Chapter 13: Restoring Her Image  

Lin Zhizhi followed the masked man to the men’s restroom entrance. After a while, she finally heard some faint sounds coming from inside.  

It seemed he was on a call, reporting to someone behind the scenes.  

Lin Zhizhi could only vaguely make out a few snippets.  

[“Rest assured, I’ve got this under control. That guy surnamed Liu isn’t much of a problem… but Secretary Zhang is a tough nut to crack.”]  

[“No, no, don’t worry. I’ll definitely figure out a way to handle Secretary Zhang…”]  

[“Doesn’t Zhang have a daughter? I found out she’s been sick recently. Illness costs money, doesn’t it?”]  

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Sensing that the masked man was about to hang up, Lin Zhizhi quickly left the restroom. She slowed down only when she reached the lobby, lost in thought.  

The “Liu” mentioned on the phone must be Section Chief Liu, whom she had just seen earlier. This suggested that the company’s troubles were not solely due to Secretary Zhang — Section Chief Liu was involved too.

However, it was still uncertain whether others had been bought off as well.  

Moreover, the masked man mentioned that Secretary Zhang had a daughter who was currently ill, likely with a serious condition.

This explained why Secretary Zhang, who had always been diligent and responsible in managing the company for so many years, had suddenly betrayed them.  

The priority now was to help Secretary Zhang find connections to treat his daughter’s illness. Whether or not they could cure her, at least showing concern and support would send the right message.  

As for Section Chief Liu, he could not be confronted just yet. The best course of action was to gather more evidence and see if it could lead to other accomplices or the mastermind behind the scheme.  

Lin Zhizhi glanced at the photos and recordings she had just taken. To be safe, she immediately uploaded them to a cloud drive for backup.  

Just as she pressed the elevator button, the doors opened — and she came face-to-face with Lu Yi.  

The moment Lin Zhizhi saw Lu Yi, she immediately put on a bright smile. She stepped into the elevator and stopped a step away from him. “Were you looking for me?”  

Lu Yi gazed at her delicate and beautiful face, now so close, and awkwardly glanced away. With his well-defined fingers, he calmly pressed the floor button. Then, with his other hand, he gently grasped Lin Zhizhi’s soft, slender hand and pulled her closer to his side.  

Feeling how much smaller her hand was in his, Lu Yi’s grip slightly tightened. He gave a light cough and said: “Why were you gone for so long? I thought you weren’t feeling well.”  

A moment ago, Lin Zhizhi had been secretly thrilled — Lu Yi had held her hand first! But the next second, his words caught her completely off guard. Her excitement instantly evaporated.  

Did Lu Yi think she had been… stuck in the restroom with an upset stomach?!  

Oh, no!  

Absolutely not! She had to restore her image.  

Lin Zhizhi earnestly looked into Lu Yi’s eyes, explaining with utmost sincerity: “Actually, I finished using the restroom a while ago. I just happened to run into someone I know, which caused a bit of a delay.”  

After saying this, she was still worried that Lu Yi might not believe her, so she added: “Really, I’m not lying to you.”  

What she said was indeed truthful. She had not lied — Section Chief Liu was indeed someone she knew, and it was because of him that she was delayed.  

Lu Yi gazed at Lin Zhizhi, who was seriously and stubbornly explaining herself. His smile was charming yet unaware of its own allure. He deliberately responded in a light tone: “Alright, I know. You didn’t lie to me; you just ran into someone you know.”  

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhizhi immediately sensed the perfunctory tone. Just as she was about to argue with Lu Yi further, she noticed that although he was looking straight ahead, the corners of his lips were slightly curved upward.  

Oh, so Lu Yi was teasing her.  

Lin Zhizhi quickly realized this. She huffed a couple of times in mock annoyance, but her hand willingly intertwined with Lu Yi’s fingers.  

Lu Yi let her hold his hand, the corners of his lips slightly curved upward.