Liao Zhongqing was startled, but his expression remained unchanged.
“Canglan, I heard that Wang Shuyi from the Wang family will also attend the private gathering the day after tomorrow.”
He Canglan seemed not to have heard Liao Zhongqing’s words, merely watching the chattering executives:
“That’s enough. Hand the proposal to my assistant. As for whether to invest or not, connections are useless—I need to assess its value.”
“Of course, of course…”
He Canglan shifted his gaze to the window again, catching sight of a figure walking toward a bus that had just stopped.
In this bustling area, many people were waiting to board.
The young woman walked gracefully, standing out starkly among the crowd surging forward to squeeze onto the bus.
Her slender, delicate frame was no match for the overwhelming tide of people. Lan Die was soon jostled and pushed off balance, while the bus was so packed that passengers had to stand pressed against the doors.
An elderly man pulling a shopping cart swiftly squeezed onto the bus just as the doors were closing.
With a lift and a swing, the shopping cart struck Lan Die, who hadn’t yet boarded, squarely.
Caught off guard, Lan Die stumbled and half-knelt on the edge of the roadside.
“Little girl, it’s all my fault for not seeing you. I’m sorry, so sorry. Don’t cry…”
As the bus started moving, the old man was still pounding on the door, shouting toward Lan Die.
Lan Die forced a smile at him. “It’s fine!”
Lowering her head, tears began to fall, drop by drop.
The grievances, the humiliation, the recent insult from Lin Yi, the debts that weighed heavily on her, the sudden loss of her parents, and her younger brother Lan Tian’s illness…
Sometimes, a person’s breaking point comes unexpectedly. A single straw can easily crush them!!
A kind passerby came over to help her up. Lan Die wiped her tears. “Thank you, I can get up on my own.”
She slowly stood up, glanced at the red mark with speckles of blood on her right knee, and silently walked behind a decorative tree.
She just wanted to cry freely and thoroughly!
Because once she returned home, facing her loving grandmother and younger brother, she had to keep smiling!!
…
Inside the private room, He Canglan’s expression remained impassive. He merely waved his hand, summoning his private assistant, Yi An.
Yi An bowed, received He Canglan’s instructions, and quickly left the room.
Liao Zhongqing was puzzled, glancing out the window with a spectator’s curiosity.
But when He Canglan suddenly opened a conversation, he focused his attention on chatting with him.
After about ten minutes, He Canglan held a cigarette between his fingers, slender wisps of smoke curling around them.
The man possessed the serene elegance of distant mountains and clear waters, yet his features were sharply defined to the point of severity, exuding an intense sense of pressure that allowed no one to overlook him.
His deep, phoenix-like eyes held unfathomable depths; no one could guess what waves might stir within.
Just as his gaze suddenly shifted back to the window, Liao Zhongqing followed his line of sight. The traffic flowed like a woven tapestry, but the graceful figure under the tree had long since vanished.
“Canglan, she’s gone,” Liao Zhongqing remarked teasingly.
He Canglan slowly withdrew his gaze. “Who are you talking about?”
Liao Zhongqing was momentarily speechless. “Who were you looking at?”
He Canglan curled his lips, exhaling a slow smoke ring that dissipated before Liao Zhongqing.
“Zhongqing, your mind is a bit rusty! Come, accompany me for a horseback ride. Staying in this small room for too long can easily lead to brain hypoxia!”
Liao Zhongqing couldn’t help but feel that his own suspicions were unreasonable.
Even if Lan Die possessed unparalleled beauty, or even if the Lan Sheng Group did not go bankrupt, a purely business-oriented family like hers would find it difficult to gain entry into the He family.
As a descendant of the He family, He Canglan was born with the mission of upholding the prestige and power of his noble lineage. Love was essentially a luxury for him, and marriage, as a weighty bargaining chip, was certainly not something he could decide on his own.
…
Just as Lan Die was crying, a well-dressed middle-aged man suddenly appeared before her.
“Miss Lan, hello! I am Yi An. If you don’t mind, I can be of service to you!” Yi An politely handed her a business card.
The card was embossed with gold and felt heavy in her hand.
Lan Die glanced at it—the words “National Security Agency**” shimmered brightly under the light!
She was no stranger to the National Security Agency. It was an industry veteran that no one dared to challenge. With numerous commercial projects under its name, no one could accurately determine just how many there were.
Her father, Lan Sheng, had once told her that such a group could be summed up in four words: untouchable.
Lan Die handed the card back. “Thank you, but I don’t need it.”
“Miss Lan, I am acting on someone’s behalf. Please don’t make things difficult for me!”
Yi An spoke with great sincerity, and the earnestness in his eyes made Lan Die reluctant to refuse.
“If you don’t trust me, you can call the police at any time!”
Lan Die checked her phone—her afternoon class was about to start.
Seeing that Yi An had already respectfully opened the rear car door, with the clear implication that he wouldn’t leave unless she got in, Lan Die relented.
“Alright, alright,” she said softly, stepping forward. “Thank you, Uncle Yi! I’m going to Jing University. I’ll pay you the fare when we arrive.”
Yi An smiled without replying. After Lan Die got into the car, he closed the door, quickly took the driver’s seat, and started the engine.
The journey was silent until Lan Die realized the route was wrong.
“Uncle Yi, this isn’t the way to Jing University!”
“Miss Lan, I’m taking you to the hospital first to dress your wounds.”
“No need, it’s just a minor injury. I still have to attend class,” Lan Die said anxiously, though her voice remained soft and gentle as always.
“You won’t be late!”
As he spoke, the car entered a private sanatorium and stopped directly in front of a building.
“Miss Lan, please!”
The doctor was a kindly-looking man in his sixties. Yi An respectfully addressed him as “Professor Liang.”
Professor Liang smiled warmly. “Not following my nephew around?”
“Carrying out your nephew’s orders!” Yi An replied respectfully.
Professor Liang gave Lan Die a meaningful glance but said nothing more.
His movements were swift and skillful, and he quickly finished disinfecting and bandaging the wound. “Little girl, don’t worry. I guarantee there won’t be any scars!”
Lan Die quickly stood up and thanked him politely. “Thank you, Professor Liang!”
“You’re a dancer, aren’t you? You need to take extra care of your legs,” Professor Liang said kindly.
Lan Die was surprised by Professor Liang’s sharp observation. She had indeed practiced ballet since childhood, but only as a hobby. In university, she had chosen broadcasting and hosting instead.
Yi An came over to say goodbye. “Mr. He will visit another day. For now, I’ll take Miss Lan back to school.”
Professor Liang smiled and looked at Lan Die. “You’re welcome to come along and have some fun too.”
Lan Die was utterly confused. Who was Mr. He? And what did he have to do with the National Security Agency?
Yi An didn’t give her time to dwell on it. He started the car and drove straight to Jing University.
The journey remained silent until they arrived at Jing University. As Lan Die got out of the car, she tried to transfer the fare to Yi An.
Yi An smiled. “Let’s not talk about money. It was just a small favor.”
“Who is Mr. He?” Lan Die asked the question she had been holding in her heart all the way.
Yi An replied in a low voice, “Miss Lan, there’s no need to think too much about it! Please hurry to class, don’t waste any time.”
Yi An quickly started the car and drove away.
As Lan Die rushed toward the school, she ran into her roommate and close friend Cong Yue:
“Goddess, who was the person who just dropped you off? A Rolls-Royce Silver Phantom, wow!”
…