Spoiled Sparrow

On a snowy night in the north, there are hardly any pedestrians on the street by 11 p.m.

Lin Yun'en called her grandfather several times from the car but no one answered. She rushed home anxiously, but when she opened the door, there was no one there.

She had no choice but to call the housekeeper: "Uncle Wang, where are my family members?"

The butler's groggy voice came from the other end of the phone: "Miss? They all went abroad to attend a calligraphy and painting exhibition. They left early the day before yesterday, and they're probably on their way back now."

"Huh?" Lin Yun'en was so anxious she was pacing around in circles. "The whole family left without telling me."

Butler Wang stammered, "Miss, you're such a grown woman. You were just complaining to Old Master Lin not to be so controlling..."

Now that they're actually given freedom, they're not happy about it.

Butler Wang didn't say the second half of the sentence aloud, but silently muttered it to himself.

Lin Yun'en felt like the sky had fallen: "What time will we land?"

"Miss, you should rest now. You don't need to wait. It's 7 a.m. tomorrow."

Well, this is really making things worse.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yun'en quickly swiped her phone.

Dong Chenye asked dejectedly, "What's wrong with you?"

Without even looking up, she said, "I'm looking for Professor Zhang's students. I remember adding a few senior students on my contacts. It's just that we haven't been in touch for a very long time, and it would be too presumptuous to call them now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she found a third-year graduate student.

Fortunately, the call was answered.

"Hello, senior. I'm Lin Yun'en from the design institute. Do you remember me?"

Yes, yes, it's the one who participated in the campus singing competition... Sorry to bother you so late...

Senior, I remember your advisor, Professor Zhang, right? I have something to ask you...

Lin Yun'en smiled and exchanged a few polite pleasantries with her senior on the phone before quickly getting to the point.

Dong Chenye stood beside her, but he was nothing but an eyesore and couldn't help at all. Watching her bustling around asking questions, he suddenly felt useless.

"Let's go, you take me there."

As she spoke, she walked back, not noticing Dong Chenye, whom she had passed by.

"Professor Zhang is also attending that calligraphy and painting exhibition. My senior gave me his grandson's contact information. I heard he's very talented. He told us to go and take a look first."

Lin Yun'en opened the car door and turned around to see Dong Chenye standing there in a daze. She turned around and grabbed his hand: "What are you looking at? Get in the car."

"it is good."

Once in the car, he turned to help her fasten her seatbelt, but she had already fastened it and was sitting properly in the passenger seat.

She kept her eyes glued to her phone: "I've sent the navigation to your phone, okay?"

After speaking, she looked up and met Dong Chenye's defeated gaze: "W-what's wrong with you?"

"It's okay, don't look at your phone in the car, it'll make you get carsick." His eyelashes trembled slightly.

Lin Yun'en noticed the disappointment in his eyes, though she didn't know why he was disappointed.

As Dong Chenye sat back down, she reached out and hugged his neck, gently kissing the corner of his mouth.

She smiled at him and said, "Let's go, my personal driver~"

She playfully pressed the tip of her nose against his high nose bridge: "Thank you for keeping me company."

Her rising tone suddenly turned serious, and her earnest and sincere demeanor made Dong Chenye feel needed.

"Walk."

He straightened his body, gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand, and held Lin Yun'en's hand tightly with the other, unwilling to let go.

Lin Yun'en tilted her head back, raised an eyebrow, and placed his hand on the steering wheel: "Drive safely, or I'll be relying on you for the rest of my life."

Upon hearing the words "the rest of his life," Dong Chenye's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

Her voice even changed tone: "Yes, Miss Lin."

I followed the navigation and crossed two bridges before finally reaching the vicinity of the location.

Lin Yun'en called Professor Zhang's grandson in advance: "Hello, we'll be there soon."

A voice came from the other end: "Yes, I'll be waiting for you at the South Gate intersection."

"Okay, I'll be there after one more traffic light. Thanks."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yun'en vaguely felt that the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place the person in her mind.

Dong Chenye turned the steering wheel and made a U-turn; a man was standing in the rearview mirror.

Is this the one?

Lin Yun'en turned around following his gaze, and saw a man in a gray overcoat standing under the street lamp.

The faint, warm light seemed to be specially designed for him, shining perfectly on his tall and straight figure, making it impossible to look away. You might mistake him for a male protagonist from a Korean comic who had stepped out of the manga.

"Probably. I've never met Professor Zhang's grandson, but he does have the same air about him."

Dong Chenye parked the car, walked to the side, opened the car door for her, and stepped out while protecting her head: "Be careful."

The other person also noticed the commotion and walked towards them.

It seems they were definitely waiting for them.

Lin Yun'en politely went to greet her, but upon closer inspection, her eyes widened instantly.

"You...you're Professor Zhang's grandson?"

Zhang Yao approached: "Yes."

Dong Chenye watched from the side, and the two of them didn't seem like strangers.

Lin Yun'en immediately straightened up: "Officer Zhang, this is troublesome so late at night."

Zhang Yao looked at the outstretched hand and politely shook it back: "Just call me by my name in private, Zhang Yao."

"Oh, my name is Lin Yun'en, and his name is Dong Chenye."

Lin Yunen becomes very talkative when she's embarrassed.

On the contrary, Dong Chenye handled the situation with ease.

He added a sentence to Lin Yun'en's introduction without thinking: "I am her boyfriend."

Lin Yun'en turned her head to the side and said in a forced smile, "If my grandfather finds out, you can expect to be pressured to get married."

Dong Chenye kept a straight face, not wanting her to see him smile, and said to Zhang Yao, "Time is of the essence, let's get down to business first."

The two followed Zhang Yao into the Zhang family home, which was an old-fashioned courtyard.

Zhang Yao poured ginger tea that he had prepared in advance for the two of them.

"Thanks."

Lin Yunen picked up the cup and held it in her palm, the warmth spreading from her palm throughout her body.

She took out the painting Ruan Qing had given her and laid it flat on the tea table.

"Brother Zhang Yao, do you think there's any way to replicate this key?"

Zhang Yao examined the details on the drawing and then compared the drawing with the photograph of the actual object.

His expression gradually turned serious, and his aura completely changed.

Sitting across from him, Lin Yun'en looked at his expression and her heart sank.

She turned and leaned on Dong Chenye's shoulder, completely dejected.

Dong Chenye asked, "Is there a way?"

Zhang Yao looked up, and the look in his eyes changed.

He tentatively asked, "Yes, there is, but the lock cylinder corresponding to this key is very complicated, not the kind of lock that ordinary households use."

"What is this lock locking?"

His attitude suddenly switched from that of a Korean comic book character to an interrogation mode, and Lin Yun'en was intimidated by his powerful aura.

Just as he was about to explain, Dong Chenye pressed his hand down and spoke first: "It's just the basement of the house. The kids were playing and took the lock off and put it on backwards."

Zhang Yao stroked the paper and looked at him: "What a coincidence."