Beauty and the Bodyguard

Chapter 237 - Half of Their Demands

"No!!" Lin Yi wanted to start yelling- what the hell was the matter with this person, calling for some thief this early in the morning? Hm? Grand Thief Lin? Wasn't his surname Lin..?

"Who are you looking for, exactly?" Lin Yi asked.

"I'm looking for Mister Lin Yi, the Grand Thief……" Jingyi didn't understand why Lin Yi was being so stubborn.

"You are..?" Lin Yi sweated- this phone call really was for him.. But when did he become a Grand Thief..?

"I'm Sun Jingyi, don't you remember? From the Solid Cloud Bar……" Jingyi said quickly, scared that Lin Yi might hang up on her again.

"Oh, it's you……" Lin Yi said as he recalled Sun Jingyi's familiar figure. "So what do you need?"

"I wanted to hire you for your services……" Jingyi said carefully.

"Hire me? You're not asking me to pretend I'm your boyfriend again, are you?" Lin Yi said after a pause. This Sun Jingyi was pretty interesting, using words like 'hire' and 'services' like that. She wasn't too bright, was she, believing him just because he told her he was some Grand Thief?

"It's not that… I have something else I need your help with." Jingyi said. "I wanted you to help steal a document from a company."

"You want me to… steal for you?" Lin Yi couldn't believe it- this girl really did think he was a thief!

"Yes. Lin Yi, can't you help? I'm willing to compensate you handsomely!" Jingyi said.

"Oh?" Lin Yi was about to reject her when the girl said she was paying. "What kind of document? How much are you paying?"

As it was, Lin Yi was lacking money. Chu Pengzhan did give him a credit card, but it felt like he was eating soft rice... (remember what I told you?) There were also times where it'd be rather troublesome to move that money around.

Like paying for Fen's medical fees, for example- using Lin Yi's own money was fine, but using the credit card… It'd be pretty troublesome to explain things should Uncle Fu ask him about them. It'd be better for him to have his own cash.

There was that business plan he had been thinking about, too- he needed funds to get everything started, after all- it was the only thing left, since he had the recipes and Guan Xuemin's name ready… Building factories and starting a company took more than just a bit of money.

"One's about an employee in my company. It's footage of him handling rebates for another company." Jingyi said. "As you know, my company specializes in trading- rebates aren't a secret in the industry, but the competitor has footage that it's planning to release to the media……"

"Oh.. And?" Lin Yi was catching on pretty nicely- it wasn't anything too complicated, after all.

"It'll be a pretty big blow to our company's reputation, plus punishments……" Jingyi explained.

"Then they've gotta have made some sort of demands, right? You not complying to their terms, and going out of your way to have me steal stuff from them… That doesn't make too much sense." Lin Yi said, leaving the last part out. You didn't think the price for my services would be lower than their terms, did you?

After all, hiring Master Lin Yi for his services was very costly- Sun Jingyi didn't think it'd be a thousand kuai like last time, did she?

"Their demands……" Jingyi bit her lip- she'd made contact with the opposing party before, but their chairman had spoken: he'd let the whole thing blow over if Jingyi spent a night with him, and he'd even give her the footage… But there was simply no way she'd agree to that.

"Here, how 'bout this- I'll ask for half of what their demands are. I'm a very reasonable man, it's a pretty good price!" Lin Yi said. "Alright, I still have stuff to do- call me after you've decided!"

With that, Lin Yi hung the phone up in the middle of Jingyi's hesitation. They'd only met once, did the girl think he'd just do her favors? His services required payment..!

Zhong Pinliang limped into class, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he looked in Lin Yi's direction.

Yet he dared not reveal his rage to Lin Yi, for the guy had sent Heibao back into prison!! He'd even disabled him!

He'd learned of this yesterday- after all, it was only natural for a man like Zhong Fabai to have connections in the police.

He didn't know how Lin Yi had managed it, but he did know what kind of a monster Heibao had become after his power up into the golden class end phase… Him losing to Lin Yi again was only a concrete testament to Lin Yi's more terrifying monstrosity. Just how powerful was that fucker?

He would never forget- he'd never just let his humiliation from yesterday slide!! Lin Yi… It was Lin Yi who did everything!!!

LIN YI…… Pinliang gritted his teeth and made fists with his hands as he swore to have his revenge as soon as he got the chance.

"Boss, really sorry for yesterday… I couldn't look after sis-in-law Tang Yin……" Xiaobo said guiltily.

"I don't blame you- there was probably something up with the cab you got in!" Lin Yi said. "Ah, right- you okay? Did anything happen to you?"

"I'm fine, they weren't after me I think." Xiaobo said. "By the way, boss, what happened after you had dinner with Zhong Pinliang? Why's he limping today? Hemorrhoids or something?"

"Pfft-" Lin Yi's eyes widened in surprise- could Zou Ruoming… really have thought Pinliang was Tang Yin? Was he that blind, to have forced himself on a man..? Lin Yi started making conjectures.

"Who knows? He sent Heibao after me again, but I got him back to the police." Lin Yi explained as he told Xiaobo of what had happened, making sure to be as undetailed as possible when he got to Tang Yin's part.

Xiaobo noticed that Lin Yi didn't really want to talk about it, and stopped himself from asking. The important thing was that Tang Yin was safe.

"Right, boss… What do you think about me and Fen… You think we're good for each other..?" It was a question Xiaobo had been thinking about the last couple days- it'd been quite troubling.

If it were love at first sight, then it could also be said that Xiaobo had fallen in love with Fen's looks… She wasn't as pretty as Tang Yin, but was heavenly to Xiaobo all the same.

After knowing about her situation, Xiaobo started feeling compassionate towards the girl, pitying the tragedy she'd been through! It was especially so when he looked into Fen's helpless and fragile eyes… It gave Xiaobo an urge to protect her!

It was why Xiaobo had been so passionate the last couple days- he was eighteen, and it was an age of youth and love! Yet Xiaobo couldn't help but consider the things that would take place after his initial impulsiveness…

Even if Fen's leg could be healed, would he be able to provide the costly medical bills? Would he continue to love and protect Fen as he did now?

Chapter 238 - Meeting With Lin Yi

Xiaobo wanted to figure things out, clear his head- was he really in love with Fen, or was it just a one-time impulse? He decided to consult Lin Yi.

"It's pretty early to be thinking about that." Lin Yi naturally understood his concerns. He gave his shoulder a pat. "It's not about whether the two of you would go well together- it's about whether if she'd even accept you in the first place!"

"!!" Xiaobo realized that instant that Fen might not even want to go out with him!

"You can try spending time with her, see how that works out over time- You should be able to figure things out by then if your feelings are real!" Lin Yi said. "But, whatever you decide to do… Remember what's most important: you can't hurt Fen. You'll be fine, but she can't go through all this again……"

"Don't worry, boss! I understand! I'll only speak to her about this after I've confirmed my feelings!" Xiaobo said, feeling much better after his talk with Lin Yi.

Tang Yin, on the other hand, hadn't had a good night's sleep yesterday… Her mom kept pulling her out of bed to chat, and it was always about Lin Yi…

She wasn't really in the mood for bed anymore by the time her mother had fallen asleep. Remembering that Lin Yi's shirt was still with her, she decided to help him wash it first.

Yet a question arose when she reached school the next day: how was she supposed to get the shirt back to Lin Yi? Should she just take it to his class? Would people misunderstand if she did that?

With Lin Yi's shirt in her hands, Tang Yin kept getting out and back in her seat when first class ended, wondering if she should bring it to Lin Yi. Couldn't she be more decisive at a time like this?

What was the big deal, anyway- she was just returning a shirt!

She recalled that time where she went to Lin Yi for a recipe… It spread throughout the entire school like wildfire! Her bringing a shirt to Lin Yi would only result in an even bigger mess, and people might even assume she'd slept with him!

Tang Yin shrunk back into her seat at that thought. She remembered her best friend Liu Xinwen suddenly- she could get her to ask Lin Yi to meet up at the field for her!

She put the shirt down and started walking to Xinwen's class.

The second class ended, and Xinwen started walking to Lin Yi's classroom- she was down in spirits. This Tang Yin really had fallen! Using her to ask Lin Yi out? How could she keep denying her relationship with him when things were getting this serious?

She didn't have time to ask Tang Yin why she needed to meet Lin Yi- the ten minute breaks weren't enough for that at all! Without much of a choice, Xinwen accepted the request, thinking that she'd interrogate Tang Yin during lunch or study hall later.

"Hey? I'm looking for Lin Yi!" Xinwen's personality didn't let her care what people thought of her- she went up to a class five student right away.

"Oh, wait a sec!" The student didn't think much of it- he just walked inside to get Lin Yi out.

A moment later, a curious Lin Yi walked out to see Liu Xinwen waiting for him outside. "What do you need?"

"Lin Yi, what's your relationship with Tang Yin?" Xinwen decided to interrogate Lin Yi instead, since the girl wasn't talking.

"Me and Tang Yin? Ah, well……" Lin Yi found Xinwen's expression to be quite amusing. "Nothing special. Nothing you can't see."

"So are you going out with her?" Xinwen asked directly- she was one who spoke her mind.

"Not yet." Lin Yi said candidly. "What're you here for? Just to ask me that? You don't seem that gossipy to me- why don't you go ask Xiaobo if he's going out with Fen instead, if you're in the mood?"

"I'm just asking!" Xinwen curled her lips, sighing. From what she could see, Lin Yi didn't seem like the type who'd lie, especially when it concerned little things like this.

"Then is that it? I'm going back then!" Lin Yi rolled his eyes as he prepared to leave. What was this girl's deal, coming all the way here to ask something like that? Even Tang Yin's mom wasn't this gossipy.

"Wait, Tang Yin wants you to wait for her under the tree to the left of the field after fourth period!" Without waiting for an answer, Xinwen turned and walked away.

Tree at the field? Lin Yi scratched at his nose- did this count as Tang Yin asking him out? It had to be the first time.

He walked back to his seat to see a very anxious Xiaobo looking at him. "Boss, I saw Liu Xinwen- what did she want to talk to you about?"

"Don't worry, Fen's fine. It's about me." Lin Yi said, reassuring the guy's worries.

Xiaobo nodded, not asking anymore questions after hearing that it wasn't about Fen.

Lin Yi spotted Zou Ruoming during exercise break- the guy was under a basketball pole with a sour face. He was in the thirteenth grade, and the school didn't require them to join the exercise breaks.

'Thirteenth grade' was basically a bonus grade meant for preparing students for the final exams, the gaokao- some schools implemented this for the sake of profits, and the students who could take the grade weren't just the school's students who failed the gaokao, either… There were people already in society coming back to school for thirteenth grade, and also students from other schools as well. As long as one paid up, they'd be able to take thirteenth grade for as long as they wanted.

Lin Yi looked at Ruoming faintly- he had a death mark on the guy already. Lin Yi usually never let anyone who'd hurt the people around him go.

Some distance away was Tang Yin's class, and Lin Yi started waving at her upon sighting the girl, who only responded with a glare before turning her head away shyly.

Chu Mengyao and Chen Yushu, on the other hand, were the main focus of many of the boys during exercise break. The two girls had long since gotten used to getting looked at already.

Zhong Pinliang was still in the classroom as he watched Mengyao, his eyes slowly trailing off to where Lin Yi was… Ever since this fucker arrived, nothing went his way!! This man could not be allowed to exist in his life!!

He was raging when his phone started vibrating- it was his father Zhong Fabai.

"Dad?" Pinliang wondered what his dad might've called him for- this usually never happened when he was in school.

"Pinliang. Heibao's in police custody, and contacted me through the lawyer- he said he wanted to meet you…" Fabai didn't know why Heibao wanted to see his son, but this wasn't a request he could just reject without thinking about it. After all, the guy was voluntarily acting as scapegoat- he didn't want to displease him if possible.