Wang Jinhui thought the question was directed at him and reacted very quickly, too agitated to contain himself.
"No problem, I’m free this afternoon... I’m free."
Immediately after, two soft coughs followed.
What’s going on, has he taken the bait?
Wang Jinhui suddenly realized what was happening and, taking the opportunity to drink some water, he stealthily glanced at Tang Mei. Seeing that she wasn’t angry, he immediately felt much more at ease.
He was always proud but had a particular fear of Tang Mei.
"Oh, I mean... I’m free this afternoon and can take care of making dinner."
Almost at the same time, Tang Xiaowan had been enjoying her lamb leg but upon hearing about going to get the certificate, she accidentally knocked over the small soup bowl beside her.
"Ah! Are you okay? Did you choke? Did it burn your hand?" Yang Aihua asked with concern.
"Thank you, Auntie, I’m fine, really fine."
With that, Tang Xiaowan quickly drank some water to calm down.
Leng Lingxiao looked calm as he poured her water and handed her a tissue, but his heart was in turmoil.
In fact, just by looking at Tang Xiaowan’s appearance and way of doing things, she did resemble Wang Jinhui quite a bit. She was usually quick-witted, but when it came to emotions, she would become extremely flustered.
Last month, during their visit to Old Cui’s knife store, some customers mistook them for grandfather and granddaughter.
[Blood relation not established.]
Leng Lingxiao mulled over the results of the last test repeatedly in his mind, still feeling that there was a problem.
Suddenly, a gentle voice came through.
Leng Lingxiao quickly interrupted, "Mom, come on, try this shrimp, it’s really well made, ha ha ha."
"Oh, right, it’s indeed good!"
The suggestion to get the certificate was interrupted again, and Yang Aihua had no choice but to give up.
After dinner, Tang Xiaowan went back to her room to rest alone, while Tang Mei invited Wang Jinhui to take a walk by the fountain.
They strolled slowly down the pebble-paved path, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Tang Mei stopped, turned to look at Wang Jinhui with a smile in his eyes, "Is Junchen always this stubborn?" Chapters fırst released on novel※fire.net
"When he was young, I didn’t give him enough attention. Actually... he’s quite filial. He used to send things back home regularly when overseas, and although he seldom called, I knew in my heart."
"Did you reject Ye Wanhua initially because her background was unclear?"
"Yes, I did. After all, he is my only son, but Wanhua... back then, it was hard to trust her. Whenever I asked her something, she would say she didn’t remember, even her name was made up by Junchen."
Tang Mei shook her head, sighing softly.
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Wang Jinhui hurriedly smiled and said, "Let’s have a meal with Junchen and the others when we get back if you’re free."
"Let’s do it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Junchen might not be able to make it back."
"Oh, is that so! Has he taken Wanhua on a trip?"
"No, he’s gone to Jin City for some business."
Upon hearing this, Tang Mei’s deep eyes inadvertently showed an indescribable expression.
Then, she looked intently at Wang Jinhui, her feelings becoming complicated. She knew that this man wanted to prove his sincerity through his actions.
"That... what would you like to eat tonight, I..."
"Jinhui, I’ve been very happy today, extremely happy," Tang Mei said, touching her silver hairpin, cutting him off.
Hearing this, Wang Jinhui felt a surge of excitement. At the same time, the gesture of touching the hairpin also signified that Tang Mei was no longer rejecting him.
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom on the second floor, Tang Xiaowan was lying on her bed, eagerly waiting for a phone call from Cheng Shi.
Soon enough, the phone finally rang.
"Miss, I’m sorry, those bodyguards are tight-lipped, not willing to say a word more than necessary, and they can hold their liquor well. They weren’t drunk even when the party ended."
"Oh, let’s leave it for now."
"But Madam Lai is leaving for Huang City early tomorrow morning. Are we really not going to follow?"
Tang Xiaowan touched her nose, puffing with anger, "Hmph! Since every single one of them... wants me to stay in Chicheng... then I might as well stay. After all, someone will be there to hold up the sky if it falls."
Hearing this, Cheng Shi didn’t say anything more; he also felt it was safer to stay in Chicheng.
Huang City, in a high-end residential area.
In a cluttered bedroom, with curtains tightly drawn and no lights on, the blue glow of the computer screen seemed particularly glaring.
Lei Ziyi’s eyes twinkled with slyness.
He opened a private folder and selected the video he needed. In the video, Madam Lai was humiliated and mocked by several masked men, looking extremely angry and helpless.
Lei Ziyi replayed the video, his smile growing more and more sinister.
Then, he quickly began to work on the computer, subtly editing the video to blur Madam Lai’s facial features, making it difficult for viewers to easily recognize her face and identity.
After a series of manipulations, Lei Ziyi finally finished processing the video.
He nodded in satisfaction, then uploaded the video to the dark web. He included a provocative message with the post, "Big surprise, big surprise! The high and mighty Bai Lianhua who’s two-faced, has finally fallen into the hands of the victim, truly gratifying!"
The video quickly drew a lot of attention, with many people commenting and discussing.
Some joked that the men were too kind and went too easy on her; some said the ransom was too small and should add another zero; others tried to figure out who the woman in the video was.
Lei Ziyi watched the discussions with a satisfied grin on his face.
This was exactly the effect their boss wanted.
Meanwhile, Li Zishen logged into the website using Bai Long’s account.
"It’s been posted after all."
"These scumbags, they deserve to die!"
As he watched the video of his mother, his anger flared up instantly.
Although he had prepared himself, the sight shook him so deeply that he slammed his laptop to the ground.
Chen Xin stood nearby with furrowed brows, wanting to offer comfort but afraid to speak out of turn.
"We need to deal with this... as soon as possible, my mother must not find out, and neither can my... uncle and the others."
Chen Xin might have sounded confident, but he honestly had no idea what to do.
Those who accessed such websites were either looking for thrills or money. Aside from uploading an even more explosive video to divert everyone’s attention, or spending a lot of money to have the poster delete it, there weren’t many other options.
"Brother Shen, if they... still demand..."
"Pay them, whatever they want."
Li Zishen took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He knew that the unseen enemy repeatedly tested his limits, aiming to make him lose control of his emotions and thereby threaten the existence of Yishen Group.
The urgent task now was to uncover the mastermind behind the scenes and seek justice for his mother.
"Wang Junchen? Look into Wang Junchen."
"Bai Long mentioned Wang Junchen early on. He said that among those who attacked them... one had a Huang City accent. He has been to Huang City many times; he wouldn’t have misheard."
Li Zishen’s gaze lowered, and after a pause, he slowly pulled out a small wooden pig carving.
He remembered the day Tang Xiaowan was held hostage, how Leng Lingxiao had exploited people’s greed to create a massive diversion to save her.
Though extreme, it was effective.
"Create a new account."
"Put out an anonymous bounty. For anyone who provides the real information of the poster... start at two hundred thousand. No cap. With a generous reward... there will be brave takers."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Chen Xin immediately pulled out his phone and began a series of actions.