HBWMA -Chapter 410 Birds of a Feather

Jiang Huashan?

Xia Xingchen glanced at Zhou Yanheng, his expression turning slightly strange. “I… I have nothing to do with her. Killing her was just following orders.”

Nothing to do with her?

Zhou Yanheng narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face.

“Two years ago, when she went to Whale Harbor No. 1 High School, wasn’t it to see you?”

Xia Xingchen remembered that time clearly—a beautiful, aristocratic girl had suddenly run up to him and called him a vile, ugly person. The memory was still vivid.

After a moment of thought, he shook his head and answered honestly, “That was the first time we met.”

“The first time?”

Zhou Yanheng fell silent for a moment. With a curl of his finger, he lowered the gun, then pulled a check from his pocket and tossed it in front of Xia Xingchen.

“Medical expenses.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the bodyguard at the door opened it. Zhou Yanheng slipped his hands into his pockets and walked out without looking back.

The summer breeze stirred the white curtains softly. Xia Xingchen grabbed the striped blanket from the single bed and carefully wiped the blood off his hands before slowly picking up the check from the floor.

Six hundred thousand—just enough to cover his grandmother’s care at the sanatorium for a year.

The mission at the villa had failed. Not only had he received no commission, but he had also been beaten into internal injury.

His poor physical condition meant he couldn’t go to the black market to fight anymore. He had been worrying about how to make a living—yet Zhou Yanheng had suddenly extended an olive branch.

What kind of coincidence was that? It seemed this young master of the Zhou family was no simple character either.

But for someone with a worthless life, what right was there to be picky?

Xia Xingchen let out a low chuckle and carefully tucked the check away.

At the outdoor park, Xia Suxin was staring blankly at the hydrangeas when a young woman approached with a smile.

“Grandma Xia, the nap break is over. Let me take you back to rest.”

“Oh, Xiao Chen, no need to rush. I’m waiting for Xiao Chen.”

Chen Qiya crouched down, her voice gentle and patient. “Grandma Xia, I just ran into Xia Xingchen. His advisor had something urgent to discuss with him, and since it was so sudden, he didn’t have time to come back and tell you. He specifically asked me to come take care of you.”

Hearing this, Xia Suxin’s face filled with concern. “So that’s how it is. That child works too hard.”

Chen Qiya smiled. “It’s hard work, yes—but it also shows how outstanding Xia Xingchen is. You don’t know this, but the projects he’s handling— even PhD seniors in our institute are envious. The advisor always thinks of him first. That’s a good thing.”

Xia Suxin didn’t understand the complexities behind those words, but she knew the girl in front of her was her grandson’s classmate. The girl was kind, often volunteering here and taking good care of her. So when Chen Qiya said it was a good thing, a smile appeared in her eyes.

“Grandma Xia, let me take you back?”

Xia Suxin nodded, and Chen Qiya pushed her wheelchair toward the residential building.

As they passed through the lobby’s accessible passage, the director of the sanatorium happened to be leading two young women out. Once they entered the lobby, one of the delicately featured girls covered her nose in disgust.

“What’s that smell? It’s disgusting.”

The man looked a little embarrassed. “Miss Dina, most of the residents here are elderly, so…”

Hela quietly tugged at Bai Dina’s sleeve and whispered, “It smells like old people. Are you sure you want to stay here for two months?”

Bai Dina’s expression darkened. “What choice do I have?”

The man had originally planned to take Bai Dina to the leisure park, but she had already completely lost interest.

“I’ve seen enough of the situation here. Prepare a project report and send it to the Bai residence. Someone will follow up with you then.”

The man immediately beamed with delight. “Th-then many thanks, Miss Dina. You’re truly as kind-hearted as you are beautiful.”

Bai Dina waved her hand dismissively. “And the matter I asked you about?”

The man smiled knowingly. “Rest assured, Miss Dina. Every year, plenty of students from Whale Medical University come here to volunteer. Your conduct score won’t be a problem.”

Only then did Bai Dina nod in satisfaction. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly thought of something and pointed at Hera beside her. “Oh, right—remember to add her name too.”

Hera’s expression changed slightly. “Dina…”

She had originally been enjoying afternoon tea at the top floor of the International Trade Building. Being dragged to the sanatorium by Bai Dina was already bad enough—now she even had to serve a group of old people alongside this pampered young lady. Just thinking about it made Hera feel sick.

Bai Dina turned her head, her expression cold. “What? You unwilling?”

Hera swallowed and forced an awkward smile. “No.”

Bai Dina looked back at the man. “Can it be done within three days?”

“Yes, yes.” The man hurried to agree, afraid of offending such a valuable benefactor.

After leaving the sanatorium, the two of them happened to see an extremely cool black sports car parked by the roadside—the world’s only limited edition “Voice of the Night.” Even Bai Dina, who was used to a life of luxury, couldn’t help but be drawn to it.

The car was surrounded by bodyguards. A man in a black suit was escorted into the car like a star surrounded by admirers.

He had strikingly handsome features. He glanced at them briefly before casually withdrawing his gaze.

Bai Dina nudged Hera with her elbow. “Who’s that?”

As one of the first batch of exchange students from S Country, Hera naturally recognized him. “Zhou Yanheng. In A Country, aside from the Shen family, there’s the Zhou family. He’s the designated heir of the Zhou family.”

Bai Dina fell into thought, a trace of malice flickering in her eyes. “I’ve already dealt with those three troublesome brats from the Shen family. This one looks easier to talk to.”

Most exchange students from S Country were nobles, and some had fairly good relations with Zhou Yanheng.

Recalling what others had said about him, Hera added, “This Young Master Zhou is generous and doesn’t put on airs. Anyway, he’s much easier to get along with than the young masters of the Shen family.”

Then she shot Bai Dina a meaningful look. “Aside from Shen Guiling, he’s the most popular with women.”

Meanwhile, the moment Zhou Yanheng got into the car, he took out his phone and opened his chat history with Gu He, enlarging the photos frame by frame.

“…”

That idiot Gu He—what kind of garbage photos did he take? They were all misleading angle shots.

Zhou Yanheng lowered his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly against the phone screen.

Knock, knock—

Suddenly, a crisp tapping sound came from the window.

Zhou Yanheng looked up to see a stunningly beautiful girl standing outside, looking at him through the glass. After a brief pause, he flipped his phone over and lowered the window.

“Do you need something?”

Bai Dina smiled slightly. “It’s hard to get a taxi here. Could you give us a ride? We’re heading to Jinggang International Trade.”

Zhou Yanheng raised his eyes, his gentle gaze meeting hers.

In truth, he had recognized Bai Dina’s identity the moment he stepped out. Objectively speaking, her appearance perfectly matched his aesthetic—but strangely, he had only glanced at her before looking away, because at the time he was eager to verify whether that photo was real.

“Please? I’ve just arrived here and don’t know anyone. Let’s just consider it making friends.”

Making friends?

Zhou Yanheng curled his lips slightly. The venomous princess of S Country… seemed a bit lacking in brains.