My Virtual Girlfriend-Chapter 473: Your Love for Me Is Just Three Out of Ten
Chapter 473: Chapter 473: Your Love for Me Is Just Three Out of Ten
Although Chen Yan had known through the "Inner Heart Headphones" that Zhao Xuan was still alive,
when Zhao Xuan really appeared in front of him in this way, Chen Yan was still somewhat surprised.
This old fox wasn’t pretending to be dead?
Why did he suddenly show up?
Was there something important that he had to remind me about?
Thinking this, Chen Yan suddenly had an epiphany and understood why Zhao Xuan chose this time to appear...
This all started from what Chen Yan had just heard through the "Inner Heart Headphones"...
Just now, Zhao Hengyu had been exhibiting a great deal of hostility towards Zhao Qingtian and, between the lines, seemed to wish to collaborate with Chen Yan.
Furthermore, considering his past conflicts with Zhao Qingtian, Chen Yan had almost completely believed him.
However, after opening the "Inner Heart Headphones," he realized that things were not as he had imagined.
Zhao Hengyu had indeed been in competition with Zhao Qingtian, but it was all within controllable limits.
Although Zhao Hengyu and Zhao Qingtian belonged to different branches of the family, they had once studied together at the main house as children and had formed a friendship at that time.
Over the years, their relationship had never been severed, and they would still chat when there was nothing pressing.
However, both knew their positions were special, so they kept their friendship secret.
Later, when the current family head election began, they secretly met and formed an alliance to defend and support each other. No matter who was elected Family Head, both would ensure the other’s interests, even sharing some of the Family Head’s powers.
And this... continued to the present day.
Even more astonishingly, Chen Yan discovered why Zhao Qingtian had emerged unexpectedly at the end and became the Family Head of the Zhao Family.
It was not really the help from the Zhao Family located in the South China Sea.
But because of Zhao Hengyu...
Zhao Hengyu was a staunch family loyalist, probably because he had grown up with wealth and lacked for nothing. His desire for power and wealth wasn’t particularly strong.
But he had a deep affection for the entire family. He wanted the family to thrive for a hundred years, a thousand years.
He had seen some flaws in the family, but due to his personality, it was difficult for him to address them.
That’s when Zhao Qingtian appeared.
Midway through the competition, he sought out Zhao Hengyu, expressing his own methods of reform and his thoughts about the future, which moved Zhao Hengyu.
As a result, Zhao Hengyu was swayed.
Thus... he changed his stance and secretly supported Zhao Qingtian behind the scenes.
Zhao Qingtian gathered the strength of three families and finally succeeded in rising to the top.
Zhao Qingtian also fulfilled his promises afterward.
He didn’t lay hands on the Tianfu Zhao Family and the South China Sea Zhao Family, but internally, he carried out complex reforms, consolidating the Zhao Family’s power during this era.
So, at the end of the day, Zhao Hengyu was in cahoots with Zhao Qingtian!
They’d fooled everyone.
Deceiving the people within the Zhao Family, and fooling Chen Yan.
When Chen Yan contacted Zhao Hengyu this time, Zhao Hengyu reported it to Zhao Qingtian right away.
Zhao Qingtian had been feeling that Chen Yan was brewing some kind of conspiracy lately. So, after getting the message from Zhao Hengyu, he asked Zhao Hengyu to lure Chen Yan into revealing his plans.
So, after learning this information, Chen Yan broke out into a cold sweat.
That’s why he later changed his tone, concealing his true intentions.
It was very likely that Zhao Xuan also knew about this, which is why he had no choice but to reveal himself to warn Chen Yan.
Thinking this, Chen Yan turned to the man in black and said, "Alright. Show it to me then."
The man in black nodded but made no move.
Holding an iPad, he looked towards He Mengxue and with a slight bow, said politely yet distantly, "Miss He, the matter is a bit sensitive. Could you please step aside for a moment?"
He Mengxue involuntarily looked at Chen Yan.
Chen Yan nodded.
He also knew that Zhao Xuan’s matter was sensitive and secretive.
After He Mengxue left, the man in black unlocked the iPad and handed it to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan took the iPad, and on the screen appeared a video of Zhao Xuan.
Chen Yan clicked on the video.
Zhao Xuan in the screen suddenly came to life. With a sorrowful expression, he said, "Chen Yan, if you’re watching this video, I’m most likely already dead."
Chen Yan: .....
Zhao Xuan continued, "This video was recorded by me before my death. Once triggered by a certain condition, it’d be sent to you."
"Let me see what I recorded this time."
Saying that, he actually picked up a piece of paper to check.
Then he said, "Oh. It’s about Zhao Hengyu."
He leaned close to the screen, then said irritably, "Listen to me! Don’t trust Zhao Hengyu! He’s a liar! He and Zhao Qingtian are actually allies! We’ve all been fooled by him!"
"At first, we all trusted him. During the struggle for the Family Head position, we supported him all along."
"We were all shocked when we lost initially!"
"Only later, when I discovered that a close person to me was a spy and followed the trail during the investigation, did I realize that he was the one behind it all."
"When I discovered that person was a spy, I was shocked. I had been very careful on my end, and had been investigating the connections between my people and Zhao Qingtian."
"Only after his trail surfaced did I realize that we had been investigating in the wrong direction."
"Because all the spies weren’t contacting Zhao Qingtian directly. They were contacting him..."
"He was our leader and had a lot of business dealings and contact on a regular basis."
"So, when people beneath him contacted his side, we never suspected anything."
Saying this, Zhao Xuan expressed his hatred with an itch in his teeth, "We were all fooled. He must have reached a cooperation with Zhao Qingtian to get rid of all of us in one fell swoop."
"So! You absolutely can’t trust him! Everything he tells you is a lie!"
The video cut off abruptly at this point.
Chen Yan: ....
Seriously speaking, the content of Zhao Xuan’s message was very important: that is, if Chen Yan didn’t have the "Golden Finger."
But the thing is, Chen Yan already knew all of this through the "Inner Heart Headphones"!
So... Uncle Zhao, you’ve sent loneliness.
And even... possibly thinking that making this video was too hasty, Zhao Xuan had even inadvertently proved he was still alive to some extent:
Zhao Xuan died in winter. Although it was indoors and there was no need to wear a down jacket... there’s no need to wear short sleeves either, right!
Short sleeves are only worn in early summer!
So, this video had clearly been recorded in the last few days.
Chen Yan even suspected that it had been recorded just today.
After all, Zhao Hengyu had only arrived at Qin Island today. Zhao Xuan probably just got the message.
This could also explain why this old fox made such a rookie mistake.
Thinking this, Chen Yan lacklusterly shut off the iPad and handed it back to the man in black.
The man in black took the iPad, bowed slightly toward Chen Yan, and then silently got into the car, preparing to leave.
Chen Yan thought for a moment, then followed and knocked on the car window.
The car window lowered, and the man in black looked at Chen Yan with a puzzled expression.
Chen Yan said, "Uncle Zhao isn’t dead, is he? Have him come to see me in the next few days. I have something I want to talk to him about."
The man in black’s expression remained unchanged, "The old master has already passed away."
Chen Yan laughed, "He died in winter, yet the video was in short sleeves. How do you explain that?"
The man in black evidently faltered for a moment, then he said, "The old master recorded it in the summer before dying."
Chen Yan: .....
Stretch the truth much?
Chen Yan didn’t bother explaining further and said, "Fine. But keep hiding from me if you can."
"If he refuses to meet me, I will sleep with your young mistress and not take responsibility. Later, after she gets pregnant, I’ll take your family’s money and run off. Leaving your young mistress a lonely widow with a child to raise!"
The man in black: ....
"The young mistress will kill you."
Chen Yan: .....
Chen Yan inexplicably felt there was some truth to it.
But he no longer wanted to argue.
Because he knew that the man in black would convey the message to Zhao Xuan, and Zhao Xuan would understand his meaning...
...
After the man in black left, He Mengxue, who had been observing from a distance, also came out of the hotel and joined Chen Yan.
Once she reached Chen Yan, she tilted her head curiously and asked, "Are you done talking?"
Chen Yan nodded, "Done."
He Mengxue, still curious, asked, "What did you talk about?"
Chen Yan rolled his eyes, "Secret."
He Mengxue puffed her cheeks and huffed in dissension, but she didn’t pursue the question further.
She had always been very sensible.
After chatting with He Mengxue for a while, Chen Yan took out his phone and called the driver, asking the driver who had been waiting nearby to pick both of them up.
After getting in the car, Chen Yan asked the driver to drop off He Mengxue first.
The car had a soundproof partition in the middle, allowing the two of them to chat freely.
He Mengxue was obviously very curious tonight.
Since she couldn’t ask about the man in black, a secret, she started asking about Zhao Hengyu instead.
"Chen Yan... before you came, didn’t you say you wanted to form an alliance with Zhao Hengyu to fight against Zhao Qingtian together?"
"Why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Chen Yan was still pondering Zhao Xuan’s matter. Hearing her question, he asked without looking up, "Have you ever heard of the Bridge Fracture Law?"
Hearing this professional term, He Mengxue was taken aback. Then she shook her head blankly and said, "I haven’t heard of it."
Chen Yan nodded, "Oh. That’s normal. Because I just made it up."
He Mengxue: ???
Hearing Chen Yan’s words, He Mengxue was filled with question marks over her head.
Chen Yan held back a smile and glanced at her, "So, do you understand now?"
He Mengxue had even more question marks over her head, "I... understand what?"
Chen Yan, "The words Zhao Hengyu spoke, are like that law I casually mentioned. They’re all made up."
He Mengxue was stunned for a moment before her mouth involuntarily dropped open, "You mean... he was lying?"
Chen Yan nodded.
His face grave, he said, "Yes. Although he outwardly appears to be an enemy of Zhao Qingtian in what he writes."
"But in fact... he is in cahoots with Zhao Qingtian."
"We were nearly deceived."
By now, He Mengxue’s face was completely filled with confusion, "But... why didn’t I feel it at all?"
"I thought he was very sincere."
Chen Yan smiled, "Because you don’t have eyes that can see through people’s hearts."
"You, ah, are still too inexperienced in cultivation."
He Mengxue was even more confused.
’I’m too inexperienced in cultivation?’
’It seems... possible.’
’After all, I really didn’t notice at all...’
Soon, amidst her surprise, the car arrived downstairs at He Mengxue’s home.
Chen Yan got out of the car to escort He Mengxue.
Perhaps because too many things had happened today, the sky was overcast with clouds and the moon wasn’t visible.
Chen Yan gentlemanly escorted He Mengxue to the entrance of her building before preparing to leave.
However, just as he finished saying goodbye and was about to turn away, He Mengxue stopped him.
"Chen Yan."
Chen Yan looked towards He Mengxue, "What’s wrong?"
He Mengxue asked, "Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?"
Chen Yan was taken aback, then said, "Uh... rest well."
He Mengxue covered her mouth and laughed, "With that attitude, you’ll find it hard to win a girl’s heart."
Chen Yan had been discussing just this with Qin Ming recently, so he couldn’t help asking, "So what should I say to win a girl’s heart?"
Upon hearing Chen Yan ask this, He Mengxue walked up leisurely.
She gently hugged Chen Yan, and then whispered, "Chen Yan. Tonight the moon isn’t in business. Let me bid you goodnight instead~"
"Goodnight. My prince."
Feeling He Mengxue’s perfume, the warmth of her embrace, Chen Yan felt his body go weak.
He was slightly impressed and said, "I really admire you smooth talkers. You might only have three parts love, but you sound as heartfelt as nine parts."
Hearing Chen Yan’s words, He Mengxue hummed lightly, let go of Chen Yan’s hand, and then said, "I definitely have more than three parts."
"My routine may be learned, but my heart for you is real."
Chen Yan looked down at He Mengxue’s proud chest and then smiled, saying, "Your heart is wrapped up too deeply, I can’t see it."
He Mengxue rolled her eyes, proudly stuck out her chest, and retorted, "You like ones like Brother Ying, so transparent that you can see right through at one glance?"
Chen Yan: ...
Be polite.
That’s poking at Brother Ying’s sore spot.
Watch out or Brother Ying might beat you up.
After bantering with He Mengxue for a bit, Chen Yan felt a lot more relaxed, so he said "goodbye" again, ready to leave.
And as he took a few steps, almost moving away,
Suddenly, from afar, he heard He Mengxue shouting behind him, "Chen Yan~! Chen Yan~!"
Chen Yan turned back, puzzled, looking at He Mengxue.
He Mengxue put her hands to her mouth, making a megaphone shape, then called out to Chen Yan, "I’m telling you, there aren’t many women as good as me!"
"You’ll miss out on this village!"
Chen Yan: ?
He Mengxue paused, "and there’s my store behind!"
"Anyway, eventually, you’ll be mine!"
Chen Yan smiled.
He thought that sometimes... He Mengxue was quite cute.
Especially after she spoke, when she made a "milk heart" gesture with her hands...
Back in the car, Chen Yan said a word to the driver, who then took Chen Yan home.
Taking the elevator, he went upstairs.
As soon as the elevator door opened, Chen Yan found a dark shadow squatting in the corridor.
The shadow seemed a bit bored, squatting on the ground, drawing circles with her knee.
Chen Yan stomped softly.
The voice-activated light turned on.
The shadow’s "true body" appeared before Chen Yan: it was Zhao Ying.
Chen Yan, a bit surprised, stepped out of the elevator, then asked, "Brother Ying? What brings you here? Where is Qiao Qiao?"
Hearing Chen Yan’s voice, Zhao Ying looked up, confusion flashing in her dark eyes.
She said, "Qiao Qiao went home. I didn’t go."
Chen Yan came over and squatted down, then asked, "Why didn’t you go?"
Zhao Ying lowered her head, looking a bit unhappy.
She said, "I kind of missed you."
Sometimes, the simplest confessions might be more touching than a thousand sweet nothings.
Chen Yan hadn’t believed it before, after all, he thought He Mengxue’s sweet nothings were nice to hear.
But facing Zhao Ying’s pure five-word confession today, Chen Yan realized that... pure and simple is also quite nice.
Especially from someone as pure as Zhao Ying. Her words were all the more moving.
Chen Yan smiled, then reached out to ruffle Zhao Ying’s hair.
Then he stood up, reaching out his hand to Zhao Ying, and said, "Okay. Then let’s go to my place for a chat."
"If you’d like, you can stay over tonight. I’ll keep you company."
Hearing Chen Yan’s words, Zhao Ying immediately brightened up.
She took Chen Yan’s hand, stood up, then looped her arms around Chen Yan’s neck, happily saying, "I knew it, you are the most loyal."
Chen Yan laughed as he unlocked the door, asking, "Of course. I’m telling you, I was once voted the most loyal student in our school!"
Just then, the door opened, and as if Chen Yan had remembered something, he paused and turned his head to ask, "Qiao Qiao doesn’t know you came here, does she?"
Zhao Ying: ...
Zhao Ying shook her head, "She doesn’t know."
Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then cheerfully opened the door...
...
Meanwhile.
At a detached villa in Qin Island’s Laoshan District,
The man in black clothes who had earlier provided Chen Yan with an iPad, was also reporting to a middle-aged man.
The man was portly and cheerful. He looked like the picture of happiness.
According to Qin Island’s saying, he had a "father-in-law face."
If Chen Yan were there, he would certainly recognize this was the "deceased" Zhao Xuan, who supposedly died over a year ago.
At this moment Zhao Xuan, having listened to the black-clothed man’s report, nodded smilingly and replied, "Did he really say that?"
The man in black nodded earnestly.
After nodding, he couldn’t help asking, "Do I need to send someone to watch over the young lady?"
Zhao Xuan waved his hand, "No need. Given Ying Ying’s martial skills, there’s nothing to worry about."
The man in black said, "I’m not worried about the young lady. I’m afraid Mr. Chen will be broken by the young lady."
Zhao Xuan: ...
He coughed once, "No need."
"I’ll visit him tonight."
"I remember you have Chen Yan’s address, right?"
"You’ll drive me there in person."
Saying this, he paused for a moment, adding, "Make it later. Around one or two o’clock in the morning."
"Zhao Hengyu is around. I still need to be cautious."