MNL Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Doorbell – What’s the Difference Between This and Being Caught in the Act?

Chapter 67: The Doorbell – What’s the Difference Between This and Being Caught in the Act?

Five days flew by, and the Comprehensive Competition arrived as scheduled. This year, the province implemented educational reforms, reducing the percentage of candidates advancing to the interview stage from the original ten percent to seven percent. Moreover, the difficulty of the exam was significantly increased. The first subject in the morning was the extremely troublesome physics. Many people didn’t even finish the questions and burst into tears as soon as they left the exam hall.

Shen Yan stood outside the restroom, waiting for Xu Jing to have lunch together. When Xu Jing came out, Lin Hai was beside him, gesticulating wildly and cursing, “Damn it! I really don’t know what those teachers who set the questions were thinking. Even the simplest relative velocity problem from previous competitions used up an entire piece of my scratch paper. I’ve burned out all my brain cells. By the way, Xu Jing, did you finish it?”

“No.”

“Even you didn’t finish? That makes me feel better.” Then, seeing Shen Yan at the door, Lin Hai immediately asked, “Shen Yan, what about you?”

Shen Yan said calmly, “Almost.”

“Damn, as expected of the top student in the grade.” Lin Hai gave a thumbs up, unable to hide the envy on his face. “Almost everyone in my exam hall didn’t finish. You’ll definitely get into the interview this time.”

Shen Yan didn’t answer, but looked at Xu Jing. After Lin Hai left, he asked, “You didn’t finish?”

“Yeah, I didn’t have time for the last sub-question.”

“It’s okay. I guarantee that no more than three people taking the exam could have solved that question.” Shen Yan’s tone was relaxed, trying to ease Xu Jing’s pressure.

But Xu Jing chuckled and said, “Is the answer 21/109?”

Shen Yan: “…”

“Looks like I guessed right.”

“Guessed?” Shen Yan showed this expression for the first time, a little surprised, and a little amused.

“Not entirely. I really didn’t finish it. I had calculated halfway when the bell rang, so I just wrote down an answer.”

In fact, the last question was difficult because the calculation process itself was very convoluted, but the question was also cleverly designed. Most people would follow the steps mechanically, only to find that the question was unsolvable. But if you really understood the question, you would realize that the later steps could be completely omitted. People like Xu Jing, who only calculated halfway, accidentally wrote the correct answer.

The exam in the afternoon was English and math. English has always been the kindest of all subjects. Whether the paper is difficult or easy, everyone always feels very good about themselves after the exam. So after the English exam in the afternoon, the expressions on everyone’s faces were visibly less desperate. As for how Xu Jing performed, Shen Yan didn’t ask, but judging from his expression, it wasn’t optimistic.

The Comprehensive Competition lasted for two days. By the time the last exam finished on the second day, it was already 7:00 PM. Shen Yan said that Jiang Pei’s band had a performance nearby today and was planning to treat them to dinner afterward.

As soon as the two of them walked out of the school gate, a top-of-the-line black Elfa minivan sped over from not far away. The luxurious vehicle and flamboyant driving style made passersby look back frequently. If there weren’t speed limits here, the driver would probably be even more arrogant. With a final sharp brake, it stopped steadily in front of the two.

Without thinking, it must be Jiang Pei driving.

Shen Yan opened the car door and let Xu Jing get in first. As soon as Xu Jing got in, he was face to face with five divine faces. Even someone as slow as the young master Xu couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.

Jiang Pei was wearing a pair of Cartier sunglasses and was still dressed in the red halter dress she had worn during the performance, revealing an extremely bright and alluring smile. Her whole body exuded a charming and enchanting aura.

Jiang Pei took off her sunglasses and joked to Xu Jing, “What’s wrong? Captivated by your sister?”

“Goddess, that’s the seventh time you’ve said that today.” DINO, who was wearing a black eye mask and resting, couldn’t help but complain.

“Really?” Jiang Pei blinked her beautiful eyes, her tone very innocent. “I don’t remember.”

“Because you said it five times in front of Ling Yan.” After saying that, DINO stretched lazily, narrowed his eyes after taking off the eye mask and looked at the expressionless handsome guy in the passenger seat, thinking, sure enough, even the most aloof person will have endless patience when they meet someone they like. Then he pointed to the empty seat next to him and said to Xu Jing and Shen Yan, “Come on, you two sit here.”

Jiang Pei tilted her head to look at Ling Yan, bright eyes and white teeth, smiling. Their eyes met, and Ling Yan’s Adam’s apple couldn’t help but bob. A trace of nervousness even appeared in his usually indifferent eyes. Afraid of being noticed, Ling Yan immediately turned his head and looked elsewhere.

Sitting in the back row were Baron and Jian Mo. They looked a little tired and were both resting with their eyes closed. On the surface, everything seemed normal, but when they sat down, Xu Jing saw that they were holding hands.

And Jiang Pei didn’t notice Ling Yan’s oddness at all, turning her gaze to Shen Yan and smiling, “How is it? Am I a cool driver?”

Hearing this, DINO quickly explained, “It’s not that the four of us big men don’t cherish the fairer sex, Aiden insisted that this car was cool and wanted to experience it himself.”

“Nonsense, I bought it with cash, without blinking an eye.” Aiden said with a proud face.

Shen Yan and Xu Jing rarely paid attention to these entertainment news. They didn’t know that the Chrysalis band was now completely on fire. They had been on the trending searches four times in a week and had occupied the top ten of the Weibo entertainment list for three consecutive months. In addition to the overwhelming marketing accounts and public accounts, major official media and platforms were conducting enthusiastic promotion.

DINO had an idea and said, “My dear goddess, if you like cars, look for Brother Ling Yan.”

“Huh? Isn’t Ling Yan’s family in the real estate business?” Jiang Pei looked at Ling Yan again, but unfortunately the other party was still aloof, not even giving her a look.

“I got drunk that time and went back to Ling Yan’s house with him. His underground garage is simply a top-of-the-line 4S store. Your car can’t even get a number there.”

Jiang Pei: “…Damn.”

“Ling Yan.” Jiang Pei lowered her voice, leaned closer to him coquettishly, her eyes narrowed into crescents. “When will you let me drive it?”

Ling Yan was stunned for two seconds before replying, “Okay.”

Damn it, as expected, being liked has its privileges. When he saw the limited-edition sports cars in Ling Yan’s garage at the time, his eyes went straight. Afterward, he begged Ling Yan for a month, but the other party didn’t agree.

Oh well, Aiden being able to drive it is equivalent to him having a chance too. At that time, he can touch the steering wheel a few times and die without regrets. DINO smiled as he thought about it.

“Alright, I’m almost starving after singing for a day. Let’s go to the most expensive Western restaurant here for dinner. It’s my treat, Ling Yan pays the bill.” After saying that, Jiang Pei put on her sunglasses, shifted into gear, and stepped on the accelerator without hesitation.

The other six handsome guys who almost flew out of the window: “…”

After the last lesson, they would rather die than let Jiang Pei and DINO drink this time. The two also knew that their drinking habits were not good, and obediently drank freshly squeezed lemonade. Although the other few didn’t say much, they occasionally said golden sentences, and there was constant laughter during the meal.

Until it was almost over, Ling Yan, who was sitting next to Shen Yan, suddenly opened his mouth and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “What is your relationship with Shen Linzhi?”

Hearing this name, Shen Yan’s body stiffened, and his expression instantly turned cold.

Ling Yan saw the oddity, and the answer in his heart became clearer.

“No relationship.” Shen Yan said, “Why?”

“He’s been doing business with us recently.”

Shen Yan was not interested at all, and said lightly, “It has nothing to do with me.”

However, Ling Yan had already investigated everything before asking. Shen Linzhi was too greedy in doing business, and too shrewd. Now the Ling family’s industry and Shen’s Group were intertwined, and he didn’t want to have such a partner when he fully took over in the future. Fortunately, he learned that Shen Linzhi had a son, and this person was actually Shen Yan, whom he had met before.

Ling Yan originally thought that Shen Yan was really low-key, with such a big background of Shen’s Group behind him, but he didn’t reveal any information. Only later did he learn that Shen Yan’s mother had divorced Shen Linzhi several years ago, and now it seemed that the relationship between father and son was very bad.

Ling Yan didn’t continue, but had a detailed plan in his heart.

Jian Mo and Baron left after dinner. They left in a hurry, and they didn’t want to ask too much about the young couple’s affairs. However, when signing autographs for fans today, several enthusiastic female fans took the opportunity to touch Jian Mo’s hand. Baron’s face instantly turned black when he saw it. Jiang Pei quickly stepped forward to do ideological work, and only after much persuasion did she prevent Baron from leaving with Jian Mo. It was just that a few more traces would probably appear on Jian Mo’s neck in a few days.

DINO rushed to attend a friend’s birthday party and left in a hurry. Even at the end, he did not forget to help Ling Yan, letting Ling Yan send Jiang Pei back at night. Jiang Pei didn’t even say a word of it being too troublesome before Ling Yan had already agreed.

The three stood at the door of the restaurant, Jiang Pei was wrapped very tightly from beginning to end, plus a pair of sunglasses covering most of her face, no one could recognize that this was the lead singer goddess Aiden who was popular all over the internet.

“How is Grandpa doing recently?” Shen Yan asked.

Jiang Pei sighed helplessly and said, “Not very good, the old man is getting old, and he always has all kinds of problems. I’m usually very busy and can’t always stay by his side to take care of him.”

“I’ll go see him more.”

In fact, Jiang Pei knew even if Shen Yan didn’t say it. Every time she went back, she could see a lot of pastries and fruits that the old man loved to eat at home, and the kitchen and bedroom were also neatly arranged. Shen Yan seemed indifferent, but he was actually a very attentive person.

“Thank you, Xiao Yan.” Jiang Pei smiled slightly, her eyes turned on the two of them, and then asked, “How did you two do on this exam? I heard that you can be recommended for admission, right?”

“Yeah, seven percent.”

“Oh, with your learning abilities, it’s definitely no problem. You’ll be able to go to the same university by then and be together every day, how great.” Jiang Pei gently patted Shen Yan on the shoulder, and the words in her heart were twisted several times, and finally processed into what she thought was the most euphemistic expression, “Listen to your sister, we won’t think about the past, it will definitely get better and better in the future, I promise. Isn’t there a saying that the past cannot be traced, but the future can be expected.”

Shen Yan raised his eyebrows and said, “When did you become so cultured?”

“Go to hell, although my grades were not good when I was in school, I still love to read, okay.” Jiang Pei almost rolled her eyes, she finally said such philosophical words, but the other party’s focus was actually this.

At this time, two horns came from the side of the road, Jiang Pei stopped talking nonsense, waved to the two, and said, “I’m leaving, remember to contact me if you need anything.”

As soon as Jiang Pei got in the car, she took off her coat, without avoiding how thin she was wearing inside, and they were alone, she seemed to not regard Ling Yan as a man with normal reactions at all, in other words, she felt that Ling Yan could not possibly fall for her.

Ling Yan turned on the car’s heating even more.

“Hey, Ling Yan, I’m very curious, how much assets does your family have?”

Jiang Pei’s voice was very nice, her singing voice was the kind of cold voice with a bit of coldness, and her usual speech was like a lark, crisp and cheerful, making people unconsciously infected by this emotion.

Ling Yan said expressionlessly, “I don’t know, but it should be no problem to buy your car until it’s out of stock.”

“…Damn.” Jiang Pei couldn’t help but blurt out a swear word, “Is this a cold joke?”

Knowing that this family has money, but I didn’t expect it to be so rich.

“Then why did you come to our band as a keyboardist?”

In fact, she had wanted to ask this for a long time. When she organized the Chrysalis band, everything was ready, but only the keyboardist was changed and changed, either the technology was good but the appearance was too low, or the appearance was good but the technology was too bad, but I have to say that when she first saw Ling Yan, she thought, with this appearance, it’s okay to leave a bit of technology, but I didn’t expect that Ling Yan’s level of playing music was simply better than she expected, and even she felt that it was a waste of talent to come to their band.

At this time, Ling Yan turned his head and looked at Jiang Pei, his expression was unpredictable, “You really don’t know?”

“I – what should I know?” Jiang Pei blinked her innocent big eyes.

Ling Yan’s eyes stayed on Jiang Pei’s full and rosy lips for a moment, and finally couldn’t help but turned his head.

Seeing that Ling Yan didn’t intend to continue, Jiang Pei didn’t bother to get to the bottom of it, put the coat on her body, and rested with peace of mind.

Watching Jiang Pei get in the car and leave, Shen Yan and Xu Jing were also ready to take a taxi home. Along the way, Xu Jing was waiting for Shen Yan to ask about the exam, but until they got home, Shen Yan didn’t mention it.

Xu Jing was a little strange, and couldn’t help but ask first, “Why don’t you ask me how I did on the exam?”

“If you want to say it, you will tell me on your own initiative, if you don’t want to, I won’t ask.” Shen Yan took off his coat, sat on the sofa and beckoned to Xu Jing.

Xu Jing walked to the sofa and said, “What if I don’t pass the exam?”

Shen Yan said, “I’ll accompany you.”

“No.” After sitting down, Xu Jing frowned and repeated again, “No, I can’t.”

Although Xu Jing knew that with Shen Yan’s ability, whether it was through the Comprehensive Competition or the college entrance examination, he could eventually go to the university he wanted to go to, he just didn’t want to see Shen Yan give up because of him, not only because he liked him, but more importantly, he didn’t want to become the person who held him back.

Shen Yan knew what Xu Jing was thinking now, and finally said only one sentence, “Let’s talk about it later,” and ended the topic.

Forgetting who took the initiative first, the two unknowingly got tired of each other on the sofa, Shen Yan’s movements were always quick, his mouth and hands were not idle, inadvertently Xu Jing was only left with one pair of pants, their eyes met, and both saw a strong impulse and heat in each other’s eyes, when Shen Yan’s hand reached into Xu Jing’s last line of defense, Xu Jing was not to be outdone, and went all the way down along the other’s abdomen.

And just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.

It was the time when love was deep, and neither of them wanted to pay attention, but then, Xu Jing heard a familiar voice.

“Aren’t you two home? Didn’t the exam end today?”

It was Qin Xin.

As if being poured with a basin of cold water from head to toe, in an instant, Xu Jing felt that the blood in his body was frozen, and Shen Yan also woke up at this moment, the two hurriedly got up, put on their clothes in a panic, and tidied up their hairstyles, before opening the door, both saw a kind of inexplicable weirdness in each other’s expressions.

What’s the difference between this and being caught in the act?