Chapter 214: Just Ling Hanyu

“Come up.”

Looking at Song Qingtian, Ling Hanyu’s face was icy cold.

Song Qingtian went upstairs, and Ling Hanyu beckoned her over. She walked to his side and smiled at him: “Mr. Ling.”

“Call me by my name.”

Song Qingtian felt awkward; she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Ling Hanyu kept a stern expression: “So I’m not worthy, is that it?”

“It’s just a name—why must you be so insistent, Mr. Ling?”

A name is merely a form of address, used to distinguish one person from another.

What you call someone doesn’t have to be fixed.

The name itself isn’t important.

Ling Hanyu’s stubbornness is rather childish.

“You don’t have to be so insistent. Since that’s the case, then don’t go out for the next few days—everyone should refrain from any activities.”

Without further explanation, Ling Hanyu left with a cold face.

Song Qingtian was utterly bewildered: Why?

But Ling Hanyu had already gone into the Study and slammed the door shut with force.

Song Qingtian wasn’t sure what on earth was going on with Ling Hanyu.

Was it all over a single name?

Yet she had already agreed to help the case-cracking team solve the case.

No one could stop her from doing this.

One reason Ling Hanyu didn’t want her to go out was that if she forced her way out and Ling Hanyu happened to find trouble with her along the way, it would ruin the entire plan—and that would only alert the suspects.

If the case-cracking team had another way, they wouldn’t have waited so long to come looking for her.

It was clear there was no other option.

She couldn’t jeopardize the plan, nor could she allow an innocent girl to die unjustly or be persecuted again.

Under pressure, Song Qingtian went to the Study to find Ling Hanyu.

If a simple name could resolve the issue, then it wouldn’t matter what she called herself.

She knocked on the Study’s door and called out.

Ling Hanyu still didn’t respond.

Song Qingtian tried probing the situation—the Study’s door wasn’t locked, so she opened it.

Ling Hanyu was sitting in his chair, reading a book.

Song Qingtian entered the room to look for him.

“Ling Hanyu.”

Ling Hanyu slowly raised his head, his dark eyes landing on Song Qingtian’s face.

Song Qingtian smiled at him, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “As long as others aren’t embarrassed, I won’t be either.”

Ling Hanyu put down the book in his hands, leaned back in his chair, and asked, “Is this your attitude toward apologizing?”

Song Qingtian replied, “I didn’t do anything wrong—why should I apologize?”

“You didn’t?”

Song Qingtian pondered for a moment—so maybe she did?

After a brief silence, Song Qingtian took the initiative to admit her mistake: “Then I’m sorry.”

And without missing a beat, she bowed deeply to Ling Hanyu.

Song Qingtian wasn’t new to apologizing, and many of those apologies were completely unwarranted.

Like this unreasonable demand she was facing from Ling Hanyu right now.

She clearly hadn’t done anything wrong, yet Ling Hanyu still insisted she apologize—what else could that be but sheer irrationality?

But the beauty of life lies in not arguing with people over logic. After all, if someone is willing to listen to reason, why would they even need someone else to explain it?

Song Qingtian’s thinking was crystal clear: she never compromised on principles, and as long as she stayed true to them, nothing else mattered.

Her goal was to help the investigators crack the case, and nothing could stand in her way.

Song Qingtian apologized, and Ling Hanyu’s gaze grew even colder.

But she could simply ignore it.

Ling Hanyu patted his leg and said, “Come here.”

Song Qingtian glanced at Ling Hanyu’s leg and thought about their encounter that night—was he testing her?

Song Qingtian stood there for a long time without moving closer, until Ling Hanyu got up and approached her himself.

“Don’t go!”

Without any explanation, Ling Hanyu’s sole intention was to keep Song Qingtian from leaving.

Song Qingtian countered, “Why not?”

“Because I don’t like it!”

With that, Ling Hanyu turned and walked away. Song Qingtian turned around to watch, only to see that the Study’s door had already closed.

She had already stepped outside to confront Ling Hanyu about this matter, but now she was out of reach.

Song Qingtian was determined to go out and see what was happening, but Aunt Chen stopped her.

Aunt Chen was also in a difficult position: “When Mr. Ling left, he specifically instructed that if Madam leaves, then I don’t need to stay either.”

In fact, even if Aunt Chen weren’t working for Ling Hanyu, she could easily find another good employer—after all, she’d been in this line of work for so many years, and while she might not have much money, she certainly had plenty of experience.

The real reason Aunt Chen didn’t want to leave was that she cared deeply for Ling Nuonuo and didn’t want to part with Song Qingtian as she was now.

Song Qingtian’s growth was something Aunt Chen could see with her own eyes.

Aunt Chen didn’t want to let go of such a Song Qingtian.

Song Qingtian looked at Aunt Chen and said, “I understand, Aunt Chen. I’ll make a phone call—please keep an eye on things for me, and let me know if Mr. Ling comes back.”

“Alright.”

Aunt Chen knew that Song Qingtian was only acting in her best interest; otherwise, she could easily ignore Ling Hanyu’s orders and let him go out on his own.

Song Qingtian turned around—since she wasn’t going out anyway, she might as well stay put.

Right now, with Ling Hanyu not around, if she left, it would inevitably involve Aunt Chen. But if she went out while Ling Hanyu was still there, then Aunt Chen wouldn’t be implicated at all.

Thinking along these lines, Song Qingtian picked up the phone.

Even if she couldn’t show up as planned, she had to let people know.

Once she’d made the necessary arrangements, Song Qingtian finally began getting ready.

Could a mere Ling Hanyu really stop her?

End of Chapter 214: Just Ling Hanyu