Fang Chen had been like a fox when she had been in power, wielding it with ease. This was because the environment that had raised her had been there ever since she was a child. As a result, when she had no choice but to struggle in hard times, she was actually inferior to Fang Yuqing who had been allowed to live however he wanted. He was a fearless person who was able to continue to survive day by day however harsh the circumstances.

  While such a humble form of survival might not seem very glorious, it was actually a sort of skill.

  While Fang Chen was intelligent and crafty, she simply lacked the courage for such.

  When people are under high pressure and at the brink of mental collapse, they are used to venting it on the person whom they most rely on, who dote on them the most. Tan Yao was Fang Chen’s outlet. Having been entrusted by Xu Tingsheng to keep an eye on Fang Chen, there he would be every single day, sitting by her door and smoking. Despite getting scolded for no reason, even insulted pretty badly, he would simply smile, neither getting angry nor rebutting.

  Still, he was actually unable to successfully guard that door.

  Tan Yao knew about Fang Chen’s impending trip to America but was unable to stop her from going as every time he did, she would ask him, “If I don’t do anything, what about you? What can you do?”


  Tan Yao was rendered speechless every time.

  Then, Fang Chen would emphasise, “Don’t ask me to believe in Xu Tingsheng. I trust him, but we can’t even get in contact with him now. I can’t just wait like this. I must do something myself.”


  Tan Yao could do nothing about it at all. He had not considered this as deeply as Xu Tingsheng and Ling Xiao had. There was no reason for him to disbelieve Fang Chen when she said she was going to America to try and find some evidence. It was just that he would inevitably be worried for her safety.

  He wanted to go, but unfortunately did not have a visa.

  As Fang Chen went into the airport, inside the car, Tan Yao began to feel at a loss. In truth, he was definitely not a useless person. Most people would have no way of understanding how hard it must have been for an orphan like him to attain his current status.

  It was only that things now were at a level that completely exceeded his status. However much he wished for it, he was simply helpless. In Wu Kun’s words, things that could be solved using brute force and desire alone were technically not truly difficult things.

  When that blurry figure was finally out of sight, Tan Yao suddenly began crying very uselessly. He was very scared, scared that he might never see that figure return again.

  Tan Yao had liked Fang Chen ever since the freshman welcoming ceremony during his first year of university. It had been a deep first impression too. He had hidden his feelings for a very long time, till he found out one day that Fang Chen actually liked women. That had been like some kind of outlet for his feelings being located as he had joyfully begun to steal away all of Fang Chen’s women.

  While he had had many ladies because of this, few people knew that the lady he truly desired was the one who was his competitor.

  On the surface, there was enmity between him and Fang Chen as the two had ‘battled’ with a vengeance for a very long time.

  Yet afterwards, when Ye Qing had come into his life, Tan Yao had tried to discard these thoughts, forget that he liked Fang Chen. There was a period of time when he had told Xu Tingsheng that he seemed to have succeeded. Even when he had seen Fang Chen, his heart had not wavered at all.

  He had believed that he had already shut that door. Yet, in the end, when Fang Chen had gone crazy and wanted to try out men, she had merely coughed slightly outside the door and it had automatically opened, its contents not any less than a few years back.

  Fang Chen might be unfated for America. Last time, she had gone up the plane but later gotten off and escaped with her life. This time, she was also called back by a phone call after having passed through security.

  As Tan Yao lay slumped over the steering wheel, crying, he heard somebody knocking on the car window and turned to see the frantic Fang Chen.

  He hurriedly turned and wiped off his tears, enquiring, “You aren’t going anymore? Or did you leave something behind?”


  Fang Chen got in and told Tan Yao to send her to a particular club.

  As he drove, Tan Yao asked hesitantly, “What do you want to go there for?”


  Fang Chen replied, “Be quiet for a while.”


  She closed her eyes, as if sorting out her thoughts.

  Tan Yao did not say anything throughout the entire journey as he drove her to a villa that was halfway up a hill.

  As Fang Chen opened the door and got off, he asked, “How about……I accompany you inside?”


  Fang Chen said, “What would you do inside? No, you can go back first.”


  Tan Yao said, “I……”


  Fang Chen said, “If you were Xu Tingsheng, I’d be damn glad if you accompanied me……”


  Tan Yao, “.……”


  After walking for a bit, Fang Chen looked back, getting Tan Yao to roll his car window down as she apologised, “Sorry.”


  “It’s okay. What’s this all of a sudden?” Tan Yao smiled.

  “Weren’t you crying earlier at the airport?”


  “Huh? No.”


  “You were crying.”


  “I’m too useless, right?”


  “Not that. Now I know that if I die, there’s a man who’d cry for me. It actually feels pretty good. Thank you, Tan Yao,” Fang Chen leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

  Tan Yao dared not respond. From past experience, it was the face at most. Any more, like the tongue, and Fang Chen would puke.

  ‘


  Yet, it was Fang Chen who actively extended her tongue over this time. He was nervous like a maiden having her first kiss as he carefully opened his mouth. Then, as the other party slid her tongue in, she no longer fled.

  After the two had separated, they smiled at each other as Fang Chen commented, “Why did it feel like you were nervous? We’ve even done it already.”


  Tan Yao said, “Scared of you puking all over me.”


  Fang Chen arched her waist and laughed till tears were nearly flowing.

  “Wait for me here. I’ll be out in a bit,” Fang Chen said.

  “Alright,” Tan Yao replied.

  “If anything happens to me……”


  “Call my number, and I’ll rush in……” Tan Yao smiled warmly, “I can die here.”


  Fang Chen was taken aback as she knew he wasn’t lying. While she was unhappy over the fact that Tan Yao could not do much for her, he was actually willing to give it his all for her sake.

  “What’s this about dying?! Wait for me.”


  “Okay.”


  “If this incident comes to pass, if there’s still a chance then……I’ll properly be your woman.”
……

  Fang Chen had received a call from Cao Qing at the airport. Just based on Cao Qing alone, even with his father thrown into the mix, it would still be completely insufficient to get Fang Chen to stay behind. At the end of the day, he had only been a messenger.

  It was a group of people that had asked to meet Fang Chen. Some of them were from the Fang family’s former network of connections, while others were allies of the Ling and Xiao families, having been in the list of names that Xu Tingsheng had given to her.

  “The uncles say they can think of something regarding your father’s matter. Will you come to meet them?” Cao Qing asked.

  “Cao Qing, do you think I’m an idiot?” Fang Chen shot him down.

  However bad Fang Chen’s current state, however muddle-headed she was, she could still judge if these people could be of help, were even willing to help.

  “I’ll be honest then,” Cao Qing shed that final pretense, “Yes, it is indeed impossible for the uncles to help to get your Dad out. They can help with a lighter sentencing at most. Still, you know, everyone wants to stick a blade in, helping the Ling and Xiao families to nail Uncle dead. It’s actually as simple as this……everyone is in possession of something.”


  “So, that’s basically it. If you come, you can have it……if you don’t, there are places they can send it too.”


  “I’ll come.”


  “As expected of Fang Chen……” Cao Qing laughed.

  While chasing Fang Chen around everywhere in the past, he had most loved saying this, “As expected of Fang Chen……”


  “Right, do you know what I said my wish was when I got drunk during graduation?” Cao Qing asked, “The heck, this old man’s wish is to definitely get Fang Chen on my bed in this lifetime.”