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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Yao was feeling a bit drowsy.
She wanted to go downstairs to the exhibition hall to look at the stones; she had no interest in sitting in an air-conditioned room listening to speeches. The history of the trade fair, its significant role, and the guests from various provinces had nothing to do with her.
Zhou Yao tilted her head and stared at the PowerPoint presentation on the projector, her gaze vacant. Just as she was about to yawn, she caught a glimpse of Xia Mingzhen beside her and quickly closed her mouth.
The speaker on stage was speaking endlessly, and Zhou Yao could no longer sit still. She quietly stood up. Xia Mingzhen's gaze shifted toward her. Zhou Yao's expression twisted as she whispered, "Mom, I drank too much papaya juice this morning; I need to pee."
Xia Mingzhen shot her a glance and turned back to the podium.
Zhou Yao carefully left her seat and slipped out.
Luo Yi glanced at her and followed her out.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly, and the trees were lush. Zhou Yao stood by the window and stretched lazily. When she turned around and saw Luo Yi behind her, she glared at him unhappily.
"What are you doing following me?"
Luo Yi leaned against the wall at an angle, tilting his head slightly to look at her. "I told you last night that during our time in Yunnan, you can't leave my sight."
Zhou Yao felt pleased inside but retorted, "I don't need your concern; after all, I'm just your little mistress."
"What?" Luo Yi raised an eyebrow and looked at her for a moment, half-smiling. "Little mistress?"
She still held a grudge about President Xia asking him if he was hiring prostitutes; he had remained silent, which President Xia took as tacit approval, truly believing he had hired a little prostitute.
Luo Yi used his index finger to lift her chin. "Little mistress? Hmm?"
He poked her again and again, causing Zhou Yao to feel ticklish. She pouted and opened his hand, saying, "Don't touch me."
Luo Yi said, "If I tell you I have a little girlfriend here, would your mother believe it?"
Zhou Yao thought about it and immediately smiled, "Alright then. Let's forget it."
She was so easy to coax that Luo Yi couldn't help but chuckle lightly before becoming serious again. "I know you're curious about everything, but don't wander off. When Lu Xu arrives, someone will be here to keep an eye on you."
"What about you? Aren't you going to take care of me?" Zhou Yao's eyes sparkled as she pouted a bit.
"..." Luo Yi stared at her for a moment, then curved his lips into a smile, "No."
He unexpectedly enjoyed her soft and charming demeanor.
"Ha." Zhou Yao was delighted, taking a small step towards him and shaking his hand.
The sound of a door opening came from not far away. Zhou Yao froze for a moment, quickly letting go of Luo Yi's hand and glancing at him to signal that she was leaving before turning and running off.
Jiang Han came out from inside. Zhou Yao brushed past him as she headed into the room. Jiang Han turned back to remind her, "No need to go in; it will be over soon."
"Just right. I didn't want to go in anyway."
"Let's go to the exhibition hall."
...
At the Gemstone and Jade Raw Materials Exhibition, guests gathered from near and far, with suppliers showcasing various gemstones such as amber, agate, jadeite, and white jade. Tourmaline and Lapis Lazuli from Tanzania were among the dazzling array of colors and types on display. Being in the venue felt like falling into a colorful fantasy world.
Zhou Yao wandered around before finally stopping at the high-end jade exhibition area.
Removing Old Jadeite, Zhou Yao also saw Colombian Emerald, Kashmir Sapphire, Burmese Pigeon Blood Red... The gemstone was as red as blood, pure and transparent. Zhou Yao admired it for a while and chatted with the staff at the booth, learning that the gemstone originated from Mogul.
Jiang Han was beside her, sifting through some gravel when he suddenly said, “Zhou Yao, whoever marries you in the future will have to spend a lot.”
Zhou Yao turned her head and asked, “Why?”
“With your family's conditions, if someone wants to marry you, not to mention the betrothal gifts, the engagement ring alone has to be that big, and the quality can't be poor,” Jiang Han pointed to the Kashmir Sapphire booth across from them.
Zhou Yao looked over and widened her eyes. “That’s at least four carats, over three million. No way, that’s too expensive.”
“I don’t want it,” Zhou Yao shook her head firmly.
Jiang Han sighed, “Is your boyfriend a poor guy?”
“…” Zhou Yao shot him a glare and turned to leave.
Jiang Han followed her, teasing, “In a passionate relationship, there should be constant calls and texts. Did you break up?”
“He's very busy with work; I call him every night when I get back to my room.”
Jiang Han chuckled twice, “Who knows what he’s doing during the day with others? Don’t be fooled.”
Zhou Yao rolled her eyes in silence.
…
Luo Yi was ten meters behind Zhou Yao, following leisurely while occasionally glancing at the exhibits at each booth.
Suddenly, he heard someone call from behind, “Manager Luo?”
Luo Yi turned around and saw the supplier with the surname Xu, who had been drunk at the dinner party.
He nodded slightly.
Miss Xu's company was also participating in this exhibition. She was busy but took a moment to greet him and express her gratitude: "Manager Luo, thank you for helping me out at the dinner last time. I didn't get a chance to thank you properly. It's nice to see you today, so I wanted to formally say thank you."
"You're welcome," Luo Yi replied.
After exchanging pleasantries, Miss Xu didn't want to disturb his schedule and nodded to take her leave.
However, Luo Yi recalled something and called out to her: "Miss Xu."
"Is there something you need?"
Luo Yi furrowed his brow for a moment, hesitating to speak.
"Manager Luo, do you need my help?" Miss Xu said with a friendly smile. "Just say what you need."
Luo Yi considered his words carefully and hinted, "Initially, your company did not qualify to cooperate with Oya. But—"
Miss Xu's face paled, and her lips twitched slightly.
Seeing this, Luo Yi stopped: "I'm sorry, forget I said anything."
He lightly nodded and was about to turn away when Miss Xu spoke up: "Yes, it's exactly as you think. At that time, I—along with Manager Yuan Wei—made some... less than honorable deals."
Luo Yi maintained a calm expression and asked, "Did he have any contact with you after his term ended?"
Miss Xu shook her head. Noticing Luo Yi's slight frown, she tentatively asked, "Are you looking for him?"
"I want to investigate some matters clearly," Luo Yi said, unwilling to let go of any detail. "Miss Xu, could you describe what kind of person Yuan Wei is? There have been many personnel changes at Oya in the past two years, and few colleagues who worked with him remain."
Miss Xu seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, "Yuan Wei—he is not a person of great ambition."
This caught Luo Yi off guard. "What do you mean?"
"He lacks charm, doesn't know much in this field, seems to lack influence, and is greedy and lecherous," Miss Xu said with a bitter smile. "At one point, I even wondered if he got into Oya through some connections. Because—he really is a good-for-nothing."
Good-for-nothing?
Does this mean—a puppet?
Luo Yi was taken aback, piecing together some fragments from memory.
The real mole within Oya—could it be that person?
...
Luo Yi immediately went to find Zhou Yao to confirm some things. But by now it was close to noon, and people were gradually leaving the exhibition.
When Luo Yi reached the entrance, General Manager Xia and her team were getting into their cars. Zhou Yao stayed behind, stretching her neck to look around. She suddenly spotted Luo Yi from a distance and smiled at him happily before getting into the car.
Today, they did not take the business vehicle but rather a sedan. General Manager Xia, Zhou Yao, and Jiang Han were in the front car, while Luo Yi, Assistant Ruan, and staff arranged by the conference were in the back.
Luo Yi rested his arm on the car window, frowning in thought as the summer breeze rustled the lush palm trees by the roadside, bringing a faint fragrance.
Luo Yi glanced out the window and suddenly noticed something unusual: "We didn't take this road when we came this morning."
The driver replied, "I followed the car in front; he probably wanted to avoid traffic on the other road."
Luo Yi glanced at the car in front of them. Through the rear window, he could see Zhou Yao's fluffy head looking around. Summer turned his head and said something, and Zhou Yao immediately stopped moving.
Luo Yi suddenly recalled the scene from earlier that morning when they were leaving. Summer had seen the vehicle arranged by the event staff and frowned, saying, "You are being too careless. There are five of us; we should have a business vehicle. What kind of rule is it to have two separate cars?"
Luo Yi felt something was off but laughed at himself for being too nervous as he looked again at Zhou Yao. At that moment, a black car attempted to cut into their lane.
Luo Yi said, "Driver, stay close to the car in front." As he spoke, he rolled down the window to greet the car beside them, but unexpectedly, the black car suddenly accelerated toward Zhou Yao's vehicle.
With a loud crash,
the driver of Luo Yi's car immediately slammed on the brakes. Luo Yi lurched forward instinctively, shocked to see Zhou Yao's car collide and come to a stop against the roadside, the screeching of brakes piercing the air.
Zhou Yao was thrown against the backrest of the front seat and momentarily stunned.
"Get out!" Luo Yi shouted furiously at the driver. He quickly leaned over and opened the driver's door, pushing and kicking the driver out of the car. Luo Yi took over the driver's seat and saw several people from the black car rushing toward Zhou Yao's vehicle.
Luo Yi's eyes turned fierce as he gripped the steering wheel, shifted gears, and pressed down on the accelerator. The speed shot up to 100 miles per hour as he charged toward those people!
As they reached Zhou Yao's car and were about to pull open the door, they heard the roaring sound of an accelerating vehicle. Turning around, they saw Luo Yi speeding toward them and immediately fled in panic.
Luo Yi's car crashed violently into the black vehicle with a deafening impact, flipping both it and its driver onto the ground. One person failed to dodge in time and was struck onto the hood of their car, rolling onto the roof before falling to the ground.
Luo Yi slammed on the brakes, jumped out of his car, and strode forward to grab one of them, pinning him against the vehicle. "Who sent you? Is it Yan Lin?"
"You go back and tell her if she wants to die?!"
Luo Yi's eyes glinted coldly as he delivered a powerful punch to the person's abdomen. Blood sprayed from their mouth as their face contorted in pain.
Just as Luo Yi was about to strike again, he noticed three identical black cars speeding toward them. He immediately released his grip and leaped over to Zhou Yao's driver's side door, yanking it open and pulling out the driver.
Luo Yi got into the car and quickly glanced at the back seat, where Zhou Yao and Xia Mingzhen were still shaken but unharmed.
Luo Yi started the car and sped away. Three vehicles followed closely behind. With one in front and three behind, the four cars weaved through the chaotic traffic, overtaking each other in a frantic chase.
Luo Yi clenched his jaw and pressed the accelerator to the floor. "You two, buckle your seatbelts!"
Zhou Yao hurriedly fastened her seatbelt while Xia Mingzhen gripped the seat tightly but did nothing else. She quickly glanced back and asked, "Who are those people?"
"I don't have time to explain," Luo Yi replied, casting a cold glance at the speeding vehicles in the rearview mirror. He suddenly swerved into another lane, swinging the rear of his car toward the front of one of the pursuing vehicles. Crash!
The car jolted violently; the other vehicle lost its balance and skidded uncontrollably at high speed, spinning out and crashing into the median barrier, flipping over.
Zhou Yao clutched the overhead handle tightly, her heart racing in her chest. She looked back again. "There are still two more!"
Jiang Han exclaimed, "Damn it!"
Luo Yi's gaze returned to the road as he gripped the steering wheel with one hand and quickly shifted gears with the other. He overtook several cars until he saw a green light ahead at an intersection and accelerated toward it.
The two remaining cars followed closely behind.
Luo Yi's car flew through the intersection before suddenly making a sharp turn. The passengers were thrown against the side of the car as if they were on a centrifuge, veering left toward the intersection. The pursuing cars reacted too late, hastily changing direction; their tires screeched against the pavement as they lost control, spinning further off course.
Luo Yi steadied the vehicle and accelerated again, contemplating how to shake off the last car. Ahead, a bulletproof vehicle was speeding toward him in reverse, heading straight for Luo Yi.
Luo Yi was startled but then recognized that it was Jiang Peng's iron-fisted fighter behind the wheel.
A smirk crossed Luo Yi's lips as he accelerated toward him.
In the passenger seat, Jiang Han grabbed onto the handle and shouted, "We're going to crash!"
Zhou Yao also looked down in fear, closing her eyes tightly.
Two cars were heading straight for each other!
Just a second before the collision, Luo Yi slammed the steering wheel, swiftly veering off the original lane. The car behind unexpectedly collided with the bulletproof vehicle of the boxer, unable to react in time. The bulletproof car crashed into it, crumpling the front of the other vehicle and turning it into scrap metal.
Luo Yi's car had just escaped disaster when suddenly there was an explosion; a tire had burst.
Luo Yi immediately released the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel tightly. However, the speed was too fast, and the car lost direction and control, spinning towards the concrete barrier on the side of the road. The tail swung directly toward the right rear side where Zhou Yao was sitting.
"Yao Yao!" Xia Mingzhen lunged toward Zhou Yao, wrapping her in his arms for protection.
…
When Lu Xu arrived at the hospital, Luo Yi and Jiang Peng were standing in the corridor speaking quietly.
Lu Xu rushed over to them, catching his breath and asking, "Is everyone okay?"
Jiang Peng replied, "It's fine. Besides Summer's leg being fractured, she has already undergone surgery. There are no major issues. The doctor said she has a mild concussion and needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days. Thankfully, Boss Luo called me this morning to come take care of things; otherwise, with a flat tire halfway and someone following behind, it could have been a big problem!"
Lu Xu sighed in relief, "Thanks to Luo Yi's caution."
Luo Yi remained silent, glancing back at the ward where Zhou Yao was sitting on a small stool beside the bed, gently touching Xia Mingzhen's leg that was wrapped in bandages.
Luo Yi couldn't see her expression clearly.
Luo Yi asked Lu Xu, "What's the situation?"
"The people involved were hired; they couldn't identify their employer and have been detained for now."
Luo Yi pressed her lips together and said nothing more.
...
Zhou Yao stayed with Xia Mingzhen until nine o'clock in the evening. The hospital did not allow family members to keep vigil, so the group set off back to the hotel.
As Zhou Yao left, her eyes were red; she looked at the empty ward where Xia Mingzhen was left alone inside, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Luo Yi wanted to comfort her but had to be mindful of those around them.
Jiang Han patted her shoulder and leaned down to say a few comforting words.
Since the car ride, Luo Yi had not been able to speak a word to Zhou Yao. She had been terrified in the speeding car, and now she watched as Xia Mingzhen was taken to the emergency room. At that moment, she crouched at the door of the operating room, biting her lip and staring at the closed door with tear-filled eyes, not saying a word but holding back her tears fiercely.
Assistant Ruan saw her distress and comforted her, "Yao Yao, if you want to cry, just let it out."
Zhou Yao shouted angrily, "My mom is fine! Why should I cry?!"
Later, she remained by Xia Mingzhen's bedside, very obedient and calm, gently stroking Xia Mingzhen's injured leg while soothing her that it didn't hurt, just like a mother comforting a baby. Mr. Xia maintained his usual composed demeanor, quietly watching his daughter "act foolishly."
However, on the way back to the hotel, Zhou Yao was no longer calm. She felt downcast throughout the journey, her face pale and not speaking to anyone.
Once back in her room, Zhou Yao sat on the edge of her bed. Gradually, she began to miss her mother more and more—thinking about that embrace when the accident happened, remembering how her mother trembled yet held her tightly... The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Just as she was about to cry, her phone beeped with a message from Luo Yi:
"Open the door."
Zhou Yao's eyes moistened instantly as she rushed to open the door. Luo Yi quickly slipped inside and shut the door behind him. Zhou Yao immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as tears soaked his T-shirt.
Luo Yi held her tightly, resting his chin on her forehead and said, "Zhou Yao, it's okay now."
He only said one sentence, no longer continuing to comfort her, just repeatedly stroking the top of her head. She sobbed and cried until she could no longer do so, then slowly calmed down, sniffed a bit, and quietly said, "Luo Boss, I'm done crying."
Zhou Yao's eyelashes were soaked with tears, both painful and itchy. She raised her arm to wipe her eyes.
Luo Yi stopped her hand: "Don't move."
He went to the bathroom to wet a towel, returned to her side, spread his legs slightly, and squatted down to meet her gaze. He slowly wiped her eyes clean, as well as her tear-streaked face.
Zhou Yao finally felt a bit refreshed.
She walked back and sat on the edge of the bed again. After venting, her mood improved significantly.
She sighed and said, "My mom is very strict with me. I always thought I wasn't the perfect daughter she wanted and that she didn't really like me. But—"
Luo Yi pulled up a chair and sat across from her: "Your mom loves you very much."
Zhou Yao nodded: "Yeah."
Luo Yi: "However, you are indeed not perfect."
Zhou Yao immediately looked up and glared at him fiercely. Half a second later, she burst into laughter.
"Fortunately, nothing serious happened to my mom." Zhou Yao smiled widely, feeling very relieved and satisfied. She stretched out her arms above her head, elongating her body.
"I need to go to bed early. I have to get up early tomorrow to take care of my mom," Zhou Yao said while looking at Luo Yi.
Luo Yi: "Okay."
Zhou Yao lightly kicked his calf with her foot, just about to say something when a knock on the door sounded.
Jiang Han: "Zhou Yao?"
Zhou Yao was taken aback and looked at Luo Yi, who had an unusually calm expression.
Zhou Yao jumped off the bed and pulled Luo Yi to hide behind the curtains. Luo Yi frowned slightly, seemingly unwilling to hide, but was pushed in by Zhou Yao.
Zhou Yao adjusted the curtains and turned back, asking, "What’s wrong?"
"Open the door."
"What for? I was already asleep!" Zhou Yao replied impatiently.
"Open the door!" Jiang Han was also annoyed.
Hearing his tone, Zhou Yao felt uneasy, fearing he had discovered something. She hesitantly went to open the door, but Jiang Han's expression wasn't too bad.
He glanced at Zhou Yao's face and asked, "Have you been crying?"
Zhou Yao remained calm and replied, "No."
Jiang Han paused for a second and said, "Zhou Yao, don’t be sad. Aunt Xia is fine now."
"I know." Zhou Yao gently shook the door, trying to close it.
However, Jiang Han walked in without hesitation, sat down on the sofa, and said, "I’m staying here tonight."
Zhou Yao's mind exploded: "What?"
Jiang Han enunciated clearly, "I said, I'm staying here tonight."
"Why?"
"Someone wants to harm you, and I have to protect you." Jiang Han raised an eyebrow, casually adding, "If something happens to you, how am I supposed to face Aunt Xia?"
"Stop joking around," Zhou Yao said. "Let's hurry up, I want to sleep."
Jiang Han glanced at her. "You can sleep in that outfit; no one wants to see you anyway."
Seeing that he was serious, Zhou Yao was at a loss for words. "Jiang Han, what do you think it means for you to stay in the same room as me? Do you think it's still like back then?"
Jiang Han's face turned pale. "I've told you not to mention that!"
Zhou Yao pressed her lips together and dropped the subject.
She glared at him, feeling anxious knowing Luo Yi was still hiding behind the curtains.
Suddenly, she thought of something and quickly said, "I really don't need your help; there are police watching over me."
Jiang Han was taken aback. "Police?"
"Yeah," Zhou Yao replied honestly. "There are police protecting me in secret. You really don't need to do this."
Jiang Han's expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, he stood up and walked out without saying a word.
Seeing that he didn't even say goodbye, Zhou Yao hurried after him, saying, "I was rude just now, Jiang Han. Thank you anyway."
"Shut up!" Jiang Han replied without looking back.
Zhou Yao closed the door and let out a long sigh before turning to the curtains. "You can come out now."
She sat on the edge of the bed and stretched, but the curtains remained still.
“Luo Boss?” Zhou Yao wondered as she walked over to lift the curtain, only to be suddenly pulled inside by a hand. Luo Yi pressed her against the wall, his dark eyes locking onto hers, his voice carrying a hint of danger:
“What happened back then?”
Zhou Yao trembled under his gaze and quickly shook her head, “Nothing happened.”
Luo Yi smiled slightly and suddenly lifted her up. Zhou Yao found herself in mid-air, startled, and in her panic, she wrapped her arms around his neck and waist, her skirt riding up, perfectly aligning with him.
He pressed her against the wall, and in the dimly lit space behind the closed curtains, Zhou Yao heard the sound of his belt loosening, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
A lion was unleashed, stirring deep emotions.
Zhou Yao felt a wave of tingling sensations throughout her body. She half-closed her eyes, letting out soft hums while unconsciously rubbing against him, her face flushed as she whispered, “Luo Boss... really... nothing happened.”
“Hmm. Nothing happened.” Luo Yi surged forward.
“Ah!” Zhou Yao tilted her head back, a blush spreading across her neck.
...
Like a fish in water, caught between desire and desperation.
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