My Paranoid Girlfriend Asks Me to Be Her Kept Woman (Rebirth) - Chapter 9

“Then why are you running?”

“Isn’t it because you’re chasing me?!”

“If you stop, I won’t chase you!”

“If you stop chasing me, I’ll stop!”

“No, you stop first!”

“You stop chasing me first!”

The two of them argued for ages, and neither stopped.

Lin Yi stood by the road hailing a taxi and watched as the two of them ran past her like a gust of wind.

Fan Texi was chased by the security guard in a circle, then looped back in front of Lin Yi. Lin Yi was standing in the shade of a tree, waiting for her car.

He finally reacted, pointed at Lin Yi, and panted as he said to the dutiful security guard, “I… I’m… here… to find… her.”

The security guard braced his hands on his knees, pointing the electric baton at Fan Texi.

“You… you… know… him?”

Both pairs of eyes turned toward Lin Yi.

Lin Yi blinked and looked at Fan Texi in confusion.

On such a hot day, he was dressed head to toe in punk style. His hair had been done in some unknown way, tied into a head full of colorful dreadlocks, with leaves hanging from them.

Now this was what counted as strange clothes, right?

Fan Texi nervously winked wildly at Lin Yi.

Hurry up and say you know me!!! His inner voice screamed loudly.

Unfortunately, it did not reach Lin Yi. Lin Yi nervously took half a step back and even held the bag in her hands in front of her chest as a defense.

“I don’t know him,” Lin Yi finally sentenced Fan Texi.

After resting for a moment, the security guard finally regained his strength. Like a fierce tiger pouncing on a sheep, he tackled Fan Texi to the ground.

He had undergone professional training, after all. Otherwise, how could he guard the entrance of a place like the courthouse?

Who knew how many vicious criminals passed through that door every day!

Before Fan Texi could even say, “President Zhao sent me,” he was detained.

He struggled with muffled “mmph mmph” sounds and was handed over by the security guard to the public security patrol brigade.

By then, Lin Yi had already gotten into the car heading home.

She patted her chest with lingering fear. She had not expected to run into a pervert today.

After the incident, the first thing she did was rapidly send Zhao Qi a string of messages.

That was so scary. I had just left the courthouse, and I actually ran into a strangely dressed pervert! He even said he came to find me!

Lin Yi vividly described what had just happened to Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi was signing documents. When her phone rang, she picked it up and looked. Her brows furrowed.

Assistant Li, who was waiting beside her, asked, “Boss?”

Zhao Qi asked expressionlessly, “Where is Fan Texi?”

Just as she finished speaking, Assistant Li’s phone rang. He picked it up and looked.

“It’s Fan Texi, Boss.”

Zhao Qi glanced to the side, replied to Lin Yi, and instructed at the same time, “Answer it.”

Assistant Li walked a few steps to the side and picked up the call.

“Waaah, Assistant Li, hurry and come bail me out! I got arrested as a criminal suspect!”

Assistant Li said in surprise, “What? Weren’t you going to…”

Remembering that the boss was right beside him, he lowered his voice. “What happened?”

Fan Texi babbled out an explanation, and on the other end of the call came an announcement from the public security brigade.

“Time’s up.”

“Aaaah, Assistant Li, hurry and come! I’m at the XXX Public Security Brigade!”

“I know—” Before Assistant Li could finish speaking, the merciless beeping of a disconnected call sounded from the other end.

Zhao Qi comforted Lin Yi and, while she was at it, finished signing the documents as well.

Assistant Li stood in front of the boss’s desk, thinking about how to report Fan Texi’s matter.

Zhao Qi spoke first. “Did he ask you to go bail him out?”

Assistant Li widened his eyes in surprise. How did the boss know? Then he lowered his head and resumed his usual steady manner.

“Yes, Boss.”

“There’s nothing else here. Go.” Zhao Qi closed the document, the corners of her lips seeming to smile yet not smile. “Oh, right. Remember to remind Fan Texi not to use my name to swindle people outside. Also, he damaged the company’s reputation today. His bonus this month is gone.”

Fan Texi squatted gloomily in the detention room of the public security brigade, looking as if he were growing mushrooms.

A guard opened the door and called, “Fan Texi, someone’s here to bail you out.”

He sprang up and quickly followed the guard out of that dark, gloomy place.

Assistant Li was still speaking with the people from the public security brigade.

“It was our company employee who behaved improperly. When we return, we will definitely strengthen his ideological education!”

Fan Texi wanted to protest, but Assistant Li quickly struck him back with an elbow.

“This won’t leave any mark on his record, will it?”

The people from the public security brigade were easy to talk to. “No. It’s just that he was acting suspiciously at the courthouse entrance. When questioned, he immediately ran, and later, he couldn’t provide any identification documents, which caused the trouble.”

“We’ve caused you trouble,” Assistant Li said politely.

After bringing Fan Texi out, Assistant Li opened the car door.

“Get in.”

Fan Texi twisted his neck. “Where are we going?”

“To see the boss.”

“Huh? How does the boss know?!” Fan Texi immediately shrank back.

“How do you think the boss knows?” Assistant Li sneered. “And what on earth are you wearing? No wonder people misunderstood.”

Fan Texi shook his head. “This is the disguise I specially prepared. How is it?”

“Isn’t it pretty good?”

“Yes, it’s pretty good. It’s just very easy for people to mistake you for a pervert,” Assistant Li said sharply.

Fan Texi wailed, “Don’t mention it. I just wanted to observe the new talent the boss told me to sign.”

Assistant Li snorted coldly. “Why don’t you stop being an agent and become a paparazzo instead?”

Fan Texi pulled a bitter face and stopped talking.

But he still did not want to get into the car. Then he heard Assistant Li say calmly, “The boss said your bonus this month is gone. Also, don’t even think about using her name to swindle people. Think for yourself about how you’re going to handle this.”

After saying that, the car swung its tail and sped away with one press of the accelerator.

Fan Texi stood there with a miserable face, groaning as if he were constipated.

Lin Yi messaged Zhao Qi the whole way, holding her phone as her mood quickly cleared up.

“Am I disturbing your work?”

“No.” Zhao Qi lifted her head and glanced at the project content currently being displayed in the meeting room, then lowered her head and replied, “Can you move by yourself?”

“Why not wait until I get off work?”

“No need. I called a moving company. It’s just that some of the equipment is a bit heavy. I can handle the rest myself.”

“Be careful,” Zhao Qi emphasized again. “Call me if anything happens.”

“Okay.”

Lin Yi held her phone and smiled sweetly.

The people from the moving company arrived very quickly and moved out the equipment Lin Yi usually used.

Lin Yi stood in the living room with a suitcase in front of her.

She looked around this apartment where she had lived for a long time in her previous life.

She had rented this place just after graduation and lived here for many years. The old landlady was also very easy to get along with.

For many years after that, not only had she never raised the rent, but when Lin Yi had no money to pay, she had not rushed to drive her out either.

The washing machine, sofa, coffee table, and dining table in the apartment had all been added by the old lady.

This was a two-bedroom apartment. She had given the larger bedroom to Lin Xiaolu.

She had squeezed herself into the smaller bedroom. Later, when there was nowhere to put her musical instruments, she had no choice but to pile them in the living room.

Now, since she had not come back for so long, a thin layer of dust had already settled over the equipment.

“Miss, is there anything else to move?” someone from the moving company asked.

Lin Yi shook her head. “No.”

She picked up her suitcase, placed the rental contract she had found on the coffee table in the living room, and called the old landlady.

“Auntie, I’m moving out.”

“Oh, the rent? There’s no need to refund it. Someone is still living in the apartment.”

“I’m fine. It’s just that work is too far from here.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

After hanging up, Lin Yi felt a little apologetic. The old landlady was a very pleasant landlord. Lin Yi did not know how Lin Xiaolu would negotiate with her in the end, but this was not Lin Yi’s apartment, after all. She could not simply drive Lin Xiaolu out and make the old lady look for a new tenant again. So she had simply left a few extra months of rent, giving both sides some buffer.

The movers were already waiting downstairs, only waiting to take Lin Yi to the destination.

Lin Yi slowly walked out of the apartment building with her suitcase, as if walking through the pale years of her previous life.

“Lin Yi!” a male voice called. “I knew you’d come back sooner or later!”

Before Lin Yi could even set her suitcase upright, her pale wrist was clamped down.

“Where are you going?!”

The joy that had just grown in Lin Yi’s heart was instantly extinguished by this bucket of cold water.

She shook off the man’s hand. “What does it have to do with you?”

Her former manager threw the contract in his hand at Lin Yi.

“Trying to run? You still haven’t fulfilled the obligations in your contract! Where do you think you’re going, huh?!”

Lin Yi sneered. “Are you trying to restrict my personal freedom?”

The former manager let out a long breath. Recently, he had been unable to catch Lin Yi and had been truly worried this little wench would run away.

If she really ran, his livelihood would be smashed in his hands.

As long as he caught her, it was fine!

“You signed the contract. You have to fulfill it!”

Lin Yi lowered her eyes, crouched down, picked up the fallen contract, and carefully smoothed it out.

The former manager thought Lin Yi had learned her lesson.

He loosened his tie and only then felt comfortable. With painstaking sincerity, he advised, “Right now, you’re just an insignificant nobody. This time, you went against a big leader. Why do you think you’re still able to stand here safe and sound?”

“That’s because Chairman Li has already spoken at the company. Bad practices must be thoroughly rectified!”

“Look, did he pull strings for his own son?”

“He didn’t, did he?”

“You’re just a young girl with no connections and no money. What kind of job can you find in Huaicheng to pay the company’s breach-of-contract penalty?”

“Be obedient. Ten years will pass, and you’ll only be in your thirties. You’ll still have plenty of good days ahead.”

Lin Yi’s gaze was indifferent, and her voice was cold. “Wouldn’t it be better if I left, then? The company could still collect a large amount in penalty fees.”

“You—” The former manager’s nose nearly twisted with anger. “I’m speaking nicely to you. Why can’t you understand? Young people really won’t turn back until they hit the wall, huh?”

Lin Yi said coldly, “A cat crying over a mouse. False compassion.”

“Miss?” The moving company worker had not waited for Lin Yi to get into the car, so he specially got out to check. “Are we leaving?”

Seeing that there was an outsider present, the manager put away that man-eating expression and said hypocritically, “I’m thinking of your own good. Do you want to regret it only after receiving a court summons?”

“Jianming has its own legal department, specifically for dealing with people like you who sign contracts and refuse to fulfill them.” He deliberately tried to frighten her.

Lin Yi sneered inwardly. If she were a student who had just entered society, perhaps she really would have been scared. But she was not. Right now, she held a large amount of evidence regarding Jianming’s dual contracts. Once they completely tore off the mask, she believed Jianming’s finances would definitely have problems too.

In her previous life, she had heard that Jianming had always relied on investing in films to launder dirty money, claiming to invest hundreds of millions while in reality producing inflated, terrible films to move illicit money behind the scenes.

This was not eight years ago. If they really investigated now, she thought they might catch Jianming completely off guard.

The manager had no idea that the young girl before him, whom he thought he could control, was already thinking about how to completely bring down Jianming, this malignant tumor.

Aside from wanting to keep Lin Yi here today, he had also come with a task.