《The Business Tycoon Is Fierce And Clingy》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Slap!¡± A crisp slap sounded. An Ran retracted her hand and fell back onto her sickbed because of exhaustion. She gasped for air as she glared at the coquettish woman standing opposite her. ¡°What nonsense are you saying?! No way! My husband would never cheat on me, let alone make you pregnant!¡± ¡°Hmph, of course Sir wouldn¡¯t tell you about it. After marrying you, he had to pretend to be in love with you.¡± Her domestic helper, Tao Ya, who had once been pure and kind, quit her disguise. She covered her face and started laughing viciously, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant now, but you have terminal stomach cancer and have long lost your value. Of course Sir knows who to choose.¡± An Ran¡¯s body stiffened as she felt that the face in front of her belonged to a stranger. With tears in her eyes, she accused her, ¡°Tao Ya¡­ What are you talking about? I treated you like a close friend! I helped you get rid of your scumbag boyfriend and gave you this job!¡± Tao Ya¡¯s eyes flashed with hatred, and she gave An Ran a slap on her pale face! ¡°How dare you say that?! I had a relationship with Sir before you did! If you didn¡¯t steal him away from me, why would I end up with a scumbag boyfriend and work as a servant for your family?!¡± ¡°If you really want to make it up to me, why don¡¯t you give him up to me? You act like my master all the time. Why do I have to serve you when we¡¯re both his women?! Sir even said that I¡¯m a hundred times better than you in bed!¡± An Ran widened her eyes as if she had never expected she was the farmer who saved the viper despite her good intentions. Her heart ached extremely, and her entire body trembled slightly, ¡°This is impossible¡­ Duan Qun would never¡­ You must be lying to me¡­¡± Tao Ya laughed mockingly, ¡°How pathetic. Even now, you¡¯re still lying to yourself.¡± She took out a bottle of colorless liquid from her bag and shook it. ¡°Do you know what this is? It¡¯s gasoline! If Sir didn¡¯t instruct me, how would I dare to come here and send you to hell?¡± After saying that, Tao Ya raised her hand and poured all the liquid onto the ground. An Ran¡¯s pupils constricted, but she had no strength to get up. ¡°What are you going to do?! Murder?! It¡¯s against the law! Help! Help!¡± As if God had heard her cry for help, the ward door opened at that moment. An Ran was glad when she saw that familiar figure. Just as she was about to scream for help, she heard Duan Qun speak to Tao Ya coldly. ¡°Why did you take so long to set a fire? I¡¯ve already sent all the people in the care home away and destroyed the surveillance cameras. Hurry up and do it. I have a lighter here.¡± An Ran¡¯s body turned cold as she muttered, ¡°Duan Qun, what are you saying? How could you say the same thing as she did?¡± Duan Qun¡¯s gaze swept past her face that had withered because of her illness, and his eyes flashed with unconcealed disgust. ¡°Alright, now that your parents are gone, I can¡¯t be bothered to pretend in front of you anymore. I¡¯ll send you to reunite with them now.¡± An Ran watched his lips open and close in disbelief as if she did not understand what he was saying. Her parents¡­ were dead too? They had been killed by them! An Ran was so outraged that she spat out a mouthful of blood. She struggled to get off the bed. ¡°You two! You can¡¯t do this to me¡­¡± Her actions startled Tao Ya. The lighter in her hand fell to the ground with a thump. Boom! Once the spark contacted the gasoline, a blazing fire instantly shot up to the height of an adult! Duan Qun and Tao Ya were scared that they would be implicated, so they locked the door and ran away as fast as they could! As their voices were getting further away, An Ran¡¯s heart was full of panic and fear. She crawled to the door with all four of her limbs. She could not care less about the heat, and she desperately tried to pull the door open. The door was locked, and she could not pull it open. ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°Help¡­ Someone, please help me¡­¡± An Ran ran out of strength and fell to the ground. She feebly crawled to a corner where there was no fire for the time being. The thick smoke made her consciousness weaker and weaker. Her throat stung as if it was about to burn. The fire had reached her calf, and the pain was heart-wrenching. Was she about to die¡­? No, she refused! Bang! Someone suddenly broke the ward door open! A tall figure barged in. The next second, An Ran felt herself being carried, and a deep voice sounded close to her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m taking you with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me¡­¡± An Ran was stunned. This voice sounded so familiar to her. It was very similar to the voice of the ¡°scoundrel¡± she had met on the eve of her wedding to Duan Qun. In the middle of the night before her wedding, a man suddenly barged into her room. In the pitch-black darkness, the man trapped her on the bed. His deep and passionate voice seemed to contain endless repressed deep affection. ¡°I can take you with me. Can you not marry Duan Qun?¡± What did she say at that time? An Ran thought it was just a prank or someone sent by Duan Qun to test her. She fiercely made the man leave and said many things about her deep love for Duan Qun. After that night, the man had never appeared again. An Ran even suspected that it was an absurd dream. But now, this familiar voice appeared in her ears again¡­ ¡°Who¡­ are you exactly?¡± An Ran could not see his face clearly. ¡°Do we¡­ know¡ª (each other)?¡± Thud! She did not get to finish her question. A massive beam smashed down, and the man only had time to protect her tightly under his body. An Ran heard the terrifying sound of ribs breaking. The man opened his mouth, and a large volume of blood dripped onto her neck. ¡°Ranran¡­ I regret it¡­¡± ¡°Even if you love him¡­ And even if you hate me¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have given you up to him¡­¡± That pair of pitch-black eyes gradually became dull before her eyes. An Ran cried out in grief, ¡°No!¡± Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°No!¡± An Ran suddenly woke up from her dream. She saw the familiar layout of her room at home and gradually regained her consciousness. She had already been reborn for three days. In her previous life, she had been deceived by a scumbag, Duan Qun, and had genuinely helped him expand his business empire. However, he had been betraying her and fooling around with her domestic helper¡­ An Ran¡¯s eyes became red, and she dug her fingernails into her palms till traces of blood seeped out from her palms. Since she had the chance to live a new life, she would make Duan Qun and Tao Ya pay her back twice what they had owed her! As for the man who had saved her at the fire scene¡­ Who was he? Why did he save her? Wave after wave of warmth rushed through An Ran¡¯s heart, and questions came to her mind. She closed her palms and muttered softly, ¡°I will find you and repay your kindness.¡± Some movements suddenly came from downstairs. An Ran remembered that today was the day Duan Qun came to her house to discuss their marriage with her parents. She quickly washed up and went downstairs. Her parents had already prepared breakfast for her. ¡°Ranran, come over quickly. These are all your favorite food.¡± An Ran sniffled and gave each of them a hug. ¡°Thank you, Mom and Dad.¡± She had been reborn at a time before everything had happened. She had not married Duan Qun, and her parents had not died. How great. An Ran¡¯s father and mother glanced at each other. In the past two years, An Ran had had a strained relationship with them for a long time since they had not supported her relationship with Duan Qun. However, ever since An Ran had had a nightmare three days ago, she had become extremely clingy. They had no idea what she had dreamed. An Ran grabbed two bites of food and asked casually, ¡°Is Duan Qun still not here?¡± Her father replied, ¡°He already came. He said he wanted to make breakfast for you, so he went to the kitchen.¡± An Ran sneered as she thought to herself, ¡°Making breakfast for me? He probably went inside to see Tao Ya instead. Tao Ya was on duty in the kitchen today.¡± An Ran put down her chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on him.¡± Her father looked at her back and sighed. ¡°Our daughter really can¡¯t leave Duan Qun for even a minute.¡± An Ran walked to the kitchen door, and flirty voices came from inside. There were people kissing while speaking in low voices inside. ¡°Qun, are you really going to marry An Ran?¡± ¡°Of course. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only after her family estates. I¡¯ll always love you the most.¡± Although she had already found out the truth, An Ran¡¯s heart still ached for a moment. The pain was soon replaced with hatred. She kicked the kitchen door open forcefully, causing the two of them, who were all over each other, to break away in a panic. An Ran raised her eyebrow. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Before Duan Qun could say anything, Tao Ya had already gotten down on her knees. ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Mr. Duan loves you dearly and came over to make breakfast for you. I saw he didn¡¯t know what to do, so I was teaching him!¡± She sounded as if she had often been abused by An Ran. Duan Qun¡¯s eyes flashed with a trace of pity. An Ran curled her lip. Why had she not realized in her previous life that her domestic helper was an angelic b*tch? ¡°Oh,¡± An Ran pretended like she had seen nothing. She tugged at Tao Ya¡¯s tulle dress and said with concern, ¡°Tao Ya, why are you wearing so little? Don¡¯t you feel cold?¡± Tao Ya shook her head and lowered her eyes with reluctance. She replied, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m not cold.¡± Snow was falling on the window. Frost formed on the glass window as it was exposed to cold air. An Ran revealed a bright smile as she gazed at Tao Ya. ¡°Perfect. I¡¯m craving the wonton soup from the restaurant two streets away. Duan Qun cannot make it. Why don¡¯t you buy it for me?¡± ¡°Since you said you didn¡¯t feel cold, why don¡¯t you go out in this dress?¡± Tao Ya was stunned. She looked at Duan Qun subconsciously. She asked her to go out in such a thin outfit in such cold weather. Would it not be almost the same as taking her life?! Duan Qun understood and immediately coaxed An Ran. ¡°Baby, there are a few bags of dumplings in the kitchen fridge. How about I make them for you?¡± An Ran playfully whined, ¡°Are you not letting me eat the food I like when we¡¯re not even married? If my parents find out, they¡¯ll oppose our marriage again.¡± She had Duan Qun by the balls in a second. He had no choice but to compromise. He urged Tao Ya, ¡°Since An Ran has a craving, go buy it and come back quickly!¡± Tao Ya stared at him with a stunned expression. Her eyes were full of resentment as she pushed the door open and walked out. It was terribly cold outside. Tao Ya looked back at An Ran through the glass window as resentment and indignance rose in her heart. An Ran returned a bright smile, and Tao Ya hurriedly averted her gaze as she did not dare to make eye contact with her. This was just the beginning¡­ An Ran ignored Tao Ya and smiled as she took Duan Qun¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go see mom and dad.¡± Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Duan Qun tried his best to curry favor with An Ran¡¯s parents at the dining table. An Ran smiled with sarcasm when she saw this. An Ran narrowed her eyes. She really had to try very hard to control herself in order to suppress the anger in her heart. Suddenly, An Ran came up with a plan. Since Duan Qun enjoyed pretending to be nice so much, she wanted to teach him a lesson. An Ran looked at Duan Qun and recalled that she had been so gullible that she had given a lot of money to this scumbag in her previous life. She secretly swore that she would definitely get her money back. ¡°Qun, you hold me dear to your heart, don¡¯t you?¡± An Ran pretended to be shy as she said this, but in fact, the thought of Duan Qun made her want to throw up. Duan Qun was taken by surprise, but before he could react, he said, ¡°O-Of course.¡± An Ran continued, ¡°Qun, before we get married, shouldn¡¯t we discuss the betrothal gifts according to tradition? You wouldn¡¯t be unfair to me, would you?¡± When she said this, even her parents were shocked. ¡°We thought Ranran couldn¡¯t wait to give all our family¡¯s money to Duan Qun? Why would she ask him for betrothal gifts?¡± Duan Qun was already in a daze and could not quickly understand what An Ran was up to. Since An Ran¡¯s parents were still here, he could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll give all the best things to you, Ranran. You can have whatever you want, and we¡¯ll do it the most glorious way possible.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re so good to me, Qun.¡± An Ran pretended and rested her head on Duan Qun¡¯s shoulder. Her face was filled with a happy smile as she silently calculated how much money the scumbag owed her. ¡°Since you said so, a 200 million betrothal gift shouldn¡¯t be a big deal to you, right? What do you think, Qun?¡± When Duan Qun heard this, a corner of his lip twitched twice. ¡°O-Okay¡­ Of course¡­ Sure.¡± Duan Qun¡¯s was already bleeding inside. Just when Duan Qun thought it was the end of the matter, he heard An Ran speak again, ¡°Qun, I trust you very much that you won¡¯t mess around, but we¡¯d better sign a contract to put my mind at ease.¡± ¡°A contract?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s an agreement that you can¡¯t get back your 200 million betrothal gifts if you cheat before or after our marriage.¡± As An Ran said this, she took out an agreement from somewhere. ¡°Qun, you don¡¯t mind signing this agreement, do you? Since you love me so much, this shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you, right?¡± ¡°O-Of course not¡­¡± Duan Qun started sweating on his forehead. ¡°Qun, sign it then.¡± Duan Qun picked up the pen and signed it with his shaky hand. ¡°Qun, I remember that you have a black card. Since you¡¯ve already signed the contract before my parents and our wedding day is approaching, shouldn¡¯t you give me your black card first?¡± At this moment, Duan Qun could no longer control his facial expression, and sweat ran down his forehead. Duan Qun had no choice but to take out the black card from the pocket of his suit jacket and give it to An Ran. Duan Qun was reluctant to give her his black card, so he planned to discuss it with An Ran outside later. Little had he expected that An Ran said she was not feeling well right after breakfast and asked Duan Qun to go home earlier. Duan Qun could only wait for the next opportunity to talk about it. After Duan Qun left, An Ran¡¯s father asked, ¡°Ranran, your attitude toward Duan Qun seems to have changed. Did something happen? You can tell us if something happened.¡± An Ran¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red, but she thought it would not be too late to explain to her parents after she had finished her business with the scum and the b*tch. So she smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad. I¡¯ve just thought things through lately. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, Ranran. Remember that you can talk to us if there¡¯s anything.¡± ¡°I know, Dad.¡± An Ran hugged her mom and dad once again. Since breakfast was over, An Ran¡¯s parents had already gone to do their things, and Duan Qun had left. An Ran was sitting alone. Just as An Ran was about to return to her room, Tao Ya walked in with the wonton soup. ¡°Miss, I bought the wontons you wanted to eat.¡± It was snowing heavily outside, and Tao Ya wore a tulle dress today. She was shivering from the cold, and her face and hands were red. An Ran saw her dress and her eyes turned cold. ¡°Leave it. I don¡¯t want to eat it anymore.¡± Tao Ya pouted and mumbled softly, ¡°You made me go out to buy it in the cold, but now you don¡¯t want to eat it. Something must be wrong with you.¡± Although Tao Ya spoke very softly, An Ran still heard it. ¡°What? Do you have a problem with me?¡± Tao Ya was stunned and forced herself to answer with a smile, ¡°Miss, why would I have a problem with you?¡± ¡°Hmph. Tao Ya, you¡¯d better not have any problem.¡± ¡°As a servant, you should observe your duties and not cross your master¡¯s boundaries. Whether I want to eat it or not, who are you to say anything about it?¡± Tao Ya felt angry and puzzled at the same time. Why did she have a feeling that An Ran had changed a lot? She raised her head and glanced at An Ran. Her eyes met An Ran¡¯s penetrating gaze, and since Tao Ya was already feeling guilty, she quickly lowered her head. ¡°Tao Ya, didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t feel cold wearing so little? Then go outside and clean the yard now. Come back when you¡¯re done.¡± After saying that, An Ran called the housekeeper over to supervise Tao Ya cleaning the yard. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Tao Ya was reluctant, but she did not have the nerve to openly disobey An Ran¡¯s orders. She could only obediently do what a servant should do. After two hours, An Ran started to feel bored at home. She glanced at the black card on the table and revealed a wicked grin. An Ran looked out the window. Tao Ya was already exhausted, even though she had only cleaned a portion of the yard. ¡°Hmph¡­ Do you think this is the end? In this life, I¡¯ll make you suffer twice the suffering you caused me in my previous life¡­¡± An Ran thought to herself. ¡°Tao Ya, clean yourself up. Don¡¯t let others think I¡¯m mistreating you. Go shopping with me later to buy some things for my wedding.¡± An Ran stood at the door and said while looking out. ¡°Okay.¡± Tao Ya gritted her teeth and replied. After saying that, she ran back to her room to change her clothes. An Ran put on a white undershirt, a long black down jacket, and a pair of tight pants today. She casually tied her long hair up into a ponytail, revealing her pretty face. Although she did not have any makeup on, her looks easily surpassed the average girl. Once they got ready, they headed to the mall. When they reached the mall, An Ran went straight to the most expensive women¡¯s clothing store. Tao Ya followed her with a reluctant look. While Tao Ya was holding a large pile of clothes and waiting outside the fitting room, An Ran tried on one set of clothes after another. An Ran was now wearing a black strapless evening gown, showing off her elegant swan neck. Although An Ran was slim, she was pleasantly plump with curves in all the right places. Her bosom was faintly visible. Even women would be jealous when they saw her, not to mention that men would be drooling. ¡°Does it look good on me, Tao Ya? Do you think Qun will like it?¡± Tao Ya had almost broken her teeth by gritting them so hard at this moment. Her eyes were full of jealousy and anger. However, she was just a servant, so she could only say, ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± An Ran could not help but snicker when she saw how Tao Ya acted. An Ran continued, ¡°Qun is very good to me. Not only did he give me a huge betrothal gift, but he also gave me his black card. Since he loves me so much, I have to buy a few more clothes so that I don¡¯t let him down.¡± ¡°I still need to try on a few more clothes. Bring those clothes over.¡± Even Tao Ya herself did not notice that her face was full of jealousy and anger. She was glaring as she widened her eyes. But what right did she have to get jealous? The woman Duan Qun was going to marry was An Ran. She was just a lover who could never see the light of day. Tao Ya saw An Ran was wearing high heels and suddenly had a malicious idea. She used the clothes in her arms as a cover and secretly reached out her leg, trying to trip An Ran up. ¡°If An Ran broke her leg, she would not be able to attend the wedding, would she?¡± Little had she expected that An Ran, standing in front of her, deduced from what she saw in the fitting mirror that Tao Ya wanted to pull a dirty trick on her. Thus, when Tao Ya was about to walk to the side of An Ran, An Ran secretly reached out her leg before Tao Ya could trip her up. ¡°Ow, it hurts!¡± Tao Ya fell to the ground together with the clothes. An Ran pretended to be concerned, ¡°Are you alright, Tao Ya? How did you fall? What else can I count on you to do if you can even fall when carrying just a few pieces of clothes?¡± Tao Ya rubbed her sore bottom. ¡°Miss, it was clearly you who tripped me up¡­¡± ¡°How can you frame me like this?¡± An Ran said in disappointment. ¡°Why don¡¯t we check the surveillance footage then?¡± Check the surveillance footage? Would that not expose her earlier actions?! Tao Ya felt guilty, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I was the one who lost my footing.¡± Seeing that Tao Ya¡¯s malicious attempt had failed, An Ran turned her back and snickered. Little did she know the eyes of a handsome man standing at a distance from her caught her smirk. The man was 1.9 meters tall. He had deep and attractive facial features and looked like a god from ancient Greek mythology. Huo Qing came to the shopping mall for an inspection today. He had actually seen An Ran trying on clothes in this store some time ago. However, he did not disturb her and only looked at her quietly. His butler was stunned. ¡°President Huo, do you know that lady?¡± Huo Qing pursed his lips and shook his head, ¡°No.¡± She did not know him yet. Huo Qing raised his arm to look at his watch. He had a meeting later. He wanted to look at An Ran for a while longer, but he could only leave. Before he left, he instructed the butler to buy the dress An Ran was wearing just now and give it to her. An Ran tried on many sets of clothes. Everything fit her well since she had great looks and a good figure. An Ran thought she should max out Duan Qun¡¯s black card and make him feel awful for the money he lost since she had brought it with her today. Just as she was about to pay the bill, the cashier told An Ran that a gentleman had paid the bill on her behalf and asked her to let An Ran know she looked good in a black evening dress. An Ran felt it was odd. She looked around and did not find the man who paid for her, so she could only accept it. Since she did not use up Duan Qun¡¯s money in the card in the clothing store, An Ran went to other stores and bought a lot of stuff. They were all the most expensive and the best things. Duan Qun was reading documents in his office when his phone kept getting transaction alerts. ¡°50,000 RMB was charged to your card at the New Moon Mall¡­¡± ¡°12,800 RMB was charged to your card at the New Moon Mall¡­¡± ¡°D*mn it, this b*tch!¡± Duan Qun was bleeding in his heart as he punched the table. However, he had no choice but to tolerate her at this point. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation A week passed very quickly, and it was almost the wedding day of An Ran and Duan Qun. An Ran recalled the wedding day of her previous life. Duan Qun had been late. He had been a mess and had had a fishy smell. Although An Ran had had some doubts, Duan Qun had brushed her off. Now that she thought about it, it had clearly been the smell of semen! Duan Qun had gone out and slept with another woman the day before their wedding! Who had that been? It had been Tao Ya, of course! At the thought of this, An Ran hated herself for being so foolish. She had been duped for so long, causing harm to herself and her parents. She wanted to change all of it in this life! On this day, An Ran treated Tao Ya quite well at home, as if she had no clue about the affair between her and Duan Qun at all. After dinner, An Ran read the newspaper on the sofa with a calm facial expression. Tao Ya saw An Ran sitting there and reading the newspaper attentively. She dropped her work and ran back to her room. Then, she changed her clothes and snuck out. An Ran saw Tao Ya leaving and guessed that she had gone to meet Duan Qun. So, An Ran also put on her coat and secretly followed her in the car. As expected, Tao Ya and Duan Qun met at the hotel entrance. Duan Qun held Tao Ya¡¯s waist and entered the hotel. An Ran could not help but mock herself. Judging by how familiar they were with the hotel when they entered it, they must have been together since a long time ago and had kept her in the dark for so long. ¡°Since you two enjoy hanging out together so much, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish and show everyone your true colors,¡± An Ran said in a low voice. An Ran got out of the car and followed them into the hotel. It turned out that Duan Qun had booked a room in this hotel for a fixed long term. Whenever they had a chance, they came here for their secret affair. An Ran followed them until they entered the room. She memorized their room number. ¡°How should I expose them? After all, I can¡¯t just barge in.¡± An Ran thought to herself. Just as An Ran wondered what she should do, she saw a room service staff in front of her and had an idea. An Ran went out to buy a set of clothes which was the same as the hotel room service staff. Then, she put on a cap and a mask, tied her hair up, and changed her high heels. Now she had the same image as the hotel room service staff. After changing, An Ran pushed the food cart and arrived at the hotel room with the number she had just memorized. It was the first time she had ever done something like this, so her palms were sweating. An Ran pressed the doorbell, but no one answered. After pressing it for a long time, she saw Duan Qun open the door in his pajamas. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you know this is a private room? I think you want to be complained, is what it is!¡± Duan Qun said impatiently. An Ran said in a different voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯m the hotel room service staff. I¡¯m here to deliver your food.¡± Duan Qun thought he would definitely be hungry after ¡°working out¡±, so he said, ¡°Then put it down quickly and leave.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± An Ran pushed the food cart into the room and came out. Although An Ran did not expose Duan Qun and Tao Ya on the spot, she had installed a mini spy camera on the food cart, and the camera was facing the bed when she left the food cart in the room. After doing all this, An Ran came out of the hotel in a good mood. Thinking that she could expose the true colors of the scumbag, she happily hummed a song. An Ran drove her car home. On the way home, she felt she was in an elevated mood. ¡°Bang!¡± However, she had not expected her car would crash into a black Maybach just as she was about to reach home. An Ran was stunned, ¡°Seriously? Am I destined to have an unlucky day today?¡± The man sitting in the back seat of the Maybach was wearing a custom-made suit and had deep eyes. As he looked at her, his lips curled into a faint smile. An Ran was speechless. Why was he smiling? His car had been hit! A moment later, the man¡¯s long legs stepped out of the car and approached her step by step. ¡°Miss, your car has crashed into my car. How do you think we should deal with this?¡± The man had a deep and pleasant voice. Why did this voice sound so familiar? He sounded like¡­ An Ran did not have time to think about the doubt in her heart. The most important thing now was to resolve this accident. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m very sorry for crashing into your car. Would you prefer to settle this privately or with the insurance?¡± Huo Qing gazed deeply at the woman and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with a private settlement, but the damage on my car seemed to be very serious. How are you going to compensate me?¡± Huo Qing stared at An Ran closely. Somehow An Ran felt that something was not right¡­ Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll compensate you.¡± An Ran thought since she still had Duan Qun¡¯s black card in her hands, she would not pay him with her own money, so she would not feel pity about the money anyway. She opened her bag, took out Duan Qun¡¯s black card, and handed it to Huo Qing. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a lot of money in this black card. It should be enough for your car repair.¡± An Ran generously handed the card to Huo Qing. It was the scumbag¡¯s card. She would be fine without it. Huo Qing reached out his hand to take the black card. When he saw Duan Qun¡¯s signature on the card, his expression instantly turned cold. ¡°This is Duan Qun¡¯s card?¡± His voice was deep and cold. It immediately reminded An Ran of the man who had gone to her rescue before she had died in her previous life. The man in front of her sounded like her benefactor in her previous life. An Ran sized up the man in front of her. His looks and height were all top-notch. Today was the eve of her and Duan Qun¡¯s wedding. That man had also shown up at her house this day in her previous life¡­ Could this man in front of her be her benefactor? An Ran hesitantly asked, ¡°Do you know me¡­?¡± Unexpectedly, she heard him call the police. Huo Qing returned the card to An Ran and said, ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t think you can dismiss me with just a card, do you?¡± An Ran was a little puzzled at this moment. She had thought he was easy to talk to, but why did his attitude change when he saw Duan Qun¡¯s card? Could it be that he had a grudge against Duan Qun? An Ran pleaded, ¡°Sir, can you not call the police? I¡¯m getting married tomorrow, so I can¡¯t go to the police station now.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s expression turned even worse when he heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re getting married or whatever. You have to be responsible for crashing into my car.¡± ¡°Also, are you in such a hurry to get married?¡± An Ran felt it was ridiculous and laughed, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re poking your nose into someone else¡¯s business? Even if I¡¯m in a hurry to get married, what does it have to do with you?¡± An Ran had had a decent first impression of this man up until now. Now she was totally speechless. He was unbelievable. Huo Qing kept looking at An Ran. When he heard she was really in a hurry to get married, he sneered, ¡°Then it¡¯s a pity that you won¡¯t be able to get married tomorrow without my consent.¡± An Ran was utterly dumbfounded. Why did she feel like it was no longer about the car crash? It was as if she had done something wrong to him. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t say anything strange to me. You asked for compensation, and I gave you the card. The money in this black card is enough for your car repair, okay?¡± An Ran tossed the card to Huo Qing and turned to leave. When Huo Qing saw An Ran was about to leave, he narrowed his eyes, grabbed An Ran, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡± ¡°What are you doing?! Please show some respect and let go of me!¡± An Ran finally lost all her patience and tried to break away from Huo Qing. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°In your dreams.¡± ¡°¡­¡± An Ran thought that she might have encountered a pervert tonight. ¡°What do you want exactly?¡± ¡°I just want to resolve the car accident.¡± ¡°Then why are you holding me back?¡± Huo Qing said nothing, but he did not let go of An Ran¡¯s arm. After a while, the police arrived and took them to the police station. On the way to the police station, An Ran kept looking out the window, and her face was full of annoyance and anger. Huo Qing, on the other hand, sat beside her expressionlessly as if he was not the reason for all this trouble. When they arrived at the police station, the police chief came to pick them up personally, and the word ¡°toad¡± was written all over his face. ¡°President Huo, I¡¯m really sorry for bringing you to the police station for a minor car accident. Just give us a call in the future, and we will help you resolve it.¡± An Ran was stunned. President Huo? ¡°Is he the President of the Huo Corporate Group?¡± The police chief glared at her, ¡°Who else could he be? Are there two Presidents Huo in City A?¡± Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation An Ran glanced at Huo Qing as fast as lightning. It was him?! The President of the Huo Corporate Group, Huo Qing! Rumor had it that the President of the Huo Corporation was a self-made man who had grasped the lifelines of City A¡¯s economy with an iron hand in just a few years. She had thought that he was a tough old man. She had not expected him to be such a¡­ handsome young man! The police chief was still apologizing to Huo Qing, saying that they had not taken good care of him. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Chief. No worries. Miss An and I are both responsible for the car accident. I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate with the investigation with Miss An.¡± After saying that, Huo Qing raised his eyebrows, ¡°I guess we won¡¯t be able to resolve this matter by today. I can wait at the police station for a night with Miss An until the problem is solved.¡± The police chief had seen the elephant, so he immediately understood what Huo Qing actually meant. At this moment, An Ran suddenly said, ¡°Chief, I just accidentally crashed into Mr. Huo¡¯s car. If he asks for compensation, I can pay him now, but I can¡¯t spend the night at the police station as I¡¯m getting married tomorrow.¡± The police chief immediately shook his head, ¡°Miss, although it¡¯s just a small car accident, we still have to go through the procedures since you¡¯ve already called the police. Our procedures are very comprehensive, and they will take us at least a night to complete. As for your wedding, you can postpone it.¡± An Ran was instantly speechless. The police chief turned to the police officer beside him and said, ¡°This case hasn¡¯t been settled yet. Let them stay at the police station today, and we¡¯ll take our time to investigate.¡± An Ran was furious. She thought to herself, ¡°So he has a lot of power and influence, big deal. What a day!¡± However, An Ran knew that it would be pointless no matter how she resisted now. She was alone in the police station and had no one else to rely on. Neither could she inform her parents and make them worry, so she could only try to think of a way to get out tomorrow. The police chief did not stay any longer. Soon, An Ran and Huo Qing were locked in the same room. An Ran was very angry. She quietly sat far away from Huo Qing and ignored him. Huo Qing knew that An Ran was in a mood, so he did not say anything. He knew that An Ran did not have a good impression of him now. He was okay with it. He would rather An Ran hate him than let her marry Duan Qun. An Ran felt bored as she sat there. She thought of Tao Ya and Duan Qun and the camera she had installed on the food cart in their hotel room. She wondered what was going on there. At the thought of this, An Ran turned on her phone. As she had connected the camera to her phone, she could see the video captured by the camera through her phone. However, she did not expect the scene in the video to be so ¡°exciting¡±! On the big bed, Duan Qun and Tao Ya were naked. Duan Qun pressed Tao Ya under his body and held her by the waist, going in and out fast¡­ Tao Ya was hugging Duan Qun¡¯s neck, ¡°Qun¡­ Harder¡­ Ah¡­ It¡¯s too deep¡­¡± Duan Qun grunted and slapped Tao Ya¡¯s butt, ¡°Little vixen, relax! You¡¯re too tight!¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Ah¡­ Faster¡­ I¡¯m almost there¡­¡± An Ran was so shocked that she quickly turned off the video, but it was already too late. Her phone was on speaker, and the sound had already spread to every corner of the room. Huo Qing, who was sitting on the other side, turned in An Ran¡¯s direction and gave her a meaningful look. An Ran was extremely embarrassed. She turned her face away, and her face and ears were red. ¡°Someone sent me a prank video, and I clicked on it by mistake! I wasn¡¯t watching porn!¡± At this moment, she really wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. It was way too embarrassing¡­ Having seen such a video in front of someone she was not familiar with, An Ran was worried that Huo Qing would think she was a pervert. Hearing this, Huo Qing did not ask any further questions. Instead, he nodded very seriously and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± An Ran was speechless, and she thought, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just say it. Why are you pretending to believe me?!¡± Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the middle of the night, An Ran uploaded the video of Duan Qun and Tao Ya onto the cloud drive for the big screen at the wedding. Having had a long day, An Ran was already dozing off. Although Huo Qing was sitting on the other side, he had been paying attention to An Ran. Huo Qing saw An Ran was about to fall asleep, so he quietly moved closer to her. Huo Qing held An Ran in his arms naturally, but his ears unusually turned red¡­ Probably because she felt uncomfortable in her posture, An Ran changed into a comfortable posture in Huo Qing¡¯s arms and leaned her head against Huo Qing¡¯s thigh¡­ At this moment, the only thing Huo Qing could think about was how hot he felt. A certain part of his body was aroused. On the other hand, An Ran was still sleeping soundly in his arms, and sometimes she even moved her head which then touched the top of his thigh. However, there was nothing Huo Qing could do about the young lady¡¯s movements in his arms. After all, he could not bear to wake her up. Holding her made him very happy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this time, I won¡¯t let you get married again¡­¡± Huo Qing looked at An Ran¡¯s sleeping face and said in a soft voice. It was quiet in the room. Huo Qing recalled some things from his previous life, and he could not help but hold An Ran tighter. ¡°Knock. Knock.¡± Huo Qing opened his half-closed eyes and looked toward the door. ¡°President Huo, I brought you two blankets.¡± The policeman on duty said respectfully. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Take them back.¡± ¡°Alright, President Huo.¡± Huo Qing took off his suit jacket and covered An Ran with it. He then gazed at An Ran again. An Ran looked very quiet when she was asleep. Her skin was fair, her eyelashes were thick, and her lips were pink and soft. Although her nose bridge was not very high, it matched her entire face perfectly. Nobody knew how long Huo Qing had been looking at An Ran. He held her still so that he would not wake her up. The two of them maintained this posture for the entire night. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± It was dawn, and An Ran felt pain all over her body, especially around her neck. She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Huo Qing¡¯s suit pants. An Ran instantly woke up and blushed. She wanted to get off Huo Qing¡¯s body, but she accidentally rolled onto the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ It hurts.¡± An Ran¡¯s voice woke Huo Qing up. He opened his eyes and saw An Ran sitting on the ground. Huo Qing looked at An Ran without saying anything. ¡°Why was I sleeping in your arms last night? Were you trying to take advantage of me while I was asleep?¡± An Ran wanted to question Huo Qing, but her voice became softer and softer. ¡°You fell asleep last night and leaned on me,¡± Huo Qing looked at An Ran and said without looking guilty. ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you for not pushing me away then,¡± An Ran said with embarrassment as she rubbed her neck. An Ran suddenly remembered that she had to rush to the wedding venue, so she quickly told Huo Qing, ¡°I¡¯ll compensate you for the car accident. I have to go now.¡± Aa Ran was going to leave right after she said that. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± An Ran frowned. She did not understand what Huo Qing still wanted. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to compensate me. Give me your contact information.¡± An Ran did not have time to think about it. She gave him her contact information and drove to the wedding venue. Huo Qing¡¯s gaze followed An Ran until she was gone. Then, he followed An Ran in his car. There was quite a stir at the wedding venue. Everyone was watching the video with boos and hisses. Many of the An family¡¯s relatives said, ¡°How did they get themselves a son-in-law like this¡­¡± Some ladies were criticizing Duan Qun, ¡°What a scumbag Duan Qun is. He has no shame.¡± It was a mess at the scene. At this moment, Duan Qun was trying to turn off the video in a panic, but he could do nothing about it as An Ran had set the video that way. An Ran¡¯s parents sat there with outraged expressions, especially her father. If it were not for decency, he would have beaten up Duan Qun again and again. Duan Qun was still sitting on the ground and unable to get up after getting bashed up by An Ran¡¯s father. The video was still playing on a loop, and the couple¡¯s moans still kept coming out of the video. The door opened when An Ran finally arrived at the scene. When Duan Qun saw An Ran, he hurriedly got up from the ground and walked to An Ran¡¯s side. ¡°Ranran, let me explain. Things aren¡¯t what they seem.¡± ¡°Then what is it? The truth is lying right in front of you. Duan Qun, you¡¯ve really disappointed me!¡± An Ran pretended to have a breakdown. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Tao Ya. She got me drunk and took advantage of me when I was unconscious¡­¡± Duan Qun was still trying to cover up his mistake. ¡°Slap!¡± An Ran slapped Duan Qun hard and stopped looking at him. Then, she ran to her parents and hugged her mother tightly. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation An Ran buried her face in her mother¡¯s embrace and forced out a few tears. She looked utterly heartbroken. Her parents felt sorry for their daughter and kept consoling her. Duan Qun had just got beaten up by An Ran¡¯s father and slapped hard by An Ran. He looked comical and ridiculous. However, he still pretended to be remorseful and ran over to An Ran to explain. An Ran had heard enough of Duan Qun¡¯s nonsense, so she took out the contract that Duan Qun had signed that day from her bag. ¡°Duan Qun, you cheated, so I want to break off the engagement with you, and I won¡¯t return the betrothal gift to you!¡± When Duan Qun heard that his 200 million betrothal gift had gone down the drain, he seemed to have understood something, and his expression instantly became fierce and malicious. From this moment, he could no longer care about his image. He shouted at An Ran with a ferocious look, ¡°An Ran, you b*tch, how dare you set me up!¡± ¡°???¡± Everyone was shocked when Duan Qun lost his temper as he usually carried himself in a gentle and courteous manner. Of course An Ran was not afraid of him, so she replied more forcefully, ¡°Duan Qun, you¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t abide by the contract, and now you¡¯re shouting like a mad dog.¡± Duan Qun suddenly calmed down. Having realized that An Ran had schemed against him, he raised his hand and was about to hit An Ran. ¡°Thud!¡± A black shadow flashed before her eyes, and someone was now holding An Ran in a protective embrace. Huo Qing had kicked Duan Qun away, and now Duan Qun was moaning in pain while lying on the ground. Before An Ran could understand what was going on, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Are you courting death?!¡± It was Huo Qing! An Ran was stunned. Why was it him?! Everyone else was shocked too. Why was President Huo Here? ¡°President Huo is here for the wedding? The An family sure is capable of having President Huo show up here personally.¡± Everyone was a lot more excited because of Huo Qing¡¯s appearance. The wedding drama was already exciting enough, and now they also had the chance to see the legendary President Huo at the wedding. An Ran could not care about that now, as she had to break off the engagement first. She said to Duan Qun, who was lying on the ground, with a cold facial expression, ¡°Duan Qun, you¡¯ve embarrassed my family today, and worse, you fooled around with a servant. I must break off our engagement. Also, you¡¯re the one who couldn¡¯t control yourself and broke the contract. So, I won¡¯t return the betrothal gift to you.¡± Considering that there were so many people and he could not afford to offend Huo Qing, Duan Qun could only say to An Ran, ¡°Just you wait!¡± Duan Qun left in a comical manner. Huo Qing¡¯s kick seemed quite strong¡­ Since the wedding had ended in such a manner before it had even begun, the guests started leaving after Duan Qun left. Soon, An Ran, her parents, and Huo Qing were the only ones left in the venue. An Ran¡¯s father was also quite shocked by Huo Qing¡¯s appearance today. Although he was very curious, he still said to Huo Qing respectfully, ¡°President Huo, thank you very much for helping my daughter earlier. I¡¯m very grateful for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, uncle.¡± Huo Qing replied to An Ran¡¯s father with no emotion in his tone or any facial expression. ¡°Uncle¡±?! An Ran suspected she might be hearing things. Huo Qing¡¯s status was much higher than her family¡¯s. Why was he so respectful to her parents? Not to mention An Ran, even her parents suspected they might be hearing things. An Ran thought Huo Qing might have come to the wedding because of the car crash. To avoid making her parents worry, An Ran asked them to wait in the car and told them she would explain later when she got home. Only Huo Qing and An Ran were left now. It was a little awkward¡­ After all, it was a wedding venue, so there were beautiful decorations everywhere. Huo Qing had been wearing a suit in the first place. Whereas, An Ran had changed into a pretty outfit, even though she had come in a hurry. Those who did not know what had happened would have thought that it was the two of them getting married today. ¡°Uh¡­ Thank you for earlier.¡± In the end, it was An Ran who spoke first. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Then it became awkward again. After a while, Huo Qing said, ¡°An Ran, have you not wanted to get married for some time?¡± An Ran¡¯s heart thumped. She wondered how he came to know about it. ¡°Why do you care if I want to get married or not? Also, how did you know I was here? Did you follow me?¡± An Ran did not answer. She even questioned Huo Qing to hide her panic. Huo Qing could see that An Ran did not want to explain it to him, so he did not force her. He turned around and left. ¡°Hey¡­¡± An Ran mumbled in fear and anger, ¡°What kind of person are you? So what if you¡¯re rich and powerful? Why bother pretending to be cold anyway¡­¡± When she returned to the car, her parents were waiting for her. An Ran¡¯s father had noticed that she had changed when she had asked Duan Qun for the betrothal gift. However, he was still puzzled as to why she had changed. Although he respected his daughter, she had changed too drastically. He could not help but say, ¡°Ranran, didn¡¯t you like Duan Qun before? You said that you would marry him no matter what.¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, that was the past. I¡¯ve seen through him now. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯ve already grown up.¡± An Ran leaned into her mother¡¯s embrace after she said this. Hearing this from An Ran, her parents were glad and did not say anything else. ¡°Sigh. Well, then.¡± Her father sighed. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When An Ran heard her father sigh, she was a little worried. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, Ranran.¡± An Ran thought that her father was just too tired, so she stopped asking him. It was already very late when they reached home. After saying goodnight to her parents, An Ran returned to her room. After washing up, An Ran lay on her bed and recalled what had happened during the day. Once she thought of her broken engagement, she felt uncontrollably happy. She would never have to be with the scumbag again in this lifetime. As she was thinking, for some reason, the image of her and Huo Qing being locked up in the same room and her sleeping on his lap suddenly appeared in her mind. ¡°An Ran, what are you thinking? Go to sleep. Go to sleep¡­¡± The next day, An Ran woke up early. After eating breakfast, she lay on the sofa and played on her phone. ¡°Ring, ring, ring¡­¡± An Ran picked up the landline phone at home. Before she could speak, the caller said, ¡°An, remember what we talked about? Meet me at the underground casino in City A at 7 pm. If you have the nerve to make me wait for too long, I¡¯ll burn down your house!¡± After saying that, the caller hung up. ¡°Casino? Dad wouldn¡¯t have offended someone, would he¡­?¡± An Ran was very worried about her father. After thinking about it for a while, she decided to go to the casino by herself. In the evening, An Ran changed into a black suit and fully covered herself. She raised her hand to look at the time and drove to the casino. An Ran parked her car and headed to the casino. There was a long and narrow corridor leading to the casino. The lights were dim, so An Ran took out her phone to turn on the flashlight. Suddenly, a hand grabbed An Ran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°!!!¡± An Ran panicked and thought, ¡°I¡¯m doomed. Did I encounter a pervert?¡± Realizing that she was carrying a bag, An Ran subconsciously picked up her bag and threw it at the man. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± An Ran heard a familiar voice. Wasn¡¯t that Huo Qing? Why was he here? However¡­ The two of them were in an intimate posture. The corridor was narrow to begin with, and to avoid getting hit by An Ran¡¯s bag, Huo Qing had hugged An Ran and pushed her against the wall. Plus, An Ran¡¯s hand was on Huo Qing¡¯s shoulder. Their faces were so close to each other that they could even feel each other¡¯s breath¡­ An Ran¡¯s heart was racing, and her face turned red. She turned her head to face Huo Qing. However, right when she turned her head, Huo Qing turned toward her, and it just so happened that he kissed An Ran¡¯s face. An Ran¡¯s scalp went numb, her breathing stopped, and she became much slower. Huo Qing¡¯s ears also turned completely red, but it was too dim for An Ran to notice them. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°You¡­ Let go of me!¡± An Ran¡¯s scalp tingled. The two of them returned to their normal posture, but there was chemistry between them. Huo Qing asked An Ran, ¡°What¡¯s a young lady like you doing alone at a casino?¡± An Ran was really angry. Why was this man everywhere? Also, why could she not come to a casino, and what did it have to do with him anyway? ¡°Mr. Huo, I¡¯m free to decide where I go and what I do. You don¡¯t have a say in this! Why do I keep running into you wherever I go?¡± Without waiting for Huo Qing¡¯s reply, An Ran walked forward as soon as she said that to him. ¡°Ha, she had quite a temper.¡± As Huo Qing looked at the woman¡¯s back, he faintly smiled with his eyes and shook his head. It was a mess in the casino. Some people were smoking, and some were even fighting. It was An Ran¡¯s first visit to a casino. She seemed calm on the outside, but she was still terrified on the inside. An Ran walked around the casino before she found the man who called the landline phone at her home in the morning. After a conversation, she found out that her father had made an appointment with a loan shark. Although she did not know why her father approached a loan shark, the most important thing at the moment was to resolve this matter. That man took out the contract and said, ¡°Your family has no money to pay the loan now, so mortgage your shares.¡± An Ran took the contract and read it carefully for a while. When she flipped to the last page, she found that the other party was a company. The name of this company seemed somewhat familiar¡­ An Ran recalled it was a small company that Duan Qun had secretly started! She had only found out about this company very late in her previous life. Duan Qun must have thought that she did not know about it, so he was trying to use this to deceive her. An Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned cold, and she instantly understood that it was Duan Qun¡¯s doing again. Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Did Duan Qun send you to do this?¡± An Ran questioned the man. Seeing that the man stayed silent, An Ran continued, ¡°The company name on this contract is Duan Qun¡¯s company. This is his scheme for getting my family¡¯s shares in his hands!¡± ¡°Miss An, right? Since your family can¡¯t pay back the money you owe us, it¡¯s reasonable for us to ask you to make your shares the collateral. Cut the crap. Your family owes us money, and it¡¯s up to us to decide how you should pay us back!¡± The man said fiercely in the casino. An Ran held back her anger and said, ¡°Who said we don¡¯t have the money to pay you back? I¡¯ll pay back the money my family owes you, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to mortgage our shares to that despicable man, Duan Qun!¡± After saying this, An Ran tore up the contract, picked up her bag, and walked toward the door. ¡°Guys, surround this b*tch. How dare she show no respect on my turf!¡± An Ran heard the voice behind her and knew that she could not walk out smoothly. She panicked inside. Around seven or eight men surrounded An Ran, trying to tie her up. An Ran resisted getting tied up by them, so she struggled against them. ¡°Let go of me!¡± An Ran¡¯s foot was accidentally injured, and a large part of her foot swelled up. ¡°Stop it!¡± Huo Qing pushed away the men surrounding An Ran, pulled her up from the ground, and held her. ¡°Teach them a lesson,¡± Huo Qing said to the bodyguards behind him. The scene immediately became chaotic. The people in the casino gathered in a crowd without interfering as if they were watching a show. ¡°Enough,¡± Huo Qing ordered. Huo Qing¡¯s bodyguards stopped. Those men who had bullied An Ran all lay on the ground and wailed. Someone in the casino recognized Huo Qing and caused quite a stir. At this time, the person in charge of the casino came over. Seeing that it was Huo Qing, he immediately said obsequiously, ¡°President Huo, what brings you here at the casino today? Please forgive us for being such a bad host.¡± Huo Qing did not answer. He left the bodyguards to deal with the situation at the casino, picked up An Ran, and walked out. An Ran did not say anything. After all, Huo Qing was here to help her. However¡­ Why was Huo Qing carrying her in his arms? She had legs and could walk on her own, okay? Huo Qing carried An Ran to his car and got into the car himself. ¡°Go to the hospital.¡± Apparently, he was talking to the driver. When An Ran heard they were going to the hospital, she said to Huo Qing, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital. I¡¯m not injured.¡± ¡°Your foot is so swollen. Are you sure?¡± An Ran looked down at her ankle. It seemed to be very swollen. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just go home and apply some ointments. Please send me home.¡± An Ran insisted. ¡°Do you not want your foot anymore? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send you home after we go to the hospital.¡± An Ran saw that Huo Qing insisted on taking her to the hospital, so she said nothing more. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. There were even people who came to welcome Huo Qing. An Ran looked at the scene and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s so good to be rich. Rich people even get special treatment when they come to the hospital.¡± After getting out of the car, An Ran limped into the hospital. Huo Qing suddenly picked her up, giving her a fright. ¡°Ah¡­ Put me down. I don¡¯t need you to carry me.¡± What was wrong with this man? Why did he keep carrying her¡­? ¡°You¡¯re walking too slowly. It¡¯s faster if I carry you.¡± Hmph. So be it. She was not the one who would get tired anyway. So An Ran did not refuse to be carried out of courtesy anymore. After a series of examinations, it was found that An Ran¡¯s ankle was only sprained, and it was nothing serious. She just needed to apply some ointment, walk less, and get more rest. An Ran and Huo Qing waited in the dressing room for the doctor to come and apply the ointment. Soon, a male doctor came. As he was holding a bottle of ointment and was about to apply it on An Ran¡¯s ankle, he said to her, ¡°Roll up your pants.¡± ¡°Uh, why am I suddenly feeling a chill¡­¡± The male doctor said in a low voice and saw Huo Qing looking at him with a sharp gaze when he turned around. He was so frightened that he even trembled and dropped the cotton swab. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Huo Qing did not like others touching An Ran, so he took the ointment and cotton swab from the doctor¡¯s hand and got down on one knee to apply it on An Ran¡¯s ankle. An Ran¡¯s face instantly turned red again. Why did he have to get down on one knee just to apply the ointment¡­ An Ran was wearing a black suit with long pants and high heels. Since one of her feet was swollen, it was uncomfortable for her to wear high heels. Huo Qing slowly took off the high heels and rolled up An Ran¡¯s pants. An Ran¡¯s foot was so fair that it seemed to be glowing. Her pink toenails were all round and good-looking. No man had ever taken off An Ran¡¯s shoes and applied ointment on her, so she was shy. Her face was so red that it looked like it was about to bleed. ¡°Can you¡­ Can you apply it faster? Do you know how to apply ointment?¡± An Ran just wanted to end this awkward situation as soon as possible. It was also the first time Huo Qing had seen An Ran¡¯s foot, and his face was a little red. When she was young, her mother often told her that a girl¡¯s feet were very private parts, and only those close to her would see them. As An Ran urged him, Huo Qing hurried up to apply the ointment on her. After applying the ointment, Huo Qing carried An Ran again, and they came out of the hospital. Although An Ran was very shy, her foot was too painful to walk, so she could only let Huo Qing carry her. Huo Qing wanted to send her home, but An Ran thanked him and took a taxi home by herself as she was thinking about the loan shark. When she got home, An Ran found her father and asked angrily, ¡°Dad, why did you go to the loan shark?¡± Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The atmosphere instantly turned serious. An Ran¡¯s father wondered why An Ran knew about his loan from a loan shark. He had obviously not told anyone in the family about this. ¡°Ranran, how did you know that I borrowed money from a loan shark?¡± ¡°Dad, I received a call this morning asking you to go to the casino. I was worried, so I went to the casino by myself. Dad, is your thinking muddled? Loan sharks are a no-go. Has our family encountered some difficulties? Is our financial situation so bad that we have to borrow money from a loan shark?¡± An Ran did not want to blame her father, so she tried to speak as gently as possible. ¡°Sigh, Ranran, I had no choice. Your mom¡­ She has cancer, and the surgery requires a lot of money. We didn¡¯t have to borrow money from the loan shark in the first place, but Duan Qun borrowed a lot of money from me without a loan acknowledgment and took a lot of projects from the An Corporate Group.¡± ¡°At that time, you still had a close relationship with him, so I thought¡­ Now that the company¡¯s liquidity is insufficient, I can only borrow money from the loan shark¡­¡± the voice of An Ran¡¯s father became softer and softer, and he choked up at the end of his sentence. ¡°What? How¡­ How did mom get cancer? She clearly looks fine¡­¡± An Ran could not stop her tears from falling. ¡°Dad, this is all my fault. It¡¯s only happening because I trusted the wrong guy, and I was insensible. I¡¯m the cause of the company¡¯s insufficient liquidity and your debt to the loan shark¡­¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m so sorry¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­ Boohoo¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for me insisting on being together with Duan Qun¡ª¡± When An Ran¡¯s father saw An Ran crying so sadly, he quickly comforted her, ¡°Ranran, it¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. Things will get better. I¡¯m still here.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± An Ran felt she had made a costly mistake. Also, her mother had cancer. What should she do? Oh, right. She still had Duan Qun¡¯s black card. There was still the betrothal gift of 200 million yuan in it. An Ran thought she could use the money in the black card to fill the gap first. Early in the next morning, An Ran wanted to use the money in the black card to fill the gap in the company and use a portion of the money to treat her mother¡¯s illness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss An. This black card has been terminated. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± An Ran could not believe that Duan Qun had terminated this black card! No way. She must go to Duan Qun to get the money back. She had to get the money back no matter what. There was no other way. Thus, An Ran drove to Duan Qun¡¯s company to find him. When she arrived at the company entrance, she was blocked by the security guards. ¡°Sir, could you do me a favor here? I have to talk to Duan Qun about something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. President Duan said you can¡¯t go in.¡± An Ran was very anxious. Her mother was still in need of the money to save her life. An Ran had no choice but to wait at the entrance of Duan Qun¡¯s company. After a long time, An Ran saw Duan Qun come out. She immediately ran over and stopped him. ¡°Duan Qun, why did you do it? How could you terminate your black card when you¡¯ve cheated on me?¡± Duan Qun did not expect An Ran to come to the company to find him. However, since An Ran came to him, he would not treat her politely either. ¡°You want my money? Dream on.¡± Ever since the farce at the wedding, Duan Qun¡¯s attitude toward An Ran had changed drastically. He no longer treated her as gently as he had used to. An Ran was not surprised by his attitude. After all, she had long known that Duan Qun was a two-faced liar. However, An Ran had no choice but to tolerate his attitude first. She really needed the money now. ¡°Duan Qun, I¡¯ll sue you if you don¡¯t give me the 200 million betrothal gift!¡± An Ran felt like she was about to explode from anger. She wanted nothing more than to beat this scumbag to death. Duan Qun looked at An Ran contemptuously, ¡°Sue me if you can. I¡¯ll never give you the money, b*tch!¡± He even pushed An Ran after he said this. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Security! Drag this woman away!¡± After Duan Qun said this, he dusted off his body and turned around to walk into the company. A few fierce bodyguards came over. ¡°Miss, please leave. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to get physical.¡± An Ran gritted her teeth and resisted her impulse. She turned around and left with a cold facial expression. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll leave on my own.¡± ¡­ Ever since the farce at the wedding, the incident between An Ran and Duan Qun had become a hot topic all over the internet. There were even people who uploaded the video of Duan Qun and Tao Ya to the internet. Even though the video was censored, it still made people blush and their hearts race. The netizens called Duan Qun a hypocrite and a cheap jerk who could not control himself. ¡°Duan Qun usually seems like a gentleman, but it turns out he¡¯s so despicable behind everyone¡¯s back¡­¡± ¡°He even has an affair with a servant. Sure enough, a cheap scumbag only deserves a cheap woman¡­¡± Duan Qun¡¯s video had been spread like wildfire by the netizens and had even made it onto the hot searches list. The netizens¡¯ comments were hilarious, and some even drew comics that ridiculed Duan Qun¡­ What about Tao Ya? She did not even dare to go out now as she was afraid that people would throw rotten eggs at her if they recognized her. However, very soon, things took a turn. Someone anonymously posted a photo of An Ran and Huo Qing tugging back and forth outside the villa with the following caption, ¡°Do you guys really think An Ran is an innocent victim? She¡¯s been having an affair since a long time ago. She was just good at her disguise!¡± Once the photo had been posted, there was a stir on Weibo again. Everyone was amazed at Huo Qing¡¯s good looks and wealth, but they also wondered why Huo Qing would get involved with An Ran. ¡°An Ran is way too shameless. She had an affair herself?!¡± ¡°Huo must have had something to do with this!¡± ¡°This woman is the epitome of a cheap woman!¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, the netizen above! There¡¯s no way An Ran could ever do such a thing!¡± ¡°What do you know? An Ran must have had an interest in Huo Qing¡¯s power and influence and taken the initiative to seduce him!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ There was a heated argument on Weibo, but the party involved did not know anything about it. An Ran did not get the betrothal gift back from Duan Qun. She went home dejectedly. ¡°Ranran, why did you come back so late? Did you see the news today?¡± At this moment, An Ran¡¯s father was pacing back and forth anxiously in the living room. The problem with the company had not been resolved, and now his daughter was also on the news. ¡°Dad, did something happen?¡± Before An Ran could snap out of her thoughts, she heard her father say, ¡°What¡¯s going on with the photo of you and President Huo? It¡¯s on a hot search now.¡± ¡°???¡± An Ran immediately took out her phone. At that moment, her Weibo was exploding with curses. ¡°How did this happen?!¡± An Ran was instantly enraged when she saw those curses. Duan Qun took the opportunity to pretend to be pitiful on Weibo. He posted on Weibo claiming that An Ran had cheated on him first and that he was the victim. On Duan Qun¡¯s post, he even deliberately attached a large photo of An Ran and Huo Qing and a few photoshopped photos. The number of people who were scolding An Ran increased in a short time. ¡°Duan Qun has really gone too far.¡± An Ran¡¯s father was trembling with anger when he saw these. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. Leave this to me.¡± An Ran saw how angry her father was and quickly comforted him. Her father was slightly assured when he heard what An Ran said, but his brows were still furrowed. He could tell that An Ran¡¯s current situation was not optimistic. He pondered for a long time before asking, ¡°Ranran, is there really nothing between you and President Huo?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. We only met each other at the car accident last time,¡± An Ran answered. Hearing his daughter¡¯s answer, he did not say anything more. He only reminded her, ¡°Ranran, you must be careful. Don¡¯t go out during this period of time.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry, dad. I¡¯ll take care of this problem,¡± An Ran replied. An Ran¡¯s parents returned to their room to rest. An Ran thought to herself, ¡°Even if the sky falls, I¡¯ll hold it up. Such minor difficulties can¡¯t defeat me.¡± Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Just as netizens were having intense discussions about Huo Qing, An Ran, and Duan Qun on Weibo, An Ran released evidence of her making a statement at the police station that night and a Weibo post that clarified her relationship with Huo Qing. Apart from that, she also found a professional to prove that the photos on Duan Qun¡¯s Weibo post had clear traces of photoshop. Once this Weibo post was posted, it immediately led to a heated discussion again. ¡°Huo Qing actually went to the police station with An Ran to make a statement?¡± ¡°I find it strange too. Why would they suddenly go to the police station if they didn¡¯t have any relationship¡± ¡°Is this for real?¡± ¡°What exactly is the relationship between An Ran and Huo Qing?¡± ¡°I guess Duan Qun falsely accused An Ran. How could Huo Qing possibly have a relationship with An Ran?¡± Public opinion slowly shifted in An Ran¡¯s favor. Duan Qun saw that the people on Weibo were scolding him again. He was so angry that he threw his phone on the ground. ¡°What a b*tch!¡± ¡°Knock, knock, knock!¡± His assistant ran in hurriedly. ¡°President Duan, something bad has happened. The people on the internet are accusing you of cheating. The situation is very unfavorable for the company. The stock price has already started to drop¡­¡± When Duan Qun heard that the company stock price had dropped, he immediately panicked. ¡°No matter how much it costs, take down the trending topic right now!¡± Duan Qun smashed all the things on his desk onto the floor. ¡°Just you wait, An Ran. I¡¯m holding this grudge!¡± ¡°Alright, President Duan.¡± The assistant hurriedly left. After the assistant left, Duan Qun looked out the window. His eyes were full of viciousness. He would not allow anyone to ruin his plan. Never! An Ran saw that the scandal had almost been resolved, so she went to ask Duan Qun to pay back his loan from her father. ¡°Duan Qun, since you borrowed money from my father, you should return it to us now.¡± Previously when An Ran had asked Duan Qun to give her back the betrothal gift, he had refused. However, An Ran thought she must get back the money her father had lent to Duan Qun. ¡°?!¡± Duan Qun was still surprised that An Ran knew about his loan from the An family when he heard her speak again. ¡°Duan Qun, you cheated on me first, and you¡¯re not willing to give me the betrothal gift. Our engagement has been canceled, but you can¡¯t not to return the money you borrowed from my family.¡± Duan Qun obviously did not want to return the money. Not only that, but he also planned to acquire the An family¡¯s company. ¡°Ranran, it wasn¡¯t my intention to cause such a farse at the wedding, and I don¡¯t have that much money to return to uncle now,¡± Duan Qun¡¯s attitude softened as he spoke. An Ran¡¯s facial expression instantly changed when she heard Duan Qun say this. ¡°Ranran, why don¡¯t we complete the wedding so that both parties can benefit from it? What do you think?¡± Duan Qun said as he walked toward An Ran and placed his hand on her shoulder. An Ran quickly avoided him as if he were a virus. Duan Qun could not help but frown when he saw this. This trick did not seem to be working. Duan Qun got closer to An Ran again and was going to hug her. An Ran sneered. Did Duan Qun still think that she was as gullible as before? ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe your nonsense?¡± An Ran took out her phone and pretended to call the police. ¡°Duan Qun, if you don¡¯t pay me back, I¡¯ll report it to the police!¡± When Duan Qun saw this, he quickly went forward to snatch her phone. He was afraid of trouble, so he did not want to go to the police station for this issue. An Ran ignored him, dialed the number on the keypad, and placed her finger on the dial button. ¡°Alright, stop acting crazy! I can give you 500,000 RMB!¡± Duan Qun finally compromised. An Ran said, ¡°Only 500,000 RMB?¡± Duan Qun was furious. ¡°What else do you want? An Ran, don¡¯t go overboard! Even if you call the police, how do you prove I borrowed money from you before? Have I ever written a loan acknowledgment?! I just don¡¯t want to waste time in the police station!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Duan Qun saw An Ran would not give up on getting back the money he had borrowed, so he could only return a portion of the loan to dismiss her. He also lied to her that his company was having some cash flow difficulties, so she would have to wait. An Ran knew that Huo Qing was unwilling to return the loan, but she did not have a loan acknowledgment from him, so she could only accept this for now. After leaving Duan Qun¡¯s company, An Ran was full of worries. If she could not get back the loan, the An Corporate Group would most likely face bankruptcy, and her family would not have the money to hospitalize her mother. An Ran did not drive today. She walked slowly by the roadside. ¡°Look, President Huo, isn¡¯t that Miss An?¡± Huo Qing was sitting in the back seat of a black Bugatti. When he heard the driver, he looked up and saw An Ran walking by the roadside alone. ¡°Stop the car.¡± The car stopped beside An Ran. Huo Qing got out of the car and walked toward her with his long legs. ¡°An Ran.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s voice was deep and clear. An Ran was pulled back from her thoughts by the voice beside her. She looked up and saw Huo Qing. ¡°???¡± An Ran was surprised. Why was she running into him again? ¡°President Huo, we bumped into each other again. Thank you for what happened at the casino last time.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Huo Qing continued, ¡°I saw you walking alone on the road. If you don¡¯t mind, I can send you home.¡± An Ran thought to herself, ¡°I do. I do mind a lot!¡± She just wanted to be alone right now. For some reason, An Ran could not turn him down in the end as she saw his passionate gaze, so she could only smile at him and say this, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then, President Huo.¡± They got into the car and sat together in the back. It was very quiet in the car, and none of them said anything. An Ran leaned against the window. She was not in high spirits. Huo Qing had not taken his eyes off An Ran ever since he had seen her earlier. Knowing that An Ran was worried about the An Corporate Group, Huo Qing asked, ¡°Miss An, are you worried about the crisis that the An Corporate Group has been facing lately?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± An Ran did not want to discuss her family matters with an outsider, so she only replied like a robot. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, perhaps I could help the An Corporate Group get through this crisis. Would you like that, Miss An?¡± An Ran recalled the number of times she had met Huo Qing recently, and she felt that something was not right. She did not think that her relationship with Huo Qing was close enough for him to offer to help her family¡¯s company. After thinking about it, An Ran decided to ask him directly. ¡°President Huo, the An Corporate Group doesn¡¯t seem to have any financial relationship with the Huo Corporate Group, yet you suddenly offered to help my family company. Do you have any condition?¡± An Ran looked at Huo Qing as if she was trying to get some answer from his facial expression. Unexpectedly, Huo Qing said calmly, ¡°Miss An, you¡¯re overthinking it. I just feel guilty for ruining your wedding that day, and I want to make it up to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss An. I absolutely won¡¯t do anything to hurt you. Helping the An Corporate Group is no big deal. It won¡¯t take me too much effort.¡± An Ran was speechless when she heard what Huo Qing said. ¡°Being rich and powerful is indeed something. You¡¯re a big shot, indeed¡­¡± An Ran still could not believe that Huo Qing would help her for no reason, so she rejected his offer politely. Huo Qing saw An Ran had a reluctant attitude, so he said nothing more. He took out a business card from his jacket and handed it to An Ran. ¡°Miss An, this is my business card. If you need anything in the future, you can call me anytime.¡± An Ran took the business card and looked at it carefully. Although it was only a card, the gold-plated business card flashed An Ran¡¯s eye. His name ¡°Huo Qing¡± was written on it. He was indeed a capitalist. Even his business card was so extravagant. Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Duan Qun had recently realized that An Ran had become very different from who she had used to be. She was no longer as gullible as before. Hence, Duan Qun asked Tao Ya to come out to discuss their countermeasures. They had to think of a way to obtain the An family estates in their hands. The two of them agreed to meet at the hotel. ¡°Qun¡­¡± The moment they met, they hugged and kissed. Tao Ya acted as if she had not seen a man for centuries. Once she saw Duan Qun, she pressed herself against him. They were all over each other for a while. Then, Duan Qun said, ¡°An Ran had changed a lot lately. She¡¯s not as gullible as she used to be. We have to think of a way to make her listen to me.¡± Tao Ya said with a sweet voice while hugging Duan Qun, ¡°Qun, you can ask her out and talk about the loan payment. Then, you can spike her drink and sleep with her¡­¡± ¡°If she loses her virginity to you, she¡¯ll naturally listen to you.¡± When Duan Qun heard that, he found it a good idea. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s the plan, then.¡± Tao Ya spoke again, ¡°Qun, will you not like me anymore after sleeping with her¡­?¡± After saying that, she pretended to cry with her back turned, looking very sad. ¡°No, An Ran is just a stupid woman. Why would I like her?¡± After Duan Qun said that, they started to fool around on the bed again. Then, Duan Qun asked An Ran if they could meet in a high-class club to discuss the loan payment. Of course An Ran knew that Duan Qun was definitely up to no good, but she still agreed to meet him even though she knew it was dangerous as she needed the money urgently. Seeing that An Ran agreed to his request, a vicious glint appeared in Duan Qun¡¯s eyes. He would definitely teach her a lesson this time! He thought to himself, ¡°Hmph, you wanted to break off the engagement with me, huh? I¡¯ll never give you what you want!¡± He would absolutely not let her go so easily before he got the An family estates in his hands. He thought that since the hard way did not work, he¡¯ll then use the harder. He believed An Ran would know how terribly wrong she was when she became submissive beneath his crotch in the clubhouse. The thought of how he had not even slept with An Ran even though they had been together for so long really bothered him. An Ran was beautiful, to begin with, and her figure was also very curvy. Duan Qun could even imagine the scene of her lying and panting under his body now¡­ Just the thought of it made Duan Qun extremely hard. Duan Qun asked An Ran to meet him alone in a private room. The lights in the private room were dim, so An Ran could not see who was sitting opposite her clearly, but she could vaguely tell that it was Duan Qun. She sat down immediately and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk. How are you going to pay me back?¡± Duan Qun looked at her beautiful figure and had an evil smile. ¡°You actually dare to come here. Are you not afraid that I might do something to you?¡± ¡°Hmph, why should I be afraid?¡± Actually, when she said this, her hand was already holding the pepper spray in her bag. Duan Qun ordered a glass of wine and poured a glass for An Ran, ¡°Don¡¯t be so impatient. Have a drink first.¡± An Ran glanced at the blood-like red wine and pressed her red lips. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Cut the nonsense. Hurry and tell me what your deal is.¡± However, Duan Qun said nothing. His crystal-like eyes stared at An Ran as if he was staring at prey. An Ran suddenly felt dizzy. Duan Qun also became a little blurry in her eyes. Her body became a little weak too. At that instant, a red flag alert went off in her mind. Not good. She had been drugged! An Ran looked at the candle lamp at the corner of the table, which was still emitting a wisp of green smoke¡­ Her eyes widened. She had not expected that this bast*rd, Duan Qun, had actually put the drugs in the lamp and not the wine! At the same time, Huo Qing was discussing business with his partner in another private room. As he had slightly too many drinks, Huo Qing came out to get some fresh air. Huo Qing suddenly heard a cry for help coming out of the next room. He felt that something was wrong, so he walked toward there to check it out. It was An Ran?! At this moment, An Ran was hitting Duan Qun hard, trying to break free. ¡°Bang!¡± Huo Qing kicked Duan Qun away and picked up An Ran. He walked out of the room while asking An Ran, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation An Ran felt heat all over her body. She could not help but rub against Huo Qing¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s so hot¡­¡± Huo Qing¡¯s body stiffened. He carried her into the car and touched her burning face. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. You¡¯ll be fine soon.¡± An Ran grabbed Huo Qing¡¯s hand and gave him a silly smile. ¡°Handsome, who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huo Qing did not know how to react to it. ¡­ At the hospital, Huo Qing called the doctor on duty to give An Ran an injection and put her on a drip. Her body temperature finally dropped, and she regained her consciousness. She remembered what kind of danger she had just experienced. An Ran was furious at Duan Qun and Tao Ya for setting her up. Although it had caused no actual harm, it would have ruined her life if Huo Qing had not saved her. An Ran did not want to let this wicked couple off the hook, so she took out her phone and called the police. The police arrived soon, and Huo Qing was beside An Ran. An Ran told the police about what happened in detail. Attempted rape was a serious crime. Duan Qun was taken to the police station, but Tao Ya ran away. An Ran had just dodged a bullet, so she was exhausted and she wanted to go home. Huo Qing offered to send her home, An Ran could not bother to think about other things now, so they went home together in the same car. On the way home, Huo Qing made a phone call. ¡°Take ¡®good¡¯ care of Duan Qun.¡± Huo Qing had a very serious facial expression and a cold air. When An Ran reached home, she found Tao Ya packing her things. ¡°Tao Ya, what are you doing? Are you getting ready to run away as you failed to set me up?¡± An Ran looked at Tao Ya and said angrily. Tao Ya felt awkward and hurriedly hid her bag. However, a lot of jewelry fell out of her bag. An Ran saw her own jewelry. ¡°How dare you steal my things, Yao Ya?¡± ¡°No, Miss, I thought this jewelry looks older, so I¡¯m putting them away¡­¡± Tao Ya was still trying to cover up what she had been trying to do. ¡°Tao Ya, I haven¡¯t even talked to you about how you conspired against me with Duan Qun, and now you¡¯re trying to steal my jewelry and run away? I won¡¯t let you get away with it so easily.¡± Once she said this, An Ran picked up her phone and called the police. Tao Ya saw she could no longer cover up the truth, so she had no choice but to kneel on the ground. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m begging you. I know what I did was wrong. Please don¡¯t call the police¡­ Duan Qun started all this. It has nothing to do with me¡­¡± She knelt beside An Ran as she reached out to snatch her phone. An Ran still called the police, anyway. Tao Ya saw An Ran was determined to send her to the police station. She thought that since she was pregnant with Duan Qun¡¯s child, if she was admitted to a hospital, she would not have to go to the police station and could even frame An Ran. She deliberately started tugging at An Ran and led her to the stairs. Then she pretended to slip and fall down the stairs while they were tugging at each other. ¡°Ah!¡± !!! As An Ran looked at Tao Ya, who had fallen down the stairs, suddenly she could find no words. Great. How dare you scheme against me again, Tao Ya. At the same time, Tao Ya was clutching her stomach as she cried out loudly on the ground, ¡°My child¡­ My child¡­¡± ¡°Her child?! Is Tao Ya pregnant?! Is she pregnant with Duan Qun¡¯s child?¡± An Ran thought to herself as she hurriedly walked to Tao Ya. She saw that Tao Ya was bleeding profusely, and the floor was stained red with blood coming out of her thigh¡­ An Ran quickly took out her phone and dialed 120. The ambulance and the police car arrived at the An residence almost at the same time. Tao Ya had fallen and was bleeding profusely, so she could only go to the hospital for treatment. An Ran went to the hospital in the ambulance too. On the way, she prayed that nothing bad would happen to Tao Yan, especially since her family had already been having enough trouble. An Ran had waited at the entrance of the operation room for three hours before the doctor finally came out. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the situation?¡± An Ran asked anxiously. ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t worry. The patient only fell and had a miscarriage. Her life is not in danger.¡± An Ran was finally relieved. Not long after, Tao Ya was pushed out of the operation room and transferred to the normal ward. Outside the ward, An Ran heard Tao Ya calling Duan Qun. ¡°Qun¡­ Boohoo¡­ I had a miscarriage. An Ran pushed me. She knew I was pregnant with your child and deliberately pushed me down the stairs. Qun, you must redress my grievance on my behalf¡­ Boohoo¡­¡± An Ran sneered. Tao Ya was really good at making complaints first when she¡¯s the one who¡¯s at fault. Duan Qun had just been brought to the police station and taken ¡°good¡± care by the police. His entire body was covered in injuries. At this moment, he received Tao Ya¡¯s call and wished he could throw acid in An Ran¡¯s face. Duan Qun called An Ran, ¡°Why did you push Tao Ya? Was it just because she was pregnant with my child? You¡¯re really a vicious woman!¡± ¡°Duan Qun, get it straight. You cheated on me first, and now you¡¯re questioning me? First of all, I didn¡¯t push Tao Ya. She fell on purpose. Second, the two of you hooked up and had a child together. Aren¡¯t you shameless?¡± ¡°You two are a match made in heaven, indeed. Neither of you is a good person! All you do is scheme against others behind their backs!¡± An Ran¡¯s rebuke made Duan Qun speechless. Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation An Ran was worried that there would be something wrong with Tao Ya again, so she stayed in the hospital for a little longer. Unexpectedly, a group of people came to An Ran¡¯s family and asked for compensation. ¡°An Ran, you murderer! What did Tao Ya do to offend you, anyway? How could you be so ruthless¡­¡± The people who spoke were Tao Ya¡¯s relatives, who had always liked to take advantage of others. As soon as they heard that Tao Ya had had a miscarriage after her argument with An Ran, they immediately came to An Ran¡¯s house to demand compensation. An Ran¡¯s mother was resting in her room when she heard people shouting in her house. She quickly came out to check the situation. ¡°Where¡¯s An Ran? Where¡¯s your vicious daughter? Ask her to come out and explain!¡± As soon as Tao Ya¡¯s relatives saw An Ran¡¯s mother come out, they tugged at her and questioned her. An Ran¡¯s mother became angry when she saw the snobbish looks on their faces. ¡°Who are you people to make a scene in our house?! My Ranran did nothing wrong! Tao Ya fell down the stairs herself!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± ¡°I think she clearly has a guilty conscience and doesn¡¯t dare to admit what she did wrong. An Ran, you¡¯d better come out!¡± Seeing that An Ran still did not show up, Tao Ya¡¯s relatives started to go at it with higher spirits. ¡°Your daughter attempted to commit murder, and now you¡¯re still trying to protect her, but none of us are afraid of her!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± As An Ran¡¯s mother realized these people were unreasonable, she could not find any words to speak and could only point her trembling finger at them. ¡°Thud, thud, thud¡­¡± Tao Ya¡¯s relatives saw An Ran was still not coming out, and they began to smash things in her house. ¡°Stop it, you all¡­¡± An Ran¡¯s mother could not stop them, and she fainted from anger. ¡°Mom!¡± An Ran had just returned from the hospital when she saw her mother faint on the ground. She rushed over to hold her mother. ¡°You scumbags, how dare you come to my house to kick up a fuss and even bully my mother!¡± Tao Ya¡¯s relatives were still smashing things in the house. They did not listen to An Ran at all. An Ran flew into a rage and ran back to the kitchen to get a knife. ¡°All of you, get lost!¡± An Ran pointed the kitchen knife at them. ¡°If you touch anything in my house again, I¡¯ll send all of you to the hospital just like Tao Ya!¡± Tao Ya¡¯s relatives saw that An Ran was holding a knife, and they were instantly frightened. They hurriedly ran away. When An Ran saw that they had left, she hurriedly called an ambulance to send her mother to the hospital. ¡°Mom¡­ This is all my fault¡­¡± An Ran¡¯s mother had been in a bad condition in the first place. Now that she had cancer and such a fright, her situation became even worse. ¡°Miss An, your mother is in a poor condition. The cancer cells have spread in her body. She needs an operation immediately. It can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± An Ran staggered when she heard this. She only did not collapse because the doctor held her. ¡°Miss An, go and pay the surgery fees first.¡± ¡°Doctor, how much are the surgery fees?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 800,000 yuan. Miss An, hurry and pay first.¡± The doctor went to prepare for the surgery once he said this. 800,000 yuan¡­ An Ran squatted on the ground, not knowing what to do. Duan Qun only gave her 500,000 yuan. She did not have that much money at all¡­ Just as An Ran took out her phone and was about to call to borrow money, Huo Qing¡¯s business card fell out of her bag. ¡°Miss An, feel free to call me if you need any help in the future¡­¡± Huo Qing¡¯s words appeared in An Ran¡¯s mind. An Ran gritted her teeth and called Huo Qing. ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡± Huo Qing was having a meeting in the conference room at the moment. He heard his phone vibrating. He picked up the phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. He quickly picked it up as he had only given this number to An Ran. ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Huo?¡± A familiar voice entered Huo Qing¡¯s ears. Huo Qing, who had just looked stern during the meeting, instantly softened. ¡°Yes,¡± Huo Qing replied softly. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m An Ran¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s eyes were smiling, and everyone in the conference room was surprised. President Huo had never been so gentle before¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m very sorry to bother you, but could you lend me some money¡­? My mother is undergoing surgery at the hospital, and I don¡¯t have the money to pay for the medical fees¡­¡± An Ran¡¯s voice became softer and softer. In fact, An Ran was not sure if Huo Qing would help her. After all, they were not that close. However, Huo Qing had said that she could go to him whenever she needed help, so An Ran wanted to give it a try. ¡°Which hospital are you in? I¡¯ll come over now.¡± Huo Qing immediately got up and walked out when he heard An Ran was in the hospital. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is canceled,¡± Huo Qing said to the people behind him without turning his head. ¡°Okay, President Huo.¡± Huo Qing was gone, leaving the people in the meeting room looking at each other and wondering what was going on. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Huo Qing quickly rushed to the hospital and paid for the surgery fees on An Ran¡¯s behalf. ¡°Mr. Huo, thank you so much. I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± An Ran had not expected Huo Qing to help her and even come to the hospital personally. ¡°It¡¯s just a small favor, Miss An. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Huo Qing frowned as he saw that An Ran looked haggard and he could tell from her eyes she had cried. ¡°Miss An, don¡¯t be too anxious. Auntie will be safe. Let¡¯s sit down and wait first. You look very tired.¡± Huo Qing helped An Ran sit on the chair beside her. ¡°An Ran, you b*tch! What¡¯s in the photo was true. It turns out that you¡¯ve been fooling around with another man for a long time!¡± An Ran had yet to sit down when she heard Tao Ya¡¯s snarl. Tao Ya had also been admitted to this hospital for her miscarriage. She had just come out to use the toilet and seen a man holding An Ran when she came out from the toilet. The moment she saw that it was An Ran, she immediately ran over to question an ran. ¡°Tao Ya, watch your mouth! Do you have any idea what you¡¯re talking about? When have I ever been fooling around with another man?!¡± An Ran retorted. ¡°You¡¯re still pretending, huh? You sl*t, weren¡¯t you two acting intimate just now?!¡± ¡°You even pushed me, caused my miscarriage, and made me hospitalized! You vicious woman¡­¡± After saying that, Tao Ya started to get physical with An Ran. ¡°Thud.¡± Tao Ya was flung to the side by Huo Qing. Huo Qing had already felt like throwing her out of the hospital when Tao Ya had first spoken, so he could not stand it anymore when she still had the nerve to scold An Ran. ¡°Tao Ya, you must be tired of living.¡± Huo Qing was on the verge of rage. Tao Ya looked at Huo Qing¡¯s cold eyes and got so scared that her whole body trembled. Huo Qing was known for his cold personality and ruthlessness in City A. If anyone offended him, he would never let them off easily. ¡°P-President Huo, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have said bad things about An Ran. Please let me go¡­ I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Hurry and get lost!¡± Tao Ya left as if she was running away. After five hours, the door of the operation room finally opened. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the condition of my mother?¡± An Ran asked the doctor anxiously. ¡°Miss An, please don¡¯t worry. Your mother¡¯s life is no longer in danger. She¡¯ll be transferred to a normal ward later.¡± An Ran was finally relieved. ¡°Mr. Huo, why don¡¯t you go back first? I¡¯ll take care of my mother here. I¡¯m really grateful to you for today,¡± An Ran said as she looked at Huo Qing, who had been keeping her company. Although An Ran was very grateful to Huo Qing, she still could not act as If they were close. Earlier when she asked Huo Qing to go back to his company, Huo Qing said he could stay with her as he had nothing else to do. It made An Ran feel sorry for troubling him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving then. If there¡¯s anything, you can call me directly.¡± Huo Qing happened to receive a call, so he got up and went back to his company. ¡­ It seemed that he was not as free as he had said? After a long day, An Ran took out her phone to look at the news, but she had not expected herself to be on a trending topic again. The headline ¡°An Ran abused her maid¡± was very eye-catching on the hot search list. ¡°?!¡± How could it be? An Ran recalled that when she and Tao Ya were arguing, there was no one else at home besides herself and the domestic helpers. Tao Ya definitely did not take a video herself, so how could the video of Tao Ya falling down the stairs be posted online? Also, how had the photo of her and Huo Qing tugging back and forth outside the villa been taken last time? Tao Ya was at the hotel at that time, so it must be someone other than Tao Ya. An Ran instantly understood that there must be someone on Tao Ya¡¯s side among the domestic helpers of the An family. Otherwise, why would her photos be leaked time and time again? ¡°Looks like I have to go home¡­¡± An Ran thought. Chapter 20 - Catching the Spy Chapter 20 Catching the Spy After An Ran arranged for someone to take care of her mother in the hospital, she hurriedly returned to her villa. She gathered all the domestic helpers in the living room. ¡°Tao Ya had an argument with me, but she fell down the stairs herself and blamed it on me. What do you all think?¡±. m An Ran deliberately mocked Tao Ya in front of the domestic helpers to provoke Tao Ya¡¯s accomplice. The domestic helpers lowered their heads, and no one said a word. An Ran continued, ¡°My family has treated you well, but something has happened to my family. I¡¯m sure all of you know something about it.¡± ¡°Tao Ya has been living in the An family, but she stole my jewelry, seduced my fianc¨¦, and even got pregnant with his child. Now that she had a miscarriage, she still blamed it on me.¡± ¡°Such an ungrateful woman should be arrested and detained at the police station!¡± At this time, the servants were all criticizing Tao Ya, saying that not only was she ungrateful, but she also wanted to harm her employer¡¯s family. Only one male servant revealed an angry expression toward An Ran and said nothing. An Ran noticed something was wrong with him. ¡°You. What do you think? Do you think what I said was wrong?¡± ¡°A woman like Tao Ya is rotten to the core. Shouldn¡¯t she be arrested and detained at the police station?¡± Suddenly, the male servant who had stayed silent for a long time said, ¡°What right do you have to slander Yaya like this?!¡± An Ran slightly pulled a corner of her lips when she heard that. ¡°Yaya? Oh? It sounds like the two of you are on very good terms. Could it be that you like her?¡± The male servant¡¯s face instantly turned red when An Ran exposed that he liked Tao Ya. However, he was still very angry about what An Ran had just said. ¡°So what if I like her? Yaya isn¡¯t as bad as you make her out to be at all!¡± An Ran knew that Tao Ya must have brainwashed the male servant, so she did not want to waste her breath explaining to him. Instead, she asked him directly, ¡°Did you post the video of me arguing with Tao Ya on the internet? And was it you who posted the photo of Huo Qing and me at the villa entrance last time?¡± The male servant said with uneasiness, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. What proof do you have to show that I posted it? People like you always distort the truth and slander others!¡± ¡°Alright, even if it¡¯s not you, I think there are things you need to know.¡± An Ran saw that the male servant still stubbornly believed Tao Ya, so she showed him the video of Tao Ya fooling around with Duan Qun in the hotel and the evidence of Tao Ya having a miscarriage in the hospital. Some other servants could not help but come over to take a look. ¡°Oh gosh, Tao Ya is too bad¡­¡± ¡°What a vixen. She even seduced her employer¡¯s fianc¨¦¡­¡± Suddenly, the domestic helpers were all discussing what Tao Ya had done. After the male servant saw the video of Tao Ya and Duan Qun at the hotel, his eyes turned red, and his face was full of sadness. ¡°How¡­ How could it be¡­ Tao Ya clearly told me she would be with me as long as I help her leak the video and photos¡­¡± ¡°Wake up. All Tao Ya wants is to find a rich man. How would she fall for you? She¡¯s just using you.¡± An Ran kindly reminded the male servant. The male servant knelt in front of An Ran with a thump. ¡°Miss, I was the one who uploaded the photos and video to the internet. I was obsessed with her and fooled by her. I let you down¡­¡± An Ran saw that the male servant realized his mistake and changed, so she did not blame him further. ¡°Do you know anything else about Tao Ya?¡± An Ran continued to ask the male servant. ¡°Oh, right. Miss, I know that Tao Ya often steals valuable things from the villa and sells them. I even caught her a few times,¡± the male servant suddenly said. When An Ran heard that Tao Ya often stole from her and sold the things, she thought of what Tao Ya had done in her previous life and felt disgusted. It turned out that Tao Ya had been scheming against her since a long time ago, and yet An Ran had even foolishly treated Tao Ya as a close friend at the time. ¡°Do you have any evidence of her theft, then?¡± After the male servant handed the evidence of Tao Ya stealing from the villa to An Ran, she dismissed the domestic helpers. Chapter 21 - Pretending to Be a Dancer Chapter 21 Pretending to Be a Dancer After dealing with the spy, An Ran was so tired that she lay on the sofa. Looking up at the ceiling, An Ran was thinking about how to make money. Even if she started working now to make money, she would not be able to make enough to fill the An family¡¯s financial hole. What should she do? An Ran¡¯s eyes caught sight of the evidence that Tao Ya had stolen her jewelry to sell. That¡¯s it! An Ran¡¯s parents had bought a lot of jewelry for her as her dowry. Those jewelry were worth tens of millions. Instead of letting Tao Ya steal and sell them, she might as well sell them herself and use the money as working capital for the An family. An Ran immediately got up and returned to her room. She rummaged through her three boxes of jewelry and picked out some valuable ones. She planned to auction them off. After packing up the items that she was going to auction off, An Ran washed up briefly and planned to change into another set of clothes before going to the auction. She heard there would be an auction at the Pearl Hotel tonight, and all the prestigious people in City A would be attending. An Ran changed into a dark blue strapless dress. Her long hair reached her waist, and she wore a pearl necklace around her neck. She looked elegant yet playful. After getting herself ready, An Ran asked her chauffeur to send her to the auction venue. An Ran only realized that she needed an invitation letter to enter the auction venue tonight when she arrived. However, the An family had not received an invitation letter due to their recent financial crisis. An Ran stood at the door and asked the security guard if he could make an exception for her and let her in. The security guard told An Ran that she could not enter without an invitation letter. ¡°Heh, isn¡¯t this the daughter of the An family, An Ran?¡± An Ran heard someone call her name, so she turned around. Then, she realized it was her sworn enemy ¡ª Zhao Min, the daughter of the Zhao family. Zhao Min always enjoyed mocking An Ran, and she always put An Ran down whenever she saw her. Zhao Min¡¯s father also owned a company, and it had been developing quite well recently. Zhao Min saw that An Ran did not have an invitation letter in her hands, so she said on purpose, ¡°What, didn¡¯t you receive an invitation letter? I heard that the An family has been having a financial crisis lately. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to become a down-and-out lady soon. Hahaha¡­¡± Before An Ran could answer, Zhao Min put her hands on her waist and spoke to An Ran again, ¡°Could you have come here to take advantage of tonight¡¯s auction and find a rich man to solve your family crisis? With your current appearance, who would take a liking to you?¡± An Ran immediately retorted, ¡°Miss Zhao, why do you care so much? You¡¯d better take care of yourself. Look at your waist. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been eating well recently.¡± Zhao Min lowered her head and looked at her belly. She quickly retracted her stomach. ¡°You b*tch, you deserve to be abandoned by your fianc¨¦!¡± ¡°You keep repeating the same things. Don¡¯t you have anything else to say? You should read more!¡± An Ran said with disdain. Zhao Min was just a nouveau riche who bullied the weak and feared the strong. An Ran ignored Zhao Min and gave her the middle finger. When Zhao Min saw this, she said, ¡°You¡­ Just you wait!¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting to see you make a fool of yourself!¡± An Ran retorted. An Ran watched the people outside entering the venue one by one, but she could only wait anxiously at the door. She had an idea! An Ran thought she could go in by pretending to be a flirtatious dancer who was someone¡¯s female companion. An Ran ran to the ladies¡¯ room and took out her makeup bag. She put on heavy makeup and a wig and applied false eyelashes. Then she changed into a super sexy short skirt. An Ran could see herself in the mirror that she had totally changed. She had been gentle and graceful earlier, but now she was charming and sexy. An Ran returned to the venue entrance and told the security guard that she was here to perform. She pointed at a man at a distance and claimed that she was the man¡¯s female companion. ¡°Miss, please wait a moment. We need to confirm before we can let you in.¡± !!! An Ran felt like covering her face. It was too awkward. The man walked closer. The security guard at the door asked if An Ran was his female companion tonight. ¡°Are you mistaken? I¡¯m here to auction off jewelry,¡± the man said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I mistook you for someone else,¡± An Ran quickly explained. The security guard saw that An Ran had mistaken him for someone else and said to her, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. You still can¡¯t go in.¡± An Ran could only smile awkwardly. Chapter 22 - Huo Qing Saved the Day Chapter 22 Huo Qing Saved the Day The man beside An Ran looked her up and down. An Ran was very eye-catching dressed in a dancer¡¯s outfit. Her bosom was faintly discernible. Her waist was so thin that it could be easily wrapped around. Her legs were fair, long, and slim. On top of it, she was wearing a pair of stiletto heels. Even women would be jealous of her. ¡°Miss, how about I choose you to be my female companion tonight?¡± The man spoke and even reached out to touch An Ran¡¯s waist. An Ran hurriedly avoided him. Seeing that the man¡¯s face was full of lust when looking at her, she curled her lips in disdain. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sir, you¡¯d better hurry in,¡± An Ran rejected the man¡¯s invitation to be his female companion. ¡°Do you know how many women dream of being my female companion? Stop acting as if you treat yourself seriously. Didn¡¯t you dress yourself up like this to provide this kind of service?¡± Having been rejected by An Ran, the man began to reveal his true color. He reached out and wanted to touch An Ran¡¯s chest. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± An Ran immediately covered herself. Huo Qing had just gotten out of his car. He had been invited to this auction. He had only taken a few steps when he saw the scene at the door. If it had been any other person, they might not be able to tell that it was An Ran. However, Huo Qing could tell that it was her at a glance. Plus, he was very familiar with An Ran¡¯s voice. Huo Qing quickly walked to An Ran and pushed the man away. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± When the man saw that it was Huo Qing, he was so scared that he quickly ran away. Huo Qing gave the bodyguard beside him a look, and his bodyguard immediately chased after the man. An Ran was stunned, wondering how she ran into Huo Qing again. However, she thought no one would recognize her since she was dressed like this tonight. Thus, she cleared her throat and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Huo Qing only replied with an ¡°Okay.¡± Then he turned to the security guard at the door and said, ¡°She¡¯s my female companion tonight.¡± When the security guard saw it was Huo Qing, he quickly let An Ran enter the venue. An Ran was stunned. Why would he help her? Logically speaking, he would not have recognized her in her current appearance. ¡°Hmph, men are all perverts. They would help a beautiful woman whether they know her or not¡­¡± An Ran muttered under her breath as she walked in. She had just taken two steps when Huo Qing pressed her against the wall. ¡°Sir, can you show some respect? You don¡¯t have to be so desperate simply because I¡¯m pretty.¡± ¡°An Ran, here we meet again.¡± Huo Qing chuckled softly. ¡°How did you know¡­ it was me?¡± An Ran really felt tonight was unbelievable. She could not believe Huo Qing had recognized her even though she was dressed like this. Huo Qing did not answer An Ran¡¯s question. Instead, he asked her, ¡°Why did you come to the auction?¡± Huo Qing¡¯s nose accidentally touched An Ran¡¯s face. Only then did she realize how flirtatious their postures were. Huo Qing had better skin than the average woman. His facial features were deep, especially his eyes which seemed as if they could suck people in. An Ran looked at Huo Qing, and her face instantly turned red. ¡°You¡­ Let go of me first¡­¡± Seeing that Huo Qing had not moved, An Ran reached her leg to kick him, but he quickly grabbed her ankle. ¡°You pervert!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What did An Ran just hear?! He had actually admitted that he was a pervert? ¡°I¡¯m here to auction off my jewelry. Can you let go of me now?¡± An Ran said. Huo Qing only let go of her after hearing her answer. An Ran patted her own face to remind herself not to be misled by this man¡¯s beauty. ¡°Come with me. You¡¯re my female companion tonight,¡± Huo Qing¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Okay.¡± An Ran thought to herself, ¡°Ahhh, what¡¯s going on? Why did I just blurt out ¡®yes¡¯?¡± Huo Qing let An Ran hold his arm, and they walked in together. Chapter 23 - Protecting His Lady Chapter 23 Protecting His Lady When Huo Qing and An Ran showed up at the auction venue, they caught everyone¡¯s eyes. Huo Qing had outstanding looks, to begin with, and with his status in City A, many people wanted to go up and talk to him. An Ran stood beside him. Although her makeup was a bit too heavy tonight, An Ran had good-looking facial features, so she looked good no matter how much makeup she put on. Although it seemed slightly strange that they came here together, why did they look so great together? ¡°Who¡¯s the woman next to Huo Qing?¡± ¡°The woman next to Huo Qing looks so flirtatious. She¡¯s obviously not a virtuous lady. She isn¡¯t even comparable to me!¡± A bunch of women was mumbling at the side, wishing that they could go up and hold Huo Qing¡¯s arm instead. Zhao Min, who stood at the side, was also extremely jealous. ¡°Who is that woman? Who is she to stand next to Huo Qing?¡± Zhao Min deliberately walked to Huo Qing and pretended to drop something so that she could pick it up. Her body leaned forward when picking it up, revealing her big breasts to Huo Qing on purpose. An Ran, who was standing next to Huo Qing, almost got nauseous when she saw Zhao Min doing this. She rolled her eyes at the scene. However, Huo Qing did not even give Zhao Min a look. He was even a little disgusted. Huo Qing said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re blocking our way.¡± ?! ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, President Huo.¡± Zhao Min quickly moved away as she was afraid that Huo Qing would get angry. A group of people surrounded Huo Qing and discussed their business. An Ran felt bored being all alone. Zhao Min saw that An Ran was alone, so she walked up and tried to start a conversation with her. An Ran did not want to entertain Zhao Min, so she wanted to go somewhere else. Zhao Min walked beside An Ran and tripped An Ran up with her leg. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± An Ran sprained her ankle again. Seeing Zhao Min¡¯s smug look, An Ran pushed her to the ground when she was not paying attention. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°You b*tch, how dare you push me!¡± Zhao Min shouted like she had gone mad. An Ran and Zhao Min were tugging at each other on the ground, attracting the attention of the people in the venue. Zhao Min reached out her hands to pull An Ran¡¯s hair and accidentally pulled off her wig. Seeing An Ran¡¯s soft hair falling down and her gaze, Zhao Min suddenly felt that the woman in front of her was somewhat familiar. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ An Ran?!¡± II 11 An Ran was stunned for a few seconds before she decided that she might as well take off her fake eyelashes and her wig and reveal her original appearance. An Ran had looked pretty with her former look, but now she looked like a pure and innocent little girl, making everyone look at her with admiration. ¡°An Ran? Why are you here? I thought that you couldn¡¯t enter without an invitation letter?¡± Zhao Min was also stunned and could not help but ask. ¡°Why do you care how I got in? Why are you everywhere?!¡± An Ran was also angry and did not want to engage in this conversation with her. ¡°You must have gotten in by selling your looks. An Ran, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so desperate now.¡± Zhao Min attacked An Ran personally. ¡°Look at your flirtatious appearance. You think you can get close to Huo Qing this way? Dream on!¡± All of a sudden, everyone was pointing their fingers at An Ran. Huo Qing, who was surrounded by a group of people, heard the noise over there. He was worried that An Ran would get in trouble, so he quickly walked over to take a look. When Huo Qing saw that Zhao Min was bullying An Ran, he clenched his fists. ¡°A girl bullying another girl?¡± Huo Qing mocked. ¡°I¡­¡± Zhao Min did not expect him to come over, so she was speechless. ¡°An Ran is my lady. Anyone who wants to bully her has to get my permission first!¡± Huo Qing said this to everyone present. After saying this, Huo Qing carried An Ran to the lounge. The fact that Huo Qing had called An Ran ¡°his lady¡± made her very shy. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not your lady! But thank you for helping me out.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking. I was serious,¡± Huo Qing said while looking at An Ran affectionately. IIII An Ran pretended not to hear him and played dumb. In the lounge, Huo Qing placed An Ran on a stool and asked if her feet hurt. ¡°It¡¯s not serious. It¡¯ll be fine soon. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Take a rest first. The auction will start soon,¡± Huo Qing said. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 24 - Auctioning off the Jewelry Chapter 24 Auctioning off the Jewelry The auction started, and An Ran took out her jewelry to auction them off. ¡°Why is the daughter of the An family auctioning off her jewelry?¡± ¡°The An Corporate Group is dying. I heard they are facing a financial crisis lately¡­¡± The guests started discussing it. Zhao Min, who was sitting not far away from An Ran, saw that An Ran had become so desperate that she needed to auction off her own jewelry, and she could not help but snort. ¡°To think that you would end up like this one day, An Ran! I¡¯m going to bid for your jewelry and embarrass you today.¡± ¡°Eight million.¡± ¡°Nine million.¡± ¡°Nine and a half million.¡± ¡°Congratulations to Miss Zhao for obtaining an emerald necklace.¡± Zhao Min won the bid for An Ran¡¯s first set of jewelry. An Ran did not overthink it. As long as someone bought her jewelry, it was fine. All she wanted now was to raise money to save the An Corporate Group. However, Zhao Min did not think so. Her motive was to trample An Ran underfoot and humiliate her in front of everyone. ¡°Minmin, you¡¯re really generous. You even bought this emerald necklace at nine and a half million yuan.¡± The person beside Zhao Min said fawningly. When Zhao Min heard this, she was even more pleased. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? I bought it for my servant. Only a servant would wear the things that An Ran had worn.¡± ¡°Wow, your servants are so fortunate to have you as their master.¡± When An Ran heard that Zhao Min would give An Ran¡¯s jewelry to her servant, embarrassment flashed across her face. However, she calmed down in an instant. How could she afford to be angry now? She should be glad as long as she could raise some money to save her family company. Many people thought the An Corporate Group would definitely be doomed, and their gazes became cold when they looked at An Ran. Who would care about a down-and-out lady who no longer had any power or influence? Huo Qing had been paying attention to An Ran the whole time. When he saw that Zhao Min took the opportunity to humiliate An Ran again, his facial expression instantly turned cold. The auction continued, and a diamond necklace named ¡°Kingdom Hearts¡± was now auctioned. A famous French designer, Leviev, had designed this necklace. It was inlaid with 155 pear-shaped and round white diamonds. These gemstones surrounded a 40.63-carat heart-shaped Burmese ruby. The pigeon¡¯s blood color made the ruby look even more attractive. Once the necklace was taken out, it attracted all the socialites¡¯ eyes, especially Zhao Min, whose eyes were almost glued to it. Even An Ran, who had been lowering her head, stared at the necklace a few times. Huo Qing saw the unusual behavior of the young lady beside him and raised his eyebrows. ¡°The starting bid for the ¡®Kingdom Hearts¡¯ is 46 million,¡± The host announced the opening bid for the necklace. ¡°47 million.¡± ¡°48 million.¡± ¡°51 million.¡± Zhao Min kept increasing the bid. Not only did she want to humiliate An Ran today, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to raise her worth. 170 million.¡± Huo Qing, who had stayed silent all this time, suddenly spoke. Even An Ran was shocked. She wondered if Huo Qing had a hobby of collecting jewelry. Zhao Min¡¯s palms were sweating. She had only brought 70 million today, and she had just spent nearly 10 million to humiliate An Ran. Huo Qing had raised the bid to 70 million in an instant. If she won the bid for this necklace, she would probably have a hard time explaining it to her family when she got home. Zhao Min looked at An Ran and gritted her teeth, ¡°71 million!¡± Huo Qing said without even lifting his eyelids, ¡°80 million.¡± Everyone looked at him when he said this. Although this necklace was very luxurious, it was not worth such a high price. ¡°80 million going once. 80 million going twice. 80 million going three times. Sold. Congratulations to Mr. Huo.¡± ¡°Mr. Huo, this is the necklace you won the bid for.¡± Huo Qing gave his black card to the staff at the auction to pay for the necklace and received it. ¡°An Ran, this is for you.¡± Huo Qing placed the necklace in front of An Ran. ¡°An Ran auctioned off her jewelry just to get rid of her old jewelry¡­ She¡¯ll have new jewelry.¡± He obviously meant it for others to hear this. At this moment, Zhao Min was pinching her hand with jealousy so hard that it was about to bleed. ¡°An Ran¡­ Just you wait!¡± Zhao Min said in a low voice. Everyone saw Huo Qing spend 80 million on the necklace and give it to An Ran, and they were all flattering Huo Qing. ¡°President Huo is really generous.¡± ¡°Miss An is one lucky lady.¡± Chapter 25 - Rejecting His Good Intentions Chapter 25 Rejecting His Good Intentions An Ran felt very awkward as she heard the people around her talking about Huo Qing and her. She did not want others to think that she was trying to curry favor with Huo Qing. She only wanted to save her family company with her own efforts. ¡°Huo Qing, I¡¯m sorry. This necklace is too valuable. You should keep it.¡± After saying that, An Ran hurriedly left the auction venue and stood at the door waiting for Huo Qing. ¡°Why is An Ran so tactless? She even dared to reject Huo Qing¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Yeah, who does she think she is? She¡¯s acting all high and mighty.¡± ¡°I think she did it on purpose. She just wanted to attract President Huo¡¯s attention.¡± After An Ran left, everyone secretly mocked her for not being ungrateful. Huo Qing¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched An Ran leave. An Ran had waited at the venue entrance for a while before Huo Qing came out. ¡°Mr. Huo, this is for the medical fees you paid for me last time.¡± An Ran paid him back with the money she had gotten with the jewelry she had auctioned off earlier. Huo Qing stared at An Ran and said nothing. ¡°An Ran, why did you reject the necklace I gave you just now?¡± An Ran was a little surprised. Only then had she understood that Huo Qing did not look happy, probably because she had rejected his good intentions in public earlier. ¡°Mr. Huo, we aren¡¯t very close to each other, after all. I¡¯m very grateful that you helped me last time, but the necklace is too expensive. I can¡¯t and I don¡¯t want to accept it,¡± An Ran replied sincerely. She continued, ¡°My family is indeed not doing well now, but I don¡¯t want others to look down on me and say that I gain advantages by selling my body.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s expression softened when he heard what she said. Huo Qing did not know how scary he had looked. He had pulled such a long face that he seemed as if he could eat someone alive as he had thought that An Ran had been deliberately distancing herself from him. ¡°An Ran, you don¡¯t have to return the money to me. I¡¯m more than willing to help you. Use this money to fill the deficit in your family company first. If it¡¯s not enough, you can contact me again,¡± Huo Qing said gently to An Ran. ¡°???¡± Huo Qing¡¯s words made An Ran¡¯s heart race. What did he mean by ¡°more than willing¡±? It sounded really strange. An Ran saw that Huo Qing was insistent, so she said nothing else. Huo Qing suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to bring the An Corporate Group back to life only by auctioning off your jewelry. You have to solve the problems with the company itself.¡± An Ran suddenly understood something. She looked up at Huo Qing and said, ¡°Thank you. I understand.¡± Huo Qing was in a good mood at the moment. He said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t keep thanking me. You don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to meet in the future.¡± An Ran thought to herself, ¡°Why is this man saying so many strange things to me? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that close¡­¡± The next day, An Ran woke up early. After breakfast, she visited Duan Qun in prison. An Ran had thought about it for a long time last night. It would only make the company lose more and more money if she only tried to fill the deficit in the company without making the company profitable. An Ran remembered that Duan Qun had taken many projects from the company. If her family company ran those projects smoothly, not only could it fill the deficit in the company, but it could also bring in a considerable income. In the prison, An Ran and Duan Qun talked on the phone with a glass wall between them. ¡°Duan Qun, return the projects you previously took from the An Corporate Group, and I¡¯ll withdraw the lawsuit and let you out.¡± Duan Qun¡¯s facial expression immediately changed when he heard An Ran. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her, and one of his hands clenching into a fist. He had already been harboring a grudge against her for reporting to the police and making him end up in prison, and now she even asked him to return the projects. ¡°An Ran, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Duan Qun, I¡¯ll drop the lawsuit if you return the projects to us. Think about it carefully!¡± An Ran¡¯s attitude was very strong, and she was not afraid of Duan Qun at all. Chapter 26 - An Ran Was Drunk Chapter 26 An Ran Was Drunk ¡°F*ck you, b*tch! How dare you threaten me! I¡¯ll kill you when I get out of here!¡± Duan Qun stood up angrily and scolded An Ran. An Ran seemed to have expected this and sat there with no panic. ¡°Oh? Then you¡¯d better come out first.¡± ¡°Duan Qun, do you think you¡¯ll be on the front page of the news tomorrow if the media finds out that you were sent to prison for attempted rape?¡± An Ran said to him with a determined look in her eyes. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Why not? You, on the other hand, dare to think that you can stop me from telling other people what you did when you¡¯re the one who caused harm to me. I¡¯ll give you two minutes to consider. If you don¡¯t agree to it, I¡¯ll make you appear on the news, and you¡¯ll stay in prison for eight to ten years.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Duan Qun¡¯s attitude instantly became weak once he heard that he would have to stay in prison for eight to ten years. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll take the deal.¡± Duan Qun finally yielded. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take the Project Transfer Certificate here for you to sign. I¡¯ll withdraw the lawsuit after you sign it.¡± An Ran left without wasting any more time on Duan Qun. An Ran left in a good mood. She rushed home to tell her father about the good news. When her father heard this, he instantly became much happier. Too many things had happened in the An family lately, and it had been a long time since he had been so happy. ¡°But¡­ Ranran, even if we get back the projects, we don¡¯t have any working capital or investments. I¡¯m afraid that it will be very difficult for us to launch the projects.¡± His words immediately pulled An Ran back to the reality from her joy. An Ran pondered for a moment. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry about this. I¡¯ll make sure we get some investment.¡± An Ran asked the compensation manager for a list of tycoons. She called them one by one and asked them to come out for dinner tonight. Although many of them turned her down, there were still five or six people willing to invest in the end. V An Ran dressed herself up and went to the restaurant early to wait for them. An Ran put on a smiling face throughout the dinner, but the big bosses refused to budge. All those men were chubby old birds with big bellies who had not aged gracefully. They saw that An Ran came out to socialize alone without anyone backing her up, so they teased An Ran with their words from time to time. ¡°Miss An, you¡¯re so beautiful. Why do you have to work so hard? If you¡¯re willing to sell your looks, I might actually consider it¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ You¡¯re funny, Mr. Li.¡± Although An Ran wished she could flip the table, she could only swallow her feelings when she thought of the current situation of the An Corporate Group. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of the An Corporate Group,¡± An Ran said as she poured the wine. When she was pouring the wine for Mr. Qian, he touched her hand. The only thing An Ran could do about it was to break free. ¡°Miss An, don¡¯t just pour the wine for us. Have a drink too.¡± Those old men made a fuss and insisted on pushing An Ran to drink. An Ran had no choice but to frown and drink one cup after another. ¡°Here, everyone. Let me toast to you then¡­¡± ¡°Miss An, you¡¯re a brave girl. I¡¯ll toast to you alone then!¡± Mr. Li said slyly after looking at An Ran¡¯s figure and swallowing his saliva. ¡°¡­ Sure.¡± Those bosses began to toast An Ran one by one. However, they did not mention anything about the investment. An Ran lost count of how many glasses of wine she had drunk. She felt dizzy and had double vision when she looked at people. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel so dizzy.¡± An Ran was so drunk that she rested her head and arms on the table, and yet she was still muttering, ¡°About the investment¡­¡± Seeing that An Ran was already very drunk, Mr. Li pretended to go up and ask if she was okay, but he tried to touch her with his hands. An Ran was so drunk that she was in a daze. Her eyes were half-closed when she felt someone approaching her. Mr. Li pretended to hold her waist, but in fact, he was taking the opportunity to touch her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± An Ran subconsciously moved Mr. Li¡¯s hand away. Seeing that An Ran was completely drunk, he exchanged glances with the other bosses. The other bosses looked at An Ran and swallowed their saliva. An Ran was a rare beauty with a good figure. Now that she was drunk, these men could not hold themselves back anymore¡­ Mr. Li and another man wanted to get An Ran up and tie her up. An Ran felt that something was wrong even though she was in a daze. She opened her eyes and saw the two men approaching her with lustful looks. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Although An Ran was drunk she knew that she was in danger. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t know what we want to do with you. Do you seriously think you can make us invest simply by treating us to a meal and some drinks, Miss An? Sleep with me, and I¡¯ll invest in your family company right after.¡± Mr. Li no longer hid his desire and directly proposed the conditions for his investment to An Ran. ¡°You really are animals. Don¡¯t even think about touching me!¡± Chapter 27 - Huo Qing Took Care of An Ran When She Was Drunk Chapter 27 Huo Qing Took Care of An Ran When She Was Drunk An Ran looked at the lewd men who were approaching her. She grabbed a wine bottle on the table and threw it at them. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°You b*tch, how dare you hit me!¡± An Ran hurt Mr. Li¡¯s head with the wine bottles she smashed at him. There were many glass splinters on the ground. An Ran kept on throwing things at them. Those bosses did not dare to get closer to An Ran anymore when they saw that she had such a fierce temper that she even hurt Mr. Li¡¯s head. ¡°You hurt my head! I¡¯m going to sue you and send you to jail!¡± Mr. Li said to An Ran angrily. An Ran got scared. She had come here to attract investment. How would she end up going to jail now¡­? ¡°Ah!¡± Mr. Li suddenly fell to the ground, and someone else stepped on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll see who dares to call the police!¡± ¡°Huo Qing?¡± An Ran looked up. It was Huo Qing, indeed. Why was he here? Huo Qing had just finished his dinner. His company had been dealing with a big project, and he had happened to treat the other party to dinner in this hotel. When he had finished the dinner and come out, he had passed by the private room where An Ran and the bosses had been in and heard An Ran¡¯s voice, so he walked in. At this time, Huo Qing¡¯s bodyguard was still stepping on Mr. Li¡¯s face. When the bosses saw that it was Huo Qing, they were so scared that their legs went weak. They did not know why Huo Qing would show up and why he protected An Ran. ¡°President Huo¡­ I¡¯ve heard so much about you. This is all Mr. Li¡¯s fault. He wanted to take advantage of Miss An when she was drunk. It has nothing to do with us¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± They immediately backed down and quickly pushed all the blame on Mr. Li. ¡°Really?¡± Huo Qing had a very cold facial expression now. One look from him could scare them half to death. ¡°Do it.¡± Once the bodyguard received Huo Qing¡¯s instructions, he began to teach Mr. Li a lesson. The other bosses stood at the side, shivering. Huo Qing said, ¡°No one will tell anyone else about what happened today. Otherwise, your company will disappear in City A tomorrow.¡± ¡°O-Of course. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll keep it to ourselves.¡± Huo Qing picked up An Ran, who was sitting on the ground, and strode out. They got into a car. An Ran kept moving around in Huo Qing¡¯s arms. ¡°An Ran, sit still and don¡¯t move. I¡¯m sending you home now,¡± Huo Qing said gently while trying hard to control himself as An Ran kept moving around in his arms and occasionally touched the top of his thigh. ¡°I¡¯m not going home. I¡¯m not going home until I get their investment¡­¡± Hearing An Ran say she did not want to go home, Huo Qing guessed that she probably did not want her family to worry about her, so he asked the driver to turn around and head to his villa instead. ¡°An Ran, behave yourself. Stop moving around.¡± An Ran still kept moving around on Huo Qing¡¯s body throughout the entire journey. Huo Qing looked at An Ran, clenched his fists, and tried his best to hold it in. When they arrived at the Huo family¡¯s villa, Huo Qing carried An Ran back to his room. ¡°Ugh, I feel awful¡­¡± An Ran felt a burning sensation in her stomach, and she felt like vomiting. ¡°Blaargh¡­¡± An Ran couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She puked everywhere, and her clothes were dirty. Huo Qing felt sorry and resigned when he saw her like this. Huo Qing asked a domestic helper to change An Ran¡¯s clothes, and he went to the next room to wash up. An Ran felt much better after she vomited. Then she sprawled on Huo Qing¡¯s bed. After washing up, Huo Qing returned to his room. When he saw An Ran¡¯s sleeping posture, a corner of his mouth went up subconsciously. ¡°Get me more wine¡­ I can drink more¡­¡± An Ran was still muttering nonstop. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re pretty wasted.¡± Huo Qing walked to the side of the bed and brushed away the stray strands of hair on An Ran¡¯s forehead. An Ran felt something warm and hugged Huo Qing as soon as she touched him. All Huo Qing could feel now was his whole body burning up, and the veins on his hands became more visible than usual. ¡°Mm¡­ It¡¯s so warm.¡± An Ran hugged Huo Qing tightly and kept rubbing against his chest. ¡°An Ran¡­ let go.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s crotch started to bulge, and his forehead started sweating nonstop. Not only did An Ran not let go of Huo Qing, but she also raised her head and started kissing Huo Qing¡¯s face with her eyes half-closed. Huo Qing did not want to take advantage of An Ran while she was asleep, but An Ran kept kissing him, and he could not help but deepen the kiss. Huo Qing only let go of An Ran when she was out of breath. Whereas, An Ran was still muttering, ¡°I¡¯m dreaming of a handsome man¡­ How nice¡­ Let me kiss him¡­¡± II II So, she had done that because she had been dreaming. ¡°Ha.¡± Huo Qing smiled resignedly. He suppressed his desire and turned to take a cold shower in the bathroom. Chapter 28 - A Misunderstanding Chapter 28 A Misunderstanding The next morning, An Ran opened her eyes half-asleep. She looked up at the ceiling. Since when had her house been renovated? An Ran sat up from the bed and realized that she was naked. ¡°Ah!!!¡± An Ran had a painful expression on her face, thinking that she might have been¡­ Just as she was trying to recall what had happened last night, Huo Qing walked into the room in his pajamas. ¡°Slap!¡± An Ran saw Huo Qing and thought he had raped her while she was sleeping. ¡°You bast*rd! You took advantage of me while I was asleep! I¡¯m going to sue you!¡± An Ran instinctively slapped Huo Qing and quickly retreated to a corner. ¡°¡­ Put on your clothes first. I¡¯ll explain it to you later.¡± After saying that, Huo Qing asked a domestic helper to give An Ran a set of clothes. After An Ran was fully dressed, Huo Qing asked the domestic helper to bring her some hangover soup and breakfast. ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t eat anything that comes from that bast*rd!¡± An Ran spilled all the things the domestic helper had brought her on the ground. Huo Qing saw that An Ran had misunderstood him, but he still let her throw a tantrum. ¡°Those men took advantage of you when you were drunk last night, but I saved you. A female helper changed your clothes, but later on, you said that you felt too warm in your sleep and took off your clothes. I did not take advantage of you. On the contrary, you kept hugging me and refused to let me go yesterday¡­¡± The more Huo Qing talked about it, the more wrong it sounded. At this moment, An Ran just wanted to find a hole for herself to hide. She had been drunk and had acted crazy and even slapped him. ¡°Oh. Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ for my misunderstanding of you just now.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me last night, or else¡­¡± An Ran lowered her head and did not dare to look at Huo Qing. She had just hit Huo Qing. He was a big shot in City A who could kill her with a single finger. What had she just done? Seeing that An Ran kept her head down, not only did he not blame her, but he also felt sorry that he had scared her. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast first. You have to drink the hangover soup too since you drank too much last night.¡± Huo Qing did not continue the topic and went downstairs with her to have breakfast together. Neither of them said anything at the dining table. An Ran did not dare to say anything. After all, she had just hit him without knowing the whole story. Meanwhile, Huo Qing was still reminiscing the scene from last night. After they finished breakfast, An Ran saw the red mark on Huo Qing¡¯s face and said in a soft voice, ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to hit you earlier. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, why don¡¯t you make yourself mine as compensation?¡± Huo Qing saw An Ran¡¯s guilty look and teased her on purpose. He could feel that An Ran had a better attitude toward him now. An Ran blushed and her heart pounded. She changed the topic, ¡°Let me help you apply the medicine. The marks on your face are too obvious.¡± ¡°¡­ Sure.¡± Huo Qing did not let go of this opportunity to get close to her. They sat on the sofa. Huo Qing was nearly 1.9 meters, while An Ran was only 1.65 meters. ¡°Lower your head. You¡¯re too tall for me to apply the medicine on your face.¡± Huo Qing lowered his head, and his lips accidentally touched An Ran¡¯s forehead. An Ran¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine.¡± An Ran continued to apply the medicine, pretending that nothing had happened. They were so close to each other that they could hear each other breathing. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done,¡± An Ran said as she was about to stand up. Unexpectedly, as she had maintained the position for too long that her legs had gone numb, so she lost her balance and fell backward. Huo Qing reacted quickly. He held her waist and pulled her into his arms. They fell on the sofa and kissed! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Wham. An Ran felt like fireworks were going off in her head. However, her thoughts quickly came back to reality. She pushed Huo Qing away, and they sat next to each other awkwardly. ¡°Why did you drink with them last night?¡± Huo Qing broke the awkward silence. If it were not for An Ran being drunk and unconscious last night, he would have asked her this question. An Ran had no idea how badly Huo Qing had wished to shoot those old men when he had seen them bullying her last night. ¡°I was there to get some investment. The An Corporate Group had some projects lately, but we didn¡¯t have the funds to launch them, so I invited them to try and persuade them to invest in the An Corporate Group. Who knew that¡­¡± An Ran lowered her head and sighed. ¡°You drank with them alone just to attract their investments. Did you know how dangerous it was? If it weren¡¯t for me showing up in time, you would¡¯ve probably been¡­¡± ¡°I?!¡± An Ran somehow sensed that Huo Qing was a little jealous. Why did he care so much about her drinking with other men? e SO I ¡°If you want some investments, the Huo Corporate Group can also invest in your family company. What do you think?¡± Huo Qing had wanted to invest in the An Corporate Group for a long time, but he had never had the chance. Chapter 29 - Accepting His Investment Chapter 29 Accepting His Investment ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡± An Ran was still hesitant. Huo Qing said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m only offering this as an investor. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. You can¡¯t get any other investments anyway, so you might as well consider me.¡± An Ran stayed silent. ¡°The Huo Corporate Group can invest in the An Corporate Group with an 80:20 split of the profit. How about that?¡± Huo Qing continued. An Ran pondered for a while and realized that Huo Qing¡¯s analysis made sense. She could not get any investments at this stage, and she did not want to look for strangers to invest in her family company for the time being after what had happened last night. Moreover, Huo Qing was not simply helping her. It would be a win-win situation for both of their companies. Plus, after spending some time together lately, An Ran realized that Huo Qing was not a bad person. At the very least, he had not done anything to hurt her so far. Accepting Huo Qing¡¯s investment was the best option at the moment. An Ran finally made a decision. ¡°Okay, I agree.¡± ¡°I have one more condition,¡± Huo Qing suddenly said to An Ran. ¡°???¡± An Ran stared at Huo Qing and feared that he would ask her to sell her body. At the thought of this, she distanced herself away from him. ¡°I¡¯ll invest 500 million yuan in the An Corporate Group provided that you¡¯ll be the company representative who will discuss the cooperation with me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then let me make this clear first. I refuse to sell my body, so don¡¯t try to take advantage of me!¡± An Ran calmly adjusted her clothes. ¡°Heh,¡± Huo Qing could not help but chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not filthy enough to get a woman with my investment, or do you want me to do that?¡± Huo Qing said as he patted An Ran on her head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t. President Huo, I hope you¡¯ll keep your promise, and we¡¯ll maintain a normal relationship.¡± An Ran brushed Huo Qing¡¯s hand away with resistance. She thought, ¡°Why did you pat my head when I¡¯m not a dog?!¡± They talked for a little longer at Huo Qing¡¯s villa. He asked her where she would go later, and she said she planned to visit her mother at the hospital. Huo Qing said that it was convenient so he could send An Ran to the hospital. Then they packed up and left the villa together. An Ran bought some daily necessities and fruits. When she arrived outside her mother¡¯s ward, she took out her phone to check her makeup. In fact, An Ran was not appreciating her looks. She was only doing that as too many things had happened in her family lately. She knew that her mother was worried about her, so she wanted to show up in front of her mother with the best image possible. An Ran gently opened the door and saw her mother resting with her eyes closed. Her mother¡¯s body had previously not been in good shape. After the surgery this time, she had lost a lot of weight. Her face was sallow, her eyes were black and blue, and she did not have enough fat on her body. Cancer made her unable to sleep well all day. She was also worried about her family and the company. It made An Ran¡¯s heart ache just by looking at her. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Seeing her mother look haggard, An Ran could not stop her tears from falling. An Ran walked forward and hugged her mother. Her mother felt that there was someone beside her and opened her eyes. ¡°Ranran¡­ My dear daughter, it¡¯s all my fault for being so weak.¡± An Ran¡¯s mother felt sorry that her daughter had to bear such heavy pressure and could not help but blame herself. ¡°Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? Just focus on your recovery, and you¡¯ll get better. Our family will still be as happy as before,¡± An Ran hurriedly said. ¡°Silly child, my illness must have cost a lot of money, right? Now that the company lacks working capital, I can¡¯t be a burden. I don¡¯t want to stay in the hospital anymore. Take me home. I can rest at home too¡­¡± An Ran¡¯s mother knew that the company needed money now, so she wanted to get discharged from the hospital. That way, they would at least spend less money. ¡°Mom, just focus on treating your illness in the hospital. I¡¯ve already found investment for the company. The investor is willing to invest 500 million yuan in our company,¡± An Ran happily told her mother the good news. ¡°Really? Ranran, you aren¡¯t lying to me, are you? Who¡¯s willing to invest so much money in the An Corporate Group? We have to thank him properly.¡± An Ran¡¯s mother was shocked, but there was joy in her tone. ¡°I know, Mom. Just focus on your treatment and listen to the doctor,¡± An Ran said as she peeled an apple for her mother. Now that the problem with the company¡¯s capital had been settled, An Ran and her mother happily chatted about their daily life in the ward. At the door of the ward, Tao Ya eavesdropped that An Ran had obtained an investment of 500 million yuan, and her eyes revealed a vicious look. As she was afraid that An Ran would report her to the police station, Tao Ya had been staying in this hospital since her miscarriage. Since she had had nothing to do, she had been wandering around the hospital. She had not expected to see An Ran carrying things and entering the ward, so she had followed An Ran and hid outside An Ran¡¯s mother¡¯s ward to eavesdrop. Since she knew that An Ran had money now, she immediately called her family and relatives and asked them to blackmail An Ran for money. Chapter 30 - Tao Ya Blackmailed Her Again Chapter 30 Tao Ya Blackmailed Her Again Very soon, Tao Ya¡¯s relatives found out that An Ran had money. A group of them aggressively blocked An Ran. ¡°An Ran, the incident of you pushing Tao Ya and causing her miscarriage hasn¡¯t been settled yet!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you gotten an investment for the An family lately? You should pay a sum of money to Tao Ya.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Tao Ya is still in the hospital now. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Tao Ya wouldn¡¯t have had a miscarriage!¡± Tao Ya¡¯s difficult relatives immediately asked An Ran for money once they saw her. Just as An Ran was wondering how they came to know that she had gotten an investment, one of Tao Ya¡¯s relatives said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving if you don¡¯t pay us now!¡± An Ran looked at them and almost burst out laughing out of anger. A bunch of people who only cared about money was really stupid. ¡°Who are you to come here and ask me for money? How is Tao Ya related to you? She¡¯s in the hospital now, but have any of you gone to visit her? Besides, she fell down the stairs herself on purpose. It had nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°Do you have any evidence to prove that I pushed her? You want to blackmail me? In your dreams!¡± An Ran said angrily. Tao Ya¡¯s relatives saw that An Ran had no intention of paying them at all, so they said, ¡°An Ran, don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself. If you don¡¯t pay us, we will sue you and make you go to jail!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ You¡¯re going to sue me? You don¡¯t even know who has the right to sue here!¡± An Ran took out the evidence of Tao Ya¡¯s theft of the An family¡¯s items for sale and threw them in front of Tao Ya¡¯s difficult relatives. ¡°Take a look at these yourself. All these years, Tao Ya has been stealing things from the An family to sell. I wonder who¡¯s the one who only cares about money!¡± An Ran said sarcastically. After catching Tao Ya¡¯s accomplice in the villa last time, An Ran had had him organize the evidence. He had gathered a very complete set of evidence, which was enough to send Tao Ya to jail for a few years. An Ran had always carried the evidence of Tao Ya¡¯s theft with her lately because she had known that her family¡¯s relatives were a bunch of difficult and unreasonable people and they might come to her to ask for money anytime. Tao Ya¡¯s relatives looked at the evidence and instantly quieted down. ¡°Tao Ya stole so many things from the An family, which are worth tens to millions. According to the criminal law, if the amount is particularly large, the criminal is punishable with more than ten years of imprisonment and a fine.¡± An Ran solemnly educated Tao Ya¡¯s relatives on the law. ¡°Tao Ya must¡¯ve given you some money that she got from selling the An family¡¯s properties all these years, I suppose? Now, would what you did be considered as receiving stolen properties?¡± An Ran¡¯s words made their legs go weak. Tao Ya¡¯s group of relatives had not received much education. They simply rushed to An Ran without thinking once Tao Ya called them up and told them that they could go and ask An Ran for a large sum of money. Seeing that they all went silent, An Ran continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you all want to sue me earlier? Then I¡¯ll sue you too. At most, I¡¯ll lose some money, but you will all be going to jail.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Tao Ya¡¯s relatives were so scared that they stuttered. ¡°You what? How dare you try to blackmail me when you¡¯re just a bunch of local hooligans? You¡¯d better go back and study more!¡± Seeing their guilty looks, An Ran left without looking back. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do? We can only go back first. Do we really want to be accused of stealing and then sent to jail?¡± Tao Ya¡¯s relatives stood where they were and discussed. ¡°An Ran, you b*tch!¡± When Tao Ya found out that her relatives had not been able to demand any compensation and had been threatened instead, she was so angry that she started to curse. ¡°An Ran, just you wait. I¡¯ll definitely make you regret it, b*tch! Duan Qun is mine, and the An Corporate Group will be mine too in the future! Everything you have now will be mine in the future!¡± Tao Ya seemed to have gone mad. She muttered to herself and cursed An Ran nonstop. Chapter 31 - Question of An Rans Mother Chapter 31 Question of An Ran¡¯s Mother After Duan Qun had agreed to return the projects he had taken from the An Corporate Group, An Ran had withdrawn the lawsuit the next day after Duan Qun had signed the transfer contract. Duan Qun had finally gotten out of prison. Tao Ya had found out that Duan Qun had gotten out of prison, so she kept calling him, asking him to come to the hospital to see her. She told him that she had been pregnant with Duan Qun¡¯s child, and their child would have been over four months old now if it had not been for An Ran. Duan Qun had initially wanted to rest at home for a few days, but he could not stand Tao Ya¡¯s constant calls, so he went to the hospital to see her. ¡°Qun¡­ you¡¯re finally here.¡± The moment Tao Ya saw Duan Qun, she pretended to be pitiful. ¡°Qun, it¡¯s all An Ran¡¯s fault. If she didn¡¯t push me down the stairs, our child wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Tao Ra even squeezed out a few drops of tears after she finished speaking, looking very pitiful. Duan Qun had hated An Ran for sending him to prison in the first place. Now that he heard what Tao Ya said, he became even angrier. ¡°Qun, I need some water. Go and get me some hot water. I¡¯m still weak.¡± Duan Qun felt sorry for Tao Ya and got up to get some water. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a nurse say, ¡°Mrs. An, it¡¯s time for the injection¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. An?¡± Duan Qun was curious. He wondered if An Ran¡¯s mother was here as well. He walked over and found that An Ran¡¯s mother was also hospitalized. Duan Qun hated everyone in the An family. When he saw that An Ran¡¯s mother was in the hospital, he wanted to show up in front of her to anger her. Duan Qun pushed the door open and walked to An Ran¡¯s mother¡¯s side. Seeing that she looked haggard, he felt much better. ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t this my ex-mother-in-law? Why are you hospitalized? Is it serious?¡± Duan Qun said sarcastically. An Ran¡¯s mother looked up and saw him. Her eyes flashed with displeasure. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done enough harm to our family?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Although what happened at the wedding was my bad, An Ran isn¡¯t faithful either! Your daughter has been seen with Huo Qing from time to time. She must¡¯ve slept with him a long time ago.¡± ¡°You¡­ Get lost. My daughter isn¡¯t that kind of person!¡± An Ran¡¯s mother was so angry that she felt dizzy. ¡°I can leave, but I have to finish my words before I leave. Do you think it¡¯s so easy to do business? If it wasn¡¯t for your daughter selling her body, why would Huo Qing invest 500 million yuan in the An Corporate Group? Considering your current status, you can only pull that off in your dreams! An Ran is very cheap, indeed. She actually managed to sell her body and beg others to invest in the An Corporate Group¡ª¡± ¡°Thud!¡± Before Duan Qun could finish his sentence, An Ran¡¯s mother threw a kettle at him. ¡°Get lost, and stop slandering Ranran!¡± An Ran¡¯s mother shouted loudly. ¡°How dare you hit me, you old woman!¡± Duan Qun started to tug at An Ran¡¯s mother. ¡°Ah¡­¡± While tugging at Duan Qun, An Ran¡¯s mother accidentally fell to the ground and could not get up. ¡°Hmph! You all are still too weak to fight me!¡± Seeing that An Ran¡¯s mother was injured, Duan Qun stopped getting physical with her and turned around to leave. At this time, An Ran was still in the company signing the investment contract with Huo Qing. ¡°Ring, ring, ring¡­¡± The phone suddenly rang. An Ran picked up the call, ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Qing asked as he saw that An Ran looked anxious. ¡°The hospital staff said that my mother fell over when arguing with someone. They asked me to rush over,¡± An Ran said as she packed her things. She was going to rush to the hospital once she got up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Huo Qing drove An Ran to the hospital speedily. ¡°Mom, are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± An Ran rushed into her ward and checked her mother up and down. ¡°Ranran, I¡¯m fine. I just had an argument with Duan Qun and fell.¡± An Ran¡¯s mother comforted her anxious daughter and then changed the topic, ¡°Ranran, I need to ask you about something. You have to answer me honestly. Don¡¯t hide anything from me.¡± Her tone suddenly became serious, and even An Ran was shocked. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± An Ran asked carefully. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Huo Qing? Did you do anything for him to get his investment¡­?¡± An Ran¡¯s mother put it mildly. An Ran instantly understood that Duan Qun must have slandered Huo Qing and her in front of her mother. ¡°Mom, believe me. I¡¯ll never do something like that. Huo Qing only invested in our company, and we even signed a contract with a 70:30 split of the profit.¡± An Ran then took out the contract for her mother to see. Her mother only felt relieved after she took the contract and read it. ¡°Ranran, the most important thing for a girl is self-love, so don¡¯t sacrifice yourself for benefits¡­¡± Her mother began to educate her. ¡°I know, Mom. Don¡¯t worry,¡± An Ran replied obediently. ¡°Also, President Huo isn¡¯t young anymore. He¡¯s kind of much older than you. Don¡¯t get involved with him, okay? A little girl like you doesn¡¯t understand the thoughts of an old man,¡± An Ran¡¯s mother said earnestly to An Ran. ¡°¡­ Mom, what are you talking about?¡± An Ran felt a bit shy now. After all, Huo Qing had helped her family a lot, but her mother only thought of him as an ¡°old man¡±. However, to dispel her mother¡¯s concern, An Ran assured her mother that she would not get close to the ¡°old man¡±, Huo Qing. Chapter 32 - She Admitted That She Liked Him Chapter 32 She Admitted That She Liked Him Huo Qing had come to the hospital with An Ran. He was worried that An Ran¡¯s mother would feel awkward if she saw him, so he waited at the door of her ward. However, he had not expected An Ran¡¯s mother to call him an ¡°old man.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s face darkened when he heard that. Then he thought that since he would still have to visit An Ran¡¯s parents in the future, he might as well establish a good image in front of her mother as soon as possible. Soon, Huo Qing called his assistant to send over a bunch of expensive tonics and health care products. ¡°Knock, knock, knock¡­¡± An Ran heard someone knocking on the door, so she got up to open it. !!! ¡°Why are you here?¡± An Ran lowered her voice and said. When she saw Huo Qing carrying a bunch of stuff, she was so shocked that she almost dropped her jaw. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit Auntie.¡± Huo Qing raised his eyebrows. Huo Qing walked past An Ran and went straight to her mother¡¯s side. ¡°Hello, Auntie. I¡¯m Huo Qing. These are some gifts for you. I wish you a speedy recovery.¡± Huo Qing behaved like a well-mannered man now. His tone was gentle, and he appeared humble and polite, totally unlike his usual self, who was always stern. An Ran stood there and looked at Huo Qing unbelievably. She pinched her own arm, wondering if she was dreaming. An Ran¡¯s mother was also shocked when she saw Huo Qing. However, she had seen a lot, after all. So, she responded politely. ¡°¡­ An Ran, why are you still standing there? Hurry and offer a seat for President Huo.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming.¡± An Ran¡¯s thoughts finally came back to reality. Huo Qing and An Ran¡¯s mother got along very well. They chatted for a long time as if they were very familiar. ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s almost time for lunch. I¡¯ll go and order some food. You should rest first.¡± Huo Qing got up and left the hospital. The smile of An Ran¡¯s mother had not disappeared from her face till now since Huo Qing had shown up. ¡°Ranran, Huo Qing is really not bad. He¡¯s completely different from what the outside world says about him. He¡¯s much better than that scumbag, Duan Qun. What do you think?¡± An Ran¡¯s mother turned around and said to An Ran. An Ran was speechless. She ¡°wondered¡± who was the one who had called Huo Qing an ¡°old man¡± earlier¡­ After lunch, An Ran waited for her mother to fall asleep before she went to Tao Ya and Duan Qun. Since An Ran had found out from her mother that Duan Qun had caused her to fall, she wanted to throw Duan Qun into the sea and feed him to the sharks. At this time, Tao Ya and Duan Qun were still acting lovey-dovey in the ward. An Ran walked to Tao Ya¡¯s ward and kicked the door open. ¡°Bang!¡± Tao Ya and Duan Qun were hugging and kissing. Both of them were also not properly dressed. Hearing the loud bang, they were both shocked. Seeing that it was An Ran, Tao Ya hurriedly started getting dressed. ¡°You two scumbags, you even do this in a hospital. Are you two that thirsty?¡± An Ran had not expected to see them making out and said with a look of disdain. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! You b*tch, you hooked up with Huo Qing, so how could you have the cheek to meddle with our affairs?¡± Seeing that it was An Ran, Duan Qun immediately scolded her loudly. ¡°Hmph, Duan Qun, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you. If you dare to harass my family again, I¡¯ll send you to jail right after!¡± ¡°And you, Tao Ya, if you ask your relatives to blackmail me again, I¡¯ll hand over the evidence of your theft to the police and send you to jail for over ten years.¡± An Ran was not afraid of them. After all, she had something on them. ¡°What should I do, Qun? She threatened me¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Tao Ya immediately pretended to be pitiful and snuggled into Duan Qun¡¯s arms. Duan Qun comforted Tao Ya while he said fiercely to An Ran, ¡°H-How dare you!¡± ¡°An Ran, you think you¡¯re so powerful now because you¡¯re hooking up with Huo Qing, huh? Do you seriously think he¡¯ll like you? He¡¯s just fooling around with you. When he¡¯s done with you, he¡¯ll get rid of you immediately.¡± Hearing that Duan Qun kept bringing up Huo Qing, An Ran could not help but get angry. ¡°Heh, aren¡¯t you just jealous of Huo Qing because he¡¯s taller, richer, more handsome, and more gentlemanly than you? All in all, he¡¯s better than you in terms of everything!¡± An Ran deliberately praised Huo Qing in front of Duan Qun to infuriate him. When Duan Qun heard An Ran¡¯s words, he got so angry that his face turned red. Duan Qun questioned An Ran, ¡°Do you really like Huo Qing?¡± ¡°Yes, I do like Huo Qing. I really like him. He¡¯s so outstanding, so of course I love him to death. Anyway, I won¡¯t like a scumbag like you!¡± In order to anger Duan Qun to death, An Ran said that she liked Huo Qing. Duan Qun was furious. Although he had already broken off the engagement with An Ran, An Ran admitting that she liked someone else so quickly made Duan Qun feel as if he had been cuckolded. Chapter 33 - Going on a Business Trip Together Chapter 33 Going on a Business Trip Together An Ran looked at Duan Qun¡¯s facial expression with satisfaction. She knew that she had successfully angered him. ¡°I suggest that you two don¡¯t do anything to hurt my family again, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡± An Ran walked toward the door right after she had warned Duan Qun and Tao Ya. She had just closed the door when she turned around and bumped into Huo Qing. ¡°Ah¡­ It hurts.¡± An Ran covered her head and saw that it was Huo Qing ¡°Why are you here?!¡± An Ran was shocked. She thought, ¡°Did he hear everything I said just now? I just said that I liked him and even praised him for his good looks¡­¡± ¡°Is your head alright?¡± Huo Qing gently rubbed An Ran¡¯s head. ¡°I was worried about you, so I came over to take a look. I heard what you said just now, and¡­ I¡¯m very glad.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s face was full of smiles. An Ran lowered her head as if she was looking for a hole so that she could climb into it immediately. ¡°Uh¡­ I only said that to Duan Qun just now to anger him. Don¡¯t take it seriously. I didn¡¯t want to drag you into this, but he mentioned you first¡­¡± ¡°But I already took it seriously.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s facial expression immediately turned cold. ¡°You¡­¡± An Ran was really awkward now. On the one hand, she was very sorry that she had used Huo Qing as a shield. On the other hand, when she heard Huo Qing say ¡°I already took it seriously,¡± she felt a little shy. She did not really like him, so why did he take it seriously? Thinking back to the time they had spent together lately, Huo Qing seemed to treat her a little differently from others. However, An Ran did not think about it like that at all. She had just broken off her engagement, and there were many things at home and the company waiting for her to resolve. She did not have the energy or time to think about matters of love right now. Although An Ran knew that Huo Qing was very outstanding, there were many times when she thought that she was not good enough for him. An Ran had always thought that there would be a really good lady who would be good enough for Huo Qing, but that lady would not be her. so ¡°Let¡¯s go to the company first. I have something to tell you later,¡± Huo Qing broke the awkward silence first. They went back to the company in a car to continue working on the contract. It was initially very quiet in the car. ¡°Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­¡± An Ran immediately covered her stomach. Although she had just eaten, she had also used up a lot of energy berating the scumbag, so her stomach could not help but growl. ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go and eat something first.¡± Huo Qing turned around and drove to the restaurant. ¡°Sure.¡± An Ran did not turn down his suggestion as she had always adhered to the principle of never going hungry if she could be full. Soon, they arrived at the restaurant. An Ran did not stand on ceremony with Huo Qing and ordered a bunch of her favorite food. Huo Qing totally softened as he watched her grab big bites. ¡°Mm¡­ Why aren¡¯t you eating? Join me.¡± An Ran stuffed a mouthful of dessert into her mouth and asked Huo Qing to eat with her. ¡°You can have it all. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Huo Qing saw some residue of the dessert on the corner of her mouth and reached out to wipe it off. ¡°¡­¡± An Ran flushed. She thought to herself, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he just tell me that? Why must he wipe it off with his hands? How awkward was that?¡± ¡°An Ran, we have to go on a business trip for the new project. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Huo Qing also had a personal motive for inviting An Ran to go on a business trip together. He wanted to spend more time with her. Although he had yet to confess his feelings, the way he acted lately had been very obvious. When An Ran heard about the business trip, she thought it would not be appropriate for a man and a woman to go on a business trip alone. Moreover, her mother was still in the hospital and needed someone to take care of her, so she rejected him. Huo Qing tried to persuade An Ran, ¡°This is the first project of the An Corporate Group that the Huo Corporate Group invests in. As the representative of the An Corporate Group, you should go. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take care of Auntie. You don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡± An Ran immediately agreed upon hearing him mention the An Corporate Group. They went home to pack up the things they needed for the business trip after the meal. Chapter 34 - Sharing A Large Bedroom Chapter 34 Sharing A Large Bedroom The next morning, Huo Qing picked up An Ran at her house early and drove her to the airport. His bodyguards and secretary had been waiting at the airport for a long time. ¡°President Huo, who is this?¡± Huo Qing¡¯s secretary saw An Ran and pulled a long face as if she had some deep hatred toward her. ¡°This is An Aan, the person in charge of the An Corporate Group. She¡¯ll go to City B with us this time.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s stern face immediately softened when he saw An Ran. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The secretary glared at An Ran¡¯s beautiful face, but An Ran did not see it. Three hours later, the plane finally arrived in City B. As there were only work arrangements the next day, they all went to the hotel to rest first. Since many people came to City B to travel, and it happened to be New Year¡¯s Day, the hotel was full. However, they only found out about that when they arrived at the hotel. As it was a last-minute business trip to City B, An Ran did not book a hotel room in time. ¡°President Huo, I only booked a large bedroom for you. Since I didn¡¯t know that Miss An was also coming on this business trip, I didn¡¯t book a room for her. I just asked the hotel receptionist, and there are no more rooms,¡± the secretary said with a frown. When An Ran heard that there was no room for her, she did not take it to heart. After all, she was not an employee of the Huo Corporate Group, so it was normal that the staff did not take her into account when making arrangements. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll find another hotel and you all can stay here. It¡¯s late. Please rest early, everyone,¡± An ran said as she carried her luggage and was about to leave. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re staying with me. It¡¯s too dangerous for a girl to stay in a hotel alone,¡± Huo Qing finally said after staying silent for a long time. ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m a woman. It¡¯s not convenient for me to stay with a man.¡± An Ran felt really awkward at the moment since there were so many people watching. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the room is big enough, and there¡¯s also a sofa.¡± Huo Qing grabbed An Ran¡¯s luggage and walked toward his room without waiting for her response, leaving An Ran and a bunch of employees of the Huo Corporate Group stunned on the spot. The employees wondered if he was still President Huo they had known. They thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t President Huo a clean freak? Did he never live with others?¡± An Ran smiled awkwardly and followed Huo Qing. Huo Qing swiped the room card and opened the door. He walked in first. After waiting for a while, he realized that An Ran had not come in yet, so he walked to the door and saw her standing there and hesitating ¡°Why are you still standing there? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you up.¡± Huo Qing chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll go in then. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid of you either!¡± An Ran walked into the room and looked around. Sure enough, the hotel room of the President of a company was different from regular rooms. It was very spacious and had all the necessary facilities. However, there was only one bed. ¡°Well, how are we going to sleep tonight?¡± An Ran pointed at the big bed and asked. Although the bed was big enough, they could not sleep together, after all. There was a sofa, but Huo Qing was almost 1.9 meters tall, so it did not seem to fit his slender body. ¡°How do you prefer us to sleep? Do you want us to sleep on the big bed together or do you want me to sleep on the sofa?¡± Huo Qing did not answer An Ran. Instead, he replied to her with more questions. An Ran thought it would be inappropriate to ask Huo Qing to sleep on the sofa as he was the President, after all. Besides, she almost did not have a place to stay. If it were not for Huo Qing, she might be sleeping on the street right now. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa.¡± After saying that, An Ran went to unpack her suitcase and prepared to wash up. In fact, Huo Qing did not plan to let An Ran sleep on the sofa. How could a man like him let the woman he liked sleep on the sofa? The sound of running water in the bathroom made Huo Qing feel hot inside, so he loosened his tie. Soon, An Ran came out of the bathroom after washing up. An Ran usually had air-conditioning at home, so she never wore much after taking a shower. When she had packed her luggage, she had thought that the hotel should have air-conditioning too, so she brought cool pajamas. However, she had never expected to share a room with Huo Qing. As she had not brought any other pajamas, so she could only wear a black silk sling nightgown. Huo Qing heard the sound and looked up. He was stunned. An Ran had really fair skin. She was wearing a sling nightgown. Her hair was wet, and her chest was faintly visible. Her slender arms and fair legs were also exposed. Huo Qing could not take his eyes off her. ¡°Uh¡­ I only brought this type of nightgowns as I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be sharing a room with you. Don¡¯t think about taking any advantage of me!¡± An Ran said as she covered her chest. Huo Qing did not reply. He quickly walked past An Ran and went to the bathroom. Then, An Ran heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom. She did not think too much about it. She picked up the hairdryer and dried her hair. Then, she sat on the sofa and played on her phone. By the time Huo Qing came out of the bathroom, she had already fallen asleep on the sofa. Her figure was fully exposed, and her bosoms were so fair¡­ Huo Qing looked at An Ran, and the heat in his body surged up again. Huo Qing sighed and carefully carried her onto the bed. Just as he lay An Ran on the bed, she woke up. Chapter 35 - Attending a Meeting Chapter 35 Attending a Meeting ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± They were in a very intimate position. Huo Qing was still hugging An Ran, and a shoulder strap of An Ran¡¯s nightdress had already slipped off. He could see her beautiful chest once he looked down. Huo Qing felt awkward too. He was not trying to take advantage of her. He only wanted her to sleep on the bed. He had not expected that she would wake up. ¡°I just want to lay you on the bed for you to sleep on the bed¡­¡± Huo Qing said in a low voice, but there was a strong desire in his voice. An Ran moved uneasily. ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you.¡± Her body touched him, and Huo Qing could not help but let out a grunt. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°What?¡± An Ran said in a daze, and then her face turned red. She was wearing thin clothes, and she could clearly feel that Huo Qing had already gotten an erection and that it was pressing hard against her thigh. What a scoundrel! However¡­ Somehow she did not feel disgusted. ¡°An Ran, what are you doing? You¡¯re here to work, but not to date. You just broke off your engagement, and there are many things going on at home¡­¡± An Ran suddenly thought of this and pushed Huo Qing away. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t take advantage of me, so keep your word!¡± An Ran suddenly said to Huo Qing in a serious tone. Huo Qing also realized what had happened. He coughed and got up from her body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, Huo Qing walked to the bathroom. In the end, An Ran did not sleep on the sofa. Huo Qing insisted that she sleep on the bed. An Ran did not turn him down again as she thought that would be pretentious of her. The next day, Huo Qing got up very early. He did not sleep well on the sofa. Huo Qing went to deal with some company affairs first. He sent a message to his secretary, Wu Min, asking her to take An Ran to the negotiation after she woke up. When An Ran woke up, she found that she was the only one in the room, so she quickly got herself ready. An Ran went out for breakfast and bumped into Huo Qing¡¯s female secretary, Wu Min. Wu Min had been Huo Qing¡¯s secretary for five years, but she had never seen him treat any woman so gently. Although Huo Qing was almost 30 years old, there had never been any news about him having a girlfriend or any other dating rumors in the outside world. Huo Qing was a single, outstanding, good-looking, and rich man, so of course many people had secret crushes on him. Wu Min was no exception. She had fallen in love with him ever since her first day of work, and she took advantage of work to get closer to him every day. When Wu Min had seen An Ran yesterday, she had already guessed that the relationship between An Ran and Huo Qing had not been that simple as Huo Qing specially had someone change the seats so that An Ran could sit next to him on the plane. Seeing that An Ran had just gotten up, Wu Min became even angrier. Huo Qing had always disliked others getting close to him, especially women. Now, An Ran became an exception. She imagined what had happened between Huo Qing and An Ran in the room last night. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails were pinching her flesh until it bled. Her eyes were full of jealousy. ¡°An Ran, President Huo asked me to tell you that you should go to the Xingyue International Hotel to wait for the business partner. President Huo will go there with the business partner later.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Secretary Wu,¡± An Ran replied politely. An Ran felt that something was off. Although she had not had much interaction with Wu Min, she felt that Wu Min was picking on her, and she talked to her in a strange tone. An Ran comforted herself that she might be overthinking it. She thought she could not think straight since there had been too many things going on lately. After An Ran finished her breakfast, she set off for the Xingyue International Hotel. After waiting for a long time, she still had not seen Huo Qing and the business partner. ¡°Ring, ring, ring¡­¡± ¡°An Ran, where have you been? We¡¯re waiting for you at the Central Building of City B to attend the negotiation meeting.¡± An Ran was stunned when she received a call from Huo Qing. ??? ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask your secretary to tell me to wait for you at the Xingyue International Hotel?¡± Huo Qing was puzzled as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask my secretary to tell you to go there. Can you rush over now? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± An Ran thought that she could not let their business partner think she was putting on airs, so she told Huo Qing that she could make After hanging up the phone, she immediately took a taxi to City By¡¯s Central Building. There were still three minutes before the meeting started, and she finally made it to the door of the meeting room. ¡°Huff¡­ Hang in there, An Ran. Don¡¯t let others look down on you.¡± An Ran encouraged herself while adjusting her breathing before entering the meeting room. ¡°Miss An, you¡¯re really busy, indeed. You¡¯re in such a hurry just to attend a meeting.¡± The moment An Ran entered the meeting room, the business partner spoke sarcastically. In fact, the business partner had already been impatient since earlier. He felt that An Ran was disrespecting him for not being present when he arrived. If it were not for Huo Qing¡¯s explanation and pushing the meeting time to 20 minutes later, An Ran might have missed this opportunity to collaborate with them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault for making you wait so long.¡± An Ran knew that she was only almost late, but she still did not refute and only apologized humbly. ¡°Hmph.¡± Seeing that Huo Qing was here, the other party said nothing more. ¡°Alright, let the meeting begin.¡± With the memories from her previous life, An Ran performed very well at the meeting. The business partner was very engrossed in listening to her and even praised her for her beauty and talent. Soon, both parties signed the contract. Huo Qing, who was sitting at the side, also looked at An Ran with admiration. He also had not expected An Ran to be so talented, so he smiled. Chapter 36 - A Candlelit Dinner Chapter 36 A Candlelit Dinner After the meeting, Huo Qing asked An Ran to go back to the hotel to rest first and told her that he would pick her up later for dinner. ¡°Wu Min, you stay here.¡± Huo Qing¡¯s facial expression immediately turned cold. He had understood that Wu Min had deliberately arranged for An Ran to go somewhere else when he had called An Ran earlier. He had not expected that his subordinate would do such a thing. ¡°Wu Min, after this business trip, go back to the company and submit your resignation report. As for the compensation, the company will not treat you unfairly,¡± Huo Qing said coldly. ¡°President¡­ Why do you treat me like this? I¡¯ve been your secretary for five years in the Huo Corporate Group. Is it because An Ran wants to fire me?¡± Wu Min said angrily. ¡°I hate it when people meddle with my personal affairs. Wu Min, you crossed the line,¡± Huo Qing said and left without looking back. Wu Min slumped to the ground. She had not expected she would lose her job after a business trip. ¡°An Ran, you b*tch! It¡¯s all your fault! If it weren¡¯t for you, President Huo wouldn¡¯t have fired me, and I may even become Mrs. Huo in the future¡­¡± Wu Min muttered to herself and kept cursing An Ran. After talking to Wu Min, Huo Qing went back to the hotel to pick An Ran up for dinner. Before coming to City B, Huo Qing had asked his assistant to book a restaurant with a superb atmosphere. It was said that ladies would enjoy the environment there. An Ran had already been waiting for Huo Qing at the hotel. As she had known they were going to eat at a restaurant, she had changed into a beige dress which made her look really gentle, and she had also put on a coat of a similar color. Huo Qing saw that An Ran was ready, so he drove her to the restaurant. It was a western restaurant. Huo Qing had reserved the best seats, and through the glass window, they could see the most lively night scene in City B. The atmosphere in the restaurant made people feel very comfortable and warm. There was also someone playing the piano in the middle of the restaurant. They had sat for a long time before the waiter began to serve the dishes. There were steaks, the most famous snacks in City B, and desserts that all girls liked. Candles were placed on the dining table. It was a romantic candlelit dinner. An Ran was deeply attracted by the atmosphere. She felt that she had not experienced this feeling in a long time. During the meal, Huo Qing placed the steak in front of An Ran. ¡°Enjoy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± An Ran was a little shy. She forced herself to calm down and eat the steak quietly. ¡°An Ran, would you be my girlfriend? I¡¯ve liked you since a long time ago. Now that you¡¯re single, I think I have the opportunity to confess my feelings for you,¡± Huo Qing said as he looked at An Ran with a passionate gaze. ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± An Ran was eating the steak when she heard what Huo Qing said. The steak was stuck in her throat. Huo Qing quickly walked to her side and patted her on the back. He then quickly poured a glass of water for her. An Ran gulped down the water and finished the glass. She almost choked to death. To think that Huo Qing had actually confessed to her! There were not many people in the restaurant. Everyone was eating quietly. Only the sound of the piano echoed in the restaurant. An Ran had been avoiding Huo Qing for the past two days on purpose. She felt that she was not good enough for him. The cancelation of her engagement had caused a storm in the entire city, and her family company was facing a crisis. Huo Qing deserved someone better. Besides, An Ran could no longer trust men now. She felt that men were all visual animals, and few men could resist temptation. Duan Qun was a living example. She did not want to fall in love again and be hurt again! At the thought of this, An Ran said ¡°Sorry¡±, picked up her coat, and ran away. Huo Qing was left on the spot, and he started doubting himself. Had he just been rejected by An Ran? Was he not good enough? Or was he not handsome enough? Thinking of this, Huo Qing turned to look at the glass window, and a handsome face appeared. Huo Qing was not appreciating his own looks. He just wanted to confirm whether he was so ugly that he scared An Ran away. After Huo Qing¡¯s warning in the afternoon, Wu Min had been unwilling to accept it, and she had wanted to take revenge on An Ran. She had known that Huo Qing would have dinner with An Ran at the restaurant tonight, so she had bribed someone to take photos of them having dinner together. After Wu Min received the photos, she got even more jealous when she saw how intimate Huo Qing and An Ran looked. Wu Min sent the photos to Duan Qun and mocked him for being a cuckold. She wanted to use Duan Qun to teach An Ran a lesson. Chapter 37 - A Confrontation Chapter 37 A Confrontation After Duan Qun received the photos from Wu Min, he was so angry that he smashed his phone. ¡°An Ran, how dare you cheat on me?!¡± Duan Qun had not expected An Ran to really hook up with Huo Qing. He felt that she had cheated on him and he had to confront her about it. He wanted to teach her a lesson. Duan Qun booked the fastest flight to City B. He did not know why he was so angry. It was as if he was going to catch a pair of adulterers. An Ran walked out of the restaurant and slowly walked on the road alone. She felt very frustrated She rejected Huo Qing decisively, but why was she a little unhappy? She recalled the time she had spent with Huo Qing lately. Every time she encountered difficulties, he would show up and help her deal with the aftermath. Now, she trusted Huo Qing more and more. ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about it anymore.¡± She patted her face and forced herself not to think too much. ¡°An Ran, you b*tch! So you¡¯ve been cheating on me for a long time!¡± An Ran was shocked. When she heard someone scolding her, she turned around and saw that it was Duan Qun. ¡°Duan Qun, are you insane? Did you follow me to City A just to scold me?¡± An Ran suddenly had a bad mood after being scolded. ¡°An Ran, did you hook up with Huo Qing?!¡± Duan Qun took out a photo of An Ran and Huo Qing having a candlelit dinner in the restaurant and threw it in front of her. ¡°You¡¯ve been stalking me?¡± An Ran saw that it was a photo of her that had been secretly taken. ¡°Duan Qun, we have already broken off our engagement and have nothing to do with each other. I don¡¯t need to explain my personal affairs to you.¡± An Ran turned around and left since she did not want to waste time with him. However, Duan Qun grabbed her hand and said, ¡°An Ran, don¡¯t think about leaving until you¡¯ve explained yourself clearly!¡± ¡°Slap!¡± An Ran shook off Duan Qun. ¡°You¡¯re acting like a lunatic. Stop following me.¡± ¡°Duan Qun, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re jealous. Hahaha¡­ What a joke. You didn¡¯t cherish me before, but now you¡¯re here to question me. Who are you to come here and do this?¡± ¡°It was you who cheated on me, Duan Qun. How do you even have the cheek to scold me for this?¡± An Ran said many sarcastic things to Duan Qun. Her words made Duan Qun speechless. He was furious and raised his hand to hit An Ran. ¡°Ah!¡± Just as An Ran felt like she was about to get hit, Huo Qing showed up and knocked Duan Qun to the ground with a single punch. ¡°Duan Qun, you must be tired of living!¡± Huo Qing held An Ran and asked worriedly, ¡°An Ran, are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see you when I went back to the hotel, so I came out to look for you,¡± Huo Qing replied in a low voice. After Huo Qing watched An Ran leave, he started to think about what he might¡¯ve done wrong. He even called his friend and asked him how he should pursue a lady. He told his friend about what had happened between him and An Ran. His friend made fun of him and told him that he should not be too hasty in pursuing a girl. All girls needed a sense of ceremony and a formal confession. Besides, An Ran had experienced a failed relationship, so it was impossible for her to accept a new man so soon. Huo Qing felt that his friend was right. He was indeed too anxious. Therefore, Huo Qing decided to respect An Ran and let nature take its course. Duan Qun was still lying on the ground. When he heard the sweet conversation between Huo Qing and An Ran, he instantly exploded in anger. ¡°What a shameless pair you are!¡± Duan Qun had already lost his mind. ¡°You¡¯d better think it through before saying anything! I heard that the Duan Corporate Group isn¡¯t doing well lately?¡± Huo Qing¡¯s face darkened as he warned Duan Qun coldly. ¡°You¡­ You two¡­¡± Duan Qun knew that he could do nothing about Huo Qing, so he left angrily. Duan Qun walked on the road dejectedly and he was about to return to City A. ¡°Mr. Duan, did you fail to get back your girlfriend? Do you need help?¡± A voice came from the side. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chapter 38 - Retorting the Secretary Chapter 38 Retorting the Secretary ¡°Hello, Mr. Duan. You can call me Mr. Q,¡± the man said with a smile. He wore black sunglasses and was dressed in black. Duan Qun turned around and looked at the man. He realized that he had never seen him before. Duan Qun was already in a very bad mood. He had just been slapped by An Ran and punched by Huo Qing. He was extremely frustrated. ¡°Who the f*ck are you? How dare you poke your nose into my personal affairs! Try me and I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Duan Qun started yelling at him. ¡°Since you¡¯re so violent, Mr. Duan¡­ Fine, we¡¯ll use violence then.¡± Mr. Q waved his hand, and many bodyguards surrounded Duan Qun. ¡°What do you want?!¡± Duan Qun stepped back vigilantly, but he could not run away. Mr. Q¡¯s men beat him up for a while, and he instantly became cooperative. ¡°Help. Please let me go, Mr. Q¡­ What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Mr. Duan, will you yell at me again?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t¡­¡± Duan Qun was now lying like a dog in front of Mr. Q as he was scared that he would be beaten to death. ¡°Mr. Duan, do you want to get Miss An back? I have an idea. Come here.¡± Mr. Q looked at Duan Qun as if he knew what Duan Qun was thinking Duan Qun walked to Mr. Q¡¯s side, and Mr. Q whispered something to Duan Qun. Duan Qun nodded, and Mr. Q left in a car. In fact, Duan Qun did not really like An Ran. He just wanted to use the money of the An Corporate Group to fill the Duan Corporate Group¡¯s deficit. Plus, he wanted to possess An Ran as she was quite good-looking and had a good figure. Duan Qun felt that it was An Ran¡¯s honor for him to take an interest in her. Although he did not understand why Mr. Q wanted to help him, he felt that his suggestion was helpful, and he resumed his cocky look. Huo Qing drove An Ran back to the hotel. On the way back, he apologized to her, saying that he was too hasty and he would respect her wishes and let nature take its course. An Ran did not think there was anything for him to be sorry about. However, she was glad that they did not feel so awkward anymore after he explained himself. They were going back to their room together. On the way, Huo Qing met a business partner, so An Ran said that she would go back to the room first. Just as An Ran reached the door, she saw Wu Min waiting for her. Wu Min said to An Ran in a commanding tone, ¡°Miss An, I¡¯ve already booked your room. This is the key to the other room. You can move out of this room tonight.¡± An Ran did not want to share a room with Huo Qing anyway, so moving out was not a big deal. However, An Ran felt strange as she supposed that Huo Qing would not have asked her to move out. Besides, Wu Min¡¯s tone seemed to be very unfriendly. She wondered if she had offended her in any way. ¡°Secretary Wu, may I ask if this is President Huo¡¯s arrangement?¡± An Ran asked. ¡°Hmph. Miss An, do you not want to move out? Don¡¯t think that you can stick to President Huo just because you¡¯ve stayed in the same room with him for one night. You¡¯d better recognize your own status. Which man would want a woman like you who¡¯s broken off an engagement?¡± Wu Min said arrogantly to An Ran as if she had gotten something on An Ran. Wu Min had asked someone to keep Huo Qing away on purpose. As she had been Huo Qing¡¯s secretary for five years, she had made many entrepreneurs come over to curry favor with Huo Qing and not let him go upstairs simply by spreading the news that Huo Qing had been staying in this hotel. ¡°???¡± An Ran was shocked. Does Huo Qing¡¯s secretary have so much power? How could she speak so rudely? However, An Ran quickly calmed down. She sensed that Wu Min liked Huo Qing. Otherwise, she would not have targeted her like this. ¡°Who are you to say such things to me? It doesn¡¯t seem to concern a secretary like you whether I¡¯m wanted or not!¡± An Ran was very angry at this moment. She had already had enough. Now that even a secretary was bossing her around, there was no need for her to be polite anymore. ¡°Secretary Wu, you¡¯d better do your part. It¡¯s not your place to interfere in the affairs between Huo Qing and me!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Wu Min was at a loss for words after being scolded by An Ran. Chapter 39 - Moving Out of the Room Chapter 39 Moving Out of the Room An Ran took the key card of the other room. Then she packed her things and moved out. She did not move out because Wu Min had provoked her, but because she had not planned to share a room with Huo Qing in the first place. She could not be bothered by what others said about her. Ever since the farce at the wedding, her tolerance had become higher. Huo Qing returned to his room after socializing with others and found that An Ran was not there and her luggage was also gone. Just as he was about to take out his phone to call An Ran, he saw Wu Min¡¯s message. (President Huo, Miss An has moved to another room. She asked me to tell you not to worry.] Huo Qing¡¯s eyes darkened when he saw it. He thought that he had made his intentions too obvious and it had scared An Ran. Huo Qing sent An Ran a goodnight message and went to wash up. According to the original plan, they would invite their business partner to a banquet the next day. However, Huo Qing had suddenly received a call and he needed to deal with an urgent matter of his company, so An Ran could only go alone. An Ran had learned the lesson yesterday and arrived early at the banquet venue to wait for the people from the other company. ¡°Hey, Miss An?¡± The person who spoke was a bald middle-aged fat man. He had two men behind him. ¡°You are¡­?¡± An Ran asked curiously. This man was not the man she met last time. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Miss An. The man who negotiated with you yesterday was our manager. He had something on today and could not leave, so he asked me to attend this banquet on his behalf.¡± The fat man sized up An Ran while talking. ¡°I see. Hello, how may I address you?¡± An Ran smiled awkwardly. She did not like others looking up and down at her, not to mention that this man had a lustful look on his face. ¡°Miss An, this is our company¡¯s deputy manager, Mr. Zhang.¡± Without waiting for the bald fatty to answer An Ran, a man behind him answer her first. ¡°Mr. Zhang, nice to meet you. Let¡¯s go in first,¡± An Ran replied politely. They sat down at the dining table together. An Ran¡¯s assistant had already ordered the dishes. ¡°Miss An, since it¡¯s a banquet, how can we not drink? Come, let me toast you and wish us a pleasant collaboration!¡± Mr. Zhang had already poured a full glass of white wine and pushed it in front of An Ran. An Ran looked at the glass of wine and suddenly felt a little nauseous. ¡°Mr. Zhang, I can¡¯t hold my liquor. Why don¡¯t I toast you with tea instead?¡± An Ran really did not want to drink. A second glass would always follow the first glass. Last time when she had been drunk, those men had almost taken advantage of her. An Ran did not want to experience it again. ¡°Miss An, do you not respect me? Our companies have successfully established collaboration with each other. It¡¯s such a happy occasion. Miss An, how could you refuse to drink a glass of wine?¡± Seeing that An Ran did not want to drink, Mr. Zhan¡¯s face instantly turned cold. An Ran heard his words and thought to herself, ¡°I can¡¯t ruin our collaboration just because of this.¡± ¡°Of course not, Mr. Zhang. I¡¯ll drink it.¡± After An Ran said it, she picked up the glass and finished it in one gulp. ¡°Miss An, you can hold your drinks! Let me toast you again¡­¡± An Ran could only drink glass after glass of wine¡­ ¡°Mr. Zhang, I really can¡¯t drink anymore¡­¡± An Ran leaned on the table and muttered. Her face was red from her drunkenness, and her lips were pink and tender. Mr. Zhang could tell that she was drunk, so he walked to her. ¡°Miss An, have one last drink.¡± However, his hand did not stay where it should. He first placed it on An Ran¡¯s shoulder, and when he saw that she was not moving, he slowly moved his hand down. An Ran felt that something was wrong. When she raised her head, she realized that his hand was about to touch her chest, so she hurriedly pushed him away. ¡°Mr. Zhang, please have some self-respect.¡± An Ran was so scared that she sobered up quite a bit. ¡°An Ran, everyone knows about what happened between you and Duan Qun. Who else would want you? Stop acting high and mighty. It¡¯s your honor that I¡¯ve taken an interest in you. You won¡¯t lose anything either if you become my woman¡­¡± Lust had now occupied his brain, especially after the drinks. Seeing that An Ran had such a good figure, he started saying some inappropriate things to her. He approached her and was about to force himself on her. An Ran saw that Mr. Zhang had lost control of himself. She picked up a bottle on the table and threw it at him. Chapter 40 - Prove It to Me Chapter 40 Prove It to Me ¡°Ah! You b*tch! How dare you hit me?!¡± Mr. Zhang¡¯s head was bleeding from An Ran¡¯s attack. The two men who came with Mr. Zhang saw that their manager was hit and rushed over to hold An Ran down. ¡°Let go of me, you bunch of animals¡­¡± An Ran was a girl after all, and she was drunk, so she had no strength to resist at all. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±. Huo Qing had just finished dealing with his company affairs and rushed to the banquet venue. He had not expected to see An Ran being pressed to the ground. Huo Qing strode forward and pushed away the two men who were holding An Ran. He beat them until their faces were distorted beyond recognition. ¡°An Ran, are you alright? What happened?¡± Huo Qing gently helped her up and checked her entire body. He was finally relieved when he did not see any wounds on her. ¡°Huo Qing, Mr. Zhang wanted to force himself on me¡­¡± An Ran hugged Huo Qing tightly like he was her life savior. ¡°President Huo, Miss An hit me first. We had done nothing.¡± Mr. Zhang saw that Huo Qing was on the verge of rage, and he got so scared that he quickly tried to shift the blame. Huo Qing helped An Ran to sit down first and walked to Mr. Zhang. He knocked him to the ground with a single punch and kicked him many times. Finally, he stepped on his crotch. ¡°Ah! President Huo, does this mean that you don¡¯t want to work with us anymore?¡± Mr. Zhang was still unrepentant. He actually threatened Huo Qing with their collaboration. Huo Qing stomped harder. Mr. Zhang lay on the ground and wailed, begging for his life. ¡°The Huo Corporate Group will terminate the work relationship with you!¡± Huo Qing left a message and walked out of the hotel room with An Ran in his arms. Seeing that An Ran was too drunk, Huo Qing brought her back to his room to take care of her. ¡°No one wants me¡­ No one loves me¡­¡± An Ran mumbled with tears in her eyes, ¡°Why does everyone say that? I¡¯m still the same person¡­ Just because I broke off an engagement, everyone hates me¡­¡± ¡°An Ran, there are still people who love you, like your parents and I. We¡¯ll always stay by your side.¡± Huo Qing hugged An Ran like he was coaxing a child. He used another hand to caress her face, and his eyes were full of love. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s so hot. I want to take a shower.¡± An Ran had too many drinks, and she was sweating profusely. She felt sticky all over her body. ¡°I¡¯ll go and run the bath for you. Wait for me here for a bit.¡± Huo Qing placed An Ran on the sofa and got up to run a warm bath in the bathroom. ¡°Boohoo¡­ You don¡¯t love me either¡­ You leave me here all alone¡­¡± Huo Qing came back from the bathroom and saw her crying on the sofa and muttering to herself. He found it a little funny. He carried her to the bathroom while comforting her. ¡°An Ran, be good. I¡¯ll love you. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Huo Qing¡¯s voice was extremely gentle. It almost melted An Ran¡¯s heart. When they got to the bathroom, Huo Qing placed An Ran in the bathtub and was about to turn around and leave. ¡°An Ran, take your shower. Ask for me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± An Ran grabbed Huo Qing¡¯s hand and pulled him toward herself. Huo Qing had already found it hard to control himself when carrying An Ran back to his room. On the way back from the hotel, An Ran kept arousing him. Now that he saw her lying in the bathtub, although she had not taken off her clothes, her clothes were wet from the water, and her perfect figure was shown, it made him thirsty. ¡°Stay with me¡­¡± An Ran narrowed her eyes. She hooked her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°An Ran, take a shower first. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Huo Qing did not want to take advantage of An Ran when she was drunk. He respected An Ran¡¯s wishes and did not want to make things difficult for her. After saying that, he broke away from her. He almost lost control of himself, and his crotch had already gotten very hard¡­ ¡°Mm¡­¡± However, just as Huo Qing was about to leave, An Ran grabbed him, pulled him into the bathtub, and kissed him. After kissing him for a while, An Ran hugged Huo Qing¡¯s neck and said to him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you love me? Prove it to me.¡± ¡°An Ran, do you understand what you¡¯re saying? Who am I?¡± Huo Qing had reached the limit of his self-control, and his voice was full of strong desire. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re Huo Qing¡­¡± An Ran tilted her head and mumbled. Hearing this, Huo Qing wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. Their lips intertwined. An Ran felt something wet and smooth moving around in her mouth and taking her oxygen and saliva, and her whole body started to heat up. An Ran¡¯s breathing became heavy. Her crotch became sensitive, and fluids kept flowing out of it. She unconsciously hung her legs around Huo Qing¡¯s waist, wanting something to enter her. ¡°Mm¡­ Give it to me¡­¡±