Chapter Twenty-Two: Bygone Days

"Very well," Lu Wenchuan did not refuse.

But the eight people watching the livestream had very different thoughts.

In the dormitory, Qi Yue and her roommate hadn't gone to bed, glued to the livestream. When they saw Sang Yijia approach first, her roommate gnashed her teeth in frustration, "Sang Yijia really is something. She claims to like Shen Jin, but now she's flirting with Lu Wenchuan too."

"Didn't she say before that she didn't like Shen Jin?" Qi Yue was paying close attention, answering as she munched on chips. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another roommate quietly packing her canvas bag and slipping out, the door opening and closing so softly that no one noticed.

"She's a classic fisherman, isn't she? I bet Sang Yijia's plan is to keep Lu Wenchuan on the hook, ready for whenever she needs him," her roommate grumbled, indignant on Lu Wenchuan's behalf. "I don't know what he's thinking, always giving her special attention on the show."

Fuming, her roommate grabbed a chip and crunched it aggressively, as though venting all her anger on Sang Yijia with every bite.

Qi Yue was silent for a moment. She, too, was curious, so she’d asked her brother, but even he didn’t know what was going on.

Meanwhile, Qi Bin and Wei Heng were also watching the livestream, each on their own phone.

"Interesting," Wei Heng stroked his chin, eyes fixed on Sang Yijia.

Qi Bin didn’t share the sentiment. "My sister asked me what Lu Ge really thinks of Sang Yijia."

"Is there anything to think?" Wei Heng spread his hands, lounging lazily in the office chair, his long legs propped up on the desk.

Qi Bin grunted. "I didn’t give you my office so you could misuse it."

This was Qi Bin’s office. When Wei Heng arrived, Qi Bin was in a meeting. Upon returning, he found Wei Heng had already occupied his seat. With no other choice, Qi Bin had to work in the reception area.

"If this were Lu Ge’s office, you wouldn’t dare," Qi Bin glanced over, his phone set aside.

Wei Heng snorted, retracting his legs, "It’s not about daring. It’s about whether one wants to."

"So you don’t even dare want to," Qi Bin retorted mercilessly.

Wei Heng was momentarily at a loss. "Fine, I was about to explain what’s really going on, but at this rate, your attitude makes me not want to continue."

Qi Bin’s face darkened. "If I ask, will you answer? Or are you just toying with me again?"

"I wouldn’t lie," Qi Bin knew Wei Heng well after years of friendship—the man was easygoing to the point of being untrustworthy, and yet somehow he and the ever-serious Lu Wenchuan were close.

"Then let me tell you," Wei Heng sighed lightly. "There’s a bit of fate between him and Sang Yijia."

"It was… let me think… ten years ago?"

"If I’m not mistaken," he added.

Seeing that Wei Heng was serious, Qi Bin set his paperwork aside and listened intently.

"Back then, Lu Wenchuan was kidnapped, together with Sang Yijia," Wei Heng shook his head. "She was just unlucky—she happened to be seen by the kidnappers, so they took her along."

Qi Bin’s mouth twitched. "That is pretty unlucky."

"But is that why Lu Ge has been fixated on her ever since?"

"Of course not," Wei Heng scoffed. "But he does feel indebted to her."

After exhaling, Wei Heng continued, "The kidnappers were after money—nothing more. But that time, they intended to kill their hostages."

His expression grew dark, his entire demeanor changing.

"What happened?" Qi Bin asked, heart pounding. "Where were the police?"

"Our people were set up. The location we were given was fake," Wei Heng spread his hands. "But Lu Wenchuan and Sang Yijia managed to escape together."

"I don’t know the specifics," Wei Heng paused, "but Lu Wenchuan said it was Sang Yijia who overheard the kidnappers’ plan to kill them and came up with an escape plan."

"That was lucky," Qi Bin replied.

"Not quite," Wei Heng held up his index finger and gave it a little shake. "They hid in the mountains, and at that time, there was a massive rainstorm."

"They ran into a landslide while escaping."

For a moment, Qi Bin was at a loss for words.

Wei Heng continued, ignoring Qi Bin's reaction, "When our people finally found them, Lu Wenchuan was cradling Sang Yijia in his arms. The two of them looked like a pair of kittens clinging to life."

"After they got to the hospital, Lu Wenchuan was fine, but Sang Yijia had suffered a blow to the back of her head and lost her memory."

Qi Bin opened his mouth, but still couldn’t find the right words.

After a brief silence, Qi Bin furrowed his brow. "And how do you know all this?"

"Because…" Wei Heng curled his lips into a cold, emotionless smile. "It was my father who wanted him dead."

Qi Bin's heart lurched, his eyes widening. "What are you talking about?"

—

Sang Yijia hadn’t held the umbrella for long before Lu Wenchuan took it from her.

They walked along the path in silence, the atmosphere cold and still.

Unable to stand it, the director following behind cleared his throat and prompted, "Why not take this chance to get to know each other? Share something about yourselves."

Even if there weren’t many viewers, eight people were still watching!

Sang Yijia glanced up at Lu Wenchuan, thinking to start a conversation—anything to break the awkward silence.

"How many people are in your family?" Before she could speak, Lu Wenchuan asked first.

"Mom, Dad, and three older brothers," Sang Yijia answered without hesitation, then asked, "What about you?"

"Just two," Lu Wenchuan offered, without elaboration.

Realizing he didn’t want to talk further, Sang Yijia didn’t press him.

The conversation closed almost as soon as it began. The group director grew anxious, wishing he could script a scene for them to read.

"Do you have any pets?" Sang Yijia rubbed her nose, feeling a bit awkward.

"No."

…

And so, the two of them continued this stilted exchange all the way to the milk tea shop. When the manager saw them, he didn’t care if they were celebrities. Seeing his new workers had arrived, he immediately tossed them two aprons.

"You handle the orders, you make the drinks," the manager announced brusquely, wasting no time on pleasantries.

Sang Yijia put on her apron and stood at the counter. After a brief lesson from the cashier, she got to work.

Lu Wenchuan went to the back—though it wasn't really a back room, just behind Sang Yijia—where the manager explained the ingredients and the process.

The busy street drew a steady crowd. When passersby spotted the camera crew, they gathered to watch, exclaiming in surprise when they realized Sang Yijia was serving milk tea for a dating show.

Before long, the livestream’s viewership began to climb—albeit slowly.

The director exhaled in relief, but compared to the other two groups, their numbers were still only a fraction. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.