I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

“Okay, I’ll do it right away,” Pei Hu replied decisively.

“The people under my command aren’t good at doing anything. If you can fire them, fire them. If you can’t fire them, they’ll just do some mechanical work. If you can’t manage them, I’ll get the relevant departments to take charge and give them some re-education,” Chen Ya said.

Pei Hu's expression was serious: "I will definitely investigate thoroughly and arrest all those involved."

"I heard you have a hunting rifle?" Chen Ya asked, turning his head.

The car speed increased.

“It’s been a hobby of mine since I was little, I like watching Westerns, that’s all I like, it’s kind of compensatory. Sometimes I feel like it’s a bad influence, but you see, I don’t have any kids…”

Pei Hu's voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible, almost like a mosquito's buzz.

Chen Ya said casually, "I'll invite you to shoot in America later. What's the name of the one you're shooting at? There are plenty of fun shooting ranges there."

Pei Hu nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay. I'll throw away my hunting rifle when I get back. With the Americans shooting at targets, why would I bother with a hunting rifle? It's outdated."

"Alright. Let's just leave it at that."

After Chen Ya finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the car became harmonious.

Pei Hu's smile returned.

Throughout this process, Liu Ruying was constantly on edge.

She was even more nervous than she had been in the bar booth.

Their back-and-forth conversation, seemingly mundane, sounded like a full-blown battle to her.

Moreover, to her, Chen Ya's aggressiveness was completely different from the Chen Ya she knew.

In just a few short sentences, he made Pei Hu dissolve Sister Hua's company, deal with Sister Hua's underlings, and even give up his own hobbies.

And what about Pei Hu? He accepted all of this without question, and was even extremely relieved that Chen Ya hadn't made him divorce!

This action reminded Liu Ruying of a historical event—

He released his military commanders with a cup of wine.

Chen Ya's actions are comparable only to this historical event.

Pei Hu rubbed his nose and asked, "Brother Chen, what brings you to the capital?"

"I originally just wanted to come and witness the charisma of Old Master Lu," Chen Ya said, his gaze turning cold. "But I didn't expect that with each passing day, the more I saw, the more things I had to do, and my schedule was overflowing."

"What do you need me to do?" Pei Hu asked cautiously.

When he asked that question, his heart rate fluctuated wildly, just like the dashboard.

He knew in his heart that the fact that Chen Ya had secretly come to the capital was such a big deal that it would shock many people if word got out.

If he could get any information in advance, it would be priceless.

Chen Ya thought for a moment and said, "Recently, the prominent families in the capital have been making quite a fuss."

“That’s right!” Upon hearing Chen Ya’s words, Pei Hu immediately said, “You don’t know, the power structure of those aristocratic families has been rearranged again. Heh, isn’t that interesting?”

"Oh? How were they arranged?" Chen Ya asked.

“Their current aristocratic families are divided into lower-ranking families, upper-ranking families, and even higher-ranking families,” Pei Hu said.

"Lower-ranking aristocratic families, such as Song, Liu, Yan, Han, and other miscellaneous ones I've forgotten."

"The powerful families are the Xia, Qin, and Lu families, which were originally the four great families. However, the Lu family is now in a precarious situation and will soon lose its position."

"As for the elite families, there is only one, and that is the Gu family."

Pei Hu had been driving for Chen Ya for a long time, and when it came to chatting, no one understood Chen Ya's rhythm better than him.

So he always manages to interject at just the right moment, like a straight man in a comedy duo, and the things he says are fresh and interesting to Chen Ya, without overshadowing the main character.

Chen Ya thought for a moment and said, "Is it good or bad for powerful families to become so influential?"

Pei Hu said, "Sigh, what good is there in this? Who doesn't want to secure benefits for their descendants? And who doesn't trust their relatives more than outsiders? Once this kind of nepotism starts, it never ends. Today it's the Wang family, tomorrow if the Wang family falls, it could be the Li family. That's just human nature..."

“That’s just how it is…” Chen Ya thought for a moment, then smiled and said nothing more.

“This year, for Old Master Lu’s birthday celebration, they’re making quite a fuss,” Pei Hu suddenly said.

"Oh? Tell me more about it?" Chen Ya asked.

Pei Hu said, "This time, almost all the prominent families are going to celebrate Old Master Lu's birthday. It's a grand affair. All the well-known families in the capital have received invitations and are preparing gifts. I think the Lu family seems to be trying to use this event to reverse their decline."

Chen Ya asked, "Have you prepared a congratulatory gift yet?"

Pei Hu chuckled and said, "Even though I'm rich, a country bumpkin like me who climbed to this position, in their eyes, I'm still just a country bumpkin. Why would they respect me, and why would they invite me?"

He said this with a sour tone, and then continued:

"The Lu family still has some foundation. If something is missed at Old Master Lu's birthday celebration, I feel the business landscape will change again, and business will become more difficult..."

"It's alright," Chen Ya said simply. "I said you can't change your mind."

Pei Hu was relieved.

Because Chen Ya said he wouldn't allow it to change.

...The Lexus drove around Beijing and finally stopped in front of Yangchen Company. Chen Ya helped Pei Hu out of the car and got into the driver's seat himself.

After a moment of internal struggle, Liu Ruying finally said, "I need to use the restroom."

Chen Ya was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Okay, then you go, I'll wait."

Liu Ruying quickly entered the restroom and took off her skirt as fast as she could.

This was the most enjoyable time she had ever had using the toilet.

When she got back to the car, her hair was neatly styled and her hands smelled wonderful. She sat in the passenger seat, leaning to one side, her slender waist so thin it could be encircled by a single hand, her long legs almost too long to fit in.

She stared at Chen Ya, her beautiful eyes unblinking:

"I'm asking you, who exactly are you?"

Chapter 217 Subduing Liu Ruying

"Who exactly are you?"

Liu Ruying stared intently at Chen Ya, determined not to give up until she got an answer.

Chen Ya smiled and said:

"Didn't I say? He's a retired, idle person."

“No ordinary person could command such respect from Pei Hu, nor could an ordinary person sway Pei Hu with just a few words.”

Liu Ruying said.

She gazed at his profile, while Chen Ya stared straight ahead, his expression calm.

Another point: an idle person could not possibly possess this kind of temperament.

Whether it's Bai Yujing as described by the professors or President Chen as mentioned by Pei Hu... although it's hard for Liu Ruying, who already has preconceived notions, to accept, there's only one truth.

When all the evidence points to a single fact, that fact, however difficult to accept, must be true.

Finally, her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Ya, and she drew her own conclusion:

"You're lying to me, or at least you're hiding something from me."

"So what?" Chen Ya blinked, started the car, and asked, "What are you planning to do to me?"

“I’m not going to get back at you,” Liu Ruying said hastily. “I just want you to tell me what your true identity is.”

Chen Ya smiled.

"My identity is a long story, and I can't finish explaining it in a short time."

Liu Ruying looked displeased: "Even if you're just giving me a perfunctory answer, you should at least come up with a logical explanation, right?"

That's exactly right.

After Chen Ya drove the car onto the road, he said:

“Pei Hu used to be my driver and bodyguard. He was a refugee from famine in southern Vietnam. I saved him. So I am his savior, and he can only listen to whatever I say.”

His words were domineering and arrogant.

To someone unaware of the truth, it might even sound like they're trying to take advantage of someone's kindness.

But looking into his eyes, Liu Ruying knew that his simple words must be connected by a profound past.

“He fled from South Vietnam,” Liu Ruying repeated, then tilted her head and asked, “Isn’t he Chinese?”

"Do you know about the South Vietnamese?" Chen Ya said while turning the steering wheel. "His ancestors were South Vietnamese, so he's considered of Chinese descent. Back then, the nationality system in South Vietnam was also very chaotic. If we're being precise, he could also be considered a South Vietnamese."

After passing one car, Chen Ya said again:

"Isn't there a rumor that he killed someone? He did kill someone. At that time, there was a political upheaval in North and South Vietnam, and the world was in chaos. Before he fled here, he killed a bandit and was seriously injured, almost dying. Oh, by the way, Sister Hua is also from South Vietnam and fled here with him."

Liu Ruying's mouth dropped open slightly; she never expected there to be such a legendary story behind it.

"No wonder I thought Sister Hua's accent sounded a bit strange; I couldn't tell where she was from."

“She’s from the Jing ethnic group and she and Pei Hu are childhood sweethearts. I’ve met her once before, so I recognized her immediately, but that was many years ago. And to call it a meeting was just a fleeting glimpse; she probably doesn’t remember me.”

Liu Ruying remained silent.

No wonder Chen Ya is so arrogant and confident.

"As mentioned earlier, Sister Hua is from Nanyue, and her family is a well-known wealthy family in the area. She herself is also a young lady from a wealthy family. Because she fell in love with Pei Hu, she eloped with him to China. However, after arriving in China, she got separated from Pei Hu."

"I've been scammed, worked as a hostess, and mingled in the underworld. Later, Pei Hu became my driver, and only after I made money did I find her."

"On another note, given the difference in their social status at the time, Pei Hu was still willing to marry her, which shows that they were truly devoted to each other until death."

Sighing, Chen Ya continued, "That's why I didn't go all out against her; I only had Pei Hu keep an eye on her. It's still somewhat kind of protective of this ill-fated couple..."

"Besides, water that is too clear has no fish. However, this will only be done once. Pei Hu knows my personality; I only give warnings once. If he can't control himself, I won't hold back."

Liu Ruying opened her mouth wide, slightly stunned.

She never expected that she would hear a legendary story from Southeast Asia comparable to The Story of the Golden Hairpin.

From Chen Ya's few words, she could easily imagine a 45-episode TV series.

Moreover, she was starting to feel a little sorry for Sister Hua.

“You said Pei Hu ‘used to’ be your manager and bodyguard,” Liu Ruying asked. “What did you do before that?”

Before Chen Ya could answer, she suddenly remembered something and asked:

"You also said you were going to train me to be a management trainee or something, but why have I never heard of that? What kind of company do you actually run?"

Chen Ya smiled and said, "The time is not quite right yet, so I can't tell you. When the time comes, I will tell you everything."

Liu Ruying pouted.

“And what about my plan?” she said. “Aren’t you very interested in my uncle’s estate?”

Chen Ya smiled and nodded, saying, "I am indeed very interested, but not in the way you think I am interested."

He paused, then said, "Because your 'gamble' is destined to fail, whether I cooperate or not."

Liu Ruying felt as if a balloon in her chest had suddenly burst, and she was a little angry.

"Why? Tell me your reasons. Why are you making this judgment?"

Her tone was a bit harsh because she was losing control of her emotions.

It feels like you've spent your whole life building a business, only to be told it's worthless; naturally, you'd be unhappy.

Chen Ya said, "It's very simple, because your uncle definitely won't leave his family property to you."

"But I've already been adopted by him, legally speaking..."

Liu Ruying was interrupted by Chen Ya halfway through her sentence.

“Legally speaking, he may have already made a will,” Chen Ya said with a smile. “The will states that his daughter, Liu Ruyan, will inherit all the family property, and that my family property has nothing to do with Liu Ruying.”

Liu Ruying kept shaking her head.

She can't accept it.

She couldn't accept this fact.

Chen Ya said, "You are very talented in intelligence gathering and rational thinking, but you lack in analyzing personal emotions. You haven't thought carefully—how could a traditional man like your uncle possibly agree to give his family property to someone with no blood relation like you?"