This whole explanation finally managed to coax and trick Amei into coming along. Once they reached the outside of the residential area, they saw a black, extended Lincoln limousine parked outside. A tall, dark-skinned man stood beside the car like an iron tower, wearing sunglasses and a suit, looking around.
It was Hansen, Yang Wei's personal bodyguard.
Hansen saw me, but didn't say anything loudly. He just took off his sunglasses, gave me a wink, and then got into the driver's seat.
I walked over, opened the back door of the car, and then Ah Mei and I climbed inside.
In the back seat of the car, a woman sat with her arms crossed, seemingly looking at me with a half-smile on her face. It was Yang Wei.
I chuckled and said, "...Sigh, I never thought that every time I run into trouble, it's you who comes to help me... Um, this is my friend, Amei. Back in Nanjing, she and Yandi used to stay at my place... You may not have met her, but you should know her. I ran into her today and just now I hid at her place for a while... Oh, you little money-grubber, this is my friend, Miss Yang Wei... Hmm... Hmm??"
I suddenly stopped speaking and froze!
I stared at Yang Wei in astonishment, my eyes wide...
Yang Wei is still the same Yang Wei. She is as beautiful as ever, with a hint of wisdom in her charming eyes and a rational smile on her lips. She is as intelligent, as elegant, and as captivating as ever...
However, her once flowing and smooth long hair is gone!
Yang Wei, standing before me, had short hair, making her look like a tomboy. Coupled with her business suit, she appeared even more refreshing and capable, exuding an aura of a strong woman.
However... compared to the Yang Wei I remembered, she lacked that familiar warmth that I felt.
Yang Wei seemed unconcerned by my surprise, and simply smiled faintly: "Long time no see, Chen Yang."
She then fell silent and said calmly, "Hansen, drive."
strangeness!
I could clearly sense that Yang Wei was deliberately keeping her distance from me! There was even a distinct sense of unfamiliarity between us!
I know that Yang Wei isn't the kind of woman who spends a lot of time and effort on her clothes and appearance. She never puts too much thought into things like hairstyles or beauty treatments. And her short hair is clearly not the work of a hairstylist... it looks more like she cut it herself with scissors!
Considering the slight distance she's deliberately creating around me now, could it be...?
Shave your head to show your resolve?
Suddenly, I felt as if something was blocking my heart.
As for the little money-grubber, he stopped talking as soon as he got on the bus. He just sat quietly in the corner, his eyes darting around as he carefully observed my and Yang Wei's expressions.
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Sixty-Six: The Bet
Yang Wei's ambiguous attitude left me feeling lost and disappointed... I recalled our time in Hollywood. During that period, we lived together, as intimate as lovers. Although Yang Wei always maintained a chastity, and we never actually had sex, the tenderness and affection she showed me revealed another gentle side to this calm, rational, and intelligent woman...
But now, everything seems to have changed, turning back into the unfamiliar woman I first met.
The car was moving smoothly, thanks to the excellent performance of the extended RV, its good chassis and suspension system, and Hansen's superb driving skills. The ride was very stable with no bumps at all.
Yang Wei didn't say anything to me the whole time; she rarely even looked at me, her gaze always fixed on the view outside the window. I even felt that she seemed to be deliberately ignoring my presence.
The only time she seemed to finally look me in the eye was when I couldn't contain my frustration and reached into my pocket for a cigarette...
I reached into my pocket and then remembered that I was wearing a coat, which I had just bought at the clothing store where Amei worked not long ago. Where would I find cigarettes? My groping caught Yang Wei's attention. She pressed a button, and a hidden compartment under the seat rose up. She took out a pack of cigarettes and handed it to me without saying a word.
"Thank you." I glanced at her, somewhat annoyed. Yang Wei didn't speak, but casually pressed a button, turning on the ventilation system in the RV. Seeing her action, I instead took the cigarette out of my mouth and crumpled it into a ball.
silence……
An awkward silence spread through the carriage, an atmosphere that made me feel somewhat out of place.
"What's wrong?" I asked with a grim face. "Weiwei, is there a problem?"
Yang Wei's attitude towards me really annoyed me. I looked at her, but Yang Wei didn't seem intimidated by my gaze and stared straight at me: "It's nothing."
"Are you... unhappy? Or do you hold a grudge against me?" I frowned.
"No, I'm fine," came the curt reply.
I was practically tearing my hair out.
What exactly happened to Yang Wei?
I remember when we went back to Vancouver from Hollywood, she was so gentle, so tender, so affectionate towards me when we said goodbye at the airport... I can still remember the tender look in her eyes when she stood in the airport and said to me, "I love you, I'm waiting for you."
But now, how did things change?
I forced a smile: "I called you later, I thought you would go to the film company, but you never went... Then I called the casino, and they said you came to China to take charge of a business deal..."
Yang Wei said "Oh," her tone still calm: "The film company is yours. I was just helping you before, but now everything is on track and I don't need to do anything anymore. And... you know..." She suddenly smiled, as if joking, and said to me, "The salary for hiring me is very high."
I chuckled twice in agreement, but my mouth tasted bitter.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you," Yang Wei thought for a moment and said, "Happy wedding."
"..." I felt like I was about to explode: "Thank you!"
"Also, I regret the disturbance at your wedding." Yang Wei's expression was like that of a seasoned diplomat: "If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."
damn it!
Long time no see... Happy wedding... I'm sorry...
I really wanted to grab her shoulders and ask her: Is this what you wanted to say to me?
The man chained to a bomb by terrorists, then smiled desperately and said: "You are the love of my life..."
Where did Yang Wei go?
We drove in silence into Pudong, Shanghai. After exiting the overpass, we drove further and further along a highway. The greenery on both sides became better and better, and we were getting further and further away from the city center. Finally, we drove around to a plot of land that was obviously newly developed, and then drove into a large courtyard.
I began to wonder if this was some kind of botanical garden, because after the car entered, it drove along a path lined with green trees on both sides, even passing an artificial lake. The environment here was elegant, like a university campus, but everything around it was far more luxurious. I even saw a standard golf course in the distance…
The car stopped in front of a completely European-style building. After we got out, people dressed as waiters quickly came out to help drive the car away, and then several bodyguards immediately escorted us into the building.
This isn't a villa; in front of me is a large, continuous stretch of European-style buildings. Inside, there's a lounge and a café. I can see several casually dressed men sitting on an open lawn drinking tea, and a few very pretty women chatting in the café.
“This is a leisure club,” Yang Wei finally spoke. “Almost all the wealthy people in Shanghai have membership cards here… Of course, only the wealthiest class has them. It provides everything for the rich: men's leisure and entertainment, golf, fitness, vacations… women's beauty, spas—all the equipment and staff are top-notch. There's even a racetrack in the back with three thoroughbreds! Of course, if you want to gamble, there's a small casino in the back, but it's completely private. Did you even see those women chatting in the coffee shop? Each of them…” The prices are never low, or their men are all figures in the financial world who make headlines. They even offer pet grooming here; a pet groomer here earns over 150,000 a year. In short, as long as you're a member, all your needs can be met here… of course, the prices are exorbitant. Even obtaining a membership card requires an asset assessment. The lowest level of membership requires a net worth of less than 30 million; don't even think about entering. And the standards for high-level membership… hehe…” Yang Wei glanced at me and added, “Oh, this place belongs to Mr. Qiao.”
I was slightly startled, but said nothing.
Ah Mei, standing next to her, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "A veterinarian earns an annual salary of 150,000?"
“No.” Yang Wei looked at A Mei and smiled. “The staff who take care of pets earn an annual salary of 150,000 yuan. The veterinarians here earn at least 300,000 yuan a year. You should know that the pets kept by these rich people are all expensive breeds.”
We walked through a corridor with a golf course on the left and several villas, each with a completely different design, set far apart behind a large artificial lake on the right. Some were Chinese-style, some European-style, and a few were even Arabic-style.
"What kind of place is that? Is it a place to live?" I scoffed.
Yang Wei glanced back at me: "For now, you can't go in... That place only caters to old folks. Oh, right, they offer some special services for those old guys. You know, many old men, the older they get, the more interested they become in women, but their bodies often aren't up to par. There are some women here who have received rigorous training specifically to take care of those old guys... They can satisfy any need of theirs. There's a joke about that place here, it's called a 'senior club.' Of course, if you're interested, you can stay for a few days, it costs about $60,000 per day. And, ordinary members can't get in."
She transformed into a tour guide, pointing to a pointed-roof building in the distance and laughing, "Do you see that place? That's a new product launch... Oh, not what you think, it's not anyone's company... I mean, many of the world's top luxury brands, fashion, jewelry, and cars... and so on, basically things that rich people like. These brands regularly hold their new product launches here. For example, the new products from the Milan Fashion Week every year, within 24 hours, those brands can ship the latest styles here for the wealthy to choose from! After all, all the rich people in Shanghai are members of this club! These people are the main consumers of luxury goods!"
I looked at Yang Wei, feeling a little annoyed: "You gave a very detailed introduction, are you very familiar with this place?"
Yang Wei paused for a moment, then glanced at me and said, "Well, we're fairly familiar with each other."
As she walked, she whispered, "I've been living here all this time... ever since the day you got married."
My body jolted!
In Yang Wei's voice, I finally detected a hint of unease in her words, "From the day you get married."
But... what happened to her?
When we went back, at the airport, Yang Wei told me so calmly and casually that I should marry Yan Di. She even frankly told me that she thought Yan Di was the most suitable wife for me. At that time, she already knew I was getting married, but she wasn't as indifferent to me as she is today.
What exactly changed her?
"By the way..." Yang Wei glanced at me, "Regarding the business deal I discussed with Mr. Qiao, I plan to buy a portion of the ownership of this place."
I raised an eyebrow.
As we spoke, we reached the end of the corridor, where two small electric carts were parked, and several golf course caddies were nearby.
Yang Wei stopped, then looked at Amei and smiled, "Miss Amei, well, now I need to take Chen Yang to see someone very important. If possible, I'll have someone take you to rest first, okay? After this is over, Chen Yang will come back to find you. Oh, by the way, there are a few other people you know who will probably come here to find you soon."
Amei was clearly a little uneasy; she obviously felt uncomfortable in this luxurious place, and seemed somewhat reluctant to leave me suddenly. Yang smiled; she seemed very gentle with everyone else, but she was quite indifferent to me.
“Miss Mei, don’t worry, I won’t take up too much of Chen Yang’s time… Hmm, you can go down and rest for a bit. There are many interesting things here that you can enjoy as you please…” She just gave a look, and a man dressed in a suit who looked like a manager, who had been following far behind, immediately came up.
"Take this lady to rest... Hmm, fulfill any of her requests, give this lady the best service..." Yang smiled and said, "Mr. Chen Yang will pay for all the expenses." Then she glanced at A Mei and smiled, "Enjoy yourself, don't worry about the money. Chen Yang will pay anyway. He's very rich now, so there's no need to save money for him."
Amei was initially hesitant, but the manager was clearly well-trained and knew how to handle various customer problems. He immediately offered to take Amei to see the latest Milan summer fashion shows, including the latest handbags from Versace, Gucci, and other brands, as well as the latest jewelry from major international brands.
Women really do like this, and Ah Mei immediately left with a big smile on her face.
"Looks like you're going to be spending a lot of money today." Yang Wei finally said something less cold to me: "It's not cheap here. You'll be spending at least a million dollars today."
I shook my head. I know the little money-grubber very well. Although she often displays a woman's shrewdness and penny-pinching, she would never waste other people's money. She might browse freely, but she would never spend any money.
Of course, I don't care if she actually spends it. Even setting aside our friendship, I should repay her for helping me today. Besides... I really don't care about the money right now.
Ah Mei left, and Yang Wei and I got into the electric scooter and drove into the golf course. With Ah Mei gone and Hansen not following us into the course, I finally breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Yang Wei: "What happened? What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong?" Yang Wei asked calmly.
"You!...And me!" I gritted my teeth: "Why are you so cold to me?"
"What coldness?" Yang Wei glanced at me, a strange look in her eyes, a half-smile on her face, and said calmly, "So what should I do? After we meet, should I jump into your arms and act all cute? Or should we start with a passionate kiss after a long separation?"
"..." I looked at Yang Wei, surprised that she would say such a thing.
Seeing my expression, Yang Wei's eyes showed a hint of reluctance, but she quickly concealed it. Yang Wei looked at me and slowly said, word by word, "Chen Yang, you're married."
I was speechless.
The initial surge of passion that rushed to my head instantly cooled down after hearing those words…
Yang Wei didn't look at me; her gaze was elsewhere. Then, her voice came calmly, without the slightest ripple: "I think things are fine as they are now. Chen Yang... we can still trust each other. When you encounter trouble, I can still help you as before. If you need someone to give you advice, you can still call me. But... other than that, there's no need to mention anything else."
Her voice was so soft and calm, but... it carried an indescribable cruelty in my ears!
The evening sun was almost setting, the clean, green lawn, the empty golf course, Yang Wei's words almost instantly overwhelmed me!
There's an old saying: you only know what you've got when you lose it... Isn't it too late?
I'm speechless.
"arrive!"
As Yang Wei spoke, the electric scooter stopped by an artificial lake. In front, two men were walking side by side, chatting and laughing, with several caddies following on either side, and three casually dressed followers trailing far behind. I could tell from their figures and gaits that they must be highly skilled bodyguards or something similar.
The two men walking side by side were Qiaoqiao's father, wearing a dark shirt and a smile on his face. The other man beside him had an ordinary appearance, but his demeanor exuded a refined air. He wore glasses and had a scholarly air about him. He wore a thin sweater and looked very cultured.