Chapter 146: Standing Someone Up

"He—"

Jiang Yao only uttered a single syllable before quickly closing her mouth.

The man who had just been harassing Jiang Yao looked at He Yunqing, then glanced back at Jiang Yao, suddenly losing interest. Waving his hand, he said, "Forget it, forget it. Since you have plans together, I won't step on anyone's toes."

Ten Miles of Spring Breeze was, after all, a place where urban men and women came to kill time and unwind during the late hours of the night. There was no need for anyone to deliberately cause a scene and make things unpleasant for everyone.

He Yunqing gripped Jiang Yao's burning little hand in his large palm and walked straight toward the exit without a word.

"He Yunqing, He Yunqing..." Jiang Yao softly called out the man's name, "I'm on duty, I need to let the manager know."

He Yunqing suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Yao almost crashed directly into his back.

"Didn't I tell you already? A place like this isn't suitable for you."

"I'm just trying to make a living. People like you have never had to worry about money since you were kids, so of course you wouldn't understand. Besides, how hard is it to find a job these days?"

A profound look of exhaustion covered Jiang Yao's face.

Because of the fever, even her eyes were flushed red.

"I'll handle the manager for you. Go wait in the car, I'll take you home."

"No need, I..."

"When will you ever stop being so stubborn?" He Yunqing interrupted her without ceremony, looking at her with a hint of exasperation, "Are you only at ease when you're making other people worry about you?"

"I didn't..."

"You didn't?"

Jiang Yao pressed her lips together and fell silent.

Her posture of lowering her head in silence made her look even more pitiful.

He Yunqing silently clenched his fists.

He had heard about the Cheng family's affairs long ago.

He had originally thought that Jiang Yao being with Cheng Yanchi would at least give her a good home, but he never expected things to turn out like this.

"Let's go."

He Yunqing turned his head and walked ahead.

After taking a few steps, he didn't hear the sound of Jiang Yao's footsteps following behind him.

The man turned around just in time to see Jiang Yao's eyes roll back as her body went limp and collapsed...

"A-Yao..."

Outside Ten Miles of Spring Breeze.

Jin Nana slowly brought her car to a halt and began calling He Yunqing.

After calling several times in a row, no one answered.

Jin Nana slammed her hands angrily against the steering wheel twice, muttering, "He Yunqing, are you playing games with me?"

After striking the wheel, she couldn't help but send him a text message: "I've arrived, where are you?"

As she typed the message, she grumbled, "He Yunqing, I really must owe you something. Clearly I'm the one helping you, yet it feels like I'm the one begging you!"

After resting her head on the steering wheel for a long while, she finally received a reply from He Yunqing.

"Something came up unexpectedly. I had to step away, will be back shortly."

Jin Nana looked at the message, her mood brightening once more. She raised a hand to sweep her wavy hair behind her shoulder and stepped gracefully out of the car.

Sitting in the car waiting for someone was too boring; she might as well go inside, have a drink, and wait at a leisurely pace.

She walked into Ten Miles of Spring Breeze, ordered a glass of the house's best-selling sweet wine, found a table in the corner, and slowly sipped it.

Jiang Yao was not in the bar.

She shook her head. She had originally thought He Yunqing came to Ten Miles of Spring Breeze specifically for Jiang Yao, but it seemed she had overthought it.

After finishing her first drink, He Yunqing had yet to return.

Waiting for someone always felt exceptionally long. Growing somewhat anxious, Jin Nana tapped her slender fingers lightly against the rim of her glass and, after a moment's thought, ordered a second drink.

Following the second drink came a third.

During this time, quite a few men came over to strike up a conversation, all of whom she glared right back into leaving.

By the end of her drinking, Jin Nana was somewhat intoxicated, and the people dancing on the dance floor of Ten Miles of Spring Breeze were growing tired.

The night had grown deep—so deep it should have been completely silent.

Watching the young men and women gradually leaving in pairs, Jin Nana roughly understood that she had been stood up.

Holding up her phone, she cursed, "He Yunqing, you jerk!"

Though she cursed him aloud, the message she typed read differently: "Brother Yunqing, aren't you done yet? When can you come over?"

Before long, she received He Yunqing's reply: "Apologies, I can't get away from things here. Let's reschedule for another day."

Jin Nana stared at the message, smiled a cold smile, and then fiercely smashed the wine glass in her hand against the floor.

From childhood until now, who among the people around her hadn't held her in the palms of their hands? Whatever she said went, whatever she wanted was given to her.

Who dared to stand her up like this?

The more Jin Nana thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.

Manager Zhao walked over upon hearing the crash, "Miss, you've had too much to drink. Would you like to go upstairs and rest?"

Jin Nana waved a hand, "Go away! How much was the broken glass? I'll pay for it at full price, I have plenty of money anyway!"

With that, she proceeded to smash several more bottles of expensive imported liquor in succession.

Only after breaking them did her mood finally improve somewhat, and she stumbled unsteadily out of Ten Miles of Spring Breeze.

Manager Zhao frowned as he watched her departing figure.

A young busboy busy cleaning up the floor nearby walked over and said, "Manager Zhao, doesn't her back look very familiar to you?"

"You noticed it too?"

The young busboy nodded, "Like her, remarkably like Sister A-yao. If I didn't know Sister A-yao only has herself left in her family, I really would have thought the two of them were biological sisters or something."

Manager Zhao clicked his tongue twice, patted the young busboy's shoulder, and said, "Get back to work."

Outside the back door of Ten Miles of Spring Breeze.

Jin Nana walked out and, looking at the unfamiliar scenery and the empty, deserted street all around her, realized she had walked out of the wrong exit.

She rubbed her head as a gust of cold wind swept past, causing her to sneeze.

She was the worst at enduring cold drafts.

After a moment's thought, she pulled a face mask out of her bag, put it on, and prepared to turn back inside.

Unexpectedly, a dark shadow was quietly creeping up behind her...

Before she could even turn around, she felt a sudden, sharp pain at the back of her head. Jin Nana's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold ground.

The person who had knocked her out gave her body two kicks, and then two more figures rushed out. The three of them quickly hoisted Jin Nana up and loaded her into a delivery van parked by the roadside.

The van's engine roared to life, and the vehicle vanished into the night at top speed...

Jiang Yao felt her throat parched and dry.

She parted her lips, wanting some water, and with great difficulty blinked her hazy eyes open to see He Yunqing sitting right beside her.

The man was resting his chin on his elbow, his eyes half-closed, appearing to rest with his eyes shut.

She quietly surveyed her surroundings. Wasn't she right here... in He Yunqing's room?

On her hand, an IV drip was steadily infusing medication into her body.

"Achoo!" She reflexively sneezed.

The sound of the sneeze immediately roused He Yunqing. He raised his eyes to meet Jiang Yao's wide, saucer-like stare.

"Feeling better?" the man asked her gently.

Jiang Yao didn't speak, continuing to gaze at him with wide eyes, looking as though her wits had been stolen away by someone.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I asked if you're feeling better."