Chapter 38

Meng Zidan puffed up with anger for a while, then suddenly froze, exchanging a speechless look with Ning Lan. She slowly looked at the phone in her hand, feeling utterly confused. Ning Lan had called, but hadn't said a word, and she had snatched the phone and hung up directly?

Ning Lan was equally confused. Since she had known Meng Zidan, she had never seen her lose her composure like this. Her upbringing and family background had always made her calm and composed, and her demeanor was extremely steady. At most, she would show a bit of a feminine side behind closed doors. How could she be so unruly and uncultivated over a man?

"Zidan, you..." Ning Lan hesitated, then asked, "You don't really have a thing for him, do you?"

Hearing this, Meng Zidan almost burst into tears, feeling deeply wronged. This was the first time in her life that she had been so emotionally and mentally tormented by a man, and the feeling of wanting to live and die at the same time was indescribable.

She could only collapse onto Ning Lan, saying with a mix of laughter and tears, "How could I possibly like him? Lanlan, you know I already have a fiancé. Someone like me can never take charge of my own feelings."

Ning Lan felt relieved and gently stroked her face, feeling a bit of pity. Although being in a prominent family was glamorous, the loneliness behind it was something outsiders couldn't understand. For the sake of the family's interests, Meng Zidan had no choice but to follow the arranged marriage, which was essentially a political alliance.

Taking the phone from her, Ning Lan dialed Lin Zixian again. As soon as it connected, she quickly said, "Lin Zixian, it's me, Ning Lan."

"Uh... You're not with that bitch, are you?" Lin Zixian said. The phone carried the sound of the wind and the rapid passing of cars, indicating he was still on the road.

Ning Lan glanced at Meng Zidan, who was lying on her lap with her eyes closed, and said with a bitter smile, "Lin Zixian, Zidan was just joking with you. Don't take it to heart."

Lin Zixian's cold laugh came through the phone, "I'm not an idiot. Do you think it's a joke for her to slam the table and shout at me to pay in public? I'll give her credit for her boldness. I treated her as a friend, but fine! I'll pay ten million for a clean and peaceful life. No more contact, so I don't embarrass myself in public again."

Ning Lan felt Meng Zidan's body tense up and quickly said, "She's a girl, can't you show some tolerance?"

"Bullshit! What about being a girl? I'm a guy too! I believe in equality. Besides, I don't need to show tolerance to a shrew. I'm only doing this for your sake. Otherwise, I could have beaten her up on the spot." Lin Zixian said bluntly.

Meng Zidan, who had been listening, suddenly opened her eyes, clenched her fists, and sat up, seemingly ready to confront Lin Zixian. Ning Lan quickly waved her hand, signaling her to calm down. Meng Zidan snatched the phone from her and coldly said, "Lin Zixian, where are you? I'll find you and return that ten million."

"Uh... It's you again, you bitch. You dare to eavesdrop on my call? Do you want me to sue you for invasion of privacy?" Lin Zixian seized the opportunity to scold her, showing no manners.

Meng Zidan's chest heaved as she maintained her composure, "Do you still want that ten million?"

"What? Now you're having a change of heart and admitting you were wrong?" Lin Zixian sneered, "I never take back what I give. If I do, I want interest. That's my rule. You probably can't afford to pay it back!"

"Ha! How much do you want?" Meng Zidan mocked.

"Since you're so sincere, I won't be too hard on you. One hundred million!"

"You really have the nerve to ask for so much, aren't you afraid of choking?"

"Cut the crap. If you don't have the money, just say so. I don't mind if you pay me back in kind. Spend a night with me, and I'll consider it settled."

"Fine! As long as you dare to sleep, I'll book a room in Ivory Coast and wait for you." Meng Zidan said through gritted teeth, the icy coldness in her voice making Lin Zixian shiver.

Ning Lan, seeing that the two were getting out of hand, like children throwing tantrums, quickly snatched the phone back and said, "Lin Zixian, where are you? I'll find you."

"I'm on my way back to Ivory Coast. Let her clean up and wait for me in bed." Lin Zixian said casually, then hung up and turned off his phone. He was already riding his bicycle back to the old street, muttering to himself, "Wait and see!"

He found that his recent life had been rather dull. Bored, he had caught a beautiful woman and vented his frustration on her. Spending ten million was worth it. He rode his bicycle through the streets, whistling happily, and soon forgot about the incident. Thinking of the beautiful women waiting for him at Sakura Snow Apartments, he sped up.

Ning Lan, after hanging up, looked at Meng Zidan and said, "He said he's on his way back, and he wants you to..."

Meng Zidan, naturally, had heard. Her face turned red, and she glared, "He dares! I'll castrate him."

In the end, the two women waited for him, not knowing that Lin Zixian had hung up and left them hanging. Ning Lan was relatively calm, but Meng Zidan, though outwardly calm, was inwardly anxious. She had seen his skills and was worried that if he came and forced himself on her, she wouldn't be able to resist.

After waiting for over two hours and seeing no sign of him, Ning Lan called again, only to find his phone was off. They realized they had been tricked. Meng Zidan, who had been worried for nothing, was furious, "Bastard, scumbag, mad dog..." and started cursing.

At Sakura Snow Apartments, the atmosphere was lively. Before leaving, Lin Zixian had bought a lot of snacks and brought them back. He and Li Mingcheng ate heartily, while the women were more reserved, not out of politeness but fear of gaining weight from eating too much, which was a major concern for women. Tong Yunan had already gone to bed with her daughter.

Since there were too many snacks, the leftovers were put in the fridge, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Late at night, the Cloudy World nightclub was still booming with loud music and flashing lights, where men and women danced wildly.

In a private room, Gao Yunliang, who had lost an arm, had learned to drown his sorrows in alcohol. His arm was in a cast, and his neck was bandaged. He couldn't help but be worried. Not only had he been beaten that day, but he had also been beaten again in the hospital by his uncle, the deputy police chief, who had ordered him to study diligently and not cause trouble, or he would be personally executed.

It was the first time in his life that his uncle had been so angry with him, and even his mother couldn't stop it. Saying he wasn't scared would be a lie. He knew that his power and influence came from his uncle, and without him, he was nothing.

This wasn't what was making him worried. After all, no one had seen what happened behind the scenes, and the beating and scolding were over.

What was most embarrassing was that under his uncle's pressure, he had to return to Donghai University to study. The once feared "Brother Liang" had his arm broken and was now a laughingstock among his classmates. The group of followers who used to follow him had scattered, leaving him almost alone, and he couldn't maintain his former prestige.

"Come on, Brother Liang, let's have a drink." The three remaining followers raised their bottles.

After a round of silent drinking, the one whose hand had been crushed by Lin Zixian, Huang Mao, said worriedly, "Brother Liang, are you really going to study abroad?"

Gao Yunliang exhaled a breath of alcohol, took a cigarette from the pack on the table, and one of his followers immediately lit it for him. He took a puff and leaned back on the sofa, sighing, "Huang Mao, I don't want to go to that unfamiliar place. Who will know who I am in a foreign country? But there's no choice. My uncle is already arranging the procedures for me to study abroad, and my mother will go with me. I have no choice but to go."

Huang Mao looked at his crushed hand and frowned, "Brother Liang! Are we not going to take revenge?"

Gao Yunliang showed a pained expression, wiped his face, and stood up, "I need to use the bathroom."

"I'll go with you." Huang Mao followed him.

As soon as they opened the door, the loud music outside was deafening. On their way to the bathroom, Huang Mao suddenly pulled Gao Yunliang and pointed downstairs. A group of people in black Zhongshan suits had entered, parting the crowd to make way for a tall, thin man with a bandaged face.

The group quickly went upstairs, and at the corner of the stairs, the men glanced at Gao Yunliang and Huang Mao with cold eyes, then escorted the bandaged man upstairs. This tall, thin man was the one who had tried to kidnap Qiao Antian and was grazed by a bullet.

Gao Yunliang, who had a group of small-time hooligans, couldn't compare to the aura of these men. After they reached the bathroom, Huang Mao whispered, "Brother Liang, do you know who those people were?"

"What, do you know them?" Gao Yunliang asked while using the bathroom.

"I don't know them, but I've heard about them." Huang Mao said in a low voice, "They are the real bosses behind Cloudy World, true killers. They use this..." Huang Mao made a gun gesture with his hand, "The tall, thin man with the bandaged face is the notorious 'Monkey' in the underworld."

"He's Monkey?" Gao Yunliang was surprised, pulling up his zipper. To them, Monkey, though his nickname was unflattering, was a true underworld figure.

Huang Mao, pulling up his zipper, leaned in and whispered, "Brother Liang! Why don't we ask them to help us take revenge? As long as we get them to help, no matter how skilled that guy is, he can't fight a gun."

"This..." Gao Yunliang hesitated, "I don't know them. Why would they help us for no reason?"

"Brother Liang! You don't know this. With your uncle's name, who in the Donghai underworld would dare not give him some respect? If you reveal your identity, they might not help you, but they won't dare to make things difficult for you. Why don't we try?" Huang Mao chuckled.