Chapter 2: If You're Deaf, Go Get Treated. If You're Broke, I'll Lend You the Money.

Wen Ling curled her lips. In the eyes of the bodyguards, her expression seemed to say: *You guys are so useless. What do we even need you for? You might as well go back to guarding the front gates.*

Yet she said, "I don't blame you. It's my grandfather's fault for only letting you guard the gates."

Indeed, Old Mr. Wen spent a fortune hiring them every year just to watch the gates and patrol the courtyard.

"Miss, let's not talk about this now. We should leave quickly. If the Zhou family comes looking for trouble, our Wen family doesn't reside in China, so we won't be able to fight them."

Wen Ling pursed her lips in agreement. Telling them to wait a moment, she shut the door again.

Zhou Yinhe strode out of the Xiting. Standing at the entrance, he panted heavily. Unable to suppress his raging anger, he kicked the waterscape sculpture. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his foot, forcing him to take a step back as he glared at the sculpture like it was his worst enemy.

Seeing him come out, his two bodyguards abandoned Wen Ling's six bodyguards and ran over. "Fifth Young Master, are you alright? Are you hurt?" they asked anxiously.

Zhou Yinhe snapped, "Get lost! What use are you anyway?"

They had actually let someone intercept him in broad daylight!

The manager happened to be in the lobby. A newly hired doorman, who had never seen Zhou Yinhe before, ran inside and told the manager that a drunkard was throwing a tantrum outside. Frowning, the manager went out to take a look.

It turned out to be his boss's younger brother—the little ancestor of the Zhou family!

The manager rushed over. A single glance at Zhou Yinhe's grim expression made his knees go weak. For a moment, he wondered if the sculpture had committed some heinous crime.

"Fifth Young Master, what is going on here?" the manager asked cautiously.

Zhou Yinhe turned to look at him, narrowing his eyes. "This sculpture is an eyesore. Have it removed."

The sculpture: *What did I do wrong?!*

The manager was speechless. This piece had been recommended by a Feng Shui master; placing it in a water feature was supposed to ward off negative energy and gather vitality. Consequently, his boss had commissioned a master sculptor to create it, and it had stood there since the hotel's grand opening.

Oh well, move it then.

"Of course, Fifth Young Master. Will you be staying here tonight?" the manager asked.

Zhou Yinhe turned and glanced up at the towering hotel building. He had been cornered in his own brother's hotel, and yet nobody had even noticed. What a useless hotel. Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yinhe spat, "No! Find me a driver. I'm going back to Chenyue Mansion!"

Fearing that his beloved granddaughter would not live comfortably in China, Old Mr. Wen had generously bought her a grand manor. However, Wen Ling found the surrounding area too isolated. Instead, she bought two adjacent villas in Langpo Bay, a famous luxury residential area in the center of Sijiu City. One was for her bodyguards, butler, and maid, while she lived in the other.

Upon returning to Langpo Bay, Wen Ling headed straight to her study and searched for a name on her computer.

[Rising starlet Ruan Miaomiao reveals she has had a crush since college—a senior who stood up for her when she was bullied. According to her, her beloved is of noble birth and worth over a hundred billion.]

[Contest with Prizes: Who exactly is rising starlet Ruan Miaomiao's mystery crush? Guess correctly to win a full set of the latest Apple products!]

Still pretending to be pure while throwing herself at him. Wen Ling curled her lips in a sarcastic sneer.

If she hadn't awakened and been reborn, Ruan Miaomiao probably would have gradually become the most envied person in all of Sijiu City, just like in the book.

Unfortunately for Ruan Miaomiao, Wen Ling had awakened. Those full-of-holes lies that everyone blindly believed due to the protagonist halo would sooner or later be exposed to the public.

She shut down the computer and went to her room to take a shower. Standing in front of the mirror, Wen Ling gently traced the red marks scattered across her collarbone. A smile curved her lips. As she reminisced about what had happened, her initial displeasure was gradually replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction.

Over the next few days, Wen Ling ordered her bodyguards to keep watch outside Zhou Yinhe's residence and office. Wherever he went, they were to report to her immediately so she could arrange a "chance encounter."

Yet, Zhou Yinhe did not step foot outside for three consecutive days. Wen Ling began to suspect if he knew she had people watching him and had slipped out through a back door.

The bodyguards reported, "There is no back door. The Fifth Young Master of the Zhou family really hasn't left his house."

Hearing this, Wen Ling frowned.

Finally, on the night of the fourth day, the bodyguards sent her a location. Wen Ling looked at it—it was Nyx, the most famous bar in Sijiu City.

With seduction in mind, she changed into a dark, tight-fitting mini dress. The exquisite tailoring perfectly outlined her curves, and her voluminous brown curls cascaded down her back, making her look like a fox spirit come to life.

Wen Ling wrapped a lock of curly hair around her slender, fair finger, looking at her reflection with satisfaction.

As the night deepened, wrapping Sijiu City in its endless shroud, the driver dropped her off at the entrance and drove to the parking lot to wait.

Standing at the entrance of Nyx, Wen Ling looked around curiously. The place certainly lived up to its reputation in Sijiu City.

Inside, the lighting was dim and hazy, the heavy metal music blasted deafeningly, and people on the dance floor swayed close together in an air thick with alcohol.

The entrance of such a radiant, striking beauty quickly drew many eyes. A few bolder patrons tried to approach her to strike up a conversation, only to be blocked and threatened by several men in black suits who suddenly materialized out of nowhere.

The bodyguards had already informed her of Zhou Yinhe's private room. With a clear target in mind, she searched along the corridor and finally found the room at the very end.

Zhou Yinhe seemed a bit off tonight. Jiang Jibai glanced at him a few times and signaled to Qi Zhan, who was drinking with a charming girl in his arms. The two of them turned off the audio equipment in the room and walked over to Zhou Yinhe. Qi Zhan teased, "What's wrong? Are you upset because Ruan Miaomiao announced she has a crush a few days ago?"

Zhou Yinhe frowned, looking bewildered. "What does Ruan Miaomiao having a crush have to do with me?"

Jiang Jibai raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you treating her pretty well? You even gave her resources."

"It was just her reward," Zhou Yinhe explained casually.

Jiang Jibai and Qi Zhan exchanged a look. Qi Zhan asked again, "Then what's with you? You look like you've lost your soul."

Zhou Yinhe pursed his lips, unwilling to speak. Just as he tried to shake them off, the two of them grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back.

Annoyed, Zhou Yinhe snapped, "Let go of me. Are you two crazy?"

"You're not leaving until you tell us," Jiang Jibai said, completely unfazed. Others might not understand Zhou Yinhe's temper and fear provoking him, but the three of them had grown up together. How could they not know him?

Zhou Yinhe could only slump back onto the sofa. After a brief silence, he spoke. "I saw Wen Ling."

"..."

Qi Zhan's eyes widened in shock. "Who did you say?"

Zhou Yinhe rolled his eyes. It had already been hard enough to get him to say it once, and now they wanted him to repeat it? No way. He snapped back, "If you're deaf, go get it treated. If you don't have the money, I'll lend you some."

"Didn't she go back to the US to fight for her family inheritance? Why is she suddenly back? When did you see her?" Jiang Jibai's expression changed, and he frowned.

In their eyes, Wen Ling was a heartless woman who had dumped their good brother just to fight for her family fortune, leaving him depressed for two whole years.

Now that she was suddenly back, it was no wonder Zhou Yinhe was acting like this.