The next day, early morning. Baole Chess and Card Room.
Pulling her gaze back from the window, Yu Shuang turned to look at Leng Meng in front of her and asked in a deep voice, "Have you contacted Chen Xiang recently?"
"No," Leng Meng replied curtly after shaking her head. "We haven't been in touch since I drove to save him last time."
"He didn't look for me, and I didn't look for him."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shuang directly took out a pack of Nanjing Jiudaizun cigarettes, reserved for distinguished guests, from her drawer.
Yu Shuang had quit smoking a long time ago and had maintained the habit until now.
But for some reason today, as an extremely complicated emotion washed over her, Yu Shuang actually smoked three or four Jiudaizun cigarettes in a row.
And the more she smoked, the worse her complexion became.
The reason for her growing irritation was that Yu Shuang realized things seemed to be slipping out of her control.
Yu Shuang, once a queen bee, was a woman with a strong desire for control.
She liked to control others, to firmly grasp everyone's destiny in her hands!
But now, someone seemed on the verge of breaking free from her grasp.
To be precise, it should be two people!
"Sister Shuang."
Seeing Yu Shuang's poor complexion, Leng Meng, standing in front of the desk, first called out softly, then asked with concern, "What's wrong? What exactly happened?"
Looking at Leng Meng, who was so close, Yu Shuang's mind immediately flashed back to what had happened half a month ago...
Seeing Leng Meng's bewildered and confused eyes, Yu Shuang's heart was in chaos.
Although Leng Meng was still the same Leng Meng everyone was familiar with, Yu Shuang knew... she was no longer her former self.
Because this simple, almost naive silly girl seemed to have fallen deeply into the lie she had woven for her!
And she was sinking deeper and deeper without realizing it!
At this moment, Yu Shuang suddenly regretted it. She regretted not directly using Leng Meng's background and weaving that story, seven parts true and three parts false.
At the age of youthful ignorance, not knowing what love was, one was most easily caught in the net of love without realizing it.
Thinking of this, Yu Shuang's expression immediately turned even uglier.
"Girl, the story is fake!"
Getting up from her seat, Yu Shuang poured a glass of water from the water dispenser and handed it to Leng Meng.
Leaning her graceful figure against the desk, Yu Shuang stared intently at Leng Meng, who was only a short distance away, and sighed softly, "There has never been any so-called 'going all out' in this world."
"A stranger from the martial world willing to help you unconditionally either wants money or sex! Or... both!"
"What's more, he's a con artist!"
"Trust my judgment of people! I asked you to trick him before, and he came to help you without asking for anything in return, so he must have had some ulterior motive or need."
Upon hearing this, the faint light that had lit up in Leng Meng's eyes suddenly dimmed considerably.
"..."
As if disbelieving, or perhaps half-believing, Leng Meng remained silent, choosing to respond with silence.
Seeing this, Yu Shuang could only turn her gaze back to the window and say with a cold face, "From now on, without my permission... you are not allowed to contact him privately!"
After Yu Shuang finished speaking, it was unclear how long passed...
"Mmm."
Leng Meng responded softly, "I understand! Sister Shuang, I hope you can grant me one thing."
"Speak," Yu Shuang replied coldly.
"In the future, can you... not ask me to lie anymore? Especially not about deeply personal experiences!?"
Hearing this, as if knowing she was in the wrong, Yu Shuang surprisingly remained silent.
And Leng Meng once again fell into silent contemplation...
The scorching sun pouring down outside the window, filtering through the dense shade of trees lining the streets, cast a faint, cool warmth, the only pure land in this hot and anxious world.
Just like Leng Meng, in the complex and materialistic world of the martial arts, she could still maintain a pure heart that yearned for beauty.
.........
City, North Street.
As it neared mealtime, after receiving a call from Sun Jingjing, I took a taxi to the restaurant she had specified.
On the phone, Sun Jingjing said she had something very important to tell me.
Since she had already booked a table, the moment I arrived, the restaurant's waiter led me directly to the designated dining area.
There were no pleasantries or greetings upon meeting Sun Jingjing; we sat down and started talking while eating.
Just as I picked up a dish and was about to put it in my mouth, I heard her say, "Chen Xiang, I heard... you seem to be quite well-off!"
Upon hearing this, my eyes flickered slightly, and I immediately put down my chopsticks.
I glanced at Sun Jingjing with a deep gaze and responded calmly, "Well-off!? If eight thousand yuan is considered well-off, then that Zhao Mingyue should be considered a local gentry!"
Sun Jingjing chuckled, "Heh. Is that so?"
The expression in her eyes made me frown inwardly, and I couldn't help but curse in my heart, "Scheming bitch!"
It was clear that the return I had given Sun Jingjing last night had not satisfied her.
Moreover, if I guessed correctly, this greedy woman must have obtained some information from Qi Bin, Liu Hong, or Zhao Mingyue that was completely contrary to what I had provided.
Therefore, she had eagerly invited me out now, wanting to get the answer she most desired from my mouth!
Unfortunately, I would not let her have her way.
After a brief silence, I directly put down my chopsticks and spread my hands, replying, "Whether you believe it or not, I only have eight thousand yuan in my pocket."
"And last night... I already gave all of it to you."
My answer immediately caused Sun Jingjing's brows to furrow.
Judging by her reaction, she probably hadn't expected me to shut down the conversation so directly.
Seeing that I was determined not to say more, Sun Jingjing suddenly stood up from her seat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and said, "I'm going to the restroom, you eat first."
With that, Sun Jingjing turned and walked towards the women's restroom...
About ten minutes later.
With a look of indifference, Sun Jingjing returned to her seat, lit a cigarette, and said while smoking, "Let's be direct, Chen Xiang."
"If you think you can dismiss me with eight thousand yuan, then I can only say you're thinking too much!"
"I can understand not showing off your wealth, and I can understand you not trusting me! However..."
"If you still intend to seek revenge on Wang Yangming and his son Wang Yu and get your house back in your hometown, then show me your sincerity!"
"As I said before: two hundred thousand!"
"Not a single cent less!!!"