After being inexplicably toyed with three times, He Neng was so enraged that his whole body trembled, wishing he could swing a brick and challenge someone to a fight. The problem was, he would need to find his opponent first.
As if eager for chaos, Chen Mo, with a grin that never faltered, pushed his glasses up and met He Neng's fiery gaze. "I say, Manager He, why not come inside and sit for a while? Who knows, you might just catch sight of four tires mysteriously vanishing!"
If there were any evidence, He Neng would have lunged at him, intent on using his weight to crush Chen Mo underfoot.
But the possibility of such an event happening gave him pause. How could he, in his rage, enter the store to show off, only to sit back in his car with a face as dark as thunder?
The BMW engine roared as it lurched forward. He Neng, burning with fury, swerved the car around and sped off, but not before sticking his head out the window and shouting at Ye Rong, "I'll be back in three days to take over the shop. If you don't want to move, then you'd better get out!"
With that, the BMW shot forward, kicking up a cloud of dust as it sped away.
"Let him come, then! If he's got the guts, let him bring the city inspectors along!" Ye Rong snorted coldly, turning sharply on her heels and storming back into the shop, slamming the door behind her with palpable anger.
Just as the last of the dust settled, the car's body gave a small, almost imperceptible shake, and a voice, low but triumphant, rang out. "Boss, how did I do?"
"Not bad!" Chen Mo, still concerned about the potential bad luck, couldn't help but give a thumbs-up in approval.
The car seemed overjoyed by the praise, its voice rising with excitement. "Boss, I even tampered a bit with the steering wheel. Just wait and see the show!"
"Uh, you don't think it might cause a fatal accident, do you?" Chen Mo froze for a moment, suddenly feeling a twinge of concern.
But before he could finish speaking, they saw the BMW swerve sharply in the night, crashing directly into the yard on the left side of the street, causing an uproar among the chickens and dogs in the vicinity.
Even from several hundred meters away, the commotion was audible. The car, now thrilled with its success, revved its engine with joy, saying, "It's fine, no one's gonna die. Just giving him a lesson!"
Despite the reassurances, Chen Mo couldn't shake the feeling of impending dread, as though misfortune was drawing near.
At that moment, Guo Guo, having hopped its way out from the shadows, caught sight of the chaos and couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude. "Well deserved. It's really his own fault... Wait a minute, why does that house the BMW crashed into look so familiar? It's almost as if…"
Silence. It was so complete that it seemed to hang in the air like a thick fog.
The three onlookers exchanged glances, their expressions simultaneously shifting in horror. Almost instinctively, they all cried out in unison, rushing frantically toward the scene of the accident.
Moments later, when Chen Mo saw the unmistakable scene before him, he stood frozen in disbelief. Damn it, the BMW hadn't crashed into some random house— it had smashed directly into the one he was renting!
At that moment, the entire car had rammed straight into the room, and he could already imagine, without needing to think, that all the furniture and appliances inside were surely ruined.
"Ugh!" A mouthful of blood shot out as Chen Mo stared, his eyes meeting those of his companions, and they all seemed to share the same impulse to find a place to cry it out.
Damn bad luck. Not even two broken shards of jade could suppress it. This was... a huge loss, especially since it was technically an accident. Even if He Neng wanted to compensate, it wouldn't be for the whole thing.
But the misfortune didn't stop there. Not long after, Lin Lin came running, out of breath and flustered.
Seeing the devastation of the rental house, she was taken aback, but then seemed to remember something and quickly grabbed Chen Mo's sleeve. "Chen Ge, Rong Jie spaced out for a moment and then suddenly ran to the opposite restaurant to find Jiadie. What should we do now?"
"What do you think... Should we cheer her on, or pass her a kitchen knife?" Chen Mo glanced towards the restaurant without much concern. He knew Ye Rong too well.
However, Lin Lin's next words made his face pale slightly. "But, Chen Ge, she looked so calm. You know how, the calmer she is, the more..."
"Shit! I'm going now!" Chen Mo was taken aback, too stunned to help He Neng, who was just getting out of the BMW. Without another word, he turned and sprinted off.
Luckily, it seemed that no murder had occurred yet. A few bodyguards were standing at the entrance to the restaurant, their arms blocking Ye Rong from entering.
But when they saw Chen Mo suddenly appear, they paused for a moment, then respectfully stepped aside, allowing him through.
At the same time, the female housekeeper, Sang Ya, was standing by the study door, bowing slightly and gently knocking.
After a brief silence, Jiadie's soft voice came through the door. "Sang Ya, I think I hear Mo's voice. Please invite him in."
"Yes!" Sang Ya answered softly, slowly opening the door, and the sight that greeted them was nothing short of captivating.
In the dim light, Jiadie sat on a rocking chair in a white nightgown, deeply engrossed in an old book.
Her head was slightly tilted, her long hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, highlighting the smooth, fair skin of her exposed shoulder, giving off a tranquil, classic aura.
Though Ye Rong had initially planned to confront her, upon seeing the scene before her, she unconsciously slowed her steps, unwilling to interrupt the serene moment.
But, as always, someone had no sense of occasion. Sang Ya cleared her throat softly, reminding her that there was a guest.
Almost simultaneously, Jiadie turned her head, her eyes meeting Chen Mo's.
After a few moments of silent, lingering eye contact, she suddenly broke into a sweet, graceful smile. The cold, melancholic air around her seemed to dissolve like snow under the sun in an instant.
"I'm so sorry to bother you at this late hour!" Chen Mo, unable to bear the affection in her gaze, slightly turned his head to avoid it, his eyes falling on the book resting on the arm of the chair.
"Hmm, this seems to be a 1953 edition of Records of the Grand Historian. How did you get your hands on this…? Well, never mind, I suppose money really is a wonderful thing!"
As a graduate of the Chinese department, Chen Mo had a deep love for classical literature. Seeing such a rare edition of Records of the Grand Historian made him sigh with a sense of nostalgia.
Jiadie personally poured him a cup of tea, smiling softly. "Sang Ya helped me collect it. Since you like classical culture so much, I thought I should learn more about it as well... By the way, does this tea taste alright? I remember you said your favorite was West Lake Longjing."
Hearing such affectionate words and feeling the warmth of her considerate gesture, Chen Mo couldn't help but become entranced by her beauty, so close that he could almost touch her.
But after a few seconds of staring, he sighed, unable to resist punching his pocket with frustration.
Then, listening to the soft whimper of his knuckles, he finally felt a little better. "Well, we can talk about classical culture later... Actually, Rong Jie wanted to talk to you about the shop."
"The shop?" Jiadie's brows furrowed slightly, looking confused, and Sang Ya's expression mirrored her puzzlement.
Almost at the same time, a bodyguard hurried into the room and whispered a few words to Jiadie, presumably bringing news from his investigation.
Listening intently, Jiadie nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Ye Rong and asked, "So, Miss Ye believes I'm behind this?"
"I thought so at first!" Ye Rong blinked, but then shook her head in confusion. "But now it seems like it has nothing to do with you!"
Upon hearing their conversation and sensing that the storm was clearing, Chen Mo let out a breath of relief.
But his joy was short-lived. Jiadie added, her voice calm but full of conviction, "Of course it has nothing to do with me. It's too easy to defeat you on my own; I don't need anyone's help."
"Is that so?" Ye Rong didn't get angry; instead, she smiled faintly, as though she had finally grasped the true essence of "breaking to rebuild" in martial arts.
"Ugh..." Chen Mo sighed, glancing out the window, feeling as though a storm was on the horizon. Maybe it was time for a strategic retreat?
"Alright, just a joke!" After a few seconds, Jiadie suddenly smiled, "By the way, I have Lei Zhen's number... Come out already, what are you sneaking around for?"
With a sudden turn and sharp command, Jiadie flicked her hand lightly, and Ye Rong, who had been sneaking around, fell limply to the floor with a soft grunt.