Chapter 32: He Wants to Come Clean

Shen Yueli had never witnessed such an imposing scene before; even the wealthy young man she usually regarded as impressive was now relegated to a mere follower. Swallowing nervously, she took a deep breath to bolster her courage.

“I’m Senior Jian Qing’s junior. Are you here to see her for something?” she asked, and quietly made the sign of the cross over her chest.

Li Jingche, standing at the center, looked even colder. He slowly approached Shen Yueli, and He Jiangyu followed, tugging at his sleeve.

“Che, easy,” he murmured.

The pressure in the room was so suffocating that the others dared not utter a word, fearful that Li Jingche’s temper would ignite and engulf them.

As he drew closer, it became clear that Li Jingche was not only a head taller than Shen Yueli, but his shadow enveloped her completely. She instinctively retreated a few steps, only to bump against the sofa.

“Where is Jian Qing?” he asked again, forcing himself to be patient.

Everyone knew he would not ask a third time.

“Senior… Senior…” Although Shen Yueli could be quite sharp-tongued, that bravado only surfaced when the other side was evenly matched. In the face of someone as intimidating as Li Jingche—clearly no ordinary man—Shen Yueli was nothing more than a timid girl, unable to complete even a single sentence before tears began streaming down her face.

Li Jingche narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over those nearby. Du Yu recognized Shen Yueli and quickly stepped forward to calm her.

“Don’t be afraid. Aren’t you the jewelry designer who worked with us before? Che is Miss Jian’s friend, just worried about her. Why didn’t she come?”

Shen Yueli clung to Du Yu’s sleeve like a lifeline, her eyes flicking nervously toward Li Jingche as if his gaze might devour her.

You’ve truly found the softest target.

She had promised Jian Qing to say nothing, but now, everything poured out in a rush.

“Senior Jian Qing has a fever… She’s hospitalized.”

She spoke haltingly, watching Li Jingche for his reaction, so frightened she couldn’t finish her sentences.

“Is it that serious?” Li Jingche pressed, and Shen Yueli waved her hands frantically.

“No, no, her leg is broken.”

Her nerves caused her words to spin out of control.

“Her leg is broken?”

Just days ago she was fine—how could she have broken her leg after leaving him?

Li Jingche moved behind Du Yu, bending down to stare intently at Shen Yueli, who held her breath.

“She was in a car accident…”

“Which hospital?”

“Hong’ai.”

Without another word, Li Jingche rushed out. He Jiangyu, worried he might be reckless and cause trouble on the way, slid into the driver’s seat first, offering a nervous grin.

“Che, why don’t you call the hospital to make sure your wife is all right? I’ll drive.”

Shen Yueli had given a muddled account, but enough to piece together the situation. When the doctor confirmed Jian Qing was out of danger and would need two months of rest, Li Jingche finally relaxed.

“Mr. Li, don’t worry. The traffic police have detained the perpetrator. Miss Jian’s injuries aren’t too severe,” the doctor assured him.

“A broken leg isn’t severe? What would you call severe, then?” Li Jingche retorted, his logic uncharacteristically unreasonable, leaving He Jiangyu momentarily stunned. When Li Jingche hung up, He Jiangyu saw they had arrived at the hospital.

“I’ll go up with you, Che.”

Li Jingche had planned to have a serious talk with Jian Qing today, but who could have foreseen such an incident?

They made their way to the ward. At the door, Li Jingche paused, his hand hovering above the handle.

Inside, Xiao Yunchen was arranging dinner for Jian Qing, who sat with reddened eyes. Neither spoke.

Li Jingche had anticipated encountering Xiao Yunchen, but not in such a scene.

He had never seen Jian Qing and Xiao Yunchen together without quarreling.

“Thank you,” Jian Qing finally said when Xiao Yunchen finished.

“I’ve saved your life twice, and you never thanked me. Now I bring you dinner, and you say this?”

Jian Qing had rare blood type—so did Xiao Yunchen.

She barely remembered the first transfusion, but this time, Xiao Yunchen had truly saved her life again.

He handed her the chopsticks.

“I’ll say it again, Qingqing: I don’t want to give you up.”

Men always make their desires sound so noble, eating from one bowl while eyeing another.

Jian Qing snatched the chopsticks, set them down, and sighed.

“You already have Ren Yishan; why bother saying this to me? What, are you disappointed I refuse to be your mistress?”

“Qingqing, I’m just stating the facts. Being with some unknown male model offers you no future.”

At the mention of “male model,” He Jiangyu standing behind Li Jingche was taken aback. His gaze shifted to Li Jingche, but he said nothing.

Li Jingche turned, fixing him with a cutting stare.

“I am that male model. What, do you object?”

He Jiangyu shook his head vigorously.

“Not at all, Che. With your looks, you could be a Victoria’s Secret supermodel for all I care.”

Jian Qing sneered.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I do like his face. Seeing it makes me want to sleep with him. Is that so wrong?”

Her shameless declaration made him flush red.

He Jiangyu drew a sharp breath, swallowing his words.

Che, you two…

Li Jingche pressed his lips together, his gaze lingering on Jian Qing.

Xiao Yunchen slammed his hand on the table.

“Can you stop being obsessed with romance? That penniless gigolo—you’re dating him as an act of charity. He’s only after your money! You’d be better off as my mistress!”

“He’s poor, but I’m rich. If he were some He Jiangyu or Li Jingche from the capital’s elite, I wouldn’t want him! At least I know he’s after my money. If he were someone like He Jiangyu or Li Jingche, I wouldn’t dare date him!”

Xiao Yunchen, furious, cornered Jian Qing at the head of the bed. Li Jingche, thinking no more, rushed inside.

Shen Yueli, though timid, feared for her senior’s safety and followed with a wheelchair, ready to whisk her away at any moment.

He Jiangyu knew better than to interfere; this was the moment for the couple’s feelings to deepen, so he stayed out of the way.

“Don’t touch her!” Li Jingche seized Xiao Yunchen’s wrist, yanking him aside. The latter staggered, bumping into the wall with a sharp crack.

His head spun, and when he saw the man shielding Jian Qing, he forced a smile.

“You think you deserve to be Jian Qing’s boyfriend? She ended up like this because you failed to protect her. You don’t deserve to stay by her side!”

Li Jingche turned, imprinting the woman before him firmly in his mind. Jian Qing was startled—she hadn’t expected Number 33 to come.

“What are you doing here?”

She glanced at Shen Yueli, her brows knitting.

“Yueli, take him out.”

Shen Yueli stepped forward, but dared not touch Li Jingche, hesitating.

“Senior, he’s worried about you. Maybe you should talk to him.”

Xiao Yunchen checked his phone, then tossed both his phone and the hospital card at Li Jingche.

“Since you’re here, I won’t disturb you. The hospital fees, surgery, and miscellaneous bills—there’s still a hundred thousand left unpaid. You go handle it.”

He spoke as he left, one foot out the door, then added,

“Jian Qing, didn’t you recently get a new bank card?”

Jian Qing glanced at Li Jingche, then nodded.

“What’s wrong?”

The new card was the one she’d given to Li Jingche.

“Uncle Ren found out. He contacted the bank manager, and it’s been canceled. The money was transferred to your main card, but now Uncle Ren has given that to Shanshan. You’ll need to figure out how to pay your hospital bills.”

He looked at Li Jingche, grinning mischievously.

“Man, looks aren’t enough—you need cash. XXL size, so what? Will selling yourself get you paid more?”