My Virtual Girlfriend-Chapter 426 Who Can Resist Such a Girl? (8000 Words Extra Update!)

Chapter 426: Chapter 426 Who Can Resist Such a Girl? (8000 Words Extra Update!)

Seeing the jewelry box, Chen Yan became even more bewildered.

Because he had absolutely no recollection of it.

He examined the jewelry box carefully.

It was a beautiful box. Pink, with "imperial" written in English on it. Chen Yan, who knew nothing about jewelry, recognized it as a famous luxury brand.

However, it was precisely because he recognized the brand that Chen Yan was even more certain: he had never bought this piece of jewelry.

Because... he wasn’t even sure if Qin Island had such a jewelry store.

’Could it be... someone else used my name to give it?’

’Qin Ming?’

Chen Yan was a bit stunned.

Are today’s subordinates so proactive? Not only helping with work but also helping with chasing girls?

But then, Chen Yan felt something was off.

If it was a gift for some other romantic interest, Chen Yan felt that Qin Ming might be capable.

But this was his sister! The one who would hit him with a baseball bat!

How bold must he be to do such a thing?

Wouldn’t he be utterly dead if He Mengxue found out?

Then, Chen Yan began to wonder: could it be a gift from one of He Mengxue’s admirers?

And she mistook it as from me?

Thinking this, Chen Yan felt he should clarify things.

He didn’t want this to cause any misunderstanding.

So, he immediately wanted to talk to He Mengxue.

However, before he could say a word, he heard He Mengxue happily say, "This is my favorite piece of jewelry."

"At the time, at Zhao Square, I was so enamored with this item at the store’s counter, I could barely walk away."

Her face full of longing and happiness, she said, "At that moment, I thought, if someone gave this to me, then I would marry no one but him in this life."

She looked at Chen Yan with a gaze filled with tenderness and affection, "Chen Yan, thank you."

Chen Yan’s words stuck in his throat.

It wasn’t jealousy, but... he felt something was amiss.

These words... how do they feel...

While thinking, Chen Yan switched on his "inner headphones" to verify his thoughts.

The surrounding ambient sounds gradually faded away, and slowly, only the "thump~ thump~ thump~" of He Mengxue’s heartbeat remained, steady and certain.

And in Chen Yan’s ears, He Mengxue’s inner voice sounded...

After hearing He Mengxue’s inner thoughts, a strange expression appeared on Chen Yan’s face.

Then, when he looked at He Mengxue, his gaze couldn’t help but include a bit of sympathy and guilt.

After a moment, he smiled and took the jewelry box, saying, "Meng Xue, when I bought it, I didn’t expect it would be your favorite necklace."

"It seems, indeed, our feelings are interconnected."

Saying so, Chen Yan opened the jewelry box, and inside was an 18k gold necklace with a pendant that looked to be half a carat in size.

The overall design was very simple and stylish, typical of the imperial brand.

Chen Yan took out the necklace and unclasped it.

He Mengxue watched Chen Yan’s movements, standing joyfully in front of him and tilting up her neck, revealing her snowy white, swan-like neck, like a proud princess.

Chen Yan looked at her, smiling as he brushed her hair aside, and with his hands, he placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it.

Because the necklace was short, the two were very close to each other, nearly able to feel each other’s breath.

He Mengxue looked up at the man in front of her, her long eyelashes fluttering, her beautiful eyes brimming with affection and sentiment, like gems.

Feeling the man’s breath on her neck made He Mengxue feel a bit weak.

"All done," Chen Yan said with a low voice after putting on the necklace.

Afterwards, he looked at He Mengxue.

Their gazes locked together.

A blush appeared on He Mengxue’s face.

She pursed her lips and kissed Chen Yan.

Chen Yan initially wanted to dodge.

But, for some reason, after having a thought, he sighed softly in his heart and stopped his movement.

Their lips met briefly, then parted.

He Mengxue’s face was now flushed with shyness.

She awkwardly stepped back, changing the subject, "Chen Yan. To thank you for the gift, I’ve also selected a gift for you."

Caught in the brief touch of their lips, Chen Yan raised his head upon hearing her words, "A gift? What kind of gift?"

He Mengxue took another branded jewelry box from her handbag, placed it on the table with a smile, and said, "Open it, and you’ll see."

She waved her hand, "Okay, take a look. I have to get back to work."

Her hand on the doorknob, she threw Chen Yan a coquettish glance, "You’re very sweet, little brother."

Afterwards, she turned the doorknob and left the office.

Once she had gone, Chen Yan was left alone in the office.

He touched his lips, shook his head slightly, then went to the table and picked up the jewelry box to see what was inside.

Inside the box was a necklace, but it was a men’s style.

Simple in design and very stylish.

And most importantly... it was not a couple’s necklace with He Mengxue’s, not even the same brand.

The girl was careful with her decisions, never making mistakes in such matters.

Chen Yan observed it, then wore it around his neck.

He thought about the words he had heard from He Mengxue’s heart and murmured softly, "Who could refuse a girl who buys her own gift yet insists it was from me?"

"Hm... this girl even spends twice as much to buy a gift in return."

"She’s the epitome of passionate service."

He Mengxue’s little schemes and tricks were gradually making Chen Yan fall for this enthusiastic and generous girl.

It’s a pity that Chen Yan himself was stuck in a mess right now; otherwise, he would have definitely pursued this girl...

Back at his desk, Chen Yan sorted through his current affairs.

In business, the companies were thriving. His most important task was to push ahead with the "Sunrise Project" and spend five billion.

Then, to get a twenty billion rebate. Waiting for the Game Store to refresh, he would acquire a Strong Buy Card and purchase shares in Headline Technology.

In charity, his charitable work was now on track. Chen Yan had helped out a few days ago.

It has to be said, doing such virtuous work made him feel pleased both in body and soul, cleansing even the guilt of romancing several women.

Chen Yan thought that he should invest more in the charity sector and help out more when free.

Regarding his romantic life...

Chen Yan felt his love life was an entangled mess.

Boss Qiao Qiao was oblivious, clueless about everything.

Lu Man’s fourth ring had yet to be completed, and Chen Yan needed to make Qiao Qiao accept her.

Zhao Ying’s affection was still increasing gradually, with special positions yet to be unlocked.

While Yang Rou and He Mengxue were already entwined in his life.

Chen Yan found it difficult to balance the relationships with these women.

Thus, after much thought, Chen Yan decided: focus on business first! Put romantic matters aside!

With that in mind, Chen Yan picked up the company’s financial statements to peruse.

After reviewing a few, his gaze inevitably landed on internal documents from Headline Technology sent his way.

As he read, Chen Yan remembered what Zhang Yonghao had disclosed to him last time.

He said that the reason the investment director wanted to drive Chen Yan away was due to Zhao Group’s interference.

These past few days, Chen Yan was too busy to consider this matter.

But now, thinking it over...

Zhao Group, Zhao Qingtian.

Why did they suddenly take action against him?

Chen Yan was puzzled.

Was it because of Zhao Ying?

Or because of Yang Rou and Yang Nuannuan?

Chen Yan couldn’t figure out Zhao Group’s logic.

According to Zhang Yonghao, Zhao Group’s higher-ups did not like him.

This was an indication, hinting at Zhao Group’s stance.

Chen Yan felt that he would soon encounter them.

So, should he perhaps delve into Zhao Qingtian’s affairs?

"Zhao Qingtian’s situation?" Chen Yan pondered, stroking his chin, "Should I ask Sister Rou about this?"

It just so happened that Chen Yan was curious about the past between Yang Rou and Zhao Qingtian.

So he thought of taking this chance to talk about it.

Of course, Chen Yan couldn’t directly ask Yang Rou in person.

But... he had an "alter ego," right?

He thought he could simply pose as a "netizen" and inquire about Yang Rou’s past...

...

Meanwhile, in Tiandu, at the headquarters of Zhao Group, in the chairman’s office.

Zhao Qingtian’s face was grim as he stared at the woman before him, asking harshly, "What’s the meaning of this?!"

"All you had to do was gather some information, yet you caused a stir through the whole city!"

"Have all my years of teaching gone to waste?!"

The woman stood there, head bowed.

Hearing Zhao Qingtian’s reprimand, she repeatedly apologized, "I’m sorry, Mr. Tian. I did poorly. It’s my fault."

Zhao Qingtian looked at her coldly, saying nothing.

After a long minute, Zhao Qingtian finally spoke, "I’ve told you countless times, when a lion hunts a rabbit, it still uses its full strength."

"If you encounter an adversary that must be dealt with, don’t give him any chance to prepare. First investigate thoroughly, then allocate resources, and strike a decisive blow."

"Do not allow the enemy time to react, nor any opportunity to prepare."

The woman, with her head down, quickly said, "I was careless, Mr. Tian."

"I’ll be more careful from now on."

Seeing the woman’s attitude in admitting her mistake, and since she was a trusted aide Zhao Qingtian had cultivated for many years, he let go of the matter after scolding her, despite ruining his plans.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "We’ve already startled the snake by beating the grass. It’s not suitable to act rashly now."

"Let’s put Chen Yan on the watchlist."

"Notify me of any news."

"But, no more reckless moves."

Hearing Zhao Qingtian’s words, the woman asked, "Do we need to scapegoat someone internally? To leak some information outward, so that the other party finds a target, lowering their guard?"

Zhao Qingtian shook his head, "No need."

"Although the other party is a young man, in two years, amassing such wealth and achievements, he’s not simple."

"Throwing out a red herring will only expose us more."

"Steady our forces, do not stir."

"Yes!" the woman replied.

After discussing Chen Yan further and confirming Zhao Qingtian had no other instructions, the woman gave a bow and left the office.

Back in her own office, her expression completely collapsed!

She shut the door, shaking with anger!

After suppressing her emotions for a while, she picked up the desk phone and dialed a number.

Moments later, as the call connected, the woman spoke through gritted teeth, "Xiao Hong! Check who’s the fool that took the initiative to contact Headline Technology for investment!"

"Who’s another fool, carelessly leaking our investigation of Chen Yan to Headline Technology?"

After speaking, she added a warning, "Remember! Investigate this quietly within, don’t make a fuss, don’t blow your cover!"

Angrily hanging up the phone, the woman exhaled sharply!

In fact, she was wronged.

That day, upon learning about Chen Yan’s dealings with Headline Technology, she just made a call, instructing a brief investigation into Chen Yan’s investment in Headline Technology.

Unexpectedly, that order was misinterpreted downstairs. People thought that the company higher-ups were interested in Headline Technology, sending representatives directly to make contact, revealing Zhao Group’s intent to invest.

Soon after, during the interaction between the two parties’ teams, someone trying to get information accidentally disclosed that Zhao Group’s higher-ups weren’t too fond of Chen Yan.

What followed was a series of actions.

Actually, even if this was done, there wasn’t a problem. But at least do it gracefully!

Who knew that after Zhao Group’s intention was disclosed, Chen Yan countered with a slap in the face.

Not only did he not get ousted from Headline Technology, he even secured more shares.

This, truly, made Zhao Group lose all face.

Therefore, Zhao Qingtian called in the woman for reprimand.

And the woman, knowing Zhao Qingtian’s character, knew he disliked excuses from his subordinates. Thus, she admitted fault without defending herself.

However, after accepting blame, she at least wanted to find out who sabotaged her plans, hence the phone call...

...

While Zhao Group was busy hunting down the self-righteous "traitors," Chen Yan was also busy investigating Zhao Qingtian’s background.

After work, Chen Yan ran home, had dinner, and then pulled out his phone to start a chat with Yang Rou as a "netizen" on QQ.

He opened QQ, thought for a bit, and sent a greeting, "What have you been busy with lately?"

...

At the same time, Yang Nuannuan, who had no classes in the afternoon, was typing away in her rented room.

Wearing her glasses, she seemed to regain her usual serenity.

But from the expressionless look on her face, her "darkening" seemed as if it was reaching a point beyond control, even with glasses...

And just as she was "tap-tap-tapping" on the keyboard, suddenly, a "ding dong" echoed in the room.

Yang Nuannuan ignored it and continued typing.

After hammering out another five hundred words, she picked up her phone and glanced at it.

To her surprise, the man she longed for had actually gotten in touch with her.

These past few days, since she learned that Chen Yan and Yu Qiao Qiao had finally crossed the last hurdle, she’d been somewhat out of sorts, constantly wanting to contact Chen Yan.

But then, Yang Rou stumbled upon her diary and discovered the ill intent she harbored towards Chen Yan.

Even though Yu Qiao Qiao managed to brush it off with some other excuse, Yang Nuannuan still suspected that with her mother’s shrewdness, she might guess the actual truth.

So, she’d been suppressing her emotions, not daring to contact Chen Yan for fear of causing trouble for both him and herself.

But unexpectedly, without her reaching out to Chen Yan, Chen Yan had taken the initiative to contact her.

For a moment, she wondered... could this be fate?

As these thoughts ran wild in her head, Yang Nuannuan opened QQ and replied, "Recently? I’ve been really busy. Absolutely exhausting."

Yang Nuannuan had her reasons for such a response.

After all, if she wasn’t busy, how could she explain not contacting Chen Yan or chatting with him?

...

Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, Chen Yan read Yang Nuannuan’s message and chuckled.

He imagined "Yang Rou" must be exhausted. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t look so haggard, with dark circles under her eyes...

’But don’t worry, Sister Rou. Wait for tomorrow, and I’ll give you some energy pills. You’ll be brimming with vitality in no time.’

With that thought, Chen Yan replied, "You should rest more. Health is the most important capital. No amount of money can buy a good body."

...

Seeing Chen Yan’s message, Yang Nuannuan smiled. She found Chen Yan really kind to be so concerned about an online friend.

She wondered, once they eventually met in person and he discovered his online friend was her, would he be extremely surprised, feeling it was truly fate?

As these thoughts swirled in her head, Yang Nuannuan replied, "Okay. I’ll take care of myself. Thank you."

Then, the two started a back-and-forth casual chat.

Chen Yan wanted to get familiar with "Yang Rou" first, to make it easier to ask personal questions later on.

Yang Nuannuan, on the other hand, wanted to chat more with Chen Yan, to exchange feelings, so it wouldn’t be awkward when they eventually met.

Half an hour into the conversation, Chen Yan finally broached the main topic.

He said, "By the way, I remember you mentioned you were divorced, with a daughter? What about the child’s father?"

...

Staring at Chen Yan’s message, Yang Nuannuan was taken aback.

She didn’t expect that their chat would lead to her own identity.

In her initial plan, she didn’t want to bring up her made-up "background" again.

To avoid future awkwardness when meeting with Chen Yan.

But now, Chen Yan had asked the question, and Yang Nuannuan didn’t know how to reply.

She hesitated for a long time, feeling that making up an identity out of thin air was too difficult. After all, she was just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl raised in a single-parent household, not understanding other women’s family lives.

So, after pondering for a while, she decided to stick with her mother’s "persona".

Hesitantly, she replied, "Actually... I’ve never been married. I had a child out of wedlock."

...

Chen Yan, already aware of the whole story, wasn’t surprised by the reply but still feigned shock with an "awkward" emoji, before saying, "Sorry, I must have remembered incorrectly. That... must put a lot of pressure on you, right?"

"Your... boyfriend, leaving you and your daughter behind like that is too much."

...

Seeing Chen Yan’s response, Yang Nuannuan wavered, originally not wanting to continue the conversation, but maybe because it was Chen Yan, she still said, "Actually... it’s not his fault."

"Because, this child was always mine alone. He has nothing to do with it."

...

Chen Yan was stunned by "Yang Rou’s" response.

What did she mean by "the child was always mine alone"?

Luckily, "Yang Rou" opened up, directly sharing an astonishing tale with Chen Yan!

According to "Yang Rou," she was an avowed spinster back then, too critical to settle for any of the men around her.

But simultaneously, she adored children and had always considered artificial insemination to have a child solely hers.

Thus, during a work opportunity, she met this "boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," in terms of looks, family background, and abilities, matched her criteria perfectly.

So, she entertained the idea of targeting him.

After arranging everything with a private hospital and selecting the optimum time for conception,

She hosted a party and while her "boyfriend" was drunk, wearing gloves, she forcibly extracted his sperm and rushed it to the private hospital for artificial insemination, and after a series of ordeals, gave birth to her daughter.

So, the daughter is related to this "boyfriend," but also... isn’t.

Because he was completely an unwitting victim.

Hearing "Yang Rou’s" account, Chen Yan was dumbfounded.

He never imagined things would unfold in such a manner.

On the other hand, he started to grasp the origin of Yang Nuannuan’s wild character!

She inherited it from a youthful Yang Rou!

The difference was, even in her craziness, the young Yang Rou was also meticulous and good at hiding it.

She tucked her madness beneath her capabilities and icy exterior, rarely letting it show.

And once she identified her target, she struck decisively and concluded perfectly.

Whereas Yang Nuannuan’s craziness was unmasked and startling.

No wonder the intuitively sharp Zhao Ying said there lurked a terrifying demon deep within Yang Rou’s heart.

Chen Yan shivered involuntarily, finding it a bit difficult to look at Yang Rou in the same way again.

Who would have thought, Sister Rou in her youth was even more frightening than Nuannuan...

.......

And yet, at this moment, Yang Nuannuan remained unaware that she had divulged her mother’s secrets. The affairs of her parents had been buried deep in her heart for many years.

She knew her parents actually had no relationship.

Her conception was merely due to an "accident" orchestrated by her mother.

Her mother didn’t love her. She just wanted a child, that was all.

Even whether her mother regretted giving birth to her was unclear.

And as for her father, he disliked her even more, never treating her as his own child.

Although he would visit Qin Island to see her every few years,

During those meetings, she never sensed a shred of affection.

She was just a child that seemed to have sprung from the cracks of a rock.

Unloved by father, uncherished by mother.

So, throughout her life, she had striven to study hard, to be good, to be sensible.

She wanted her mother to see that she was indeed useful, that she was well-behaved, that she was a good daughter, and not to abandon her....

And with her father, she felt conflicted as well.

On one hand, she pitied her father, wanting to accept him.

On the other hand, she harbored hatred toward her father because of his family.

Because she knew what had happened later on, she knew how that family had tried to utterly obliterate her before she was even born.

Although she deemed her mother’s choice of artificial insemination to be wrong, she also understood the anger of her father and his family.

But still, that child was herself.... How could she love a family and a father who had tried by all means to kill her before she was born....

Thus, Yang Nuannuan had lived in such a twisted world for the past decade or so, also trapped in the fundamental contradiction about the meaning of her own existence.

This had led to her double-sided, conflicted personality.

Sometimes, she didn’t want to hurt anyone.

It was just that she wanted someone, something (like that 30 million) too badly.

This also caused her to experience remorse immediately upon getting what she wanted, feeling that she had hurt others and wanting to make amends (by making money for that 30 million).

Or, even after declaring her pursuit of love, she would hesitate at the thought of making others unhappy.

Her family, her parents, her complex and ill-fated birth, gave her such a conflicted personality....

For many years, these issues had weighed heavily on Yang Nuannuan’s heart, almost suffocating her.

Today, driven by Chen Yan’s "enticement," she had finally spoken up, which seemed to relieve some of the repression in her heart.

So, having finished talking about "herself" from the past, Yang Nuannuan then began to narrate about her "boyfriend" at the time.

She described him as so serious and stern, hardly one to joke around. Even though he would visit his daughter every few years, he never saw her.

She said that after that incident, for the sake of face, he had spread the news that he had forced himself on her. Yet, privately, he silenced her, forcing her to abort the child....

By the end, Yang Nuannuan gave a wry smile herself, feeling she had said too much.

She had treated "Chen Yan" as a mere vent, a confessional.

And now, having shared so many secrets about her mother, how was she to "recognize" Chen Yan in the future?

If they "recognized" each other afterward, wouldn’t that allow Chen Yan to match the stories and learn about all the abominable things her mother had done back then?

Thinking of this, Yang Nuannuan sighed softly in her heart:

’Let it be. After all, Chen Yan and Qiao Qiao have come that far together.’

’There’s no point for me to intervene now. It would only hurt Qiao Qiao.’

’I’ll just keep these memories in my heart.’

"In the future, I’ll just consider him a net pal, and not think about meeting anymore...."

....

"Yang Rou" talked a lot, a great deal.

At first, Chen Yan was listening with the intention of understanding his opponent, but gradually, he was drawn in by the emotional saga from the past and started listening in detail.

However, lucky for him, sometimes an assessment of a person’s character is inaccurate, but analyzing that person’s character from events tends to be more accurate.

So from "Yang Rou’s" words, Chen Yan began to construct a model of Zhao Qingtian in his mind.

That was a man who was calm, confident, and cautious.

Particularly after this incident, he wouldn’t slacken against any enemy and would always go full force, like a lion attacking a rabbit.

Chen Yan felt that he would be difficult to deal with....

After exchanging a few more words with "Yang Rou," Chen Yan no longer continued the conversation. He felt that he had received too much information for one evening.

He needed time to digest it.

And just as he had closed QQ, suddenly, his mobile phone chimed with a "ding-dong."

Chen Yan picked it up and looked.

He discovered.... the Game Store had refreshingly updated just in time....

Therefore, Yang Nuannuan had lived in such a twisted world for the past decade or so, also trapped in the fundamental contradiction about the meaning of her own existence.

This had led to her double-sided, conflicted personality.

Sometimes, she didn’t want to hurt anyone.

It was just that she wanted someone, something (like that 30 million) too badly.

This also caused her to experience remorse immediately upon getting what she wanted, feeling that she had hurt others and wanting to make amends (by making money for that 30 million).

Or, even after declaring her pursuit of love, she would hesitate at the thought of making others unhappy.

Her family, her parents, her complex and ill-fated birth, gave her such a conflicted personality....

For many years, these issues had weighed heavily on Yang Nuannuan’s heart, almost suffocating her.

Today, driven by Chen Yan’s "enticement," she had finally spoken up, which seemed to relieve some of the repression in her heart.

So, having finished talking about "herself" from the past, Yang Nuannuan then began to narrate about her "boyfriend" at the time.

She described him as so serious and stern, hardly one to joke around. Even though he would visit his daughter every few years, he never saw her.

She said that after that incident, for the sake of face, he had spread the news that he had forced himself on her. Yet, privately, he silenced her, forcing her to abort the child....

By the end, Yang Nuannuan gave a wry smile herself, feeling she had said too much.

She had treated "Chen Yan" as a mere vent, a confessional.

And now, having shared so many secrets about her mother, how was she to "recognize" Chen Yan in the future?

If they "recognized" each other afterward, wouldn’t that allow Chen Yan to match the stories and learn about all the abominable things her mother had done back then?

Thinking of this, Yang Nuannuan sighed softly in her heart:

’Let it be. After all, Chen Yan and Qiao Qiao have come that far together.’

’There’s no point for me to intervene now. It would only hurt Qiao Qiao.’

’I’ll just keep these memories in my heart.’

"In the future, I’ll just consider him a net pal, and not think about meeting anymore...."

....

"Yang Rou" talked a lot, a great deal.

At first, Chen Yan was listening with the intention of understanding his opponent, but gradually, he was drawn in by the emotional saga from the past and started listening in detail.

However, lucky for him, sometimes an assessment of a person’s character is inaccurate, but analyzing that person’s character from events tends to be more accurate.

So from "Yang Rou’s" words, Chen Yan began to construct a model of Zhao Qingtian in his mind.

That was a man who was calm, confident, and cautious.

Particularly after this incident, he wouldn’t slacken against any enemy and would always go full force, like a lion attacking a rabbit.

Chen Yan felt that he would be difficult to deal with....

After exchanging a few more words with "Yang Rou," Chen Yan no longer continued the conversation. He felt that he had received too much information for one evening.

He needed time to digest it.

And just as he had closed QQ, suddenly, his mobile phone chimed with a "ding-dong."

Chen Yan picked it up and looked.

He discovered.... the Game Store had refreshingly updated just in time....