Chapter 1109: Take It Again

Ye Zhenzhen was, of course, forcing a brave front; in reality, her heart was already a chaotic battlefield.

Watching her endure the scalding heat to sip her tea, Wang Yan broke the silence: "What did you want with me?"

"Can't I look for you even if there's nothing specific?"

"Your mouth is truly stubborn; why don't you sit over here, and we can have a proper exchange."

Seeing Wang Yan pat the spot beside him, Ye Zhenzhen shot him a glare before turning to say, "About yesterday's incident, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. That David guy was looking for trouble himself; it has nothing to do with you."

"But beating people up isn't very good either."

Wang Yan shook his head with amusement: "The beating is already done; what's the point of worrying about whether it was good or bad? Let me make this clear: if there's a next time, even if it's someone else, I'll still beat them. Just think about how innocent I am. I just went out to have some fun, with purely innocent intentions, yet one after another tried to step on me to show off. Do I look like someone who enjoys being bullied?"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're the most innocent one," Ye Zhenzhen replied perfunctorily, then shook her head and said, "But this time you really hurt him, psychologically speaking. He's an outdoor enthusiast; he's traveled to many places abroad over the years, his family owns factories, and his conditions are excellent. He's quite a sunny and cheerful person."

"But after your kick and two slaps, he's completely lost his spirit. When I drove him back yesterday, he didn't say a single word the whole way, just stayed silent."

"That's normal; it's mainly because he was with you, since he wants to pursue you, after all. He originally wanted to show off in front of you, but then ended up so disheveled; naturally, he felt ashamed. Since you're quite familiar with him, he couldn't handle it. Once these few days pass and that sense of shame fades, it'll be fine. You might just have lost one suitor, that's all."

"Where did that come from?" Ye Zhenzhen shook her head. "I never intended to get involved with him anyway."

"Is that so? Then who do you intend to get involved with?"

"Get lost, get lost, get lost." Ye Zhenzhen glared at him again, then continued, "I wanted to ask you, does this matter with David count as finished now?"

"It depends on the situation."

"Depends on what situation? It's just such a small matter; it shouldn't be necessary, right? Why go to such great lengths?"

Wang Yan smiled: "It's not exactly going to great lengths. Just like your family investigated me, I've also arranged for someone to investigate him. It doesn't require me to do anything personally; it's just a matter of spending some money. I just want to see what exactly gave him the confidence to step on me to show off."

"And then?"

"Then it depends on whether his family behaves themselves. If they do, then there's no issue. If they don't, then the relevant departments will conduct an investigation and handle things accordingly. We'll just hurt each other mutually. Anyway, I have a clear conscience and fear no shadow, nor do I fear anyone's revenge."

Ye Zhenzhen fell silent for a moment before asking, "What if David were an ordinary person, not a rich second generation?"

"Then he wouldn't have had the courage to invite you to Chongming Island for fun, nor would he have had the courage to mock me."

"I'm saying 'what if'! Hypothetically!"

"Then a beating to vent some anger at the time would have been enough; could I really keep holding onto him? That would be embarrassing." Wang Yan took a sip of tea and smiled. "Your family made its fortune from mining; your brains aren't that rigid, are they? I've already been very polite, haven't I?"

Ye Zhenzhen covered her face, which was still somewhat hot: "I just feel that what you're doing incurs costs disproportionate to the benefits. After all, even if David's family collapses, you won't make any money from it; it brings you no benefit. Yet you'll thoroughly make enemies of his entire family; it's too much of a loss."

"A thousand gold pieces cannot buy my willingness. I don't care about costs or benefits. I just want to see if he will always be this courageous."

"I understand; it means whoever provokes you, you'll fight them to the bitter end."

"That phrasing is a bit excessive; I'm not a mad dog that bites everyone I catch, but for those I do catch, that's roughly the idea. Just as I told David: either mess with me, or don't bark at all. Playing little clever tricks, thinking you've gained the upper hand, is meaningless. We were all just out having fun; wouldn't it be nice to keep things harmonious? But he just had to stir up trouble."

Wang Yan shook his head, condemning David, whom he had beaten and who was about to be dealt with, as if he himself were the victim, his face filled with heartfelt grief and indignation.

Ye Zhenzhen was rendered speechless and choked up by Wang Yan's shamelessness.

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow at her and smiled: "I actually think he really should meet Lihu Qixing; those two are biological brothers born of different fathers and different mothers."

"Speaking of Lihu Qixing, why haven't I seen you make any moves?" Ye Zhenzhen lowered her head to drink tea, avoiding looking at Wang Yan.

Her words carried many implications, including a touch of narcissism. After all, Lihu Qixing was Lucy's suitor; Wang Yan beat him up and then went silent. Yet David is her suitor, so why is Wang Yan reacting so strongly? Is he targeting her, Ye Zhenzhen specifically, or has he fallen for her, gotten jealous of David, and is thus making an issue out of nothing?

"How do you know I haven't made any moves?"

"So you're saying you've targeted Lihu Qixing too?"

"Last time downstairs, I played for Lihu Qixing the recording of my conversation with his father; you were present at the scene. I don't know if Li Xun wants to make things difficult for me, but I am definitely not done with him."

Ye Zhenzhen nodded, then sighed and asked, "Earlier, Lucy told me her story. Yesterday, when I mentioned to David that you beat up Lihu Qixing, I also brought up Li Xun. David said that during his studies abroad, Li Xun had visited his city for an exchange program. He claimed Li Xun was a true elite, a star performer in business. At that moment, I thought: Lucy used a fake identity to get into her current company and has been subtly stringing Lihu Qixing along; could this Li Xun be that person from back then?"

Wang Yan looked at her, smiling without speaking.

This energized Ye Zhenzhen: "I guessed correctly, didn't I? So earlier when you said you were also a participant, it was because you went to the boxing gym that day and thoroughly beat up Lihu Qixing. Lucy said you got involved because of her, and that she was being overly clever. Looking at it this way, your visit to the boxing gym that day was intentional on Lucy's part; she deliberately created conflict between you and Lihu Qixing, wanting to use your hands to exact revenge. Is that right?"

"More or less."

"Then why did you help her?"

"Naturally, it was because Lihu Qixing provoked me and made me very unhappy; I wanted to see if his family would still have courage after collapsing." Seeing her look of contempt, Wang Yan smiled. "I know what you're thinking: I'm after her body, right?"

"Is that so?"

"It's obvious; does it need questioning? A hero saves a beauty, and the beauty offers herself in return—it sounds like a deeply moving story."

"Pfah, you deadbeat scumbag! How dare you call exploiting a favor for reward 'a hero saving a beauty'?"

"You just said it was Lucy who deliberately caused the conflict between me and Lihu Qixing, so what talk of exploiting a favor? Besides, I am unmarried, and she is unmarried; what's the problem with that? You are a Young Lady from a wealthy family with study-abroad experience; you must have heard of and seen countless such incidents. Compared to them, I'm even better, after all, since I dare to admit it; isn't that a virtue?"

"You stinky hooligan! Shameless and thick-skinned!" Ye Zhenzhen still glared at him with beautiful, angry eyes, condemning the hooligan.

"To be honest, since you're so beautiful, I actually covet your looks too."

"I knew long ago you had ill intentions." Seeing Wang Yan stand up, she immediately stood up as well, her face flushing red again without her realizing it. "What are you standing up for? Don't come over here!"

"This is my home; can't I walk, stand, sit, or lie down as I please? I'm coming over; what's the problem?"

Wang Yan moved to stand before Ye Zhenzhen again, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close, saying with a smile, "Look, you spoke so loudly, yet you haven't made a single move. You didn't even retreat; that shows very little respect for me, this 'stinky hooligan'."

Ye Zhenzhen's breathing had become rapid; she placed both hands against Wang Yan's chest, tilted her head up slightly to look at him, and stammered, "D-don't do anything rash..."

Wang Yan slid the hand holding her waist down to her buttocks and pulled out a can of anti-wolf spray: "Shouldn't you be using your secret weapon? Here you go."

The anti-wolf spray felt ice-cold in her hand due to its metal material; Ye Zhenzhen raised it, aiming at Wang Yan: "I'm really going to spray! I'm really going to sp—mmph..."

She could speak no more, as her mouth was already blocked. After a long while, their lips parted, saliva stretching into a thin thread; she gazed at Wang Yan before her with eyes brimming with spring. She let out a long breath, tossed the anti-wolf spray from her hand, actively rose onto her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Wang Yan's neck, and leaned in for a passionate kiss...

Ye Zhenzhen was certainly not someone promiscuous, but her family background and experiences meant she had witnessed much; relatively speaking, she was quite open-minded and had a decent level of acceptance.

She herself never had a strong desire to marry, didn't want children, and didn't want to be tied down by a partner; she wanted to live her own life. Wang Yan was a charming man, and over this long period, she had indeed developed feelings for him. Today, the flirting upon entering the door had already made her clench her thighs... Now that the atmosphere had reached this point, and since she wasn't someone inexperienced, she might as well let nature take its course and indulge a little.

This could also be categorized as men and women in big cities communicating with each other, comforting each other, relieving the repression of daily life, and seeking a temporary outlet.

Of course, one cannot conclude from this that men and women in big cities are this casual and this open; that would be unreasonable.

There are certainly those who change boyfriends and girlfriends frequently, enjoy rich nightlife, play very wildly, and all sorts of messy people. But fish seek fish, and shrimp seek shrimp; this is not the mainstream.

Most were still honest workers, enduring loneliness and longing for love to appear, or having fixed partners and striving for a bright future...

At midnight, Ye Zhenzhen's face was still flushed as she reached out to touch Wang Yan's muscles.

She spoke weakly: "You really got off cheap, you damn scumbag."

Wang Yan still habitually played with his big baby: "You were screaming quite happily just now; who got the better deal isn't certain. You must have been plotting against me long ago."

"Pah! It was clearly you who seduced me."

"Don't say such ugly things; 'seduce' is too harsh. That's called attraction." Wang Yan applied a bit more force with his hand. "Our exchange today was good; let's meet again next time."

"Don't tell anyone else; don't expose it. I don't want people looking at me with strange eyes."

"Am I that kind of person?"

"Some people love to do this, bragging everywhere to others. There are even more disgusting ones who secretly record videos and post them on those pornographic websites."

"Rest assured, I absolutely do not have such hobbies."

"Hmph. Anyway, be careful, or you'll have a hard time." Ye Zhenzhen's hands became unscrupulous, grabbing what shouldn't be grabbed. "Don't say it, but this feels not bad; there's no burden, no guilt, and it solves physiological needs."

"Before you got your way, you were both brave and cowardly, still knowing how to blush. Now you've truly become a hooligan, spouting such wolf-and-tiger words."

"I learned from you; I'm just speaking the truth."

Wang Yan straightened his waist: "Whether it's the truth, I don't know; I only know you now must take responsibility for my brother."

"Stop messing around; I really can't go on."

"Who's messing around with you?" Wang Yan pressed her head down...

The next day, Wang Yan got up early for his daily exercise, ran over ten kilometers, and practiced boxing at his fixed spot.

Lucy, full of vitality, wore her daily tight-fitting clothes that outlined her beautiful body curves. She jogged over, moving her body with wide, open motions, and smiled to greet Wang Yan: "Good morning."

"You have dark circles under your eyes." Wang Yan replied without stopping his movements.

"Thinking about starting today, I had some insomnia and didn't sleep well."

"Actually, since we finished talking yesterday, it has already started. Today, the heat will be stirred up."

"So fast? Let me search." Lucy paused for a moment, then quickly took out her phone to search. Sure enough, in a relatively late position in the search results, she saw a message with the title 'A senior executive of a certain financial company misappropriated and embezzled public funds...'

After reading it once, she put her phone away satisfied: "Then my actions must also be a bit faster."

"No rush. Your matters have no actual attacking power; any time is fine."

"Thank you."

"Give me something practical."

Lucy gave a reproachful glance; she naturally knew what was practical. She said: "Tonight I'll buy some vegetables, cook a full table for you, and let you taste my skills."

"Good." Wang Yan nodded with a smile.

After their daily morning exercise and breakfast, they returned to Ode to Joy to freshen up, then began the new week's work and life...

"Good morning, Lucy." Li Qihang persisted, still waiting for Lucy on the road to the subway.

Looking at the fool kept in the dark, Lucy felt a trace of guilt for a moment. But that was only a moment; that tiny feeling soon vanished without a trace.

She only glanced at Li Qihang, gave no real response, and passed right in front of him with her fragrant breeze.

"Lucy, I bought you coffee. Let me drive you to the company." This was almost the routine whenever he came here.

Next, Lucy would take his coffee, give him a smile, and then refuse his offer of a ride.

But today was different; Lucy gave no response and entered the subway station without looking back.

Li Qihang stood stunned for thirteen seconds. He didn't understand why he hadn't seen the expected smile today. He wanted to chase after her, but after taking a few steps and reaching the canopy at the subway station entrance, he stopped, staring blankly as Lucy went down the elevator...

He gloomily arrived at the company. By past ten o'clock, Xiao Huang walked over.

"What's wrong?"

Li Qihang didn't want to deal with him, looking at his computer as if he were very busy.

Xiao Huang said: "You don't have to say it; I can guess. You must know Lucy is resigning, right? I say, you too; where in the world isn't there fragrant grass? With your conditions, what kind of beauty can't you find? Why are you so single-mindedly set on her?"

"What are you saying?"

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Huang understood: "You didn't know? Then why are you dragging your face?"

"About Lucy resigning."

"Exactly. Lucy came to the company today, handed in her resignation report directly, had a talk, and the procedure has already started. Her position isn't a key post; I guess the formalities are already done by now. Hey, look, isn't she coming back with a box to pack her things?"

Li Qihang straightened his body and looked over, then quickly got up and walked over.

"Lucy, you resigned? Why?"

"I don't want to do it anymore." Lucy replied with one sentence. "You are a bit in the way here; thank you."

Li Qihang stepped back a few paces and stood there watching Lucy pack her things, watching her say goodbye to familiar people around her workstation, watching her leave with both arms hugging the small box standard for TV dramas about resignations. He quickly chased after her, received one sentence from Lucy: "We are just ordinary colleagues; we aren't very familiar," and then, with a heart dead as ash and soul lost, walked back to his workstation...

He didn't understand why Lucy's change was so sudden. Before, at least she had a smile; why did her eyes today look at him full of disgust? He didn't understand what he had done wrong.

But things always develop unexpectedly. Before he could figure out why Lucy was like this, to the point where he didn't even eat lunch well, in the afternoon, as soon as work started, he felt everyone's gaze at him was strange.

He asked Xiao Huang, who sent him a news link. On it was his father's profile picture, his father's resume, insider trading, misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds, and more. Even the insider trading specified that one time, that one listed company, how it was operated, and who the relevant personnel were.

This was quite terrifying. He knew his father was finished.

He immediately took out his phone to call his mother, but the news he got was that she had been taken away for investigation before lunch; the action was quite swift.

He panicked, ignored everything, bought the nearest flight ticket, and rushed directly to the airport...

What he didn't know was that while he was panicking and at a loss, Lucy was buying vegetables at the market. While he was checking in at the airport, Lucy had already carefully cooked a table of dishes that looked good and tasted decent. In the home at Ode to Joy 2201, she sat opposite Wang Yan and even brought out a bottle of red wine. When he boarded the plane and landed in Jingcheng, Lucy was sweating profusely, moving up and down, freely releasing the emotions she had suppressed for years.

Wang Yan was a very good listener and also a very good companion; the emotion-releasing Lucy was wild.

She seemed like a mounted female knight, letting the horse run free, galloping toward the shore of freedom.

Sweat drenched her smooth skin; her hair, matted by sweat, flew about like the shape of the wind. That wind was fierce and violent, sweeping up wind and rain. She feared nothing, boldly facing the impact of the storm, moving forward without retreat, never backing down.

She seemed like a mounted female knight,

She shouted,

She marched toward freedom...