Chapter 405

Chapter 405: Chapter 405

Chenyang’s blunt and explicit remark made Yan Rongrong blush.

She shot him an indignant glare. "If you want to sleep with me, you’ll have to prove you have what it takes!"

"It’s just about beating you, right?" Chenyang said with a nonchalant smile. "A piece of cake."

"The only reason you beat me last time was because I was underprepared, not because you were stronger than me. Besides, if you want to defeat me, you have to get past this huge hurdle in front of you first."

Hearing this, Chenyang’s gaze shifted to Lin Jiji on the steps. After a moment’s thought, he smiled. "A celebrity might have an aura, but that aura only works on his fans. It has no effect on me."

Yan Rongrong looked at Chenyang with a complicated expression. "Don’t talk so big, you might bite your tongue. You’re not just facing a celebrity and his fans now, but also the general public and those high-ranking leaders. The slightest misstep could be a matter of life and death for you!"

Chenyang’s gaze grew profound. "Two years ago, my internship position was stolen. Because of that, not only did I fail to graduate, but my girlfriend also left me. Back then, all the people who used to swarm around me started to distance themselves, look down on me, and even kick me while I was down."

"Now, people who don’t know the truth don’t believe me, people online are cursing me out, and everyone here is just waiting to see me make a fool of myself. The circumstances are different, but the situation is uncannily similar."

Yan Rongrong hadn’t expected Chenyang to have already gone through something like this.

She asked curiously, "So how did you deal with it last time?"

"Last time, I chose to run away," Chenyang said with a wry smile. "Sounds pretty cowardly, doesn’t it?"

Yan Rongrong blinked, asking herself, ’Was a choice like that really cowardly?’

’Two years ago, Chenyang hadn’t even graduated. He was just a poor kid from the sticks.’

’For a poor kid with no background, no connections, no money, and no power, what could he possibly do when faced with the ridicule of others, his girlfriend’s betrayal, and the deliberate bullying of a rich heir?’

’The answer was obviously nothing.’

’It wasn’t that he didn’t want to act; it was that he couldn’t.’

’Since he couldn’t do anything, forcing the issue would have only made him look like a bigger fool.’

’So running away wasn’t cowardice. It was laying the groundwork for the comeback he’s staging now!’

At this thought, Yan Rongrong looked at Chenyang again.

At first, she thought it would be incredibly difficult for Chenyang to overcome this hurdle.

But now, seeing his resolute expression and unwavering gaze, an indescribable sense of trust in him welled up in her heart.

"This time, you definitely won’t be like you were before!"

Chenyang smiled and nodded. "This time, I’m going to clear my name, take back the dignity I lost, and make sure everyone knows that not only is there a place for me in Yang City, but that I will carve out a world of my own here!"

"I’m really curious about what exactly you went through."

"If you please me later tonight, I’ll tell you all about it."

"Hmph. If you want me to please you, you’ll have to satisfy me first."

"No problem. I guarantee I’ll make you overflow..."

"Ahem." Yan Rongrong cut Chenyang off at just the right moment, rolling her eyes at him. "Let’s focus on the real issue here."

Chenyang grinned and looked up toward the steps.

Up on the steps stood not only the city and hospital officials, but also Lin Jiji, Liu Yue, and a few unfamiliar faces.

After exchanging a few words with Zhang Hongtu, Lin Jiji, and the others, a hospital official stepped forward. He faced the crowd and began to recount the series of events, explaining the position of the hospital and the city government. It was mostly just bland, non-committal official-speak.

As he listened, Chenyang asked in a low voice, "Who are those people standing to Lin Jiji’s left?"

"An Xiaoqing told me that a few of them are representatives sent by the victims’ side—family members of the people you allegedly took advantage of at the car accident."

"Heh, they’re making this look so official. I didn’t take advantage of anyone, so where did these ’representatives’ come from?"

"I already confirmed it with Liu Yue. Lin Jiji secretly paid them off. Apparently, they each got 20,000 yuan."

"Lin Jiji is pretty generous, huh? Twenty thousand a person... even if he only paid off ten of the victims’ families, that’s still 200,000 yuan."

"According to Liu Yue, Lin Jiji has already spent five or six hundred thousand yuan on media companies and bribes just to go after you."

"Fucking idiot," Chenyang cursed. His gaze landed on the stunningly beautiful woman standing at the far end. "She’s not one of the representatives, is she?"

Yan Rongrong shot the beautiful woman a strange look. "She... is one of Yang City’s renowned ’Ten Great Goddesses’! Among those top ten, she’s ranked third. As for who she is, she’s the belle of Yangcheng TV Station!"