Chapter 51: Beauties on Both Sides

"Lin Jian, do you have time next weekend?"

Dongfang Wan had a very, very deep impression of Lin Jian. The image of him rushing over to scoop up her two children had been lingering in her mind for the past few days. Without him, her children would have perished. Therefore, she held a deep respect for this young man who had descended like a guardian angel. Today, by sheer coincidence, she had helped him out of a tight spot, but compared to the lives of her children, her favor paled in comparison.

"Next weekend? I’m not entirely sure, but I should have at least one day off!" Lin Jian replied.

"How about I treat you to dinner next weekend? If Wei Hong can make it back in time, my husband and I will host you together. If not, I’ll just bring the two kids. They’ve been constantly talking about how grateful they are to the nice man who saved them these past few days." The children had just learned to walk and talk, so whatever the adults said naturally shaped their impressions. "By the way, Wei Hong is my husband. He works in the military, so it’s uncertain whether he’ll be available next weekend."

Dongfang Wan explained the special nature of her husband’s job, hoping Lin Jian wouldn’t mind.

"You really don’t have to treat me to dinner. Anyone would have rushed in under those circumstances," Lin Jian said, scratching his head.

"But no one else did, did they? So I must treat you to this meal." Dongfang Wan was dressed simply, yet her simplicity exuded an air of elegance. It was also apparent that her personality leaned toward being sharp and aloof; she wasn’t the type to smile at just anyone.

"Alright, next weekend it is. I’ll definitely be there!" Since she insisted and it was just a meal, it would have been rude to keep making excuses, so he simply agreed.

"Give me your phone number, then."

Dongfang Wan quickly exchanged numbers with Lin Jian. After she finished speaking, Jiangnan formally extended his hand. "Lin Jian, I’ve heard so much about you. Let’s get properly acquainted. I’m Jiangnan, the chairman of Sanjiang Group, and Jiang Xue is my daughter."

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you." Lin Jian suddenly realized that this man was the father of that petite and exquisite beauty. Jiang Xue was a classic southern beauty—petite and delicate. Though she wasn’t very tall, her proportions were absolutely perfect. Lin Jian had been deeply impressed by her that night.

"Yes. I heard you took down the four bodyguards Xue’Er brought with her in less than a dozen seconds? When Xue’Er told me, I didn’t believe it. It wasn’t until I asked those four bodyguards that I realized she was telling the truth!"

"I just know a few martial arts moves. Actually, I should be thanking you for speaking up for me today, President Jiang," Lin Jian said politely.

"Haha, alright, I’ll accept your thanks, then."

At this moment, the chairs in the venue were all set up, and a staff member ushered everyone over to take their seats. After greeting Lin Jian and Ye Ziqiu, Dongfang Wan and Jiangnan sat in the first row, while Ye Ziqiu and Lin Jian sat in the second. Originally, there hadn’t been a chair for Lin Jian, but now, a piece of white paper bearing his name was prominently displayed on a seat. Clearly, He Yuehua had given Dongfang Wan and Jiangnan enough face; she was very adept at handling social relations.

What surprised Lin Jian, however, was that Chen Taohua was seated right next to him.

"Hello, we meet again!" Chen Taohua smiled and extended her hand.

"Thank you." Lin Jian had seen her earlier and recognized her. He just hadn’t expected her to dare stand up for him in such a setting, so he was very grateful.

"I should be the one thanking you. Old Fan is still in the hospital. He said he definitely wants to thank you properly once he’s discharged, so I didn’t rush to pay you back for the medical expenses you advanced. I wanted to wait until he was discharged and give it all back to you at once." Chen Taohua explained the issue regarding the medical fees. After all, it was a hundred thousand yuan that still hadn’t been returned to him, and she hadn’t even given him a heads-up about it. It turned out they were waiting for him to be discharged to repay Lin Jian all at once.

"There’s no rush for that," Lin Jian waved his hand dismissively. "Is Fan doing well?"

"Yes. Because he was treated in time, the doctors drained the blood from the hemorrhage and gave him medication. The lingering effects will be minimal. After a few months of rest, he’ll be completely back to normal. But really, thank you so much. If you had brought him in any later, he would have needed surgery."

"As long as he’s alright," Lin Jian nodded.

"By the way, be careful of Yang Xuanguang and Su Zhiwei. Those two don’t have the best reputations. They might not just let tonight’s matter slide." Saying this, Chen Taohua pulled out a business card and handed it to him. "This is my private number. No matter where you are—whether in Modu, Jiang City, or even Su City—you can always call this number."

The card had only three characters and a phone number. Nothing else: Chen Taohua and her phone number.

"Alright. Thanks, Taohua!" Lin Jian smiled.

Chen Taohua smiled, then glanced at Dongfang Wan and Jiangnan in the front row. "Honestly, if it weren’t for you this time, Old Fan and I would have been in massive trouble."

It was only afterward that she found out whose children they were. When she learned their identities, even while sitting in an air-conditioned room, she broke into a cold sweat that completely soaked her clothes! It was the sweat of pure terror! When Fan Jingqiang found out, he practically wanted to rip out his IV drip and rush over to the Zhang Family to apologize, but Chen Taohua had stopped him. Fortunately, the Zhang Family hadn’t pursued the matter.

Therefore, they had to be eternally grateful to the savior who had rescued both the children and Fan Jingqiang! Fan Jingqiang and Chen Taohua had long discussed how to properly thank Lin Jian. However, there were some things that could only be said after they became better acquainted, not right now.

While Lin Jian and Chen Taohua chatted with their heads huddled together on the right, Ye Ziqiu, sitting on his left, was growing incredibly annoyed. Why were they talking endlessly? She thought, "Lin Jian, you’re crossing the line. You just can’t stop chatting the moment you see a beautiful woman, can you?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. On impulse, Miss Ye suddenly reached out and viciously pinched Lin Jian’s lower left back! Lin Jian, still deep in conversation with Chen Taohua, almost cried out in pain, his face contorting into a grimace.

Noticing this, and then catching sight of Ye Ziqiu’s flushed face, Chen Taohua instantly understood what was going on. She realized the young man’s girlfriend was jealous. Still, he was quite capable. Ye Ziqiu was a major celebrity. For a young man to win her favor was no simple feat. And by the looks of it, their relationship was far from simple.

"You two go ahead and chat. I need to reply to a WeChat message." Tactfully, Chen Taohua pulled out her phone and started tapping away.

Lin Jian turned his head. His previously pained expression instantly transformed into a bright, sunny smile.

Ye Ziqiu let out a soft harrumph, keeping a straight face as she chided, "Mind your surroundings. Don’t act like a creep toward everyone. What will people think?"

Lin Jian opened his mouth slightly, wondering if Ye Ziqiu was jealous. This was unexpected.

Ye Ziqiu glared at him and lowered her voice. "Who is she, and how do you know each other?"

"Reporting to the boss!" Hearing her question, Lin Jian immediately leaned in closer, his warm breath tickling her ear as he whispered, "She’s the wife of the driver from the car accident scene. I ran into her at the hospital."

Because they were so close, his warm breath made her ear itch. In that fleeting moment, her heart skipped a beat, racing wildly in her chest!