78: Chapter 78 Junior, let me heal your illness

The September evening already had a chill to it.

On the square in front of the station, drivers soliciting passengers, family members meeting arrivals, and people handing out flyers were all crowded together in a noisy mess.

Zhao Yang leaned against the door of his Audi, his gaze scanning the flow of people at the exit. His police uniform jacket was draped over the passenger seat, and he wore only a light-colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

Before long, a girl with a ponytail and a backpack walked out of the exit.

Lu Yike—the younger version.

She wore a crisp, ironed white shirt, her pace was brisk, and she looked neat and efficient. Her features weren't exactly stunning, but there was an unyielding spirit in her eyes and brows.

Her gaze fell upon the black Audi, and she paused slightly. After checking the license plate, she looked up at Zhao Yang, who was leaning against the car door.

"Senior Zhao?" she asked tentatively.

Zhao Yang nodded and reached out his hand. "Lu Yike, right? Welcome to the Imperial Capital."

Lu Yike reached out and shook his hand.

His palm was dry, and his grip was moderate.

She scrutinized Zhao Yang's face, feeling a sense of unreality. Professor Lin and Director Gao Wenbo had both said that Zhao Yang was handsome, but she hadn't expected him to exceed their expectations by this much.

With looks like that, why didn't he go into acting?

Her mind wandered, and she forgot to pull her hand back.

The corners of Zhao Yang's mouth curled up—look at this naive, inexperienced expression.

Lu Yike suddenly realized her lapse in composure and quickly retracted her hand. "Sorry, Senior, I was distracted."

"I'm used to it." Zhao Yang smiled faintly and opened the passenger door for her. "Get in."

Lu Yike's gaze lingered on the car emblem for half a second before she bent down and climbed inside.

Starting the car, Zhao Yang steered the wheel and said, "Your dormitory is all set up, right next to the lab, a five-minute walk away. By the way, how come you don't have much luggage?"

"There was a mishap with my checked luggage, so it'll be a few days before it arrives," Lu Yike replied. "Could you please take me to a supermarket first? I need to buy some things to get by for a few days."

"Sure."

"Thank you, Senior." Lu Yike paused, her gaze sweeping over the four rings on the steering wheel. "Senior, is our lab's funding quite generous? That's a really nice car."

Zhao Yang chuckled. "The best car in the lab is Director Gao's Santana. This car is my own."

Lu Yike's brows twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything else and turned to look out the window.

After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "Senior, is the compensation at our lab very good?"

"It's alright. Why?"

"Nothing." Lu Yike's tone was very flat, as if she were chatting about daily life. "I just think that for someone of your age, Senior, driving this car is quite rare."

Zhao Yang glanced at her, nearly laughing out loud.

Lu Yike sat very straight, her hands folded on her lap, her gaze fixed straight ahead, and her lips slightly pursed. Although she was just a young girl who had been working for a year, that demeanor already overlapped with that veteran prosecutor from the show—she even had an occupational disease: she looked at everyone like they were a corrupt official.

Zhao Yang rolled his eyes. Good junior, Senior will cure your ailment!

He said vaguely on purpose, "Well, it's the Imperial Capital; it's inconvenient without a car. Actually, this car is considered low-key; I originally wanted to buy a Mercedes 600."

Lu Yike nodded, the corners of her mouth drooping slightly.

Zhao Yang continued teasing her. "Yike, do you want to stay in the Imperial Capital in the future?"

Lu Yike was stunned for a moment and shook her head. "I'd rather go back to my original unit."

"Going back is fine too," Zhao Yang said nonchalantly. "Living in the Imperial Capital is not easy. Everything else is fine, but the housing is just too expensive—several times more expensive than in Jinghai, and much more expensive than in Handong Province."

Lu Yike keenly caught onto something and followed up, "Senior, you know so much about it? Have you looked at houses in the Imperial Capital?"

"I have."

"Did you buy one?"

"I did. It hurt my wallet. Three million a unit."

Lu Yike's heart skipped a beat. Three million. Where did he get that?

She turned her head to look at Zhao Yang, her gaze revealing only surprise, while suppressing other emotions—like heartbreak.

She looked back to the front, but her hand pulled back to her thigh, clenching into a fist.

Zhao Yang caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, suppressing his amusement. This girl, she's quite sick!

"Senior." Lu Yike let out a breath, feigning relaxation. "I really envy you for having such a good family."

Zhao Yang looked sentimental, yet with a hint of pride. "I didn't rely on my parents. It's just a pity that my family passed away early and didn't get to enjoy the good life with me."

Lu Yike's expression became even more complex. After a long while, she spoke again. "Senior, you are quite good at making money."

Zhao Yang's tone was airy. "Money is not hard to make. Especially in a place like the Imperial Capital, as long as you have the will, there are plenty of ways. If you want to earn some, I'll take you with me when there's an opportunity. I can't guarantee you'll be super wealthy, but buying a car and a house is no problem."

Lu Yike's fingers tightened again.

"Senior is right."

She turned her head and looked out the window again. Her lips were pursed even tighter, and her eyes held a sense of heartache—wishing he would live up to her expectations—along with a vague sense of disappointment: he was so handsome, yet he was actually a corrupt official!

Zhao Yang laughed to himself, preparing to raise the stakes.

The car stopped at the entrance of the supermarket. Zhao Yang turned off the engine. "Let's go."

Lu Yike followed him out of the car, silent the whole way.

Entering the supermarket, she was shocked by the prices and started picking and choosing carefully.

Zhao Yang pushed the shopping cart, carelessly throwing things in—shampoo, body wash, slippers, towels, hangers, an electric kettle, a desk lamp, and bedding.

Once it was full, he pushed the cart to Lu Yike's side and smiled. "See if that's enough; if you're missing anything, I'll grab it."

Looking at the mountain of items, Lu Yike stood frozen for a moment. After a while, she shook her head. "I don't need this much, and… look at this, it's too expensive!"

She pointed at a four-piece bedding set that cost over six hundred and wanted to take it out.

Zhao Yang stopped her and laughed heartily. "Don't worry, you don't have to pay for it."

"Can this be reimbursed?" Lu Yike's brows knitted together.

"You don't need to worry about it; I have my ways." Zhao Yang pulled out his bank card. "Let's use mine first."

Lu Yike stared at the clearly expensive items in the cart, her expression becoming more serious. "Senior, these things are too expensive, and I don't need anything this high-end."

"That won't do." Zhao Yang said righteously. "You're Director Gao's student, so I have to be attentive. When Director Gao asks later, I'll have an answer for him."

Lu Yike didn't say anything more. She stared at that six-hundred-yuan bedding set, feeling that these items could serve as evidence.

At checkout, Zhao Yang swiped his card and entered his PIN in one smooth motion. Lu Yike stood by, and when the long receipt spat out of the machine, she carefully picked it up, folded it neatly, and tucked it away into her pocket.

On the way back to the dormitory, Zhao Yang suddenly spoke up. "Oh, right, Yike, I checked the dorms, and the conditions are really average. How about I book you a hotel nearby? Out of my own pocket."

Lu Yike stared at him, her voice dry. "No need."

"Don't be polite with me."

"Really, no need. Thank you, Senior."

Lu Yike squeezed these words out through her teeth, then turned her head to look out the window, her heart sinking to the bottom.

Zhao Yang had a major problem. And her mentor, Director Gao—at the very least, he was seriously negligent!