Chapter 146: Chapter 146: I Need Your Help With Something
Chi Wan didn’t go into the hospital room. She held Li Xingye’s hand and slowly left the hospital.
Strolling through the streets, she watched the bustling vendors and saw all-too-familiar snacks. If not for the imposing presence of the surrounding vine walls, she might have lost track of whether she was in Li Xingye’s base or the town where she grew up.
A serene smile always hung on Li Xingye’s lips. He held Chi Wan’s hand and slowly walked past the newly constructed buildings in the base, telling her their purpose one by one.
Along the way, many people greeted Li Xingye. Curiously, they all seemed to know Chi Wan as well.
Some of the more forward people would even go out of their way to come over just to say, "Miss Chi, you and the Chief are such a perfect match!"
Their enthusiasm wasn’t unwelcome, but Chi Wan was curious as to how they knew her.
Li Xingye just smiled without a word. Soon, Qianqian and Xiao Liu came over with a few other young girls, their hands full of bags stuffed with all sorts of snacks.
Qianqian was outgoing and had always been on good terms with Chi Wan. She was mature for her age and had a mind of her own. Nowadays, she was busy traveling around and learning under Duan Qianyu. Having finally gotten some free time today and hearing that Chi Wan had arrived, she had impetuously dragged Xiao Liu and the others over to be third wheels.
Xiao Liu, who was originally a bit shy, had become much more outgoing under her guidance these days.
She pursed her lips and handed a small box to Chi Wan, saying softly, "Miss Chi, this is a gift for you."
Chi Wan smiled, thanked her, and opened it to find an earring stud.
The main part of the stud was a simple bead, so blue it was almost translucent.
Xiao Liu explained a bit shyly, "This is from my new ability after I advanced. It’s formed by completely condensing my superpower. If you wear it for a long time, it can make you healthier. It’s just... the design might not be very pretty..."
Qianqian casually slung an arm around Xiao Liu’s shoulder and winked at Chi Wan. "Sister Wanwan, she actually made this herself. She spent several days polishing it~"
Chi Wan smiled and put the earring on right away. "It’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you, Xiao Liu~"
Xiao Liu’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she watched Chi Wan with sparkling eyes.
Watching this wonderful scene unfold, Chi Wan’s heart burned with determination. Her only wish now was to get rid of He Lingfeng quickly, and then focus on promoting exchange between the two worlds with peace of mind.
She couldn’t wait to see what the world would look like when the apocalypse was truly over.
When it was time to leave the base, Li Xingye had already prepared all the equipment Chi Wan needed.
He had built a large warehouse in his spatial dimension, setting up categorized shelves so that the function of every piece of equipment was clear at a glance. This would make it easier for Chi Wan when she handed it all over to the country.
Seeing all this, Chi Wan naturally felt more confident.
Before returning to her residence, she told Li Xingye everything about her plan to deal with He Lingfeng.
Li Xingye nodded. He didn’t plan to stop Chi Wan. Instead, he reminded her, "Wanwan, when the plan is about to start, remember to let me know. Go ahead and do whatever you want. I’ll always be your strongest support."
Chi Wan’s heart warmed. Li Xingye would never stop her from doing anything, but he would always be there silently as her safety net. No matter how many times she looked at him, he still made her heart flutter.
*
The next day during class, Qin Shi sent a message: "The plan is going smoothly. I only said I could find a way to lure you here, but he said he would handle it himself."
Chi Wan didn’t know how Song Baihan would concoct a plausible reason to send Song Yangming to He Lingfeng. She didn’t care about the details; all that mattered was that the trap was set for her to walk into.
Two calm days passed like this, and in a blink of an eye, it was Thursday afternoon.
Just as Chi Wan was thinking that Song Yangming was being surprisingly patient this time, and wondering what excuse he would use to find her, he appeared on her usual path to the cafeteria.
He had the same cautious, cowering look of someone who had suffered greatly. "Wanwan."
A flash flickered in Chi Wan’s eyes. ’He’s finally here,’ she thought.
But her face wore a curious expression. "Uncle, what are you doing here again?"
Wen Jing and the others wanted to stay and hear what this scumbag uncle was up to, but Chi Wan shot them a look and pushed them away.
After Wen Jing and the others were a good distance away, Chi Wan’s expression turned cold as she said to Song Yangming, "What is it? Are you short on money again?"
Song Yangming gave a bitter smile. "Wanwan, I know you won’t believe me right away, and that’s fine. I brought this on myself. But I wanted to tell you that I’ve found a new job. It’s at a factory that’s willing to hire disabled people, and the benefits are pretty good."
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. "That’s great. Congratulations. It’d be a good thing if you could turn over a new leaf."
Hearing Chi Wan’s utterly disrespectful tone, a flicker of anger and frustration inevitably flashed in Song Yangming’s eyes.
But he quickly suppressed his emotions and forced an awkward smile. "But I do have something I need your help with..."
Chi Wan’s "I knew it" expression clearly made Song Yangming feel embarrassed. He said meekly, "Wanwan, just help me this one time, and I promise I’ll be a better person from now on. Have you forgotten? When you were little, you loved to follow me around everywhere. I even used to chase off the kids who bullied you."
When Chi Wan was very young, Chi Yuanshan and his wife were very busy, so they did leave her in the care of Qian Cuicui’s family.
Song Yangming really knew how to exploit her weak spots. If Chi Wan hadn’t been on her guard, she might have actually been swayed by his words.
Chi Wan’s lips moved. She averted her gaze as if moved by his words, and ultimately refrained from saying anything else harsh. "How do you want me to help?"
Song Yangming’s face filled with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. "Wanwan, I knew you were still the same kind little girl from our childhood. Here’s the thing, the factory I’m starting at is a fruit canning factory. I... when I was looking for the job, I kind of used the fact that my sister and brother-in-law have an orchard to get my foot in the door..."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I know I’m being shameless, but I don’t want to be a loser my whole life. I want to turn over a new leaf and earn my own living. This is the last time I’ll ever ask for your help. My boss said he wants to have a meal with the orchard owner to discuss a partnership.
"Wanwan, your parents aren’t in the country, so I can only come to you. Just... just think of it as helping out your uncle. Besides, your family’s fruit has to be sold to someone, right? Why not sell it to our factory?"
Chi Wan stared intently at Song Yangming, as if trying to read something on his face.
But Song Yangming didn’t avoid her gaze. He looked at her imploringly, appearing guilty only because he was asking for a favor.
After a long moment, as Song Yangming’s expression grew visibly anxious, Chi Wan slowly nodded.
