CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: LESS TROUBLE IS BETTER THAN MORE

Ling Ruixian didn’t come out of the back kitchen until who knows how long later.

His clothes were spotless, suggesting he hadn’t been here for long.

Seeing Gu Ningyue at the door, he gave a peculiar smile and asked, "Sober now?"

Gu Ningyue nodded at Lin Ruixian, "What’s happened to your restaurant? Was it robbed?"

It was fine yesterday; how come today even the tables are all over the place?

"You should ask your ex-boyfriend about this," Lin Ruixian said casually, "Miss Gu, you’re going to have to pay for the damages, you know!"

Gu Ningyue frowned as she looked around the place, "He found out you were running a restaurant here rather quickly; seems he was quite upset about what you did yesterday!"

Lin Ruixian shrugged, "Who knows! Ah Yan said he’d bring people over around eight or nine o’clock; he seems quite interested in our relationship. Unfortunately, I wasn’t here this morning, so he wasted his time and ended up smashing up the place."

Gu Ningyue was a bit surprised; was Ye Mingchen acting like a mad dog?

First he goes after Shen Hanyin, and then he comes to bother Lin Ruixian?

Moreover, he personally brought people along.

"How much? I’ll transfer it to you." Gu Ningyue took out her phone and directly transferred fifty thousand yuan: "Is this enough?"

Lin Ruixian’s lips curved slightly, "Miss Gu is truly generous."

Gu Ningyue returned the smile, "It’s only right."

With the restaurant in such a state, neither of them could stay there long, so they found a nearby café, where Gu Ningyue asked, "What did you mean by ’good partnership’ yesterday?"

The question had lingered in her mind throughout the night.

Lin Ruixian stirred his coffee, his voice calm and composed, "Since we’ve started collaborating, of course we’re partners. Your question is a bit odd."

Gu Ningyue’s brow furrowed and then relaxed; was it really that simple? She was somewhat skeptical.

Still, since he had put it that way, pursuing the matter further would indeed seem strange.

"Just a casual question, don’t worry about it." Gu Ningyue took a sip of her coffee: "I heard you’re having dinner with my fiancé the day after tomorrow?"

Lin Ruixian nodded, "Mr. Qi told you?"

Ling Tianyou even mentioned such a trivial matter to Gu Ningyue; he must really care about her!

"Yes." Gu Ningyue got straight to the point, "Can this dinner be canceled? I really don’t want you to have any contact."

Of course, this time, it was to protect Ling Tianyou.

"Why?" Lin Ruixian looked into Gu Ningyue’s eyes, "Are you afraid? Hm?"

Gu Ningyue paused as she fiddled with her coffee cup, then candidly replied in the next second, "Yes! I know your status, the little master of the Lin Family. I’m afraid of what might happen if you have dinner with Ling Tianyou."

Lin Ruixian flicked the side of his coffee cup, producing a crisp sound, "Oh? Since you already know who I am, when you approached me, you should have considered this connection, shouldn’t you?"

Gu Ningyue chuckled, "Back then I thought you wouldn’t go near Ling Tianyou. It was between us; you’re not one to seek trouble, aren’t you?"

"Nobody in this world truly likes trouble," Lin Ruixian said leisurely, "Rest assured, I’m not interested in family affairs, nor in old grudges. Miss Gu, you can be at ease; I’m merely curious about President Ling and wish to befriend him!"

Gu Ningyue looked at Lin Ruixian with some disbelief, "Really? Can you promise not to meddle in business matters either?"

Lin Ruixian nodded, "I promise. If you’re worried, you can add a clause in the contract."

Hearing him say that eased some of the weight off Gu Ningyue’s mind.

"Dingdong—"

Gu Ningyue swiped open her phone and saw another message from Shen Hanyin, her brow furrowing deeply.

Looks like there’s something to deal with tonight.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Ruixian asked as he looked at Gu Ningyue, "Why do you look so upset?"

Gu Ningyue shook her head, "It’s nothing. There’s some trouble with a friend. I have to go now, expect my call."

"Alright. Ready anytime!" Lin Ruixian made a gesture, his clean and handsome face animated and striking.

Driving to Shen Hanyin’s theatre troupe, she heard faint sobbing as soon as she entered the backstage.

A few young girls of striking beauty were softly comforting someone sitting on a chair in the middle. Gu Ningyue gleaned from their words what had occurred.

"Han Yin, how are you?" Gu Ningyue asked as she approached.

Others turned to glance at her, roughly aware of her relationship with Shen Hanyin, and made room for her.

Shen Hanyin lifted her tear-stained eyes, her voice hoarse from crying, "There was a snake; I don’t know who put it in my wardrobe. Luckily, the stage manager came in time, or I would have been entangled by that snake..."

Thinking about the scene just now, Shen Hanyin shivered.

"How can there be snakes in the backstage? Someone must have deliberately put it there," someone said angrily, "The leader said they will thoroughly investigate the matter and won’t let the perpetrator off."

"Yes! The stage manager said it seemed to be a poisonous snake, with a triangular head, very frightening."

Shen Hanyin shook her head, "So many people come and go backstage, where could they investigate? Ultimately, it would only create panic, nothing more than inviting resentment."

Where there are people, there’s intrigue; everyone seems to get along on the surface, but beneath, tensions are simmering.

Shen Hanyin was already tired of these things; avoiding trouble is better than confronting it.

She’s endured this incident, and that could count as an outcome.

But she’s not resigned...

"It’s unacceptable." Gu Ningyue, understanding Shen Hanyin the best, knew exactly what she was pondering: "This time it was a poisonous snake; who knows what it will be next? If it bites you, would you expect these beasts to pay with their lives? Your parents would be devastated!"

Gu Ningyue’s words left Shen Hanyin stunned in her chair. Indeed! If something happened to her, what about her parents?

"But..." Shen Hanyin hesitated for a long time, still somewhat uncertain, "Even if investigated, who would admit? The evidence might have already been wiped clean."

Half an hour had passed since the incident; if it was someone from the troupe, they wouldn’t have waited for them to investigate.

Gu Ningyue shook her head: "Don’t worry, I have a way."

Shen Hanyin asked her, "What way?"

Gu Ningyue whispered a plan in her ear, and a glimmer of light flashed in Shen Hanyin’s eyes, "Alright, then take care! Don’t be reckless."

"Alright." Gu Ningyue reached out to move Shen Hanyin’s long hair to one side, "You should get on stage soon, go wash your face and redo your makeup! Leave this to me."

Shen Hanyin nodded and got up to freshen up and reapply her makeup.