"That's no problem at all, Li Ge, how much do you need to borrow?"
Zhang Yu's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone. Li Zhonglou stated an amount.
"Alright, no problem. Li Ge, give me your bank card number, and I'll transfer it to you once I'm done with my current tasks."
Less than half an hour later, Li Zhonglou received twenty thousand from Zhang Yu. While this amount might not be much to wealthy individuals, for ordinary people, it could be what they save over several years. Yet, Zhang Yu transferred it without a second thought, clearly indicating that Li Zhonglou was more than just an ordinary friend to her.
Not long after ending the call with Zhang Yu, Li Zhonglou received greeting calls from Feng Zheng and Ya Lili. Both began by asking where he had been and why he was unreachable.
"Li Ge, can you do me a small favor tonight?"
During the call with Ya Lili, she suddenly made this request, causing Li Zhonglou to pause in surprise.
"What is it?"
"I have to attend a banquet tonight..."
It was a similar situation to before. Although it wasn't her grandfather's banquet this time, she still needed an escort.
If it were before, Li Zhonglou would have readily agreed without hesitation. While his initial intention for approaching Ya Lili was to get to know Zhang Yu, after everything that had happened, they had all become genuine friends.
This was why Li Zhonglou was puzzled.
"Why don't you ask Feng Zheng?"
As a senior, Li Zhonglou didn't shy away from the question, as their relationship, aside from the unspoken romantic aspect, was an open secret.
"Li Ge, it's not what you think."
Ya Lili's embarrassed voice came from the other end of the phone, and she then explained the reason to Li Zhonglou.
It turned out to be another bodyguard job. According to Ya Lili, there were several business suitors at the banquet, all of them with considerable status. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ya Lili needed not just a companion but someone who could legitimately shield her from trouble.
Given Feng Zheng's status and position, it was naturally impossible for him to act as her bodyguard. Moreover, they hadn't officially confirmed their relationship yet, which was why Ya Lili thought of Li Zhonglou.
"Li Ge, if it's okay, can I dismiss the bodyguard I hired previously?" Ya Lili's voice inquired again.
It turned out that because she couldn't reach Li Zhonglou, she had already hired a bodyguard to accompany her. Li Zhonglou agreed to her request without hesitation, telling her to dismiss the previously hired bodyguard.
He would certainly help his friends with such a small favor. More importantly, he had no urgent matters to attend to. The only thing he needed to follow up on was the lead Zhou Tong had found for him regarding an auction pass, but Zhou Tong hadn't even sorted things out for himself yet, so Li Zhonglou felt there was no rush on that front.
Furthermore, Ya Lili's request was indeed a small favor for Li Zhonglou, as he was already quite familiar with acting as her bodyguard.
However, when he actually arrived at the banquet, Li Zhonglou discovered that everything was not as he had anticipated...
It was precisely eight o'clock in the evening. Li Zhonglou, dressed in formal attire, accompanied Ya Lili as they entered a grand, opulent hall.
The hall was filled with successful individuals, most of whom were young, in their early twenties. Ya Lili's beauty was already striking, and coupled with her elegant attire for the occasion, she immediately caught the eye of every man present as soon as they entered.
What Li Zhonglou hadn't expected was what happened next. Four men walked over in unison, surrounding Ya Lili. One of them held a long-stemmed glass, persistently inquiring about business matters, while Li Zhonglou was unceremoniously squeezed to the side.
The intention of their approach was undisguised. Crucially, the four men ignored Ya Lili's discomfort and gave her no opportunity to leave.
Li Zhonglou instinctively scanned his surroundings and, as expected, saw expectant glances in the eyes of several men.
"Could it be such a cliché, like a hero saving the damsel?"
Li Zhonglou muttered to himself, then pushed past one of the men and stood beside Ya Lili.
"Miss Ya, who is this?"
One of the men pretended to notice Li Zhonglou only at that moment, looking at Ya Lili with a surprised expression.
However, before she could speak, Li Zhonglou directly introduced himself, "Excuse me, please make way. I am her bodyguard."
It was a common opening, but his stance was firm. A flicker of displeasure crossed the eyes of the four men. The man who had spoken earlier declared directly,
"Just a mere bodyguard, what right do you have to be arrogant in front of us!"
Li Zhonglou was stunned. He never expected that simply doing his job would be perceived as arrogance by them.
Arrogant? Your grandfather! Four men surrounding a young lady and preventing her from leaving, and you call me arrogant...
Li Zhonglou felt utterly bewildered. But to avoid further trouble, he chose to remain silent and intended to lead Ya Lili away. At this moment, the true protagonist finally appeared.
"Lili? You're here!"
From the left side of the crowd, a young man with a side-parted hairstyle and slightly reddish hair called out.
As he approached, his expression suddenly turned stern.
"What are you four doing? Have you found entertainment at my Lili's expense?"
His caring words were laced with a familiar endearment. Jiang Jiaxing had always been quite proud of this particular skill of his, as very few women he set his sights on could resist this approach!
Although the plot was cliché, it at least served as a rescue. Following his words, the four men quickly apologized and hastily departed with their wine glasses.
Although Jiang Jiaxing's face still held a trace of anger, he was inwardly smug. He knew very well that women were highly susceptible to such gestures!
However, he had forgotten about Li Zhonglou.
"My apologies, with me here, Miss Ya won't encounter any trouble. You can rest assured."
"Who are you?"
Jiang Jiaxing's brow furrowed, as if only at this moment did he notice Li Zhonglou's presence.
This time, Li Zhonglou learned his lesson. These self-important individuals never acknowledged the presence of someone of his status. Therefore, Li Zhonglou handed the floor to Ya Lili.
As expected, when she took the initiative to explain Li Zhonglou's identity, Jiang Jiaxing lost the opportunity to create a scene.
After all, since the primary party had stepped forward to explain, he couldn't possibly behave unreasonably.