Chapter 23: The Little Girl is Crying

Director Tang hesitantly provided his bank account number.

Yan Yueqing picked up her phone and tapped the screen a few times.

Two seconds later, Director Tang received a text message:

“Your ICBC account ending in 2653 has received: 20,000,000 yuan. Current balance: 23,650,000 yuan.”

Director Tang’s eyes widened in shock.

Meanwhile, the System announced, “Congratulations, host. You’ve completed the initial mission. Reward: five million yuan.”

Yan Yueqing was ecstatic.

The next moment, the System spoke again: “Query shows host’s current debt is five million yuan. Would you like to use the reward to offset the debt?”

No way!

Yan Yueqing’s face immediately fell. The five million hadn’t even warmed up in her hands, and it was already being taken away?

“Hey, that five million debt was signed by the original owner under Yan Kang’s coercion. Do I really have to pay it back?” she protested.

The System calmly replied: “After reviewing, this debt follows legal procedures.”

“Bullshit!” Yan Yueqing was utterly speechless.

Yan Kang, that bastard! It was bad enough that he gambled and lost money, but he had to offend some powerful people, even turning gambling debts into legal loans… Unbelievable!

She grumbled, “Fine, pay it back. The sooner it’s done, the better.”

The System responded, “It has been processed for the host.”

Then, silence.

Yan Yueqing stared at her phone, stunned.

Damn it!

Have you ever seen five million yuan? She had. It just flew right past her hands!

Yan Yueqing was fuming. She’d definitely settle this account with Yan Kang sooner or later!

On the other side, Director Tang finally snapped out of his shock over the twenty million. Looking up at Yan Yueqing’s slightly gloomy expression, he seemed to see her in a new light. Taking a deep breath, he apologized solemnly: “I’m sorry for misunderstanding you earlier.”

If Director Tang still thought someone who could easily produce twenty million was after him, he’d be too naive.

“Huh?” Yan Yueqing came back to her senses and waved her hand. “It’s fine, really.”

Director Tang said admiringly: “Miss Yan, I thought I treated Tang Tang well, but compared to your dedication, I realize what I’ve done is far from enough! Thank you for teaching me a lesson today.”

His face was so sincere that Yan Yueqing thought—if the System had bound itself to Director Tang instead, his favorability would have skyrocketed right now!

Next door, Tang Tang was curled up in Auntie Liu’s arms, crying with a red nose: “Auntie, look, even my dad apologized! I knew sister Yueqing truly cared about me…”

Auntie Liu was also moved. After so many years, someone finally appeared who genuinely cared for Tang Tang!

She comfortingly patted Tang Tang’s back: “Let’s go, I’ll take you to see her.”

Tang Tang rubbed her eyes: “No! If sister Yueqing finds out that Dad brought me here today to expose her, she’ll definitely be upset! It’s better… better to see her next time when we record the show.”

Despite her words, the little one’s eyes were glued to the tablet, watching Yan Yueqing leave.

After she left, Director Tang stood up and silently removed the hidden camera. Reflecting on his actions today, he wanted to slap himself twice!

Wanfeng Department Store was enormous. As Yan Yueqing passed by the toy store on the third floor, she recalled how her son had hardly ever played with toys before, and stopped at the store entrance.

When she emerged, her hands were full of bulging plastic bags. Anyone who didn’t know better might think she had come here to stock up.

Besides buying for her son, she had also specially prepared some gifts for Tang Tang.

Yan Yueqing wasn’t fooled; she knew Director Tang had actually brought Tang Tang along today. The director might hide it, but the System wouldn’t!

Just as she was leaving the cafe, the System suddenly prompted that Tang Tang’s favorability had jumped by 30, now changing from 15 to 45!

She hadn’t seen Tang Tang, yet her favorability increased in real-time. The only explanation was that Tang Tang was in the cafe!

Most likely, Director Tang wanted Tang Tang to see her true colors. However, while the original owner wanted to please Director Tang, Yan Yueqing only wanted to spend money on Tang Tang! This series of unexpected actions actually caused Tang Tang’s favorability to surge, which was an unexpected gain.

Wait a minute!

Yan Yueqing stopped in her tracks. She had been so focused on Tang Tang that she only now realized she had walked into a secluded emergency exit!

Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly heard a faint sound of a child crying.

A child?

Yan Yueqing frowned, following the sound through the corridor, stopping in front of the safety door.

The mall had various elevators, and the emergency staircase was rarely used. According to fire safety requirements, these escape routes usually had push-pull doors that couldn’t be locked.

For some unknown reason, this passage actually had a one-way door? Easy to push open from the inside, but locked from the outside without a key.

As if hearing footsteps, the crying inside suddenly stopped.

Yan Yueqing pulled the handle, and with a creak, two little figures behind the door raised their heads in unison.

They looked about the same age as Tang Tang. The little girl wore a pink bubble dress, like a doll.

And the little boy… he was breathtakingly beautiful! His features were delicate, his eyebrows and eyes like a painting, long eyelashes slightly lowered, hiding a touch of cool indifference in his eyes.

With a straight face, he stood quietly in place, like a breathing iceberg, emanating a mysterious coldness that kept people at a distance.

Yan Yueqing couldn’t help but look at him twice.

Seeing that someone had finally opened the door, the girl rubbed the tears from the corners of her eyes, “Brother Yan, we’re saved!”

The little boy only glanced at the newcomer before turning his gaze away indifferently, not even bothering to raise his eyelids, lazy and aloof.

Yan Yueqing thought for a moment, then walked towards the girl, crouching down and saying gently: “What’s your name? Where are your parents? Do you want me to help you find them?”

“Thank you, pretty auntie!” The little girl broke into a smile through her tears, “My name is Shi Moxi. I came to watch a movie with my mom today, but the cartoon was so boring that I ran out to play by myself and ended up locked in the stairwell…”

Hearing Shi Moxi honestly recount her basic information, the little boy’s lips tightened slightly, as if he didn’t quite approve of her honesty.

Before he could stop her, Shi Moxi turned and sold him out too: “This is Brother Jun Yan. He heard me crying inside, opened the door to let me out, but didn’t come out himself. I was afraid he’d be alone, so… so I voluntarily stayed in the stairwell.”

Jun Yan?

The name sounded familiar. Where had she heard it before?

Jun Yan, whose real name had been revealed, immediately furrowed his brows.

He was passing through C City today and stopped by to check on the Jun family’s business. He found the little girl locked in the empty monitoring room, came to open the door, then deliberately locked himself inside, wanting to test how long it would take security to discover them.

Moxi didn’t understand his intentions and, afraid he’d be alone, gritted her teeth and stayed behind, but ended up crying her heart out in the stairwell.

Jun Yan found it annoying and spoke coldly: “You chose to stay, so you should bear the consequences.”

Hearing this, Moxi cried even harder, annoying him to no end. It was only amidst her sobs that he briefly explained the situation.

Who would have thought that with just a casual question from someone else, she would spill everything?! Wasn’t she afraid of being tricked?

Too naive!

He didn’t speak, his cool gaze expertly concealing all emotions. His gaze wandered, occasionally focusing on the door lock behind him.

Yan Yueqing understood: “Do you think this door design is unreasonable? Are you worried that in the future, people who urgently need to escape might get trapped inside and can’t get out?”

Jun Yan blinked in surprise! Someone could accurately voice his thoughts? Had he not hidden them deep enough?

Before he could ponder further, hurriedo footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor.

“Momo, Momo!”

Hearing this voice, Shi Moxi immediately waved excitedly towards the distance: “Mom,

I’m here!”

A young mother dressed in designer brands ran over anxiously: “Momo, you—”

Before she could finish, her eyes locked onto Jun Yan.