128: Chapter 128 Departure

The next day, after Jiang Yu accompanied Lin Ning to get his stitches removed, the two of them had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Eating, the arcade, watching a movie...

The outdoor terrace area of the cafe on the top floor of the mall.

The early summer evening breeze was neither cold nor hot, making one feel languid.

Lin Ning bit on his straw and gulped down half a cup of iced Americano. "Refreshing."

He glanced at Jiang Yu across from him, who was eating an ice cream waffle, and felt that looking at her was more interesting than the movie.

Jiang Yu seemed to sense it, looked up, and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Looking at how pretty my girlfriend is." Lin Ning said with a grin.

"You're incorrigible." Jiang Yu's lips curled slightly. She lowered her head to continue tackling the waffle, but used her fork to slide the corner with the strawberries to the edge of the plate—that was the part Lin Ning liked best.

Lin Ning, as expected, naturally forked the strawberries and popped them into his mouth, then said casually, "Once I leave, you'll be all by yourself. How boring that will be."

Jiang Yu looked at Lin Ning helplessly, as if looking at a child playing little mind games.

Over the past few days, whenever he had the chance, Lin Ning would squeeze in a mention of it—worrying about her, saying how hard it was for Jiang Yu to balance work and study, or claiming he might get bored on the long drive and fall asleep, and so on.

Seeing this, Lin Ning lowered his head to eat and fell silent.

Jiang Yu softened and said, "When you go home, spend some good time with your mother and sister. They worried so much about what happened to you before, and you've had a hard time too. Get some good rest."

"As for me, besides preparing for my exams, I also want to get to know the company's business better. Yesterday, Wang Qiao was taken by Brother Tao to meet a boss who imports medical equipment; they are going to cooperate on a short-term bridging loan. He also introduced me to a partner at 'Lanji Venture Capital,' and we have an appointment to visit next Wednesday to hear their views on current Pre-IPO project screening and see if there are any small investment opportunities suitable for us to follow and learn from."

Lin Ning was a bit dazed listening to this. He thought he just needed to invest money into the stocks Brother Tao recommended and wouldn't need to worry about anything else. He hadn't expected them to have already started formally pushing forward with business and development.

Jiang Yu leaned forward slightly, her arms resting on the edge of the table. Her eyes seemed exceptionally bright in the fading daylight, and she looked at Lin Ning earnestly.

"I know you're busy and your mind isn't on these things, but I want to help you. At the very least, I can help you look after the company. No matter what, when you need someone, I can stand behind you."

"So," she paused, a playful arc appearing at the corner of her lips, "stop acting like a spoiled brat!"

A gust of evening breeze blew by, brushing aside a few stray hairs of Jiang Yu's.

Lin Ning muttered somewhat indignantly, "Who's acting like a spoiled brat?" and lowered his head to hide his slightly flushed face. Damn, this sister really knew how to handle things—she went straight for the heart and the mouth, flirting with him.

A smile rippled in Jiang Yu's eyes, "I'm the one acting like a spoiled brat."

She loved seeing Lin Ning looking shy while being stubborn, hahaha...

After seeing Jiang Yu downstairs, the night was already deep.

Lin Ning lingered, not wanting to let go, just about to say something.

Jiang Yu took a step forward, stood on her tiptoes, and hooked her hand around his head. Her warm, soft breath drew near instantly, and a feather-light kiss landed on his lips.

Lin Ning was stunned for a moment.

Jiang Yu had already pulled back, turned, and swiped her card. The moment she entered the door, her crisp voice drifted into his ears, "Be safe on the road, give me a call..."

The unit door lock clicked with a soft sound, and only then did Lin Ning snap out of it.

He was anxious, tugged on the door twice, but it wouldn't open.

How could this woman launch a sneak attack! No, that's not it!

How is she so good at this! No, that's not it either!

She just brushed him off with that little bit! He hadn't even tasted it yet!

Lin Ning felt he had gotten the short end of the stick.

He circled the building several times before driving away, feeling aggrieved.

Back home, his sister's video call came through.

"Xiao Ning, when are you leaving tomorrow? Don't rush on the road, be safe while driving, you know?" His sister's gentle voice was filled with concern.

"Sister, I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, and if all goes well, I'll arrive by evening. I'll definitely be careful, don't worry."

"Uncle! Uncle! I miss you!" His little niece Weiwei's face squeezed into the screen, her round eyes blinking.

"Be good, Weiwei, Uncle brought you a big dinosaur!"

His sister gave him a whole list of reminders to drive slowly and not drive while tired before hanging up.

Looking at the black screen, the sense of emptiness from the parting in Lin Ning's heart was quickly filled with a warm sense of anticipation.

Home. He was going home.

Early the next morning, Lin Ning stuffed his luggage and the gifts he had prepared for his family into the trunk of his brand-new black SUV.

He sat in the driver's seat and closed the door; the world instantly went quiet. He started the engine, tapped the accelerator, and the car slid smoothly out of the residential complex.

The morning rush hour hadn't started yet, and the glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings reflected the morning sun.

Lin Ning looked at the familiar streetscape outside the window and suddenly realized that, at some point, this city that once made him feel like he couldn't breathe had given him a sense of belonging.

Two months, everything turned upside down; it made one feel inexplicably sentimental.

While queuing at the toll station before the highway, he picked up his phone and transferred one million to Wang Qiao's account—with the note: "Capital increase. You become the legal representative. Work hard, President Wang!"

Almost instantly, Wang Qiao's call exploded through.

"Lin Ning! F***! You're just tossing one million over like that? Make me the legal representative? Is this f***ing the surprise you were talking about?! You dog! You're the dog of dogs!!"

So, there really needs to be a sense of distance between friends; knowing each other too well isn't any fun.

Lin Ning held the phone away, and after the roaring died down slightly, he leaned in with a grin: "Those who are capable should do more, President Wang. Money makes money, I believe in you! When I get back, I hope there's another zero added to the company's assets!"

"I f***ing..." Upon hearing this, Wang Qiao knew he had guessed right. After cursing and swearing for a long time, he finally calmed down enough to speak properly, "It's a good thing for the company that you're increasing the capital, but why change the legal representative to me?"

This was actually something Lin Ning had been thinking about for some time. After knowing his name was known by the dog spies, he wanted to lower his profile.

Now, while the company was still small, changing the legal representative was good, and later, his information as a major shareholder would also be gradually hidden through other means.

Lin Ning: "I'm dealing with the 'authorities' a lot now, so having a prominent name isn't necessarily a good thing. It's you and me running the company; with you at the forefront, I feel more at ease and it's safer."

Wang Qiao didn't say another word and readily agreed.

After hanging up, he thought for a moment.

He picked up the secure phone again and sent a short text to Chen Zhi: [Brother Chen, I'm heading back to my hometown.]

The car drove onto the G7 highway, and the field of vision suddenly opened up.

The car window was rolled down a crack, and the wind whistled in, carrying the scent of fields and distant mountains. The car stereo was playing an upbeat song, and Lin Ning hummed along, his fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel.

Blue sky and white clouds, the straight road leading to the horizon. The green trees on both sides, the distant villages, the river reflecting under the sunlight—everything looked vibrant.

Freedom.

It wasn't just his body speeding along, but also the lightness of a soul without burdens. Money in his pocket, a road in his heart, and someone in his sight. He even felt that the taste of the wind was sweet.

In the afternoon, he drove the car into a service area.

He leaned against the car and lit a cigarette, squinting at the vivid, bustling atmosphere before him—children running and playing, travelers talking and laughing, drivers huddled together bragging.

After finishing the cigarette, he stubbed it out and prepared to leave.

Just as he turned to pull open the car door, his peripheral vision caught a silver van covered in mud that had just parked behind him to the side.

The van door slid open with a clatter, and a man and a woman filed out of the vehicle, walking towards the restroom while talking and laughing.

Above their heads, the scarlet halo was dazzlingly eye-catching.

Lin Ning's movements froze.

His gaze subconsciously turned toward the open sliding door of the van. His Psychic Power, like the most sensitive antenna, instantly extended over—

Inside the van, four small green halos were huddled together.

Corresponding to them were the four unconscious, motionless figures of children that his Psychic Power "saw".

The relaxation on Lin Ning's face vanished as quickly as a receding tide.

The leisurely ease and joy he had felt just a moment ago were instantly replaced by a calm, icy coldness.