“Mr. He, long time no see.”
Being caught in the middle of his family’s embarrassing situation made Ji Huaiyang feel awkward, but since He Yu had come, he couldn’t exactly ignore him.
“What are you doing here?”
He Yu completely ignored Ji Huaiyang and looked straight at Li Wangshu. He thought to himself that they really were destined to meet. He had just sent people to Xilin to find out more about her, and now she had shown up on her own.
“Oh, this is Wangshu. She’s our… daughter who was recently found after being missing for many years. Wangshu, this is the Third Young Master of the He family. You can call him Uncle.”
Ji Huaiyang wasn’t offended by being ignored. Instead, he warmly introduced his daughter.
“Oh.” He Yu smiled at Li Wangshu. “So you’re the young lady of the Ji family. But there’s no need to call me Uncle. Our family hierarchy is a bit messy now.”
“My surname is Li,” Li Wangshu replied expressionlessly. “The Ji family’s daughter is Ji Mo.”
“Really? Isn’t Ji Mo the daughter of a human trafficker?”
He Yu had already heard plenty of rumors outside. He wasn’t exactly known for having much of a moral compass.
The Ji family looked extremely embarrassed. They wanted to explain but didn’t know how.
If Li Wangshu weren’t standing here, they could have denied everything without hesitation. But with their biological daughter present, denying it would be the same as slapping her in the face.
They were trapped.
Li Wangshu raised an eyebrow, quite pleased with how quickly He Yu caught on.
This man really knew how to talk.
“You’re right,” she said. “But the Ji family happens to love the human trafficker’s daughter.”
“Hmm.” He Yu looked at Ji Huaiyang with a half-smile.
“That’s seriously twisted.”
Ji Huaiyang’s face turned green, but he couldn’t afford to lose his temper with He Yu.
“Pfft…”
Li Wangshu couldn’t help laughing. She quickly returned to her usual poker face and waved at He Yu.
“You should go handle your business. We’re leaving.”
The Ji family immediately tried to stop her, but He Yu reached her first.
“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.”
“Didn’t you come here for business?”
“I did. Not anymore.” He smiled with his usual carefree, roguish charm. Somehow it looked mischievous instead of greasy. “Driving you is more important.”
“You… know each other?”
Judging by the way they interacted, Ji Qingshuang found the situation almost surreal.
He Yu didn’t deny it.
“I went to Southwest China for charity work a while ago. Student Li happened to receive one of my scholarships.”
He affectionately ruffled Li Wangshu’s hair.
“My scholarship isn’t easy to get. Only three students in the entire Southwest province received it.”
Of course, the scholarship was generous. It was a thick stack of cash that had paid for Li Wangshu’s food, lodging, and travel during her two-month vacation.
“No wonder you looked familiar! I saw you on TV.”
When Liu Ping heard him mention the scholarship, she immediately remembered.
After all, her daughter receiving the He family’s scholarship had even made the county news. She had watched that broadcast countless times, and the handsome young entrepreneur in it had left quite an impression.
“That’s right! I also heard you sponsored hundreds of children in the area. You’re truly a good man.”
Li Guangwei immediately handed him the “good person” label.
While only a handful of students received scholarships, the He family’s charity foundation provided financial aid to many more students throughout Southwest China. Their reputation there was excellent.
Li Wangshu’s parents instantly became incredibly enthusiastic toward He Yu.
Now it was Li Wangshu’s turn to find the situation unbelievable.
The biggest villain in the novel had somehow become a great philanthropist in the eyes of her simple, honest parents.
As for sponsoring education…
To the He family, it was simply a way to build a good reputation and exchange it for local resources.
Li Wangshu wasn’t about to lower her guard because of that.
Still, getting a free ride sounded nice.
Taxi fares in this area were expensive.
In the end, the Ji family could only watch helplessly as Li Wangshu left.
Once again, she didn’t drink a single sip of water from the Ji family, and this time she didn’t even step inside the house.
“We’re going to Dongyue Hotel, the one next to Peking University.”
After getting into the car, Li Wangshu gave him the address.
“There are plenty of hotels near Peking University. It’s hard to know which one. Add me on WeChat and share your location.”
He naturally handed over his phone.
Li Wangshu suspected he was setting her up somehow, but she didn’t really care.
She added him on WeChat and shared her location.
Then he casually added,
“Your parents traveled all the way to Beijing, and you’re staying in a budget hotel? Cancel it. I’ll arrange for you to stay at one of our hotels.”
“No, no, that’s too much trouble.”
Li Guangwei quickly refused.
“We’re only staying one night and heading home tomorrow. As long as we have somewhere to sleep, that’s enough.”
“You finally came to Beijing. You should stay a few more days.”
He Yu turned around and smiled like a successful young gentleman.
“Uncle, Auntie, don’t be so polite. Student Li helped me tremendously back in Xilin. I should be thanking her. Besides, it’s our own hotel, so it doesn’t cost me anything. Please stay without worrying.”
Li Wangshu glanced at the messages appearing on her phone.
She fell silent.
How was he chatting so naturally with her parents while secretly texting her at the same time?
He Yu: I see you get along well with your parents. They’re not the traffickers who kidnapped you, are they?
Li Wangshu: No.
He Yu: Got it. I’ll make sure they’re well taken care of.
Li Wangshu: …
She didn’t remember asking him to do anything.
When they stepped into the magnificent hotel lobby, completed check-in, and entered the presidential suite on the top floor, Li Guangwei and Liu Ping were still in a daze.
“Daughter… is this one of those presidential suites from TV dramas? The kind that costs tens of thousands of yuan a night?”
Liu Ping found everything fascinating, yet she didn’t dare touch anything.
Li Wangshu rubbed her temples.
She thought He Yu had gone way overboard.
“So… what exactly did you do to help him?”
Li Guangwei felt something didn’t add up.
“He was being robbed in Xilin, and I happened to pass by. I helped call the police.”
She lied without even blinking.
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask him if we can switch to a regular room.”
Just as she was about to send a message, He Yu knocked and walked in.
“Uncle, Auntie, are you satisfied with the room?”
“Mr. He, an ordinary room is more than enough. This suite is too luxurious. Please change it for us…”
Liu Ping was worried about costing him money.
“You can rent this room out and earn a lot in one night.”
“Auntie, just call me Xiao He.”
At this moment, He Yu had completely dropped his carefree, roguish attitude and deliberately acted refined and gentlemanly. Combined with his naturally handsome appearance, he easily won people’s favor.
“It’s the off-season right now. The more expensive the room is, the harder it is to rent out. This suite has been empty for half a month already. Leaving it vacant is just a waste, so please stay here without worrying.”
The moment they heard that expensive rooms were difficult to rent, they gave up the idea of changing rooms.
After all, the cheaper rooms could still make money.
The off-season?
Li Wangshu thought he was making things up.
There were almost as many tourists in Beijing as locals.
But her parents didn’t know any better, so they actually believed him.
“Uncle, Auntie, settle in first. Later we’ll go out for dinner. The chef at our hotel is pretty good.”
“That’s too much trouble. You’ve already done so much for us.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Student Li did me a huge favor. Being able to do these things for you makes me happy.”
Then he turned to Li Wangshu.
“Student Li, would it be convenient for you to come out with me for a moment? I found an academic advisor to help you with your university enrollment.”
“Look how thoughtful you are!”
In Liu Ping’s eyes, anything related to her daughter’s education was of the utmost importance.
“Yueyue, hurry and go with Xiao He. Don’t keep the teacher waiting.”
Li Wangshu followed He Yu out of the room.
After only a few steps, he pulled her into the presidential suite next door.