Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

"You gamble!?" Zhao Dong's expression changed.

He never would have imagined that the seemingly innocent Bingbing could be so full of surprises!

Bingbing said bitterly, "My ex-boyfriend loved to gamble, so I…"

Zhao Dong was speechless. He had only ever thought that foolish women like Bingbing existed in television dramas. Who would have thought they existed in reality, too!? This was a classic case of being emotionally manipulated!

Learning of Bingbing's plight, Zhao Dong didn't have the heart to criticize her further. He comforted her, "It's alright. Gambling debts are illegal, so you have nothing to fear, even if it goes to court. Besides, you're a celebrity. They wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

"No, they would!" Bingbing trembled. "They're… they're from the Black Dragon Commerce."

"What!? The Black Dragon Commerce?" Zhao Dong's face turned grim.

This was the third time he had heard of the Black Dragon Commerce. First, Hong Wu had ties to them. Then, Leng Yue suffered at their hands. And now, even Bingbing was entangled with them?

Just how far did the reach of the Black Dragon Commerce extend?

"Brother Dong, you know about the Black Dragon Commerce?" Bingbing asked curiously.

Zhao Dong shook his head. "I've heard of them. You don't need to dwell on it. I have some other things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

"Oh… alright…" Bingbing forced a bitter smile and saw Zhao Dong out of the villa.

After leaving Bingbing's place, Zhao Dong headed to the Lin Family. He hadn't seen Lin Qingyun for a long time and was already growing worried. Now, the thought of Hong Wu only intensified his longing for her.

「Lin Family Estate.」

Zhao Dong scaled the wall and entered.

Though it was late at night, the Lin Family's villa was still brightly lit. He avoided the security cameras and climbed onto the second-floor balcony.

Lin Qingyun wasn't in her room.

Activating his Divine Sense, Zhao Dong detected two auras in the second-floor living room. He slipped out of the room and saw Lin Rulong and Lin Qingyun sitting and talking, just as he had expected.

"Qingyun, Xiao Hongtian is returning to Provincial City the day after tomorrow. The Xiao Family is holding a grand banquet for him, and you must attend," Lin Rulong said, his expression serious.

Lin Qingyun frowned. "Dad, I really don't like Xiao Hongtian. I don't want to go!"

"Nonsense!" Lin Rulong snapped. "The Xiao Family is the only S-tier family in Provincial City. They specifically invited the Lin Family by name. How could we dare to refuse?"

"Dad!" Lin Qingyun's defiant tone carried a hint of a plea.

Lin Rulong sighed helplessly. "Pouting won't work. It's not that I don't understand you or that I don't want you to be happy. But I need you to be sensible. Xiao Hongtian has taken an interest in you. If you don't marry him, the entire Lin Family will be doomed!"

"I am begging you. For the sake of the thousand-plus lives in the Lin Family, please forget about that Zhao Dong and marry Xiao Hongtian. Can you do that for me? Feelings can be cultivated over time. Xiao Hongtian is absolutely worthy of you. As long as you spend time together, affection will naturally grow."

"No!" Tears welled in Lin Qingyun's eyes as she spoke, her voice choked with frustration. "There are so many people in the Lin Family. Why does our safety have to rest on the shoulders of a single woman? Besides, while the Xiao Family is powerful, our Lin Family is no pushover. Why are you so terrified of them!?"

Lin Rulong's face turned ashen. After a long silence, he sighed. "Qingyun, I didn't want to tell you certain things because I didn't want to pressure you. But since you refuse to understand my position, I have no choice but to tell you everything. You're right, the Xiao Family is powerful, but if it came to a fight to the death, our Lin Family would not go down easily. But the Xiao Family is far from being that simple!"

"What do you mean?" Lin Qingyun's brow furrowed deeply.

Lin Rulong gave a bitter smile. "Have you heard of the five great sects of Longdong Province?"

"A little," Lin Qingyun nodded, her expression grave.

"To tell you the truth, the Xiao Family recently allied themselves with the Heavenly Thunder Sect, one of the five great sects."

"What!?" Lin Qingyun's eyes widened, and she shot up from her seat in shock. "The… Heavenly Thunder Sect? They're even more powerful than the Blood Sect!"

"Correct," Lin Rulong said with a wry smile. "But you'd be terribly mistaken to think that's the end of it. Not only has the Xiao Family curried favor with the Heavenly Thunder Sect, but they also have dealings with the Black Dragon Commerce. I shouldn't have to explain how powerful the Black Dragon Commerce is, should I?"

THUD!

Lin Qingyun collapsed onto the sofa.

The Xiao Family? The Heavenly Thunder Sect? The Black Dragon Commerce? Any one of these three forces was enough to obliterate the Lin Family! With all three involved, what did her family amount to? An ant? No! They would be nothing but dust! A speck of dust so minuscule it couldn't even be seen with the naked eye!

Lin Rulong patted Lin Qingyun's hand and sighed. "I didn't want to tell you all this before because I was afraid of putting too much pressure on you. Do you understand my dilemma now?

"Marrying you into the Xiao Family isn't about my vanity. It's that we truly cannot afford to offend them. The Xiao Family today could bring about our family's eternal damnation with a single thought! We absolutely cannot cross them!"

Hearing this, Lin Qingyun could only smile bitterly. She hesitated. She truly hesitated.

Seeing his chance, Lin Rulong struck while the iron was hot. "Qingyun, forget Zhao Dong. It's for your own good and for his. If you continue to involve yourself with him, not only will our family face annihilation, but he will certainly be killed by them!"

Lin Qingyun fell silent.

After a long time, she gave another bitter smile. "I… I understand… I… I'll think it over carefully…"

"I know you're a sensible girl. I'm sorry… I'm the one who has wronged you…" Lin Rulong's old eyes welled with tears. He staggered to his feet and walked away with heavy steps, disappearing down the stairs.

The dim yellow light cast a long, desolate shadow from Lin Qingyun's figure. In the vast, empty hall, her forlorn silhouette looked even more pathetic. A light purple lace nightgown clung to her slender frame, and with her tear-blurred eyes, she was a truly pitiable sight. Exquisite features, fair skin, a graceful figure—such a beauty, yet she was not the master of her own fate. It was a heartbreaking reality.

Lin Qingyun's eyes reddened as tears finally streamed down her face.

"Zhao Dong… I'm sorry… I can't drag you into this… I'm so sorry…" She buried her face in her hands and wept, her vision blurred by tears.

"Silly girl, I'm the one who should be sorry."

Whose voice was that!?

Lin Qingyun froze.

She snapped her head up and saw Zhao Dong standing beside her, his own eyes red. She was utterly shocked.

Zhao Dong! What is he doing here?

Her shock quickly melted into overwhelming emotion, and the next moment, Lin Qingyun threw herself into Zhao Dong's arms, crying.

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I heard it all."

"Zhao Dong… I'm sorry… I can't hurt you, and I can't hurt the Lin Family… They're too powerful. We're no match for them… We're not…" Lin Qingyun cried, her words a jumbled mess.

A sharp pain pierced Zhao Dong's heart. He ached for this poor girl in his arms.

Everyone dreams of being born into a great family, but who truly understands their sorrows?