Searching for Treasures in the Clouds

Chapter 414 Li Shuangshuang

His voice drew the attention of everyone else who was traveling with Yu Ru.

Seeing that they were all looking over, Zhang Jingxiang decided to greet them first, "Excuse me, everyone, I'm an old friend of Master Yu. I haven't seen her in a long time, so I'm a bit presumptuous."

Yun Jixing and Xi Yizai smiled at him without saying much. Jun Wuxia nodded and smiled at him, and seeing that Yu Ru did not seem to dislike him, she said, "Xiao Ru, since you are old friends, why don't you catch up? There are two seats here, why don't you sit here? It's crowded and hot in other places, you'll be more comfortable here."

Yu Ru nodded, stood up, moved her chair to sit down next to Yun Jixing, and then looked at Zhang Jingxiang, pointing to an empty seat next to Jiang Zaizhou, indicating that he should sit down. Zhang Jingxiang understood, sat down, and pulled his girlfriend to sit down as well. Unexpectedly, Yu Ru suddenly spoke up, "That seat is taken."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Yu Ru. Zhang Jingxiang looked somewhat embarrassed. "Master Yu, then my girlfriend can sit in my seat, I'll just stand."

"You sit down. Your girlfriend is standing. I don't want her to sit at the same table as me," Yu Ru said expressionlessly, her tone flat, revealing neither her like nor dislike. But all her words combined indicated that she harbored great hostility towards Zhang Jingxiang's girlfriend.

Because of Yu Ru's unusual behavior, Yun Jixing took a closer look at the woman beside Zhang Jingxiang. He then realized that this woman was Yu Ru's high school classmate and one of the bullies who had bullied her. Currently, the only remaining targets for revenge are Li Shuangshuang and Deng Huairou. Li Shuangshuang comes from a well-off family; they sell tea and have a considerable business, controlling the entire tea plantation industry in Nancheng. They've even transformed one of their small towns into a famous tea-producing region, attracting many tourists every year.

Yun Jixing hasn't retaliated against her yet not only because her family has significant business connections, but also because they genuinely contribute to the local economy and maintain close ties with the local government. Although the Yun family wields some influence with national leaders and is one of the top families in the province, few dare to directly confront them. However, if someone provokes them, their social responsibilities mean they can't act as arbitrarily as other powerful business tycoons.

The most difficult cases involve mid-level local officials with powerful connections. Their relationships are too extensive, and being from out of town, their reach is limited by distance, preventing them from achieving absolute control. He could easily bankrupt Li Shuangshuang's family and incur debt, but that would cause many workers to lose their jobs, which is the main reason he hasn't acted yet. Furthermore, Li Shuangshuang went abroad after graduating high school and only returned to China this June, making her whereabouts uncertain and difficult to target. Yu Ru feels the same way; she can't bear to see workers lose their jobs, nor does she want to make things too easy for her by shooting her, which is why she hasn't targeted Li Shuangshuang yet.

Yu Ru's actions caused Li Shuangshuang to clench one hand tightly, her nails almost piercing her skin. Before entering, Zhang Jingxiang had told her that everyone who came here was either rich or powerful, and that she should avoid causing trouble and instead focus on maintaining harmony. Therefore, she maintained a polite smile and said to Zhang Jingxiang, "Jingxiang, it's alright, please sit down. I'll stand. My back is a little sore from sitting for so long, so I'd like to stretch my legs."

After Zhang Jingxiang sat down, he belatedly realized that Yu Ru could speak, so he asked, "Master Yu, is your aphasia cured?"

Yu Ru nodded. Originally, she had wanted to remain mute to avoid answering questions she didn't want to answer. However, at today's gathering, she found herself surrounded by many unpleasant people. Sigh, she felt an urge to curse at those she disliked, and it would be unbearable if she couldn't. After much thought, she decided to stop being mute.

For example, giving Li Shuangshuang a good scolding is something she really wants to do right now. However, she's not that reckless as to start swearing here. Of course, her current behavior isn't exactly generous either.

Her gaze lingered on Li Shuangshuang, observing her sullen displeasure yet powerless expression, which pleased her. The slight upturn of her lips was quickly suppressed as she looked at Zhang Jingxiang seriously and asked, "Is this your girlfriend?"

Zhang Jingxiang nodded. "Yes, Master Yu, we're planning to have our engagement banquet. I wonder if you'd be free?" He took out an invitation from a small bag and handed it to her, saying, "Master Yu, this is the invitation. If you're available, I sincerely hope you can grace us with your presence."

Yu Ru picked up the invitation, glanced at it briefly, and then closed it again. "How many invitations have you sent out?"

"This is the first one."

"Oh." Yu Ru picked up the bag beside her, opened it, and put the invitations into her own bag. "Don't send the rest. If you can't hold your engagement party, sending them out will only embarrass you."

Zhang Jingxiang and Li Shuangshuang's expressions changed. Li Shuangshuang said angrily, "Master Yu, this is our first meeting today, why are you targeting me like this? Jingxiang and I have worked so hard to get engaged, why are you cursing us to break up?"

"For no reason." Yu Ru beckoned to Yan Ziyuan, and had them forcibly pull Li Shuangshuang aside.

Zhang Jingxiang glanced at her with concern, then looked at Yu Ru with a complicated expression and asked, "Master Yu, is this... did you know Shuangshuang before?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Zaizhou returned. Noticing the new person at the table, he glanced at Zhang Jingxiang, sat down in his seat, and then grinned and greeted him, "Hey, aren't you Zhang Jingxiang from the Discipline Inspection Commission? What are you doing here?"

Zhang Jingxiang turned his head and saw Jiang Zaizhou sitting at the table. He knew that Jiang was Yu Ru's friend and immediately greeted him. He stood up and extended a hand to Jiang, "Hello, hello. I am an old friend of Yu Ru. I saw her here and wanted to come over and say a few words to her."

"Oh." Jiang Zaizhou stood up again, shook hands with him briefly, and then sat down. "Then you can speak."

Zhang Jingxiang remained silent, but Yu Ru spoke up: "She doesn't recognize me anymore, but I still recognize her. She's my enemy, and I have to get revenge on her. Zhang Jingxiang, you have no grudge against me, and you even have my medical discount card. I don't want you to get involved. Break up with her; you deserve better. Perhaps you're a little reluctant because you're attracted to her status as the daughter of a tea tycoon, but her father will go bankrupt soon. I mean what I say, so don't even think about it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zaizhou immediately perked up his ears and leaned closer to Xi Yizai, asking, "What's going on? I only left for a moment, how come my enemies have come knocking on my door?"

“That guy’s girlfriend is Xiaoru’s enemy. Xiaoru told him to break up with her. You just watch for now, we’ll talk about it later,” Xi Yizai replied softly.

"Tsk~ I was so anxious. I should have known better than to leave. I missed out on a fortune."

Zhang Jingxiang looked at Yu Ru and remained silent for a moment before cautiously probing, "Master Yu, may I ask what the conflict is between you and her? Could it be a misunderstanding?"

"Are you questioning me?" Yu Ru stared straight at him, exuding a strong sense of pressure.

"No, no." Zhang Jingxiang's voice unconsciously rose a little due to nervousness, but he quickly realized that they were in a public place, so he hurriedly lowered his voice, "Master Yu... I didn't mean that, how could I dare to question you?"

Yu Ru noticed his concerns and said, "Just say what you want to say. These are all my own people, so don't worry. They don't like to gossip behind people's backs."

With her words, Zhang Jingxiang felt a little relieved and boldly expressed his thoughts, "Master Yu, things happened too suddenly. I... I actually really like my girlfriend, and as you know, she's the daughter of the Tea King. We can help each other in the future. So, I have some expectations and fantasies."

"Your fantasies are all part of a honey trap set up specifically for you by your girlfriend. When you first met her, didn't you see her taking care of an injured kitten?"

Zhang Jingxiang nodded. "Yes, and then I accompanied her to the vet, and that's how we met."

"She broke off the cat's leg and threw it on the side of the road, then pretended to take care of the cat on the main street, just waiting for you, the sucker, to show up," Yu Ru said with a half-smile.

Zhang Jingxiang stared blankly at Yu Ru, unsure how to react.