"Boss, if you do me another favor, I'll definitely buy an annual membership."
***
Lin Chudong went home, changed his clothes, and was just about to leave when Liu Fugui's call suddenly came in.
"Mr. Lin, I wonder how busy you've been these past few days. Would you do us the honor of having dinner with us?"
Lin Chudong frowned slightly and asked, "Today?"
"That's right. Mayor Ma and I have already booked a table at Yuehai Feng in the downtown area."
Chapter 43
Yuehai Feng?
Lin Chudong was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected such a coincidence.
"I have a dinner engagement tonight, but it's also at Yuehai Feng. I suppose I can spare some time to join you all."
After Liu Fugui had given him such a lavish gift last time, it wouldn't be polite to refuse an invitation to dinner. Since it happened to be at the same restaurant, it would save a great deal of time.
Hearing that Lin Chudong agreed, Liu Fugui was overjoyed.
"Wonderful! We'll be waiting for you in Private Room Number One. We look forward to your arrival!"
***
Returning to the company, Lin Chudong picked up Qin Wei and Chen Jiayu.
Once they got into the car, Qin Wei told Lin Chudong to sit in the back and had Chen Jiayu take the front seat to drive. After all, they were currently pretending to be a couple; since when did a boyfriend drive while the assistant sat in the back?
Throughout the ride, Chen Jiayu kept her eyes straight ahead, avoiding any eye contact with Lin Chudong as if they were complete strangers.
Her attitude suited Lin Chudong perfectly. This was for the best, as it avoided any accidental glances that Qin Wei might catch—that woman was a jealous creature.
After getting into the car, Qin Wei kept her gaze fixed out the window, completely ignoring Lin Chudong.
Suddenly, a large hand grasped Qin Wei's delicate, ice-cold hand.
Qin Wei looked down, a flash of frost crossing her face as she glared fiercely at Lin Chudong. With Chen Jiayu in the car, she didn't speak, but the look in her eyes clearly wanted to murder him on the spot.
"Just rehearsing," Lin Chudong said in a low voice.
Qin Wei shot him a withering glare, but she didn't pull her hand away. She turned her eyes back to the window, silently acquiescing to his behavior.
Somewhat pleasantly surprised, Lin Chudong gripped her small hand and grew even bolder. He slipped his fingers between hers, parting them gently before lacing his fingers with hers in a tight clasp.
Qin Wei didn't turn to look at these subtle movements, but through the sensitivity of her palms, she knew exactly what this fellow was doing. This hand-holding posture made her cheeks flush slightly, and her heartbeat quickened noticeably.
She kept repeating a mental reassurance to herself: *It's just an act, nothing more than holding hands, what's the big deal?* During her business dealings, she had shaken hands with plenty of men; she would just treat this as a standard handshake.
Qin Wei kept her eyes glued to the window, not daring to close them. The moment she shut her eyes, her mind filled with the memory of how Lin Chudong had handled her in bed the other day.
Those memories would probably haunt her for the rest of her life.
***
Arriving at the restaurant entrance, Qin Wei glanced at the time.
"We're early. There's no rush, let's rest in the car for a bit."
Qin Wei wasn't someone who liked being late, so no matter the occasion, she always arrived early. However, since the people hosting tonight's dinner were asking favors of her, she still needed to maintain her dignity. Even if she arrived early, she wouldn't go in early.
"Weiwei, I have a few acquaintances inside. Do you mind if I go say hello first?"
Qin Wei nodded without saying anything. She and Lin Chudong were only in a partnership; she had no interest in meddling in his private life, as long as he didn't mess up when it mattered.
Besides, this fellow Lin Chudong was rather mysterious—even the wealthiest man had given him gifts, and he knew Dr. Zhao's teacher. She had no idea what he actually used to do in the past.
Tonight's social engagement was relatively formal for Qin Wei. With the hairpin given by Liu Fugui pinned in her hair, she looked extraordinarily noble. The thought that such a precious gift had come from this fellow brought a tiny trace of sweetness to her heart.
Chapter 44
***
After selecting the dishes at the restaurant, Li Yueyao had stayed at Yuehai Feng without leaving. With such important VIPs dining tonight, she wanted to find an opportunity to network with them.
The boss walked over and whispered, "Director Li, Mayor Ma and the richest man Liu have both arrived."
Li Yueyao nodded, changed into a waitress's uniform, and walked in holding the menu. Seeing the two big figures seated at the table with the center main seat still vacant, her anticipation grew even stronger.
What manner of divine personage could possibly command these two top-tier tycoons to leave the best seat empty?
"Two leaders, I am Li Yueyao, your waitress for tonight. Here is the menu, please take a look."
Liu Fugui paused, looked Li Yueyao up and down, and smiled faintly. "You're not an ordinary waitress, are you?"
When waitresses came in to take orders, who ever announced their own name? Besides, judging by the jewelry Li Yueyao was wearing, it wasn't something an ordinary waitress could afford.
Li Yueyao gave a sweet smile and said, "Director Liu, in front of you, I am merely an ordinary waitress. But I do have another identity: I am the deputy general manager of Tianfu Group."
Mayor Ma frowned slightly. "Why are you acting as a waitress today?"
Li Yueyao replied, "To be frank with you both, I have a business dinner downstairs later, and hearing that the two of you were here, I came up specially to broaden my horizons."
Liu Fugui smiled. "Quite a glib tongue for someone so young. The two of us are hosting a distinguished guest tonight, and we happen to need a sharp-witted waitress. If you don't mind the trouble of serving us, we'll leave it in your hands."
Li Yueyao was young, beautiful, successful in her career, and well-spoken; Liu Fugui was quite pleased with her. Lin Chudong was also a young man, full of vigor—what red-blooded fellow didn't like beauties? Even if nothing happened, it was still a treat for the eyes.
Since Liu Fugui had said so, Mayor Ma could only tacitly agree.
Li Yueyao was instantly overjoyed. "Thank you, Director Liu! May I ask what level of VIP could make the two of you hold them in such high regard? Is it a leader from the higher-ups?"
Liu Fugui shook his head. "Today's guest is a heavyweight figure—a pillar of the nation!"
Li Yueyao was startled inwardly. Someone of Liu Fugui's stature would certainly not talk nonsense. To give such a high evaluation meant this guest truly possessed an extraordinary background.
The two men ordered a few dishes and left the rest for Li Yueyao to arrange.
"Please wait a moment, leaders. I'll go inform the kitchen right away and make sure they put their hearts into preparing it."
Li Yueyao walked out of the private room with her face radiant with joy. This networking trip had turned out to be immensely valuable. Not only had she managed to invite President Qin, but she had also bumped into these two heavyweights. If she could also get acquainted with this VIP, her network would become even broader.
Seeing that the cigarettes on the two leaders' table were running low, Li Yueyao hurried downstairs to buy a pack outside.
Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran straight into Lin Chudong heading up. The two met at the corner of the staircase.
Li Yueyao's brows instantly locked into a deep frown. "What are you doing here?"
Lin Chudong paused. "Eating."
The last time she saw Li Yueyao, she hadn't given him a straight answer, and he hadn't expected to run into her again here.
Lin Chudong asked, "What on earth happened five years ago?"
Hearing Lin Chudong's words, Li Yueyao let out a cold snort. "Lin, are you stalking me?"
Chapter 45
After Lin Chudong had been taken away last time, she had thought he might rein himself in a bit. She never expected that the moment he got out, he would come looking for her again.
Li Yueyao knew nothing about what had happened at the Law Enforcement Team; she assumed Lin Chudong had simply been locked up for a few days. Now that she was someone dining with the Mayor and the richest man, how could she possibly fancy a person like Lin Chudong?
Lin Chudong frowned and said, "I'm not stalking you. I really am here to eat today. However, about what happened five years ago..."
Crossing her arms, Li Yueyao looked down at him from her superior height with a sneer. "Lin Chudong, stop putting on an act. I can see right through your little schemes. I know you still have feelings for me. Now that you see I'm doing well for myself, you want to get back together with me, right?
"I was young and ignorant back then, and I did indeed have a crush on you. But now, having experienced so much in society—to be perfectly realistic—you are no longer worthy of me. Even if I were to find a boyfriend, I would certainly look for someone of equal social standing. I've been blunt enough; surely you understand?"
Li Yueyao didn't actually want to be this direct, but Lin Chudong was clinging to her like a plaster. If she didn't crush his hopes thoroughly, this guy would still be harboring illusions.
The two of them had indeed shared a flirtatious relationship in the past. But they had been young then, never thinking about the future. Things were different now; Li Yueyao was a white-collar elite making an annual salary of a million, while Lin Chudong was just a man who had freshly stepped out of a detention center.
Li Yueyao took a card out of her pocket and placed it in front of Lin Chudong. "If you don't want me to arrange a job for you, there are one hundred thousand on this card. Consider it a bit of help based on our past ties. Don't ever come looking for me again."
Hearing Li Yueyao's words, Lin Chudong was stunned for a second, and then a mocking expression appeared on his face.
"Li Yueyao, I'll say it again: you've completely misunderstood. I have zero interest in you. Stop using your self-righteous perspective to measure me. Forget it, step aside."
From Li Yueyao's mouth, he wasn't going to get any answers anyway.
Lin Chudong walked past her with a trace of coldness and contempt in his eyes. Just because she had achieved a tiny bit of success, she had become this insufferably arrogant. She might not achieve anything remarkable in the future.
Li Yueyao frowned, her expression turning gloomy. This fellow must have been crushed by her words and was just putting up a stubborn front to save face. A man lacking ability yet possessing such towering self-esteem was destined to accomplish nothing in life!
Hmph!
Just as Li Yueyao was about to walk down, a thought suddenly struck her.
There was only one private room on the third floor—Private Room Number One!
Could this bastard have walked into the wrong room just to save face? If he disturbed the two leaders while they were eating, it might negatively affect her. After all, since the two of them knew each other, she couldn't let the leaders get the wrong idea!
"Lin, you stop right there!"
Li Yueyao rushed back up and grabbed him by the door of the private room.
Lin Chudong frowned. "What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you that! What do you think you're doing?"
Lin Chudong found it rather amusing. "I'm going in to eat. What business is it of yours?"
Li Yueyao's face turned livid with rage. "You want to eat? Go grab a quick bite at a roadside stall! Is this a place you can just walk into? Do you know what kind of people are inside this room? Can you afford to bear the consequences if you barge in blindly?"
Lin Chudong said coldly, "Li Yueyao, do you take yourself a bit too seriously? I told you, stop measuring me with your self-righteous vision."
Chapter 46
"The big shots in your eyes are nothing more than my friends."
With that, Lin Chudong pushed the door open and walked in.
Li Yueyao's eyes widened in horror. She lunged inside and grabbed a handful of his clothes. "Are you insane? Get your ass out of here right now!"
Inside the room, the two leaders stood up immediately upon seeing Lin Chudong enter. However, seeing Li Yueyao tugging and pulling at him, the two of them frowned, exchanged glances, and looked confused by the situation.
Li Yueyao hurriedly blurted out, "I'm so sorry, leaders! This is a relative of mine, he walked into the wrong room."
With that, Li Yueyao glared at Lin Chudong and hissed viciously, "Get the hell out of here! This isn't somewhere you belong, don't force me to lose my temper with you!"
Li Yueyao was so angry her face was flushed crimson. This bastard was completely impervious to reason. Spouting those boring boasts in front of her was one thing, but to save face, he had actually dared to stumble right into Private Room Number One. Did he have no idea who he was? If he offended such heavyweights, wouldn't she be the one left cleaning up the mess?
A grown man who understood nothing about human relations—Li Yueyao was utterly disappointed in him.
Hearing Li Yueyao's words, Mayor Ma looked displeased. "Director Li, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Allowing you to act as a waitress to serve us was out of respect for you. Who gave you permission to pull and tug at Mr. Lin? Let go of him this instant!"
Mayor Ma's roar struck Li Yueyao like a thunderbolt, turning her face pale with shock. Subconsciously, she released her grip, an expression of absolute disbelief spreading across her face.
*Mr. Lin?*
Why was Mayor Ma calling him Mr. Lin?
Once freed, Lin Chudong walked forward and naturally seated himself in the central main seat between the two men.
Liu Fugui and Mayor Ma sat down as well, their faces wearing respectful smiles as they said, "Mr. Lin, we are terribly sorry. This waitress is blind as a bat; I'll have her thrown out right now."
Mayor Ma was about to speak when Lin Chudong waved a hand. "Forget it. Let her sit. I happen to have a few things to ask her."
Mayor Ma cast a cold glance at Li Yueyao. "Still not sitting down?"
Li Yueyao stood frozen like a walking corpse, taking step after robotic step toward the dining table before finally dropping into a seat.
"Mayor Ma... the VIP you mentioned... is it him?"
Liu Fugui said coldly, "Duh. If not him, could it be you?"
Liu Fugui was starting to regret his actions. He had originally thought Li Yueyao looked pretty and knew how to handle herself, figuring that having her serve might win Lin Chudong's favor. He never expected this woman to ruin things the moment she opened her mouth. He wanted nothing more than to curse her out and toss her out the door.
Sensing the unusual dynamic between the two, Mayor Ma asked in a low voice, "Mr. Lin, what is your relationship with her?"
Lin Chudong said indifferently, "We were friends in the past."
He tossed off the explanation casually, but to the two men, it carried profound meaning. *Were* friends—meaning they weren't anymore?
Mr. Lin possessed a special status; very few people knew his true identity. Someone at Li Yueyao's level certainly couldn't reach this strata. It seemed she hadn't taken Mr. Lin seriously at all—what a blind, foolish woman.
Lin Chudong looked at Li Yueyao and said calmly, "Now, can you tell me about what happened five years ago?"
Chapter 47
Li Yueyao was still in a state of complete bewilderment. Even so, she nodded subconsciously. The two leaders' attitude toward him was proof enough that Lin Chudong's status was extraordinary.
What on earth had he done over these past five years? Why had he become a figure of this caliber? Even Mayor Ma and the richest man treated him as an honored guest—someone of Li Yueyao's social standing truly wasn't qualified to sit at the same table with him.
Recalling her own self-righteous arrogance, Li Yueyao felt so awkward she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.
Seeing that Li Yueyao had nodded, Lin Chudong said, "You two, go outside and smoke a cigarette. I have a few words to say to her."
Liu Fugui stood up immediately. "Understood, Mr. Lin. We'll wait outside."
The two men stood up and headed for the door to smoke.
Li Yueyao was struck by another wave of intense shock. An influential figure of this level could be summoned and dismissed by Lin Chudong on a whim. Wasn't this just too absurd?
Now, only the two of them were left in the room.
Li Yueyao raised her head, lacking the courage to meet Lin Chudong's eyes. Her face burned as if she had just been slapped across the cheek.
"Li Yueyao, what actually happened five years ago?"
Li Yueyao bit her lower lip, a sense of desolation filling her heart. The only reason Lin Chudong had come looking for her was because of that incident five years ago. If not for his desire to clear that matter up, he probably wouldn't have bothered seeing her at all.
"I really didn't hide anything about what happened five years ago.
"That day, Uncle Lin, Auntie Feng, and I went hiking in the mountains. When we were close to the peak, the two of them got thirsty, so I set my bag down nearby and reached inside to get some water.
"Just as I pulled the water out and turned around, the two of them were gone.
"A lot of people started screaming that someone had jumped off the cliff. I rushed over to the railing and looked down, but I couldn't see their figures anywhere."
At this point, Lin Chudong's brows knitted tightly. "Then didn't you hear the sound of them hitting the ground?"
Jumping from such a high mountain, two living people would definitely have made a tremendous sound upon impact.
Li Yueyao shook her head. "I don't quite remember, but I don't think I heard anything."
So much time had passed, and she had been genuinely terrified back then; she simply couldn't recall details like that.
Lin Chudong fell into deep contemplation.
When the news first broke, he had actually suspected Li Yueyao. After all, she was the one who had gone hiking with his parents. However, the mountain trip had been initiated by his parents themselves, and Li Yueyao had no motive to harm them.
Furthermore, the tourists on the mountain had all given statements to the police verifying that Li Yueyao had been rummaging through her backpack off to the side, while the two elderly people had jumped off the cliff of their own accord.
This matter baffled Lin Chudong completely.
His parents were both researchers with stable jobs, high salaries, and a very fulfilling life. Moreover, they loved their son dearly—why would they commit suicide out of nowhere? Even if they had committed suicide, what about the sound of the impact? What about the bodies?
With none of these clues resolved—neither seeing a living person nor a corpse—this was the very thing that gave Lin Chudong the most headaches.
"Are there any other clues?"
When Li Yueyao had been at the Law Enforcement Team, she had already said everything that needed to be said. This time, Lin Chudong had sought her out merely to ask if there were any missed clues.