Chapter 32: Nemesis Emergency Hospitalization

Cooper, that lazy cat, was sleeping soundly in the car, unaware that the issue of his visitation rights had already been settled by his parents.

Lin Huaixu took out his card and handed it to the manager.

“For the cleaning fee.”

“No need.”

The manager smiled.

“Miss Yuan has already paid for it. She called two days ago to ask if it could be cleaned properly, and she said that if it couldn’t be washed out, she would have another one custom-made for you.”

The gentle, rippling lake surface that had been flowing between the two of them just a moment ago now vanished without a sound, leaving no trace.

The smooth flow of Tong An’yu’s warm blood also stagnated.

She fell from the clouds of her daydreams back to earth, belatedly realizing that this was not seven years ago, and the person before her was not the clueless but very gentlemanly Classmate Lin.

He was the nemesis who had climbed out of the mire with a spirit that refused to accept fate.

She, the one enjoying the fruits of victory, should be trembling with fear.

Tong An’yu looked up at the manager’s face and asked, “Was this suit also a gift from Miss Yuan?”

The manager replied, “Yes, it was.”

Tong An’yu’s eyes drooped.

She was so sorry.

She had dirtied the clothes given to Lin Huaixu by his girlfriend, and had even let her find out.

So how did Yuan Qing know?

Lin Huaixu must have told her, perhaps to comfort her, or perhaps to explain that it wasn’t intentional.

In any case, the knot in their hearts that was the Si family’s daughter was once again blocking the path between those two.

If one were to speak of hatred for the Si Corporation, Yuan Qing’s was likely even greater than Lin Huaixu’s.

According to Sun Han, after graduating from Ohio State University, Yuan Qing had tried to find a job in the United States.
Unfortunately, the school was far from California and New York, and it wasn’t as famous as USC.

She hit a wall almost everywhere and suffered a great deal.

With such a degree, she was unwilling to take a job that barely covered her living expenses, so she had no choice but to apply for graduate school.

Lin Huaixu then paid for it.

He had just sold that card game at the time.

Speaking of which, the setbacks in Yuan Qing’s education could also be blamed on the Si Corporation.

Over the years, as Lin Huaixu started one business after another, Yuan Qing continued her studies.

Later, when Lin Huaixu returned to China, Yuan Qing simply stopped looking for a job.
She had originally planned to be Lin Huaixu’s assistant secretary, but Lin Huaixu probably couldn’t bear for her to do that, so he refused.

He hired another experienced secretary and let Yuan Qing, along with Kong Jiashu and Feng Junda, take dividends from his company.

Just like when he had insisted on bringing them along to the modeling competition back then, the friendship between them was truly unbreakable.

If Yuan Qing knew it was Tong An’yu who had dirtied the suit, she would probably have a huge fight with Lin Huaixu.

The air conditioning in this shop was really strong.

Why was it so cold, cold enough to make one want to shiver?

She was a fish with only a seven-second memory, always failing to learn her lesson.

Tong An’yu clutched her phone tighter and tighter in her palm, took a deep breath to make herself look sufficiently nonchalant, and then said, “Let’s just forget about the visitation rights. It’s more convenient for me to just transfer you the money.”

She opened WeChat to transfer the money to Lin Huaixu, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by him.

He used a considerable amount of force, but not enough to hurt her.

Tong An’yu saw his veins tense up, disappearing into his sleeve.

His palm was warm, his fingertips resting on her pulse.

Unfortunately, this bit of warmth couldn’t fight against the cold air of the air conditioner.

Tong An’yu did not feel warm.

The manager watched Lin Huaixu’s reaction with surprise.

After learning that Miss Yuan had inquired and taken the initiative to pay the bill, he showed no sign of being moved or happy.
Instead, his expression became extremely gloomy, as if he were about to drown in a bottomless swamp.

He had almost urgently seized the hand of the young lady beside him, as if grabbing onto a swaying branch.

The manager immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.

But seeing Miss Yuan’s demeanor, it seemed she and CEO Lin were already inseparable.
Could it be that CEO Lin actually had other intentions?

As if to add a piece of hot firewood to the atmosphere that had frozen to ice, Tong An’yu’s phone rang at that moment.
The caller ID read—Ji Yuming.

The ringtone was very pleasant, yet it was like a sharp spear piercing straight to the lungs, causing Lin Huaixu to abruptly let go.

Tong An’yu quickly answered the phone and stepped aside.

“Yuming-ge?”

“It’s me, it’s me.”

Jiang Siyuan’s devil-may-care voice came from the other end of the phone.

He had clearly snatched his brother’s phone.

Tong An’yu said, “Oh.”

Jiang Siyuan shot up from the sofa with a hiss.

“Have you no conscience? You call him Yuming-ge, and you call me ‘oh’? And here I was, calling you specifically because I heard that guy from the Lin family is back in Jing City.”

Ji Yuming walked over with a fruit platter, glancing at his younger brother with some helplessness.

“How old are you? Still bickering with Little Tong.”

But Tong An’yu couldn’t help but laugh.

Among her several older brothers, Jiang Siyuan was the one who teased her the most when they were young, but he was also the one who could make her the happiest.
This person had no concept of seniority and acted in a very unconventional manner.

Back then, her family found out she was with Lin De’s son because she had sent that bottle of ice wine.

She had skipped class, flying back and forth to California alone.

Ultimately, she couldn’t hide it from her parents.

Her thesis advisor’s side was smoothed over by Ji Luocheng, but for her to do something so dangerous and bold, even the usually gentle and jade-like Dean Ji did not approve.

Only Jiang Siyuan supported her.

“Awesome, Little Tong. This kind of unresolved romance…”

Jiang Siyuan’s train of thought was different from everyone else’s.

He believed that anything was worth a try as long as it was possible.

Although reality proved his prediction wrong…

“What is it?”

“He’s moved into the Jingjin Center. Is he really not bullying you?”

“He’s not.”

“If it’s not bullying, then is he trying to rekindle old feelings with you?”

“You’re overthinking it. He already—”

Tong An’yu glanced at Lin Huaixu, deliberately lowering her voice and covering her lips.

“He already has a girlfriend.”

“Is that so? Then it seems I’ve miscalculated again,” Jiang Siyuan said nonchalantly.

“Why are you always wrong?” Tong An’yu pointed out.

“Remember to speak up if you need anything. Don’t keep it to yourself like you did back then,” Jiang Siyuan suddenly became serious.

Back then?

What happened back then?

Tong An’yu couldn’t remember at all.

“I know, thanks for worrying about me.”

“Call me ‘ge’!”

“Pfft.”

Tong An’yu hung up the phone.

Lin Huaixu had taken in her lively and happy expression while she was on the phone.

A person who was naturally lively and optimistic would be carefree with anyone.
That rare sunshine was not his alone to have.

Realizing this, Lin Huaixu felt as if he had been completely submerged in a swamp, his chest compressed, a huge, painful sound echoing.

After finishing the call, Tong An’yu transferred the money.

Ding.
Lin Huaixu looked down.

It was her transfer notification.

Lin Huaixu didn’t accept it, only looking at her and saying, “You promised.”

‘You promised. Caramel latte, pan-seared and steamed cod, and anything else I wanted, you wanted me to have.’

‘I want you.’

Tong An’yu scratched her head in a bind.

Sigh, why did she agree just now?

It really wasn’t good to go back on her word right after saying it, and it was understandable for Lin Huaixu to miss the little cat he had saved.

But if she kept meeting him privately because of the cat, what would Yuan Qing think if she found out?

“It’s not convenient to always bring the cat out. If you really miss him, I can send you cat pictures,” Tong An’yu compromised.

Lin Huaixu didn’t speak.

Then, Tong An’yu didn’t invite Lin Huaixu to ride in the same car again, and Lin Huaixu didn’t ask.

The driver opened the car door.
She bent down and stepped into the car, revealing a small section of her lotus-white ankle.

After she left, the manager keenly sensed that Lin Huaixu’s aura had completely changed.

He toyed with the glass of mint water in his hand, his gloomy gaze cleverly concealed.
He asked seemingly casually, “What did Miss Yuan ask?”

“Uh…”

The manager paused, then quickly realized that the real god of wealth was the one before him.

Miss Yuan was merely a wisteria vine climbing a tree.

It was just a pity that though the vine was slender and knotted, it was not connected to the tree.

“Miss Yuan asked where the suit was dirty and what you said when you had someone send it for cleaning. We… told her what your driver said…”

For example, that it was accidentally vomited on.

For example, if it couldn’t be cleaned, to have another one made.

Lin Huaixu put down the glass and stood up, the wrinkles on his shirt smoothing out.

He made a call.

About half an hour later, a Brabus hurried over and stopped in front of LONGCUT.

Lin Huaixu was ready to leave.

“Mr. Lin, the clothes!” the manager said anxiously.

“No need.”

Lin Huaixu stepped out of the door, leaving behind a faint sentence.

“Since she’s so attentive, let her come and pick it up.”

Lin Huaixu was still very much a gentleman, but the manager knew very well that this suit would never appear on this noble person again.

In the car, the driver asked, “CEO Lin, where are you going?”

Lin Huaixu said, “Just drive for now.”

The car slowly drove away from Jinbao Street, the green plants on both sides lush and verdant, until it got on the ring road expressway, where the oily green completely disappeared.

The scorching sun was high in the sky.
The temperature in Jing City had suddenly risen today.

The meteorological bureau reminded citizens to pay attention to staying cool and avoiding the heat.

But the temperature inside the car remained constant.

Through the rearview mirror, one could see Lin Huaixu’s cold and solemn expression, not uttering a word.

The driver cautiously drove off the expressway and stopped on a quiet, shady roadside.

Finally resigned, he took the initiative to speak, “Miss Yuan asked about that night. I thought you and Miss Yuan were intimate, so I didn’t hide anything…”

Getting into the wrong car, encountering that Miss Tong, then being taken to the hospital by her, and then leaving alone.

He was hired by Yuan Qing.

He had no choice.

“To the Jingjin Center,” Lin Huaixu said.

The car drove to the underground parking lot of the Jingjin Center.

Lin Huaixu didn’t need him to open the door, getting out by himself and leaving a sentence, “Leave the car. You don’t need to come tomorrow. Your salary will be calculated for the full month.”

“CEO Lin…” the driver stammered, but was speechless.

He knew Lin Huaixu had already been more than benevolent.

When Tong An’yu returned to Hexin Technology on Monday, she had already sorted out her feelings.

The client took her report very seriously and was willing to discuss it internally before giving a conclusion.

Negotiation was a process of constant back-and-forth.

Sometimes it wasn’t completely bound by the contract, especially with a major client with ample funds.

Tong An’yu waited for the client’s feedback, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Conversely, Lin Huaixu had flown frequently five times in just two weeks, rarely showing up at the Jing City office.

PetParty was busy with its listing.
Law firms, investment banks, and accounting firms held meetings day after day, with one forwarded email after another.

Lin Huaixu dared not be distracted at this time, attending to every matter personally.

It was at this time that the environmental protection platform Montemar was subjected to a surprise inspection by the state government.

On the grounds of allegedly threatening user information security, it was required to pay a fine of tens of millions of US dollars.

Knowing full well that this was a chain reaction caused by the so-called “using foreigners’ money to manage the country’s deserts, a truly great contribution,” Lin Huaixu was unwilling to shift the pressure to the country.

International politics were extremely delicate, and the diplomacy involved was an even greater test of wisdom.

This time he flew to the United States and reportedly met with several congressmen before the storm subsided.

When the news reached China, some people praised Lin Huaixu for his foresight.

If he had opened an overseas branch in Singapore at this time, he would have been stretched thin, and PetParty’s overseas expansion would have been constrained everywhere.

It was better to open the Jing City office first, and after a stable listing and financing, then expand the business empire in one fell swoop.

A curious person asked Fang Qing, an investor close to him.

Fang Qing smiled and said that Lin Huaixu was so busy he was about to be hospitalized and hadn’t had time to talk to him in detail about Montemar.

When asked about opening the Jing City branch first and temporarily delaying going overseas, Fang Qing was very tight-lipped, saying that Lin Huaixu wasn’t infallible in every calculation.

Perhaps it was just good luck, and of course, he, the investor, had even better luck.

Businessmen believe in feng shui and financial fortune.

Lin Huaixu’s difficulties were brushed aside, even though he had just been sent to the hospital for three days of IV fluids after drinking five bottles of whiskey and suffering from acute gastroenteritis.

After being discharged, he immediately took a thirteen-hour flight back to Jing City.

He arrived in the early morning, vomited up his meal, and had to go to the emergency room late at night.

Of course, Tong An’yu knew nothing of these things.

She only knew that after seeing the Jing City office stabilized, Lin Huaixu no longer appeared.

Perhaps he had shifted his focus elsewhere, or perhaps he had other arrangements.

In short, Jing City did not necessarily hold an irreplaceable weight in his heart.

In the blink of an eye, it was May.
The lavender in the suburbs of Jing City bloomed in clusters.
Her senior’s wedding day had arrived.

Tong An’yu wrapped her gift, ready to attend the appointment.