Good Summer Leaf

Lin Yuan was released first.

On the day of his release, Lin Yuan looked very relaxed, but Xia Ye, who had specifically come to pick him up, cried her eyes out.

As a result, it wasn't Xia Ye comforting Lin Yuan; instead, it became Lin Yuan comforting Xia Ye.

Zhang Yan, who was with Lin Yuan to handle the procedures, watched from the side, somewhat speechless.

'Why would Senior Brother find such a crybaby girl?' Zhang Yan's education and professional background determined her strong and resolute personality, which was completely different from Xia Ye's.

In her opinion, a powerful figure like Senior Brother Lin, who at such a young age already seemed experienced and profound, should find a girl who matched him, not someone who cried all day like Lin Daiyu.

At this moment, Zhang Yan was in full uniform and gear, with various kits tucked into her waist, just short of a real pistol. She also wore sunglasses, giving off an unapproachable aura.

As Zhang Yan watched Lin Yuan continuously comfort Xia Ye, a thought even popped into her mind—'Could this be part of Senior Brother's undercover plan?'

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan, looking at Xia Ye, who was bathed in tears in his arms, felt his heart nearly melt. And having been cooped up inside for several days, he was truly bored; at this moment, he only wanted to go home with Xia Ye, close the door, and be intimate.

So he thought of turning to Zhang Yan to say goodbye and then leave.

From Lin Yuan's perspective at this moment, Zhang Yan stood by his side, fully equipped and heroic, looking cool without even trying.

Lin Yuan walked over and simply said, 'Thank you, Junior Sister.'

If it weren't for the public setting, he would have really wanted to bump fists with her and then say, 'Brother!'

Zhang Yan smiled, thankfully her sunglasses hid most of her amusement, preventing others from noticing anything out of place. 'You're welcome, Senior Brother.'

Her lighthearted tone, coupled with that gentle smile, really didn't match her current attire.

—

After returning to the rented apartment, Lin Yuan quickly took off his clothes and rushed into the bathroom. He wanted to wash away all the bad luck.

After eating and showering, he embraced Xia Ye. After not seeing each other for many days and having returned from a difficult experience, there was a strong sense that things could easily get out of hand.

Perhaps it was due to studying the I Ching inside, Lin Yuan himself couldn't believe he managed to restrain himself. Even Xia Ye looked at him with confusion; from her eyes, she was ready to welcome Lin Yuan's return with herself.

'What's wrong?' Xia Ye asked Lin Yuan, her chest half-exposed.

'Let's stick to our original pace.'

'No!' Xia Ye hugged him tightly. 'These past few days you've been gone, I've been worried sick about you every day. It's all my fault for not listening to you sooner, which led to you being implicated by Xiao Xiao. I know I was wrong. I'll listen to you from now on... Let's just do it today. I'm afraid of losing you, I want you to take me.'

Lin Yuan's mind was already completely blown; how could anyone resist this?

However, he still remembered that line from the book—'Those deeply indulged in desire have shallow heavenly opportunities.'

'We, at least, should get a check-up. What if you get pregnant? We have to be responsible for the next generation.' Rationality made Lin Yuan choose the safest method, fearing that his impulsiveness would cause trouble. Moreover, he didn't want to become a father at such a young age.

'Then, how about I go to the convenience store downstairs...'

'No need.' Lin Yuan flatly refused. 'My first time absolutely cannot involve that thing.' Are you kidding? If his first time involved that thing, wouldn't it cast a shadow over his Dao heart?

This was a lifelong matter, and Lin Yuan didn't want to look back on it in the future and always feel a faint regret.

Suddenly, an unusual sense of pleasure arose in Lin Yuan's heart. It was the pleasure of having complete control over his body after forcibly suppressing his impulses.

'Be good, turn off the lights and sleep.' Lin Yuan patted Xia Ye as if coaxing a child, trying to get her to sleep early.

'Are we really just going to sleep like this?'

'You don't have to do this out of self-blame. Just stick to our original pace.' Lin Yuan couldn't tell her the truth, which was that Song Xiaoxiao had actually been implicated because of him. Before he came out, Director Wang had specifically sought him out alone once. He had very officially emphasized the importance of confidentiality to him.

Who knew why Director Wang pulled this stunt, but Lin Yuan finally understood completely—whether he liked it or not, he had already boarded the 'pirate ship' of the big shots.

There were rules on the ship, so naturally, he couldn't just tell Xia Ye.

'Is your family very rich? Will your parents look down on me?'

The two, having calmed down, finally had to address a crucial question—Lin Yuan's true identity.

'Don't worry. My parents will only think I kidnapped some girl when they see you; they'll definitely think I'm not good enough for you.'

'Huh? Why?'

Lin Yuan opened his income and expenditure records on his two payment platforms. 'Look, I really only recently became rich. Ever since my mentor introduced me to work at Good Group, I started making money. When I first met you, I really was just a loser who couldn't even afford bubble tea.'

Xia Ye looked at Lin Yuan's billing records with a puzzled expression for a while...

'It's really true. But you... how could you be so amazing, in just over three months? Even counting from when we first met, it's only been less than half a year. How did you suddenly earn so much money? I've been out of college for so long and haven't accomplished anything.'

'That's because I'm amazing! Don't worry, we met when I was at my lowest. I'll stick by you forever. I'll split half of my monthly salary with you, okay?'

Then Lin Yuan thought for a moment, 'Um, I'll keep the other half for myself, okay?'

Fortunately, Xia Ye wasn't influenced by the current negative trends online; she had no intention of controlling all of Lin Yuan's salary. 'You don't need to give it to me. If I need money, I'll just ask you. There's nothing I can give you either. After you went in, there was nothing I could do.'

Xia Ye's voice became tearful again. 'I didn't know who to ask, and no one helped me. I didn't have money to hire a lawyer, I was so anxious I almost died.'

'So you went and sat on the ground crying for a boyfriend?' Lin Yuan teased.

'You knew? I only did that because I couldn't think of any other way. I was just afraid you'd really be implicated by Xiao Xiao.'

At the mention of Song Xiaoxiao, Xia Ye's expression immediately became somber.

'You're still worried about her, aren't you?'

Xia Ye didn't want to bring up Song Xiaoxiao in front of Lin Yuan again, because in her mind, it was because she didn't listen to Lin Yuan that he was implicated by Song Xiaoxiao.

No matter how naive Xia Ye was, she wouldn't mention worrying about Song Xiaoxiao in front of Lin Yuan. But in reality, she couldn't help but care about her. Because Song Xiaoxiao's kindness to her couldn't be explained in just a word or two.

So Xia Ye nodded helplessly, 'I am indeed quite worried about her. But, but, this time Xiao Xiao was in the wrong. I, I, I...'

'You what? Are you trying to say you won't talk to her anymore?'

Xia Ye didn't know how to answer, because she truly couldn't say such words.

Lin Yuan said seriously, 'I really cherish your kindness. It's normal for you to care about her.'