Chapter 67 hidden edge

The announcement was too much for He Lanjin to take. She burst into laughter.

"Lu Zifan will definitely be angered to death," He Lanjin said in a low voice.

He Lanjin grew quiet, remembering what happened earlier. She had always been strong, but she felt sad and disappointed after learning that her parents did not really care about her. She has mastered controlling her emotions since she was young; no one could see through her, which was the reason her parents always thought she was stupid.

As if fate knew what He Lanjin was doing, it sent He Ruoxue to the He family. He Ruoxue's stay helped hide He Lanjin's unconventional and edgy personality.

Qiao Hanye looked at He Lanjin, seeing the struggle and the pain in her heart. "The human heart is unpredictable, and some people could be downright evil. But you know, sometimes these people do not deserve the affection and the love we have for them."

Tonight Qiao Hanye was seeing a different He Lanjin. She knew that He Ruoxue was going to frame her, but she deliberately walked right into the trap. He Lanjin could not help but have some expectations, could she? If He Ruoxue had not taken out the knife, perhaps He Lanjin would not be so upset.

Here was a person who saved He Lanjin, grew up together with her and treated her as a sister, but stole her stuff and tried to ruin her reputation. He Ruoxue had brainwashed He Lanjin's parents, stealing their affections away.

He Lanjin had a happy family, but He Ruoxue's arrival turned her into an orphan with no one to rely on.

"I'm fine, I'm used to it." He Lanjin laughed softly, smiling to hide her hurt expression. She took two steps forward, and, seeing that Qiao Hanye did not move to follow her, she turned around and grabbed his wrist.

Qiao Hanye looked He Lanjin, then at her hand, which was clutching his. He shrugged, gripped her hand in return, and walked forward, dragging her.

He Lanjin stopped, suddenly feeling awkward. It was not her intention to hold his hand; she just wanted to drag him away.

"I just..." He Lanjin wanted to explain, but Qiao Hanye was now holding her small hand tightly, his thick palm creating a tight seal against hers. Noticing that He Lanjin stopped walking, Qiao Hanye stopped, turned around in confusion and asked, "Why, haven't you played enough?"

He Lanjin struggled to free her hand a few times, but Qiao Hanye was very strong. She could not free herself from his grip.

He Lanjin suddenly remembered that she still had not thanked Qiao Hanye for his help tonight with the firecrackers and for directing her parents to the alleyway. "How did you find them so quickly?" He Lanjin was puzzled. She just wanted to test Qiao Hanye and see how good he was at accomplishing things. She did not expect that he would really find her parents on time.

"I just reminded your father that some of CEO Huang's people had access to information about an unspeakable matter that would cause a scandal if exposed," Qiao Hanye said as he held He Lanjin's hand. She could feel the heat emanating from his body as his palm warmed hers.

He Lanjin's laughter rang in the quiet night.

He Lanjin laughed with such mirth that Qiao Hanye could not help but smile.

With the midnight moon hidden behind the clouds, the dim streetlights cast slender shadows on the street. Their shadows overlapped, as if intertwined.

"Let's go get the car," Qiao Hanye said and let go of He Lanjin's hand. They walked to the roadside in comfortable silence. Before they got to the car, He Lanjin pulled Qiao Hanye's hand and looked at his palm. "It's okay," he said as he pulled his hand back. "I'll drive."

"But your injury..." He Lanjin protested. Qiao Hanye opened the passenger door and motioned for her to get in the car.

He Lanjin got into the car. As soon as she was seated, Qiao Hanye leaned in, pulled He Lanjin's seatbelt and fastened it for her before closing the door. He walked over to the other side of the car and got on the driver's seat without saying anything.

He Lanjin was stunned, inexplicably overwhelmed by the gesture. Her heart thumped very fast; she felt like several fawns were running across her chest. She took out her phone and scrolled through the news, trying to act cool.

Qiao Hanye drove back to Scenery Garden. They got off the car and walked side by side toward the house. He Lanjin opened her mouth to speak, but even before she could say anything, she heard Qiao Hanye speak.

"It's your business, yes, but hear me out," Qiao Hanye said in his deep voice. "Keep your plans to yourself so your enemy would not know your next move. If you can, target his assets first. That will cripple him, making it easier for you to finish the job."

Surprised, He Lanjin looked at Qiao Hanye. She found it hard to believe that he actually knew what she was thinking. But she felt lucky too, to share a tacit understanding with this mystifying man. The good feeling, however, was displaced by an idea that suddenly popped in her head.

She was hit by a mysterious car on the night that she "committed suicide," which solved her problem because she did not know how to make it look like an accident. Why was she getting the feeling that the "accident" was Qiao Hanye's doing? "That night... was it your car that crashed into mine?"