The call ended.
Chen Jiahao was still somewhat dazed.
So… her job had been settled just like that?
She stared deeply at Yu Huan sitting across from her.
Her appearance was even more striking than when they were children. Her skin was so smooth that her pores were almost invisible, her fingers slender and fair, and even her casually coordinated clothes were clearly expensive.
Around her neck hung a charming gold longevity lock set with diamonds Chen Jiahao couldn’t identify.
Everything about her showed that she had grown up surrounded by love.
Beautiful, wealthy, and loved.
Just those three things combined were enough to make anyone envious.
Yet Chen Jiahao couldn’t bring herself to feel jealous at all.
This spoiled young woman—the girl who, in her memory, had always revolved around herself—had just thrown her a lifeline when society and her own family had beaten her down completely.
That lifeline had kept her from being swallowed by all the negative emotions and losing the will to keep going.
Chen Jiahao almost burst into tears. She desperately held back her emotions, her voice trembling.
“Thank you. Thank you, Xiaohuan.”
Thank you for giving me a little hope to keep going.
Yu Huan was completely uncomfortable with such an emotional scene.
Chen Jiahao’s heartfelt gratitude made goosebumps rise all over her arms.
“If you keep acting like this, I’m leaving.”
Chen Jiahao quickly pulled herself together and swallowed her tears, though her eyes were still slightly red.
Seeing that she was back to normal, Yu Huan let out a relieved breath.
“Since you asked me for help, then you have to succeed. If you don’t pass the interview, it’ll be embarrassing for me.”
Chen Jiahao nodded repeatedly.
“Don’t worry. I definitely won’t disappoint you.”
Before making the call, Yu Huan had actually hesitated for a moment.
Should I really follow the plot?
But she immediately pushed that concern out of her mind.
Leaving everything else aside, Chen Jiahao was willing to secretly send her money even when she herself was about to go to prison in the original storyline.
Someone that loyal had come to her for help. If Yu Huan still hesitated, she’d be a terrible person.
Besides, whatever happened in the plot was the plot’s business.
She, Yu Huan, was a living person.
How could she possibly be controlled by a storyline?
Yu Huan refused to believe that this bizarre plot could actually control her body and make her commit all sorts of evil deeds like the version of herself she’d seen in her dream.
And if she refused Chen Jiahao’s request simply because she was afraid of how the plot might develop…
Yu Huan glanced at Chen Jiahao, who was sitting there anxiously after making her request.
She was afraid Chen Jiahao might go home and actually hang herself on the spot.
After Yu Huan finished her mocha, the sky, which had been clear and blazing hot just moments ago, suddenly changed.
Dark clouds aggressively swept across the sky, and the air became unbearably humid.
In the blink of an eye, huge raindrops came crashing down, drenching the dry ground.
The leaves of the trees, already weakened by the scorching heat, couldn’t withstand the downpour. They tore away from the branches and were battered into the muddy ground by the rain.
“The weather forecast didn’t say anything about rain! Oh no, I didn’t bring an umbrella.”
“Summer weather changes faster than my mom’s mood.”
Complaints echoed throughout the coffee shop.
Yu Huan had brought an umbrella, but she was still in a bad mood.
She was wearing light-colored shoes that day, so even the slightest bit of dirt would be obvious. With rain this heavy, if she went outside, she was afraid her shoes would be completely ruined.
She really liked these shoes.
They had even been pre-order items, and she’d waited nearly half a month for them to arrive.
When Zhu Heqing had packed her things for her, she had specifically asked him to pack these shoes.
The torrential rain clearly wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
But Yu Huan was even less willing to sit around doing nothing in the coffee shop.
Chen Jiahao sat across from her and watched Yu Huan’s expression grow darker and darker, the disgust between her brows becoming increasingly obvious.
She was just about to say something when Yu Huan’s phone rang.
The phone was lying on the table. Chen Jiahao instinctively glanced at it before quickly looking away.
Yu Huan answered the call with a sour expression.
The coffee-shop table wasn’t very large. Even though she hadn’t turned on speakerphone, Chen Jiahao could faintly hear the voice on the other end.
It was Yu Huan’s boyfriend.
“Baby, it’s raining where you are. Did you bring an umbrella?”
Yu Huan’s home and Zhu Heqing’s weren’t in the same district.
After they started dating, Zhu Heqing had added the weather forecast for Yu Huan’s district to his phone.
When Yu Huan called him, Zhu Heqing had also checked her location through the tracking app.
It showed that she was currently at a coffee shop.
It must be that Chen Jiahao who invited her out.
“What’s the use of bringing an umbrella? The rain is so heavy that my shoes are definitely going to get dirty.”
Yu Huan sounded annoyed.
“I shouldn’t have come out. I’ve only worn these shoes once. Even if the rain stops, they’ll still get dirty on the way home.”
Her tone was full of complaint.
Zhu Heqing only found it adorable.
That’s how it should be.
There were already more than enough sensible and considerate people in this world. She didn’t need to become another one.
If Yu Huan wanted to throw a tantrum, she could.
If she wanted to speak her mind, she could.
She didn’t need to worry about the consequences.
Because he was there.
He could always stand behind her and clean up the mess for her.
“He Zhihe is nearby. I’ll have him come pick you up.”
Zhu Heqing patiently comforted her.
“Don’t worry about getting your shoes dirty. I’ve already bought you the same shoes in every color from the series. I originally wanted to surprise you, but I guess telling you now still counts as a little surprise.”
“Then tell him to hurry. I don’t like waiting for people.”
“Okay. I won’t keep you waiting long.”
Yu Huan listened as Zhu Heqing continued talking for a little while, mostly reminding her not to drink too much coffee because she’d have trouble sleeping that night.
Chen Jiahao felt somewhat guilty.
She should have checked the weather forecast before leaving.
At the time, she’d been so focused on figuring out how to ask Yu Huan for help that she hadn’t even considered the possibility of the weather suddenly changing.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Yu Huan’s phone rang again, interrupting her.
This time it was Zhang Ya.
She was also calling to ask where Yu Huan was and whether she needed to be picked up.
Yu Huan’s father, Yu Hezhang, could also be heard in the background.
Yu Huan told them that Zhu Heqing had already sent someone to pick her up and asked them not to come.
Only then did the couple relax a little.
They also asked about Chen Jiahao, but Yu Huan couldn’t be bothered to answer.
Instead, she simply handed the phone to Chen Jiahao.
“You answer them yourself.”
Chen Jiahao hurriedly took the phone, awkwardly responding to Zhang Ya and Yu Hezhang’s concerned questions.
“Auntie Zhang, Uncle Yu, I’m with Xiaohuan… Yes, we’re still at the coffee shop. We didn’t get wet… No, you don’t need to bring an umbrella. I can get home myself… Okay, goodbye.”
Yu Huan idly stirred her mocha with the coffee spoon.
Then she casually glanced out the window.
A black Mercedes-Benz G-Class, looking like a dark beast, came speeding down the road before smoothly pulling to a stop outside the coffee shop.
He Zhihe stepped out of the vehicle wearing a sharply tailored black trench coat. He held a long-handled black umbrella as he walked toward the entrance.
Unlike Zhu Heqing’s gentle, refined presence, He Zhihe exuded the carefree charm of a rich young playboy.
With a pair of seductive, flirtatious eyes, he seemed to look at everyone as though he were deeply in love with them.
The moment he entered the coffee shop, he immediately attracted the attention of many people.
He Zhihe folded up his umbrella.
He didn’t even need to search.
His eyes immediately locked onto Yu Huan.
He flashed her a charming smile, waved, and walked over.
Then he stopped in front of her and asked with a grin,
“What’s up? I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?”