The next morning, the sky was just starting to lighten.
When the driver arrived at the hospital to pick up Lu Hesheng, Assistant Yan was already seated in the passenger seat.
He handed Lu Hesheng a file. “Boss, here’s the information you requested on Ji Yunzheng.”
Lu Hesheng took it, casually flipping through the pages.
At the same time, Assistant Yan began a verbal briefing:
“Ji Yunzheng, born in Jingbei xx District, 26 years old, graduated from Jiang University in Computer Science, currently serves as Technical Director at Ji Corporation. In terms of relationships, he’s had two girlfriends, one lasting two years, the other—”
“Stop.” Lu Hesheng snapped the file shut with a crisp sound.
He leaned back in the leather seat, silent, his gaze heavy as he fixed Assistant Yan with a look.
Assistant Yan squirmed under the silent pressure.
He touched his face nervously and asked weakly, “Boss… is there something on my face? Or… was something I said wrong?”
Lu Hesheng’s gaze was cold as he glared at him: “Nothing. I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“And combined with what you just read—dry, boring… worse than a math lecture, practically hypnotic.”
He tossed the file back into Yan’s lap with obvious disdain.
“You’ve been investigating for days, and this is all you’ve got? I could have Googled it myself.”
“What I want is his dirt, the stuff that shouldn’t see the light of day, or anything unsavory he’s done. Got it?”
Assistant Yan’s mind went blank, and he blurted out:
“Then… should I drug him? Find a girl, get some paparazzi to take scandalous photos, send them to gossip accounts… guarantee his reputation gets destroyed—”
Lu Hesheng snorted coldly: “You really think so?”
He wouldn’t stoop that low to win a woman with such vulgar tricks.
“Now, you, Assistant Yan,” he said, eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Think being my assistant is boring, planning to make your own path?”
“If you cross the line, even with all my resources, I won’t ignore the law to fix you. Understand?”
Assistant Yan: “…I won’t.”
“Boss, I was wrong! I just… wasn’t thinking straight, I was talking nonsense!”
“I’ll go over everything, thoroughly. Every detail of his entire history, I’ll investigate and report back clearly!!”
This autumn in Jingbei was unusually short.
By mid-October, continuous rain brought a sudden chill, and temperatures dropped sharply.
On campus, many students had already swapped hoodies for coats or light down jackets.
“Achoo—!”
Lin Ting sneezed, wrapping herself tighter in her thick coat and sipping on brown sugar water from her thermos.
Since that painful day, she had been extra cautious about her health—no cold drinks, and even milk tea only served hot.
Lu Hesheng had also forwarded her several long WeChat messages:
Lu Hesheng: 【After you fell asleep at the hospital that night, the doctor sent over some instructions. Make sure to read them.】
Lu Hesheng: 【If your body feels unwell in the future or you have any questions, you can contact her directly.】
Attached was the doctor’s WeChat contact, nickname simply their real name.
Lin Ting added the contact, labeling it as “Dr. Fan,” and it was verified that afternoon.
Out of politeness, she briefly introduced herself and expressed her gratitude:
【Hello, Dr. Fan. I’m Lin Ting, the patient from that night. Thank you for the injection—it really helped!】
A short while later, Dr. Fan replied warmly:
【So, you’re Hesheng’s girlfriend, right?】 【No need to thank me, it’s nothing. I’ve been friends with his mother for decades.】
【You young girls, I’ve seen many, your body is your capital—you must take care of it seriously. Don’t treat it lightly.】
Lin Ting’s eyes widened at the words “girlfriend.”
Whether out of private curiosity or simply not wanting to complicate things, she hesitated for a few minutes but decided to keep it simple:
Lin Ting: 【Alright, thank you for the reminder! I’ll take care of myself.】
After class, Zhang Yiqing, president of the Jingda Dance Club, was already waiting at the exit.
She threw herself at Lin Ting in a big hug: “Tingting, I’ve missed you so much!”
Lin Ting returned the hug: “Half a year, and you’re still as stunning as ever.”
Zhang Yiqing stood on tiptoe, examining her carefully: “But you, senior… your goddess aura is even stronger now!”
“You might not be in the dance club anymore, but people still talk about you.”
Lin Ting smiled.
Zhang Yiqing always knew how to give people a boost; Lin Ting felt lucky to have such friends at Jingda.
When Lin Ting was a child, living with her mother Ye Qingzhi in Nancheng, her mother had always invested heavily in her hobbies—piano, calligraphy, dance… Lin Ting tried nearly everything.
Ye Qingzhi simply wanted to explore her daughter’s interests fully.
But after moving to the capital for high school, with increased academic pressure and her stepmother’s restrictions, Lin Ting had set aside many hobbies.
It wasn’t until she moved out to attend Jingda that she joined the dance club during the welcome week, selecting something she was relatively good at.
Through the few performances she did, she gradually rediscovered her passion.
Zhang Yiqing had come this time to invite Lin Ting to perform at the freshman gala.
They walked to a nearby mall, first grabbing milk tea, then finding a Korean restaurant for dinner.
The restaurant was busy, and dishes came slowly.
Zhang Yiqing, a talkative person who met many people on campus, immediately began spilling gossip.
She glanced around and lowered her voice slightly:
“Tingting, remember that know-it-all from the dance club who always clashed with you… Liu Qingluo?”
Lin Ting hummed in acknowledgment. Of course she remembered.
At Jingda, Lin Ting was fairly easygoing, focused on herself, and avoided conflict.
But after meeting Liu Qingluo in her freshman year, she realized Liu often watched what she wore, what she used, even copying her hairstyle and speech.
After enough incidents, it really got under her skin.
One day, Lin Ting snapped and pulled Liu into an empty classroom: “Do you have a crush on me?”
Liu rolled her eyes: “Lin Ting, you’re so narcissistic! You think the world revolves around you? Who has to like you?”
Lin Ting had no words, just left her with: “Suit yourself.”
“All those copycat know-it-alls only take my bad luck. Consider it a gift. You’re welcome.”
Later, in junior year, busy with competitions and postgraduate prep, Lin Ting seldom visited the dance club. She never saw Liu again.
Now, curious, Lin Ting asked: “What happened to her?”
Talking about hated people’s gossip lit up Zhang Yiqing’s eyes:
“Recently, that video of you and Lu Hesheng interacting in class got a bit viral on campus.”
“One night, Liu Qingluo dressed in a style very similar to yours and went to the dance room to practice.”
“I actually thought it was you, and blurted out ‘Tingting!’ But Liu Qingluo turned around, rolled her eyes at me, and even scolded me for being blind.”
“Later, I heard from others—she had gone there that night to confess to Lu Hesheng.”
Zhang Yiqing twirled her finger teasingly, leaving Lin Ting hanging:
“Guess what Lu Hesheng said to her?”