Chapter 56: The Candidate

Morning came. Lin Xiao woke up at five o’clock, maintaining his routine. He went to the park and practiced the Thundebolt Decree for over an hour before returning home with breakfast for Yuan Yu.

Yuan Yu had spent a restless night. Despite Lin Xiao’s assurance, she knew of Song Tianxing’s vengeful character and his influential background. She feared his retaliation.

Filled with worry, she finished her breakfast, bade Lin Xiao farewell, and left for school.

However, once Yuan Yu arrived at school and saw Huang Caixing, her anxiety instantly evaporated.

“YuYu, I heard you were framed by Song Tianxing and Li Li yesterday?” Huang Caixing began, her voice ringing with outrage, “I blame my mother for insisting I take a leave. If I had been here, I would have knocked some sense into those who dared to frame you.”

“It’s alright, it’s all in the past now,” Yuan Yu replied.

“Exactly. What goes around comes around.” Huang Caixing punched her palm, “Song Tianxing, that waste of space, finally got what he deserves.”

“What?” Yuan Yu echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief, “Did something happen to Song Tianxing?”

“Indeed, he died in a car accident this morning. I heard he was speeding and smashed into a bridge pier. He died instantly, a wreck of a man in a wreck of a car. They say it was quite gruesome,” Huang Caixing said, her voice laden with a hint of schadenfreude.

For Huang Caixing, her dislike for Song Tianxing ran deep. He hadn’t just framed Yuan Yu yesterday, he had also often used his family’s influence to bully people in the past.

“YuYu, don’t you agree that karma exists in this world? This piece of scum got exactly the ending he deserved!”

“You’re not just saying this, are you?”

Still incredulous, Yuan Yu peered at Huang Caixing with a hint of suspicion.

Just yesterday, she was worried about Song Tianxing’s potential revenge and had lost sleep over it. To now hear that he was dead felt almost surreal to Yuan Yu.

“Why would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, ask other classmates. The news of Song Tianxing’s accident is already making the rounds at school,” Huang Caixing retorted, pouting slightly.

Taking her advice, Yuan Yu asked around. To her surprise, she found that the news of Song Tianxing’s death had indeed swept through the school.

“See, I didn’t lie to you, did I?” Huang Caixing cast Yuan Yu a glance, “Oh, by the way, YuYu, I heard that Big Brother Lin was quite the hero in the counselor’s office. He gave those who wronged you a thorough beating. Tell me more about it.”

“There’s not much to it,” Yuan Yu replied. “Those guys were no match for Brother Lin. He marched in there, hit each of them, and left them looking like a complete wreck.”

“Really? I wish I could have witnessed Big Brother Lin teaching those guys a lesson. If only my mom hadn’t asked me to take the day off.”

Huang Caixing’s face beamed with admiration. She found herself reminiscing about the time when Lin Xiao had stepped up to rescue her on the bus, and she couldn’t help but get lost in her thoughts.

“Stop daydreaming. We should head to class,” Yuan Yu said, looking at her besotted friend with a hint of exasperation.

Yet, at that moment, Yuan Yu found herself recalling Lin Xiao’s gallant figure, a silhouette that radiated safety.

“Oh, right, class. We should get to class.”

***

Back at Yuan Yu’s home, Lin Xiao had also learned about Song Tianxing’s car accident from the TV news. But since everything was under his control, he brushed it aside upon confirming Song Tianxing’s death.

Today was Sunday, and he still had a day off. Lin Xiao decided to take the time to explore his surroundings and familiarize himself with the local routes.

He received a call from Ning Xi, instructing him to head straight to the company the next morning without picking up Wan Caixuan from Jiangnan Floral Estates. Ning Xi didn’t specify the reason, but Lin Xiao had his suspicions.

Wan Caixuan probably felt mortified about her drunken mishap the previous day and sought an excuse to dodge him.

Lin Xiao’s guess was spot on.

Wan Caixuan was more than just embarrassed. She felt she had lost all her dignity. She even contemplated never meeting Lin Xiao again.

Being drunk was one thing, but speaking in a drunken stupor was another. And to add insult to injury, she had blabbed some drunken nonsense.

Only after hearing Ning Xi’s account did Wan Caixuan realize that Lin Xiao had carried her all the way to Ning Xi’s house. Her face was streaked with tears, and she had clung to Lin Xiao so tightly that she refused to let go even after they had reached Ning Xi’s home. She had even spoken some drunken nonsense at Ning Xi’s place.

Strangely enough, Wan Caixuan had no recollection of anything Ning Xi had told her. The only thing she vaguely remembered was the feeling of being enveloped in an incredibly warm embrace, a sensation of security, and the notion that she had said something. However, she had absolutely no idea what that something was.

She wondered what she had said to Lin Xiao, what he had seen, and where he might have touched her.

Wan Caixuan wracked her brain but couldn’t recollect any details. Yet, the vivid description from Ning Xi and her own blurry memory served as reminders that all of this did transpire.

She was lying on the bed, her face full of gloom, even contemplating dismissing Lin Xiao and never seeing him again. However, in the end, reason triumphed over impulse.

After some deliberation, she decided to instruct Lin Xiao not to pick her up the following morning. After all, aside from mornings, she rarely ran into Lin Xiao at the company unless she went out for inspections.

“Miss, why are you so vexed? You didn’t lose anything,” said Ning Xi, lying next to Wan Caixuan, her voice carrying a hint of sleepiness.

After finally earning a rare weekend to sleep in, Ning Xi was jolted awake early in the morning by Wan Caixuan, who was eager to revisit everything that had happened the day before.

Despite her grogginess, Ning Xi listened attentively to Wan Caixuan. Summoning her energy, she recapped everything from the day before.

Of course, she would never dare to disclose her own almost disastrous flirtatious encounter with Lin Xiao.

“You’re not me. How do you know I didn’t lose anything?” said Wan Caixuan, visibly irritated. Concurrently, an image of Lin Xiao’s impassive face flashed across her mind.

“I trust Lin Xiao’s integrity. He wouldn’t exploit a vulnerable situation,” Ning Xi said between yawns, stretching her body lazily. As she moved, her clothing fell slightly, revealing a subtle hint of allure. “And didn’t he escort you back home last night? If it had been someone else, I fear…”

Ning Xi’s words gradually dissipated Wan Caixuan’s gloominess.

In reality, Wan Caixuan was also aware of Lin Xiao’s character. Despite their limited interaction, her observations over the past few days led her to believe that Lin Xiao was not the kind to take undue advantage.

Her gloominess stemmed from the fact that she had developed an unprecedented level of trust in a man.

Although she had been intoxicated, the lingering sense of safety in her mind wouldn’t deceive her.

Once upon a time, she had a strong aversion to men, feeling extremely uncomfortable even when a man merely approached her. Now, however, she surprisingly felt secure in a man’s embrace.

Shaking her head, Wan Caixuan stopped herself from overthinking and forced herself to remain calm.

She instructed Ning Xi, “During our meeting tomorrow, we need to meticulously assess everyone in the company to identify who are our allies and who are our adversaries.”

Ning Xi became alert, her previous drowsiness disappearing in an instant. She responded, “Miss, you’re prepared to make a move.”

“Since they’ve unmasked their intentions, we can no longer be the ones enduring everything,” Wan Caixuan stated. “We need to tidy up Brilliant Aya Limited to show them that we aren’t easy targets.”

“Miss, I’ve completed the basic information investigation. However, this is merely data. We need actual tests to truly see who our enemies are,” Ning Xi added.

Wan Caixuan nodded in agreement and, after a moment of contemplation, suggested, “You’re correct. The position of Logistics Director is vacant, isn’t it? How about we propose this position at tomorrow’s meeting?”

“Miss, although the Logistics Director’s role isn’t critical, we don’t have an appropriate candidate,” Ning Xi interjected, a troubled look on her face.

Wan Caixuan’s eyebrows furrowed, but soon, an image of a person flashed in her mind.

“Don’t worry, I already have a suitable candidate in mind.”