Chapter 119: The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

Han Ning was exceptionally sharp. She froze for a moment, and then a flash of bleakness crossed her eyes. "It’s the Han family, isn't it?"

Yang Jiekai looked at this resilient woman, let out a long sigh, and nodded. "I traced the server registrant through the IP. It’s none other than your great-grandfather, Han Haohai."

"Heh, how interesting."

Han Ning smiled, though her eyes were brimming with tears. She tilted her head upward, struggling to keep them from falling. She spoke as if to herself, or perhaps to Yang Jiekai, "My parents passed away when I was very young. It was my great-grandfather who raised me and groomed me. I worked hard since I was a child, always striving to be the best, and at the time, I had only one goal: to not disappoint him."

"Apart from Han Wei, I always considered my great-grandfather my only family. He saved my life; I respected him, revered him, and obeyed his every word."

As she spoke, Han Ning turned to look at Yang Jiekai, her eyes blurred with tears. "Even this marriage—I agreed to it for him, to marry someone I didn't love. I always believed that my great-grandfather treated me like his own daughter."

Han Ning finally lost control; her tears flowed like a bursting dam. She laughed bitterly, "But today I realized I was wrong—wrong to a ridiculous degree. They care only about profit, and I was nothing more than a pawn in his hands."

Yang Jiekai stood to the side, smoking. He had anticipated her distress upon discovering the truth, which was why he had asked her earlier what she wanted to do when she was sad.

"Why are they targeting you?" Yang Jiekai asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Han Ning sneered, "It’s all about profit. At its current rate of development, the Ziyu Company will be a top-tier enterprise within a few years. By then, it would inevitably rival the Han Group. They know my capabilities, and they know I harbor resentment toward the Han family, so they don't want me to grow too strong. They want to stop me."

Yang Jiekai took a deep breath, ground the cigarette butt into the dirt with his heel, and sighed. "Don't think about anything for now. Look up at the stars and let all that messy business stay in the past."

He glanced at Han Ning. The strong woman was weeping continuously, yet she didn't make a sound. A sharp pain bloomed in Yang Jiekai's chest.

"Wife, listen to me. Your family has wronged you—that’s their business. As you just said, you still have Han Wei." Yang Jiekai took another deep breath and looked at her. "Now, besides Han Wei, you have me, Yang Jiekai!"

"You..." Han Ning looked at him in surprise.

Yang Jiekai looked her in the eye and said firmly, "Yes, me. I’m telling you with full responsibility: whether you hate me or can't stand me, we are a contract couple. You are my wife in the eyes of the law. I promise you, whoever dares to hurt a hair on your head—no matter who they are—I will go through hell and high water to settle the score for you!"

Han Ning looked at the man before her and felt a sudden sense of strangeness. In all the time they had spent together, this was the first time he had spoken to her with such earnestness. At the same time, she felt a warmth spreading through her heart.

A mountain breeze picked up. Han Ning, dressed thinly, tightened her clothes, and Yang Jiekai immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Just as she was about to refuse, he pulled her into his arms and pointed at the sky. "Wife, don't think about anything. Just pretend I’m your best friend tonight. I’ll stay here and watch the stars with you all night!"

Leaning against Yang Jiekai, Han Ning felt an unprecedented sense of stability.

"Wife, do you know about Altair and Vega?"

"I do," Han Ning said, looking at the vast sky. "They are the two brightest stars on either side of the Milky Way. You aren't going to tell me their story, are you? I’ve known it since I was a child; it's just a fairy tale to soothe children."

Yang Jiekai gently held her shoulder. "I don't believe in it either. But if the story were true, I’d definitely give the Cowherd a couple of hard slaps!"

"Why?" Han Ning asked, puzzled.

"Because that guy is a spineless coward!" Yang Jiekai looked up at the stars. "Aren't they supposed to be gods? Why do they just meet briefly on the Magpie Bridge once a year on Qixi and then leave?"

"Because it's the Heavenly Law. The Queen Mother of the West decreed they can only meet once a year," Han Ning replied.

"To hell with the Heavenly Law!" Yang Jiekai grumbled. "So what if it's the Heavenly Law? Is it that impressive? If it were me, when the Magpie Bridge appears, I’d walk across and refuse to leave Vega’s side. Whatever the Heavenly Law says, I’m staying with my wife, no matter what!"

Han Ning was stunned for a moment, then burst into a giggle. "Your imagination is truly vivid. Aren't you afraid the Queen Mother will hear you?"

"I'm not afraid. That’s just who I am. If I want to do something, I do it. Why all these rules and restrictions?"

"You really are a strange person..."

As they talked, Yang Jiekai kept telling jokes to cheer her up, and Han Ning gradually forgot her sorrow.

"Wife, let’s talk business."

"Go ahead."

"We’ve been contract spouses for so long, the least you could do is let me kiss you!"

"Get lost!" Han Ning pushed him away. "Can you ever think about something proper instead of these messy things?"

Yang Jiekai chuckled. "Wanting to kiss my wife—that is the most proper thing there is."

"Get lost..." Before she could finish, Yang Jiekai pulled her into his arms again and whispered in her ear, "I'll give you two choices: first, you are never allowed to be unhappy again; second, you let me kiss you."

Han Ning wanted to struggle, but his arms were firm and steady, leaving her unable to move. Being held so close, she felt an unexpected sense of security, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Yang Jiekai gently lifted her chin. Han Ning closed her eyes tightly. Just as he was about to lean in, a rumbling engine sound suddenly echoed, and a pair of bright headlights blinded them.

Han Ning snapped back to reality, her face flushing red with embarrassment, and she shoved Yang Jiekai away.

"Damn it!" Yang Jiekai was fuming; he had been so close! He didn't know where this car had come from.

It was a Lamborghini. A young man and woman stepped out—the girl was gaudily dressed, and the man, with his chin held high and a clean-cut look, clearly appeared to be some rich kid with nothing better to do than drive out here at night looking for trouble.

"Hey, old man, dare to race me?" The young man raised his eyebrows, looking down at Yang Jiekai with an arrogant sneer.

"Sure!" Yang Jiekai agreed without hesitation. "What’s the bet?"

The young man glanced at the ethereal Han Ning and smirked. "If I lose, my girl is yours to play with. If you lose, your girl belongs to me."

"You..." Han Ning started to refuse, but Yang Jiekai stopped her and nodded. "Fine. But I have no interest in your girl. If you lose, I don't want anything else—just let me kick your car once."

The young man was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Deal! From here to the road sign at the foot of the mountain—whoever gets there first wins."

With that, the young man and the girl climbed back into the car.

Yang Jiekai rubbed his nose and smiled. "Wife, I’m going to give you some excitement tonight to help you blow off steam." He headed for the car.

"Wait!" Han Ning stopped him and walked toward the driver's seat. "Let me drive."

"You?" Yang Jiekai blinked, then roared with laughter, slapping his thigh. "Look at my memory! I forgot you’re a racing expert. Fine, you drive, and I’ll sit in the passenger seat and cheer you on."

The engines roared, and the Jeep Wrangler and the Lamborghini took off simultaneously. On a straight road, the Jeep might not stand a chance against a Lamborghini, but on a winding mountain road, it was a different story.

Han Ning was indeed a pro. Cornering, drifting, and sudden acceleration—her movements were fluid and effortless. The rich kid in the Lamborghini was clearly out of his depth; he had to brake at every curve. Before they were even halfway, Han Ning had left him far behind.

The outcome was a foregone conclusion. Yang Jiekai had finished an entire cigarette under the road sign before the Lamborghini finally wobbled down the road.

"What a waste of a car!" Yang Jiekai frowned as he watched the man's driving.

"Old man, I’m impressed!" The young man stepped out and said sincerely, "Your driving is amazing! Can you teach me?"

Yang Jiekai shook his head and pointed at Han Ning. "My wife was driving."

The young man’s eyes filled with awe. He immediately turned to Han Ning. "Sister, you’re incredible! Can you teach me?"

Han Ning looked at the boy, who couldn't have been more than eighteen, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Forget it. Racing is dangerous. Go back and focus on your studies."

But the boy persisted. "Sister, please, take me as your apprentice! My name is Cao Yuxiang, a freshman at Anhai University."

Seeing his persistence, Han Ning was at a loss. Yang Jiekai stepped in to resolve the situation. "Cao Yuxiang, right? Listen to your sister and go back to school. If you want to race in the future, you can call me."

Cao Yuxiang glanced at Yang Jiekai with disdain. "Go away, you. I'm talking to my sister, not trying to apprentice under you."

"Hey, you ungrateful brat!" Yang Jiekai wasn't pleased. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he smirked, "What did you say earlier? If you lost, your girl would be mine to play with, right?"

Cao Yuxiang panicked and pulled the girl closer. "That was just a joke! Besides, you said if I lost, you’d just kick my car. The car is right there—go ahead and kick it!"

*Bang!*

As soon as he finished speaking, a massive dent appeared on the hood as Yang Jiekai delivered a full-force kick.