171: Chapter 171 A Surprise Called an Unexpected Encounter (Part 2)

Afterward, Shen Zhendong enthusiastically welcomed Ye Ziming and Ye Qingcheng into the living room, gesturing for them to sit on the sofa.

He wore a warm smile on his Face, poured tea for the two of them, and then looked at Ye Ziming with concern, asking, "Ziming, are you still in school, or have you already entered society and started working?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of embarrassment flashed across Ye Ziming's Face. He scratched his head and responded vaguely, "Uncle Shen, it's embarrassing to say, but I don't have a stable job right now. Usually, I just invest in some small projects with friends or provide some consulting services. Everything is still in the exploratory stage."

As he spoke, his eyes drifted to the side unconsciously.

It wasn't that he had any reservations; it was just that he hadn't done any proper work since graduation. He only liked to play with cars and carouse with friends in his daily life. Fortunately, the Ye family had strict upbringing, and plus he had a capable sister. Although he was a bit mischievous, he hadn't done anything out of line.

Shen Zhendong was such a shrewd person that he could naturally hear the subtext in Ye Ziming's words. To put it nicely, it was called consulting services, but in reality, it was just helping people find connections and bridging gaps. Many children of the powerful and wealthy liked to do these kinds of trades.

He smiled slightly and did not press further, only silently giving this young man a score in his heart.

Just at this moment, Shen Jianan walked over with a washed and sliced fruit platter. She had heard the gist of the conversation between her father and Ye Ziming just now and found it amusing.

So, she gently placed the fruit platter on the coffee table and then interjected with a teasing tone, "Ye Ziming, that friend you mentioned, could it be Xing Zhenkun?"

When Shen Zhendong heard his daughter ask this, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Ye Ziming curiously, asking, "Ziming, do you also know Zhenkun?"

Ye Ziming smiled sheepishly and nodded, replying, "Yes, Uncle Shen. Brother Kun and I met at a supercar club in the capital before. We all like playing with cars, so we hit it off. Later, we slowly became friends. Brother Kun is quite loyal, and he thinks of me when there are business opportunities. Coming to Modu this time is actually because of Brother Kun."

"Oh? What new tricks is that kid Zhenkun up to again?" Shen Zhendong's curiosity was completely piqued, and he asked impatiently.

Ye Ziming smiled awkwardly, "Actually, it doesn't count as business. Brother Kun recently started a supercar club and invited everyone to join, purely for the sake of playing with cars. The club is just starting out, and Brother Kun hopes I can join and help make the club bigger and stronger. If possible, we also plan to set up a branch in the capital. Now, including me, there are seven people in the club."

"So that's how it is." Shen Zhendong nodded understandingly, "Zhenkun is indeed quite business-minded. Working with him is a pretty good choice. However, doing business is not child's play; you must learn the principles of conduct from him."

"Yes, yes, yes, you are right, Uncle Shen." Ye Ziming nodded repeatedly, expressing his willingness to learn with a humble Face, "I am currently in the learning stage."

Seeing Ye Ziming's humble attitude, Shen Zhendong's favor for him increased a bit. Shen Zhendong nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad. Young people should be like this, humble and eager to learn. Elder Ye is truly blessed; both his grandson and granddaughter are so outstanding!" After finishing, he specifically looked at Shen Jianan, who was sitting on the side, "Nannan, you also need to learn more from your Sister Qingcheng and Ziming."

Being told this by her father, Shen Jianan's competitive spirit rose. She looked at Ye Qingcheng and showed an inquiring expression on her Face, "May I ask what Sister Qingcheng does?"

Ye Qingcheng smiled slightly, that smile revealing a kind of composure and calmness. She parted her red lips slightly and responded indifferently, "I was in the army before and was just seconded to National Security."

"National Security?" Upon hearing this, Shen Jianan's eyes immediately lit up, her Face full of curiosity. She leaned forward and asked impatiently, "Sister Qingcheng, what exactly do you do at National Security? Catching spies? Or counter-terrorism?"

Ye Qingcheng looked at Shen Jianan, smiled, and shook her head gently, responding, "Sorry, the specific work content is really not convenient to disclose. You know, we all have strict confidentiality regulations."

After hearing this, Shen Jianan slapped her forehead suddenly and realized, "Oh, right, right, right! I was so excited that I forgot about this." Immediately, she asked with great anticipation, "By the way, Sister Qingcheng, is your National Security still hiring?"

Ye Qingcheng took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Yes, the domestic and international situation is becoming increasingly complex, and National Security is very short of manpower. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been seconded from the army to National Security. Why? Do you have any thoughts about joining National Security?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jianan's eyes flashed with a firm light. She straightened her back and said categorically, "Definitely! I dream of going to National Security, or criminal investigation would also be fine. But my dad just won't agree. Clearly, my ability is enough to be transferred to the frontline of criminal investigation, but he just keeps holding me back, so I have to stay in the public security department for now." Speaking of this, she glanced at her father with dissatisfaction.

Shen Zhendong heard his daughter's words and immediately coughed a few times to interrupt her. He smiled awkwardly and did not directly respond to his daughter's dissatisfaction. Shen Jianan looked at her father, pouted, and said dissatisfiedly, "What? Do you dare to say that my application wasn't suppressed by you and not approved?"

Ye Qingcheng smiled on the side and stepped out to explain for Shen Zhendong, "Jianan, Uncle Shen must also be considering your safety, right, Uncle Shen?" As she said this, she cast an inquiring look at Shen Zhendong.

Shen Zhendong sighed helplessly and nodded, responding, "Yes, your Sister Qingcheng knows how high the risk factor is for National Security and the criminal investigation frontline. Every day, you Face those heinous criminals. Even if I agreed to let you go, your mother wouldn't agree."

Ye Ziming also chimed in from the side, "Yes, Uncle Shen and Auntie must be thinking about your safety." As he said this, he secretly glanced at Shen Jianan, only to find her gaze shooting coldly at him. He swallowed awkwardly and hurriedly tried to make up for it, "However, this matter still needs to respect Jianan's opinion..."

Shen Jianan rolled her eyes at Ye Ziming and said unhappily, "You don't need to say anything. Anyway, I just want to go to National Security or the criminal investigation frontline. I don't want to waste my prime youth in a small police station, dealing with trivial matters all day. I need to handle big cases, important cases, and realize my own value!"

After hearing this, Ye Qingcheng looked at Shen Jianan with great interest, "Jianan, do you really think so?"

"It must be true. Like now, dealing with fights and trivial matters every day, I feel like I'm going to be ruined. Take yesterday's incident for example, I was clearly helping a girl seek justice. Although the methods were a bit irregular, at least it counts as a courageous act, right? But our director actually wanted me to write a self-criticism..." Speaking of this, a bit of helplessness and unwillingness appeared on her Face.

Shen Zhendong coughed lightly, his Face slightly serious. The teacup in his hand slammed heavily onto the tea tray, making a crisp sound. Although he had known about last night's incident long ago, he still pretended not to know in front of outsiders. He glared at Shen Jianan, his tone filled with reproach, "You still have the nerve to say that?! If it weren't for your Director Han telling me today, I would still be in the dark. You are becoming more and more reckless! You knew that the criminal investigation team had been targeting Dao Ge's gang, so why did you go and provoke them? Do you know that because of your unauthorized action last night, you disrupted the layout that the criminal investigation team had been working on for so long and almost exposed their plan!"

Shen Jianan's Face turned from green to red with her father's words, her eyes full of dissatisfaction and grievance. She stood up abruptly, looked directly at her father, and said, "I don't think I was wrong! In that night's situation, if I hadn't acted, that girl would have been finished. I couldn't just watch her life be destroyed!" After finishing, without looking back, she turned around and walked towards the kitchen in a fit of Life Qi.

"You!" Shen Zhendong looked at his daughter's stubborn back, shook his head helplessly, and a trace of worry and doting flashed in his eyes. He turned around, smiled awkwardly at Ye Qingcheng and Ye Ziming, and explained, "I've let you see something embarrassing; my daughter's personality is too strong. Director Han from their station often calls me, and at least seven out of ten times it's related to Nannan..."

Just at this moment, Shen Jianan's mother walked out of the kitchen with the last dish. Seeing that the atmosphere in the living room was a bit tense, she softly smoothed things over, "Alright, Old Shen, what did you say to our daughter again? It's rare for our daughter to come back for a meal, and you've already made her Life Qi within three sentences!" As she said this, she enthusiastically greeted Ye Qingcheng and Ye Ziming, "Come, let's eat, and we can chat while we eat."

Shen Zhendong shook his head with a bitter smile and got up to walk towards the dining table. Ye Qingcheng and Ye Ziming also looked at each other and smiled, then stood up as well.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Back Street Barbecue Restaurant on the food street of Modu University, the atmosphere was gradually becoming lively. Qin Yi and Wang Tengfei were sitting at a table, with five or six empty beer bottles placed at their feet, and the skewers on the table had been changed several times. There was an endless stream of customers in the shop, and the owner, Uncle Jin, was busy shuttling between the lobby and the kitchen, temporarily unable to attend to their table.

Qin Yi took a sip of beer and briefly narrated the recent events to Wang Tengfei. Wang Tengfei listened attentively while eating the skewers, and looks of indignation appeared on his Face from time to time.

"Damn, that Wang Hao is really too shameless!" Wang Tengfei slammed the table suddenly and said angrily, "He even plotted to frame you. Back in school, I already thought that guy wasn't decent, but I didn't expect him to become so despicable and shameless now!"

Qin Yi shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed, "Didn't you just say it? People will change. When we were in school, everyone still had some reservations; after all, there was the school in charge, and many things people didn't dare to do too excessively. But once graduated and entered society, money became a universal pass, and some people became increasingly unscrupulous."

"That's right!" Wang Tengfei said through gritted teeth, "That guy Wang Hao just has good luck, having a rich father. I heard that his father's Hongtai Construction Company is preparing to go public. Now he will be even more arrogant."

"Oh? You already know about this?" Qin Yi looked at Wang Tengfei with some surprise.

"Ahem, well, you know, it's been all over the internet recently." Wang Tengfei scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward. "There's a ton of negative news about Hongtai Construction. I reckon someone is out to get them. But then again, Hongtai Construction has some serious pull. By noon today, almost all that negative news had been deleted. It must have been the relevant authorities stepping in to suppress it."

Qin Yi listened, the corners of his mouth curling up into a meaningful smile. He nodded and replied, "This is all within expectations. But honestly, with a troublemaking young master like that, Hongtai Construction probably won't be riding high for much longer. Since someone could target them online once, they can do it a second time. If the next round of leaks is even more explosive, I don't believe those relevant departments will be able to suppress public opinion again..."

At this point, a glint of craftiness flashed in Qin Yi's eyes. Wang Tengfei seemed to notice something, looked at Qin Yi with deep meaning, and lowered his voice to ask, "Old Fourth, tell me the truth. Those black materials about Hongtai Construction online... they wouldn't happen to be leaked by you, would they?"

Qin Yi picked up his beer bottle and took another gulp, his Face remaining calm with a smile. He didn't answer Wang Tengfei's question directly, instead softly spitting out two words: "Guess?"

Upon seeing this, Wang Tengfei burst into laughter. He pointed at Qin Yi and teased, "Haha! You rascal! But Old Fourth, don't worry, whatever you did, I've got your back! Good brother, that's loyalty!"

Just at that moment, a girl who looked like a university student hurried in. She was wearing a sporty dress and carrying a small backpack, walking briskly as if she had something urgent to do. As soon as she entered the shop, she walked straight to the counter, skillfully placed her backpack under it, and then turned into the back kitchen.

Not long after, the girl emerged from the back kitchen wearing a waiter's apron, carrying a plate of skewers. She came to Qin Yi's table, set the skewers down, and said, "10 beef skewers, please enjoy."

Qin Yi was deep in conversation with Wang Tengfei and hadn't noticed the girl's appearance, though the voice sounded familiar. So, he instinctively looked up, his eyes immediately lighting up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Zhao Ying, why is it you?"

The girl was none other than the kind-hearted Junior with a 60-point favorability rating towards him, whom Qin Yi had met outside the school gate last Friday.

Hearing Qin Yi's words, Zhao Ying was stunned for a moment, then looked at Qin Yi. Her eyes instantly sparkled, and she responded with a Face full of surprise, "Senior Qin Yi? How come you're here?"

Qin Yi stood up and smiled, explaining, "Oh, I came here to grab a bite with a friend." As he spoke, he pointed to Wang Tengfei across from him.

Seeing this, Wang Tengfei also hurriedly stood up, wiped his hands with a tissue, and enthusiastically reached out to shake Zhao Ying's hand, greeting her, "Hello, beauty. My name is Wang Tengfei, and I'm a good buddy of Qin Yi's."

Watching Wang Tengfei's eager behavior, Qin Yi couldn't help but tease, "Alright, let go. Don't always be thinking about taking advantage of a Junior."

Wang Tengfei gave a silly laugh and immediately let go. A blush appeared on Zhao Ying's Face, and she shyly lowered her head, not knowing whether it was from the smoke of the back kitchen or Qin Yi's teasing.

Qin Yi looked at Zhao Ying again and asked with concern, "School is on break, you didn't go home?"

Zhao Ying looked up at Qin Yi and explained, "Oh, no. I'm a Junior now, so I was thinking of using the break to see if there are any suitable internship opportunities, so I didn't go home."

"I see. I remember you're a music major, right? How is it going, did you find a suitable opportunity?" Qin Yi asked curiously.

Zhao Ying nodded, a happy smile appearing on her Face, "Yeah, there's an arts training center hiring music teachers. I went for a trial lesson during the day, and it felt pretty good. When I'm free in the evenings, I just come here to help out."

"That's really hard work," Qin Yi said with feeling.

Zhao Ying shook her head and chuckled, "It's not hard work at all. Senior Qin Yi, how have you been lately? Oh right, I've already washed that graduation gown you lent me. Do you want me to bring it to you after I go back to the dorm later?"

Just as Qin Yi was about to respond, he was interrupted by a shout from another table of customers, "Waiter, five more white kidneys!"

"Coming, right away!" Zhao Ying acknowledged, then gave Qin Yi an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Senior Qin Yi, I have to go busy myself." With that, she turned and trotted off to the back kitchen.

After Zhao Ying left, Wang Tengfei wore a playful smile on his Face, looked at Qin Yi, raised an eyebrow, and asked curiously, "Old Fourth, who is this pretty Junior?"

Qin Yi smiled slightly and responded naturally, "Oh, she's a classmate from the music department at our school, named Zhao Ying. I happened to meet her at the school gate last Friday."

"Not bad, Old Fourth. I've been worried about you, but I didn't expect you to quietly hook up with such a pretty Junior." Wang Tengfei teased, his eyes revealing a hint of envy.

Qin Yi waved his hand and explained, "Don't talk nonsense. She and I only met once. You know about what happened at the school gate last Friday, I didn't have the heart to hook up with anyone. It was just the Junior being kind. My graduation gown got dirty, so I let her keep it for me, and I'll go get it when school starts."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tengfei showed an incredulous expression and teased, "Is that so? But why do I feel like the way that Junior looked at you just now was like she wanted to eat you up? Didn't you see her Face turn so red when she was talking to you?"

As the two were talking, Zhao Ying came out from the back kitchen carrying another plate of skewers. Seeing this, Qin Yi hurriedly interrupted Wang Tengfei and urged, "Alright, alright, stop with the chatter, hurry up and eat your skewers."

Wang Tengfei chuckled, picked up a skewer, and started eating. His gaze kept wandering over Zhao Ying, and only after she left did he continue, "But to be honest, this Junior is really pretty, it's just her figure, it's a bit underwhelming."

Qin Yi glanced at him and retorted jokingly, "You have a good figure? Look at your build, indeed few women can match your 'broad-mindedness'."

"Hey, Old Fourth, I've found that you've really changed." Wang Tengfei teased, "Tell me the truth, do you like this Junior? Don't be embarrassed, if you like her, just say it. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll help you pursue her."

Qin Yi smiled confidently, "Forget it. With this handsome Face of mine, do I even need to pursue anyone?"

"Hehe, you finally admitted it, right? I knew it, this Junior must like you." Wang Tengfei said triumphantly, "Why are you still being reserved with me? No wonder you got over Su Mo so quickly, so you already have someone new, huh?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Qin Yi clarified, "I do have someone new, but it's not her. Stop guessing blindly. I'll introduce you when there's a chance. Stop talking about me. What about you? In the half-year I was gone, didn't you meet anyone suitable?"

Wang Tengfei shook his head and said disdainfully, "Forget it. I'd rather go to the gym and pump iron than date any girlfriend. Girlfriends and such are the most troublesome."

"Fine, you really are a steel-straight man." Qin Yi said helplessly, "You, just continue being single."

...

The night passed quickly. At the same time that Qin Yi and Wang Tengfei were drinking and eating skewers, the atmosphere in Shen Zhendong's home was equally lively. Ye Qingcheng and her brother were sitting around the dining table with Shen Zhendong's family of three, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere very harmonious.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Ye Ziming took advantage of the good mood to bring over those two red gold-stamped gift bags. He took out the two red jewelry boxes from inside and said eagerly to Shen Jianan's mother, "Auntie, I didn't know what you liked, so I wandered around the mall for a long time and chose two necklaces, one large and one small. The style is nice, and the name is good too, called 'Mother-Daughter Heart'. The big one is for you, and the small one is for Jianan." As he spoke, Ye Ziming opened the jewelry boxes and pushed them in front of Shen Jianan and her mother.

Looking at the two glistening necklaces in the jewelry boxes, Shen Jianan's mother's eyes lit up, then she immediately waved her hand to decline, "Oh my, this won't do, it's too expensive!"

Unexpectedly, Ye Qingcheng stood up without hesitation, took out the necklace with the larger pendant from the jewelry box, went around behind Shen Jianan's mother, and said softly with a touch of coquettishness and intimacy in her tone, "Auntie, this is just a small gesture from us Juniors. Please accept it. If you don't accept it, when Grandpa asks later, he'll scold us siblings again."

Shen Jianan's mother hesitated. She looked at the necklace in front of her, then looked at Ye Qingcheng's expectant eyes, and couldn't help but waver. She sighed, "But this gift is really too expensive."

"Heavy?" Ye Qingcheng pretended to be surprised, weighed it in her hand, and teased, "Not heavy. I think it's only a few dozen grams. Auntie, let me help you put it on, see if it looks good. If you don't like it, I'll have Ziming go exchange it for you!" As she spoke, she gave a wink to Ye Ziming and continued, "Ziming, you help Jianan put hers on and see."

Ye Ziming didn't expect his sister to be so helpful. He was secretly delighted and immediately nodded in understanding. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to stand up, he saw Shen Jianan stand up before him and say indifferently, "No need! I'm not used to wearing jewelry. I'm done eating, you guys take your time. I still have a report to rush, Director Han wants to see it tomorrow, so I'm going back to my room." After saying this, she turned and left the dining room, walking hurriedly towards her room.

Ye Ziming stood there blankly, not knowing what to do. Ye Qingcheng had already put it on for Shen Jianan's mother by this time. She glared at Ye Ziming, thinking to herself that her brother was useless even when given a chance.

But thinking is one thing; after all, he was her own brother, so she still had to help him. So, she smiled at Ye Ziming and said, "Ziming, you keep Uncle Shen and the others company." As she spoke, she looked at Shen Zhendong and his wife, and continued, "Uncle Shen, Auntie, I'll go have a word with Jianan. You guys keep chatting." With that, Ye Qingcheng walked straight towards Shen Jianan's room.