CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 427: I’M SORRY, I SHOULDN’T HAVE LIED TO YOU

After the Lantern Festival, Chen Bin found himself idle once again.

That weekend, he suddenly thought about He Beibei, who had been working in the Imperial Capital for quite some time, and he wondered how she was doing.

So, he directly borrowed a car from Hao Wenjing and headed to the Imperial Capital.

Since he hadn’t contacted her in advance, Chen Bin arrived at He Beibei’s dormitory and knocked on the door, only to find that no one was there.

Wanting to give her a surprise, he decided not to call her.

Instead, he drove straight to Liao Ruoli’s place.

By coincidence, Liao Ruoli happened to be about to head downstairs for dinner.

When she saw Chen Bin, the two began strolling together at a nearby food court.

The Imperial Capital was a tourist city, bustling with visitors all year round.

Upon reaching the food court, Chen Bin found the place overwhelmingly packed with people.

So, Chen Bin and Liao Ruoli wandered around the area.

They bought snacks and chatted while eating, enjoying the tranquility of the night.

After they had their fill, Liao Ruoli held onto Chen Bin’s arm and shared tidbits of her life over the past few weeks.

As they walked together, they looked just like a couple deeply in love.

Soon, Liao Ruoli suddenly turned to Chen Bin with a smile and asked.

"Last time, you mentioned wanting to find someone to invest in Beihuang County. I went out of my way to help you get it done—how do you plan to thank me?"

Hearing this caught Chen Bin off guard.

After all, given Liao Ruoli’s status, she lacked for nothing—what kind of gift could he possibly give her that would satisfy her?

Just as Chen Bin was at a loss, Liao Ruoli suddenly murmured.

"Wow, the roses over there seem to be blooming really beautifully."

Chen Bin turned his head and saw a neatly dressed young girl holding a small basket, selling fresh flowers.

She seemed like she was out experiencing life.

Chen Bin couldn’t help but marvel at the forward-thinking mindset of people in the Imperial Capital, where children were taught independence and self-reliance from an early age.

If this were Beihuang County, tutoring classes would probably have monopolized their school holidays.

"Ruoli, wait here for me—I’ll be right back."

With that, Chen Bin walked up to the young girl and bought all the flowers she had.

Carrying them in his arms, they looked incredibly stunning.

When he returned, Liao Ruoli was amused but also a bit exasperated.

"I just needed a single bouquet! Why did you buy so many?"

"Well, since you like them, I bought them all. If you think it’s too much, I can go and return some?"

"You wouldn’t dare!"

Liao Ruoli glared at Chen Bin in mock frustration.

After taking all the flowers into her arms, her face lit up with a sweet smile.

Chen Bin had to admit, when she wasn’t acting like a spoiled princess, she was truly charming.

With the gorgeous flowers in her arms and her radiant beauty, Chen Bin couldn’t help leaning in to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

Noticing the envious stares from those around them, Liao Ruoli’s cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment.

However, she didn’t show any displeasure.

Instead, she linked arms with Chen Bin and carried on wandering with him.

Soon after, Liao Ruoli pointed to a couple ahead of them and whispered.

"Look at Xiong Wubing! I’m glad my sister didn’t marry him—he’s such a shameless flirt!"

Chen Bin turned his head to see Xiong Wubing holding hands with a woman in her twenties as they strolled through the street.

As they walked, Xiong Wubing occasionally reached out to grab and knead the woman’s shapely rear.

The woman seemed disturbed by his actions and quickly brushed his hand off.

Xiong Wubing was insistent, soon placing his hand back on her again.

This time, the woman didn’t resist, letting him have his way.

Although he could only see her from behind, Chen Bin felt a sense of familiarity about the woman, though he couldn’t immediately place where he knew her from.

At that moment, Liao Ruoli continued speaking to herself.

"After breaking things off with my sister, Xiong Wubing tried to arrange another marriage with another woman—they were even preparing for the wedding. Turns out, he then ran into this girl. The guy’s over thirty and still chasing after young ladies."

As Xiong Wubing’s figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Chen Bin instinctively asked.

"Do you know the name of Xiong Wubing’s current girlfriend?"

"Not really, but I do have a photo of the two of them as a couple."

Without delay, Liao Ruoli pulled out her phone, found the picture, and showed it to Chen Bin.

Just one glance, and Chen Bin was overcome with a surge of anger.

The woman in the photo turned out to be none other than He Beibei!

Though his heart was filled with countless questions, Chen Bin refrained from chasing after them or confronting her.

With Liao Ruoli standing right next to him, revealing his relationship with He Beibei would only cause trouble!

After strolling around, Chen Bin returned to Liao Ruoli’s place that evening.

The two spent some cozy time together, though things didn’t escalate further.

The next morning, Chen Bin bid farewell to Liao Ruoli and knocked on He Beibei’s dormitory door.

When the door opened and He Beibei saw Chen Bin, she looked surprised.

"Hero Brother, what are you doing here?"

Chen Bin forced a faint smile. "What? You don’t want me here?"

He Beibei quickly pulled him into her room and hugged him tightly, her face glowing with happiness.

"How could I not? I’ve been dreaming of this moment!"

Chen Bin lightly patted He Beibei’s back, and after parting, they sat on the edge of her bed.

"Beibei, I actually arrived yesterday but didn’t find you home. Where were you?"

"I went out with some friends and got back late."

"You haven’t been in the Imperial Capital very long—how did you make friends so quickly?"

"Of course! A girl as beautiful as me doesn’t have any trouble making friends!"

While talking, He Beibei deliberately snuggled into Chen Bin’s arms, her eyes overflowing with affection.

Feigning casualness, Chen Bin asked, "Are you sure you didn’t start dating anyone here?"

As soon as he said this, He Beibei became visibly flustered.

She hastily replied, "No... no way! I’m so in love with you—how could I be interested in anyone else?"

"I was just kidding—why are you so nervous?"

"I’m not nervous at all!"

Clearly trying to prove her point, He Beibei lifted her head and resolutely locked eyes with Chen Bin.

Yet her evasive gaze told him everything he needed to know.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Bin softly murmured.

"Last night, I saw you at the food court—except you were with another man, and you two seemed rather close."

"You’ve got it wrong! I never even went to the food court!"

Seeing that He Beibei continued to lie, Chen Bin decided to lay his cards on the table.

"Xiong Wubing—you know him, don’t you?"

Her whole body stiffened as she raised her head in disbelief, her face filled with shock.

Suddenly, big teardrops began rolling down her cheeks.

"Hero Brother, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have lied to you, but I really had no other choice!"

Chen Bin never doubted He Beibei’s love for him.

But he still needed to understand how she ended up with Xiong Wubing.

"Alright, tell me—what’s really going on here?"