My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

"I understand you're feeling confused right now. I don't blame you for coming to me with a knife."

She took half a step forward, reached out, and used her fingertips to help straighten the hem of his coat.

"But if you go out in this state, you'll run into problems with anyone."

"Don't rush to settle scores with other people."

"Stay here with me for a while, we'll talk after you've calmed down."

Jiang Yi looked into her eyes, which seemed particularly serious in the dim light, and remained silent for two seconds before asking, "Are you trying to lock me up?"

Zhao Ran did not deny it.

She didn't even explain; she simply withdrew the hand that had touched his clothes, turned around, walked back to the wheelchair, and sat down again.

"That's how you see it," she said, her voice returning to its lazy tone. "Anyway, you're not leaving today."

Jiang Yi stood there, watching her sit back in her wheelchair, her bandaged leg resting on the support, her posture returning to the relaxed state she had when she came in, as if her seriousness just a moment ago was merely an illusion.

He glanced at the door, then at her, and then sat down on the chair next to her.

Zhao Ran watched him sit down, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. The curve was neither smug nor provocative, but more like a sigh of relief that "they've finally settled down."

She tilted her head and looked at him for two seconds, then said, "Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring you some food."

Jiang Yi neither answered nor refused.

Zhao Ran then took out his phone and pressed a few buttons before putting it back on the armrest.

She leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on his profile. She remained silent for a moment, as if observing his state of mind.

"Does your girlfriend know you're here?" she asked.

Jiang Yi's back tensed slightly for a moment.

He didn't look at her, but just gave a soft "hmm".

Zhao Ran analyzed the "hmm" in his mind and felt that he had roughly guessed the situation.

She didn't press further, but simply shifted her position to be more comfortable, then, as if remembering something, she said, "Oh, right, you said your sister recanted her testimony, saying she was the one who ordered you to do it, and that she died later."

Do you think she changed her testimony at someone's behest?

Jiang Yi finally looked up from the ground and onto her face.

Looking at his expression, Zhao Ran slowly nodded: "It's no wonder you think that way, it is indeed very suspicious."

"You stay put, I'll find someone to check it out for you."

After saying that, Zhao Ran got up and left.

……

Su Xiaoyue arrived at the gym once again using the location system.

Before she could even step inside, the glass door of the gym opened, and a short-haired girl walked out.

Su Xiaoyue stared at the slowly closing glass door, but finally pushed it open slowly.

The young woman at the front desk was tidying up the registration forms on the table when she heard the wind chimes on the glass door. She looked up, her gaze lingering on Su Xiaoyue for a moment, before giving her a polite and professional smile: "Hello, welcome to Ruifeng Fitness. Are you here for a consultation or a trial?"

Su Xiaoyue did not walk to the front desk, but stood in the center of the foyer, her gaze slowly sweeping over the full-length mirror, the row of dumbbell racks, and the half-closed wooden door at the entrance of the corridor.

She turned her gaze to the front desk, her voice calm and clear: "Hello, I'm looking for a young man who came in earlier. He's probably in his early twenties, wearing a dark gray coat and carrying a dark blue canvas bag."

The receptionist's smile remained unchanged, but her fingers paused briefly on the keyboard.

"Okay, I'll help you..."

Just as she was about to speak, a middle-aged man in a dark blue polo shirt strode out from the half-open wooden door behind her—it was the manager who had just taken Jiang Yi to see Zhao Ran.

He walked over and stood naturally next to the young receptionist, a professional and composed smile on his face: "Hello, how can I help you?"

Su Xiaoyue glanced at him and repeated what she had just said: "I'm looking for Jiang Yi."

"Jiang Yi?" The manager tilted his head slightly, as if recalling the name, then shook his head, his smile remaining impeccable. "We haven't had any guests named Jiang Yi here today."

Su Xiaoyue's gaze lingered on his face for a moment: "He just went in."

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" The manager still smiled, his tone polite yet firm. "We haven't had many customers this afternoon yet. The customer you mentioned certainly doesn't have a registration record."

"Then I'll apply for the card now," Su Xiaoyue said.

The manager's smile faltered slightly: "Ma'am, our membership is by invitation only; you need a referral from an existing member to apply."

Su Xiaoyue stood in the center of the foyer, her fingers slightly curling inside her trench coat pocket.

She could tell that the person in front of her was clearly making excuses and keeping her out.

She had no connections in the capital, and the resources she could mobilize were limited to the amount in the bank account she held.

In this city, there are some things that money can't buy.

She paused for two seconds, then took out her phone from her pocket, walked to the window, and scrolled to the number in her contacts that she had saved for a long time but never dialed.

The note reads "Grandpa," followed by a simple phone icon.

She stared at the name for two seconds, then pressed the dial button.

The phone rang a few times before being answered.

"Hello?" A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end of the line, his tone polite and formal. "Hello, this is Mr. Zhang's office. May I ask who you are?"

"Hello, I'm Su Xiaoyue." Her voice was steady. "I'm looking for my grandfather."

"Hello, Ms. Su." The assistant's voice was slightly adjusted, becoming just the right amount of warm. "Mr. Zhang is currently in a meeting. Is there anything you'd like me to relay? Mr. Zhang specifically instructed that as long as it's your matter, anything that doesn't violate principles should be accommodated to the greatest extent possible."

Su Xiaoyue held her phone, her gaze fixed on the dark gray glass door. Through the glass, she could see the row of dumbbells in the foyer gleaming dimly in the afternoon light.

"I wanted to go into a gym near Tsinghua and Peking Universities, but they only accept invitations and wouldn't let me in."

There was a two-second silence on the other end, as if they were taking notes or thinking.

Then the assistant's voice rang out again, with an air of certainty that said, "This is no problem at all: Ms. Su, please send me the address, and I'll come over in person."

The assistant's voice was steady and strong, like a finely tuned machine: "Ms. Su, I'll take care of the gym membership. Please wait a moment."

After hanging up the phone, Su Xiaoyue stood by the window of the gym, put her phone in her pocket, and didn't leave.

Su Xiaoyue turned around, walked back to the front desk, sat down on the dark blue plastic bench, gathered the hem of her trench coat, and remained quiet and composed.

The receptionist's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then she turned to the manager and asked in a low voice, "Manager, who is this...?"

The manager shook his head: "I don't know her, ignore her."