Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years: Li Ruobing Lends a Hand!

Welcome to Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years, exclusively produced by Feilu Novel Network, written by Sang Ze and narrated by Wang Xiaomo and Lao He. The words "afraid your brother will kill you" made Lei Cheng's nerves jolt. He stared sharply at Wu Chen without moving, as if he wanted to cut right through him.

"Which family are you from?"

Lei Cheng narrowed his eyes as he asked. The easy cheer had vanished from his voice, leaving it hard and cold.

He did not suspect that Wu Chen had approached him on purpose. They had met through a game, and a private server at that. Such servers rarely lasted more than a few days. Once a big spender dominated one, its players quickly drifted away, so Lei Cheng changed servers often. He did not even play every day.

Given how often Lei Cheng switched servers and how carefully he guarded his personal information, he did not think anyone could have used the game to get close to him. He was certain Wu Chen had not known who he was before they met. Wu Chen had clearly had little faith in his ability to help and had only wanted to deal with his own problems quickly. If Lei Cheng had not bombarded him with private messages, they would never have met. Lei Cheng himself had even been the one to suggest meeting.

Now Lei Cheng thought he understood the subtle look Wu Chen had given him on entering. It had not come from some shallow knowledge of why he kept his distance from his family. Wu Chen seemed to know the ugly affairs within it—things only a handful of truly influential people could have heard about.

Wu Chen had looked that way because he had never expected to run into Lei Cheng here.

"Relax, Boss Lei. Relax."

Wu Chen smiled and took a sip of tea. Only after setting down his cup did he say, "To tell you the truth, I'm not from any family like that. I don't have the background you think I do. But I do know a little about your situation. And I'll say this again."

Wu Chen paused, then smiled. "You said it first, but I have to admit, we really were fated to meet."

With that, Wu Chen gave him another inscrutable smile.

"No background? Your family must have money, at least."

"What business are they in?"

Lei Cheng asked.

"They run a restaurant. A small business, nothing worth mentioning,"

Wu Chen replied.

He was not lying. His family really did run a restaurant, and it really was nothing worth mentioning: a noodle shop in a small county town.

Lei Cheng studied Wu Chen in silence for a moment. He took a sip of tea, set down his cup, and said, "Forget it."

His cheerful smile returned. That was how he was: he thought deeply and kept his thoughts well hidden. He said he would drop it, but there was no chance he would not investigate Wu Chen later. He did not think Wu Chen had come to threaten him. He was too young; sending someone like him would be offering up an easy target.

Still, Lei Cheng needed to know who Wu Chen was and which powerful family he belonged to.

"Let's talk about your woman. How did her spokesperson end up getting hit by a car?"

Lei Cheng asked with a smile.

"You dropped tens of millions on a game without blinking. How come you can't sort out one spokesperson?"

"Someone's out to get us."

Wu Chen sighed, then smiled. "What can you do? Business isn't easy these days. And it's not just business—there are plenty of other problems."

"Boss Lei, you're a businessman. You must understand."

Lei Cheng nodded. Of course he understood the scheming of the business world: dirty tricks, obstacles thrown in someone's path, commercial rivalry.

Lei Cheng instinctively picked up his teacup. "Putting a spokesperson in the hospital with a car—that's ruthless."

"I wouldn't call it commercial rivalry, though it was meant to hinder the company's growth. There are other motives."

Wu Chen deliberately kept it vague.

Lei Cheng's mouth twisted. "That's filthy. Damn filthy. What did the spokesperson ever do to them?"

He did not ask what those other motives were. He was not that curious, and it had nothing to do with him.

"That's the underworld for you. It's been bothering me for days. I knew they'd cause trouble, but after all my calculations, I never expected them to hit the spokesperson with a car."

"She was meant to represent a new product. The launch hasn't even happened, and we've already lost her."

Wu Chen said.

"You've got it rough too."

Lei Cheng smiled.

"Don't worry. We've only just met, but when I, Lei Cheng, give my word, I keep it."

"I'll help you find a spokesperson. I have connections in entertainment. Just tell me who you want."

As he spoke, Lei Cheng took out his phone.

He looked ready to call the person over the moment Wu Chen gave him a name.

"She needs to suit the company's products,"

Wu Chen said after considering it.

"Oh, right, right. That reminds me—I haven't asked. What's your woman's company called?"

"What business is it in?"

"How big is it?"

Though he asked about its size, Lei Cheng already knew it could not be tiny. It made cosmetics, with a high-end brand called Illusion Fashion. It was fairly well known in East Sea and valued at around 1.8 to 2 billion, though it still served a niche market.

"Jin Ping."

Wu Chen said, "Cosmetics. So young, pretty, and good skin—that should do it. One word from me."

Lei Cheng grinned as he spoke. He knew plenty of women like that, but this one needed name recognition too.

"You can count on me, little brother. I'm not bragging—I'll get you a top-tier star."

"One of those rising stars. Young and gorgeous."

Lei Cheng's words were crude, even a little lecherous. He began scrolling through his phone contacts.

"Hold on. I'll call her right—"

Lei Cheng broke off and jerked his head up to look at Wu Chen. "What is it, Boss Lei?"

"If it's inconvenient, forget it. We've only just met, after all."

Wu Chen smiled.

"No."

Lei Cheng kept staring at Wu Chen, then asked, "What's your woman's company called?"

"Illusion Fashion."

"Why?"

"Your woman's surname is Li?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

Wu Chen looked thoroughly puzzled. In truth, he knew why Lei Cheng was asking.

"Li Ruobing, the eldest granddaughter of the Li Family, is your woman?"

Lei Cheng finally asked outright.

"Yes. That's right. It's her."

Wu Chen still looked confused.

"Boss Lei, what's gotten into you?"

Lei Cheng chuckled, then burst out laughing. "If you're with the Li Family, just say so! Why hide it from me? I was wondering which family you came from."

"You know Ruobing?"

Wu Chen asked deliberately.

"Me?"

Lei Cheng shook his head.

"I've met A Tai once. We're not close."

"Then what are you laughing about, Boss Lei?"

Wu Chen asked.

"Because now I know which family you're from."

Lei Cheng said.

He was lying, and Wu Chen knew the real reason.

The Li Family had no connection to the Lei Family. People lower down in the two families might have dealt with one another, but their leaders had nothing to do with each other.

The two families were different in nature, too. The Li Family was a wealthy, powerful clan with members in high office.

The Lei Family, by contrast, was purely a business family. That kind of business took too long to build up, so powerful clans like the Li Family rarely ventured into it.

In status, the Lei Family could not compare to the Li Family. But it was undeniably rich.

Lei Cheng was laughing precisely because the families had no connection. Any major power tied to the Lei Family would ultimately become part of his older brother's network, not his own. The brothers' feud ran deep. Only people with no ties to the Lei Family could become connections Lei Cheng could call his own.

"Actually, I'm not really a member of the Li Family. You've probably heard Ruobing doesn't get along with them. I've been helping her, so—" Wu Chen explained.

His phone rang. He picked it up, frowned slightly at the screen, and answered. "I'm busy." It was Li Ruobing. "You spent my ten million to book out a game server?"

Li Ruobing asked.

Wu Chen paused. So Li Ruobing had found out.

It was not surprising. Wang Zhuangyuan worked for Li Ruotai. Mobilizing so many people to play games with Wu Chen must have reached Li Ruotai's ears, and he had probably told Li Ruobing.

Then an idea struck Wu Chen. The timing of this call was perfect. Li Ruobing was about to hand him an opening.

"Raise the stakes!"

Wu Chen said flatly. "Raise the stakes? What?"

"Ruobing, I'm not explaining anything right now. Let's raise the stakes. Whichever one of us loses kneels down and apologizes. How about it?"

Wu Chen had deliberately said Ruobing's name. Li Ruobing had called to question him, but he had turned it straight back on her. "Fine."

She hung up. That was her character: blunt and decisive.

As Wu Chen muttered to himself and put down his phone, Lei Cheng stared at him wide-eyed. "That's how you talk to Li Ruobing?" He was stunned. He did not know Li Ruobing personally, but he had heard what the Li Family's eldest granddaughter was like. Even if a man went through hell to win a woman like her, he would still have to coax her, cherish her, and give way to her.

Yet Wu Chen had talked about making her kneel. What kind of family background let a man speak to Li Ruobing that way? Did his family command an army?

It was not that Lei Cheng thought Li Ruobing was unbeatable in her own right. A person's background mattered more, and so did her temperament. She had even pointed a finger at the Li Family patriarch and cursed him to his face. No one in the family could do anything about her. Her mother had practically begged on her knees before she agreed to stay in the country.

Lei Cheng had heard all this. What sort of background—and what sort of man—could make Li Ruobing listen to him like that? He began to suspect Wu Chen had more than a formidable background. He must also possess extraordinary ability and a magnetic personality. Without either, it would be impossible.

"What is it, Boss Lei?"

"What's wrong with talking to my woman like that?"

Wu Chen looked at Lei Cheng in confusion and smiled.

Lei Cheng no longer knew how to ask. He could ask about Wu Chen's background, but Wu Chen had been keeping it to himself all along.

"Oh."

"You mean what I just said to her?"

Wu Chen suddenly seemed to understand. In an easy tone, he smiled and said, "It's nothing. We're a couple. She's upset with me, and we made a bet. The stakes got a little high."

But would a woman with Li Ruobing's personality play around like that? Just how close were the two of them?

Lei Cheng kept turning it over in his mind. His cheerful smile returned, and he raised his teacup in invitation. "Come on, little brother. Have some tea."

Wu Chen picked up his cup too. After they had drunk, Lei Cheng wiped his mouth and asked casually, "What was the bet? If you don't mind telling me."

He was not usually so curious, but the way Wu Chen had spoken to Li Ruobing had genuinely shaken him. He wanted to know.

"There's no reason I can't tell you. It's about her company. People have been making trouble for it, so I offered to help her deal with them. She refused. You may have heard how strong-willed she is. We had an argument, though I know she was trying to protect me."

Wu Chen paused and nodded before asking, "Boss Lei, you know Ding Ruilong, right?"

"I know him. That bastard from the Ding Family."

Lei Cheng nodded, unsurprised. The moment he learned that Wu Chen's woman was Li Ruobing, he had known who was making trouble for her. He did not know about the bet between Li Ruobing and Ding Ruilong; that was too private. But he knew Ding Ruilong had spent years causing problems for her and obstructing her career. Ding Ruilong had warned many people not to work with her. He seemed determined to keep her from succeeding. He had even declared that Li Ruobing was his woman and threatened any man who got too close to her. His intentions were obvious: he wanted to force her to marry him.

"The spokesperson's accident was Ding Ruilong's doing, wasn't it?"

Lei Cheng added. "Yes, it was."

Wu Chen nodded. "You probably know what Ding Ruilong is like, Boss Lei. Obsessive, lawless, willing to do anything to get what he wants. Petty and vicious, too."

"I know, I know what he's like," Lei Cheng said. "Wasn't he the one who broke the leg of the Wei Family's third son?"

"How many years has it been? Seven or eight? The Ding Family nearly came to blows with the Wei Family trying to smooth that over for him."

"That's why Ruobing doesn't want me too involved in her company's affairs."

Wu Chen spread his hands. "Ruobing and I have been together for a while. She's always been afraid Ding Ruilong would find out about me and go mad, that he'd come after me without caring about the cost or consequences, whoever I am. I know she's looking out for me."

"But—" Wu Chen's voice hardened, and he sat up straighter.

"Boss Lei, tell me this. I'm a grown man. I know Ding Ruilong wants Ruobing. He wants to steal my woman. Am I supposed to hide like a coward?"

"If I just stand by and do nothing, what kind of man would that make me?"

"If I really let it go, I might as well dig a hole and bury myself."

Wu Chen rarely swore, but with some people, speaking bluntly was no bad thing.

Thud! Lei Cheng slammed his palm on the table and raised his teacup.

"Exactly! Brother, you're right. Come on, let's drink to that. Tea instead of wine, but we have to drink together today. You're a man after my own heart. A real man doesn't back down. To hell with Ding Ruilong!"

Wu Chen clinked cups with Lei Cheng, who drained his tea as if it were wine.

Wu Chen emptied his cup too.

"I'll pour, brother. Keep going."

"What happened next?"

When Wu Chen reached for the teapot, Lei Cheng picked it up first and poured for Wu Chen, then himself.

Wu Chen's story had drawn him in completely.

Wu Chen still had not explained exactly what bet he had made with Li Ruobing. "Then we argued."

Wu Chen continued at an unhurried pace. "Ruobing was almost in tears, but I couldn't just back down!"

"She was furious. In the end, she said fine, I could get involved in her company's affairs—but if Ding Ruilong came after me and killed me, I wasn't to blame her."

"I told her that if Ding Ruilong managed to kill me, it would only prove I wasn't capable enough."

Wu Chen mimicked his tone, then slowed down again. "After that, she changed her mind. She was afraid something would happen to me."

"In the end, we made a bet. You could call it an experiment."

"She put me in charge of her company's new product launch. It was less than a month away, and she knew Ding Ruilong would try everything he could to disrupt it."

"My job is to solve whatever problems arise and make sure the launch goes smoothly."

"If the launch goes ahead without a hitch, I win. If something goes wrong and I can't fix it, she wins."

"I agreed. If something does go wrong and I can't resolve it, then I'm simply not capable enough."

"Once I've finished trying to prove myself, I'll do whatever she says. If she tells me to keep my head down, I will."

"That's the bet. It's why I've been handling all this lately. Yesterday, I even helped Ruobing catch a traitor in her company. Ding Ruilong bought her off years ago, and she'd been hiding there, spying on Ruobing ever since."

"I see!"

Lei Cheng held his teacup, sounding as though everything had finally clicked. He set it down again. "No wonder you blew so much money playing games with me today. All this has been weighing on you!"

She nodded to Wu Chen, then added, "The money doesn't matter. What I'm really worried about is Ruobing. I wouldn't even mind losing the bet. She respects me, and she won't expect me to do everything her way in the future."

"But if the company's launch event really can't go ahead, I'm afraid something will happen to Ruobing. Before she met me, she spent years under too much pressure. Nothing else can go wrong."

"What a good man." Lei Cheng gave Wu Chen a thumbs-up. Then something seemed to occur to him. "Hey, brother, I can help with this! I've got to sort out the spokesperson for you too, right?"

"That's right!"

Wu Chen smiled helplessly, though he hadn't lost his confidence.

Lei Cheng paused, his eyes flickering as he thought it over. Then he said earnestly, "Listen, brother. I promised I'd find you a spokesperson, and I will. I keep my word. This time, I won't just find you someone. I'll find you the best. Wait here. I'm calling now."

With that, he picked up his phone and searched his contacts. He quickly dialed a number, but the call didn't connect right away.

While they waited, Lei Cheng waved his phone screen at Wu Chen and grinned. "Feeling jealous?"

The screen displayed "Manying, My Baby." He was calling Tao Manying.