Chapter Fifty-Two: Thanks to You

Lu Jing felt a bit flustered. She glanced at Kang Ning, saw him give her a calm smile, and steadied herself before saying, “If any of you have suggestions, please speak up.”

Among the five men, one sturdy fellow around thirty years old seemed to be their leader. He looked at Lu Jing with a sly grin and said, “Since a beauty is asking, anything goes!”

Lu Jing considered for a moment and made a proposal. “Here’s what I suggest: we’ll handle the car repairs, free of charge, and I’ll even give you an extra five thousand. How does that sound to everyone?”

The burly man’s smile vanished. He snorted, “What a joke! I don’t want this car anymore. You can pay me for a brand new one!” He shot Lu Jing a glare, lit a cigarette, crossed his legs, and continued, “Just because you’re pretty doesn’t mean you can talk your way out of this. There are plenty of good-looking women out there. I could grab a younger, fresher one off the street with my eyes closed.”

The other four men burst out laughing. Kang Ning, noticing the pale anger on Lu Jing’s face, stepped forward and suggested she and Old Li step outside. There, he quietly offered his own advice: “How about we just buy his car? Once we fix it up, we can use it at the factory—it’s not like we’ve got any vehicles for transporting parts anyway. We can even ask the truck owner for a bit of compensation. That way, we can avoid endless trouble.”

Old Li agreed at once. “That’s a good plan. If it doesn’t work out, we can always sell the car after fixing it. It’s a pity Huang Yuanqing ran off—he should’ve been the one to take responsibility.”

“Alright, let’s do that. I don’t want to deal with those thugs any longer,” Lu Jing replied without hesitation.

When they went back in and explained the new plan, the burly man didn’t argue further—he only insisted on full compensation at the original price. Kang Ning was about to protest, but Lu Jing, impatient, agreed on the spot. She then took Kang Ning with her to the bank, and before long, they returned to the office with forty-five thousand yuan in cash.

Irritated and exhausted, Lu Jing sat down and was about to call the man over for his money, when Kang Ning suddenly spoke up, his voice loud and clear. “Wait! Sir, please show us the vehicle registration, sign a transfer agreement, and let us copy your ID card. Otherwise, we can’t process the paperwork.”

Only then did Lu Jing realize these crucial steps. She shot Kang Ning a grateful glance.

The burly man shot a sharp look at the tall, composed Kang Ning, but saw no sign of fear in his eyes—only a hint of coldness shining through. Uncertain how to judge him, the man reluctantly pulled out the registration and his wallet, extracted his ID card, and tossed them both onto the desk.

Kang Ning handed the registration and ID card to Old Li, instructing him to check the chassis and engine numbers before making a copy of the ID. Kang Ning then pulled up a chair next to Lu Jing, waiting patiently while she drafted the agreement.

Over twenty minutes later, Old Li returned with the copies and the ID card. The burly man took back his ID with a sullen look, then, full of reluctance, signed the transfer agreement, tossed down the pen, and stomped over to the truck owner, smacking him hard on the head before storming out with a string of curses.

The truck owner pulled out three thousand yuan and handed it to Lu Jing. “Sorry, miss. They already extorted ten thousand from me. Take this as my contribution to the repair costs. Sigh, those men are not to be messed with.” Shaking his head, he left. Old Li also went out to arrange the repairs, leaving only Kang Ning and Lu Jing in the quiet office.

Lu Jing approached Kang Ning, gazing at him with mixed emotions. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would’ve done. How can I ever thank you?”

Kang Ning gently brushed past her, stopping at the door to give her a faint, distant smile. “No need to thank me. You’d best think about recruiting two more people. I think Li is a decent guy—maybe he knows some former coworkers who’d be interested. Those old hands from the military factory have solid skills.”

Without waiting for Lu Jing to respond, Kang Ning returned to the workshop, slipping into the pit beneath a car and calmly getting back to work.

His hands moved steadily and methodically, his face expressionless. Yet in the shadows, hidden from view, his eyes—usually restrained—carried a deep, unspoken melancholy.

Faced with Lu Jing’s gentle affection and heartfelt concern, even a fool would have sensed her longing, let alone the sensitive Kang Ning. Since his escape, his longing for his first love, Liu Yiqing, had only grown, rather than faded with sweat and punishing labor. Her delicate beauty, her gentle words and smiles, haunted his memory, vivid and persistent. Time and again, her touching image appeared before him—so real, so beautiful, so moving.

Even as he stood before the lovely Lu Jing, Kang Ning’s heavy heart was filled with memories of the woman waiting at home—Liu Yiqing, gentle yet strong, steadfast beneath her softness, understanding and generous, caring for him in silence for ten long years.

Though she stood only five foot three, her petite figure was graceful and rounded, her smooth forehead softly aglow beneath shining black hair. Delicate willow brows, crescent moon eyes, a straight, defined nose, and full, sensual lips—her features combined in a way that made her face captivating. Her neck was the color of mutton-fat jade, unmarked by a single line; her full, youthful curves and slender waist radiated feminine allure, her every contour brimming with womanly charm.

Yet now, all of this felt so far away from Kang Ning.

Given their current circumstances, Kang Ning could neither understand nor accept what had happened. He knew that Liu Yiqing, employed at the provincial government’s official newspaper, would inevitably be affected by his situation. Considering the background of Lan Tao, Kang Ning dared not imagine the difficulties and accusations Liu Yiqing would have to face.

He was racked with guilt—he had escaped, yes, but what about Liu Yiqing? This shy girl, who had only visited his family once to meet his parents, could hardly expect support from them now, given his disgrace. In Kang Ning’s estimation, his family, wary of his predicament, would likely reject the girl he had loved so deeply for years.

If that were the case, how could this gentle soul face the changes in her life alone? How could her slender shoulders bear such unimaginable burdens and pain?

Every day, Kang Ning worried in silence, haunted by concern. Yet he dared not call his first love—for fear of bringing her even greater trouble and hardship. So he was left to brood in endless torment, his conscience and longing gnawing at him, his anxiety for the future mounting with every passing day.