Just a single sentence instantly doused all the cold and gloomy thoughts in Huo Qizheng's mind. Suddenly, he couldn't bear to let her be involved. She should be like a sunflower, growing towards the sun.
Zhu Shuangyao said anxiously, "Will there be any problems? Your memory loss is so serious. What if those with ulterior motives find out..."
"No," Huo Qizheng said firmly. "Don't worry. Although I've lost my memory, I still have a basic understanding of the situation. Don't worry about me."
Zhu Shuangyao pouted, still feeling extremely sad. "Why does everything bad happen to you... You're such a good person..."
On the verge of tears, she said, "What will you do if something happens in the future... You don't even have your memory..."
Her words made Huo Qizheng's heart feel as if it were soaking in warm water, cozy and comfortable. He couldn't help but kiss her forehead and then her cheek, the gestures lingering and gentle.
"It's okay, it's okay," he said, gently stroking Zhu Shuangyao's back. It seemed that he had pressed a certain acupoint because Zhu Shuangyao felt dizzy and her consciousness gradually faded.
After Zhu Shuangyao fell asleep, Huo Qizheng let out a long sigh of relief. He had hypnotized her and sealed this memory.
He couldn't bear the consequences if Zhu Shuangyao found out that he wasn't the real Huo Qizheng of this world. Even though she could comfort him gently now, what about in the future? Would they have conflicts because of this?
He didn't dare to imagine and couldn't afford to lose her. So he hypnotized her. It didn't matter. This memory would be unsealed after she truly fell in love with him.
A gentle smile curved on Huo Qizheng's lips.
Even with his memory loss, Huo Qizheng was still Huo Qizheng. He picked up things quickly. But Zhu Shuangyao was facing a harsh reality.
— She was about to take her final exams!
Zhu Shuangyao threw herself into crazy studying. She spent every day memorizing books, feeling as if she were floating in an ocean of knowledge. Fortunately, the final exams were approaching. After just a few days of memorization, the exams came. After the exams, Zhu Shuangyao felt completely drained and just wanted to go home and have a good sleep.
She declined several invitations and walked towards the school gate alone. But she met an unexpected noblewoman.
— It was one of the noblewomen who had come to cause trouble last time, the one who had given them a thumbs - up.
But today, she wasn't dressed in an extremely luxurious way. Instead, she wore low - key casual clothes. She looked young and had an elegant temperament. At first glance, she looked like a professor in her thirties.
She asked politely, "Hello, Miss Zhu. Do you have some time? I'd like to talk to you about something regarding Pei Ying."
Zhu Shuangyao couldn't hide her surprise. "Are you from the Pei family?"
Cheng Lu was slightly stunned. Didn't Miss Zhu know they were from the Pei family? But she had more important things to say to Zhu Shuangyao, so this doubt flashed through her mind. "Yes. Actually, I'd prefer Pei Ying to come directly."
Zhu Shuangyao said cautiously, "I don't think so. I'll be straight with you. I don't know if you're a good person or a bad one. So I won't take the risk of calling Brother Ying over. How about this? If you have something, I can pass it on to Brother Ying. Whether he comes to see you or not will be up to him."
The implication was that you had to show something substantial. Even bandits needed a token of allegiance when joining a gang. This aunt couldn't expect Brother Pei to help for free without offering anything.
"Naturally," Cheng Lu understood this principle. She had already prepared something, but she couldn't give it to Zhu Shuangyao here. There were too many people around, and it wasn't convenient.
"Let's find a place to talk in detail," Cheng Lu said. "After you, Miss Zhu."
The place Cheng Lu found was a secluded and quiet club. The Cheng family had shares in this club, so it was a very safe place for her. She asked someone to turn off the cameras in the private room and planned to have a detailed talk with Zhu Shuangyao.
After reading Zhu Shuangyao's information, Cheng Lu deeply understood Zhu Shuangyao's importance to Pei Ying. So she thought that building a good relationship with Zhu Shuangyao was the best way. But Ji Xuelan was used to being high - handed and would never condescend to build a good relationship with a junior. She would only forcefully "have a heart - to - heart talk" with the junior, just like she did with Pei Ying.
Cheng Lu took out a USB flash drive from her bag and placed it in the middle of the table. "This is what I'm giving to Pei Ying. I know that since Pei Ying took power, he has always wanted to purge the parasites in the Pei family, but he has never been able to find the evidence against the mastermind behind the scenes. This is what I'm giving him."
Zhu Shuangyao glanced at the USB flash drive on the table but didn't reach out to take it. "Aren't you afraid that I'll go back on my word? And why don't you go directly to Pei Ying instead of coming to me?"
Cheng Lu showed an embarrassed smile. "Because Pei Ying has blocked all of our contact information. He has also changed his phone number and hasn't told us where he lives."
Zhu Shuangyao was stunned. Brother Ying had really gone too far. She had to admit it was... satisfying!
After all, judging from the high - handed attitude of that grandma when she came to see her last time, it was obvious that few people in the Pei family were easy to deal with. Brother Ying had even lied to her before, saying that he was doing well, and he had even dragged his parents into the lie.
She would settle these scores with him later. For now, the most important thing was Cheng Lu.
"Aren't you really afraid that I'll go back on my word after you give me these things?" Zhu Shuangyao finally picked up the USB flash drive and played with it in her hand.
"I'm not afraid," Cheng Lu said firmly. "I've read your information. Although you haven't publicized it, you dared to confront the Gong family for your friends. For an ordinary person, this requires a great deal of courage. I admire you very much. Pei Ying and you grew up together. I don't think your friendship with him is less important than that with your friends."
This person was really decisive and firm. Zhu Shuangyao silently admired her in her heart. She asked, "What do you need Brother Ying to do for you?"
This meant that she had agreed to cooperate. Cheng Lu felt relieved. She knew that Pei Ying cared a lot about Zhu Shuangyao. As long as Zhu Shuangyao stepped in, Pei Ying would definitely agree.
Cheng Lu closed her eyes and recalled last night's scene. She had been scolded by her mother - in - law, while Pei Feng had impatiently walked upstairs. Her two children knew how to comfort her in private, but then they went to curry favor with their grandmother.
When she saw her children being cold to her but warmly massaging their grandmother's back behind her back, the last bit of warmth in her heart was cut off. It turned out that they weren't introverted. They just didn't talk much to her.
The light in her eyes was as bright as stars. "I hope... Pei Ying can help me get a divorce and help me leave the Pei family. For the sake of these things and for the sake of the help I gave his mother back then."
Zhu Shuangyao stood up and put the USB flash drive in a hidden place. "I'll tell him for you, but I don't know if he'll agree. I'm just a messenger."
Cheng Lu smiled. "I understand. Thank you. You're a good person."
"Don't be so quick to praise me. If things don't turn out as you expected, you might resent me," Zhu Shuangyao joked.
But Cheng Lu said seriously, "Don't worry. I won't resent you."
Over the years, because the Pei family was so powerful, the Cheng family had been suppressed. She had married into the Pei family because of the sweetness of love, but now she had tasted the bitter fruit of love.
She had suppressed her true nature day after day, faced the oppression of her mother - in - law, the coldness of her husband, and the blame of her children. She was tired.
She didn't have the courage to give up everything like Guan Xue and disappear under a new identity. She envied her. If it weren't for Pei Huan restricting Ji Xuelan's actions in recent years, all of Guan Xue's resentment after leaving would probably have been vented on her, and she would have collapsed even earlier.
It was only when Pei Ying appeared that she saw a glimmer of hope. Pei Ying was different from Pei Huan. He had no affection for Ji Xuelan. He only respected the elderly. Once someone touched his bottom line, he wouldn't show any mercy.
So she gave all the evidence to Pei Ying, just for a chance, a chance to leave the Pei family without any worries.
Cheng Lu then said seriously, "Whether it succeeds or not, I'm very grateful to you." At least you're willing to help me. That's enough.
Zhu Shuangyao was silent for a while. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bottom - left corner of the private room and let out a soft laugh. "Then wait for good news. I'll leave first."
She left.
Soon, a tall figure sneaked into the private room. As soon as he entered, he asked nervously, "Did she agree? Do you think it will succeed?"
Cheng Lu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Brother, didn't you hear? She did agree. We just don't know if it will succeed."
Cheng Qian comforted his sister. "Don't worry. It will definitely succeed. Girls of her age are the softest - hearted. In my opinion, you could have just played the victim. Why did you have to give her the evidence you painstakingly collected?"
Cheng Lu shook her head. Although she had wasted her time in the inner courtyard over the years and all she saw were trivial matters, the high - level of the Pei family had greatly broadened her horizons. She always knew that she couldn't underestimate anyone.
Cheng Lu said helplessly, "She should have noticed the recording pen you set up. She just didn't say anything."
"You're kidding," Cheng Qian didn't quite believe it. But since Cheng Lu rarely misjudged people, he didn't refute. He just said, "I hope you can successfully get out of the Pei family this time. If it still doesn't work, I'll sell the company, the house, and the cars and take you, Mom, Dad, and Sister - in - law to live in another city."
No matter how powerful the Pei family was, they couldn't reach across the whole country, right?
Cheng Lu became even more helpless. "Won't Sister - in - law have any objections?"
"No," Cheng Qian waved his hand. "I've discussed it with your sister - in - law. I'll go to her family and become a son - in - law living with his wife's family. She's very happy about it."
Cheng Lu burst out laughing. This silly brother. Seeing Cheng Lu laughing, Cheng Qian's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He then cracked a few jokes to make her laugh even more.
On the other hand, after Zhu Shuangyao left the private room, she met an acquaintance when she was going downstairs.
"Shen Zhong, what are you doing here?"