Chapter 169 - 168: To Be Repaid Sooner or Later (Part 2)

And now.

The time was finally right.

Net Entertainment Group was now in a desperate corner. If he could just yank away "Yulian," their last-ditch lifeline, then the Net Entertainment Group would never have a chance to recover.

RING RING RING—

Just then, Ye Ling’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it—the caller was Zhang De!

’Just the man I was looking for.’

Ye Ling chuckled and answered the phone.

"Hello, Lawyer Zhang."

"Young Master Ye, my apologies for disturbing you so late. I’m calling about the case you mentioned earlier today..."

On the other end of the line, Zhang De got straight to the point. "After I returned to the firm this afternoon, I had my team start the investigation. The appeal materials are now ready, and we can file at any time."

"That fast?"

Hearing this, Ye Ling was momentarily stunned. He had to give Zhang De credit.

He had just been thinking about contacting Zhang De to get the appeal materials prepared as soon as possible, only to have the man call and tell him they were already done.

"Yes. The case isn’t as complicated as I first thought. Although the character models for Yulian were altered, the plot is eighty-five percent similar to Lingxi’s Love. The plotting is similar, the structure is identical, and the style is consistent. We can definitely argue it’s plagiarism."

Zhang De gave Ye Ling a definitive answer.

After hanging up, a smile tugged at the corners of Ye Ling’s lips.

’I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly.’

Next, he called Zhu Yun to discuss commissioning Deheng Law Firm for the appeal regarding Yulian’s infringement of Lingxi’s Love.

"Deheng Law Firm?"

Zhu Yun was taken aback, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

Deheng Law Firm held an extremely high status in the country’s legal circles. It wasn’t just that their fees were exorbitant; more importantly, they were nearly impossible to retain.

Rumor had it their caseload was booked solid until the middle of next year!

"Yes, I’ve already made the arrangements. They should be sending someone to the company tomorrow. I called because I think we can create some noise around this Yulian infringement issue."

By "creating noise," Ye Ling naturally meant stirring up public opinion.

Since Net Entertainment Group wanted to clutch at Yulian as their last straw, he would turn that very straw into the one that broke the camel’s back.

"I understand."

Zhu Yun was a sharp woman and agreed at once, a gleam flashing in her eyes.

In recent days, due to news that Yulian had started filming, Net Entertainment Group’s stock price had begun to show signs of recovery, making it increasingly difficult to acquire their shares.

It had been easy when the stock was in freefall, but now that it was recovering, many people were undoubtedly adopting a wait-and-see approach.

’Maybe it really could bounce back?’

People called it investing, but "speculation" was a more fitting term for the stock market. And the crucial part was always seizing the right opportunity.

"Alright, I’ll leave the specifics to you."

Ye Ling didn’t press the details; he trusted Zhu Yun to handle things.

When he hung up, Ye Ling noticed Ning Ruoxi standing beside him, blinking curiously.

"Why are you standing here?"

Ye Ling asked with a small smile.

"All done?"

Ning Ruoxi asked softly.

She didn’t ask what he had been doing or who he had been talking to. To her, none of that mattered.

Everyone had their own secrets and their own business; she wasn’t one to interfere too much in Ye Ling’s affairs.

"All done."

Ye Ling nodded, his arm wrapping around Ning Ruoxi’s waist.

"Let’s go back to the room..."

Ning Ruoxi sat on Ye Ling’s lap, then leaned close to his ear and whispered alluringly.

Her soft, tender voice, carrying a hint of warm breath, sent a jolt through Ye Ling.

’What’s gotten into this girl?’

’Could it be...?’

Looking at the bashful expression on Ning Ruoxi’s face, Ye Ling gulped.

"Right then! Back to the room, we go!"

Without a second thought, Ye Ling let out an excited cry, scooped Ning Ruoxi up by the crook of her legs, and charged toward the bedroom.

Just as Ye Ling tossed Ning Ruoxi onto the bed and was about to pounce, she suddenly pulled a phone from her pocket.

"How about we play some games?"

Ning Ruoxi looked at Ye Ling, blinking, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Pl-play a game?"

Ye Ling was dumbfounded, and his ardor cooled in an instant.

’Damn it.’

’All that buildup, and this is what I get?’

"Yeah, play a game. What else did you think we were going to do?" Ning Ruoxi said with a light laugh, seemingly oblivious to Ye Ling’s mood swing.

"N-nothing..."

Ye Ling rubbed his nose, though inwardly he was fuming.

’Damn it.’

’This little brat... she’s definitely doing this on purpose!’

Seeing Ning Ruoxi looking at him, still with that smile on her face, made Ye Ling’s teeth ache with frustration. He also felt a little wronged.

’Is it really that fun to bully me like this?’

’Every time! She gets me all fired up and then just leaves me hanging!’

"Well, what are you standing there for? Come on."

Ning Ruoxi, however, pulled back the covers and settled in, then winked at Ye Ling with a devastatingly charming smile.

At that moment.

Ye Ling couldn’t help but let out a long, heavy sigh.

’After we’re married, I’m definitely going to have to punish this disobedient Little Demon!’

"Alright, I’m coming."

Having calmed himself, Ye Ling got into bed, pulled out his phone, and started playing the game with Ning Ruoxi.

Seeing this, Ning Ruoxi looked like a little fox whose scheme had succeeded, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

She found teasing Ye Ling like this to be incredibly amusing. Every time she saw that frustrated expression on his face—all worked up with nowhere to go—she had to suppress a laugh.

Many years later, Ning Ruoxi would recall these thoughts and sigh with a hint of regret. In the end, it was all a debt she had incurred back then.

Whether paid back early or late, a debt is a debt. In short, it would have to be repaid sooner or later...

...

But the Ning Ruoxi of the present wasn’t thinking that far ahead. She just excitedly pulled Ye Ling into the game.

Since Ye Ling had previously boosted her account back up to Diamond rank, they could now play ranked matches together.

And so, what Ye Ling had envisioned as a night of infinite bliss turned into an all-night tour of the Canyon.

That little rascal Ning Ruoxi really had him playing games the entire night!