Chapter 311: Going to Provincial City!
「The next day.」
Jin Li announced that all of Hong Wu's territories were to be renamed the East Hall.
Once the news broke, all of East Sea was shaken. Soon, the story of Hong Wu's downfall spread through every street and alley.
"The heavens have eyes! That bastard Hong Wu has finally fallen! Good days are coming for the people of East Sea!"
"I have to say, this East Hall is something else. Their rise has been meteoric, even taking down Hong Wu. Who could possibly be behind such a force?"
"There are rumors that the boss of the East Hall is Zhao Dong!"
"Zhao Dong? Isn't he dead? How could the East Hall have taken down Hong Wu then?"
"I don't know, but Hong Wu's fall is definitely a blessing for East Sea. I'm going home to slaughter a pig and celebrate!"
"Slaughtering a pig is nothing! I'm going straight to the bar to buy everyone a round!"
For the next couple of days, Zhao Dong was busy handling the East Hall's affairs. Two days later, he received a call from Lin Qingyun, who asked to meet him.
「Lin Qingyun's villa.」
When Zhao Dong arrived and entered the living room, he noticed Lin Qingyun and Ling Feng sitting there with strange looks on their faces.
Zhao Dong scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "What's wrong with you two? Why so quiet?"
Ling Feng shrugged.
Zhao Dong frowned, his gaze shifting to Lin Qingyun. "Qingyun, what's going on?"
Lin Qingyun glanced at Zhao Dong before lowering her head, her expression somber. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke softly, "Zhao Dong, I'm going back to the Provincial City."
The hand holding Zhao Dong's cigarette stiffened. After three seconds of silence, he asked softly, "Why?"
"My father called last night. He was furious, and his tone was firm..."
"He wants you to go back to the Provincial City?"
"Yes... And my grandfather hasn't been well recently. I... I want to go back and see him..."
Hearing this, Zhao Dong fell silent. As much as he didn't want Lin Qingyun to leave, how could he ask her to disregard her family's feelings? For two people to be together, the most important thing was to have the blessing of both their families. Zhao Dong understood this well.
Zhao Dong looked at Ling Feng. "Are you leaving too?"
Ling Feng said casually, "I came here for Qingyun. Since she's going back, of course I'm leaving too..."
At this moment, Lin Qingyun's eyes suddenly lit up. "Zhao Dong, why don't you come back to the Provincial City with me?"
Zhao Dong was startled, giving her a strange look. "Go back to the Provincial City with you? That's..."
Beside them, Ling Feng slapped his forehead. "Damn! That's not a bad idea at all! It's a perfect chance for the Lin Family to meet you!"
Ling Feng smiled. "Zhao Dong, East Sea is a small pond, after all. We've all seen what you're capable of. This is definitely not your final destination. Sooner or later, you're going to have to leave East Sea. Why can't it be now? The world outside is much bigger and more worthy of your exploration. Besides, if you go this time, you can also pay your respects to Lin Qingyun's grandfather, and your... future father-in-law."
The term "father-in-law" made Lin Qingyun flush crimson. But she didn't object, looking at Zhao Dong with hopeful eyes.
After a long silence, Zhao Dong sighed softly. "I need to think about it."
Lin Qingyun silently took Zhao Dong's hand.
Zhao Dong's body jolted, and he turned to look at her.
Lin Qingyun said softly, "Zhao Dong, please... come with me. For my sake."
Gazing into her watery eyes, Zhao Dong felt a momentary daze and asked, "If I go... how long until I can come back?"
"Very soon!"
Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes. After a three-second pause, he nodded. "Alright, I'll go."
A spark of excitement appeared in Lin Qingyun's eyes. She bit her lip and said with determination, "Zhao Dong, we'll leave tomorrow!"
Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
After leaving Lin Qingyun's place, Zhao Dong went to see Han Chuxue. He arrived at the Han Family's residence and shared a passionate, intimate time with her.
Afterward, they lay in bed. Han Chuxue nestled in Zhao Dong's arms, rubbing her cheek against his. With a blissful expression on her face, she said, "You heartbreaker, what made you think of coming to see me today? By the way, how did things go with Hong Wu?"
Zhao Dong smiled and gave her a brief account of recent events.
When he finished, Han Chuxue's eyes grew red. She gripped his hand tightly and choked out, "Zhao Dong, I'm sorry... You were in so much danger, and I wasn't by your side... I'm so sorry..."
Zhao Dong pinched her cheek gently. "You silly girl, I don't blame you. I just want you to be safe. Besides, Chuxue, I actually came to ask you about Xu Yafei."
Han Chuxue was slightly taken aback. She wiped her tears and asked softly, "What's wrong with Yafei?"
Zhao Dong hesitated for a few seconds before he told her what had happened with the old man. Finally, he scratched his head. "Chuxue, I wanted to ask if you know anything about Yafei's family background."
Han Chuxue thought for a few seconds before answering seriously, "Even though Yafei and I are close, she's never once mentioned her family to me... As for the old man you mentioned, I've never seen him."
Zhao Dong sighed, feeling increasingly lost and agitated. Who in the world could that old man who took Xu Yafei away be?
Beside him, Han Chuxue sighed and hugged him. "Zhao Dong, Yafei is a pitiable woman. I truly hope you can find her."
Zhao Dong nodded. "I will... Also, Chuxue, I came to say goodbye."
"What? Where are you going?" Han Chuxue asked, astonished.
Zhao Dong smiled. "I'm just leaving for a few days. I'll be back."
Han Chuxue breathed a sigh of relief and shot him a playful glare. "You scared me to death. I thought you weren't coming back."
"How could I not?" Zhao Dong gave her a playful pinch, provoking a muffled moan from the beauty. "I could never bear to leave you."
"Hmph! At least you have a conscience," Han Chuxue said, her face beaming with happiness.
Zhao Dong chuckled, then added, "Have you heard of the East Hall?"
"Of course!" Han Chuxue sat up. "The East Hall's reputation has exploded these past few days! They say they took over all of Hong Wu's territory! But those people are going too far!" she said indignantly. "You're the one who killed Kou Hongmin, so why should they get to reap all the rewards?"
Zhao Dong rubbed his nose and grinned. "Actually, I'm the boss of the East Hall..."
"What!?" Han Chuxue practically leaped out from under the covers. Feeling a sudden chill, her face turned crimson, and she quickly dove back under the blanket. "You... you're really the boss of the East Hall?"
Han Chuxue felt her head spin. But a moment later, it all clicked into place. "Of course, of course. Besides you, who else in East Sea would have the guts to swallow up Hong Wu's territory? I should've realized it sooner. I'm so dense!"
Zhao Dong smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm telling you this because I want you to help me manage the East Hall while I'm gone."
"Ah? C-Can I really do that?" Han Chuxue asked, both excited and nervous.
"Of course. I trust you," Zhao Dong said, his eyes full of sincerity.
Han Chuxue's heart fluttered. Even though Zhao Dong has so many women, he's entrusting something as important as the East Hall to me. Doesn't that mean I'm the most important woman to him? A woman is bound to have such competitive thoughts.
Without a shred of hesitation, Han Chuxue immediately agreed.
After another round of intimacy, having fully satisfied Han Chuxue, Zhao Dong returned home.
There, Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei had already prepared a table laden with food. The family of three shared a happy and harmonious meal.
After dinner, Zhao Dong had his parents sit on the sofa. After some thought, he finally said, "Dad, Mom, Qingyun has some family matters and needs to return to the Provincial City for a while. I'm planning to go with her, so I'll be gone for a few days."
Zhang Cuimei was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Dong, are you going to the Provincial City? Your mother supports you! If you go and meet Qingyun's parents, your relationship can move to the next level."
Zhao Kangyou also said with pleasant surprise, "Dong, your dad supports you too! You can't visit her family empty-handed for the first time. Let me see what we have for you to take."
"Right, right, you can't go empty-handed!" Zhang Cuimei also hurried to her feet and began rummaging through the kitchen.
"Mom, Dad, there's no need to bring anything. I'm just going to see them for now," Zhao Dong said with a wry smile.
After rummaging for a moment, Zhao Kangyou said with some embarrassment, "Well, Qingyun's family doesn't lack anything, and it seems we old folks don't really have anything impressive to offer... It's better to let Dong buy something himself later."
Zhang Cuimei could only return to her seat on the sofa.
The atmosphere was quiet for a moment before Zhao Kangyou sighed. "Dong, since you're going to the Provincial City, you should take the chance to ask about your birth parents."
At his words, the air fell silent. Tears welled up in Zhang Cuimei's eyes, and an indescribable pain filled Zhao Dong's heart.
"Mom, Dad, even though you aren't my birth parents, in my heart, I've always seen you as my real parents," Zhao Dong said. He took a card from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Cuimei with a smile. "Mom, there's some money on this card. Please take it."
"No, no, no, Mom can't take this," Zhang Cuimei said, pushing the card back. "It's the thought that counts; that's enough for your father and me. We're old, we don't need much money. You should keep this for yourself."
Zhao Dong was deeply moved. "Mom, I have other money. This is a gift to show my respect. If you don't take it, I'll be upset."
"This..." Zhang Cuimei was conflicted.
Zhao Kangyou said, "Alright, if our son is giving it to you, you should take it. We can save it and buy things for our grandchild in the future."
Hearing the part about buying things for their grandchild, Zhang Cuimei finally accepted the card. Seeing this, Zhao Dong was filled with an emotion he couldn't name.
As night fell, after Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei had gone to bed, Zhao Dong sat in the living room, smoking one cigarette after another.
At that moment, his phone rang. It was Zhao Qirou.
He answered, and Zhao Qirou's hesitant voice came from the other end. "Brother, what are you doing?"
Zhao Dong smiled. "Qirou, why are you still up so late? I'm at home."
"Bro... I... I want to tell you something."
"What is it?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then she giggled. "Brother, I... I like you..."
Zhao Dong froze, speechless. The other end of the line went silent as well. He had always harbored a complicated, unspoken affection for Zhao Qirou. But who would have expected her to call him in the middle of the night just to confess her feelings?
"Have you been drinking?" Zhao Dong frowned.
Zhao Qirou chuckled. "Mhm... I had a few drinks with friends at a bar tonight. I... I lost a game of truth or dare, and they made me..."
Before she could finish, Zhao Dong heard a man's voice in the background. His heart sank. "Where are you right now? I'm coming to get you!" he demanded, his frown deepening. "What are you doing drinking so much this late at night?"
From her tone, Zhao Qirou was clearly drunk. A young woman, drunk in a bar this late at night… what might happen to her is unimaginable!
Hearing that Zhao Dong was coming, Zhao Qirou was overjoyed.
After getting the address, Zhao Dong rushed over to the bar.
Upon arriving, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He saw Zhao Qirou in a corner booth, drinking with three other young women. Other than them, there was only one man at the table.
"Brother!" Upon seeing Zhao Dong, a red-faced Zhao Qirou quickly shot to her feet.