A Personal Guarantee

Shen Jingchuan met his gaze without flinching, instead offering a frank smile:

"What, Elder Yang, you also think this matter has something to do with me?"

His experiences in that other world had tempered him into a calm and experienced person, with clear and open eyes that showed no sign of guilt.

Upon hearing this, Elder Yang's scrutinizing expression vanished, a slight smile appeared on his face, and he waved his hand:

"No way. I was just asking casually. So what did the police say in the end?"

"There's nothing to say." Shen Jingchuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "There's no evidence pointing to me. I was released after the statement was taken."

"Is there any trouble?" Elder Yang nodded and casually added.

Shen Jingchuan hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly:

"To be honest, it's not exactly troublesome. But considering the motive and the timeline, I am indeed a suspect, and it's normal for the police to suspect me as well."

I have nothing to fear, I'm upright and have nothing to be ashamed of. It's just that... Huang Zeyu, who went missing, has a father who is the chairman of the Brilliance Group, so his background is quite extraordinary.

I don't care, but I'm afraid they'll take their anger out on Meng Ke. She's just a girl, she can't even kill a chicken, and I can't be by her side every second."

This statement was perfectly tactful; it didn't try to elicit sympathy, but simply clearly stated the concerns.

Elder Yang understood perfectly well. He nodded slightly, his tone calm yet carrying considerable weight:

"You don't need to worry about this. In broad daylight, in a society governed by law, you can rest assured that Xiao Meng is safe. I guarantee it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan immediately stood up and bowed slightly to Elder Yang:

"Thank you so much. I'm completely relieved to hear that."

This is real strength. Look at what the old man said; Shen Jingchuan is truly relieved.

Elder Li and Elder Wang chimed in, saying, "Protecting the personal safety of citizens is the responsibility of the state. We both assure you, don't worry."

Shen Jingchuan thought he could leave, but...

He secretly admired them. From the moment they entered until now, the elderly people hadn't mentioned ginseng once, and they hadn't even glanced at the bag he casually placed beside him. Such composure was something ordinary people simply couldn't achieve.

Without further delay, he reached for his bag, placed it on the coffee table, opened it, and took out two antique-patterned brocade boxes, gently pushing them to the center of the table.

"These are the two ginseng roots I found. Please take a look."

Professor Wen leaned over at the sound and carefully lifted the lid of the box. He glanced at it and couldn't help but gasp:

"Good heavens... this must be over two hundred years old, right? Look at the rhizome, the texture, it's definitely much better than before, and the quality is several levels higher. It's a true king of wild ginseng!"

The three Elder Yang were slightly taken aback upon hearing this. They had thought that finding one that was around a hundred years old would be rare enough, but they hadn't expected it to be a top-quality piece that was two hundred years old.

Elder Li nodded repeatedly. "Incredible, incredible! These days, even money can't buy ginseng of this quality."

Elder Yang looked up at Shen Jingchuan, his tone becoming more serious:

"Little Shen, you really went to great lengths to find something like this. We old folks will remember this favor."

Seeing that things were almost over, Shen Jingchuan got up to take his leave. Elder Yang and the others invited him to stay for a simple meal, but he politely declined with a smile.

"The gentlemen are all very busy, so I won't bother them any longer. I still have some things to take care of at home, so I'll head back now."

It wasn't just politeness; he was genuinely uncomfortable dining at the same table with these very important elderly people.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I still have a guilty conscience, and I have to be careful about everything I do, so I'd better just forget about it.

The elderly people didn't insist on keeping him, Elder Yang personally saw him off to the gate of the courtyard, adding a few words of gentle advice:

"If you need anything, please feel free to contact Professor Wen. We will never refuse to help if we can."

Shen Jingchuan nodded in agreement, got into the car, and drove away from the quiet alley.

As soon as the car pulled into the parking lot next to Meng Ke's jewelry store and the engine was turned off, Shen Jingchuan keenly sensed something amiss. Under the shade of the trees at the street corner and near the parking lot entrance, several seemingly casual figures stood in a highly organized manner, their eyes subtly scanning their surroundings.

He understood immediately— Elder Yang had acted so quickly. Whether it was to monitor him incidentally or to protect Meng Ke specifically, he didn't care as long as Meng Ke was safe. With that person vouching for him, Meng Ke's safety was now completely assured.

He pushed open the door and entered the store. Meng Ke was sitting behind the counter checking the inventory list. When she saw him come in, her eyes lit up.

"Why are you here now?"

"I came to see you. I have something to tell you; I'm planning to go out for a while."

"Going out again?" Meng Ke looked up, her tone tinged with reluctance. "It's only been a couple of days since things calmed down."

"Business matters always require some trips. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. There's something else I need to tell you. Don't worry about Huang Zeyu's retaliation. I've asked Elder Yang to look after your safety; you'll be absolutely safe."

Meng Ke was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. She knew about Shen Jingchuan's relationship with Elder Yang, and since Elder Yang knew about it, there must be no problem.

Shen Jingchuan leaned down and gently kissed her soft lips for a moment.

The two lingered for a while before Shen Jingchuan straightened up and pinched her soft cheek:

"I'm leaving now to go home and pack some things. Go home early after get off work, and don't wander off."

"Knew."

Meng Ke's cheeks flushed slightly as she watched him turn and leave. As his figure disappeared through the doorway, she felt a little empty inside.

On his way back to West Mountain Separate Garden, Shen Jingchuan dialed the phone number of Factory Director Zhou of the carriage manufacturing plant.

"Factory Director Zhou, this is Shen Jingchuan." He gripped the steering wheel, his tone steady. "Once the carriage is ready, just deliver it directly to the warehouse where we unloaded the goods last time. I'll send you the warehouse door code to your phone in a bit, then you can arrange for someone to deliver it in."

"Alright, Mr. Shen, don't worry." Factory Director Zhou's voice was very cheerful. "I'm keeping an eye on the workers to catch up on the work. The first batch should be finished and delivered in another two or three days."

"Thank you for your hard work." Shen Jingchuan paused, then added, "Just deliver the goods; you don't need to wait for me to inspect them. I'll automatically transfer the payment to you upon receipt, so don't worry."

"Hey, how could I not believe you?" Factory Director Zhou replied with a smile, "Just wait for the good news."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Jingchuan casually sent the warehouse password.

The car drove into the West Mountain Separate Garden and stopped in the garage. He went straight up to the second-floor bedroom, took a shower, and changed into clothes from another world.

After thinking about it, just in case, he set the lights in his house to turn on and off automatically at set times.

With a thought, he found himself standing in the courtyard of the Yuxi Prefecture in another world.

Pushing open the door to the main house, several people were sitting in the stone pavilion in the courtyard. Bai Ruoli was in the main seat, with Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua sitting on either side. Qinghe was embroidering with a tweezer, Yue'er was mischievously standing on a stone bench picking fruit from a tree.

A copper kettle on the table was brewing tea, and wisps of steam carrying a delicate fragrance wafted over. The sunlight slanted down, illuminating the gentle profiles of the group, creating a picture of serene and beautiful women at leisure.

Shen Jingchuan felt a warm feeling upon seeing this scene, but also a slight sense of guilt.

Back in the modern world, Meng Ke was still managing the shop's business alone. He turned around and plunged into this other world, surrounded by so many people. The more he thought about it, the more he felt sorry for the lonely people back there.