Chapter 25: The Beautiful Sister Yan

On the extended road of fragrant Tea Mountain, the speed of the Z4 finally eased down to around a hundred kilometers per hour. Just moments before, the car had been flying down the road at nearly two hundred and eighty, giving Li Ruo her first real taste of life at the edge, the thrill of racing at its very limits. She found it almost unbelievable—this man beside her, who seemed so unassuming, just a simple bodyguard, could drive with such astonishing skill.

“Hey... where did you learn to drive like that?” Li Ruo pursed her red lips, curiosity piqued.

“Do you really want to know?” Ye Chen’s lips curled with a half-smile. The night air was intoxicating, and with a beautiful woman and a sleek car for company, Ye Chen couldn’t help but feel a touch of self-satisfaction. He slowly pulled the car to the side of the road, stepped out, and opened the door.

“What are you doing?” Li Ruo was startled to see his hand move to his waistband. Was he... Her heart raced in alarm—could this jerk be up to no good? She clenched her fists, ready to defend herself if he tried anything. But to her surprise, Ye Chen simply walked to the roadside, unzipped, and began to relieve himself, whistling as he did. Li Ruo’s mind reeled with indignation; she was on the verge of cursing him out.

“Lightening the load!” Ye Chen shook himself off, grinned back at her, and said, “Honestly, I don’t even know where I learned to drive like that. It’s just... there, in my head.”

“So... what did you do before this?” Li Ruo couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity mounting.

Ye Chen got back into the car and drove at a more measured pace as they passed through the outskirts and into the city proper. Driving too fast here would only invite disaster. He glanced at Li Ruo and said, “I really don’t know. Ever since I woke up two years ago at the bottom of a cliff, I’ve got no memory of anything before that.”

“You... you lost your memory?!” Li Ruo stared at him, shocked.

“You could say that.” Ye Chen nodded. “There are still a few fragments, though.”

“Fragments of what?” Li Ruo pressed, her natural talent for gossip coming to the fore. Especially when faced with a man as enigmatic as Ye Chen, she felt an irresistible urge to uncover the truth. Her large eyes sparkled with anticipation as she leaned in. “Tell me, quick!”

“The memories are all jumbled. I remember being chased by a group of men in black, and somehow falling off a cliff. There’s also a girl—she was really beautiful, a mischievous smile, that kind of charm. That’s all I’ve got,” Ye Chen replied, shaking his head.

Li Ruo blinked her big, playful eyes, tilting her head as if trying to judge whether he was telling the truth. She looked at Ye Chen and asked, “So... what have you been doing these past two years?”

“That’s a secret!” Ye Chen grinned. “But I’ve only been in Jianghuai City for half a year.”

“Not even to me?” Li Ruo frowned, clearly displeased.

“Of course not,” Ye Chen said, focusing on the road. Seeing he wouldn’t answer, Li Ruo shook her little fist at him out of frustration, wishing she could give him a beating. But she knew she was no match for Ye Chen, even with her red belt in Taekwondo.

The silence stretched as the car drew up to Tianya Group.

“The night’s just beginning. How about... we go to a bar?” Li Ruo flashed him a seductive smile.

“Whatever you say,” Ye Chen shrugged. “Which bar do you want to go to?”

“There’s a place ahead—Nightfall Bar, it’s pretty good!” Li Ruo pointed to an intersection up ahead. “Turn right, past the Walmart, a few hundred meters.”

Ye Chen didn’t reply. After all, being invited by a beautiful woman, with the promise of free food and drink, was good enough for him. It was only a ten-minute drive before they arrived. Nightfall Bar was one of the most well-known in Jianghuai City. Bars usually had a reputation for being connected to gangs, drugs, and sleaze, but Nightfall was different—a clean lotus rising from the mud. No wonder Li Ruo liked it; a beautiful, accomplished woman needed somewhere safe.

“We’re here!” Li Ruo unfastened her seatbelt, hopped out, twisted her slim waist playfully, shot Ye Chen a look, and said, “This is the place!”

“Let’s go in.” Ye Chen, dressed in dark security pants and a cheap white shirt, his hair tousled, managed to look somewhat dashing—in anyone’s eyes but Li Ruo’s. In Jianghuai City, the men pursuing her could fill a battalion, and most were men of status and wealth.

Ye Chen handed the keys to a stunned security guard, who recognized Li Ruo—the CEO of Tianya Group, and a regular at Nightfall. But tonight, she’d brought a man. No wonder the guard was surprised.

Li Ruo, eyes twinkling, took Ye Chen’s arm and led him inside. The bar wasn’t the chaotic mess he’d expected; the atmosphere was surprisingly tranquil, a testament to its class. Even the mood here set it apart.

“President Li? You’re here?” A flamboyant woman approached, lips painted a deep red, her smoky eye makeup almost too much for Ye Chen to bear. She sized him up curiously and teased, “So, you’ve brought a little boyfriend tonight?”

“Heh, Sister Yan, this is my... friend!” Li Ruo quickly changed her words, recalling what Ye Chen had said up in Tea Mountain. “The usual—one bottle of vodka, with ice.”

“Got it.” Sister Yan gave Ye Chen another appraising glance, as if wanting to see right through him.

“This place is really quiet,” Ye Chen said to Li Ruo.

“Of course,” Li Ruo smiled. “That’s because Sister Yan is here. In this city, everyone gives her respect.”

“Why’s that?” Ye Chen was surprised. “Is she that well-connected?”

“I don’t really know,” Li Ruo whispered as she led Ye Chen to a booth, setting her petite LV bag aside. Judging by the refined air and attire of the patrons, these were all influential figures in Jianghuai. As Sister Yan walked away, Li Ruo leaned in and murmured, “There are rumors about her. Supposedly, she’s the mistress of the provincial party secretary. But who knows if that’s true.”

So that was it.

Ye Chen couldn’t help but believe it. The woman was around twenty-eight, with a striking figure and a daring dress that left little to the imagination. She carried a tray with a bottle of vodka, two sparkling glasses, and a small bucket of ice.

“Xiao Ruo, you’re looking more beautiful every time I see you!” Sister Yan sat down beside them, smiling.

“How could I compare to you, Sister Yan?” Li Ruo replied demurely. “Everyone knows you’re the flower of Jianghuai.”

“Oh, I’m getting old,” Sister Yan sighed, her gaze falling on Ye Chen. “Is this handsome young man your boyfriend?”

Pfft—

Li Ruo had just taken a sip of vodka and burst out laughing at Sister Yan’s words. “Do I look like I have such poor taste? Please, don’t tease me!”

“Nonsense,” Sister Yan said, eyeing Ye Chen. “He’s not bad. Clean him up a bit and he’d be a real heartthrob.”

Ye Chen sat there feeling utterly awkward, ignored by the two women as they chatted. He wanted nothing more than to storm out, but forced himself to stay for the sake of appearances.

“All right, you young people enjoy yourselves. I’ll go greet my guests,” Sister Yan said, handing Ye Chen a business card. “Handsome, if you need anything, come to me. Maybe I can help.”

Ye Chen accepted the card in a daze. Sister Yan walked away, leaving even Li Ruo wide-eyed with disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Sister Yan’s card isn’t something just anyone can get. It’s like a talisman in this city.”

“Uh... I didn’t do anything,” Ye Chen replied, baffled.

“Then why did she give you her card?” Li Ruo stared in astonishment.

Ye Chen looked at the gold-embossed card. On it were just two characters: Yun Yan. That must be her real name. Even he found it hard to believe. He shook his head and joked, “Well, if I scrape off the gold, it’d probably sell for a few hundred bucks.”

“Idiot, Sister Yan’s business card is solid gold!” Li Ruo scolded. “You have any idea what that card means? It means she owes you a favor—she’ll help you once, for free!”

“I don’t need anyone’s help,” Ye Chen shrugged.

“In that case, forget I said anything. Cheers!” Li Ruo raised her glass, and they clinked them together.

Before they knew it, half a bottle was gone.

“Hey, you brat, why didn’t you come to my company?” Li Ruo was tipsy, her cheeks glowing with a delicate blush that made her look irresistibly adorable.

“You tricked me,” Ye Chen replied, unaffected by the alcohol, drinking it like water.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Li Ruo gave him a pitiful look. “Can you really leave me without protection? You don’t know—last time I was at the factory, a man in black rushed out of the crowd and fired at me. I was nearly scared to death. If you’d been there, maybe it wouldn’t have happened.”

Ye Chen understood now. It was probably that incident that led him to the bodyguard recruitment fair in the first place. Raising his glass, he said, “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone even better than me.”

“No way, you have to promise to come back!” Li Ruo’s eyes sparkled intensely. “If you don’t, I’ll sue you. You signed a contract, remember? It clearly states that after your probation, you’re a full employee, and you can’t resign until three months after confirmation, or Tianya Group can claim compensation.”

“What? That’s outrageous!” Ye Chen was stunned.

“Hmph.” Li Ruo pressed her lips together.

“All right, you win.” Ye Chen gritted his teeth. “I’ll come back, but my salary has to be at least ten thousand a month!”

“You jerk!” Li Ruo glared at him. “That’s robbery. A security guard only gets two thousand a month. For ten thousand, I could hire five handsome bodyguards to follow me everywhere. You’re not even good-looking, have no class, and you’re so demanding!”

“Then go hire five guards,” Ye Chen said with a grin.

“Damn it, trying to outsmart me? Fine, ten thousand it is!” Li Ruo smiled secretly to herself. Once she got him back into the company, she’d have plenty of ways to deal with him—she’d make him clean the restrooms every day, even the ladies’ room. But, of course, she would never actually do that.

[End of chapter.]