"I am back."
Xing Bi smiled in embarrassment as she returned to her seat. "Sorry that took time."
"It's no problem. Should we leave? You can eat the remaining ice cream in the car," Hou Lin suggested. "It's better if you go home and rest as soon as possible."
"To be honest, I am really not that sick but okay. Ai and Jun will get mad if I stay outside any longer," she sighed.
She took her phone but noticed that it was switched off. "Ah what happened to my phone now?"
"I am sorry, Miss. Xing. It fell because of me," he looked guilty, "I tried switching it on but it didn't work. Please don't worry. I will take full responsibility for its repair."
"It's fine, it's fine!" She quickly assured him. "Accidents happen. I drop my phone way too many times hehe…So you don't have to be so serious."
Hou Lin took her back in his car and started to drive. The way back home was eerily silent. Xing Bi felt a certain sense of stifling in the air, but she couldn't figure out why. There was still some time to reach home, so she thought to continue getting to know anything about him that could help her in giving some answers to her strange dreams.
But what should I ask…? I cannot just directly ask if he knew Zhan Yahui personally.
She got an idea and asked, "Oh yes! What is happening in Shi Publishing, do you know?"
"Shi Publishing?"
"Yes. It was quite shocking to see that Zhan Yahui became the acting CEO. I have worked with her in Dream High, but it never seemed to me that she ever wanted to be the CEO…From what I know, her relationship with the Shi family is not really cordial, so I was just curious…"
He threw her a sideways glance. "Why do you ask me?"
She coughed. "You seem like the kind of person to keep tabs on everything."
"Is that the impression I give?"
She touched her chin thoughtfully. "More like you might be bound to know something about everything. You feel like an encyclopedia haha!"
"That's a quite accurate judgment," his lips curled into a small smile.
"I am always right. So, tell me."
"It could be that Miss. Zhan might have developed an interest in business. Since she is already Shi Shuren's daughter, it wouldn't be so difficult getting in."
She widened her eyes. "Despite Mrs. Shi's resistance? Didn't she build the company for Huan's sake?"
"A company built on a shallow objective like that cannot survive. It's not a company. It's basically a toyhouse that Mrs. Shi has built for her daughter."
Xing Bi was quite surprised to hear such strong opinions about Huan.
Well it is indeed true that Huan is quite young and to make a whole company for her sake just to drive her future alone is a bit excessive…
They chatted a bit more but never once during that time did Hou Lin act in any way to signal that he might know Zhan Yahui personally.
Maybe I am really thinking too much about this dream…
"Did Miss. Cui Fen say anything to you?"
"Sorry? About what?"
"That day I heard you two talking. She was talking about someone who might be in Sky giving her orders to lie."
Xing Bi sighed. "Yes, she did tell me about it. That was what she felt, but I really don't know. Everybody at Sky is like family. Who would dare to cause trouble? And who is against Sky in the first place?" She flared her nostrils.
"...Somebody who has a grudge against Sir."
Xing Bi felt a chill across her spine for some unknown reason. "Jun?"
"Indeed. Or else why would anyone think to target Sky? It's his company, after all."
"It does make sense but who could be his enemy?" She frowned. "Dream High and Shi Publishing are the only publishing companies close enough to compete with Sky."
Hou Lin stared at the road with a faraway gaze. "Sometimes an enmity is beyond professional rivalry. In front of that, fighting for money and power seems pointless."
"That is true…"
But what kind of a personal vendetta somebody could have against Jun anyway?
It was then Xing Bi noticed the road outside the window, which she wasn't sure where it was leading to. She scratched her head and asked, "Where are we going? My house is not this way."
"I know."
She beamed. "Is it another treat you are giving me?"
"...You can take it like that."
He is talking so mysteriously…
She shrugs and didn't pay much attention at first but then she observed that the crowd around the area where they were heading was getting thinner and thinner. At one point, she could hardly see any soul outside.
"Are you sure people live here?" She peered outside.
Hou Lin said nothing.
"Hou Lin?"
"You will know when we get there," he quietly said.
Xing Bi blinked and her instincts kicked in that was something odd was happening. "Um Hou Lin, it's fine we don't go for the second treat. Just take me back home."
There was no response.
She gulped and felt adrenaline kick inside her.
Why is he suddenly acting so weird? And where is this lonely place he is taking me to!
Xing Bi fidgeted with her phone to turn it on, but it proved fruitless.
"It won't switch on. I disengaged it when you left for the washroom. It doesn't have any battery or sim either," Hou Lin calmly said, his voice neither hurried nor anxious.
She stiffened. It meant that she had no way to contact Nian or anybody else.
"...Can I ask why?"
"A phone will prove a troubleome thing to have, considering your situation."
"What is the situation?"
"I think you have understood it quite well."
Silence.
"You are the one who threatened Cui Fen, aren't you?"
He said nothing, but his silence was enough to give her the answer.
"So that means you know Zhan Yahui too."
It was then that Hou Lin parted his lips. "Yes, indeed. I know Zhan Yahui. I know her very well."
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