Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Ding Lan's face was flushed with embarrassment as she spoke. I wish I could just disappear into a crack in the ground! It was only when she started getting dressed that she realized she had grabbed her bra but forgotten her panties!

Zhao Dong touched his nose and coughed. "Get what?"

"Help me get... get a pair of... underwear. They're in my... bedroom dresser."

Zhao Dong's gaze snapped to Ding Lan. Their eyes met, and Ding Lan's delicate, alluring face was so red it looked like it could bleed.

After three seconds of silence, Zhao Dong turned away and walked into her bedroom. He opened the dresser and rummaged through it, only to be instantly bewildered. There were all sorts of stockings—black, white, purple, red...

His blood ran cold as a memory flashed through his mind. Ding Lan had indeed worn these things for him before. To please him, she had even bought several more risqué outfits...

Zhao Dong paused for another three seconds, then spotted what Ding Lan had asked for. He snatched it and fled the bedroom.

"Here."

Zhao Dong turned his head and extended his hand. The door cracked open again, and Ding Lan, biting her rosy lips, shyly took the item from him.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Dong returned to the living room and sat down.

A few moments later, Ding Lan emerged. She wore a creamy-white, low-cut nightgown. Her skin was as white as snow, and her freshly washed hair, still damp with beads of water, was draped over her shoulders, revealing a pale, charming collarbone. A shy blush still lingered on her face, and below, her slender, snow-white legs were on full display.

Zhao Dong looked at Ding Lan, who looked back at him. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere grew somewhat delicate.

Ding Lan's face flushed bright red. She avoided Zhao Dong's gaze, biting her lip as she said shyly, "About earlier... I'm really sorry to have troubled you..."

"It's fine."

As Zhao Dong spoke, he glanced at his phone and couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Damn it, why isn't it turning on?"

Ding Lan also looked at his phone. "It hasn't turned on yet?"

"Yeah..."

"Let me have a look."

Ding Lan walked over and sat down beside him. A faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, causing him to lose focus for a moment.

"Oh dear, I think your phone is broken."

At the sound of Ding Lan's voice, Zhao Dong frowned. He picked up the phone and saw that the battery had bulged out from the back!

His mouth twitched, and he resisted the urge to curse. Beside him, Ding Lan chuckled. "No wonder it wouldn't turn on. Well, there's nothing to be done. You can't call for a ride now."

Zhao Dong felt helpless, unsure of what to do. Then, Ding Lan suggested softly, "Why don't you stay here tonight? I have a guest room you can use."

Zhao Dong immediately shook his head. "That wouldn't be right. Forget it, I'll walk back. You should get some rest."

As he stood up to leave, a voice, laden with sorrow, came from behind him. "Zhao Dong, do you really not want to be with me that badly?"

Zhao Dong froze, his expression unreadable. "You have a boyfriend now. We should keep our distance."

"I told you! Zhang Shaowen and I aren't really a couple! I don't like him. I was just playing along out of necessity!" Ding Lan shouted, her emotions surging. She then slumped into a chair, laughing at herself. "Zhao Dong... I know you're upset that I broke up with you, but... things might not be what you think."

The living room fell silent for a moment. Then, Ding Lan's trembling voice, laced with a sob, spoke again. "Zhao Dong... stay. Please, stay with me, okay?"

Zhao Dong's back was to her, his expression hidden. Time seemed to stand still. Everything was quiet except for the wind outside the window.

The sound of the door closing echoed as Zhao Dong's figure disappeared.

Ding Lan stared at the empty living room. Unable to hold back any longer, she covered her face and collapsed onto the sofa. Closing her eyes, tears streamed silently from their corners.

"Zhao Dong... have we really come to this? Why... why did you show up just when I was about to give up completely? Why did you barge back into my life now? Zhao Dong, I love you... and I hate you..."

「On the other side of East Sea City」

Inside a villa in the Dragon Sky Villa District, Hong Wu's face was grim as he stared at his subordinate. "Still no sign of Little Six Luck?"

The subordinate trembled. "Reporting to Boss, we haven't found him... We lost all contact after his fight with that Zhao Dong. We sent men to search the entire area, but we haven't found a single trace!"

Kou Hongmin, Hong Wu's top bodyguard, frowned. "That's not right. Little Six Luck is a cautious man. He would never disappear for this long without a reason. Could it be..."

The expressions of everyone present changed. A flash of astonishment appeared in Hong Wu's eyes. "Brother Kou, are you suggesting... that Little Six Luck is likely... dead?"

Kou Hongmin's tone was grave. "In my opinion, there's a high probability. The question is who could have killed him. He's already a first-grade grandmaster. In East Sea City, the number of people stronger than him is small, and they all know you, Mr. Hong. They wouldn't dare to touch Little Six Luck. That leaves only one possibility."

"Zhao Dong?!"

Hong Wu shot to his feet, his face contorting. "What is this Zhao Dong's background? First, he barely survived his fight with Xiao Hongtian, a seventh-level Inner Strength master. Then he managed to kill Wei Wu, and now Little Six Luck! Is he some kind of monster? How can his cultivation talent be so terrifying?"

Stroking his beard, Kou Hongmin said, "Not necessarily. It's possible someone else was involved, but this Zhao Dong is definitely a menace. If he had killed Little Six Luck in public, the Binding Dragon Department would have dealt with him without us needing to lift a finger. But now, without any evidence that he's the killer, we'll have to handle it ourselves."

Hong Wu's face was extremely grim. "This Zhao Dong has, at best, the strength of a first-grade grandmaster. I have plenty of men who can handle him. Let's just send someone to eliminate him!"

Kou Hongmin pondered for a moment. "Boss Hong, I have a better idea. Why not try to recruit Zhao Dong? He's young and seems to have immense potential. If you could bring him into your fold, he could become a powerful asset."

Hong Wu narrowed his eyes, his mind spinning rapidly. After a moment of thought, he responded coldly, "That's an option. In that case, I'll give the kid a chance to live. If he refuses to submit to me, we'll kill him! I'll find a chance to negotiate with him."

Kou Hongmin nodded. "Boss Hong, you needn't worry too much. Word from Provincial City is that Xiao Hongtian is about to come out of seclusion. When he does, he will surely come to kill Zhao Dong himself. If we successfully recruit him, we can offer him up as a gift to get on the Xiao Family's good side. If we can't, we can just let Xiao Hongtian take care of him!"

A sinister smile crept across Hong Wu's lips. "Indeed. He's just an ant. No need to worry!"

Kou Hongmin smiled as well, and the atmosphere in the living room eased. No one noticed a door on the second floor gently closing.

Xu Yafei leaned against it, a look of deep worry on her face. Hong Wu is going to recruit Zhao Dong?

For a moment, she didn't know what to feel. If Zhao Dong was successfully recruited and became Hong Wu's lackey, wouldn't that make their affair a complete joke? But if Zhao Dong refused, he would surely be targeted for assassination by Hong Wu's men...

A complex expression settled on her face as she murmured, "Zhao Dong, I'm very interested to see what you choose..."

「On another side of the city」

Zhao Dong had already returned home. He planned to look for a new house tomorrow to provide a better living environment for his parents.

He also remembered that Yang Sixue had asked him to accompany her the next day to a small gathering for the East Sea entertainment scene. She said it would be full of today's hottest celebrities and internet stars.

Zhao Dong was happy to agree. After all, Yang Sixue was one of East Sea's greatest beauties, a figure on par with a movie queen and pop goddess. Since Lin Qingyun didn't object, he was keen to check out the scene.

The night passed without incident, and a new day dawned on East Sea City.

In the morning, Zhao Dong practiced the Mystic Sky Technique for a while and suppressed the cancer cells in his body, then told his parents he was going to look at houses.

Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei were both shocked. "Little Dong," Zhang Cuimei exclaimed, "housing prices in East Sea aren't cheap! They're tens of thousands per square meter! The million you gave us is enough for a down payment, but can you afford the mortgage?"

Zhao Dong smiled. "Don't worry, Mom. Just go and take a look for me and pick one you like. You don't need to worry about the money."

After much persuasion, he finally convinced his parents. Zhao Dong hailed a taxi and took them directly to East Sea's finest residential complex, "East Ding Number One."

The taxi driver shot them disdainful looks the entire way and even sneered a couple of times. After all, this family didn't look like they could afford a place at East Ding Number One.

Zhao Dong paid no mind to the driver's attitude, but Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei looked somewhat embarrassed.

Half an hour later, the family of three arrived outside the East Ding Number One sales office. Not far away, a car was parked.

It was Zhang Shaowen's BMW X5. Ding Lan was in the passenger seat, and her expression was grim.

She stared coldly at Zhang Shaowen. "Didn't you say you had something urgent and important to discuss with me? Why did you bring me here?"