Chapter 95: No News!

When Jiang Lun appeared, the beautiful woman snapped her fingers. “Get in the car!”

Then she turned to Mai Le and Chen Yingying. “You two take the car behind. Mine only has room for one!”

“Alright, got it!” Mai Le chuckled and complied without protest.

Chen Yingying, however, eyed the woman warily. She discreetly pinched Jiang Lun’s arm as a warning before turning to walk toward the car behind.

Jiang Lun opened the door and got in, leaving behind a crowd of stunned onlookers.

…

On the road, Jiang Lun tried to appear calm. It was his first time in a car of this caliber, and he sat stiffly, having rehearsed his words of gratitude in his mind, yet when it came time to speak, he found himself tongue-tied.

Lin Yong, seated next to him, glanced over and casually asked, “Nervous? Are you one of Brother Hui’s new signings?”

“Yes!” Jiang Lun replied, seizing the opportunity to add, “Thank you for picking me up! And for making such a grand entrance!”

“It’s no big deal,” Lin Yong said lightly. “I’m definitely older than you—just call me Sister Yong.”

“Alright! Sister Yong!” Jiang Lun’s voice quivered slightly.

Lin Yong gave him a look. “I haven’t seen you before. What have you acted in?”

“I’m a singer!”

“A singer?” Lin Yong said with a laugh. “Brother Hui’s been talking about breaking into the music scene for ages, and now he’s actually done it! What songs have you sung?”

Jiang Lun rattled off seven or eight song titles, but Lin Yong shook her head. “Never heard of them. Have you released an album?”

“Yes, I put one out just half a month ago!”

“Take one out and let’s have a listen!”

Jiang Lun dug out a CD from his bag, unwrapped it, and handed it over.

After listening to the first track, “Love Before the Common Era,” Lin Yong commented, “Not bad! Got anything upbeat?”

“Yes, track four, ‘Nunchucks!’”

As soon as he said it, Lin Yong switched tracks. After a few bars, she exclaimed in delight, “Oh! Hip-hop? I haven’t heard any pop singers try this style before!”

“I wanted to do something new,” Jiang Lun explained.

Lin Yong made a noncommittal sound—she wasn’t in the music industry herself and didn’t know much about it.

By now, the convoy had merged onto the ring expressway, but instead of heading toward the bustling city center, they drove in the opposite direction.

Jiang Lun couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t we going into the city?”

“We’re going to Jiangning,” Lin Yong replied. “I have a holiday villa there. Since Brother Hui entrusted you to me, I have to see that you’re settled in properly!”

“I really can’t trouble you like that!” Jiang Lun protested. “Any hotel would be fine!”

“Let you stay at a hotel? If word got out, people would never let me hear the end of it! Besides, the police escort can only take us as far as Jiangning; if we went into the city, it’d be in the news and I’d have another mess on my hands.”

“Well, alright then. I’ll do as you say.”

…

Another half hour or so passed before the convoy entered an estate and finally stopped in front of a villa.

The gate stood open, and several people were already waiting. At the forefront was an elderly man with white hair, dignified and composed. Behind him stood three women and a young lady, all in matching tailored suits with bowties and bright, welcoming smiles.

As soon as they got out, the group bowed deeply to Lin Yong. “Welcome home, Miss!”

“These are my friends. They’ll be staying here for a few days. Take good care of them,” Lin Yong instructed, gesturing toward Jiang Lun.

The staff immediately nodded their assent.

Then she turned to the driver of the Maybach. “A Jin, stay with Mr. Jiang these few days. Wherever he needs to go, you drive. If anything comes up that you can’t handle, call me.”

“Yes, ma’am!” The driver’s deep, steady voice exuded reliability.

With her instructions delivered, Lin Yong turned to Jiang Lun. “You’ll be staying here. If there’s anything you need, just tell A Jin or Old Zhao.”

Jiang Lun quickly thanked her. “We’ve really troubled you today!”

“It’s nothing. Get some rest. I won’t come in,” Lin Yong said, making no move to linger. She got back into her Brabus and, along with the police cars, departed, leaving behind only the Maybach.

“Mr. Jiang, please come inside,” the elderly man said with a polite gesture. “I’m the housekeeper here. Just call me Old Zhao.”

“Hello, Uncle Zhao,” Jiang Lun replied courteously.

Old Zhao didn’t mind the honorific and led everyone inside.

The villa, though not ostentatious, had a unique character—distinct from the extravagant mansions of television dramas. It was a holiday retreat, yet the décor bore its own refined taste.

There were plenty of rooms upstairs. Jiang Lun and Chen Yingying were given the master bedroom, while Mai Le, far from put out, picked a guest room with ample sunlight.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the bedroom, they could see the sparkling expanse of the lake. Though they didn’t know its name, both the distant mountains and the scenery nearby were captivating.

The tranquil beauty was soothing—one could not help but relax, body and mind.

“Brother Lun! The housekeeper told me there’s a hot spring here. Shall we go for a soak?” Mai Le entered, grinning with anticipation.

“In this heat? Who wants a hot spring? There’s a pool in the backyard—let’s just jump in!” Jiang Lun pointed outside to the backyard, where a crystal-clear swimming pool glistened.

“This place is gorgeous! When I’m old and rich, I’m coming here for retirement!” Mai Le sighed, basking in the sunlight streaming through the window.

At that moment, Chen Yingying joined them. “Say, who do you think that woman really is?”

“I have no idea,” Jiang Lun replied, shaking his head. “But she’s definitely not ordinary.”

“You two didn’t ask along the way?” Mai Le pressed.

“No,” Jiang Lun shook his head again. “It’s not right to pry into other people’s business. Besides, she’s Brother Hui’s friend—we should respect that.”

“Maybe I’ll ask Old Zhao,” Mai Le said, curiosity brimming.

“Don’t!” Jiang Lun waved him off. “Let’s not invite trouble. If they want us to know, they’ll tell us.”

Chen Yingying chimed in, “No need to ask. With all those reporters at the airport, it’ll be in the news. We’ll find out soon enough.”

“Yeah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Mai Le said, pulling out his phone and sitting on the sofa to check Weibo.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Jiang Lun went to open it and found Old Zhao standing there, smiling warmly.

“Mr. Jiang, sorry to disturb you after your journey.”

“No trouble at all,” Jiang Lun replied. “If anything, we’re the ones imposing on you.”

Old Zhao chuckled. “I wanted to ask what you’d like for dinner.”

“No need to fuss. Anything simple is fine—we’re not picky eaters.”

“In that case, I’ll prepare some local specialties. How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” Jiang Lun nodded. “We’ll leave it to you.”

“Very well. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready,” Old Zhao said, bowing slightly before leaving.

Jiang Lun watched him go, wondering if he’d overheard their earlier conversation.

“Hey! What’s going on?” Suddenly, Mai Le exclaimed from the sofa.

Jiang Lun quickly closed the door and turned around. “What is it?”

“It’s the weirdest thing!” Mai Le scratched his head, holding up his phone. “We made quite a scene at the airport, right? But there’s not a single report about it online!”

“Huh?” Jiang Lun stepped over to check the phone.

There was news about bidog, tfex, and his arrival in Nanjin, but nothing at all about the luxury car or their dramatic departure. In fact, he realized that a moment ago, he’d seen a comment about it on Weibo, but when he refreshed the page, it was gone.

Jiang Lun set down the phone and took a deep breath. “Let’s not discuss this anymore, okay?” he cautioned Mai Le and Chen Yingying.

Both nodded, and a quiet hush settled over the room.