Chapter 129: A Turning Point

Liu Yunfei now carries two mobile phones with him. One is the original number he used back in China, and the other was provided by the Saudi royal family, with all roaming and call charges covered by the Saudi government. Liu is not particularly concerned about the cost; what matters is that he is waiting for someone. All his friends abroad now know his Chinese number, except for one person—a woman who, even now, remains unwilling to forgive him.

Liu Yunfei waits patiently for Yu Qing’s return. He keeps that phone on 24 hours a day, never letting the battery die, for he is terrified of missing a call from that daisy-like woman he once hurt. The phone that just rang was this one, and a wave of ecstasy washed over him. However, upon answering, he heard the voice of a woman speaking English: it was Betia.

It turned out that Betia had already reached an agreement with Gao Renhou to serve as the general manager of the fund. Most of the procedures in Switzerland had been completed, and she hoped Liu could find time to sign the relevant documents. She added that she missed him dearly and wanted him to come to Switzerland soon for a little visit.

Liu Yunfei felt a headache coming on. Signing documents was quick enough, but if he went, he would certainly be pestered by that foreign beauty. With Zhang Xiaoli nearby, it would be a case of "seeing it but not being able to touch it," and he would inevitably find himself thinking about that one encounter with Betia. But how could he get away? The police station required him to report for duty, the Dong family needed him to check in frequently, and his attendance at school was already hit-or-miss—he couldn't just vanish entirely.

Liu had no choice but to offer a perfunctory excuse: "You go ahead and continue with the arrangements. A friend’s father is undergoing surgery here, so even the most important matters will have to wait."

Dong Qianqian hadn't intended to eavesdrop; she was busy preparing for her CET-6 English exam. Hearing Liu speaking in English, she couldn't help but lean in to listen more clearly. She discovered that Liu’s spoken English was truly authentic and fluent, and he spoke so quickly that there were even words she hadn't learned yet. However, she heard the final two sentences clearly. The fact that Liu would put aside major business just because of her caused a warm sensation to bloom in her heart. *This guy might be despicable and shameless, but isn't he like this because he likes me? Is there anything wrong with loving someone?*

Dong Qianqian suddenly thought of Chen Zhiqiang. Where was he when she was at her most helpless? He was probably still off having fun with his boss’s wife. Every time she encountered hardship, it was this boy before her who accompanied her through the storm—whether on that sun-drenched afternoon or even now. Even after she had cursed him so bitterly, he still extended a helping hand without hesitation.

"What’s wrong? Is there something written on my face?" After finishing the call, Liu Yunfei noticed Dong Qianqian looking at him with an inscrutable expression and felt a bit uneasy. *Did I do something wrong today? Is she going to act up again?*

Seeing Liu looking apprehensive, Dong Qianqian couldn't help but smile. "Who were you talking to? I didn't expect your English to be so good."

Liu Yunfei felt that when Dong Qianqian smiled, her rose-like face bloomed with indescribable charm. He swore to himself that he would definitely plant this rose in his own bed, but he couldn't voice those thoughts. Putting on a modest expression, he said, "Just a friend. My English is just average; I mainly picked it up because I spent some time abroad in that environment."

"I really envy you, being able to go abroad so often. Which famous cities have you visited?" Dong Qianqian’s greatest wish was to travel the world, but she had never told anyone. In a poor family like hers, expressing such a desire would only invite ridicule.

"Quite a few, though I just passed through many of them. The ones I’m most familiar with are probably New York, Florence in Italy, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia."

"You’ve been to... what is your QQ screen name?" Dong Qianqian clearly thought of something. People are creatures of association, especially women; often, a single simple sentence can trigger a storm, much like the famous butterfly effect.

Dong Qianqian had intended to ask, "When were you in Saudi Arabia and Florence?" But she changed her mind at the last second. She wanted to catch Liu Yunfei off guard.

Liu Yunfei really wasn't prepared. It wasn't that his reflexes were slow, but rather a conditioned reflex; he had long since tossed the memory of that video chat from ages ago into his brain’s recycle bin. He felt that the upright, strong girl before him could not be linked to the wanton, gold-digging girl from that video.

"Rogue Fei," Liu blurted out. Why did she suddenly ask this? Could it be...? Within 0.1 seconds of saying it, he realized, but it was too late.

It was obvious from Dong Qianqian’s expression why she had asked. Surprise, fear, and shame were all written on her face and flooded her heart.

*How could it be such a coincidence? Is this fate playing a trick on me again? Why treat me like this? Why! I searched through the vast sea of the internet, and the online friend I found turned out to be my neighbor. This is too coincidental! How will he see me? I will always remember what he said on QQ. Does he see me that way? Oh God, what should I do? I want to crawl into a hole, but I can't even dig one in this building. It’s too humiliating.*

Dong Qianqian clutched her hands to her chest. In front of Liu Yunfei, she felt as if she were stark naked. The boy’s eyes felt like sharp blades, shredding her clothes, exposing her body, and piercing straight through to her heart.

"Don't be like that, I didn't really see anything," Liu Yunfei said, moving closer to the panicked Dong Qianqian and comforting her softly. He had never encountered such a situation and didn't know how to console her, thinking that he had only seen her wearing a purple bra, after all.

"Was it really you?" Dong Qianqian couldn't help but confirm it again. In truth, there was no need to ask, but people have a streak of wishful thinking; she truly hoped Liu would deny it.

"Sigh, honestly, I didn't mean to look; it was just a coincidence that I ran into you." Dong Qianqian was busy making excuses for herself, and Liu Yunfei was also trying to exonerate himself; he didn't want the misunderstanding between them to deepen.

Hearing Liu