Lin Yi snorted, seemingly satisfied with You Rong's expression. "Good, you know your place. Alright, Qing He was throwing a tantrum and didn't even have lunch. Butler Wang, get things ready, we're having lunch."
Afterward, he added to You Rong, "You should stay for lunch too before you go."
You Rong: "Okay, thank you, Big Brother."
Lin Yi sized You Rong up. "You really know how to climb the ladder..."
After lunch, Lin Yi had company matters to attend to and left for his office, leaving Lin Qing He and You Rong alone in the living room.
You Rong finally had the chance to inquire about Lin Qing He's injuries. "How's your injury? Is it serious?"
Lin Qing He smiled slightly. "It's nothing, just a cut on my right shoulder. The doctor said I just need to rest, and I'll be fine in two to three days. As for you... you still have bandages on your head, are you okay? What did the doctor say? Any aftereffects? I remember you had a cut on your left leg too, how are those?"
You Rong said softly, "I'm fine too. The doctor said I just need to go to the hospital to change my dressing in a couple of days, and I'll be fine."
"That's good." Lin Qing He breathed a sigh of relief.
In the past few days, she had learned from Lin Yi whether You Rong's injuries were severe or not, but thinking about him being injured on his left leg and head made her a little worried.
You Rong noticed Lin Qing He's right hand movement was a bit sluggish, and a hint of heartache flashed in his deep eyes.
"Next time, don't be so reckless and jump in to save someone. You're a girl, after all, and you don't have much strength. If you get pulled down, the consequences would be unthinkable."
Lin Qing He casually replied, "I couldn't help it. The moment I thought you couldn't swim, I forgot about everything else."
You Rong looked at Lin Qing He with confusion. "How did you know I can't swim?"
"Uh..." Lin Qing He guiltily averted her gaze. "This, this..."
She couldn't exactly say that You Rong in the previous world couldn't swim, so she deduced it from that.
Lin Qing He vaguely stammered, "I... I like you, so naturally, I'd want to find out all your preferences and everything. I asked around."
You Rong believed her and didn't press further, which made Lin Qing He heave a sigh of relief.
Speaking of liking, You Rong's heart was filled with questions, which sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. He wanted to ask if the engagement that had been making waves in Jiangcheng a few days ago was real.
Lin Qing He sensed You Rong's hesitation and asked directly, "You Rong, is there something you want to tell me?"
You Rong hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Yes, all the newspapers in Jiangcheng were reporting that you and You Ziming were engaged. Is it..."
Lin Qing He raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "You want to ask if the engagement is real?"
You Rong's earlobes turned red. "...It doesn't matter. Even if it's true, I won't be angry. I know you liked him a lot before..."
Lin Qing He interrupted him. "Wait! Let me explain!"
You Rong stopped, waiting for Lin Qing He's explanation.
Lin Qing He said, "Everything in the entertainment news is fake! At first, my brother did want to get us engaged, but I argued my case and made him give up the idea. But I don't know why, the photos were taken when I saw You Ziming at the party that day, and they appeared in major entertainment news."
Lin Qing He paused, then looked at You Rong with bright eyes. "You're the one I like. Why would I get engaged to You Ziming? Am I out of my mind?"
"Then you..." You Rong's ears weren't the only thing red, his face was too. "Why did you go to You Ziming's class? To watch him play ball... and during the summer camp, you brought him food, and you even planned to stay overnight in his class. You..."
Lin Qing He chuckled and couldn't resist pinching You Rong's cheek. "It's your fault. Who told you to confess your love to me and then not believe me? I had to use You Ziming to provoke you. And... even though I went to his class, I sat in the furthest seat from You Ziming. When I watched him play ball, I didn't even sit long enough for the stone bench to warm up before I left. It was the school people gossiping and spreading rumors. As for the chicken wings you roasted at the summer camp..."
"They were so delicious, I couldn't bear to give them to You Ziming. I ate them all myself in secret. The later things were all made up to provoke you!"
You Rong's gaze was sharp. "Really?"
Lin Qing He: "Really! More real than pearls!"
You Rong's expression quickly softened. He gently stroked Lin Qing He's hair. "I'm sorry, it's my fault... I didn't believe you."
System prompt: "Progress bar increased by 5%, total progress 86%."
Lin Qing He was secretly delighted and pressed her advantage, pulling You Rong's hand. "I've already said I like you, do you like me too?"
You Rong clasped Lin Qing He's hand in return, interlacing their fingers. He said slowly and very seriously, "I like you."
"Then let's be together, okay? From today onwards, you're my boyfriend!" Lin Qing He said eagerly.
She thought they had already confessed their feelings, and You Rong would surely agree to be together. To her surprise, You Rong looked hesitant, his brows furrowed. After a moment, he said, "We can't be together yet."
Lin Qing He was stunned. "Why can't we be together? I like you, and you like me, right? Are you perhaps bothered by my relationship with You Ziming, or by the fact that I had someone injure you before..."
"Neither," You Rong interrupted her. "I promised your brother that I would only be with you when I have the ability to take care of you for the rest of my life. I cannot break my promise."
Lin Qing He's lips twitched. "...Because of that?"
You Rong nodded. "That's right. Currently, I truly don't have the ability to take care of you yet. I will work hard to become better, and then we'll be together."
"Don't mind my brother. He was just testing you, saying it casually. We like each other, and being together is only natural!"
You Rong insisted, "No, your brother was serious. He genuinely cares for you and is worried about you, which is why he made me make this promise. And what he said is not unreasonable. Don't worry! I will definitely achieve it."
"..."
Lin Qing He was exasperated. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, or didn't believe You Rong. It was that she had a progress bar to fill!
Seeing Lin Qing He fall silent, You Rong thought she was unhappy. He held her hand. "Before, a senior was working on a company with two important projects, one for game development and one for software development. I was originally in charge, but an accident caused a delay. The senior found me a few days ago and asked me to consider rejoining... I agreed. It will take at most a year, or as little as half a year, and I will definitely have the ability to take care of you and Grandma! Trust me, okay?"
Lin Qing He knew that You Rong, with his own abilities, had successfully obtained equity in this technology company. With his outstanding capabilities and the help of Yun Churan's family, in just over a year, the market value of this company had increased a hundredfold.
And the reason for the previous delay was that the original body had caused You Rong's injury and his grandmother's surgery.