My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Gift II. “The Hill”

“Lin Chen, introduce yourself.”

Jian Yumeng gave a simple instruction to the man. He politely extended his hand toward me. “Hello, Miss You. My name is Lin Chen. In the days to come, I will be responsible for your personal safety.”

I cautiously extended my paw and gave his palm a quick tap before retreating. “Mr. Lin… hello… eh? Protecting me?”

I couldn’t fathom why Jian Yumeng would send someone to protect me. She waved her hand. “Lin Chen, step outside for a moment.”

The man was exceptionally obedient; he nodded and left the private suite. I breathed a sigh of relief and teased, “Jian Yumeng, are you playing with me? What kind of gift is this? Why do I need protection? I’m perfectly safe.”

“You don’t like such a handsome young guy? There’s a reason for protecting you; I’ll keep you in suspense for a bit longer.”

“Sending a fairy descending from heaven would be more effective than sending a man! Can I apply for a female bodyguard? The kind that’s beautiful but can also fight.”

Seeing my relaxed and joking manner, Jian Yumeng’s face darkened. “Alright, enough nonsense. From now on, Lin Chen will follow you everywhere. He won’t leave unless I give the order.”

“Following me every day? No! Suddenly arranging a stranger—and a man at that—who follows me like a shadow wherever I go… I’ll suffocate! No way!”

Jian Yumeng gave Yu Xiao a look, and Yu Xiao took over the conversation. “You have to accept a gift from the eldest miss of the Jian family whether you like it or not. Lin Chen is very capable—he can take on a hundred men alone and has the character of a gentleman-soldier. We have our reasons for arranging this. Be good and listen to us~”

I rested my head on one hand and laughed helplessly. “Is this because you’re afraid I’ve offended Guan Shuyun and want to prepare for my safety in advance?”

Jian Yumeng didn’t beat around the bush. “Arranging a bodyguard for you was something Phoebe requested of me while you were away. She knows my ‘grey’ background and knew you’d return eventually. You were physically aggressive with Guan Shuyun before you left; no one with her status could swallow that insult quietly. So, this is the best I can do for you. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I hope you understand Phoebe’s intentions.”

How ironic. I wanted to escape the wing of her protection, yet I ended up right back in her various plans. I looked at Jian Yumeng, distressed. “Can I refuse your gift? Because I don’t want any favors from her.”

Jian Yumeng leaned back and stared at me seriously, though she offered a compromise. “I understand your feelings. You’ve probably gained many insights from your trip and want to prove you can live well without Phoebe. You don’t have to ‘claim’ this gift right now, but I’ll keep it ready for you at any time. As soon as you ask, Lin Chen will be there to help.”

“What have I done to deserve such care from you both?”

Yu Xiao beckoned me to sit beside her. She pulled out her phone and opened a WeChat group. I was confused. Soon, my phone pinged with an invite. She looked up happily. “Some old friends miss you. I think they might be of some help to you.”

I hesitantly checked the group. Including myself, there were five people. The moment they saw me, the chat exploded. Yu Xiao asked, “Are you satisfied with the third gift?”

It was indeed a group of old friends I hadn’t seen in a long time; the peaceful years had almost made me forget them. Yu Xiao poured me a cup of hot tea and took my hand. She looked into my eyes with a gaze that was both serious and earnest:

“Remember our days of labor reform in prison? Every time Sister Su Wei and Soso came to visit, they brought so much food and supplies. After you learned about my major and my history, you sent me brand new drawing paper and pens. You told me not to give up on the things I love—that no matter where I am, I can keep that passion alive.

The winters were so cold, but everyone in our cell had new padded coats and thermal underwear. When cellmates got sick, the two of us helped them finish their quotas for cutting stationery. Later, when you became the bookkeeper for the squad, you’d be busy calculating accounts after finishing the envelopes so we could get more points.

You never worried about money; you’d take your points to the small shop to exchange for food and then hoard it in the cell. At night, when everyone was hungry, we’d secretly share it. Thinking back, of all the cells in that women’s prison, ours was the most human.”

My eyes reddened and I knit my brows, staring at Yu Xiao’s hand. I didn’t actually like recalling life in prison—not because of the stain on my record, but because I feared no one understood how the ‘me’ who lost her freedom back then managed to find joy in the bitter times. Fortunately, I had Yu Xiao and a group of cellmates who weren’t bad people.

Yu Xiao sniffled, her voice a bit choked. After a few coughs, she looked at me again. “Feifan, you are a truly good person. Giving and being kind without an agenda always brings unexpected rewards.”

I pulled my hand back, still confused. “But what does this have to do with our past in prison?”

She let out a breath. “Back then, you pestered me every day to sketch what Phoebe looked like. When I finally finished a decent portrait, you were so excited you slept holding it every night. You’d always ask if I was out of paper or pens and tell me to let you know if I needed more.

I used to wonder what a rich girl like you could possibly want from a poor kid like me. Why were you so good to me? Just for a drawing? Later I realized you didn’t want anything except for me to be your friend and talk to you. We had a natural chemistry—whether it was labor or prison performances, we aced it. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the motivation to fight for a sentence reduction.

I was released before you. A lot happened outside, and I’m sorry I never made it back to visit you. It wasn’t until your sentence was up that we caught up at the bar. I often tell Yumeng that I owe You Feifan a massive debt. I felt that if she never asked, I’d never be able to repay it in this lifetime. Now it’s time to pay it back.”

Shedding my playful look, I shook my head. “You don’t need to put that pressure on yourself. I really don’t want anything from you. If we’re being mystical, it’s all fate. Looking out for each other isn’t a one-way street. Besides, we’re friends—we’re supposed to be sincere.”

Yu Xiao pointed at my necklace and confessed. “I was going to tell you this later, but there’s no need to lie. Inside this pendant is an extremely fine device. it has a tracking function, but to protect your privacy, it only activates when used with the matching ring.

The reason the ring is actually two bands joined together—making it wider than normal—is because of what’s inside. That small gemstone can be moved. Turning it ninety degrees to the right activates a recording function that sends data directly to my computer. Turning it ninety degrees to the left activates the power for the pendant’s GPS. Lin Chen will be able to find you based on your location.”

“You guys…”

I was about to speak, but Jian Yumeng interrupted. “You Feifan, I’ll only say this once: Do not lose the necklace or the ring, unless you don’t want to live.”

I stared at the ring in disbelief, trying to twist the gemstone. It really moved. I asked cautiously, “This… must have cost a lot of money?”

Jian Yumeng crossed her arms and held up seven fingers. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Seventy thousand?”

She rolled her eyes. “Seven figures.”

My eyes widened. “You… you guys spent that much on me?!”

Jian Yumeng shook her head with a smile. “The person who insisted on spending the money for the equipment was your ex, Miss Lan. She knows I have connections with some foreign arms dealers. I was the one who introduced the seller. Yu Xiao designed the look. Between the rush order and smuggling it through customs, seven figures is actually cheap. Anyway, one set of equipment and one Lin Chen—your security level is quite high now. But even then, we can’t guarantee you won’t run into trouble.”

Jian Yumeng leaned closer to my ear. “When the other side starts playing dirty and cruel, the ways they’ll play are endless. It’ll be things you could never imagine.”

I fell silent. What kind of chess game was Phoebe playing? I thought I finally had an inkling, but now I was lost again. Jian Yumeng poked my head. “It’s late. We’ll take you home. And we’ll pay a visit to those ‘new friends’ of yours.”

Without allowing a refusal, Yu Xiao and Jian Yumeng put on their coats. I had no choice but to follow them. Lin Chen waited outside, followed me the whole way, and naturally took the keys to act as our driver. We arrived at my complex.

Jian Yumeng started complaining the moment she got out of the car. “You and Yu Xiao are exactly the same—insisting on living in these old complexes. Aren’t you afraid of the crime and grime?”

Yu Xiao took her hand and led the way. “Oh, we ‘literary youths’ are a breath of fresh air. This is called ‘nostalgia’! You wouldn’t understand!”

Jian Yumeng turned to Lin Chen. “Remember the way to Miss You’s house.”

“I have already memorized it.”

After Lin Chen’s concise reply, the four of us climbed the stairs. Lin Chen walked fast without even breaking a sweat. I hurried after him and pointed at the door. “This is it.”

He stood to the side, waiting for us to approach. He glanced down at the doormat, bent over to pick up a cigarette butt, and asked alertly, “This isn’t yours. The filter color is different.”

This guy is too sensitive! I pulled out my keys, unconcerned. “Probably just a neighbor passing by.”

I opened the door and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I took off my shoes and called out, “Qiu Qi? He Mu? I’m back.”

But there was no response. Just as I was about to call again, Lin Chen held up a hand to stop me. He noticed footprints on the floor leading directly to the study. Yu Xiao and Jian Yumeng stopped talking; everyone held their breath. Lin Chen signaled for us to stay in the living room while he headed toward the study alone.

Fortunately, my house isn’t big, so we could hear his movements. The three of us were bold enough that we didn’t stay put. We peeked around the doorframe to watch him. He suddenly raised his leg and kicked the wooden door open, smashing a hole right through it and sending the lock flying to the floor. My heart tightened. Couldn’t he just use his hands? Now I have to buy a new door!