Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

When Ran Qin returned to Songhu Garden from the clinic, Sheng Lu had already finished his shower and was preparing for bed. Seeing her arrive so late, he frowned involuntarily.

"Are you this busy with work? Coming home at eleven at night?"

Ran Qin didn't want to elaborate on her affairs and simply responded along the lines of his question. "A patient came to the clinic tonight, so I ended up staying later than usual. Normally, I don't finish this late."

Sheng Lu nodded in understanding and was about to head into his master bedroom when Ran Qin's phone rang. It was her sister-in-law, Du Xiaomei, calling. When she answered, it turned out to be her brother, Jian Qin, speaking.

"Ran, my phone got smashed, and I'm using your sister-in-law's phone to call you. Did you manage to retrieve the surveillance footage?"

"Yes, I've pulled the footage. It's in my email now. But how did your phone break?"

"I charged it, then rode out on my bike. Just as I left, your sister-in-law called me..."

Jian Qin recounted how he accidentally hit someone's car and sounded frustrated. "The lady left me her business card, but your sister-in-law burned it. Now I have no way to contact her, and she can't find me either. I feel bad about hitting her car, but without her contact information, how can I reach her?"

Ran Qin quickly asked, "Did you at least remember her name?"

"Yeah, her name is Qingying Shui."

Ran sighed. "At least we have her name, which gives us something to go on. You should focus on the gas pipeline issue for now. We'll figure out the car owner's contact information later."

She offered a few more words of encouragement before ending the call. Turning around, she found that Sheng Lu hadn't gone to his room but was standing on the balcony. His tall frame, draped in a white bathrobe, made quite the picturesque sight against the night view.

She paused, startled, and was about to leave when Sheng Lu turned around.

"Was that your brother on the phone?"

Ran nodded naturally. "Yes, he said he accidentally hit someone's luxury car while riding his electric scooter. The business card the car owner left him was destroyed, so he can't contact them."

Sheng Lu felt a sudden pang of unease but joked lightly, "Isn't it better if he can't find them? That way, he doesn't have to pay for the damages."

But Ran's expression remained serious. "No, if he hit someone's car, it's his responsibility to compensate. Besides, losing the business card was his mistake. I'll find a way to get the car owner's contact information. Even if we can't pay right away, we will definitely make it right once we find her."

Sheng Lu: "..."

He had thought Ran was the only one with such a rigid sense of duty, but apparently, her brother was the same. They were truly siblings.

"Does your brother remember the car owner's name?" Sheng Lu asked casually.

"He said it was a woman named Qingying Shui."

Ran sighed again. "There are so many people in Binhai City—over thirty million residents. Finding her just by her name won't be easy."

Sheng Lu: "...It might be difficult, but where there's a will, there's a way. If you keep looking, you'll find her."

Ran, surprised by his encouragement, nodded earnestly. "Absolutely, we'll keep searching. If we don't find her in a year, we'll look for two years. If not two, then three. We'll definitely pay Miss Shui for the repairs."

Sheng Lu looked at the stubborn girl and said, "Get some rest. Goodnight."

Ran waved. "Goodnight."

It was past eleven, but Sheng Lu didn't go to sleep right away. After a moment's thought, he picked up his phone and called his cousin, Qingying Shui.

Qingying Shui was surprised to hear from him. "Sheng, it's past eleven. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Those who knew Sheng Lu well knew he was very disciplined, going to bed at exactly eleven every night. Very few things or people could keep him up this late.

Sheng ignored her question and asked instead, "What kind of person hit your car today?"

"A middle-aged man in his thirties, seemed very honest. But you and your assistant said he was faking it, probably someone trying to act innocent after causing trouble."

Sheng: "...Maybe he's not faking it. Maybe he really is an honest person."

Qingying was surprised. "How do you know he's honest? You haven't met him."

"You said he asked for your business card. If he was trying to cause trouble, wouldn't he have run off as soon as he saw the crash wasn't serious?"

Qingying thought about it. "True, but why did you think he was a scammer earlier?"

"Because I didn't know who hit your car at the time."

Qingying frowned. "So, you know who hit my car now?"

"A friend told me her brother hit a luxury car, and the owner's last name is Shui. I guessed it was you."

Sheng Lu and Ran Qin were secretly married, and even though Qingying Shui was his cousin, he didn't want more people to know. So, he didn't mention it was his brother-in-law.

"Oh, it's your friend's brother. No wonder you're calling me so late."

Qingying understood immediately. "I see. My car isn't badly damaged; it just needs a paint job, which should cost around two thousand. I won't ask him to pay."

She needed Sheng Lu's help in her business, and since he was calling her personally, she knew what to do. Sheng Lu was a proud man, and the fact that he was calling for his friend's brother showed how important that friend was to him.

Sheng: "I'm not saying he shouldn't pay. Just charge for the paint job, not the other expenses."

If a luxury car went to the 4S shop, they would often add other costs to the repair bill. Sheng didn't want his brother-in-law to avoid the normal repair fees, but he hoped Qingying wouldn't include all the extra costs.

Qingying reassured him. "Don't worry, I'm very clear about responsibilities. I'll only charge for what he caused. I won't ask for a penny more."

She wouldn't ask for much, especially after this call. She might just ask for a symbolic amount, maybe a few thousand.

Ran Qin had no idea what Sheng Lu had done for her brother. Her mind was still on Jian Qin's situation at the gas company, hoping the surveillance footage would prove his innocence.