109

The highway firefight, with its brazen firepower, alarmed the authorities. Special forces were swiftly deployed—not mere cops but heavily armed units. Realizing the situation was spiraling, the bandits chasing Hua Yunxia scattered in multiple directions.

Lei Zhengyang, with the woman in tow, vanished like smoke. Getting tangled in interrogations was the last thing either wanted—Hua Yunxia or Lei Zhengyang. Better to slip away and let Wang Jiansheng handle explanations. Longteng could deal with the fallout.

"Thanks for saving me. I'll repay you," Hua Yunxia said, exhaling in relief as Lei Zhengyang escorted her into the secure underground parking of Longteng's fortress-like building. They stepped into the elevator.

Lei Zhengyang chuckled. "Repay me? Nah, last time I saved you, no pledge of devotion came my way. What, you offering a deal now? Spill it—why're you in the South? Eyeing Longteng? I'm warning you, mess with Longteng, and I won't play nice. Even if your old man Knife shows up, he gets no face."

His bold, masculine bravado made Hua Yunxia turn, studying him with intrigue. After her call with her sister, she'd discreetly gathered intel on Lei Zhengyang. Reports painted him as a useless, lecherous playboy from a prominent family, obsessed with chasing women. Yet these words didn't sound like a wastrel's. Who was Knife, and why did he dare dismiss him?

"What're you staring at? Seduction? I'm immune," Lei Zhengyang teased. "Hey, Yunyue, you're acting weird. Days ago, you were bedridden, now you're bouncing around. For saving you—again—don't scheme against Longteng, or I'll spank you."

Hua Yunxia stayed silent, choosing not to correct him. While he mistook her for her sister, she'd probe deeper. She'd doubted her sister's claims, but now she believed—this man was impressive.

Spanking her sister? Are they dating? she thought, miffed. Injured and didn't tell me? Does she even see me as a sister? Mischief sparked. She hooked her arm through his.

"Whoa!" Lei Zhengyang yelped. "I'm not that easy! Don't get reckless. If you're gonna make a move, warn me—maybe I'll soften and give in."

A soft giggle escaped her, uncontainable.

"Honestly, your laugh's nice," Lei Zhengyang said. "Why the icy face all the time? Nobody owes you money, and I don't either, so quit glaring."

Hua Yunxia's mood lifted. This man was fun—she'd be happy with him. Envy for her sister crept in. Their lives differed: Hua Yunxia, a prodigy since childhood, lived alone after their mother's death, founding Genius Haven single-handedly. Buried in tech research, she had few friends and little social life.

"Spending time with you is a blast," she said, giggling, unfazed by the earlier danger. She'd faced such attacks before, but this one was odd. Using a fake identity in the East, yet they'd tracked her so fast—Hua Yunxia suspected an internal betrayal.

Lei Zhengyang touched her forehead. "Your brain's not fried, is it? Ice queen days ago, now a chatterbox? Stop laughing—really, or I'll start chasing you."

She covered her mouth, still giggling, until Wang Jiansheng opened the president's office door, extending a hand. "Miss Hua, sorry for the scare. You're safe. If we partner, Longteng Security will ensure your safety in the South. No worries."

"Thanks, Mr. Wang," Hua Yunxia said. "What's your answer? This deal costs Longteng nothing, and a trillion dollars will make you a commercial titan. Well?"

"A trillion?" Lei Zhengyang scoffed. "You nuts? Got that kind of cash? Your sister said your savings are a few hundred grand. The state won't fork over a trillion for you to play with, treating it like a cash cow."

Hua Yunxia flashed a coy smile, tossing him a flirtatious glance without explaining.

Wang Jiansheng blinked, surprised. "Zhengyang, you two know each other?"

"Know her!" Lei Zhengyang said.

"Don't know him!" Hua Yunxia countered.

Lei Zhengyang gaped. "Don't know me, Hua Yunyue? I'm your savior—twice! Take a good look: this handsome guy's the dream prince of countless girls. Last time, I nearly died saving you; this time, I risked it all. I'm not asking for devotion, but don't pretend you don't know me!"

"Zhengyang, she's Hua Yunxia, not Hua Yunyue," Wang Jiansheng clarified.

"Bull! A name change doesn't fool me," Lei Zhengyang said. "Uncle, she's a con artist. Her real name's Hua Yunyue, an army officer, up to no good with Longteng. I'll dig into who's behind this—someone's got too much time, messing with us."

Hua Yunxia sat, legs crossed, watching him with amusement. "Sir, I'm grateful for the rescue, but I don't know you. What, do I look like your friend?"

"Keep pretending," Lei Zhengyang snapped, dialing Third Aunt Wu Xiaomin. "Auntie, is Yunyue on a mission? I think I saw her in the South. Want me to talk to her?"

Wu Xiaomin laughed. "Zhengyang, what's this? Missing Yunyue? Seeing her in everything? She's right here. Want me to put in a good word?"

Lei Zhengyang stared at the coffee-sipping, leg-crossed woman, sweat beading on his brow. Something was off. "Put Hua Yunyue on," he said, skeptical.

Hua Yunyue's voice came through—unmistakably her, icy as ever. "Zhengyang, what's up?"

Words failed him. The woman before him wasn't Hua Yunyue. The phone held the real one.

"Uh, nothing… just wanted to hear your voice," he stammered. "No, I mean, see you. Yunyue, you're really you?" His jumbled words dripped with ambiguity, sounding romantic. He meant to confirm her identity, but Hua Yunyue misunderstood.

Thinking he was confessing feelings, her face flushed crimson. "You lunatic! No idea what you're babbling about!" She slammed the phone down.

Lei Zhengyang slumped into a chair, silent. Miles away in the capital, Hua Yunyue was equally dazed, her face burning after the bizarre call. Hear my voice? See me? What was that jerk doing—confessing love? Why not say it in person? A call's so insincere.

Wu Xiaomin noticed her flustered state. "Junior Sister, what's wrong? You're red—angry or shy? What'd Zhengyang say?"

"Nothing! That jerk better not call again. Hmph, idiot!" Hua Yunyue couldn't tell if she was furious or flustered, her heart a tangled mess.

Seeing Lei Zhengyang quiet, Hua Yunxia seized her chance, tossing a teasing glance. "Well, handsome, wrong person? You took some liberties earlier—shouldn't you apologize?"

Lei Zhengyang looked up, studying her intently. "Impossible. How can two people look so alike? Miss, can I ask—who's your dad, your mom? Any siblings?"

Wang Jiansheng nearly fainted. What's Zhengyang on about, asking such random questions?

Hua Yunxia, unfazed, smirked. "No way. Trying to charm me? That tactic's outdated."

"But answer my questions honestly, and I might indulge your curiosity," she added, her clever eyes glinting with mischief.

Lei Zhengyang thought, I'm not chasing you—just stunned you're Hua Yunyue's doppelgänger, with such a similar name. His curiosity burned.

"Fine, ask away," he said.

"You've got a girlfriend named Hua Yunyue, right? Looks just like me," she said. "What's your status? Holding hands, kissing, or… have you done that?"

Lei Zhengyang groaned inwardly. This woman's nosier than me, digging into such personal stuff. Her gossip game's strong.