Chapter 13

The Four-Sided Mirror - Jim (3)

Luo Wei watched the whole scene, unable to express her surprise, wanting to laugh but holding it back, just staring dumbfounded at the three of them.

In the end, Ding Qing couldn’t keep her composure any longer and left with a neutral expression, moving to sit with another group of girls. Xiao Rong relaxed her shoulders a little, but she didn’t feel triumphant. Instead, she sat silently for a while, feeling a bit lost, before turning to Jim and saying, “By the way, Jim, you kind of look like King.”

Hearing this, Luo Wei let out a laugh, “If you say that, he’ll be thrilled!”

“Eh, darling, you’re so close to him, don’t you think he looks like King?”

Luo Wei had no idea what King looked like, so she simply shook her head. Xiao Rong smiled softly, “But Jim is way more handsome. His nose is higher than King’s, and he’s taller by at least half a head.”

Just like that, the evening passed. Luo Wei returned home, feeling more exhausted than if she’d fought with someone. She opened her phone and casually scrolled through, noticing that a few people from the gathering had added her on WeChat. She only accepted the two girls she had spoken with, and surprisingly, they both asked her about Jim. Having a friend like Jim sure was exhausting. She gave some vague replies and then scrolled through her Moments. Interestingly, both Xiao Rong and Ding Qing had posted.

Xiao Rong’s photo was a selfie with the caption: “One day, we’ll all become the very thing we once hated.”

Ding Qing had shared a classic sad love song, one she’d loved in university. The caption was: “The older we get, the less we know what we want. Maybe I’ll never find true love again. Missing the past.”

Although their rivalry had been exciting, after the excitement, there was always a sense of loneliness. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, and it certainly wasn’t Jim’s fault. As an observer, Luo Wei couldn’t help but feel a bit down. But she had underestimated the fighting spirit of these two girls. The next day, she received more messages from them. Ding Qing was more subtle, vaguely saying that since her breakup, she hadn’t met anyone who truly loved her and asked if Luo Wei knew any suitable men to introduce. Xiao Rong’s message was more direct, almost cute: “Is Jim single?”

Luo Wei replied, “I don’t know, he’s never mentioned a girlfriend. Maybe?”

“Then why aren’t you with him? I heard from Ding Qing that you’ve known him since childhood. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Luo Wei felt a bit helpless and gave the safest answer: “I don’t have a boyfriend, but I’ve known him since we were kids, so I don’t feel anything. We’re just too familiar.” She thought about it—before she met Jim again, she had had some romantic fantasies, but now that they were together, she never thought of pursuing anything beyond friendship. Not because they had known each other since childhood, but because... well, there was always a sense of distance between them, and they didn’t have much in common. Being friends with someone like him would broaden her horizons and make her better, but if she were to look for a boyfriend, she would prefer someone working in a technical field—someone not too handsome, a little taller than her, a bit smarter, earning the same or slightly more than her. That was also the type of son-in-law her parents would prefer. Thinking this, Luo Wei began to worry about her future. Should she focus less on work and try to meet some boys, maybe date?

Just then, Xiao Rong’s message pulled her back to reality: “In that case, could you introduce me to Jim? I... I know he seems out of reach, but if I hadn’t seen him in person, I would never have dared to think I could meet him. But last night, he was so nice to me, I couldn’t sleep all night, and now I’m still blushing and my heart races when I think of him. Even just as friends, I’d be happy. Please, I just want to meet him again. If I can get his contact info, I won’t bother you anymore. I know you’re the best, Wei Wei...”

Xiao Rong sent a barrage of honeyed, flirtatious messages that made Luo Wei’s back feel weak. Jim really had the ability to stay charming from childhood onward, giving off an aura that made others admire him. If they knew he worked as an executive at Zhenji Wangcheng, the girls would go crazy. It was indeed a privilege to be his friend. Luo Wei chuckled a few times: “Alright, alright, I’ll ask and see.”

“Wei Wei, you’re so kind, so I won’t keep you in suspense. Actually, I know who Jim is.”

“Who is it?” Luo Wei replied with a playful smile emoji.

“He’s the person he resembles.”

Luo Wei burst out laughing, thinking this was the funniest thing she’d heard all year. She replied, “Xiao Rong, not only are you smart, but you also have sharp eyes.”

“Is it really him? Actually, the environment was so dark yesterday, I couldn’t be sure at first, but when I looked closely, I saw that Jim has a mole on his nose, just like King! What are the chances? I’ve been talking to him and even drinking with him... Now I’m even more confused, I need to calm down...”

Xiao Rong’s certainty made Luo Wei feel a little uneasy. Could they really look that similar? She took out her phone and searched for “Zhenji Wangcheng King,” and the results showed:

“Is this who you’re looking for: He Yingze?”

The name made Luo Wei’s heart stop for two seconds. The photo on the profile was undeniably Jim’s. Luo Wei gasped and nearly dropped her phone. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She searched again for “Zhenji Wangcheng King full name,” and the first result was a question: “What’s the full name of the current King of Zhenji Wangcheng? What’s his relationship with He Yan?” The most upvoted answer was: “He Yingze, the sixth child of He Yan’s family—an idol-level figure.”

Staring at those three words, Luo Wei’s mind went blank. She quickly sent a voice message to her group with Xiao Lajiao and Su Jiayin: “What’s going on? Why do King’s name and photo look so much like Jim?” She attached a screenshot.

“Ah? Didn’t anyone tell you that Jim changed his surname? He’s now called He Yingze.” After sending the voice message, Xiao Lajiao followed up with a text: “@Su Jiayin, didn’t you tell her that King is actually Jim?”

Su Jiayin replied, “I thought you told her.”

Xiao Lajiao, feeling confused, said, “That’s strange, Wei Wei, I remember asking you before if you knew about Jim, and you told me you did...”

Luo Wei paused for a moment, vaguely recalling a conversation like that, but couldn’t remember the exact details.

After talking to them, she learned that Jim’s biological father had always lived on Nan Island, and Uncle Lin was just his butler. When she moved away from Gongzhou, Jim’s father had just called him back to Nan Island. The He family was the most prestigious family in Gongzhou, with their own private family cemetery. The founder, He Cheng, was the richest man in Gongzhou after the economic recovery following a massive earthquake a century ago. There was a saying in Gongzhou that if you wanted to describe someone who didn’t know their limits, you’d say, “Do you think you’re He Cheng?” This famous He Cheng had twelve children, and the most rebellious of them was He Yan. He Yan once made a grave mistake, was repeatedly corrected, and eventually was expelled from the family. Twenty years later, he returned as a powerful figure with connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, regaining his father’s favor. Although He Yan passed away fifteen years ago, even people of their generation still recognize his name. Jim, who grew up with Luo Wei, was actually the sixth child, He Cheng’s grandson, and the new King, He Yingze.

Jim was King. He Yingze. It still felt so surreal and yet so real, no matter how many times she thought about it. The sense of distance she had always felt intuitively was finally explained.

She quickly adjusted her mindset. No matter what his identity was, he was still the friend she grew up with, and there was no need to treat him differently. As long as she remained sincere and genuine, their friendship could last. By the way, since Zhenji Wangcheng was now his... could he find out the real identity of VIP K001? This person had saved her life and spared her from a disaster, and she really wanted to thank him in person. She decided to find an opportunity to subtly ask him about it.

Not long after replying to Xiao Rong, she hadn’t yet figured out how to approach He Yingze when she received a message from Ding Qing: “Luo Wei, what do you mean by introducing Jim to Xiao Rong? Are you my friend or hers?”

Luo Wei, feeling guilty, blushed and asked how she knew. Ding Qing sent a screenshot of the group chat, where Xiao Rong had mentioned she was going to a gathering with Luo Wei and Jim. This girl really couldn’t keep her excitement in check. Luo Wei helplessly massaged her temples and sent a voice message: “Oh my god, Qing’er, you never told me you were interested in Jim...”

“Are you joking with me? Didn’t I just tell you to keep an eye out for good guys? Or do you think Jim isn’t good enough because he sells insurance?”

“He’s not that he’s not good enough, it’s that he’s actually too good. Challenging him might end up hurting you.”

“Why?”

Since selling insurance didn’t dampen her enthusiasm, Luo Wei decided to give up and just tell her the truth: “Jim is He Yingze, the King from Zhenji Wangcheng.”

After a long pause, Ding Qing finally replied: “Oh my god.”

“Now do you understand my concern?”

Clearly, Ding Qing still didn’t get it: “You’re best friends with the CEO of Zhenji Wangcheng, the one everyone’s afraid of! And you’re introducing such a great man to Xiao Rong!!!”

Luo Wei almost slammed her head on the table: “I agreed to help Xiao Rong set him up because she’s confident and insists that he likes her. But you just ended a long relationship, and now you want to take such a big risk—I’m worried you’ll get hurt.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“Ah?”

“If Xiao Rong is confident, why can’t I be? When you go out, you better take me with you. Otherwise, our friendship is over.”

Luo Wei really felt like her head was about to explode. After the previous night, where Ding Qing and Xiao Rong had such a fierce battle, what would happen next? Would they end up pulling each other’s hair and slapping each other? It was all her fault—she never should have tried to set up He Yingze in the first place. Now, how should she wrap this up?

After thinking for a long time, she decided to let the person involved make the final decision. She sent a message to He Yingze, briefly explaining the situation. He gave her his WeChat ID, and she added him, then sent the first message: “Jim, the main responsibility for this is mine, and the secondary responsibility is yours. You’re so handsome, you’ve completely enchanted these two girls, and now they’re driving me crazy. I really don’t know how to handle this. Here’s the plan: you send me a message saying you’re unavailable, and I’ll screenshot it for them to see.”

He Yingze’s reply was strange: “Got it. Bring them to Herson Golf Course on Saturday.”

Herson is the English spelling of “He Cheng.” Meeting them at Herson Golf Course clearly meant He Yingze was setting a trap. Luo Wei tried to change his mind: “Huh? You could just send a message saying you’re unavailable.”

“If I say I’m unavailable today, they’ll still come after you, right?”

“Right...”

“Then that’s settled. See you Saturday.”

Luo Wei really couldn’t figure out what He Yingze was up to.

-Rose Theater-

Xiao Lajiao: “In this chapter, Xiao Rong and Ding Qing have created a big problem for Luo Wei. What do you think would happen if the same situation were handled by Lady Xie? How would she deal with it?”

Xie Xinqi: “I would tell them to get lost and take a good look at their worth before trying to steal my brother.”

Xie Xiuchen: “…Aren’t Mr. He and the main characters in this chapter? How did it switch to me?”

Xiao Lajiao: “The sibling duo hasn’t appeared recently, but the good news is they’ll be showing up soon!”

Xie Xiuchen: “But the topic being discussed when they do appear isn’t one I particularly want to talk about. Can I skip my appearance?”