Hao Zhibin felt extremely guilty. "I accidentally broke it on my way here. I know that doll is very precious to you, but... I really don't know how to compensate you. You can punish me if you want."
"I'm willing to do any rough work, but I'm really short of money."
An Ruo blinked her eyes and burst out laughing.
This left both him and Ruo Chi utterly confused.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Ximan and Bo Jingyu got up and rushed over.
"What's going on?"
"Second Master, I picked him up," Ruo Chi said seriously.
"… Did I ask you to pick up a stranger when I told you to go out and buy something?"
Bo Jingyu knew that Ruo Chi might do some strange things, but he never expected him to go so far as to bring back a complete stranger.
What if this person was a spy sent by Bo Siming?
Or what if he was sent by another company with malicious intent?
"Don't worry. He's from the countryside and not very bright," Ruo Chi explained, gesturing with his hands. "Just now he even called me 'comrade'!"
Bo Jingyu fell silent, his face looking as dark as a thundercloud.
"Are all the things bought? Let's go home with me," Shen Ximan said impatiently. She was tired of wasting time here and reached out to pull An Ruo's hand to leave.
"No, no! I want to play some more!" An Ruo wasn't going to let go of this perfect opportunity to get her brother and sister back together.
"Are you being a naughty girl?" Shen Ximan's eyes were sharp, and there was no sign of coaxing in her tone.
An Ruo immediately pouted, on the verge of crying.
"Why are you scolding the child?" Bo Jingyu couldn't stand it anymore.
"What does it matter to you? She has the surname Shen, not Bo."
Ruo Chi and Hao Zhibin exchanged a look and subconsciously took a step back. It was better not to get involved in this high - level confrontation.
"It has nothing to do with her surname. An Ruo just recovered from a fever. What's wrong with her wanting to play freely for a while? Aunt Yang is here to watch over her. She won't get hurt."
Bo Jingyu just couldn't stand Shen Ximan scolding the child like that, especially that fierce look in her eyes.
Shen Ximan laughed. "What, are you trying to teach me now?"
"How I discipline her is my right as an elder sister!"
With that, she forcibly pulled An Ruo's hand and tried to leave. She felt extremely uncomfortable staying in this place for even a second longer.
"Woohoo, I don't want to go back. I don't!"
An Ruo sobbed and shed tears, resisting and refusing to move.
"Are you being obedient or not?"
Shen Ximan never thought her younger sister could be so stubborn before.
But here she was, throwing a tantrum.
"Enough!" Bo Jingyu stepped forward and grabbed Shen Ximan's wrist. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. "Why are you forcing her if she doesn't want to go?"
"Her arms and legs are so small. Can she withstand your forceful tugging?"
Everyone knew what was going on with Bo Jingyu's protective behavior, except Hao Zhibin, who was still in the dark and confused.
Since An Ruo was rescued from the Shen family, Bo Jingyu and Shen Ximan had been carefully teaching and guiding her out of the darkness and into the light.
A child's feelings are simple. She will remember deeply those who are kind to her and often play with her.
To An Ruo, Bo Jingyu was like a real brother.
And he never treated An Ruo as an outsider.
If it weren't for the matter of the old Master Bo, the three of them should have been the happiest people, instead of being torn apart like now, regarding each other as enemies and fighting openly and secretly.
"An Ruo, this is Bo Jingyu's territory. It's not a place where you can be willful. Think about it carefully," Shen Ximan said softly. She knew her attitude had been too extreme just now, so she tried to calm down and be patient.
This blatant act of ignoring him made Bo Jingyu feel a bit frustrated.
Didn't she even want to reply to him anymore?
She wasn't like this before.
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have disobeyed my sister," An Ruo said. Although she was only five years old, she had her own thoughts.
Rather than forcing her brother and sister back together, she hoped her sister would be happy.
During the period when her sister broke up with her brother, she was obviously depressed all day long. Even when she saw An Ruo, her smile was so forced.
That memory tortured her.
An Ruo didn't want to see her sister in such a decadent state again.
She looked up with red - rimmed eyes and said, "Brother, I'll come to play with you next time. It's already tiring for my sister to take care of me."
Bo Jingyu felt a pang of sadness. It was really thoughtless of them to let such a young child worry about their affairs. He also had his own faults.
"Call me when you want to come and play next time."
"Okay!"
Standing at the villa's main gate, watching the shadow of that limited - edition car drive away in the distance, his heart was like a soy - sauce bottle that had been knocked over, filled with mixed emotions.
"Explain this to me clearly," Bo Jingyu turned around and seriously sized up the two people behind him.
Ruo Chi quickly recounted what had just happened.
"Are you telling the truth? You're not adding your own feelings?"
"True! Absolutely true!" Hao Zhibin said straightforwardly to prove himself.
"Do you have a way to get the evidence out of the police station?" Bo Jingyu asked tentatively.
If this man in front of him said no, he wouldn't consider using him. After all, this simple - minded man might betray him at any time.
"I can do it," Hao Zhibin said hesitantly. "But you have to find me a job."
"You're getting too greedy!" Ruo Chi was furious. "You haven't even compensated for the damage, and you're already trying to blackmail the Second Master into finding you a job?
"Do you think you're the emperor and have made such great contributions?"
"If you don't find me a job, why should I do this for free?" Hao Zhibin rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's such a risky task. If I fail, I'll admit my bad luck. If I succeed, shouldn't it offset the compensation? I'm a simple man, but I'm not stupid!"
"If you can do it, I'll find you a job," Bo Jingyu said boldly, looking at him with a sneer.
"I want to be his team leader!" Hao Zhibin said, pointing at Ruo Chi without any hesitation. He had a strong sense of hatred.
"You? Be my team leader?"
Ruo Chi thought it was the biggest joke he had ever heard. He stared at Hao Zhibin in disbelief.
"What? I was a team leader in the police station. If it weren't for Bo Siming, I wouldn't have been kicked out."
This arrogant man in front of him needed to be disciplined.
Bo Jingyu didn't like people who were overly self - confident.
Volunteering was a good thing, but rushing forward blindly was stupid.
He had been set up by Bo Siming and still thought he was right. That was his biggest flaw.
"Ruo Chi and Qian Li have been with me for many years. They're from the elite forces. Their words are mine," Bo Jingyu said coldly. "If you want to be their team leader, show me your skills. If you're just talking big, I can kick you out of Yancheng at any time."
He squinted his eyes. "Reflect on your words and actions. Prepare the car."