Chapter 65: It Was Me

The commotion grew louder and more intense, finally drawing out Li Shuqin and Su Shiming, who hurried over to open the door and see what was happening. They found their daughter kneeling on the floor, crying uncontrollably, while Lu Ye stood nearby, holding a battered helmet in his hands, his face dark and grim, radiating a menacing aura.

Li Shuqin asked in puzzlement, "Son-in-law, what's going on here? Are you two fighting?"

Lu Ye turned to her and replied coldly, "Mom, your daughter put a green hat on me. Just look at what's written all over this helmet."

Li Shuqin took the helmet from him, still bewildered, not yet able to see clearly. Su Shiming, however, snatched it away and examined it from every angle. With a confused expression, he asked, "Son-in-law, isn't this your helmet?"

Lu Ye and Su Qianqian were both stunned.

Su Qianqian blurted out, "Dad, isn't this helmet the one from that handsome soldier who rescued you years ago?"

"That's right, the person who saved me back then is my son-in-law!"

"Wait, Qianqian, did you never recognize him all this time?"

As Su Shiming spoke, Lu Ye suddenly remembered. A few years ago, an armed uprising broke out in a Middle Eastern country, and Su Shiming, who was in foreign trade at the time, was unfortunately taken hostage. When Lu Ye rescued Su Shiming, he had instinctively placed his tactical helmet on Su Shiming's head. He escorted him all the way to the evacuation helicopter but forgot to take the helmet back.

Su Qianqian had been on that helicopter, though she hadn't seen Lu Ye's face clearly. Yet, no matter how many years passed, the dashing figure of that handsome soldier, walking alone toward the boundless desert under the radiant twilight, remained vivid in her memory. The tactical helmet she took from her father's hands became a cherished keepsake.

Since returning from the Middle East, Su Shiming knew his daughter had never forgotten the soldier who saved them. But he never imagined that, having married her beloved soldier, she still hadn't recognized him.

Such twists of fate...

Had Lu Ye not accidentally unearthed that helmet, stirring up memories of the past, Su Qianqian would have remained oblivious. Lu Ye was even more bewildered. He had never realized Su Qianqian was on that helicopter, nor that rescuing Su Shiming had caused his daughter to pine for him all these years.

What a colossal misunderstanding!

It turned out that his connection with the "old woman" had begun, quietly and unexpectedly, long ago.

Lu Ye gave a sheepish laugh. "Heh heh heh, I thought this helmet looked familiar. I just didn't remember right away!"

Yet Su Qianqian suddenly found herself unable to accept this truth. In her mind, that soldier had always been a sunny, handsome, spontaneous boy. But this rascal...

Is he sunny? Barely.

Is he handsome? Just about.

Is he spontaneous and innocent? Sorry, that's something he truly lacks.

He could infuriate you to the point of coughing blood, then revive you just to keep annoying you.

That's right, he's cheeky, he's brazen!

The thought that the object of her years-long secret crush was actually him—

Su Qianqian instantly felt she had lost all face.

And her little secret had been exposed to the entire family, leaving her mortified.

Shame, shame, shame!

Just then, Chen Xi finished her shower and walked over, puzzled. "What's going on?"

Su Qianqian buried her face in Lu Ye's bedding, howling, using her cries to cover her embarrassment. "Wuwuwu, sister, he's bullying me!"

"He accused me of cheating without knowing anything, wuwuwu, I can't show my face anymore!"

Smack!

Without another word, Chen Xi slapped Lu Ye across the face.

"You brat, get over here!"

Not only did she slap him, she also twisted his ear and dragged him back to her room.

"Sister-in-law, don't be angry. I'll deal with him right away!"

Bang!

The door slammed shut, and inside, Lu Ye's screams echoed without pause...

"That's for bullying Qianqian!"

"Aow!"

"That's for bullying my sister-in-law!"

"Aow!"

Just across the wall, Su Shiming and Li Shuqin leaned in to listen, shuddering at the sounds. "The sister from our son-in-law's family is really fierce!"

"Qianqian, maybe you should go persuade her. Don't let her beat up my good son-in-law too badly!"

"Hmph, I'm not going to bother with him!"

Su Qianqian couldn't help but feel a hint of smug satisfaction.

You little rascal, aren't you good at pleasing my parents?

Well, from now on, I'll cozy up to Sister Chen Xi and let her teach you a lesson.

Heh heh heh!

...

After half an hour of punishment, Chen Xi figured Su Qianqian's anger had probably subsided, so she put down the clothes hanger and pillow she had been wielding. She'd hit so hard, the pillow was ruined.

Lu Ye lay sprawled on the bed, leisurely playing with his phone, while still groaning.

"Aow, aow, aow!"

Chen Xi rolled her eyes. "Stop howling, that's enough. Go comfort her, Qianqian is sensitive—you need to coax her, alright?"

"Roger!"

Lu Ye crept back into Su Qianqian's room. The room was pitch dark; he couldn't see a thing.

He whispered tentatively, "Old woman, are you asleep?"

No answer.

Only the steady sound of breathing from the bed.

Lu Ye tiptoed to his own bedding and lay down.

Whether the old woman was asleep or not, he spoke softly to himself, "I'm sorry, I was too worked up today. Seeing the writing on that helmet, I admit I was a little jealous."

"Sleep well, old woman. Good night!"

Under the covers, Su Qianqian's body trembled slightly as she tried to stifle her laughter.

Hmph, stubborn fool.

You're obviously in love with me, but refuse to admit it!

Now her heart was truly satisfied.

She hugged the battered helmet tighter under the covers.

Good night, you little rascal.

...

The next day.

Su Qianqian slept late.

When she opened her eyes, she instinctively looked to the floor—but her little rascal was gone.

His bedding had been folded into a perfect square in the corner, not a single crease in sight.

A small note was left on the desk.

"Old woman, I'm cleaning up yesterday's mess. Borrowed the Koenigsegg for the day—I'll pick you up after work tonight."

Minor characters like Chen Qi or Xu Fugui were no match for Xiao Li.

He was a senior executive at Hongying Society's headquarters, and the chief executive for all of Asia-Pacific.

With him gone, several countries in the region were thrown into chaos.

Hongying Society's henchmen on Ximen Island dared not sit idle; many fled to Mingzhu City, hoping to catch a train or flight out of the country.

Lu Ye and Chen Xi launched a decisive attack, relentlessly pursuing Hongying Society's fleeing members.

Moreover, the siblings used the Y6 name and deliberately let a few escape.

So, in Hongying Society's eyes, Y6's actions were tantamount to kicking them when they were down, and naturally, their hatred turned toward Y6.

When reporting to headquarters, they claimed Xiao Li's disappearance was likely linked to Y6.

Now, those Hongying Society members fleeing like rats wished fervently for a chance to exact revenge on Y6.

Lu Ye's intricate plan first incited a feud between the Xu family and Hongying Society.

The Xu family, in turn, offered a hefty bounty for Hongying Society's members, forcing them into utter chaos.

Next, he stirred Hongying Society's resentment against Y6.

Ideally, these two major spy organizations would go to war.

Once Hongying Society and Y6 clashed, the hidden players lurking in the shadows would be forced into the open—just as Xiao Li had been exposed this time.

Hongying Society's throat was slowly being squeezed—just a bit more pressure and the infamous organization would be finished.

Xiao Li had previously revealed the location of Hongying Society's headquarters, supposedly on some obscure island in the Pacific. The Shield Bureau was investigating.

But Lu Ye felt it didn't much matter.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows—how much more elusive would Hongying Society's headquarters be?

As for the leader, a woman named Ivanka, she was nowhere to be found.

Therefore, Lu Ye was even more determined to drag Y6 into these muddy waters.

Given Y6's legendary intelligence-gathering skills, perhaps they could track down this mysterious American woman.

He toiled all day, and by six in the evening, Lu Ye drove the Koenigsegg to the gate of Yiren Group right on time.

Before the car had even stopped, he saw a playboy in a Lamborghini pestering his old woman relentlessly...