Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 199 - 199 196 Retreat

Chapter 199: Chapter 196 Retreat Chapter 199: Chapter 196 Retreat At two in the afternoon, Jiang Yan received a call from Qiao Yuning.

“Brother… Jiang Yan, for your sake, I’m now completely isolated. Anyway, I’ve fired the person and got the money. Can Yang Dan now come back to work properly?”

Jiang Yan sneered, “Whether it’s for me or for yourself, you know best. Qiao Yuning, this is the first and last time. I hope you understand that Yang Dan works for you, but at the same time, she is in a partnership with you. If there’s another unfair treatment, the partnership can be terminated at any time!”

“You have seen Yang Dan’s capabilities; even if she leaves your store, she can surely find a better next one, or even open her own store. So, Mr. Qiao, you are not Yang Dan’s only option.”

Qiao Yuning sheepishly tugged at the corner of his mouth, cursing inwardly. The kid wasn’t very old but always made him feel oppressed during a conversation.

At three in the afternoon, Jiang Yan fixed a few computers, notified his colleague, and drove Yang Dan back to her school.

On the way, Yang Dan looked at Jiang Yan several times as if she wanted to speak but stopped herself.

Jiang Yan, gripping the steering wheel and staring down the road ahead, asked, “What do you want to say?”

Yang Dan looked down at her right hand, which had been treated with medicine, and said softly, “Jiang Yan, do you know who… took Jiajia away from our home when she was three years old?”

Jiang Yan didn’t respond, waiting for her to continue.

“Who took her out of the house at the age of three?”

Yang Dan hadn’t mentioned a word about the details of Song Jiawen’s abduction in her presence. It wasn’t that she hadn’t speculated; she just thought Jiajia had accidentally gotten lost and encountered human traffickers. But Yu Feng’s rather vague phone call told her that the truth was far from what she imagined.

Nevertheless, she wasn’t close to Jiajia’s older brother and had only dared ask a couple of questions before retreating.

Her sleep conditions during her boarding school years were useful for the psychologist whom Yu Feng found to help Jiajia. Therefore, Yang Dan spoke in detail, and Yu Feng, genuinely attentive, remembered everything she said without further discussion.

Jiang Yan didn’t look at Yang Dan but countered, “What have you heard?”

“Her older brother is finding her a psychologist. I only overheard that she was taken from her home at the age of three. Who could it be? How could someone be so malicious?”

Yang Dan could barely hide the indignation on her face, “How can such people exist in this world?”

Seeing a psychologist, huh?

Jiang Yan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, remembering the helplessness and panic that had suddenly appeared on her face last night when he helped her lie down…

Until they reached the bubble tea shop at the entrance of the Agricultural University, Jiang Yan had not spoken another word.

Yang Dan thought he didn’t know, so she didn’t ask further.

The two entered the bubble tea shop, and Qiao Yuning, sitting at the table at the very back, waved at them, “Over here.”

Jiang Yan walked over and pulled out a chair opposite Qiao Yuning to sit down. Yang Dan glanced at the counter and, as expected, did not see that arrogant manager.

She sat down next to Jiang Yan and looked up at Qiao Yuning.

“What? You still don’t trust me?”

Even though firing his cousin would entail enduring nagging from the elders at home, it was actually a relief for Qiao Yuning.

Just as Jiang Yan said, if he really wanted to focus on expanding the business, he shouldn’t employ relatives—at least not the kind that hinder progress.

Qiao Yuning opened his bag, took out a yellow envelope, and pushed it towards Yang Dan with a smile, “Count it.”

“No need.”

Yang Dan picked up the envelope and placed it into her backpack with a calm and composed motion, quite different from the timid and somewhat cowardly Yang Dan before today.

Qiao Yuning wondered if he had seen incorrectly.

How could that be?

Just yesterday, when she talked about the burn on her wrist, she was somewhat tremblingly saying it was nothing, that being a kid from the countryside she wasn’t bothered by such an injury.

Just one day apart, how could she… feel so different?

Having resolved the issue, Jiang Yan didn’t stay long. He gave Yang Dan a few final instructions and then left.

Yang Dan stood at the entrance of the milk tea shop, watching Jiang Yan drive away until his car merged into the traffic and vanished from sight.

Yet she remained motionless at the door, her eyes fixed in the direction Jiang Yan had left, unfocused.

“Are you… reluctant to let him go?”

Qiao Yuning had approached her at some point, her smile full of loaded meaning. “As someone who’s been through it, I can tell you like Jiang Yan, right? Although you and that girl are friends, Yang Dan, you have to realize that matters of the heart are often uncontrollable. Love is certainly more important than friendship! So, if you decide to go after him…”

Qiao Yuning didn’t finish her sentence, because the look Yang Dan turned on her was chilling. She wasn’t mistaken—Yang Dan had… changed indeed.

“Owner Qiao, you know nothing, so it’s best not to spout nonsense!”

Yang Dan walked away after speaking, then paused without looking at Qiao Yuning, “Love? Ha, love is the cheapest thing to me. What’s most important to me? Money and friendship.”

She wasn’t a fool. How could she not know that Jiang Yan went to such lengths to help her solely for Jiajia’s sake?

Although Jiang Yan’s capabilities and boldness impressed her, she harbored no extra feelings for him beyond admiration—at least not at the moment.

Just now, as she watched him leave, she wasn’t actually thinking about him. Her thoughts were consumed by Jiajia’s words.

Yang Dan couldn’t quite grasp how a child of less than ten years old, utterly alone, had the courage to pick up a brick and fiercely retaliate against her tormentors.

Where did she get such bravery?

Back then, Jiajia had no one at all behind her!

Yang Dan deposited the ten thousand yuan she had received into her bank card. Seeing the balance, now over twenty-three thousand, she smiled. So, what was there to fear?

Standing at the bank entrance, watching the sun about to set in the distance, she squinted and silently encouraged herself, “Yang Dan, you can’t always rely on Jiang Yan to solve every problem. Constantly giving in only leads to intensified harm, not reconciliation.”

So, you need to learn from Jiajia and pick up a brick to fight back when someone hurts you.

Remembering Qiao Yuning’s words from earlier, Yang Dan found them particularly distasteful.

Jiang Yan was right, the milk tea shop wasn’t her only option. She needed to learn to create a backup plan for herself.

…

On Sunday, Yu Heng lost at rock-paper-scissors, so today he had to represent his family at Old Master Mu’s birthday celebration.

The birthday gift was casually selected by Mu Chenyan—a set of stationery that didn’t cost more than four figures.

Yu Heng planned to deliver the gift and leave, but to avoid being pestered, he purposely asked Luo Xiao to accompany him.

On the way, to prevent Luo Xiao from finding it odd that only one person from his family was attending his grandfather’s banquet, he briefly explained the decade-old feud with the Mu Family.

Luo Xiao, who dressed up in a skirt especially for the banquet, was taken aback, and she finally gained a concrete understanding of Song Jiawen’s family name.

When the two arrived at the designated hotel, Yu Heng paid no attention to Mu Shaotang receiving guests at the entrance and went directly with Mu Can inside to meet the Old Master and their grandmother.

Mu Shaotang’s face darkened. Now that Yu Heng had come, it was no longer appropriate for him to go look for Mu Chenyan—after all, the family had sent their son, which was understandable both emotionally and reasonably. As the plan fell through, even Li Qingyan looked extremely displeased.

Inside, after Yu Heng had wished the Old Master happy birthday and handed over the gift, he politely said, “Grandfather, I believe you’ve heard about my sister’s situation. She’s only been found recently, and my mother and we all hope she can have peace, free from disturbances, especially from the Mu Family members. I hope everyone can exert self-discipline and not continually harass her.”

Yu Heng’s voice wasn’t loud, just loud enough for the Old Master, the Old Lady, and Mu Zhe and Mu Can standing nearby to hear.

The smile on the Old Master’s face stiffened, and his eyes were torn as he looked at Yu Heng, confronting him with such words at his own birthday celebration…

The Old Lady didn’t regard the Old Master’s feelings. She inquired of Yu Heng, “Who went to find Xiaosi?”

Yu Heng and Mu Can turned to look at Mu Wan, not far away.

Mu Zhe understood and reassured Yu Heng, “Don’t worry, big brother, I’ll take care of it.”

Because of this matter, when Yu Heng left with Luo Xiao, the Old Master didn’t hold them back.

Having achieved his purpose, Yu Heng breathed a sigh of relief. He turned, smiling at Luo Xiao, “Let’s go. I’ll take you shopping and then we can catch a movie later.”