Freedom was indeed what Meng Yiren yearned for. She had been trapped in the Forgetfulness River for a very long time and was desperate for freedom.
Yet, to be beaten by Tang Xiaomin and then be granted freedom.
It was just a tactic of hitting with a stick and offering a carrot.
"Then please thank President Yan for me."
Not long after Zhong Li and Lu Xing had left, a man in a black trench coat walked into the ward.
The dark night rendered his appearance mysteriously profound.
As he slowly lifted his baseball cap and his face was revealed, Meng Yiren forgot to breathe, the feeling being too familiar.
But strangely, she was certain she had never seen this man before.
She couldn't help but blurt out.
"Are you Ye Fengxing?"
The man's thin lips parted, his voice low and magnetic.
"You've even forgotten me. It seems you truly drank the Forgetfulness River water given by Yan Jue and lost your memory."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yiren felt a mix of apprehension and resentment.
In her current memories, Yan Jue was the first person she saw.
The first words he spoke to her were: "From today onwards, you are the manager of the Forgetfulness River, responsible for providing Forgetfulness River water to the wandering souls on the path of reincarnation."
Thinking of how she was used by a group of rebels and had diligently worked under them for many years, her heart ignited with fury.
"You say you were my former superior, but now you are merely flesh and blood. How can I believe you?"
"Hmph!"
"You only dare speak like this to me. If it were Yan Jue, you probably wouldn't even dare to lift your head."
Hearing this, Meng Yiren immediately became a little angry.
"What is your purpose in finding me?"
"It's not a purpose, it's an order for you to remain within Xianfu Group and be my informant."
Ye Fengxing stated authoritatively.
Meng Yiren frowned.
"Why should I listen to you? Give me a reason."
This time, Ye Fengxing smiled slightly and placed a bank card in front of Meng Yiren.
"There are five million yuan in this card. This is your reward."
As the saying goes, money makes the world go round.
Upon seeing the money, Meng Yiren's eyes involuntarily brightened.
A love for money was ingrained in their very bones.
"Do your job well, take back everything that belongs to us, and everything you desire."
A dark, familiar feeling made Meng Yiren believe that Ye Fengxing was telling the truth.
"Alright, I promise. I hope you remember what you promised me and give me everything I want."
"It's a deal."
After giving her sufficient benefits, Ye Fengxing did not linger and left in a hurry.
He understood Meng Yiren and felt confident in letting her handle the matter.
...
Time flowed like ink from a pen. In the blink of an eye, with less than a month left, the semester would be over.
Since dealing with the "handover" work that day, Tang Xiaomin had not been to Xianfu Group again.
Her phone remained quiet, with no incessant messages bothering her.
No one even inquired about her assaulting someone.
Every day on her commute to and from school, a group of young girls would follow her, waiting for an opportunity to greet Tang Ye.
Beside a white Porsche, Tang Ye stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning casually against the car door, waiting for Tang Xiaomin to finish school.
"Tang Ye, can I have your autograph?"
"Tang Ye, can we take a photo?"
"Tang Ye, could you also give me a ride home? Otherwise, I'll have to walk home alone."
"Tang Ye..."
...
A chattering crowd of girls surrounded Tang Ye.
Tang Ye smiled brightly and first opened the car door for Tang Xiaomin.
After Tang Xiaomin got into the car, he then signed autographs for them one by one and took photos with a few girls.
Having completed all this, he then heartlessly got into the car under the admiring gazes of the fans.
"Goodbye, little sisters."
"Ah... he's talking to me. I'm so happy."
"So excited, he smiled at me."
...
These fangirls, upon seeing the handsome man, had completely forgotten about the past events concerning Tang Ye. They were still devoted fans.
Shortly after the car drove off, Tang Xiaomin said disdainfully.
"Are you here to pick me up or to develop a fanbase?"
There were very few poor people attending this university.
Casually developing hundreds of devoted fangirls meant a considerable ability to spend money, not comparable to ordinary fans.
Tang Ye retracted his professional smile.
"I am genuinely here to pick you up. Can you please not always assume the worst of people? I wasn't born a bad person."
"I am an idol, and my work is very busy. Now all my schedules have to avoid the time I pick you up, just to be your driver. Isn't that good enough for you?"
"I didn't force you."
"Yes, yes, yes. It was all voluntary. I'm a masochist."
"You were always a bit of a masochist."
Tang Ye: ...
Halfway there, Tang Ye couldn't resist his curiosity and asked Tang Xiaomin.
"By the way, didn't your boyfriend used to pick you up and drop you off every day? Why haven't I seen him showering you with attention recently?"
"We broke up," Tang Xiaomin replied calmly.
"What? You really broke up?"
Recently, Tang Ye had heard some unsubstantiated gossip in the entertainment industry.
It was said that someone saw Yan Jue being intimate with another girl in a bar and even took photos.
Coincidentally, Tang Ye recognized the girl. Tang Xiaomin had even brought her home for a meal before.
"Guard against fire, guard against theft, and guard against your best friend. You, you are too naive."
"Let me tell you, most women covet wealthy men. In the face of profit, friendship shatters at a touch, as brittle as plastic."
"You need to be more discerning when making friends in the future. I think Pan Jie was quite good, with sound values. She definitely wouldn't have done something like stealing a friend's love. It's a pity she's gone..."
...
Tang Ye chattered on, saying many comforting words to Tang Xiaomin.
Tang Xiaomin was unusually quiet. She didn't interrupt or retort but listened to him speak at length.
As he spoke, Tang Ye started talking about the villa they were currently living in.
"By the way, the villa we're living in now belongs to Yan Jue, right?"
Tang Xiaomin remained silent, because Tang Ye was correct. That villa area did indeed belong to Xianfu Group.
Although neither of them had said much, they both knew they had broken up.
An abrupt breakup, starting from the moment he stopped contacting her, meant they had automatically broken up.
They were adults and should act like adults.
"I'll ask my classmates about houses tomorrow. If we find something suitable, we'll buy it. Once the procedures are complete, we'll move."
Tang Ye sighed.
"Since we've broken up, there's no reason to continue staying in his house. Although our family's finances are not as good as before, we can't let people say we're occupying the house and refusing to leave, or be gossiped about behind our backs."
"I've earned a little money recently. If I discuss it with Mom, buying a house should be enough."
Tang Ye had matured considerably now.
As the car approached the outskirts, the rain began to pour, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Tang Ye couldn't help but complain about the weather in the suburbs.
"This is really strange. The entire Mo City has clear skies, yet it's raining so heavily in the suburbs. Is this what the weather forecast calls 'localized areas'?"