Chapter 28: You Should Leave

When He Jiangyu publicly admitted their relationship in front of everyone, Ren Yishan felt the blood in her brain surge in waves. She bit her lip hard, watching as Jian Qing instantly drew all attention away from her. Even a few socialites proactively went over to exchange contact information with Jian Qing. After that, Ren Yishan pulled Xiao Yunchen out of the venue.

“When did she get to know He Jiangyu?” Xiao Yunchen asked.

He hailed a cab; clearly, no one remembered that Ren Yishan had originally asked Jian Qing to come here for her own purposes.

Ren Yishan shot him a glare but still forced herself to answer, “You don’t know? I always felt that Jian Qing and He Jiangyu were already entangled before she broke up with you. That kind of woman will use any means necessary.”

As she spoke, Ren Yishan pulled out her phone. Already, someone had posted the photo of He Jiangyu and Jian Qing together online. With He Jiangyu’s own popularity fueling it, the topic “HeQingCP” was quickly gaining heat.

Furious, Ren Yishan tossed her phone onto the seat, biting her finger. As their car neared the villa, she suddenly clapped her hands. “I just feel that He Jiangyu was only helping Jian Qing out of kindness. They didn’t seem very close when they spoke. The Jian family is famous in the jewelry world; maybe He Jiangyu was just doing them a favor. Besides, with this kind of hype, both families get publicity—a win-win.”

She glanced at Xiao Yunchen after finishing.

At that moment, Xiao Yunchen was gazing out the window, looking distracted.

“Yunchen?” she called softly.

“What is it?” He turned back and, seeing Ren Yishan staring at him, lowered his head guiltily. When the car stopped, he got out first, saying, “Let’s go. We’re home.”

Li Jingche, who had been waiting for Jian Qing in the villa, heard the door open and came out of his room. Standing upstairs, he exchanged glances with Xiao Yunchen, taking in the abrupt changes in their expressions. Leaning over the banister, he asked, “Where’s Qingqing?”

Ren Yishan scoffed, her anger already simmering. She flung her bag onto the sofa, glared at Li Jingche, and marched upstairs. “What exactly is your relationship with Jian Qing?”

Li Jingche glanced at Ren Yishan, straightened up, and looked down at the woman before him.

Ren Yishan’s gaze followed the man’s imposing figure upward, but when he finally stood still, she withdrew her eyes in frustration. He was simply too intimidating.

“Where’s Qingqing? She said you asked her to pick you up. Why are you back but she isn’t?” Li Jingche ignored her question. He glanced out the window, and when he noticed a flash of headlights, he brushed past Ren Yishan and headed downstairs.

“Stop!” As he passed Xiao Yunchen, the man grabbed Li Jingche’s arm.

“Who the hell are you?”

Li Jingche slowly turned his head, a mocking, distant smile on his lips. “Didn’t I introduce myself before? I’m He Jiangyu.”

“You’re not He Jiangyu at all!” Xiao Yunchen’s grip on Li Jingche tightened. But upon hearing the front door open behind him, he suddenly let go.

“The Jian family might not be as powerful as the He family, but they’re still half an aristocratic family. A nameless nobody like you doesn’t deserve to stay by Qingqing’s side.”

“I’m not worthy, but you are?” Li Jingche tilted his head, his gaze shifting to Ren Yishan upstairs.

“I was thinking about the bigger picture. What about you?” Xiao Yunchen’s words were squeezed out between clenched teeth. “You’re just a dog Qingqing picked up from some male model agency, aren’t you?”

Li Jingche clapped Xiao Yunchen on the shoulder, a wild smile on his face. “It’s convenient to call cowardice ‘considering the bigger picture,’ isn’t it, President Xiao? How many years have you known her?”

Caught off guard by the question, Xiao Yunchen glanced at Li Jingche. “Over twenty years. Why?”

“No reason. I just wanted you to know—we’ve slept together.”

Xiao Yunchen froze, as if turned to stone.

Li Jingche spoke quietly, softly enough that only the two of them could hear.

But the weight of those words was crushing to Xiao Yunchen.

Clearly, he had every advantage, but in the end, he had gained nothing.

Worse yet, he’d lost Jian Qing’s love.

“What did you say?” Xiao Yunchen pressed, but just then the door opened. Uncle Qian, having just seen off the driver, was now supporting Jian Qing as she came in.

Li Jingche went over, taking her bag. “You’ve been drinking?”

“A couple of glasses. It’s a bit complicated. Let’s talk upstairs,” Jian Qing said, pressing a finger to her temple. She swayed slightly as she walked, her slender waist shifting gracefully. Passing Ren Yishan, she patted her on the shoulder. “Sister, see you in the morning.”

Li Jingche led Jian Qing back to her room. Once the door was closed, her weariness faded. She leaned against the sofa and instructed Li Jingche to fetch an ice pack from the fridge for her face.

“I almost slipped up today. But President He is good-tempered; he helped smooth things over for me. Next…”

Staring at the ceiling, Jian Qing’s thoughts were interrupted as Li Jingche’s face suddenly appeared above her.

“I saw the trending searches,” he said.

“What?”

“You and He Jiangyu. It’s all over the internet.”

Jian Qing hadn’t noticed. She took his phone, her hazy vision gradually focusing on the trending topic, “HeQingCP.” The realization sobered her up completely.

“This…” She sat up abruptly, her expression tense. “President He only helped me out of kindness. Anyone with eyes can see that. But if rumors spread like this… Well, it’s good publicity for us. The Jian family gets some attention. But if it affects President He’s life, that would be bad.”

Li Jingche didn’t seem concerned. Sitting beside her, he poured her a glass of water. “Since he decided to help, he must have considered all this. Don’t worry too much.”

Jian Qing drained the glass, feeling uneasy. “Honestly, I was already prepared to be humiliated by Ren Yishan in public today. I didn’t expect President He to step in. If there’s a chance in the future, I must repay his kindness.”

Jian Qing’s willingness to repay He Jiangyu meant, to Li Jingche, that she was willing to repay him.

As he unbuttoned his shirt, he said, “Then let’s start by sleeping together.”

There are two kinds of love—one is falling for someone, the other is falling for someone.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” Jian Qing said nervously, kicking off her shoes and curling up on the sofa, wrapping herself up like a tumbleweed.

“That won’t do. I still have to earn four hundred thousand tonight.”

“No, no, I’m out of money.”

“Then you’ll owe me,” Li Jingche said, and without further ado, scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Pinning her wrists, he greedily savored the rosebud that was about to bloom.

Jian Qing was left breathless by his kisses. “Your identity has already… already been discovered by Ren Yishan. We need to think about the future.”

“You should know, marrying you is impossible now.”

Li Jingche’s hand paused. He propped himself up, gazing at her, and gently brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead.