking down on anyone.

Yet such a person, who had been waited on and pampered since childhood, could, when they were together, hand‑wash her intimate clothing, peel the fruits and seafood she wanted to eat but didn't like to peel, and even learn from the chef how to make the dishes she loved.

Even when she firmly proposed a breakup, he humbly begged her not to leave.

So even though he now directs harsh words at her, she doesn't take them to heart, yet she can't help but occasionally feel a surge of sadness.

Wen Ling steadied her heart, curled the corners of her mouth, leaned in to sniff, and exclaimed, "Wow, it smells so good."

Aunt Zhou was coaxed by Wen Ling into a beaming smile, covering her mouth as she said, "I don't know if other young ladies are like this, but she actually loves such a bowl of plain noodles."

"Because it's delicious."

Meanwhile, at Feng Qi Yuan.

Ning Qing rested her forehead on the sofa, occasionally rubbing it; she had just taken a nap, dreaming of what happened to her son three years ago, and after being startled awake her head felt waves of dizziness.

Butler Yang looked at her with a worried and anxious expression and asked, "Madam, would you like to see a doctor?"

"No need." Ning Qing understood that this was a heart ailment; she murmured softly, "You say, did Wen Ling come to Hua Guo to look for Xiao Wu?"

Butler Yang, too, was one of those in the know from back then; he sighed and advised, "Madam, didn't the Second Young Master say it? The Fifth Young Master's attitude toward Miss Wen is very cold; it seems he has already let go, and there will be no further entanglement with Miss Wen, so please put your mind at ease."

"Let go? If he really had let go, why would he have people inquire about Wen Ling's residence, and even ask whether a doctor is looking after her?" Ning Qing felt frustrated, gritting her teeth: "That good‑for‑nothing Xiao Wu—people have already dumped him once, yet he still cares about them!"

"How am I good‑for‑nothing?"

The voice came from the doorway; Ning Qing and Butler Yang turned in unison, and Zhou Yinghe walked over slowly, his expression weary and indifferent.

Seeing him like that, Ning Qing knew he surely hadn't slept well; she rose and walked to Zhou Yinghe's side, studying his eyes closely, while Zhou Yinghe unnaturally turned his head away.

"Hmph, you're just good‑for‑nothing."

Zhou Yinghe had his hands in his pockets, a relaxed posture, and said lightly, "I knew Butler Xu would call you; sure enough, not long after, the Second Brother investigated me."

He went around Ning Qing, sat on the sofa, his distinct‑knuckled hand rubbing his forehead hard, and said helplessly, "Mom, please don't worry about me."

"How could I not worry? Don't you remember you ended up in the hospital three years ago because of her? Is your stomach better now? And you're still checking whether she has a doctor—did she ever care about you?"

Ning Qing strode over, jabbed her finger into Zhou Yinghe's forehead, and left a red mark there.

Zhou Yinghe leaned back to dodge, explaining, "She called me when she had a fever—I definitely had to check; otherwise, if something happened to her, wouldn't that be me standing by and doing nothing?"

"Pah, I still don't know you." Ning Qing couldn't help blurting out a vulgar remark.

"Madam." The butler reminded her softly, and Ning Qing finally reacted.

She patted her chest, sat on the sofa beside Zhou Yinghe, and glared at him; Zhou Yinghe had already started laughing when Ning Qing burst out with profanity, now he leaned his head back, arms resting on his forehead, his muffled laughter continuing to reach Ning Qing's ears.

Ning Qing, flushed with anger and embarrassment, snapped, "How can you laugh at your own mother like that?"

On Zhou Yinghe's maternal side, going up the generations they were all landlord‑turned‑nouveau riche; only his maternal grandfather's generation began to change, and when Ning Qing was young, living with her grandparents she also picked up that nouveau riche air, which she only shed after marriage.

Zhou Yinghe collected his laughter, rubbed his neck, and said wearily, "Mom, I haven't slept all night and I'm really tired; I'll go upstairs to rest for a bit, we can talk more tonight."

He had originally planned to catch up on sleep in the morning, but who knew he'd still be awake when his assistant called, saying his second brother had investigated Wen Ling's connection with him; he guessed it must be his mother's order, so he had the driver take him back to Haining Bay.

Ning Qing ultimately felt sorry for her son, so she swallowed the rest of her scolding and said, "Go on, go on; Mom told them not to disturb you."

After Zhou Yinghe left, Ning Qing pondered for a long time and then asked Butler Yang.

"You tell me, should I go see that Wen Ling and warn her to stop bothering Xiao Wu?"

Upon hearing this, Butler Yang hurriedly urged, "Madam, you must not act rashly; if the Fifth Young Master still has old feelings for Miss Wen, your interference will only make him angry."

"But I also can't stand by and watch Xiao Wu suffer another heartache." Ning Qing's brows remained furrowed.

"In my view, the Fifth Young Master surely hasn't figured things out himself, which is why he's treating Miss Wen so coldly; we'd better wait a bit longer—maybe he'll come to his own resolution."

"All right, that works too."

Meanwhile, Wen Ling, who had almost been sought out by Ning Qing at her door, was plotting how to get close to Zhou Yinghe.

She had someone buy a whiteboard and place it in the room where she could see it as soon as she opened her eyes, and she also stuck a photo of Zhou Yinghe on it.

Wen Ling wrote several strategies for pursuing Zhou Yinghe on it, then sat on the edge of the bed and looked at them.

She tossed the phone aside, and a message popped up—it was from the bodyguard she had arranged to follow Ruan MiaoMiao.

She opened it and glanced at it: a photo of Ruan MiaoMiao and Chu Yao holding hands, accompanied by the words: "Ruan MiaoMiao is inciting Miss Chu to target you."

Wen Ling furrowed her brow slightly, tossed the phone to one side, and stared blankly at Zhou Yinghe's photo on the whiteboard.

Chu Yao is notorious in Sijiucheng for being overbearing, and she's also prone to believing others; combined with Ruan MiaoMiao's inherent heroine aura, just a few words might really be enough to get Chu Yao to go after me.

The Wen family's main branch is in M Country; in Sijiucheng the Wen family's foundations are still shallow—though not to the point of fearing the Chu family—yet behind Chu Yao stands Chu Lin, who is very protective of his own; if I were to hurt Chu Yao, Chu Lin would surely spare no effort to retaliate against me, not to mention whether I could still win back Zhou Yinghe—I might not even be able to carry out my plan to counterstrike Ruan MiaoMiao.

She cannot become enemies with Chu Yao; at least before she has formally begun to execute her plan, she must not turn against her.

Wen Ling rubbed her sore brow.

"So annoying, so many things to do."

She used to be the type who would rely on others and never think for herself; now everything depends on her, and Wen Ling even thought of calling that man who often contacts her, to have him give her ideas and strategies—maybe then things would be easier.