On the monkey hill of Binhai City Zoo, dozens of monkeys of various sizes were jumping around, chasing and playing. Tourists with children gathered all around, occasionally taking out their phones to take pictures or making whistling noises to tease the monkeys.

Lin Miao watched intently. She tugged on Lin Jie's sleeve and said, "Brother, the little monkeys are so fun. How about we buy some bananas to feed them?"

Lin Jie pointed to a bright notice board hanging nearby and said helplessly, "Didn't you see it? It says feeding monkeys is prohibited! These monkeys have people who specifically feed them, they won't starve."

"I saw someone feeding the monkeys, and no one stopped them!" Lin Miao protested.

"If others do something wrong and we don't stop them, it's already bad behavior. Following them and doing the same wrong thing is even worse."

Lin Jie took on the stance of an older brother and timely educated Lin Miao, holding her hand and saying, "Come on, let's go see the elephants! The elephant house is very close from here."

"Li Ting, hurry up, keep up!"

"Hmm!"

Li Ting responded weakly, dragging her seemingly heavy feet, and followed along.

Lin Jie deliberately slowed his steps, waiting for her to catch up, and teasingly said, "It was just a scolding from the counselor followed by writing a review. Do you really need to take it so seriously and be so downcast?"

Li Ting rolled her eyes at Lin Jie and said annoyedly, "It's the first time since I started kindergarten that I've had to write a review. Besides, I covered for Fang Yan out of good intentions, with a good starting point!"

"Darn it, I didn't expect there would be unexpected follow-ups to this! Now, the counselor criticized me indiscriminately and made me write a review. It's really too much."

After venting a few complaints, Li Ting tugged Lin Jie and asked, "Do you think that person really intended to harm Fang Yan on purpose?"

"It's hard to say. We shouldn't guess out of thin air. Let's wait for the police investigation results!" Lin Jie replied perfunctorily.

Li Ting was somewhat dissatisfied with his answer, pulled him, and pressed, "I'm just asking you, what was your first reaction? Did you feel Fang Yan was innocent or guilty?"

"You wouldn't know, but now when I return to the dorm and see Fang Yan's empty bed, I get an eerie feeling."

Lin Jie was puzzled and asked, "You've been with Fang Yan for more than two years. You should understand what kind of person she is better than I do, right? I'm asking you, do you think she would do such a thing?"

Li Ting pondered for a moment, lowered her voice as if afraid of being overheard, and said, "Lin Jie, to be honest with you, I think she's capable of doing it! Not only me, Chen Lili and another roommate Niu Yilan also think so."

Lin Miao, who was quietly listening, couldn't help but be surprised and asked, "Tingting, why do you all think that? I feel she looks quite kind!"

"Miaomiao, don't forget that appearances can be deceiving!"

Li Ting thought and said, "However, our conclusion is purely a feeling. Fang Yan usually behaves very well, but we all feel she has a kind of ruthlessness that none of us possess."

"During blood draws in physical exams, we are all a bit afraid of pain. But she showed no abnormal behavior, joking as if it was someone else getting pricked."

"And once, when we went out for a meal, a small thug provoked her, and she relentlessly chased and beat him from one end of the street to the other, leaving us dumbfounded and amazed!"

Lin Jie frowned and said, "What you've mentioned has no inevitable link with Fang Yan purposely harming someone. Still, let's wait for the police investigation results."

Li Ting laughed awkwardly and said, "We know this connection is very tenuous, but we can't help thinking in that direction."

"Lin Jie, do you believe Fang Yan's explanation?"

Lin Jie analyzed, "Fang Yan's explanation, though somewhat unreasonable, might actually occur in reality. After all, things a hundred times more unreasonable have happened."

He assumed a wise demeanor and commented, "Unless the police find solid evidence or Fang Yan confesses, according to the principle of 'innocence until proven guilty,' her explanation stands, and she is innocent."

"Alright, we're here to have fun, to enjoy ourselves, let's not think about these messy things anymore."

The zoo was large enough that the three of them strolled around for an entire day, even having lunch at the restaurant inside. By the time they came out, it was almost time for the zoo to close its gates.

Just as they stepped out of the zoo gate, a child, as exquisite as a carved statue, suddenly appeared and grabbed onto Li Ting's leg, looking up and shouting, "Sister!"

Li Ting was startled, and looking down discovered that it was indeed her brother, Li Haoran!

In a bit of panic, she glanced around and was taken aback to see her mother, Zhou Xuehui, not far away, watching her with an unfriendly expression.

Under these circumstances, avoiding would be inappropriate. Feeling uneasy, Li Ting took her brother, and along with Lin Jie and Lin Miao, walked over.

Lin Jie looked at Zhou Xuehui's gloomy expression and her icy, sword-like gaze, feeling equally uneasy, as if caught red-handed.

But at this moment, he had no option to retreat.

He approached, smiling awkwardly and said thick-skinnedly, "Hello, Auntie, what a coincidence! Uh...uh...you asked me to persuade Li Ting to study abroad, and I did persuade her, but it had no effect."

Zhou Xuehui snorted, directly ignoring Lin Jie, and coldly said to Li Ting, "Haoran has been talking about you, his sister. Since we met today, let's go home for dinner together and play with Haoran."

Without waiting for Li Ting to respond, she turned around and left.

Li Ting made a reassuring gesture to Lin Jie and Lin Miao, then quickly followed Zhou Xuehui with Li Haoran.

Lin Miao mumbled softly, "Honestly, who forces their own daughter to go abroad? Staying in the country, staying by their side is so much better. Is the moon abroad rounder than the one at home?"

"Parents have experienced more things, their perspectives are broader and different from ours, and we can't say they're wrong," Lin Jie sighed and smiled, "It's almost time for dinner, what does this little foodie want to eat?"

Thinking of eating, Lin Miao cheered up, "Let's have some Western food, I want to try steak!"

Lin Jie laughed, "Alright, Western food tonight! I'll drive, and you use your phone to find out which place serves the most famous and authentic Western food."

Lin Miao worriedly said, "Brother, I've heard Western food is very expensive. We can just go to a café and have a steak set meal."

"Your brother just made a huge amount of money, enough to eat Western food for a year. Since we're trying it, we might as well get the best authentic Western food," Lin Jie declared grandiosely.

Han Wenbin, after all, was quite generous. On the morning of Xiaoxiao's post-surgery, he transferred the five million expert fee, the five hundred thousand from the clinic, and the fifty thousand from Yang Jinglong to Lin Jie's account!

He also said that if Xiaoxiao's voice recovery meets expectations, there will be a generous reward.

Xiaoxiao was quietly taken away by Han Wenbin after a twelve-hour observation at the clinic and sent to a high-class ward at Binhai Tongren Hospital for recovery, leaving Lin Jie without further worries.

Just as Lin Jie drove out of the parking lot, Lin Miao mentioned, "Brother, the Internet says the French restaurant at Binhai Holiday Hotel is quite good. The chef is hired from France, and the ingredients are all flown in from France, making the taste very authentic."

The French restaurant is indeed good, but Lin Jie and Lin Miao ended up facing a closed door.

This restaurant requires reservations, and their casual attire with sneakers and sandals didn't meet the dress code, nor did they qualify to wait for an open seat.

Waiting for the elevator, Lin Miao grumbled angrily, "What kind of lousy restaurant has a dress code? Brother, we should never come back here again!"

Lin Jie chuckled, "They really don't lack two diners like us. Alright, stop complaining. I'll take you to Henglong Plaza; there's a Western restaurant there with no special requirements, and the taste is also nice."

At this moment, the elevator door opened, and several people walked out!

One of them saw Lin Jie and Lin Miao, stopped immediately, and pointed at Lin Jie, shouting, "You actually brought a woman to a hotel, do you think you're doing justice to my sister?"

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