Chapter 143: The Privilege Granted by Pei Qinghu!

Ye Wushang was stunned.

There was truly nothing going on between him and Huang Pianruo. However, An Lan’s current actions clearly went beyond what a normal friend would do. In the past, he might have felt some resentment, but having gone through so much together—especially the recent incident with Zhang Yanhong—he felt a sense of self-reproach. As a supervisor, he was largely to blame for not handling things properly.

"Fine, you go ahead and talk to her." Ye Wushang pushed his phone toward her.

An Lan was tactful enough not to pick it up. Instead, she pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello? Wushang, why are you only picking up my call now?" Huang Pianruo’s displeased voice came through.

Hearing the name "Wushang," An Lan’s expression shifted slightly. She glanced up at him but didn't make a scene. Taking a deep breath, she calmly replied, "That’s because Wushang went to the restroom; only I am here right now."

"Who are you?" Huang Pianruo’s tone dropped.

An Lan teased, "Miss Huang, you are truly forgetful. You even attended the agent banquet hosted by my An family previously."

"You... are you the eldest daughter of the An family, An Lan?"

"How, how could you be with Wushang?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Pianruo’s voice lowered further, clearly laced with annoyance. An Lan looked at Ye Wushang and giggled, "Miss Huang, you really know how to joke. Wushang is my boyfriend; isn't it normal for us to be together?"

"Pfft!" Ye Wushang, who was drinking coffee, spat it out.

He stared at An Lan in shock, his eyes wide. She, however, gave him a sultry, flirtatious wink before continuing, "Miss Huang, is there something you need from my Wushang?"

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a faint voice, "No, nothing..."

"If you have nothing, I do." An Lan tapped her finger on the screen and asked, "Wushang didn't return all night, and it seems he was at your Huang family estate. I’d like to ask, what exactly did you two do last night?"

"No, Miss An, please don't misunderstand." After learning they were a couple, Huang Pianruo’s mood clearly dampened, and she even changed her form of address. "Mr. Ye came to give my eldest brother a follow-up checkup and to discuss something with my father. He needed to borrow a plot of herbal land near our manor. I don't know the specifics, but I went to sleep very early last night, I really did."

An Lan’s tense expression softened slightly. She smiled, "Miss Huang, don't be nervous. I was just asking."

"Although Wushang is my boyfriend, I am not a petty person. I understand normal social interactions. Since you called, is there anything you need from Wushang? He hasn't returned yet, but I can pass a message along for you."

Huang Pianruo retreated, saying, "It’s nothing, just checking in. Since you are busy, I won't disturb you. Goodbye."

*Click.*

She hung up.

"An Lan, what is the meaning of this?" Ye Wushang glared at her.

An Lan remained unperturbed. She smiled, "What? Why are you angry? Are you angry that I called you my boyfriend, or that I didn't give you a chance to talk to Huang Pianruo?"

"I..." Before Ye Wushang could speak, she shook her head. "If I offended you, I apologize. But I didn't do it on purpose; I just wanted to give you a heads-up. As far as I know, Huang Yuanxiang’s background isn't exactly clean. I think it’s better if you spend less time with his daughter."

"If you're really that angry, then scold me, or hit me if you like."

As she spoke, she actually leaned her pretty face toward him, closing her eyes, looking as if she were waiting to be punished.

This made Ye Wushang’s blood boil. Was she trying to act like a rogue? He had seen men act this way, but it was his first time seeing a woman play such tricks.

"Mr. Ye!"

Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, Rabbit arrived. He hurried over, and upon seeing An Lan, he respectfully greeted, "Sister-in-law is here too."

An Lan was startled, then burst into quiet laughter, looking mockingly at Ye Wushang. "You can't blame me for this; everyone else thinks so too. Why don't we just make the fake act real? You should just agree."

"I can't be bothered with you." Ye Wushang’s face flushed slightly. To be honest, he neither resisted nor accepted An Lan’s aggressive show of affection. He didn't want to talk about romance for the time being. He pulled Rabbit over to sit down and changed the subject. "Tell me, Rabbit, how is the situation?"

"I've tracked it down." Rabbit pulled out his phone, pointing at the location. "Zhang Yanhong is currently at the Qifeng Tower in the North District. From what I’ve gathered, someone is hosting a banquet there today, but I don't know who or who is attending. I wanted to be sure before reporting to you, but since you were in a rush..."

"It's fine. Knowing where she is is enough."

There was no time to lose. Ye Wushang stood up. "Let’s go. We’re heading over now."

"And as for Lanlan..."

"I'm going with you." An Lan smiled. "Husband sings, wife follows, right? How could I miss out on something like this?"

She suddenly found Ye Wushang quite cute. Usually, he was so serious, but if she teased him, he would either blush or stutter. That flustered, helpless look made her admire him even more. She was determined that one day, she would turn this "boyfriend/girlfriend" joke into reality.

***

Half an hour later, the three arrived at their destination.

Qifeng Tower was the best Chinese restaurant in Jinghan. It had an antique decor, the food was exquisite, and business was booming. It was nearly noon, and the place was packed, with a long line forming outside.

"This Zhang Yanhong is truly hypocritical," An Lan said, crossing her arms, her expression cold. "She kept saying it was because of her business with Xue Kaichen that she couldn't make medicine for the Lan Group. The moment she left, she came to such a high-end place to hold a victory banquet."

"It seems, just as you said, Wushang, she must have been offered benefits by someone else to defect. Now that she's left with the core data, they're throwing her a celebration."

Ye Wushang’s expression darkened. "I want to see exactly who is pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"I’m afraid they have a significant background," Rabbit sighed. "Look at the luxury cars parked at the entrance. They’re worth millions, some even tens of millions. And these license plates—money can't buy them; you need status to get them. This time, the opponent has been calculating everything to destroy the An and Lan businesses."

"Could it be Pei Huaide from the Pei family?"

Ye Wushang shook his head. "He is definitely involved, but there might be others. Let's go in and see for ourselves."

Just as they were about to enter, a figure suddenly ran toward them.

"Who is it?" Rabbit was quick to react and went to block the person, but the stranger was skilled; with a few swift moves, he flipped Rabbit and pinned him to the ground!

"Damn you! How dare you touch me? Do you believe—"

"Don't shout. I have no malice toward Mr. Ye." The man spoke. Once Rabbit calmed down, he released him and then hit his knees on the ground with a thud.

"Mr. Ye, I beg you. Let me fight you in the ring again. I don't have the strength myself; I can only count on you to help me get revenge."

Ye Wushang raised an eyebrow. He realized the man was Wang Gang, who had been defeated by him previously at the craftsman's box.

"Why is it you again?" Ye Wushang said, speechless. "I told you, I won't agree. Three strikes and you're out. I’ve already given you chances. If you continue to pester me, don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Mr. Ye..."

"Damn it!" Rabbit was furious. He slapped Wang Gang across the face and swore, "Your skills are lacking. Even if you fought a hundred times, you wouldn't be a match for Mr. Ye. As for your revenge, what does it have to do with us? You’re a big, burly man, but your brain seems to be missing something. Are you going to leave, or do you want me to..."

"I'll go!" Wang Gang gritted his teeth and nodded. "But I won't give up. Mr. Ye is the person I'm looking for. As long as you don't agree, I will persist until the end. I don't care how you hit or scold me; as long as I can get my revenge, I’m willing to pay any price!"

With that, he glanced at Qifeng Tower and walked away.

Seeing this, An Lan frowned, puzzled. "Wushang, where did this Wang Gang come from?"

"It's nothing, just a small misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?" An Lan pouted. "He knelt before you, and you call that a misunderstanding? Tell me, Wushang, how many things have you been hiding from me?"

"It's not that, sister-in-law..."

"Ahem." Before Rabbit could continue, Ye Wushang cleared his throat.

Rabbit quickly changed his tone. "Miss An, that guy is just a small-time hoodlum, not worth mentioning. Let’s go in and deal with Zhang Yanhong. The priority is to solve the Lan Group’s crisis so it doesn't implicate your An family. I’ve already decided: either she hands over the core data, or I’ll destroy her."

The three joined the back of the line, intending to wait their turn so as not to alert their targets.

But as soon as they stood there, the crowd parted. A man in charge of welcoming guests walked up and asked, "May I ask, which of you is Mr. Ye Wushang?"

"I am." Ye Wushang stepped forward.

The man bowed respectfully. "You don't need to wait in line. Please follow me."

"What does this mean?" Rabbit didn't understand. He grabbed the man by the collar. "Speak clearly. Why are you giving us special treatment?"

"It's not him giving it; it's me."

Just then, a familiar, mocking voice rang out. Looking up, they saw Pei Qinghu walking toward them.