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Chapter 26 (2000 Nutrient Solution) Extra Update…

Yang Minghui was a competent subordinate—he never asked unnecessary questions. Even as turbulent emotions churned in his heart, he silently drove, feigning deafness and ignorance, as if he had heard nothing.

Yet, the shock and confusion inside him wouldn’t dissipate.

Later that night, upon returning home and seeing his wife Liang Lezhen still waiting for him, he couldn’t help but voice his doubts:
“Ah Zhen, why would a proud and arrogant man willingly pretend to be the inferior fiancé of a woman? Why would he do that?”

Liang Lezhen was someone Yang Minghui had met while they were both mixed up in gang life. Back then, both were young: one an orphan with no background who had no choice but to join a gang to survive, suffering much bullying; the other, a girl whose parents were drunkards and gamblers, sold to pay off debts and sent to serve as the woman of a gang leader.

The two young people, both down on their luck, developed a silent bond of sympathy. They had barely exchanged words, yet whenever their eyes met, there was a shared sense of compassion distinct from the carefree, raucous attitude of other gang members.

Later, during the four-gang turf war, the leader of Yang Minghui’s gang was killed, throwing the group into chaos. Seizing a rare opportunity, Yang risked his life to deliver crucial information to the eldest young master of the Cheng family and defected, though he was beaten within an inch of his life in the process.

He had almost died—but he had made the right gamble! The Cheng family’s young master gave him a chance, rescuing him from rival gangs and helping him escape Kowloon Walled City.

Before leaving, Yang Minghui refused the money offered by the Cheng young master and made just one request: could he take one more person with him?

Kowloon Walled City was the most chaotic, lawless place in Hong Kong. If Liang Lezhen didn’t leave then, she might never get out in her lifetime.

Having long since left that life behind, Liang Lezhen didn’t hesitate when her husband asked his question.
“Clearly, the man is madly in love with that woman.”

Yang Minghui could hardly associate the word love with the young master! Just the thought of it seemed bizarre.

A few days after the incident ended, Yang Minghui quietly observed the young master. His expression remained calm and composed, showing no trace of guilt or remorse for having impersonated Miss Lin’s fiancé. Yang Minghui couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: The young master is truly heartless!

Especially that day, when the eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen family called Huanyu Group, asking to arrange a job for a relative. Usually capable of handling such affairs calmly, Yang Minghui inexplicably felt like he came up short in front of the Chen family.

Given the close relationship between the Chen and Cheng families, this small favor posed no problem. He agreed and instructed the HR department to handle it.

Just as he was about to hang up, the voice on the other end suddenly changed—Chen Songxian had taken the phone:
“Brother Yang, is my cousin there?”
“No? Brother Yang, be honest with me—I feel like I might have offended my cousin somehow. He won’t even spare a moment to see me these days. Did I do something wrong to upset him?”

For some reason, Yang Minghui also felt guilty. He mumbled a few perfunctory replies and hung up the phone like it was a hot potato.

Sins upon sins… Who wronged whom? Who really did wrong here?

++++

Five days after the Hongsheng Entertainment Company incident, the day of Lin Keying’s godparent recognition ceremony arrived.

The custom of formally recognizing godparents was long-standing in Hong Kong, especially with great emphasis on ceremony.

At the Li Ji Restaurant, Guo Changda and Zhao Fengzhen hosted two banquet tables, inviting old friends and some of Lin Keying’s relatives.

The two grudge-holding elders deliberately did not send an invitation to Lin Keying’s fiancé.

The ceremony was simplified: Lin Keying served tea to both of them, formally addressing them as Godfather and Godmother, receiving two large red envelopes in return, and then proceeded with introductions.

“Keying, come here—this is your Uncle Li.” — The head of Yongnian Industrial, a real estate tycoon.

“Call her Aunt Xiang.” — A woman who holds shares in 90% of Hong Kong’s department stores.

“Your Uncle Xiang and I were brothers through life and death. Back in the day…” — The leader of one of the three major clothing conglomerates in Hong Kong.

…A table full of moguls, each either wealthy or powerful.

Lin Keying obediently greeted everyone, secretly marveling at how incredibly powerful her godparents were!

All in all, getting acquainted with such influential figures was no loss—quite the opposite!

At the other table sat Lin Keying’s friends: the entire He family of four, Dr. Xiao Huo, and lastly, the uninvited Secretary Yang.

Although Cheng Wanting wasn’t invited, the Guo couple didn’t make things difficult for Secretary Yang and graciously let him sit.

Seated there, Yang Minghui felt a heavy responsibility. On one shoulder he carried the secret of the young master impersonating the cousin; on the other, he thick-skinnedly gathered intel on the godparent ceremony.

Though the young master hadn’t asked, Yang Minghui automatically kept an eye on Dr. Xiao Huo—after all, the real fiancé wasn’t present, neither was the stand-in young master, but here was a potential rival!

Everyone congratulated each other. Tingting, having been frightened by recent events and having seen the darker side of society, tearfully clutched Lin Keying’s hand:
“Keying-jie, I’m sorry. I almost got you hurt…”

“It’s fine. See, we’re all okay now? I even gained godparents.” Lin Keying knew that no matter how mature a high schooler seemed, it was hard for them to discern real dangers. As long as Tingting stayed on the right path, all was well.
“What do you plan to do next?”

After this ordeal, Tingting lost her fascination with showbiz and changed her aspirations:
“I want to study hard, go to university, and become a lawyer!”

Lawyers held high status in Hong Kong, and being one meant avoiding contractual traps.

Lin Keying patted Tingting’s fluffy head, recalling her own academic ambitions from the past. Back then, she too had many dreams. Having a clear, worthwhile goal was truly valuable.

At the end of the ceremony, Zhao Fengzhen specifically announced that they were gifting Lin Keying the dessert shop she had previously rented, along with four adjacent storefronts.

“Consider it our gift for you calling us godparents.”

Lin Keying: This is way too generous!

She declined politely a couple of times, but eventually accepted with delight, her sweet voice practically syrupy:
“Thank you, Godfather, Godmother!”

As the banquet concluded, Guo Changda generously waved his hand:
“Next month is your birthday, isn’t it? Whatever gift you want, tell Godfather!”

Next month would be Lin Keying’s 21st birthday. Being able to pick her own gift made her naturally happy.

People gradually departed. The moguls each had their own cars. The He family planned to take the bus, and Dr. Xiao Huo, before catching a taxi, pulled out a square gift box and bid farewell to Lin Keying:
“Keying, I’ll be sent abroad by the hospital at the end of the month for three months of further study. Here’s your birthday gift a bit early.”

Lin Keying accepted it with a bright smile, wishing him well:
“Thank you, Dr. Xiao Huo. Best of luck with your studies. When you’re back, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Standing to the side, Secretary Yang sneakily observed. He stretched his neck to see Dr. Xiao Huo leave in the taxi, then watched from afar as Miss Lin opened the box.

Whoa—it was a silk scarf!

—

“Young master, Dr. Xiao Huo gave Miss Lin a silk scarf in advance as a birthday gift before he left. Miss Lin also said she’ll treat him to a meal when he returns.”

Secretary Yang reported dutifully, internally mourning these tangled relationships.

“A silk scarf…” Cheng Wanting narrowed his eyes, murmuring to himself.

“Yes.” Yang Minghui maintained his professional demeanor, reporting meticulously.
“A goose-yellow silk scarf. Dr. Xiao Huo even said it’s perfect for autumn and that Miss Lin will look beautiful wearing it.”

As summer ended, the prelude to autumn finally began.

Lin Keying’s wardrobe shifted instantly from colorful summer outfits to an array of brown, light green, and black-and-white autumn wear.

After a shopping spree, she returned home with knitted cardigans, trench coats, leather jackets, and shirts—filling her closet in no time.

With the weather cooling, Lin Keying layered a light coffee-colored trench coat over her blue-and-white striped shirt. Pale jeans outlined her long, slender legs endlessly.

Standing in front of the mirror, her stylish, refined look made her feel like something was still missing—until her gaze landed on the small box on the table. She took the scarf Dr. Xiao Huo had gifted her and tied it around her neck—perfect!

The scarf Secretary Yang had described just yesterday appeared before Cheng Wanting’s eyes today.

At lunch, Lin Keying quietly ate, constantly feeling a gaze on her neck. Each time she looked up, the young master appeared elegant and unbothered, seemingly never glancing her way.

Lightly touching the scarf, Lin Keying wondered if she was imagining things.

“Heading out this afternoon?” Cheng Wanting ate little but unhurriedly picked at his food, finally stopping when Lin Keying put down her chopsticks.

“I plan to check out the storefronts Godfather and Godmother gave me. I need to handle the transfer.” Lin Keying hadn’t expected she was now one step closer to being a landlady.

“Let Ah Hui handle the transfer.” Cheng Wanting wiped his hands and, rising, decisively changed her plans:
“You’re coming somewhere with me this afternoon.”

…

Little did Lin Keying expect her shopping trip would turn into shooting practice!

On the vast open grassland, targets stood upright in the distance. No one else was around—only the wind rustled the grass.

—Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Cheng Wanting fired four shots in a row, each bullet hitting dead center, making Lin Keying—watching up close—want to applaud.

Neatly ejecting the magazine and reloading bullets, Cheng Wanting spun the gun once in his slender fingers before holding the grip out to Lin Keying.

He lifted his chin:
“Remember what I just taught you? Come on, try it.”

Lin Keying had only ever played with toy guns—the kind you use at carnivals to pop balloons for prizes.

Holding a real gun made her heart tremble—this was real…

A beginner’s nerves, plus the kickback of a real gun, made her practice less than ideal. Every shot left her arm tingling and numb.

“Do I really need to learn this?” Lin Keying wasn’t very interested and felt it was too difficult.

Behind her, Cheng Wanting leaned down. His long arms slowly overlapped hers, his large hands covering the back of hers. His firm chest pressed against her back, enveloping her completely, leaving no room to escape.

“Hong Kong looks glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it’s chaotic and dangerous everywhere,” Cheng Wanting’s voice echoed in her ear, his breath tickling her,
“Last time, someone pointed a gun at you. Next time, if someone threatens you again, you should be the one pointing the gun at them.”

His half-embrace made Lin Keying’s entire body heat up—from her palms to her arms, all the way to her ears, burning hot.

“But the first person who pointed a gun at me in Hong Kong was you.” Lin Keying exerted a little force to break free from his embrace and turned to face him.

Cheng Wanting’s lips curved faintly. His fingers gently lifted the gun still hanging in Lin Keying’s hand.

The cold barrel slowly rose—finally aimed at himself.

Unflinching, he stared straight into her eyes, his words overbearing:
“Then you should point the gun at me. Remember—you must not allow anyone to harm you.”

Lin Keying had seen with her own eyes as Cheng Wanting loaded the bullets. She had used three just now, and one remained.

That last bullet now sat in the chamber, aimed straight at Cheng Wanting’s forehead.

“If I were to hurt you right now, what would you do?” Cheng Wanting calmly asked, as if genuinely discussing self-defense with her.

Lin Keying nervously gripped the gun tighter. The trigger sat under her finger. One pull, and the bullet would shoot straight into the man’s forehead…

The tense, electric atmosphere spread endlessly, making Lin Keying’s scalp tingle. Veins rose faintly on her hands, yet she couldn’t move at all.

“You’re still too softhearted. I said I’d harm you.”

Cheng Wanting’s lips lifted slightly. With a light push, he moved the barrel away, and as he leaned in, he casually tugged off the silk scarf around Lin Keying’s neck.

The thin, translucent goose-yellow scarf fluttered gently to the ground.

The man’s cool lips pressed against the warmth of the woman’s neck.

The tip of his tongue lightly flicked… sending tremors through her entire body.

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