Outside the private room, He Shixuan looked at his younger brother, whose face was swollen and red on one side. He reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips. As he walked forward, his assistant quickly pulled out a lighter to light it for him.
With one hand in his pocket, he held the cigarette between his thumb and index finger, exhaling white smoke from his thin lips.
The white smoke blurred his face, and no one knew what he was thinking at that moment.
He Wenling followed behind him, head hanging low, his heart pounding rapidly.
Only one thought remained in his mind: he was finished.
He was definitely in for a scolding when he got back.
“Considering your recent behavior, your card will be suspended for two months. Want pocket money?”
“Stay home and keep Mom company.”
Outside Blue Sky Bar, he extinguished the cigarette and tossed it into the trash can. He glanced sideways at his hopeless younger brother.
“You’ve caused Mom a lot of worry. If you’re really that idle, I can arrange for you to start learning the ropes at the company.”
“And from now on, you’re not allowed to associate with those two. If I find out you’ve been in contact with them even once, I’ll beat you up every time.”
After saying this, He Shixuan got into the car, and his younger brother hurriedly followed, not daring to say another word.
The assistant, driving from the driver’s seat, felt a bit fearful. Why was Chairman He so angry today?
On the way back, their car deliberately passed by the construction site where Song Jinhe and her husband were running their stall.
Through the car window, they could see the couple working hard to make a living, their faces not showing any resentment but only a desire and joy for earning money.
“Xi Leyao!” Upon seeing him, He Wenling immediately shouted angrily, “Stop the car! I’m going to teach them a lesson!”
“He looked down on me.” He Wenling still remembered the minor incident when Xi Leyao, delivering takeout, had ignored him on the road.
The car stopped, and He Wenling immediately got out and rushed over.
The couple had no idea about his arrival. Song Jinhe was enthusiastically serving the customers in line, while Xi Leyao was scooping food with a large ladle.
“Xi Leyao—” He Wenling’s voice echoed, catching the attention of everyone present.
Instantly, all eyes fell on him. With his rosy lips, fair complexion, designer clothes, and dyed yellow hair, he looked like a troublemaker with nothing better to do.
Ignoring the stares, He Wenling walked over to Xi Leyao and continued shouting, “I want you to kneel down and apologize to me right now!”
Xi Leyao, bundled up tightly, glanced at him but said nothing, lowering his head to continue serving food to the workers.
Song Jinhe, standing nearby, looked at the two of them and muttered, “Here to cause trouble?”
“How did Xi Leyao manage to offend a guy like this?”
As she spoke, her eyes swept over He Wenling, taking in his tattered-looking clothes. She couldn’t help but mutter again, “Showing up in rags—is he here to pick a fight or to stage a scam?”
“If he faints from hunger in front of our stall, will we have to compensate him?”
Song Jinhe had never seen luxury goods, custom-made clothes, or any high-end brands, so naturally, she couldn’t tell that He Wenling’s outfit alone could cover the down payment for a house.
“Hey, when did you secretly offend guys like this behind my back?” Song Jinhe pressed down on the rice and turned to Xi Leyao to ask.
“I don’t know,” Xi Leyao shook his head and replied.
He had never even seen this person before, so how could he have offended him?
Seeing Xi Leyao not only ignore him, but his wife also belittling him, calling him a “spiritual young man,” made He Wenling even more furious.
“I am He Wenling, the second young master of the He family!” He pointed at himself and began announcing his background. “Why don’t you kneel down and apologize to me?”
“Admit your own rudeness?”
A man in a black suit and a white hard hat happened to be standing nearby. Hearing He Wenling’s words, he looked at him and asked seriously, “Are you really the second young master of the He family?”
“Of course! My brother is in the car. Do you want me to call him down to confront you?” He Wenling said smugly, feeling that his reputation was finally coming in handy.
Little did he know that the man’s next words would leave him speechless.
“If you are the second young master of the He family, can you ask Mr. Li to settle the project payment?” The middle-aged man took the food handed over by Xi Leyao, picked up a pair of disposable chopsticks, and spoke loudly.
“Mr. Li has owed me the project payment for two years now. Every year I go to ask for it, he keeps making excuses. Mr. Li also said he knows you and Chairman He. Since you are the second young master yourself, can you help me get the payment back?”
The middle-aged man looked at He Wenling with a simple and honest face, his tone sincere.
This request immediately stumped He Wenling. As someone who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, how could he understand such matters?
His intention to pick a fight instantly vanished, and he quickly made an excuse to run away.
Watching He Wenling’s retreating figure, Xi Leyao finally spoke up. “Chief Engineer, it’s useless to look for him.”
“That guy is just a playboy who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun.”
The middle-aged man sat down on a chair, opened the food in front of him, and chuckled bitterly. “That’s a fifteen million yuan project payment! I pooled the money with a few friends, and we still haven’t gotten it back.”
Hearing this, Song Jinhe’s eyes immediately lit up. She rubbed her hands together and smiled as she asked, “How about I help you get the project payment back?”
The middle-aged man chuckled again upon hearing Song Jinhe’s words. “If you can get it back, I’ll give you 150,000 yuan as a reward.”
However, he didn’t believe this young girl in front of him could help him get it back.
150,000 yuan!
A huge sum! For a mere fifteen million yuan, she was determined to get it back.
“Alright, I’ll help you get it back.” As she spoke, Song Jinhe took out her phone and said to the man, “Let’s add each other on WeChat. We can talk more in detail tonight.”
Just like that, the two exchanged WeChat contacts. Xi Leyao looked at her, his eyes filled with confusion.
The last two servings of food were eaten by the couple. They scooped out the remaining dishes from the insulated container into two disposable lunch boxes and sat under the light to eat.
“A fifteen million yuan project payment—are you sure you have the ability to get it back?” Xi Leyao asked worriedly.
“File a lawsuit, intimidate and threaten, cry, make a scene, or even threaten suicide—we’ll use all these methods.”
“If all else fails, I’ll report the other company.” Song Jinhe declared confidently.
“This is a chance to make money. If we get that 150,000 yuan, you’ll have the funds to start a company.”
Hearing her words, Xi Leyao unconsciously clenched his hands. After a long pause, he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Actually, you don’t have to go this far for me.”
“Go back to the Song family. Don’t suffer with me.”
Her voice carried endless desolation and bitterness, as bitter as a concentrated iced Americano.
Song Jinhe immediately raised her hand and slapped him across the face. The sound of the slap echoed around them as she spoke sharply, “What are you thinking? I did this for myself!”