Chapter 176: Yang Jing's Secret
After restoring those websites and media outlets, Zhang Yang shut down the Shadow System. As a top hacker, he was confident it hadn't left any traces.
Still, this incident had blown up far too big. Mainstream media everywhere were reporting it. Compared to the Panda Burning Incense virus from a few years ago, this was on a whole new level. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Cyber Information Security Center, and the Ministry of Public Security all issued emergency statements overnight, vowing to track down the culprit.
CCTV even aired a series of expert interviews, where specialists harshly criticized the incident, calling it a serious disruption to online order and an illegal act.
But none of the experts dared to openly condemn the hacker known as "Blizzard." They were afraid that if they offended him, their blogs would turn into Japanese adult video sites by tomorrow.
Surprisingly, the online reaction was completely opposite to that of the so-called experts. Across the internet, Blizzard's popularity shot straight to the top of the daily rankings.
The more the experts criticized him, the higher his approval soared. Some netizens even began implying that those "experts" were paid mouthpieces of the Cai family.
Zhang Yang hadn't expected things to turn out this way. After browsing through the comments, he cheerfully decided to visit Yang Jing.
Today was Xi Chen Jinglan's first day arriving in Meining. He wanted to go with Yang Jing to pick her up—after all, she had been the first to apply when he and Yang Jing couldn't find anyone suitable.
It was also because of her that his trip to the capital had been so fruitful.
Zhang Yang personally drove to pick up Yang Jing after work. When she saw him, her face showed nothing but concern.
Once she got into the car, she immediately asked, "Are you alright?"
"You heard?" Zhang Yang looked at her. For some reason, her face was glowing, like that of a newlywed—radiant and full of life, her eyes soft and bright.
Yang Jing shot him a glance. "The news is everywhere—how could I not know? I called, but your phone was off. If I hadn't later found out you were safe—and sleeping, no less—I would've come myself."
"Thanks for worrying about me, Sister Jing."
"Why are you still saying that between us?" She rolled her eyes again.
She playfully swatted him. Today she wore a gray short-skirt suit with a silk scarf around her neck and brown knee-high boots. The weather had warmed up.
Her smooth, fair thighs were bare, gleaming under the sunlight—irresistibly tempting to touch.
Sitting in the passenger seat, the seatbelt ran snugly beneath her full chest, pressing her curves upward in a way that made them stand out even more.
Remembering that night and seeing her so stunning now, Zhang Yang's desire stirred again. The fire that Qiao Xier had sparked earlier in the afternoon reignited.
If only he could push this gorgeous Sister Jing down right now.
"Alright then, from now on, I won't hold back with Sister Jing." Zhang Yang said with a teasing tone.
Yang Jing didn't suspect anything else and nodded. "Of course. If you act all polite with me, I won't forgive you."
"You said it yourself. So if I ask for something… anything, you can't refuse, right?" Zhang Yang glanced at her meaningfully.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Yang Jing finally sensed something off. Her beautiful face flushed red as she pinched him hard in the side. "You rascal, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Hey, I'm not saying anything wrong." Zhang Yang stared at her chest, slightly deformed by her movement, and felt his throat dry up. "Sister Jing's the one thinking dirty."
"I am not." Just thinking of that night made her heart flutter again. That was the first time she had ever seen a man's thing—she'd been both terrified and curious. Though nothing truly happened that night, the unspoken tension between them had never faded.
Since that night, Yang Jing had spent several sleepless evenings. Late at night, her mind kept replaying what happened, making her heart race and her face burn red.
There was a deep, uncontrollable desire inside her—a doctor like her understood perfectly well what it was, and she also knew how to handle it.
But lately, it felt like she was addicted. She wanted to experience real passion, real intimacy. For a beautiful twenty-six-year-old woman, that wasn't too much to ask.
In a world full of neon lights and temptation, countless men would gladly kneel before her if she gave them the chance. But she didn't want to give herself to just anyone—only to someone truly worth trusting. And strangely, every time she pictured that person… it was always Zhang Yang.
The realization frightened her. Had she fallen for him?
Logic told her it was impossible. Sure, she liked being with him, but they were supposed to be like siblings now. Even if not by blood, plenty of people knew about that connection. If she crossed that line, what would others think?
For both her and Zhang Yang, it would be a serious problem—and she had no idea how he felt. Maybe that night was just a moment of weakness for both of them.
"Sister Jing, your face is glowing today. Something good happen?" Zhang Yang asked, breaking her wandering thoughts.
Her neck grew hot, and her already rosy cheeks flushed even deeper. "What good thing? The only good thing is yours."
"What do you mean?"
"That Xi Chen Jinglan girl from Tsinghua came all the way here to join you. Isn't that worth celebrating?" Yang Jing quickly changed the subject, afraid she'd slip up. "By the way, did you arrange a place for her to stay?"
"Yeah, I'll let her stay at the villa for now. It's convenient—just girls living there."
"You lucky bastard. That villa's full of beauties, and you're the only guy."
"What are you implying, Sister Jing? Should I have her stay at your place instead?"
"Yeah right. Even if I agreed, would she? Maybe that little girl came because she's into you. Why else would she leave her great prospects in the capital to move to a small city like Meining?"
Zhang Yang was speechless. "Sister Jing, that's the dumbest reasoning ever."
"You never know." Yang Jing looked at him. From her seat, she could only see his profile—sharp yet not harsh, fair-skinned with a well-shaped nose. He was the kind of man who looked gentle but firm, handsome without arrogance, charming without arrogance. There was a trace of weariness in his eyes that made him seem mature beyond his years.
He was the kind of man a woman couldn't help but want to understand. Add in youth, success, and wealth—it was no wonder girls flocked to him.
If she were a few years younger, she might've fallen too.
"By the way, Zhang Yang, Feifei's staying with you now, right?"
"Yeah."
The car stopped at a red light. Yang Jing pursed her lips and said, "My dad called Feifei today. You know what? She actually answered. She didn't say a word, but she let him finish everything he wanted to say."
"Really?" Zhang Yang didn't think much of it. He didn't know how strained things were between Yang Xiuguo and his daughter, but it sounded like good news.
"Yeah. Grandpa, Dad, and I all think it's a miracle. Feifei never picked up before, even when Dad called repeatedly." Yang Jing's eyes sparkled. "You think it's because of you?"
"What? Why am I getting blamed again? I haven't done anything to Teacher Yang."
"Blamed, my ass!" Yang Jing smacked him again. "I'm serious. I feel like Feifei's changed lately. She used to only call Grandpa once a month just to check in, but now it's once a week."
"Maybe she's trying to use up her phone plan. You know those 188-yuan packages with thousands of minutes… Ow! Sister Jing, don't pinch me—I'm driving!"
"I'm being serious." She withdrew her hand. The red light turned yellow, then green.
"Before, it was impossible for Feifei to have a real conversation with a guy. But now, she spends every evening with you, and you're still alive and intact. You must have some kind of magic trick."
Zhang Yang broke into a cold sweat. What, do I need armor just to teach her English now?
Still, Yang Jing wasn't wrong. Yang Fei's tone had indeed softened lately.
"Yangzi, I'm serious. If you can mend things between Feifei and my dad, our whole family would be grateful."
Zhang Yang blinked. Why did that sound so familiar? Oh right—his system had given him an F-level mission to fix the rift between Yang Fei and Yang Xiuguo.
"Sister Jing, it's not impossible… but…" Zhang Yang's mind raced. This was the perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone.
"But what?" Yang Jing asked, sensing he might really have a solution, her eyes filled with expectation.
"But, Sister Jing, you'll have to agree to one condition." Zhang Yang glanced boldly at the heaving curves of her chest as he spoke.