Chapter 38 - 38: The Most Vivid Memories
Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Most Vivid Memories
After all, he had had an affair.
But this woman was as stubborn as a mule, and softening up was harder than taking her life!
Li Lingyang left in anger, and Ning Yichu didn’t even know how she returned to the private room.
“Sister Ning, are you okay? Why is your face so red?” Xiao Ai, her assistant, asked with concern.
“My face gets red when I drink too much; it’ll be fine in a bit.”
“Sister Ning, shall we sing a song together?” A shy male designer handed her a microphone and selected a love song from the last century on the screen.
Ning Yichu sang the entire song absentmindedly but ended up giving it a unique flavor, earning applause and praises for both her beauty and sweet voice.
The noisy party finally ended, and Ning Yichu called for the waiter to settle the bill.
However, the waiter said, “Lady Ning, your bill has already been taken care of.”
Ning Yichu was stunned, looking at her colleagues with confusion.
Everyone denied it in succession.
Ning Yichu asked the waiter, “Who paid for it?”
The waiter checked the billing records and told the truth, “We can’t see the specific person; the bill was put on the boss’s account.”
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǤο.ᴄο
The club was owned by Mu Bailang—could it be Li Lingyang?
Deelia didn’t speak Chinese very well, but upon hearing the word “boss,” her gaze toward Ning Yichu filled with even more jealousy.
The Jiangnan Club was a renowned high-end club in Imperial City frequented by many celebrities and tycoons.
Without some connections, it would have folded a long time ago—how could she know such wealthy people?
After leaving the club, Ning Yichu sent a text message to Li Lingyang, “Send me your bank card number.”
The bill given to her by the waiter showed a total of over three thousand nine hundred, and she knew that Li Lingyang wouldn’t care about a few thousand, but she didn’t want to owe him anything.
Five years ago, in her most difficult times, she hadn’t taken his money, let alone now.
“I don’t have my card on me, and I don’t remember the number,” came a quick reply.
Ning Yichu, “You must have an Alipay or WeChat, right?”
Li Lingyang, seeing that the woman was determined to maintain a boundary between them, sent her a string of gibberish.
It looked familiar to Ning Yichu; when Li Lingyang added her as a friend, his WeChat ID was the same. She searched and added it, then transferred four thousand yuan directly.
“Hahaha, Xiao Chuchu is too damn adorable; she doesn’t owe you a single fen. Why do all the women I meet want me to spend money?” Mu Bailang, who loved to fuel the fire, chortled.
“Shallow.”
“I agree, those women are shallow, but what can I do? My charm is too great; they just cling to me…”
Li Lingyang threw him a look of disdain, “I meant you’re shallow.”
“… Damn.”
Li Lingyang opened Ning Yichu’s Moments.
The latest post was from tonight’s team dinner.
The lighting in the private room was dim, but amongst the crowd, she seemed the brightest, his mind suddenly drifting, remembering the night many years ago when he and Ning Yichu first slept together.
That day was also a party hosted by Granny Li, intended both to matchmake him and Ning Yichu and to declare to Shen Jiangqing that she wasn’t worthy of entering the Li Family.
Waking from a drunken stupor, he had found Ning Yichu lying beside him, unwilling to believe it at first.
Because he had seen Ning Yichu several times before that day.
There was her, with a ponytail, sitting at the roadside slurping Biang Biang noodles, her in a uniform working at a restaurant, and her enthusiastically involved in charitable work helping disabled children…
She was youthful, unpretentious, and warm toward everyone.
When he heard she had assisted Granny Li, he even considered consulting a psychiatrist to treat her mother, but from that night on when she had schemed against him, everything changed.
The phone suddenly rang; it was Shen Jiangqing.
Li Lingyang’s eyes darkened, and he silenced the phone and pocketed it before settling the bill and leaving.
The chauffeur asked, “President Li, shall we go back to Beiji Long Bay?”
Feeling irritable, Li Lingyang said, “I’ve drunk quite a bit; drive along the river for a while.”
“Alright.” The driver took the car to Yanjiang Road, unwittingly covering seven or eight kilometers until they reached the back of a university.
Approaching the curfew time, students were returning to the campus in droves. Li Lingyang watched the brilliantly lit campus, his expression somewhat dazed, as if he had seen Ning Yichu enjoying Biang Biang noodles there several times, savoring them as if they were the best food in the world.
He got out of the car and walked straight to a small noodle stall by the campus gate.
The stall owner was about to close up but was surprised to see a man in a suit, asking, “Hello, what would you like to eat?”
“Biang Biang noodles.”
“Would you like them to go, or will you eat here?”
“Here will be fine.”
The chauffeur didn’t dare ask if President Li hadn’t had his fill, simply waiting in the car.
This shop was run by a couple; as the wife was tidying up other tables, she asked, “Young man, you look familiar. Were you a student at Imperial University before?”
Li Lingyang glanced at her and heard her say in confusion, “You look just like that outstanding alumnus from the university, Li… Li Lingyang?”
Li Lingyang had donated money to the university a few years back, and his name was placed among the outstanding alumni. He said evenly, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else; I live nearby and just wanted to try the taste.”
“Oh, I see. I apologize for my confusion; right, Mr. Li is a big boss; why would he come to eat at our small roadside stall…”
Beiji Long Bay.
Shen Jiangqing’s call went unanswered, prompting a frown.
The company people said he had left work; why wasn’t he taking her calls?
Could he have gone to see that child?
Just then, she heard voices outside the door. She walked quickly out, only to see Li Lingyang had returned, holding a small box in his hand.
“Aling, where have you been so late, and why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Mu Bailang has a new project; we discussed a collaboration,” Li Lingyang said simply.
Shen Jiangqing smiled, seemingly surprised to notice the box in his hand, “What’s that?”
“Biang Biang noodles. I had a bowl on the roadside and thought they were quite good, so I packed some for you.” Li Lingyang placed the box on the coffee table; the noodles and toppings were entirely separate, but the packaging was quite plain.
A flicker of distaste crossed Shen Jiangqing’s eyes as she bit her lip and said, “But I’m on a diet these past few days and don’t plan on having supper. Besides, such roadside stalls might not be sanitary, and my heart isn’t good; I probably can’t enjoy it.”
Li Lingyang merely grunted, showing no additional reaction.
“Just give it to Nanny He then, I remember she likes this flavor.”
Shen Jiangqing chuckled, “You’re such a considerate boss.”
Li Lingyang’s lips pursed as he watched her flawless smile. Without saying a word, he handed his coat to the servants and went upstairs to wash.
Shen Jiangqing’s family background was quite ordinary before she and he got together, and most of the places they frequented were street stalls…
…
Two days later.
Granny Li held a business card and arrived at the foot of Beiji Building.