I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

December 28th, high-speed rail station.

He Ying dragged a small suitcase out of the station exit and saw Chen Dapeng already standing at the pick-up point waiting for her.

He was wearing a dark, thick coat and carrying an insulated bag.

Seeing He Ying come out, he quickly went to greet her and took the suitcase from her hands:

"Sister Ying, are you tired from the journey?"

"Thankfully, I managed to sleep on the high-speed train." He Ying looked at the insulated bag in his hand. "What's that?"

"My mom made some chicken soup and asked me to bring it to you. She said you need to replenish your nutrition right now."

He Ying paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Auntie, you're too kind."

"She treats you like family." Chen Dapeng handed her the insulated bag. "Let's go, the car's outside."

The two walked out of the high-speed rail station and boarded the train.

Chen Dapeng started the engine, and the car drove out of the parking lot and merged into the main road.

He Ying leaned back in the passenger seat, turning her head to look out the window at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar streets.

"Sister Ying, Lin Chen's engagement is tomorrow, are you ready?"

He Ying turned her head: "It's not like I'm getting engaged, what do I need to prepare?"

"Lin Chen said you're his VIP guest and that you absolutely must dress your best," Chen Dapeng smiled. "He specifically instructed me to."

He Ying's lips curved slightly: "He certainly knows how to talk."

The car stopped at the entrance of the residential complex where He Ying's father lived.

Chen Dapeng helped her carry her suitcase upstairs.

He Yi opened the door and saw He Ying standing there. He looked her up and down and nodded.

"You've lost weight."

He Ying changed her shoes and went inside:

"No, I ate quite well."

He Yi glanced at the insulated bag in Chen Dapeng's hand: "What's that?"

"Chicken soup made by Dapeng's mother."

He Yi didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the kitchen:

"Then heat it up and drink it tonight."

He Ying sat down on the sofa and looked around the living room.

A pot of daffodils appeared on the coffee table.

She reached out and touched the daffodil leaf, then looked up at her father:

"Dad, Lin Chen is getting engaged tomorrow, are you going?"

"I'm not going. I'd feel uncomfortable at a gathering for young people like you."

He Ying didn't try to persuade him any further. She understood her father's personality; he didn't like these kinds of occasions.

At dinner time, He Yi heated up the chicken soup.

The room was filled with a delicious aroma. He drank a bowl and commented:

"It's well-stewed."

He Ying lowered her head and drank her soup, a slight smile playing on her lips, but she didn't reply.

After the meal, Chen Dapeng helped clear the table. He Yi sat in the living room watching the news, occasionally glancing up at the kitchen. His gaze would linger on Chen Dapeng for a moment before moving away, without saying anything more.

……

Noon the next day.

Lin Chen's engagement ceremony was held at a hotel in the provincial capital.

The scene was arranged with great care.

The warm lighting, the long table adorned with flowers and wedding candies, and the wall covered with several photos of Lin Chen and Jiang Mengze—all casual snapshots that looked relaxed and natural.

He Ying wore a deep red dress, her hair was down, and she wore light makeup, making her stand out in the crowd.

Chen Dapeng stood next to her, wearing a dark coat, looking more formal than usual.

Lin Chen saw He Ying walking over, quickly went to greet her with a smile:

"Secretary He, welcome, welcome! It's an honor for me to have you here."

He Ying smiled:

"Congratulations, you've finally made up your mind."

"Absolutely, we can't let Dapeng be happy alone."

They both laughed.

Chen Dapeng added from the side:

"Stop being sarcastic; you're the star today."

The engagement ceremony went very smoothly.

Lin Chen's parents and Jiang Mengze's parents were both present.

Both families seemed very satisfied, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was harmonious.

He Ying sat next to Chen Dapeng, occasionally picking up a piece of food with her chopsticks, and occasionally chatting with Jiang Mengze next to her.

She noticed that Chen Dapeng seemed more relaxed than usual today, with a constant smile on his face, as if he were watching his good friend embark on a new stage in life and he was happy for him too.

It was already past 2 PM when the event ended.

He Ying and Chen Dapeng helped see off the last group of guests, and Lin Chen stood at the door and made a gesture to him:

"I'm off tomorrow, you can make your own arrangements."

Chen Dapeng nodded, took He Ying's hand, and walked out of the hotel.

……

The next morning, Chen Dapeng and He Ying arranged to go to a bridal shop to try on wedding dresses.

He Ying chose a high-waisted style, with the skirt hem falling naturally below the waistline, concealing her abdomen well and making it impossible to see any changes.

When she came out of the fitting room.

Chen Dapeng was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone when he looked up and saw her, and he stopped in his tracks.

He Ying stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself from the side; the lines of her skirt were very smooth.

She turned to look at Chen Dapeng and found his gaze still fixed on her. She asked softly:

"How is it?"

Chen Dapeng snapped out of his daze and smiled:

"nice."

He Ying's lips curved slightly:

"Then let's go with this one."

She turned and went into the fitting room to change back into her own clothes.

After leaving the bridal shop, the two went to a wedding candy shop.

He Ying picked out several different flavors of candy, and Chen Dapeng was in charge of tasting them, giving a few serious comments after each one was tasted.

Seeing his serious expression, He Ying couldn't help but smile. She didn't interrupt him and waited until he finished tasting it before saying:

"That's all for now."

As He Ying passed a maternity and baby products store, she slowed down again.

Chen Dapeng followed her gaze—

A row of small clothes hung in the shop window, all in light pink and blue colors.

He stood beside her for a while, without urging her.

He Ying looked away: "Let's go."

Keep going.

It was already getting dark when I came out of the mall.

The two were waiting for a car by the roadside. He Ying stood on the sidewalk and glanced down at her phone.

Just then, Chen Dapeng caught a glimpse of a figure behind him out of the corner of his eye—

A man in a dark coat was standing next to the side entrance of the mall, holding his phone in front of his chest with the camera pointed in He Ying's direction.

His actions looked like he was looking at his phone, but the phone was at the wrong angle, making it look more like he was taking a candid photo.

Without hesitation, Chen Dapeng turned around and strode in that direction.

When the other person saw him suddenly move, they immediately put down their phone and turned to leave.

Chen Dapeng quickened his pace: "Stop!"

The person didn't stop, but slipped into the emergency exit next to the side door, their footsteps quickly fading into the distance in the stairwell.

By the time Chen Dapeng reached the safety exit, the footsteps were no longer audible.

He stood at the door for a few seconds, then turned and walked back to He Ying's side without chasing after her.

He Ying stood still, but her expression became very serious:

"What's wrong?"

"Someone is filming you."

Chen Dapeng's voice was very low:

"A man, wearing a dark coat, was standing near the side entrance of the mall. When he saw me, he turned and ran away."

He Ying was silent for two seconds, then picked up her phone, found Du Yuming's number, and sent a message:

"Someone has been following and secretly filming me in the provincial capital. Please check the county to see if there have been any suspicious individuals recently."

Then she put down her phone and looked at Chen Dapeng:

After the taxi arrived, the two got in.

He Ying didn't say a word the whole way. Chen Dapeng sat next to her, holding her hand.

……

Meanwhile, in Qingshun County.

Bai Jiangfei was in the small warehouse behind the supermarket when he received Jiang Dongmei's call.

Jiang Dongmei's tone was more direct than usual:

"Old Liu's goods need to be shipped out; they'll all be cleared out within a week. Contact buyers in several provincial capitals through Wang Yan, the sooner the better; prices are negotiable."

Bai Jiangfei didn't ask any further questions:

Okay. How much?

"Over one hundred tons, shipped in batches."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Jiangfei found Wang Yan's number and dialed it.

The phone was answered after two rings.

"Does your boss still need any more stock?"

Wang Yan paused for a moment on the other end of the phone before speaking:

"How many?"

"Over 100 tons will be shipped in batches. Prices will be determined according to market conditions."

Wang Yan did not answer immediately, but after a few seconds she said:

"I'll ask him and get back to you later."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Jiangfei put his phone on the table and leaned back in his chair.

He knew in his heart that he could make a lot of money after this job.

Jiang Dongmei will give them a sum of money, and if things go well with Wang Yan, they can also get another sum.

As for where this batch of goods ultimately ended up and whether it will affect the market?

He didn't care; he only cared about whether he got enough money.

The first batch of goods was shipped out the next day.

Old Liu arranged for two trucks with out-of-town license plates to depart from the warehouse in Qingshun County late at night and drive onto the highway.

Bai Jiangfei did not go to the site; he was only responsible for facilitating the connection and did not need to personally handle the goods.

The money arrived in his account immediately after the first batch of goods was sold—2 yuan.

It was much more than he had expected.