#28: Come with Me

Ying Jing’s candidness undoubtedly fed his sister a bitter pill.

Ying Chen’s reaction wasn’t as intense as imagined; she remained silent for a long time and only said, “You little brat, just wait.”

Ying Jing: “Don’t waste your efforts. I’m waiting right here, and you can’t beat me anyway.”

Ying Chen was on speakerphone, so Lì Kūn overheard this. A long hand reached out, grabbing the phone, warning, “What? Can’t beat you?”

“...” Ying Jing wilted, “Bringing in reinforcements, sis, that’s cheating.”

Then he hung up.

This irritated Lì Kūn, who muttered at the dial tone, “What kind of outsider am I? Brat.”

“Forget it, forget it, you’re even jealous of him.” Ying Chen was worried, her face filled with melancholy, “I now understand where all his energy is coming from.”

Lì Kūn didn’t hear the whole story and only partially understood, “He has a girl he likes?”

“The partner from the project I mentioned last time. She’s a female boss, very shrewd. Xiao Jing fell into her hands and isn’t a match for her.”

“Is it really that serious?” Lì Kūn finished brushing his teeth, came over, and ruffled her hair, “You’re making her sound utterly wicked.”

Ying Chen was troubled and turned her head to avoid him.

Lì Kūn knelt on one knee on the bed, leaning forward, and encircled her with one arm, “Dodging what? Hmm?”

He kissed her forehead and then said, “Why are you worried? He’s an adult; having emotions is perfectly normal. What you’re worried about is just groundless anxiety. It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”

Ying Chen was flustered due to concern; after all, he was her own person, and it was hard not to feel more sympathy.

“I’m not being unreasonable. Their worlds are different, with too much uncertainty. You know his personality—he’s stubborn and won’t give up until he hits a wall. I’m afraid he’ll suffer on both fronts, neglect his studies, and end up disappointed.”

Ying Chen sighed, “And judging by the situation, it’s obvious he’s the one who fell first. The one who falls first suffers. Forget it, you wouldn’t understand.”

Lì Kūn, who had been listening attentively, frowned, “What do you mean I don’t understand?”

“You understand nothing.” Ying Chen gave him a chilly glare, “Back then, I chased you to the brink of despair; you were so full of yourself, like someone owed you five million.”

Lì Kūn’s lips curled upward. Fresh out of bed, he wore only his underwear, his legs long and firm, muscles as hard as rocks. He pulled his legs in, tightening his grip on her.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his breathing deepened, “...But in the end, I still became yours.”

Ying Chen’s face reddened slightly, “Let go.”

“I’m pressing my wife, legally and reasonably.” Lì Kūn’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t move, or I won’t be responsible if something happens.”

Ying Chen obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, still worried, “Actually, I’ve noticed something off about Xiao Jing for a while. Every time he calls me, he talks about Chu Ning. He’s my brother—I know him well. He’s too proud and hides it seamlessly. Xiao Jing failed the college entrance exam and didn’t make the Tsinghua cutoff. That summer, he seemed carefree and indifferent on the surface. Just when everyone thought he was fine, guess what?”

“He went straight to a marine training camp with Uncle Li. They undergo professional training, and he pushed himself hard, following along. The skin on the soles of his feet peeled off entirely, covered in bloody blisters, yet he didn’t utter a word. Later, during an underwater endurance drill in the river, he suffered a leg cramp but endured silently. Luckily, the accompanying officer noticed and pulled him out of the water for CPR.”

“That officer told me that if anything happened to Ying Jing, he couldn’t face my father, and his career would be over. Later, when Xiao Jing opened his eyes, he cried, curled up on the ground saying it hurt. We asked him where it hurt, but he didn’t speak.”

“I knew without asking—it was his heart that hurt.”

Ying Chen sighed deeply, “Being stuck in a rut, fighting with oneself. This hidden gene is terrifying. And Chu Ning—she has her own circle. In their world, Ying Jing might just be one of many, but in my brother’s world, she would be the only one.”

Lì Kūn remained silent for a long time, gripping her hand tightly.

“I also know that my unexpected visit yesterday made unreasonable demands. A signed contract is a mutual agreement; she wants results and efficiency, which is her rightful claim.” Ying Chen said, “But he’s my brother, and even if it seems unreasonable, I’ll fight for him.”

Lì Kūn asked, “So, you’re against it?”

Ying Chen smiled faintly, “Whether I approve or not doesn’t matter. I just hope Xiao Jing is a bit happier. He’s my brother, regardless of whether my father remarried or if I like his mother. I watched him grow up; he’s my family.”

Meanwhile, this little family member, budding in love, was incredibly motivated. The setback of failing exams didn’t leave much of a shadow on him. He remained busy every day, undivided in his enthusiasm, fully committed to the lab.

But Ying Jing did change.

That day, Chu Ning called him once—to tell him that Ying Chen had visited her and to express her views, urging him not to neglect his studies and to balance his time.

Her tone was calm throughout, revealing no hint of any other emotions.

Yet Ying Jing found it very satisfying. Once a person harbors other feelings, they tend to fantasize and unilaterally place themselves in self-imagined scenarios.

He took Chu Ning’s casual remarks as instructions and was determined to fulfill his promise.

The progress in the lab was relatively smooth. When recruiting team members, Ying Jing had purposefully screened them. The few who stayed each excelled in different subjects, covering all bases.

If Phase One of the project leaned more toward theoretical coherence, logic smoothing, and feasibility verification, then Phase Two focused more on injecting real technical prowess. They needed to provide a robust computational platform for digital modeling, enabling any concept of aviation development to be planned and designed through this platform. Further down the line, it involved simulated manufacturing and even maintenance.

Ying Jing and Qi Yu concentrated on building the main framework, while Zhou Yuan and Wan Pengpeng handled node corrections. As the team’s only female member, Zhang Huaiyu fully utilized her strengths, continuously testing the fluency and feasibility of semi-finished products, identifying problems, summarizing them, and discussing solutions in group meetings.

Ying Jing summarized each day’s progress in writing and sent regular updates via WeChat to Chu Ning.

His schedule was packed, and he often worked past midnight.

Chu Ning’s replies were consistently brief—a simple “Okay” or “Mm.”

It was plain and simple, but Ying Jing had grown accustomed to it.

Once, he finalized a program at two in the morning and sent a message on WeChat. Unexpectedly, Chu Ning quickly replied, “No need to stay up late; rest well.”

Ying Jing instantly snapped awake, “You finally said something other than ‘okay’!”

However, his phone remained silent like it was dead.

Ying Jing typed dejectedly, “Guess I shouldn’t have praised you.”

Chu Ning actually replied, “...Bored?”

“Not at all, what are you doing? Why aren’t you asleep yet? Are you working overtime?”

“Mm.”

“In the office? Are you scared? Do you need a bodyguard? This bodyguard is quite special.”

“What’s so special?”

“He’s surnamed Ying. Have you ever seen a bodyguard named Ying?”

This successfully made Chu Ning laugh.

At that moment, she was sitting in her brightly lit office, as bright as daytime. Because messages kept coming in, her phone screen stayed lit. She hadn’t realized before how chatty this little thing could be.

Initially, he could chat about some project-related topics, spouting strings of jargon she didn’t understand. Chu Ning occasionally glanced at them, unsure of how to respond. After waiting too long, Ying Jing couldn’t hold back and called her directly.

When the ringtone sounded, Chu Ning frowned in displeasure. Her tone was flat when she answered, “Do you not need sleep?”

“I just left the lab.” As soon as Ying Jing spoke, white breath formed in the cold January air of Beijing.

He asked, “Are you still working overtime?”

“Mm.”

“Aren’t you scared being alone?”

“What’s there to be scared of?”

“The dark.”

Chu Ning’s lips curved slightly. She put down her pen, spun her chair half a meter away, and drew back the curtain to look outside. The city roads glowed like countless light strips, intersecting streams of traffic.

She shifted her gaze back and calmly said, “I’m not afraid of the dark.”

Ying Jing quickly responded, fearing that if he paused, Chu Ning would hang up.

“By the way, my exam is next month, a makeup test. Don’t worry, I’ll pass.”

She: “Then study hard.”

Ying Jing gripped his phone tightly, delicately sensing her tone for a while, “Are you worried?”

“Worried about what?”

“Failing the exam.”

“You already forgot about the exam, so failing is quite normal.”

Ying Jing chuckled, and after laughing, he became serious again, “Whatever you ask of me, I will definitely do well.”

Chu Ning wanted to say that prioritizing studies had nothing to do with her—it was his sister’s wish.

But upon second thought, she felt no need to clarify and let it slide with silence.

Ying Jing interpreted the silence as tacit approval. His chatting enthusiasm grew even more. He trampled the winter night’s chill underfoot, feeling not a bit cold.

“Are you free this weekend?”

“What for?”

“You answer me first.”

Chu Ning was cautious and said, “I’m busy.”

“Are you going on a business trip?”

“Yes.”

Ying Jing made an “oh” sound and swallowed the rest of his words.

In the afternoon, Li Zhoushan came to their lab, looked at their recent product displays for a while, scolded them as usual, and then gave some harsh guidance. Ying Jing was used to it; in his mind, people in scientific research had eccentric temperaments. Li Zhoushan was a typical strict teacher—his mouth was venomous, but his heart was soft. After getting to know him, one would realize he genuinely cared. Finally, he told Ying Jing there was a cocktail party for the new technology industry this Saturday and asked him to come along.

Originally, Ying Jing wanted to ask Chu Ning if she would attend. But since she said she was going on a business trip, he let it go.

Chu Ning wanted to hang up. Ying Jing called her back, “What kind of flowers do you like?”

She brought the phone back to her ear again, “What for?”

“Just tell me.” He persisted relentlessly.

“I don’t like flowers.”

“You’re lying; no girl doesn’t like flowers.”

“They bloom for a few days and then wither. What’s there to like?”

“You really have no taste.” Ying Jing was almost back at the dormitory, walking uphill, so he was a bit out of breath, “You don’t seem like a woman.”

Chu Ning’s heart was calm; she didn’t evaluate herself.

Not getting the answer he wanted, Ying Jing still managed not to kill the conversation, “Do you know what my favorite flower is?”

Chu Ning thought for a moment, “Plastic flowers.”

His breath trembled over the phone, probably laughing, “I like white roses—heh!”

Chu Ning frowned, “What are you ‘heh’-ing about?”

“Motion sensor lights.” Ying Jing stood under a bright light, his voice especially clear in the deep night, “I’m back at the dormitory. You should head home soon and be careful on the way.”

Chu Ning sighed in relief, but this chatterbox could indeed make people relax. She smiled faintly and asked, “Finished talking?”

Ying Jing hesitated, “...Or you can let me know when you get home safe?”

The next second, the call ended.

Chu Ning put her phone on the table, rubbed her earlobe, and leaned back in her chair to rest her eyes for a moment. When she got up, she opened her schedule; this Saturday was the 24th, marked: New Technology Industry Circle Networking Dinner.

This schedule wasn’t originally planned, but Wang Shan had specifically come to the office to tell her about it that afternoon.

This cocktail party was ostensibly hosted by several companies jointly, but in reality, municipal leaders would also attend. Additionally, being related to scientific research, relevant enterprises, institutions, and individual teams were participating. Wang Shan showed her the list, which roughly covered a large scale.

“If you don’t have any particularly important appointments, you should attend this event,” Wang Shan suggested, “Mr. Wei will be there too, as well as Mr. Tang from Mingyao Innovation.”

Chu Ning raised her head, “Tang Yao?”

“Yes.” Wang Shan said, “And that student team researching new energy vehicles will also attend.”

That was the key point.

Chu Ning understood, after weighing the pros and cons, she agreed, “Alright, I’ll go.”

She rarely attended banquets; Chu Ning wasn’t someone who enjoyed crowds. When Ningjing Investment first started, many social interactions were unavoidable. Since things had stabilized, these engagements were delegated. On Saturday, she specially chose a white strapless dress, simple and elegant without being overly flashy.

Tonight, she was meeting Wei Qilin and that student team. Her attire was proper and suitable, finding her position was crucial.

The banquet began at seven. Tonight, there were many people, and the large banquet hall was lively and vibrant.

Chu Ning first exchanged greetings with a circle of people, holding a glass of red wine, polite and graceful, her figure elegant. Finally, she walked over to Wei Qilin, “Mr. Wei.”

Their relationship wasn’t close, but through Wang Shan’s introduction, everything went smoothly and naturally.

Wei Qilin was extraordinarily handsome. He had single eyelids, but his eye contours were narrow and slanted upwards, making his face very striking. One look and he appeared to be a man from a prestigious family.

He was courteous, extending his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

They briefly shook hands and then released. The three of them walked and talked.

“This team has been gaining a lot of attention recently. They just won third prize at the World University Students’ New Energy Science and Technology Competition. This is quite rare; it’s the first time in ten years.” Wei Qilin’s investment intention was already very clear, “I’ve seen their next phase project plan. They’ve combined technology with production. The evaluation report is out, and their technology is mature. As long as they pass debugging, the chances of success are high.”

Wang Shan added, “Next year, the municipal government plans to increase the deployment of new energy vehicles, and with policy support, it’s beneficial for companies too.”

As they spoke, a man approached from the front. Wei Qilin stepped forward, his tone familiar, “Mr. Tang is here too?”

Chu Ning looked at the man, recalling that this was Tang Yao, the executive director of Mingyao Innovation.

Tang Yao wore a three-piece suit, his jacket open. Upon closer inspection, he wore a matching shirt inside, with a subtle embroidery of bamboo leaves on the collar, intricate and refined.

He nodded acquaintanceship with Wei Qilin, exchanging pleasantries courteously.

After a few sentences, Tang Yao looked at Chu Ning, shaking hands with her very gentlemanly, “Hello, nice to meet you again. It’s an honor.”

Chu Ning smiled graciously, “It’s my honor that Mr. Tang remembers. Thank you for your help last time.”

“It was nothing.”

Without saying much more, as both had matters to attend to, once Tang Yao walked away, Wang Shan asked Chu Ning, “Do you know Mr. Tang?”

“He’s a friend of Ziyang.”

Wang Shan furrowed his brows, reminding her, “Be careful with Tang Yao.”

Chu Ning narrowed her eyes.

“His rise to fame is legendary. Before returning to China, he was unknown, nobody knew of him. To be blunt, this person is deeply calculating, suspicious, and his most skillful tactic is cutting off resources at the root and shows no mercy.” Wang Shan paused, asking, “Do you know Shanghai’s Tang family?”

Chu Ning thought for a moment, “The current leader of the Tang family is...”

“Yes, it’s Tang Qichen.” Wang Shan said, “There are rumors that Tang Yao is Tang Qichen’s half-brother from the same father.”

Chu Ning wasn’t interested in gossip about wealthy families, but hearing the word “brother” instantly triggered bad associations with Zhao Mingchuan.

Thus, she nodded sympathetically, “Alright, I’ll be careful.”

Meanwhile, Wei Qilin finished his tasks and signaled with his eyes. Chu Ning and Wang Shan walked over, and soon, a group of students also approached. All were young men in their early twenties, led by a slightly older one, clean-cut and scholarly, exuding stability.

Though still students, they behaved confidently, greeting everyone one by one and giving brief introductions. This was the rising, renowned new energy vehicle team.

Wei Qilin was a businessman who valued talent, so tonight, he appeared approachable and easygoing.

The atmosphere of the conversation was good.

Chu Ning listened attentively. She could feel that the core ideas of this team were very mature and advanced, and their advantages were obvious. Having achieved certain results, they received significant industry attention and strong public opinion support.

Wang Shan kept signaling with his eyes, clearly showing high expectations for this project.

Chu Ning remained calm, revealing no trace of enthusiasm.

The conversation flowed pleasantly. Fifteen minutes later, Wei Qilin was in a good mood, “There’s an old saying, ‘When the youth are strong, the country is strong.’ Today, I deeply understand its meaning.”

His praise was evident, and the group moved outward.

Chatting and laughing, Chu Ning followed beside Wei Qilin, blending in.

Gradually, an inexplicable chill came from a certain direction. This sensation was subtle, and Chu Ning instinctively looked over. That glance left her utterly stunned.

In the center of the banquet hall, Ying Jing stood motionless, out of place among the chatting and laughing crowd.

Above his head hung a grand chandelier, its bright light exposing every nuance of his expression.

Ying Jing gazed at Chu Ning.

His gaze was deep and stubborn, with a hint of uncontrollable disappointment.

Chu Ning’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a sense of guilt as if caught red-handed. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

“Ying Jing?!”

A sudden shout came from behind. The captain of the new energy vehicle team couldn’t hide his excitement, “You’re here too!”

Ying Jing forced a smile, addressing him as “Senior.”

While speaking, his eyes remained fixed on Chu Ning.

The captain introduced him to the members, “This is my junior; we went to the same high school.” Then to Ying Jing, “These are my teammates.” His joy was genuine, walking towards Ying Jing, “It’s been a long time. Let’s have a late-night snack together later, alright?”

But Ying Jing brushed past him.

He strode toward Chu Ning, his steps firm and determined.

Something about this state felt wrong. Chu Ning sensed trouble and instinctively stepped back. Ying Jing stopped at her movement. A meter apart, he hoarsely asked, struggling to suppress his emotions, “What does this mean?”

Chu Ning remained calm, not answering.

Ying Jing nodded, “Alright.”

He turned and walked away.

The young silhouette was silent and solemn. Despite the dazzling brightness of the hall, the light cast fragmented shadows on him with every move.

For a moment, Chu Ning felt a pang in her heart.

Far away, Ying Jing suddenly stopped.

All eyes converged, and half the voices fell silent.

He turned back and walked towards Chu Ning. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he grasped her hand.

“——Come with me.”

His actions were forceful, even rough and impulsive.

Chu Ning didn’t resist or struggle.

Not because she didn’t want to.

But because when Ying Jing turned around, she saw his eyes, which could no longer hold back and were completely red.