HLnovel Chapter 431 This whole mess, if I had just told you earlier, would I, Old Lin, have made things diff
Chapter 431 This whole mess, if I had just told you earlier, would I, Old Lin, have made things diff
Ye Fan himself never expected that he would see Wen Qi again at this time, in this place, and in this way.
The scene before him—Wen Qi's expression of utter shame and indignation, wishing she could disappear into the ground, and her mother Lu Bingxian's utter despair—instantly overlapped with the vague rumors of Wen Qi's "fall from grace" from his past life!
Like parting layers of fog!
Why did the once radiant and graceful beauty of Nanjing University fall into such a state of disrepute and die alone?
The root of the problem was buried right here!
Right there in this filthy gambling den, her mother was driven to the brink of selling her dignity!
A mother crushed by enormous debt, forced to live a life of humiliation for her daughter's future; a daughter who suddenly loses everything and is forced to confront the darkest side of humanity...
These heavy shackles are enough to distort a girl's originally bright life trajectory!
A complex and indescribable emotion welled up in Ye Fan's heart.
Is it the sigh of a bystander from a past life? Is it the insight of a reborn person? Or is it a genuine and undeniable pity for this outstanding girl who has been innocently swept into the vortex of fate?
Looking at Wen Qi's beautiful face, now filled with humiliation and fear, and comparing it to her confident and radiant appearance on stage in his memory, Ye Fan's indifference as a bystander was finally replaced by a trace of pity.
He took a soft breath, breaking the deathly silence in the courtyard. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the frozen air. His gaze fell directly on Wen Qi: "Wen Qi?"
His tone was calm, deliberately carrying a hint of confirmation: "This...is your mother?"
boom!
Ye Fan's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!
The group of thugs who had been watching the spectacle with lewd expressions were instantly dumbfounded! Their gloating turned into suspicion and uncertainty, their eyes darting back and forth between Ye Fan, Wen Qi, and Lu Bingxian, completely bewildered!
Lin Qingyang was so shocked he almost jumped off his chair! The fake smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by extreme astonishment and a hint of barely perceptible panic!
"Young Master Ye...? You...you know him...?" His voice trembled with uncertainty as he cautiously probed.
Alarm bells rang in his mind: how could this troublesome mother and daughter be involved with this unfathomable Young Master Ye?
On the contrary, Wu Shaojie's previously bored face instantly lit up with an extremely excited light! He sat up straight abruptly, no longer crossing his legs, his eyes widened like saucers, and a bright smile of "I have some amazing gossip" spread across his face, he was just short of pulling out some melon seeds and peanuts! He was in the standard posture of a gossip-loving bystander who was saying "Let's fight! Let's fight!"
Ye Fan glanced at him, thinking he was just trying to stir up trouble, and couldn't help but laugh and cry. This guy was a real character!
Ye Fan simply nodded calmly at Lin Qingyang's question, his gaze still fixed on Wen Qi: "Yes, she is." His tone was indifferent, yet carried an undeniable weight. "She is my classmate."
"Huh? Your classmate?" Lin Qingyang was completely dumbfounded!
He quickly glanced at Wen Qi, whose face was pale and filled with shame and indignation, and then at Lu Bingxian, who was equally shocked and bewildered, as if she had seen a glimmer of light. His mind raced! The next second, his seasoned face was instantly filled with an extremely enthusiastic, even slightly obsequious, smile!
"Oh dear!" He slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice so loud it was startling. "It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple! We're all family now, don't we recognize each other?"
He stood up dramatically, strode around the card table, and all traces of his previous gangster-like ruthlessness vanished, replaced by boundless enthusiasm: "Misunderstanding! It's all a huge misunderstanding!"
He turned to Lu Bingxian and her daughter, his tone becoming unusually magnanimous, even showing a hint of concern: "Miss Lu! Miss Wen! Look at the mess this has made!"
He rubbed his hands together, smiling broadly, "Since you're Young Master Ye's classmate, what else is there to say? I, Lin Qingyang, am not an unfeeling person! Here's the deal: the money isn't urgent! I'll give you another two years! Yes, two years! You can figure it out slowly!"
He waved his hand dismissively, as if doing a huge favor: "As for interest? Forget about it! We'll only consider the principal! One million, pay it back within two years!"
After saying that, he immediately turned to Ye Fan, his smile carrying a hint of explanation and flattery, and his tone lowered even further: "Young Master Ye, is this alright?"
He bowed slightly: "I'm really sorry, but this money was indeed borrowed from me in real cash, it's all in black and white, and I, Old Lin, have to give an explanation to my brothers down here..."
He pointed to the stack of IOUs on the table: "So the principal really can't be waived anymore, we can only extend the period by waiving the interest, please bear with us!"
Seeing Lin Qingyang's ability to change his expression in an instant and his flawless words, Ye Fan felt a sense of admiration.
This old fox has a very good sense of proportion! He didn't pretend to be generous and forgive the debt immediately just because Ye Fan asked, which would have seemed deliberate and would have created unnecessary favors. Instead, he offered a solution that saved Ye Fan's face, made him seem like he was following the rules, and gave Lu Bingxian and her daughter a chance to catch their breath.
This is exactly what Ye Fan wanted.
"Mr. Lin, you're too kind." Ye Fan nodded slightly, his tone calm. "This approach is perfectly reasonable. Thank you."
"Oh! Young Master Ye, you flatter me!" Lin Qingyang quickly waved his hand, looking "flustered." "You're Shaojie's best friend, so you're my honored guest! This is nothing, just the least I can do!"
Wu Shaojie then slowly stood up, thoroughly enjoying the gossip, and chuckled as he tried to smooth things over: "Alright, Lao Lin, we're all on the same side, no need for all this formalities!"
He walked over and put his arm around Ye Fan's shoulder: "It's Lao Lin's birthday today, let's go for a drink."
"Yes, yes, yes! Look at my memory!" Lin Qingyang immediately chimed in, "Shaojie is right! The banquet has been prepared long ago! Young Master Ye, this way please!"
He immediately called to the people at the card table and his men, and led Ye Fan and Wu Shaojie out.
As Lin Qingyang passed by Lu Bingxian and Wen Qi, who stood frozen in place as if petrified, he stopped, a warm smile on his face, as if the tense standoff had never happened: "Miss Lu..."
He spoke earnestly, with a hint of reproach: "Look at the mess this has made! Your daughter and Young Master Ye are classmates, why didn't you say so sooner? If you had said so earlier, would I, Old Lin, have made things difficult for you? We're family!"
He then turned to Wen Qi, who was still in a state of extreme shock and confusion, her face still streaked with tears, and said in a gentle tone like an elder: "Little girl, don't worry! Go back to school and focus on your studies! Talk to your classmate Ye about it properly. What if two years isn't enough?"
He feigned hesitation, appearing unusually "generous": "Another year is fine! Like I said, only the principal will be returned! Take your time, no rush!"