Damn it, I'm surrounded by insane Alphas!

In the afternoon, Shi Ran stared at the computer screen, her brow furrowed.

Gu Chen's attitude towards Jiang Wanwan's matter is very clear, but the legal department has been investigating for several days without any progress.

If we don't act quickly, it will be very difficult to turn things around once the online buzz fades.

Unable to bear it any longer, Shi Ran went to see the head of the legal department again.

Manager Li pushed up his glasses, looking troubled: "Assistant Shi, it's not that we're not trying our best, but the other party is holding us back at several key points. Please be patient and wait a little longer."

It's the same old excuse again.

Shi Ran was seething with anger, but she couldn't vent it on the legal department, so she could only force an understanding smile: "Thank you for your hard work. Please let me know immediately if there's any news."

He had just come out of the Ministry of Justice and was pondering whether there were any other options when he bumped into a solid chest without noticing.

"Tsk, throwing yourself at me?"

Lu Lin's teasing voice rang out from above.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw Lu Lin with his hands in his pockets, smiling at him.

Shi Ran greeted him listlessly, trying to avoid him.

Lu Lin blocked his path again, tilting his head to look him over: "What happened, poor thing? Why are you hanging your head like that? Did some blind fool bully you?"

He reached out to pinch Shi Ran's face, but Shi Ran slapped his hand away in annoyance.

"No, it's nothing to do with work."

Lu Lin raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his eyes: "Is it because of Jiang Wanwan?"

Shi Ran suddenly looked up, "How did you know?"

Lu Lin smirked smugly. "Is there anything in this company that I want to know but don't? How about it, want a free lead?"

Shi Ran looked at him suspiciously: "You'd be so kind?"

"Of course—" Lu Lin drawled, his smile turning somewhat wicked, "there are conditions."

"What are the conditions?"

"Let me come to your place tonight, I'll bring you some delicious food, how about it?"

Shi Ran: "..."

He knew it! This guy never does anything that doesn't make a profit!

But I quickly weighed the options in my mind.

Although Lu Lin's motives were impure, his information channels were indeed well-connected, and it seemed he wasn't losing anything; it was better than just anxiously waiting here.

"Alright."

Shi Ran pretended to reluctantly agree, "But it's agreed, we'll only talk about business!"

Lu Lin immediately made a vow, "Don't worry, I'll only do serious business."

Getting things done is the right thing to do.

That evening, Lu Lin arrived at Shi Ran's house carrying large bags and small boxes of air-freighted seafood. As soon as he entered, he put the things in the kitchen.

"I brought the things, now it's up to you how you do it."

Looking at the menacing king crab, Shi Ran said, "So you bought it so I would cook it?"

"The capable should do more work."

Lu Lin approached with a grin, but Shi Ran had no choice but to start processing the seafood.

Lu Lin leaned lazily against the kitchen door frame, watching Shi Ran's slender waist and the curve outlined by the apron straps, which made his throat dry.

He quietly moved closer, resting his chin on Shi Ran's neck. "You're such a good cook?"

Shi Ran felt ticklish from his teasing and said, "Let go, you're in my way."

Lu Lin didn't loosen his grip; instead, he tightened his arms. "So fierce! Who else would come to your door with clues like me, even bringing their own air-freighted seafood?"

He was right, but Shi was undeniably too condescending, so he just scoffed, "Who told you to be so shameless? Then why did you even come?"

"Yes, yes, I'm pathetic, I deserve it, but who told me I'd willingly come to you like that?"

Lu Lin chuckled softly, his hands starting to wander, slowly caressing Shi Ran's waist.

Shi Ran felt uncomfortable being kissed by him. "Didn't we agree to talk about serious business?"

"No rush, we can talk as we work..."

He then tried to kiss her again.

Shi Ran thrust her elbow backward with a powerful jerk, this time slamming it squarely into Lu Lin's ribs.

"hiss--"

Lu Lin laughed out loud, wincing in pain. "Murdering your husband, huh?"

Seeing that the man was about to explode, Lu Lin immediately knew when to back down, "Okay, okay, I'll talk, alright?"

Lu Lin then toned down his joking expression. "I asked around and found out that the other party has considerable influence. They got through to the prosecutors. You'd never guess, it was a minor celebrity who did it."

"A minor celebrity?" Shi Ran frowned. "Isn't Jiang Wanwan herself one? Who else could it be?"

"That's why it's strange. But the more troublesome thing is that he's supposedly been out of the country recently, so..."

Before Lu Lin could finish speaking, his phone rang.

"Feed? Are you sure? Okay, keep a close eye on it, we're coming right away."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Lin revealed a playful smile: "What a coincidence, I just got the news that the person has returned to the country. Let's go see who this guy is."

"Now?" Shi Ran asked, somewhat taken aback. "What about all this seafood?"

"Let's steam it, it'll be perfect for when we get back."

Lu Lin didn't give him time to think. He had already picked up the car keys and pulled him downstairs without saying a word.

Lu Lin's driving skills were as formidable as ever. He sped along and soon reached the highway on the outskirts of the city, where he caught up with a black sports car in front of him.

"Is it the one in front?" Shi Ran asked.

"Okay, keep a close eye on it."

Shi Ran felt that the car looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

Little did he know that the person sitting in the car was Cheng Ye, whom he was trying to avoid at all costs.

Cheng Ye gripped the steering wheel tightly, his temples throbbing as if a needle were constantly churning inside.

He's been filming abroad for the past two days and hasn't had a full night's sleep. He rushed back to see his psychologist as soon as he got back, but unfortunately, the doctor is away on a seminar and won't be back until next month.

next month?

He couldn't wait that long.

Those fragmented images in my mind began to surge uncontrollably again.

No...we need to concentrate...

He forced himself to stare at the bend ahead, but his vision began to blur and his breathing became rapid.

Oh shit…

He cursed under his breath, feeling his consciousness fading.

Just as the car entered the curve, his hand slipped, and the steering wheel slipped out of his grasp.

"Damn, his car went awry!"

Lu Lin saw the car in front of him swerve in an S-shape and cursed.

Before the words were even finished, a loud "Bang!" was heard as the black car in front crashed directly into the guardrail, its front end smashed to pieces, and white smoke billowed out.

"Damn it, it really crashed!"

Lu Lin jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes.

The two immediately unbuckled their seatbelts and rushed over to check the situation. Shi Ran quickly reached the driver's seat; the airbags had deployed, and the person inside had half their face covered in blood.

Just then, Lu Lin stepped forward, and the streetlight that he had been blocking shone in, illuminating the messy interior of the car. Only then could Shi Ran see the people inside.

"Cheng Ye??"

Shi Ran's mind went blank. Lu Lin turned to look at him. "You know him?"

Shi Ran no longer cared about what he was saying; all he could see was Cheng Ye's pale face and the blood flowing down his jawline.

Countless fragments related to Cheng Ye flashed through his mind.

Cheng Ye with his nose red from the cold by the sea, Cheng Ye grinning foolishly while holding a cheap cake, and Cheng Ye's eyes turning completely dark when he disappeared.

At this moment, Shi Ran had only one thought in her mind: no matter what, she couldn't let Cheng Ye get into trouble.

Cheng Ye's mental illness is due to me; I'm the one who harmed him.

Shi Ran suddenly lunged at the mangled car door, desperately trying to pull it out. His fingernails snapped instantly, but he felt no pain. His voice trembled as he cried out, "Cheng Ye! Cheng Ye, hold on!"

Seeing his almost frantic state, Lu Lin frowned and stepped forward to help.

Inside the car, Cheng Ye's eyelids twitched, and his unfocused gaze slowly refocused.

Excruciating pain surged through my entire body. The moment my consciousness returned, my first thought was, "That's it. It doesn't seem so bad to end it like this."

Anyway, the person he cared about no longer exists.

Living is too tiring.

He closed his eyes in despair, almost giving up the struggle, when he heard urgent shouts and the sound of tugging at the car door outside.

Someone is rescuing him.

"Don't waste your energy..." he wanted to say, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips.

But the next second, as if possessed, he opened his eyes again and, through the swirling dust, saw the person desperately trying to pry open the car door.

How could it be him?!

The face he thought he could only see in his memories was right in front of him.

They called his name so earnestly, urging him to live.

The next second, his blood-stained hand suddenly gripped Shi Ran's wrist!

The force was terrifying.

His voice was hoarse and slurred with blood.

"Don't go."

"Please..."