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Chapter 69: Chapter 69: You Still Think You’re Right?
When they left the police station, it was already dark outside. After all, she had lied first and caused trouble for Si Chen. Fearing his anger, shortly after leaving the police station, Tong Yao pretended to limp as if her leg was hurting.
"Ouch! I was so nervous earlier that I just realized my leg is a bit sore. I should have asked for some compensation from Yuan Erhua."
Si Chen stopped and turned his head to look at her, "Your leg hurts?"
"Mmm."
Tong Yao nodded emphatically, her messy hair making her look like she had been struck by lightning.
Si Chen stared at her for a while, making Tong Yao feel a bit guilty as if her lie had been exposed. Just as she was about to say something to lighten the mood, he abruptly turned around and crouched down, coldly barking, "Get on."
Tong Yao was shocked by his action. Her mind hadn’t processed what was happening yet but her body was already honestly resting on his shoulder. If she insisted on walking now after having said her leg hurts, her lie would reveal itself.
Tong Yao felt as though she was digging herself into a deeper hole.
Leaning against his wide back, Tong Yao felt a sense of safety. It was a strange feeling for the yet-to-date Tong Yao. Her heart felt as if it was filled with warm wine, her cheeks flushing red. Thankfully, Si Chen couldn’t see her at the moment, or she would want to hide in a hole.
It was early in the month and the crescent moon was curved. The roads were deserted, lending the impression that they were walking on a country pathway, with only the occasional bark of a dog breaking the silence.
Under the faint moonlight, Si Chen leisurely walked along the edge of the road with Tong Yao on his back. The two of them maintained a harmonious silence, neither breaking it.
Tong Yao’s hand rested on Si Chen’s shoulder, her body stiff as wood. She didn’t dare to move, heart pounding uncontrollably. It felt as if it wanted to burst out of her chest.
After a few minutes, Si Chen abruptly asked, "Are you uncomfortable?"
"Huh?" Taken aback, Tong Yao responded in confusion, "No!"
Then, she quickly added on nervously, "Just that my leg hurts a bit... Actually... it doesn’t really hurt that much."
"Your heartbeat is very fast." Tong Yao’s heartbeat was constantly pounding against Si Chen’s back, creating an odd sensation.
Tong Yao, "..."
After a moment of silence, her voice suddenly raised a few decibels, faking her anger to cover up her inner turmoil.
"I’m angry. Yes, I’m angry at Yuan Erhua. You have no idea how terrible she is, pulling my hair until it looked like a bird’s nest and making my scalp numb. She even tried to rip my clothes. I reacted fast and the school’s gate guard intervened just in time. Otherwise, I would’ve been exposed."
She was in such a pitiful state. Si Chen shouldn’t be angry at her now, should he?
It’s her own misfortune. She had to deal with this mess right after she managed to trick Si Chen yesterday. Who else could she blame?
Even though he wasn’t present at the scene, Si Chen could guess what had happened. He furrowed his brow, "I just reminded you yesterday not to fight with Chen Yanmei, but today, you’ve chosen an even more formidable opponent."
His voice was plain, and Tong Yao couldn’t tell if he was angry. Just as she was thinking about how to justify her actions, he spoke again.
"Working in the canteen?"
Tong Yao: Damn it, he’s bringing up all the old scores. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Deciding to honor the principle ’better a broken jaw than a lost job’, she gritted her teeth and confessed to everything.
"I didn’t intentionally lie to you. I just didn’t want you to think me unworthy for running a stall. That’s why I didn’t tell the truth." She glanced at him, relieved to see that Si Chen didn’t look furious. She continued trying to justify herself, "Moreover, selling bubble tea near the school and working in the canteen are almost the same thing. Both provide food and drinks to students. Anyway, I didn’t do anything against my conscience."
Si Chen chuckled without revealing his thoughts, "So you think you did nothing wrong?" Tong Yao was acting like a guilty child in the police station, but now her argument seemed more and more justified. It was as if he was being too strict.
As for Tong Yao’s entrepreneurial efforts, Si Chen had no objections. Initially, he was worried she would be taken advantage of when he heard that she got into a fight and was taken to the police station. Upon reaching the station and seeing her disheveled hair, head hung low like a wronged child, and the bulky Yuan Erhua, he assumed she had been at a disadvantage, causing his expression to darken.
However, his worries eased after seeing her spirited negotiation with Yuan Erhua.
Still, he was surprised to learn that Tong Yao had been running a stall at the university.
Although Tong Yaohui was usually quite strict with Tong Yao, often sighing about her being too wilful, he deeply doted on her. Tong Yaohui often mentioned her in front of Si Chen, sharing some of her unreasonable actions.
After she married into his family, Si Xiaohui had also complained to him about Tong Yao’s eating habits, laziness and temper over the phone. So, even though Si Chen hadn’t interacted much with Tong Yao before, he had a fair idea about her temperament.
However, he didn’t expect her to undergo such a drastic transformation upon moving into the residential compound. She dealt with emerging issues as if she was spreading her wings, completely overruling his previous perceptions of her.
When he heard that Tong Yao was working at a canteen, he found it strange. As her skin darkened, his suspicion grew. Yesterday when he tried to probe her, Tong Yao’s response caught him off guard. He speculated whether he was overthinking but today, he received a call from the police station.
Suddenly, Si Chen wanted to hear Tong Yao’s thoughts. "Why did you suddenly want to start a business?"
"My bubble tea is delicious and I wanted to share it with everyone." Tong Yao instantly portrayed herself as grand.
Si Chen, "Speak properly."
Tong Yao: How am I not speaking properly?
This is not some academic essay that needs to sound grand, right?
If he wants her to speak, she will.
Clearing her throat, Tong Yao spoke in the serious tone of her Politics teacher, "The country encourages its citizens to become entrepreneurs and get rich. Since I studied Economics, it’s natural for me to want to start a business. With soaring prices and every industry taking off, people have better living conditions and high consumption power. However, the number of enterprises is still insufficient. Take beverages, for example. Apart from carbonated drinks, what other choices do we have? If new drinks were introduced, wouldn’t everyone want to try them?"
"People will get bored if they eat the same food every day. Occasionally, they will want a change of taste. As long as I keep innovating and guide their consumption rather than copying others, I am sure I will be able to make money in the future. Selling bubble tea is the best proof."
"I’ve always been independent and don’t like being under someone’s control. Running my own business allows me the freedom to take a break whenever I want. That would be so much better!"
These words were a mix of truth and fiction, to the point that even Tong Yao herself wasn’t clear about what was real and what was not. But one thing was true: she wanted to seize the opportunity to stand out.
Having been given such a great opportunity by fate, to time-travel to the golden era, wouldn’t it be a waste if she didn’t seize it?
