Chapter Fourteen: Meeting Huang San Again

Lin Yi had no idea what Yang Yujia wanted from him, nor did he ask. As he stepped into the room, a faint, delicate fragrance greeted him.

Yang Yujia's room was simply furnished, lacking the pink walls and beds crowded with plush toys typical of other girls. "Do you know who Du Liang is?" she asked softly. She wore a pair of rabbit slippers, her small feet sheathed in black stockings appearing rather alluring.

"No," Lin Yi shook his head.

"Of course you wouldn’t," Yang Yujia replied, her face expressionless. "If you did, you wouldn’t have embarrassed Du Liang so thoroughly today."

"Oh? Does he have a powerful background?" Lin Yi asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Yang Yujia let out a cold laugh. "He’s the only son of the chairman of Baida Real Estate, with the whole company backing him. In terms of connections, Baida might not rival Zhihan’s family, but when it comes to assets, it’s even stronger. So, tell me, does his background seem impressive?"

Lin Yi merely smiled, indifferent. To Yang Yujia, Du Liang and Baida Real Estate were formidable, but in his eyes, they were nothing more than slightly larger ants.

Seeing Lin Yi’s expression, Yang Yujia guessed that he probably hadn’t even heard of the Li family. After all, the ten great families stood above everyone else; even their distant branches were beyond the reach of ordinary people like Lin Yi.

Yang Yujia’s brows furrowed slightly, and she patiently explained, "Let me put it this way: Baida Real Estate’s assets exceed a billion." She paused briefly before continuing, "Frankly speaking, if he wanted to deal with you, a single word would bring plenty of people willing to step in. You should realize now who you’ve provoked, shouldn’t you?"

Lin Yi might have some talent, but that was all. Against the power of a major force, individual strength was negligible. She had seen countless promising young men who disappeared for simply offending the wrong people.

"And then?" Lin Yi asked.

Yang Yujia grew impatient. "What do you think?"

She had originally intended to throw Lin Yi out, but at Li Zhihan’s birthday party today, Lin Yi had managed to capture her attention with his performance.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Yujia spoke coldly, "For the sake of the song you gifted Zhihan today, I’ll try to help resolve the conflict between you and Du Liang."

"No need," Lin Yi shook his head.

Letting a little girl intercede for him—what would that say about all the years Lin Yi had lived?

"You..." Yang Yujia was annoyed. She’d said so much, yet the person before her refused to appreciate her efforts. She couldn't decide if he was simply ignorant or arrogantly self-assured.

Just then, Lin Yi changed the subject. "Do you like studying medicine?"

Yang Yujia’s expression stiffened. "No."

"Then why are there so many medical books on your desk—all of them about traditional medicine?" Lin Yi asked.

"They’re someone else’s," Yang Yujia replied, her tone less than comfortable.

Lin Yi began to understand. Though Yang Yujia argued with her mother, deep down she still cared for Yang Junqi.

"If you can finish the assignments I set for you every day, I can teach you some medical skills," Lin Yi offered.

Back during the foreign invasions, traditional medicine had suffered greatly, and many miraculous remedies had vanished. If Yang Yujia had real talent, Lin Yi wouldn’t mind helping her become a master of the new generation.

Yang Yujia looked at Lin Yi in surprise, then rebuked him, "Enough. I told you those books aren’t mine, so stop acting clever."

With that, Yang Yujia pushed Lin Yi out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Lin Yi knew that to unlock Yang Yujia’s heart, he would have to proceed gradually.

Yang Junqi was still waiting in the living room. Upon seeing Lin Yi being thrown out, she hurried over. "What happened?"

"It’s nothing," Lin Yi smiled.

Yang Junqi saw that Lin Yi wasn’t upset and said, "Yujia’s temper is like that, Lin Yi. Don’t take it to heart. Why not call it a day and come back tomorrow afternoon for another tutoring session?"

"That sounds good," Lin Yi nodded.

On his way home, he suddenly remembered he’d promised to treat Cai Qing to dinner. He sent her a message asking if she was free.

Cai Qing replied quickly, saying she was available and suggesting they meet at Quanfu Pavilion.

When Lin Yi arrived, Cai Qing was already waiting at the entrance. She had dressed up specially; though nothing was branded, her black pencil skirt, sheer stockings, modest heels, and light makeup made her look mature and alluring.

"Lin Yi, you’re here," Cai Qing greeted him warmly.

"Yes," Lin Yi nodded.

Cai Qing felt a slight disappointment at Lin Yi’s calm demeanor. She had spent time carefully preparing, only for Lin Yi to merely nod in response.

For some reason, she recalled the stunning woman she’d seen at the bar.

She sighed silently, then pushed away her scattered thoughts.

"Let’s go—it’s already past five, and I have to work later," Cai Qing said, glancing at her watch.

"Alright."

Just as they were about to enter, someone called out behind them, "Cai Qing, Lin Yi!"

Lin Yi turned to see a girl with a striking appearance, wearing a white dress, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, and holding a tube-shaped ice cream in her hand.

Her name was Lu Lu, also a colleague of Lin Yi, having started at Rainmaker Bar a month earlier. With her looks and quick wit, she’d quickly become acquainted with everyone there.

Lu Lu walked over, her eyes darting between Lin Yi and Cai Qing.

"What are you staring at?" Cai Qing asked, blushing slightly.

"You two aren’t dating, are you?" Lu Lu teased, grinning mischievously.

"Don’t talk nonsense," Cai Qing replied, her cheeks turning red. She cast a furtive glance at Lin Yi, but he showed no reaction, leaving her feeling a little lost.

"So, what’s going on between you two?" Lu Lu’s eyes sparkled.

"Lin Yi found a new job. We’re just celebrating over dinner," Cai Qing explained.

"Oh."

Lu Lu’s curiosity was piqued. "Lin Yi, what job did you find?"

"Tutoring," Lin Yi replied with a smile.

"Impressive," Lu Lu exclaimed admiringly. Compared to bar work, teaching sounded much more respectable.

"It was all thanks to Cai Qing," Lin Yi said politely.

"Not at all—it was your own ability. My recommendation wouldn’t have mattered otherwise," Cai Qing replied with a gentle smile. "Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head inside."

"Okay, I’ll leave you to your little world," Lu Lu winked playfully.

Cai Qing, embarrassed, pretended to tickle Lu Lu, but Lu Lu, anticipating her move, made a silly face and dashed away.

Cai Qing stood there, her neck flushed, awkwardly brushing her hair off her shoulder. "Lu Lu never says anything serious—don’t mind her."

Lin Yi smiled kindly.

After they entered, Cai Qing, perhaps still affected by Lu Lu’s comment, seemed restless as she ate.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Yi asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Cai Qing shook her head. "Lin Yi, I have to go—I’m off to work."

"Alright," Lin Yi replied.

As Cai Qing stood up, she was confronted by a group of small-time gangsters dressed in outlandish fashion. They were none other than Huang San and his crew, whom she had previously encountered at Rainmaker Bar.

"H-Huang San," Cai Qing said nervously.

Huang San’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Cai Qing wasn’t a breathtaking beauty, but she was undeniably attractive. With her curvy figure, she scored nearly a nine out of ten.

"Kid, you remember me, huh? Luck’s on your side," Huang San said, eyeing Lin Yi with jealousy.

His men had told him Lin Yi was here, so he’d rushed over from the hospital. Though he’d been beaten up by Wang Ke last time, it was just superficial injuries. Afterwards, he’d investigated Wang Ke’s background and nearly wet himself with fear—she was the princess of the Wang family. Neither he nor his underground connections could afford to mess with her.

Fortunately, Lin Yi had no ties to Wang Ke. If Wang Ke hadn’t had that minor accident driving, these two would never have crossed paths.

"Of course, Huang San. I’m in a good mood today—I'll give you three seconds to leave," Lin Yi said coolly, glancing at Huang San.

"Oh? The girl isn’t here today. Let’s see who’ll help you now," Huang San chuckled, amused by Lin Yi’s words.

Wang Ke had skills and a background, but Lin Yi was just a bar worker—what gave him the right to act so arrogant?

Cai Qing, frightened, moved closer to Lin Yi. "Lin Yi, what should we do? Should we call the police?"

"No need. Trust me—it’ll be fine," Lin Yi replied gently, his voice giving nothing away.

His words reassured Cai Qing a little, but with Huang San’s group numbering seven or eight, if things got out of hand, she knew they would be at a serious disadvantage.