"Very well, I suppose I was meddling unnecessarily," Alex pursed her lips and continued, "Since it's none of my business, I'll be taking my leave." She glanced over at Tian Tian, who had been silently biting her lip, and said, "Miss Tian, I'll leave Mr. Keller in your capable hands for the hospital visit."
"Don't worry, I'll take Ethan Keller to the hospital. You don't need to concern yourself with it!" Tian Tian's tone was sharp, but Alex merely shrugged and turned to leave. After a few steps, she pivoted back, walked over to Ethan, picked up the scattered money from the ground, and stood upright. "Since Mr. Keller doesn't require these funds, I'll be taking them back."
"Get out!" Ethan's face flushed scarlet, and Alex looked at him with a meaningful sigh before turning and walking away with graceful strides.
Upon reaching the parking lot to retrieve her car, Alex realized her keys were missing. She wondered if she had dropped them at the taekwondo dojo while changing clothes and promptly turned back.
As she approached the entrance of the dojo, a man suddenly appeared before her, blocking her path.
Alex looked up at the man before her, her expression indifferent. "Excuse me, do we know each other?"
The man stood tall, well over six feet, towering over Alex, who barely reached his shoulder. His sharply defined features held a rugged charm, his skin pale yet devoid of femininity, and his eyes, like glittering icicles, carried a hint of amber that seemed to captivate.
This man was Sheng Xiangdong, the son of Aunt Jiang, a friend of Alex's mother. Having lived abroad since childhood, he had only met Alex after his family returned to the country. Hence, this was their first encounter in person, and he likely did not recognize her.
More importantly, Sheng Xiangdong was one of Tian Tian's admirers, always silently supporting and helping her. In Alex's previous life, he had intervened multiple times to protect Tian Tian from Alex's troubles and even confronted Alex on Tian Tian's behalf.
Thus, Alex couldn't help but feel a trace of hostility towards Sheng Xiangdong.
"We don't, but we can make our acquaintance now. My name is Sheng Xiangdong. May I inquire about yours?" Sheng said politely, a hint of amusement in his gaze as he looked at Alex.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but I'm not interested in making your acquaintance." Alex replied coolly.
"You seem to hold some hostility towards me. Have I offended you in the past?" Sheng narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Alex.
Confident in his appearance and charm, he had always been surrounded by women, yet he had never paid them much heed. This was the first time he had tried to strike up a conversation with a woman, and the result was somewhat unexpected.
"No," Alex replied, glancing at him briefly before adding, "If there's nothing else, kindly step aside. I have matters to attend to and no time to waste with you."
"Is this what you're looking for?" Ethan suddenly interjected, pulling out a car key from his bag and holding it out to Alex.
"How did my car key end up with you?" Alex asked instinctively, her eyes guarded as she looked at Sheng.
"I found it when I parked my car nearby and witnessed you subduing that man. It was lying on the ground there," Sheng said,the corners of the mouth are slightly twisted. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that such a delicate, seemingly fragile woman possessed such strength, easily overpowering a grown man.
Realizing the key had fallen during her confrontation with Ethan, Alex didn't feel embarrassed about revealing her fierce side to this handsome man. She gave Sheng a cool look, whose smile seemed to hold a hidden meaning. "Since you know the key belongs to me, may I have it back now?"
As she reached for the key, Sheng pulled it away, looking at her. "I'm sorry, but I can't give it to you just like that."
Alex's brows rose as she looked at Sheng.
"I found your car key, and you haven't even said thank you. Why should I return it to you?" Sheng said, sounding perfectly justified.
Knowing it was best not to prolong the encounter, Alex reluctantly said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Sheng replied with a smile.
"So, can I have my car key back now?" Alex asked politely.
"No," Sheng replied firmly.
"..." Alex was speechless.
"I'll give you your car key, but only if you treat me to dinner," Sheng said seriously.
"Are you broke?" Alex asked.
"No," Sheng shook his head.
"Then why do you want me to treat you to dinner?"
"No particular reason. I just find you interesting and would like to make your acquaintance."
"I'm sorry, I don't have the time," Alex said sternly. "Besides, I'm not your plaything."
"Don't misunderstand. I merely want to have dinner with you as a token of gratitude for finding your car key."
"I said I don't have the time," Alex refused.
"We can do it when you're free," Sheng persisted.
"..."
"Let's exchange phone numbers. We can arrange it over the phone." Sheng pulled out his phone and waved it in front of her face.
Annoyed by the ongoing interaction, Alex reluctantly recited her phone number. Immediately, her phone in her bag rang, confirming the authenticity of the number. Satisfied, Sheng returned the car key to her.
"Remember my number," Sheng said softly.
Alex pulled out her phone, added Sheng's number to her contacts, and said, "May I leave now?"
"Of course," Sheng smiled.
"Goodbye."
Alex turned and left. With the early hour, she decided to indulge in a sauna session. After a few hours, she felt rejuvenated, contemplating the possibility of opening a few saunas back in their world. While she was financially secure, who could ever have enough money?
Meanwhile, Tian Tian accompanied Ethan to the hospital for a check-up, where they discovered a fractured leg requiring hospitalization for two weeks. The total cost amounted to thirty to forty thousand yuan.
Having only worked at the taekwondo dojo for three days, Ethan hadn't earned a penny, and Tian Tian's income barely sufficed for their daily needs. During her time as Alex's secretary, Tian Tian had saved up twenty thousand yuan, but even if she spent it all, they would still be short by ten to twenty thousand.
In the past, Ethan wouldn't have batted an eye at such an amount, but now, with only a few thousand yuan left from when he left home and his pride preventing him from accepting Tian Tian's money, he settled the initial bill and called his so-called friends for help.
However, Ethan's relationship with his parents had soured, and anyone lending him money would be seen as opposing them. Moreover, having offended the Andra family, his friends, though reckless and indulgent, knew better than to cross the Andra family or Ethan's parents. Thus, they all refused to lend him money, leaving him stranded in his time of need.
Friends as close as brothers in good times, they vanished when it mattered most.