Chapter 38: Zhao Jiaying Gets Caught  

During lunch, Zhao Jiaying was still sitting with Shen Linghao. She even picked up a piece of pork rib from her plate and placed it onto his.  

“Brother Linghao, these ribs are delicious! You should eat more!”  

Shen Linghao had a habit of cleanliness and never liked eating food that others had picked up for him. Looking at the rib Zhao Jiaying had given him, he hesitated, unsure whether he should eat it or not. He couldn’t exactly pick it up and give it back to her, could he?  

As Zhao Jiaying continued eating happily, she noticed that Shen Linghao was just sitting there, frozen, not touching his food. In her soft, childish voice, she asked: “Brother Linghao, why aren’t you eating?”  

Shen Linghao stared at the rib, lost in thought. But before he could react, Zhao Jiaying suddenly used her own chopsticks to pick up the rib and directly fed it into his mouth.  

He was completely stunned. He had thought he would feel disgusted and spit it out, but surprisingly, that feeling never came. Instead, he found that the rib was actually quite delicious. He chewed a few times before swallowing it down.  

Seeing that he had eaten it, Zhao Jiaying, her mouth still glistening with oil, grinned at him sweetly, revealing two deep dimples.  

That smile melted Shen Linghao’s heart. He hadn’t expected this little girl’s smile to be so beautiful, so adorable.  

“The ribs are really good, aren’t they? Yingbao wasn’t lying to you!”  

Satisfied, Zhao Jiaying went back to eating cheerfully. Watching her enjoy her food so much, Shen Linghao suddenly felt a surge of appetite as well. He picked up his chopsticks and finally started eating.  

This entire scene—Shen Linghao accepting the rib that Zhao Jiaying had given him—was witnessed by their classmates, who immediately started whispering among themselves.  

“I can’t believe Shen Xueba actually ate the rib Yingbao gave him. Looks like her charm is pretty powerful!”  

“Of course! Yingbao is so cute and adorable—who wouldn’t like her? If she gave me food, I’d be over the moon too!”  

“So, in the end, even Shen Xueba is just a mortal. He’s not immune to emotions!”  

“Exactly! I’m so jealous of Yingbao. She gets to eat with Shen Linghao and study with him every day.”  

“Yingbao is really pretty too. She’s definitely a perfect match for our school’s handsome genius.”  

“That’s right, that’s right! I like Yingbao too!”  

Neither Shen Linghao nor Zhao Jiaying heard the classmates’ gossip. But even if they had, they wouldn’t have cared.

After lunch, it was time for the midday break, and the classmates all returned to their dormitories to sleep.  

If it weren’t for the fact that boys and girls had to be separated, Zhao Jiaying would have followed Shen Linghao and slept with him.  

After spending several days together, Shen Linghao realized that he didn’t actually dislike Zhao Jiaying. In fact, he rather enjoyed having her as his little follower. The only issue was that he still hadn’t spoken a single word to her.  

Even though he never responded, Zhao Jiaying continued to chatter by his side every day. She firmly believed that one day, he would finally talk to her.  

At school, wherever Shen Linghao was, Zhao Jiaying was sure to be nearby. The two were practically inseparable. If they weren’t still elementary school students, people might have mistaken them for a young couple.  

But then again… wasn’t that just a matter of time?  

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaoyun was growing impatient. It had already been a month, and she still hadn’t received any news that Zhao Jiaying had been taken care of. Frustrated, she called Brother Qiang.  

“Brother Qiang, what’s going on with you guys? It’s been a month! Why hasn’t this been handled yet?”  

“Young Miss Yang, it’s not that we don’t want to do it. The timing just hasn’t been right. But don’t worry, we’ll take care of it soon!”  

One of Brother Qiang’s men asked him: “Boss, we’ve been waiting around every day like this. When are we actually going to grab that little girl?”  

Brother Qiang raised his hand and smacked the guy on the head, scolding him angrily. “You’re asking me? Who the hell am I supposed to ask? Do you think I don’t want to get this over with? Do you think I enjoy sitting here for hours every day waiting?”  

If it weren’t for the fact that this job paid so well, he wouldn’t have been willing to waste his time waiting like this.

Two burly men brutally beat the elderly security guard, leaving him injured and sprawled on the ground. As he lay there, he watched helplessly as Zhao Jiaying was forced into a van. His weak voice trembled as he called out: “Yingbao… Yingbao…”  

Zhao Jiaying, seeing the security guard hurt while trying to protect her, cried out in despair: “Grandpa… Grandpa…”  

Just as Shen Linghao was stepping out of the school gates, he witnessed Zhao Jiaying being taken away. His heart tightened as he shouted: “Yingbao!”  

The van sped away.  

Shen Linghao rushed to the security guard lying on the ground and asked urgently: “Grandpa, are you okay?”  

“Don’t worry about me… Quick… Save Yingbao!”  

At that moment, Shen Linghao’s bodyguard and driver arrived. Without hesitation, Shen Linghao jumped into the car. In the distance, he could still see the van speeding away.  

“Shen Yi, hurry! Chase that white van in front!”  

“Yes, Young Master! Hold on tight!”  

Shen Yi floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward in pursuit.  

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