C9 Chapter 9

“Lingxiao?” Li Yifeng spotted his so-called girlfriend right away.

The CEO had been drowning in nonstop gossip lately. His “heart-to-heart” with Li Qiong had been turned into memes and punchlines, spreading everywhere online until he’d become the internet’s favorite joke.

To shut it down, he leaned on the Li family’s connections and influence, greasing palms across media outlets and major streaming platforms. He’d thrown a ton of money at it just to barely get things under control.

After Li Qiong’s incident, she rushed to find a monk at a temple out in the suburbs, hoping he could “cleanse” the family’s bad luck.

But the monk only said the whole thing was beyond explanation.

The system practically laughed itself sick—this wasn’t mysterious at all. They just didn’t know what they were doing.

Li Yifeng strode over to Lingxiao. He was at the hospital to discuss an important construction project and just happened to run into his former “sweet, innocent” girlfriend.

“You sick?” the CEO asked casually.

“Don’t jinx me,” Lingxiao shot back.

“Then… something happened to your family?” The CEO immediately flicked his assistant a look.

The assistant asked around, then hurried back and reported everything: Jiang Lan had been badly injured and was in emergency surgery.

Out of “old times’ sake,” the CEO smiled. “Lingxiao, go apologize to my mom like a good girl. Maybe I’ll cover the hospital bill for you.”

Oh, please. Classic big-shot move—throw money the second things get uncomfortable.

Lingxiao slowly shook her head. “No need.”

The CEO stepped closer, his expression turning sharp. All of a sudden, he realized the fragile, pitiful girl he remembered was gone.

She’d changed—completely.

If her features weren’t the same, he would’ve thought he had the wrong person.

He’d always known she came from nothing. Pretty, sure—but still just a weed fighting to survive.

The fact that he’d ever chosen her should’ve been the greatest stroke of luck in her life.

“Lingxiao, your mom’s treatment and everything after won’t be cheap. With just you… you really think you can handle that?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ling Xiao’s expression stayed cool and detached.

“Why are you still mad at me? Just come back, apologize to my mom, and after that you can still be my…”

The word “girlfriend” wouldn’t come out. A flicker of hesitation hid in Li Yifeng’s eyes.

Ling Xiao was sharp enough to catch it. Seeing the big-shot CEO waver like that, she knew it—Zhu Linger was back in the country.

Step by step, he’d be pulled back toward his childhood sweetheart, until he finally turned against the original girl.

“Mr. Li, you’re really devoted to your mother,” Ling Xiao said with a calm, unreadable smile. “I remember you told the truth that day—you said your mom’s really controlling, didn’t you?”

His face tightened instantly. He stared at her with icy eyes. “Don’t push your luck.”

That was his stain—one he’d erase completely sooner or later.

Ling Xiao curled her lip, unimpressed, then handed her bank card to the nurse. “Can you check the balance for me?”

The nurse worked quickly, then smiled politely. “Miss, there’s fifty million in the account.”

That did it—Mr. CEO couldn’t keep his composure anymore. He’d just slipped into that familiar, condescending, handout routine… and now?

It hit him right in the face.

No—back when he’d been so close with that sweet, innocent type, he’d given her at most three thousand a month for spending money. When he bought her luxury goods and designer brands, she’d usually turned them down.

He used to think that meant Ling Xiao was pure-hearted—stubborn, independent, not after his money…

But the moment he thought of Zhu Linger and all her warnings, suspicion flooded back in.

“Ling Xiao,” he demanded, like a husband grilling a cheating wife, “where did this money come from?”