A Chan – CH 068

Chapter 68: Furious (2)

He sneered, “Didn’t you search the old news? Don’t you know why I went back?”

Li Weiyi whispered, “No, I searched briefly, just glanced at it. I was too flustered this morning.”

He didn’t speak, picked up his phone, found a news article, and placed it on the sofa between them.

Li Weiyi picked it up, and her eyes widened.

History changed again.

On July 25, 2014, Zhang Moyun was found dead in a villa under his name, the cause of death being a drug overdose. It was said that his death was extremely undignified, naked, and in a mess. Also found with him was Liu Ying, the group’s marketing director. According to Liu Ying’s testimony, the two had been having an extramarital affair for over a year. That night, Zhang Moyun drank a lot of alcohol and took an overdose of aphrodisiac drugs, leading to his sudden death. The police had suspected Liu Ying, but there was no evidence to prove that she had drugged him. In addition, the forensic examination showed no evidence of external injury, so Liu Ying was eventually acquitted.

However, thanks to Zhang Moyun’s tireless efforts, Fuming stubbornly persevered for another two months, just before bankruptcy. In early September 2014, soybean futures, which had been sluggish for most of the year, suddenly surged, hitting their historical high for several consecutive days.

A shocking piece of news arrived: before his death, Zhang Moyun had bought a staggering 90 million yuan worth of soybean futures. Overnight, Fuming paid off all its debts, shocking the business world.

Afterwards, Fuming collapsed, and Zhang Jingchan, then a junior in college, stepped forward to take over the remaining forces—the predecessor of Huicui.

…

While Li Weiyi was still in shock, Zhang Jingchan clicked on another news item. It stated that half a month after Zhang Moyun’s death, Ding Chenmo, the captain of the criminal investigation team in charge of the case, had died in a car accident.

Li Weiyi: “You suspect…”

“If it were any other cause of death, that would be one thing. Infidelity? And Liu Ying? Absolutely impossible. My father was a farmer-turned-entrepreneur, a contractor by trade. He might not be respectable in other ways, and his judgment in choosing people might be questionable. But he never wronged my mother in the slightest. And Ding Chenmo’s death was too coincidental.”

“Fuming… had a mole?”

Zhang Jingchan nodded: “When my father wanted to audit the accounts and conduct a liquidation, it definitely affected that person’s interests. He used Liu Ying to kill my father.”

Li Weiyi’s heart sank: “Then what should we do?”

“According to the pattern, if we time-travel again, time will be pushed forward by two months, to July 2014. My father will still be alive then. If we can help him find the mole within three days, history will change.”

Li Weiyi immediately nodded: “Okay, we’ll go tonight. However, based on previous experience, the driver who caused the accident might not appear for several days.”

Zhang Jingchan remained silent.

Li Weiyi, a sudden thought, grabbed his arm and said, “Do you think the driver might be the mole who harmed your father?”

Zhang Jingchan pulled his arm away from hers and replied, “It’s too early to talk about that.”

Li Weiyi awkwardly lowered her hand.

Just then, her phone rang. She took it out and saw Zhang Jingchan also glancing at it; both of them saw the name on the screen.

Li Weiyi looked up, and her eyes met Zhang Jingchan’s. She felt incredibly embarrassed and hung up without thinking.

Zhang Jingchan showed no expression and turned his face away.

But the phone rang again, relentlessly.

Li Weiyi blushed, grabbed her phone, and walked to the side. Luckily, the man’s office was large enough that Li Weiyi managed to find a secluded corner.

She answered in a low voice, “Hello.”

Xu Yi’s gentle voice came through the phone: “Xiao Yi, why did it take you so long to answer? Where are you?”

“Oh… I’m at an art gallery. It’s too quiet around here to answer the phone.”

“I see. Are you having lunch alone? What are you planning to eat?”

“Just… something simple.”

Xu Yi sighed softly: “How many times have I told you not to just eat anything? Eat something nutritious. Should I have someone order some food delivered?”

“No, no! I’m with a few painters. We might have lunch together later. What about you? Are you going to eat? If not, I’ll hang up. I’m going to see an exhibition.”

On the other end of the phone, Xu Yi, who had just finished an important meeting and was leaning back in his executive chair, slowly opened his half-closed eyes. His face was expressionless, but his voice held a hint of amusement: “It feels like you’re just trying to brush me off, wanting to hang up as soon as possible.”

“No!” Li Weiyi denied immediately. “I was just engrossed in looking at the paintings.”

“Then put those paintings down and talk to your boyfriend for a bit. Xiao Yi, this morning’s meeting was particularly mentally taxing; I’m exhausted.”

Li Weiyi: “Then you must get some rest. Health is the foundation of everything. Eat something nutritious and take a nap.”

He chuckled softly and said, “Okay.”

Li Weiyi wanted to hang up but didn’t want to bring it up again, so she remained silent. He was quiet for a moment, then said, “Give me a kiss, Xiao Yi.”

Li Weiyi couldn’t stand the word “kiss” right now. She glanced furtively at Zhang Jingchan, not far away. To her surprise, he was no longer looking down; instead, he sat with his arms crossed, leaning back on the sofa, looking straight up at her. It was like catching someone cheating in the act.

Li Weiyi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned around, her back to him, and lowered her voice even further: “I already told you there are other painters around; it’s not convenient.”

Xu Yi, on the other end, had already sat up straight, his eyes clear and sharp. He held his phone in one hand and picked up a photo of the two of them on the table with the other, his fingers gently tracing her image in the picture.

He coaxed her softly with a laugh: “When did you become so concerned about what others think? At the company headquarters’ annual party last time, who was the one who kissed me in front of hundreds of people?”

Li Weiyi: “…It was me. Women are so fickle.”

He laughed out loud but said, “Xiao Yi, you’ve been absent-minded since this morning, always avoiding me. What happened? Did I offend my girlfriend without realizing it?”

“No! Really! You’re overthinking it!” Li Weiyi denied again.

Xu Yi sighed and said, “Alright, we’ll talk when we meet. The driver will pick you up tonight; don’t forget.”

Li Weiyi paused, then said, “Um… I’m sorry, something urgent suddenly came up tonight, and I can’t make it. Please cancel the restaurant reservation, I’m sorry!”

There was silence on the other end.

Li Weiyi gripped her phone tightly, glancing quickly behind her. Zhang Jingchan’s posture hadn’t changed at all; he was still staring intently at her.

Li Weiyi felt a tingling sensation on the back of her head from his gaze. She thought, “What’s going on? It’s like I’m playing with two big shots at the same time.”

“What urgent matter do you have?” Xu Yi asked, his voice flat.

Li Weiyi’s eyes darted around, and she blurted out, “Do you remember Professor Zhang from the Academy of Fine Arts? He just called me and asked me to come to his house for dinner tonight to talk about participating in the Beijing Youth Painters Competition. This is very important; I have to accommodate the professor’s schedule, not the other way around.”

“I see,” Xu Yi said knowingly. “Okay, your career is the most important thing. I’ll have someone cancel the reservation.”

Li Weiyi: “I’m sorry.”

He paused for a moment, then said, “Give me a kiss, and I’ll forgive you.”

This time, Li Weiyi couldn’t refuse a second time; it would be too abrupt and strange. At the same moment, she remembered many times before when Xu Yi, now a business tycoon, would talk to her like this on the phone, gentle and affectionate, without him finding it childish, even enjoying it.

A strong, bittersweet feeling washed over her, and Li Weiyi froze, realizing it was her body’s emotional reaction. Her guilt deepened, and she struggled to suppress the emotion, quickly kissing the phone.

Xu Yi, on the other end, chuckled deeply, also kissing her, and said in a hoarse voice, “I love you.”

Li Weiyi immediately called out, “Ah, okay, is it to come over? Coming right away. I’ll hang up now, and we’ll talk later.”

She hung up the phone, letting out a long sigh, but the genuine emotion still raged within her. This left her utterly dejected. She silently turned her head, only to see Zhang Jingchan abruptly stand up from the sofa, stride out of the office, his suit-clad figure flashing past before slamming the door shut with a “bang.”

Li Weiyi: …

He heard that phone kiss.

One hundred percent.

With his usually composed nature, he must have been furious to slam the door like that, right?