Shen Zuofeng was taken away by the police at the hospital. Now, nearly ten o’clock at night in this unfamiliar city, she lay alone on the bed in the detention center. The noise outside made it anything but a place for proper rest.
The only silver lining was that she had a room to herself, sparing her the trouble of dealing with the other detainees.
Shen Zuofeng sighed. Though it was rather embarrassing, she had genuinely disrupted Chief Cai’s anniversary celebration.
She figured Cai Meilin and Yang Huai were probably already on their way here.
Covering her eyes, Shen Zuofeng had no idea how to face Chief Cai. Before leaving, she had promised her an uninterrupted day with no work-related disturbances. Well, this wasn’t exactly work-related her boss had gotten into a fight, even if it happened during work hours over a disagreement. It should count as a private matter, right?
But there was no helping it. Shen Zuofeng’s parents were already quite old, and she didn’t want to worry them with such matters, so she kept it from them. She had only contacted Yang Huai, but unexpectedly, Ning Wenjing had also reported it to Cai Meilin. In the end, both of them were rushing over late at night.
When Yang Huai received Shen Zuofeng’s call, he had been wondering why she was calling so late. After hanging up, he had only one thought: as expected, when this person contacted him late at night, it was never good news.
But what could he do? She was his best friend, confidant, and his boss. He immediately contacted the legal department to discuss a rough plan, then prepared to drive over himself.
“Chief Cai?” As Yang Huai stepped out of his apartment, he spotted a familiar car parked downstairs. Taking a closer look, wasn’t that Cai Meilin’s?
Cai Meilin rolled down the window, phone in hand, looking as though she was just about to call Yang Huai. In the passenger seat sat a woman with a gentle demeanor, who, along with Cai Meilin, tilted her head to look at Yang Huai outside the car.
“She said not to tell you, afraid it would ruin your celebration,” Yang Huai scratched his head, confused.
Cai Meilin: “…”
“Xiao Jing told me.”
The woman in the passenger seat lowered her head slightly upon hearing Yang Huai’s words, shooting a reproachful glance at Cai Meilin.
“Get in. We’ll talk on the way,” Cai Meilin said coldly.
“Alright.”
Yang Huai stopped overthinking it, opened the back door, and got in. “I’ve already asked the legal team to head over as well.”
“Mm,” Cai Meilin responded indifferently.
Yang Huai rubbed his nose, pouted slightly in boredom, then turned enthusiastically to the woman in the passenger seat. “I’m Yang Huai, Cai Meilin’s colleague and her very good ‘frenemy.’ And you are?”
Cai Meilin shot him a cold glare.
The woman chuckled softly. “I’m Lin Wanshu, Meilin’s girlfriend.”
“Miss Lin, your name truly suits you!” Yang Huai gave a thumbs-up and continued, “Unlike her tell me, what part of her matches her feminine-sounding name?”
“She’s wonderful,” Lin Wanshu said softly, gazing at Cai Meilin as she drove.
Though Cai Meilin didn’t speak, the slight curve of her lips showed she had heard.
Yang Huai clutched his chest, feigning devastation. “How could you do this to me! One by one, you all abandon me!”
Shen Zuofeng has found someone she likes and is ready to pursue them, while Cai Meilin directly brought her girlfriend of three years whom she had kept a secret right in front of him. How is he, currently single and nursing a broken heart, supposed to handle this?
Cai Meilin snorted coldly, “If you don’t put in the effort, you deserve to be left behind.”
Whether it’s making an effort to move on from his relationship with Meng Binsen or striving to overcome the difficulties with him, he needs to find a direction instead of being trapped in this endless cycle where neither of them can let go.
Yang Huai understood what Cai Meilin meant, but it’s easier said than done. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it, it’s just that matters of the heart are sometimes beyond control.
He and Meng Binsen had been going in circles for years. Every time they broke up, he thought he could let go calmly, but then a chance encounter would send his heart racing uncontrollably, a glaring reminder that he was still moved by him.
And so, he fell back into an unsolvable loop.
“Well then, do you have any good candidates to introduce to me?” Yang Huai leaned back in the seat, putting on a carefree, almost roguish demeanor.
Cai Meilin sneered, “I don’t have a habit of harming people.”
“Hey, what do you mean by that? Am I not good enough? Young, talented, and rich, you couldn’t find someone like me even with a lantern!” Yang Huai complained indignantly.
Cai Meilin just smirked, her meaning clear without words.
“You two have such a great relationship,” Lin Wanshu said, covering her mouth with a light laugh.
“He’s just thick-skinned,” Cai Meilin retorted.
“What’s wrong with being thick-skinned? Thick skin gets you far, don’t you know that?” Yang Huai wore a smug, almost cheeky expression that made him look particularly punchable.
Cai Meilin glanced at him through the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly. Well, this was still better than the gloomy, defeated state he was in right after the breakup.
“By the way, do you think we should tell Assistant Chi about this?” Yang Huai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Cai Meilin was utterly exasperated. “Why tell her? Can’t we handle this ourselves? Or do you want her to see the boss locked up in detention?”
Yang Huai: “Uh!”
Lin Wanshu chuckled. So this was how Meilin acted around her colleagues? Surprisingly, it made her even more endearing.
“Let Liu Minghui try to find alternative suppliers. If we can’t, we’ll just have to pay the fine for now.”
“Got it. I’ve already passed the word along, and I’m sure Zuofeng has given the heads-up too,” Yang Huai nodded, his expression turning serious as they discussed business.
“Right, the legal department needs to be prepared. We’re likely in for another battle with Domdom.”
“Tch.”
“No reason to be afraid. Besides, they’re the ones who breached the contract first. We’re guaranteed to win.”
“Still, we can’t let our guard down. We need to stay cautious,” Cai Meilin emphasized seriously.
“Don’t worry, when have I ever messed up?” Yang Huai gave an OK sign.
Cai Meilin didn’t press further. Though Yang Huai often seemed unreliable in daily life, his work performance was beyond reproach.
The three of them chatted casually along the way, the atmosphere relaxed and light, with none of the worries or stress from Shen Zuofeng’s situation or the fallout from Domdom’s contract breach weighing them down.
Since things have already happened, they’re doing everything they can, and worrying won’t help. Their mindset is quite positive.
“When we get there, I’m going to tease her a bit. Just look at her getting into a fight and ending up in a detention center. I wonder how troublesome it’ll be to bail her out.” Yang Huai’s expression carried a hint of schadenfreude, which might just be the kind of reaction expected from a close friend.
“You really don’t seem worried about your boss at all,” Lin Wanshu remarked with a sigh.
“You just don’t get it,” Yang Huai said, shaking his head. “With her skills, very few people can get the better of her. Besides, she’s only in detention for brawling, not for murder or arson. At most, she’ll be held for a few days and then released.”
“But that place is someone else’s turf. I heard the person your boss fought with has a lot of influence there,” Lin Wanshu said, still concerned.
“So what if it’s his turf? If he dares to do anything, he’ll regret it.” Yang Huai’s tone turned cold toward the end.
Although he might seem a bit flippant or even gleeful, that was only because Shen Zuofeng was fine. If something really happened to her, he wouldn’t be acting like this.
If pushed to the brink, he wouldn’t hesitate to go back home. For Shen Zuofeng, making that trip wouldn’t be a big deal.
The only worry was whether the old man would be willing to help.
Cai Meilin, who knew about Yang Huai’s background, understood that he had the capability to back up his words.
Apart from Yang Huai, almost everyone in his family was involved in politics, and most of them held significant influence. If they decided to take action against someone, it would be effortless.
However, due to certain issues, his relationship with his family had been strained for many years, and he hadn’t returned home in a long time.
By the time the three of them arrived in Jiangyang City, it was already past 3 a.m. The streets were nearly empty, with only a few cars and pedestrians. The dim yellow streetlights cast a lonely glow over the deserted roads, creating a chilly atmosphere.
Yang Huai stepped out of the car and shivered as the cold autumn wind hit him. Looking up, he saw Ning Wenjing hurrying out of the police station. Her delicate face looked wilted, like a flower that had been battered by the elements.
“Mr. Yang, Assistant Cai, hello,” Ning Wenjing greeted them one by one. Since she hadn’t been involved in the fight, she hadn’t been detained. But she didn’t dare leave and had stayed at the police station, waiting for Cai Meilin and the others to arrive.
“Alright, we’re here now. You should go back and rest. We’ll handle things from here,” Yang Huai said, ruffling her hair and patting her shoulder. “You did well.”
Ning Wenjing hung her head and shook it, murmuring, “I didn’t do anything. It was all Shen Zuofeng taking care of me.”
“Isn’t that her job? She’s your boss, after all!”
“Go back and rest now,” Cai Meilin said.
“No, I’ll stay with you,” Ning Wenjing insisted. Even if she went back, she’d be too worried to sleep. It was better to stay and see if there was anything she could do to help.
“Suit yourself,” Cai Meilin said curtly, then strode into the police station ahead of the others. Only a few officers on duty were inside at that hour.
“Hello, we’re colleagues of Shen Zuofeng. May we see her first?”
The officer on duty looked up at her and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but due to the severity of her case, she cannot be visited before she is formally charged.”
Cai Meilin frowned. “Are you saying the other party intends to sue her?”
“Yes,” the female officer nodded.
“But isn’t this just an ordinary fight? And since it was a brawl, where are the others involved? It doesn’t seem right to detain only her,” Yang Huai stepped forward and said.
“When we arrived at the scene after receiving the report, we found the other party already lying on the ground, unable to move. They are still receiving treatment in the hospital.”
“Then we want to bail her out now!”
Yang Huai didn’t dwell on the issue further, figuring the other side must have pulled some strings, making it a case of the guilty party filing the complaint first.
“I’m sorry, but due to the special circumstances, bail is not permitted.”
Yang Huai gritted his teeth. Zhao Haisheng really had no shame.