“Before I answer your question, I have one of my own to ask you. An eye for an eye, I think that is fair.”
Xie Qian turned the tables, and He Zhen had no reason to refuse.
“Fine, you ask first.”
“Do you know Wen Ying?”
Xie Qian’s question was so abrupt.
He Zhen was now single-mindedly focused on figuring out what role his family played in Xie Jinghu’s underhanded business of transferring marital assets. Even if he invited his girlfriend Rebecca over, he would struggle to spare a thought for her, let alone Wen Ying. In such a serious conversation, for Xie Qian to suddenly insert Wen Ying left He Zhen’s mind full of question marks.
Did Wen Ying have any connection to this matter?
Xie Qian was wary of He Zhen, and He Zhen similarly did not know Xie Qian well, so he could only answer according to his heart:
“Wen Ying the novelist? If reading her books counts as knowing her, then yes, I know her.”
He Zhen did not know if Xie Qian was satisfied with this answer. Xie Qian’s breathing was barely audible over the phone, but true to his word, after a brief pause, he directly answered He Zhen’s first question:
“I do not know why Jin Hu Group invested in the He family business. You should go home and ask Mrs Dai about that. After all, she and the woman you mentioned are longtime friends. She knows best what twists and turns are involved.”
Xie Qian had once stumbled upon Xie Jinghu inspecting the He family factory.
Xie Qian had also seen Dai Chenglan meeting Sara Zhuo in a Macau hotel.
Xie Qian should be aware of the relationship between Dai Chenglan and Sara Zhuo.
Even if He Zhen was a spy sent by Xie Jinghu to extract information, Xie Qian’s words would still leave Xie Jinghu none the wiser.
If He Zhen was not a spy sent by Xie Jinghu, then this bit of information was enough for He Zhen to dig deeper!
This phone call was a remote exchange between two young strangers, and also a clash.
Before making the call, He Zhen had pondered repeatedly, uncertain what answers he might get, and even more unsure if he could accept the truth.
In the end, the truth proved far more humiliating than He Zhen’s guesses.
Out of various concerns, Xie Qian only mentioned that Dai Chenglan and Sara Zhuo were friends. This mere hint had already left He Zhen stunned.
How could his mother have a friend like Sara Zhuo?
“Do you have any other questions?”
Thinking of Wen Ying still waiting downstairs, Xie Qian had lost patience for further wrangling with He Zhen.
Throughout the call, Xie Qian had been cold from start to finish, and He Zhen could fully understand why he would have such an attitude. In fact, considering their respective positions and camps, Xie Qian had already shown remarkable politeness!
“No, thank you.”
He Zhen’s mind was in turmoil, and he could make no promises to Xie Qian, so he hastily hung up.
Xie Qian felt a touch of amusement.
Was it a probe, or had the He family raised a son with a strict sense of moral propriety?
Whichever it was, Xie Qian did not care.
With his own father unreliable, how could Xie Qian hope for help from a stranger!
Going downstairs, Wen Ying was indeed still there.
Aunt Liu had prepared freshly squeezed juice for Wen Ying, along with a fruit platter and some small pastries, but Wen Ying sat uneasily on the sofa, with no heart to enjoy these things.
Oh, she must have drunk some juice, as there was a trace left at the corner of her mouth.
Xie Qian did not find the juice stain at the corner of her mouth the least bit off-putting.
Wen Ying’s cheeks were smooth and plump, that bit of juice trace did nothing to diminish her cute and pretty charm, but why would she not notice juice at the corner of her mouth. Was the hamster so nervous about He Zhen calling him?
Wen Ying had already seen Xie Qian coming downstairs and stood up at once:
“How did it go? Is there some problem?”
The hamster was so worried about him.
Of course, ever since the two met two years ago, the hamster had considered everything for him.
Worried he would suffer at the hands of his scumbag father, concerned about his mother Zou Weijun’s illness, and even lending him money to start a logistics company.
He had so many solid proofs of their friendship, so why fuss over whether the hamster knew Dai Chenglan or He Zhen, or how they knew each other?
If the hamster was unwilling to say, then she must have her own reasons.
In this fleeting moment, Xie Qian had already made a decision: he would never probe again into whether the hamster knew the He family or how they knew each other!
If he wanted the hamster to be open without hiding things, perhaps he should first be open himself.
“It was a bit strange. He Zhen called to ask why the He family received the investment from Jin Hu Group. I thought he should know, but he seemed completely in the dark. I am not sure if he was acting.”
Confessing felt so refreshing.
Xie Qian’s voice was light and cheerful, and Wen Ying’s emotions surged in an instant.
She had guessed correctly: He Zhen was unaware of the sordid dealings between Dai Chenglan and Xie Jinghu’s mistress!
At least in this life, before He Zhen called to ask Xie Qian, he did not know about the things his parents had done!
Whether he knew or participated in the previous life?
Wen Ying could no longer pursue that. She hoped to grasp this life.
“Then how did you reply to him?”
“I told him to ask Mrs Dai Chenglan himself.”
Would He Zhen ask?
Xie Qian did not know.
But Wen Ying believed He Zhen would definitely ask.
He Zhen was that kind of person.
Even the fully evolved pragmatic Little He Boss would not accept being deceived by others. After knowing the truth, how he chose would be up to Little He Boss’s own weighing, but keeping it from Little He Boss was unacceptable. He Zhen could not bear living in blissful ignorance. He would surely uncover the truth.
“I think he will ask. Even if asking does not necessarily lead to anything, his willingness to make this call is better than playing deaf and dumb and doing nothing!”
Wen Ying murmured: “In this world, there are many shameless people who disregard others’ feelings and put their own interests first in everything they do, but there are also some people with high moral standards. They will do some ‘foolish things’.”
It was precisely because such ‘fools’ existed that the world was not entirely shrouded in indifference.
Wen Ying sighed, and Xie Qian’s heart softened into a complete mess.
The hamster was just such a fool.
She could be very shrewd, able to fool peers like Qin Jiao and Wang Shuang round and round, but she never took advantage of these rich second-generation friends. With friends, she always gave more than she took.
Even someone like the delinquent little sister Yang Xi, the hamster would lend a hand if she could.
The atmosphere in the living room was soft and warm, and Aunt Liu quickly hid herself away.
The interrupted confession from earlier might resume now. How exciting!
Xie Qian walked to stand before Wen Ying, gazing at her intently with very focused eyes for a long while, until he had made Wen Ying’s face a bit red. Then Xie Qian bent down, drew a tissue from the coffee table, and handed it over:
“I do not know who is the fool and who is the clever one, but I do know you have juice at the corner of your mouth. Wipe it off.”
“Ah?!”
Realising what Xie Qian meant, Wen Ying was mortified. Her movement in taking the tissue was very stiff, and her face turned fully red as she wiped her mouth.
“…”
Aunt Liu, who had hidden to ship the couple, cracked on the spot. She truly could not understand what was going on tonight.
Even idol dramas did not play out like this.
If Xie Qian were not so handsome and clever, how could a boy who spoke so bluntly ever find a girlfriend!
Wen Ying felt utterly embarrassed. Only after returning home from Xie Qian’s place, once her mind had cooled down, did Wen Ying remember: eh, before He Zhen’s call came in, Xie Qian had wanted to tell her something, had he not?!
