Chapter 156 A Favor to Ask

Of course, my amorous desires did not prevail in the end. Firstly, Jingjing really hadn't had a proper rest from the moment she boarded the plane in the US until now, and I couldn't bear to let her overexert herself. Secondly, I had to visit Jingjing's family tomorrow afternoon, so I needed to go to sleep early to get enough rest and keep my spirits up.

I still spent a long time being tender with Jingjing, holding her in my arms and kissing her endlessly. Jingjing laughed, saying that the kisses we shared today probably outnumbered the total sum of all our past kisses combined. She also finally noticed that I hadn't smoked for such a long time. She remarked that while smoking wasn't a good habit, she had gotten so used to it that my sudden and complete stop felt strange and unnatural to her. She told me not to quit too drastically, suggesting I occasionally have one or two cigarettes so she could still feel the old me.

I broke out in a sweat! Little did she know, once someone quits smoking, they either stay completely away from it, or if they start again, it's never just a casual thing; the nicotine craving only comes back stronger than before.

Of course, quitting in the first place wasn't entirely my own voluntary choice, so picking it back up wouldn't be completely out of the question. But if there is one thing about me, it's that whatever I say and whatever promises I make to others, I must follow through. Since I gave my word to Xu Shu, I would never take another puff of a cigarette for the rest of my life!

Fortunately, Jingjing was just joking and didn't actually force me to smoke. Seeing that it was getting late, she carefully reminded me of the things to pay attention to when visiting her family tomorrow, and finally said goodbye. She got out of the car, climbed into her own Ferrari, and drove away. I watched her car recede into the distance, still feeling as though I were in a dream rather than reality. Yet, my happiness was uncontrollable, and I had an urgent desire to share my joy with someone.

In this world, if there was one true confidante, it was perhaps only Xu Shu. Without much thought or hesitation, I went home, got into bed, and dialed Xu Shu's cell phone directly. "Hey, Xu Shu, are you asleep?"

"Even if I were, you've woken me up. Where's Jingjing?"

"Hehe, she went back. Xu Shu! Things between Jingjing and me have taken a huge turn. Did you know? I'm so happy!"

"Hmph, of course you're happy! How many times have I had to lie and cover for you with Jingjing because of you? Every time you do something bad, I'm the one who has to clean up your mess... Hmph!"

Remembering how Xu Shu had covered for me over the phone just moments earlier, I said with sincere gratitude, "I was just about to say thank you, Xu Shu. You've been nothing short of amazing to me, and I know it in my heart!"

"What's the use of knowing it? You always... If you really want to thank me, tell me the truth: are those bite marks on your lips made by the owner of that scarf?"

I thought back carefully and said, "No, before she left, there were no injuries on my lips."

"Then whose bite marks are they?"

"To be honest, I have no idea!"

"Hmph, don't tell me you're trying to lie to me too? To think I went through so much trouble to cover for you!"

"How could that be? I'd lie to anyone before I'd lie to you! I genuinely don't know. Later on, I got drunk and couldn't remember anything about how I got home. When I woke up the next day, I found the injury on my lips. It's really bizarre. Could someone have been playing a malicious prank on me?"

"Impossible. Who plays a prank by biting someone's lips? If it was a woman, she definitely likes you. If it was a man—yuck! I just got goosebumps all over my body!"

A chill ran down my spine as well, and I hurriedly said, "Let's not talk about it. The truth will come out sooner or later. I called for two reasons: first, to share my joy, and second, to ask you—since Jingjing invited me to her house for dinner tomorrow night, what kind of things should I buy to bring along?"

"Oh, you're going too?"

"Yeah! Oh right, it seemed like Jingjing invited you as well!"

"Well, judging by Jingjing's family, their wealth rivals a nation. There's nothing they don't have. No matter how nice the things are that a poor boy like you buys, they won't think much of them. You might as well just go empty-handed. But I'm still puzzled. That old... well, why does her attitude seem to have suddenly changed? It's simply unbelievable. Could this be some kind of trick of hers?"

I smiled and said, "She had no choice but to change. It's so funny, let me tell you how it happened. Jingjing has a..."

I gave a detailed account of the reasons behind Jingjing's return. Upon hearing it, Xu Shu was deeply moved and said, "So Jingjing's maternal grandmother has returned. No wonder Hua Qiming changed so drastically. Although you two went through hardships, you've finally seen the end of your suffering and reached a happy ending."

I smiled and said, "This happened so suddenly that I had no mental preparation at all. In fact, I still feel like I'm dreaming right now, and it doesn't feel real at all."

"Yeah, I understand. People struck by sudden happiness always feel this way."

I chuckled, but I could vaguely sense that Xu Shu wasn't happy at all inside. I knew the reason why, but...

We chatted for a few more moments before saying goodbye and hanging up. I put my phone down, feeling a faint sense of melancholy in my heart. In my eyes, Xu Shu was the embodiment of a flawless goddess. My admiration for her had never ceased. But Xu Shu! You could have originally—sigh! Why did you do what you did back then? It's truly hard to understand!

My sorrow was soon driven away by the immense joy of Jingjing's return. I desperately wanted to fall asleep early, but I was far too excited to close my eyes.

After arriving at work the next day and finishing my official duties, I wanted to head out early for a haircut so I could look sharp and presentable when meeting Jingjing's grandmother. I gave Zhang Lan兰 a few instructions and was about to leave work early when I saw Fan Yunting bounding back energetically, carrying a folder. The moment she saw my face, she said happily, "Tang Qian, good news! Madam Green has just withdrawn the lawsuit. They aren't suing anymore!"

After a moment of shock, I immediately understood. This was most likely ordered by Jingjing's grandmother; Hua Qiming dared not disobey and had no choice but to comply. I immediately said, "They withdrew the lawsuit? That's great! It was obvious they were going to lose this lawsuit anyway. Now that they've dropped it, they at least have some self-awareness."

Fan Yunting said, "Not necessarily. The lawyer hired by Madam Green's company was Song Jie, a nationally renowned figure. He's an extremely formidable opponent, and the lawyer we hired said it would be very tough, so we weren't very confident. Now that they've dropped the case, a heavy burden has been lifted from my mind. This is wonderful; I can finally focus my mind on my work."

I nodded and said, "Your timing couldn't be better. I have something to attend to and need to leave early. Keep an eye on the office." With that, I turned to walk away.

"What are you doing? You're not allowed to leave! I happen to have something to discuss with you. Come with me to the general manager's office!"

I turned back with a wry smile and said, "I really have matters to attend to today. Let's save other business for another day!"

"No way, my matter is much more urgent and important. Come with me right now!" Without giving me a chance to argue, she walked ahead into the office. I checked my watch and found I still had plenty of time, so I had no choice but to follow her inside and listen to what she wanted.

Seeing me enter, Fan Yunting turned around and closed the door. Then, with a beaming smile, she pulled two brand-new sets of clothes out of a shopping bag and said, "Here, I just bought these clothes for you. Try them on and see if they fit."

Good grief! So this was the "urgent and important matter" Fan Yunting was talking about?

I said to her helplessly, "General Manager Fan, didn't you already buy me a few outfits a few days ago? Why are you buying more today? I really don't need this many!"

Fan Yunting smiled and said, "The clothes from the other day were company welfare benefits. Today is different; I bought these out of my own pocket. These two outfits are quite expensive, costing me over three thousand yuan!"

I jumped in surprise and asked, "Why on earth are you suddenly buying me such expensive things?" As I thought about it, a bad premonition welled up in my heart.

Sure enough, Fan Yunting tilted her head, looked at me, and smiled. "Of course, I have a favor to ask of you. I'm bribing you with some gifts first so you won't be able to refuse."

I asked quizzically, "General Manager Fan, you are my superior. If you need something done, just give an order. Why be so polite? You're going to scare me acting like this."

Seeing my reaction, Fan Yunting let out a light laugh and playfully scolded, "Look at how spineless you are! Just asking you for a favor scares you like this? Alright, try the clothes on first. If they don't fit, I still need to go exchange them!"

I said with a straight face, "General Manager Fan, if you have something to say, just say it. How could I possibly accept things bought with your personal money? You should just go return them directly; I won't accept them."

Fan Yunting grew anxious. "I've already bought them, how can I return them? I don't care, you have to take them, otherwise didn't I buy them for nothing?"

I stood my ground as well. "If you bought things with your own money, I simply won't take them. General Manager Fan, you've actually been very good to me. Last month you gave me a special contribution award of 300,000 yuan, and you've often bought me many things under the company's name. I am already very content and don't lack anything. If you have a task, just name it. As long as it's within my power, Tang Qian, I will definitely help you accomplish it. I still understand the meaning of repaying kindness."

Fan Yunting asked joyfully, "Really?"

I nodded solemnly, though my heart was actually still beating nervously. Fan Yunting rarely asked anything of me, and whenever she did, she usually discussed matters with me in a strictly professional tone. But today, she completely broke her routine by first bribing me with gifts and then using the word "favor" to approach me. It was clear that whatever she was asking for must be extremely difficult. If I agreed so rashly, I had no idea whether it would bring blessings or misfortune.

Seeing me nod, joy instantly bloomed across Fan Yunting's face. "Tang Qian, you're the best! Actually, this matter isn't all that difficult. It's just... it's just..."

I truly dreaded those two words—"it's just." Swallowing hard, I asked with difficulty, "It's just what?"

Fan Yunting's face flushed slightly, her gaze suddenly turning extraordinarily alluring. Looking at me with a trace of shyness, she hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I... I'm just a little embarrassed."