Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

997. A Change of Impression

"Gu?" Yang Ce was startled. He looked at Zhang Zhishen's girlfriend Xiao Qi and thought, So that's how it is. No wonder a person who seemed so quiet and refined would suddenly do something so outrageous. It was just that Zhang Zhishen—well, there was no describing him. He seemed a bit simple-minded. How could he play a video of his own girlfriend in front of so many people?

But then he reflected that the video had already spread across the internet, so it hardly mattered now—except that with Xiao Qi standing right there, it was a little embarrassing for her.

"Yes." Zhang Zhishen nodded. "That day, Xiao Qi noticed something wrong with her body, so we hurried into a shop and pretended to be shopping for clothes to try them on. Xiao Qi had just stepped into the fitting room when the gu flared up. And the result—well, you've seen it."

"So that's how it is." Yang Yuting nodded. "Whoever installed those cameras is a real piece of work."

"Exactly. That's why I went to confront them. Good thing you were there—otherwise we'd have had no proof at all that the shop had cameras." Zhang Zhishen shook his head, then said, "Mr. Yang, so can I tag along with you now?"

"I really do have things to take care of today. Tell you what—where are you staying? I'll come find you tonight. You can see I'm not going to get up to anything in broad daylight." Yang Ce was out of options. Since this man had been sent by Lan Ling and meant well for him, Yang Shuoxuan had no choice but to keep Zhang Zhishen around. Though he had to admit, Zhang Zhishen really was a bit of a simpleton.

"Mr. Yang, how about I follow you from a distance?" Zhang Zhishen hesitated a moment, then pressed on. "Master told me to stay by your side at all times to protect you, and to report to her the moment anything seems off."

Report? Report, is that right? I'm trying to pick up women here—you go report to Lan Ling, and isn't that just sabotaging me? Sure, the girl isn't much of the jealous type, but she's still a woman. She cares about me so much, and here I am canoodling with another woman—if word of that got to her ears, how would she take it?

Right—Yang Ce was suddenly struck by a thought. He asked Zhang Zhishen, "You said you could report to Lan Ling. Does that mean you're in contact with her? You can reach her?"

"Reach her—well, I can reach her," Zhang Zhishen replied.

"How? Can you reach her now? Can you get in touch with Lan Ling right now?" Yang Lanxu was suddenly excited, seizing Zhang Zhishen by the shoulders and asking urgently.

"Mr. Yang, I can't reach her right now either," Zhang Zhishen said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Then what you mean is—" Yang Ce pressed on.

"I just send Master text messages too. Whenever she has time each day, she reads them and sends back her instructions," Zhang Zhishen said.

"So that's how it is." Yang Ce sighed. Zhang Zhishen's method of contacting Lan Ling was no different from his own. Then again, it made sense—there was no cell signal where Lan Ling was, and one had to be in a specific spot to get reception. Getting messages once a day was only natural.

"Mr. Yang, so I'll follow you, then?" Zhang Zhishen still hadn't forgotten the task Lan Ling had given him.

"Tell you what. You've just gotten here and don't know the place. Buy yourself a map first and get familiar with it. Then I'll buy you a car. When I go out, just follow me from a distance." Yang Ce thought it over. Since Lan Ling had sent Zhang Zhishen, she must have had her reasons. Whether to keep an eye on him or to protect him, it all came from her love for him, and Yang Shuoxuan had no way to refuse. So if he couldn't send the man away, he might as well treat him as a lackey—and a formidable one who could cast gu, at that. Next time he saw someone he couldn't stand, he wouldn't have to lift a finger; he could just have Zhang Zhishen gu them to death.

"That's—" Zhang Zhishen still hesitated.

"It's settled, then." Yang Ce patted Zhang Zhishen on the shoulder. "We've exchanged numbers, haven't we? I'll come find you tonight."

"All right, then." Zhang Zhishen had no other choice. Since Yang Ce insisted, he would have to go along. Still, he added a reminder: "Mr. Yang, if you run into any trouble, just call me right away."

"I know. Don't worry, I'm not an idiot," Yang Hengye said.

Only then did Zhang Zhishen leave with Xiao Qi. Yang Ce wiped the sweat from his forehead—talking with a man like that was truly exhausting. Lan Ling must have known Zhang Zhishen was a stubborn, thickheaded brute, and that was exactly why she'd sent him. Only someone like that could be utterly loyal, with no scheming in him at all.

Back in the car, Jing Yu was rather curious. "Yang Ce, who exactly were those people?"

"Them? Bodyguards my wife sent me." Yang Minlan didn't bother hiding it now—if the truth came out later, it would be even more of a mess. Better to admit it straightforwardly. As for the matter of gu magic, though, Yang Ce said not a word.

"Bodyguards?" Jing Yu was taken aback. "You need bodyguards? With your skills, you don't seem to need any bodyguards. Besides, the chairman of the board is the general manager of Mingyang Security—getting a bodyguard shouldn't be such a hassle. And I don't mean to belittle anyone, but that Zhang Zhishen really does seem a bit... a bit simple-minded."

"Of course I don't need anyone to protect me." Yang Ce deliberately lowered his voice. "I'll be honest with you—actually, they're spies my wife sent to keep an eye on me, to see whether I'm cheating on her behind her back."

"And are you?" Jing Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So that was it—no wonder that man had wanted to speak to him out of earshot earlier.

"See, we've already been misunderstood." Yang Ce sighed. "You, of all people—adding to my troubles. Now look what's happened. There was nothing going on between us, and now people have gotten the wrong idea."

"Haha, well, that's fine!" Jing Yu laughed. "Being misunderstood is a good thing. You've got several girlfriends already—one more won't make a difference."

Yang Ce shook his head and didn't pursue the topic. "By the way, with all that business just now, you haven't finished your shopping, have you? Want to go back and continue?"

"Let's call it a day," Jing Yu said with a sigh. "I'm a bit tired. Though there are still several things I wanted to buy and didn't—ah, so frustrating. You did promise I could buy whatever I wanted."

"Since you want to buy so badly, then let's go buy them. We have the car, so it's convenient enough." Yang Ce looked at Jing Yu, unable to tell whether she was putting on an act or genuinely feeling it was a shame.

"After all the running around today, I really don't want to move," Jing Yu said with a woebegone look. "But I don't want to miss this chance either."

"This won't do and that won't do—so what exactly do you want?" Yang Xu said helplessly.

"How about this—next time I'm off work, you go shopping with me again?" Jing Yu put on a look as if she'd just had a flash of inspiration, though to Yang Ce it seemed she had planned this all along.

"..." Yang Xu was speechless. If he agreed, she'd only push her luck further. "No. I don't have time."

"Tch. I was only offering to help you study your progress with that girl, free of charge—to see if there was anything you were confused about and clear it up for you. But if you don't want to, forget it." Jing Yu said it as though it were no concern of hers.

"Clear things up?" Yang Puqi was startled, then laughed. "All right. If there really is something I want to ask about, I'll invite you out."

"What kind of person are you—you'll look me up when you need something and ignore me when you don't. That's so hypocritical." Jing Yu pursed her lips. "I despise you."

Yang Ce broke out in a sweat. How had he ended up sounding like a heartless scoundrel who'd done something to feel guilty about? Ah, only around Jing Yu did he ever get this feeling.