Return to the City: The Strongest King

"Uncle Qing!" Qiao Yunxi greeted respectfully, her eyes glancing at Song Xiaodong.

"Xiao Xi..." Uncle Qing's voice came over the phone. The tone was clearly different from before, lacking its usual boldness, and instead having a tinge of helplessness.

Qiao Yunxi immediately felt something was wrong. She took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Qing, I'm listening."

Uncle Qing sighed again and said, "This time, Uncle Qing can't help you."

From the first greeting from Uncle Qing, Qiao Yunxi had already felt something was amiss, but hearing Uncle Qing say this out loud still greatly shocked her. However, she didn't shout or ask for reasons; instead, she slowly said, "Uncle Qing, if you have difficulties, I won't trouble you. I'll handle it myself. Xiao Xi will always remember Uncle Qing's kindness."

"Xiao Xi..." Uncle Qing spoke in a somewhat guilty tone, "That Qian Chuanzi somehow managed to connect with a big shot in the city, a person even I can't afford to provoke. So, Uncle Qing advises you to leave quickly."

"Leave?"

"Yes, you can't handle Qian Chuanzi. Instead of staying here and being bullied, you might as well change to a new place and start over. I believe in your abilities, Xiao Xi. No matter where you go, you can do well. But Uncle Qing really doesn't want to see you continue in this line of work. It's not clean, and even if you do well, it's only temporary. We'll always be in the shadows."

"You're a girl, and I hope you can switch to a clean profession. I believe you'll do well in anything you choose to do."

"Thank you for the advice, Uncle Qing. I'll think about it."

"Alright, if you encounter any problems in the future, feel free to come to Uncle Qing. As long as I can help, I will."

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Yunxi looked at Song Xiaodong, who also looked at her. Surprisingly, their expressions were both quite calm.

"How did you know Uncle Qing wouldn't help me?" Qiao Yunxi asked slowly.

Song Xiaodong replied, "Isn't it obvious? Qian Chuanzi must know about your background and support. Suddenly becoming arrogant means he has newfound confidence. That confidence must come from knowing your backing won't stand up for you anymore."

"Are you really guessing?" Qiao Yunxi stared at Song Xiaodong unblinkingly.

"It's not guessing. It's reasoning based on assessing the situation, which is quite simple."

Qiao Yunxi stared at Song Xiaodong for a few more seconds, then looked away and said, "So what? Without Uncle Qing's help, does Qian Chuanzi think he can make me bow and capitulate? That's impossible."

Song Xiaodong shook his head and said, "Why be so stubborn? Uncle Qing is right. As a girl, you don't have to resort to this just to protect yourself. There are many ways to keep others from having improper thoughts, and plenty of ways to command respect."

The light in Qiao Yunxi's eyes suddenly appeared flustered. It was as if Song Xiaodong had hit her soft spot, but she shook her head vigorously and said, "Don't be so full of yourself. I like living this way."

Song Xiaodong smiled and said, "Since that's the case, tonight you might not be able to handle things yourself. Do you need my help?"

Qiao Yunxi immediately shook her head and said, "No, I can handle my own affairs!"

Song Xiaodong said, "You might not be afraid to die, but have you considered that you're hitting a stone with an egg? Those brothers of yours following you may not get killed, but it'll be grim; you're essentially leading them to their deaths. Don't you think that's selfish?"

"I..." Qiao Yunxi wanted to refute, but opened her mouth and said nothing. Did she not know that dealing with Qian Chuanzi was extremely dangerous? Did she not know the most likely consequences? Newest update provided by novel-fire.ɴet

"So, you need my help," Song Xiaodong smiled slightly.

Qiao Yunxi snorted and said, "You help me? You're an outsider. How could you help me?"

Song Xiaodong said calmly, "My fists are enough. This has nothing to do with being an outsider or a local."

"Fists?" Qiao Yunxi was taken aback and said, "Did you beat up Qian Chuanzi's people when they followed you here? Are you that good at fighting?"

"Not too bad," Song Xiaodong nodded.

Qiao Yunxi snorted and said, "Beat me first before you talk about helping me."

"Alright, let's try. I'll stand here without moving, using only one hand. If you can touch anywhere other than my left hand, you win."

"You're so arrogant!" Qiao Yunxi immediately felt insulted, her eyes wide, and she threw a punch straight at Song Xiaodong's chest.

Song Xiaodong kept his right hand behind his back, lightly waved with his left hand, and accurately caught Qiao Yunxi's fist.

"Your hands are so rough for a girl," Song Xiaodong said, frowning.

Qiao Yunxi was secretly startled. Her punch wasn't at full strength, but it was quick, yet Song Xiaodong had easily caught it.

However, what he said made Qiao Yunxi furious, as if he was taking advantage of her. She pulled her fist back and threw another punch at Song Xiaodong, even faster and stronger.

Song Xiaodong easily caught her fist again, this time not only grasping it but also touching it, saying, "Oh, I see, you've been practicing boxing, hitting sandbags a lot."

Failing twice, Qiao Yunxi couldn't help but admire Song Xiaodong's prowess, though she felt he was taking advantage. She said begrudgingly, "You know your stuff."

"Of course, it's a basic boxing practice. To strengthen your fists and speed up your punches, there are many better ways that won't harm your hands. It's a pity for a girl to have such calloused hands."

"None of your business." As she spoke, Qiao Yunxi threw a few more punches, all caught by Song Xiaodong, each time using only his left hand.

Qiao Yunxi had never met someone so skilled, yet remained undeterred. She shouted, "You do have some skills. I'm going to kick now."

Song Xiaodong smiled slightly and said, "Go ahead." He appreciated Qiao Yunxi even more, as the girl was at least straightforward in her actions.

Qiao Yunxi swung a kick towards Song Xiaodong's waist.