Li Chonglou transferred twenty thousand yuan to Xu Qianqian via his phone after leaving. He explained it was from a bet placed on Xu Lie's annual salary, urging him to recover well and not rush his discharge.
It was already late at night when he drove back to the city hospital. He gently placed the gold-repaired bracelet from earlier under his sleeping mother's pillow before lying down fully clothed. The day's events had been far too risky. Given his character, he would never have acted that way if it weren't absolutely necessary. However, since he had gone through with it, he needed contingency plans. If that bald man didn't cause trouble, he'd ensure he spent life in prison if he dared to persist. At the same time, Li Chonglou was inwardly shocked that such a small place like Qin Zhou, which had overlords of different calibers like the Lu family and Wang Dehai on the surface, also harbored illicit places like the underground fighting ring in the shadows. Truly, he had seen it all!
The night passed without incident. The next morning, just as he got up and before he could mention the bracelet to his mother, he received a call from his senior sister, Lin Ying.
"Little junior brother, find a car to pick me up at the airport."
With his senior sister's command, Li Chonglou dared not delay. After briefing the nurse, he rushed to the airport. After waiting for about five minutes, he saw Lin Ying emerge from the exit, dressed in casual wear, wearing sunglasses, and pulling a suitcase. Accompanying her was a handsome man dressed impeccably in branded clothing, his face filled with fawning and flattery as he stuck close to Lin Ying.
"Senior Sister," Li Chonglou called out, raising his hand.
Seeing him, Lin Ying took off her sunglasses, a warm smile appearing on her face. She quickly walked up to Li Chonglou, tossed her suitcase into his hands, then pulled him aside, examining him from head to toe before giving him a generous hug. "You've worked hard these past few days, little junior brother."
Li Chonglou felt a fragrant scent waft over him, warming his heart. It was the first time he had ever been this close to his senior sister. He felt no impure thoughts, only deep gratitude and attachment. However, this scene, when observed by the man, caused a flash of intense jealousy in his eyes, involuntarily bringing with it a strong sense of hostility.
Soon, Lin Ying released Li Chonglou and gestured behind her, introducing, "This is my friend from Yong'an, Zhang Chen. He's also with me on this trip." Her words directly implied that Zhang Chen was part of her archaeological exploration. However, judging by his demeanor, he was likely Lin Ying's suitor.
Li Chonglou understood clearly. He nodded faintly and extended his hand, "Li Chonglou."
"Lin Ying's little junior brother, let's get acquainted more in the future." As their hands clasped, a barely perceptible smugness flickered in Zhang Chen's eyes, and he suddenly applied force. He wanted to give the junior brother who was too close to his goddess a subtle warning. But he soon realized something was amiss. No matter how much force he used, Li Chonglou's expression remained unchanged, as if he felt nothing at all. Zhang Chen's expression immediately became unnatural, and he awkwardly let go.
"It's nice to meet you," Li Chonglou replied indifferently. Inwardly, he shook his head. This man, upon their first meeting, already wished to embarrass him, revealing a petty and narrow mind focused solely on his own feelings. This in itself wasn't a major issue, but such a person was entirely unworthy of his senior sister. No wonder his senior sister always maintained a certain distance from him.
"Lin Ying, since we're in Qin Zhou, I assume you won't mind if I visit your shop?" Zhang Chen said, with a fawning tone. Such a rhetorical question clearly left Lin Ying no room to refuse.
"Please do," Lin Ying replied without much display, gesturing generously.
Getting into Li Chonglou's car, Lin Ying sat alone in the back seat, examining the car's interior, and softly asked, "Lou Lou, where did you get this car? Did you buy it?" She continued, "I remember Old Zhou opened a Hongqi 4S dealership. You didn't buy it from him, did you?"
"That's right," Li Chonglou replied, feeling a bit speechless. Zhou Sanping was his senior sister's disciple, and his senior sister likely knew about their little dealings. Wasn't this a deliberate question?
"This car is nice. I didn't expect you to strike it rich while I was away for a few days," Lin Ying teased, "You've even made a lot for the shop. Consider the money you owe me settled."
"Lin Ying, it's just a car worth four or five hundred thousand," Zhang Chen interjected with a hint of disdain, letting out a cold snort. "When we get to Yong'an, I'll arrange a convoy of luxury cars to welcome you." He added, "You can pick any car you like from my garage!" His words were filled with a strong desire to show off. In fact, under normal circumstances, as a rich second-generation young master, he was already accustomed to luxury cars and wouldn't flaunt them around. But being in the same car as Lin Ying, and seeing Li Chonglou's prior closeness with her, the jealousy burning within him had already flared up. Coupled with Lin Ying's praise for Li Chonglou, he couldn't help but blurt out his words. His aim was to put Li Chonglou down and display his superiority.
"So, your family runs a car rental business? How much per day? I might need to rent one when I visit Yong'an." Li Chonglou deliberately feigned ignorance, needling him. Ordinarily, he wouldn't bother with a low-class rich second-generation like Zhang Chen. But this guy's intentions towards his senior sister were so obvious that it made him uncomfortable.
His remark caused Zhang Chen's face to turn a ghastly pale, his expression extremely awkward. Forcing a stern look, he coldly snorted, "Li Chonglou, don't misunderstand. What car rental business? Our Zhang family is a well-known daily necessities giant in Yong'an!" He continued, "The things you use in your daily life might even be produced by my family. I'm also a graduate of archaeology! I don't blame you for your lack of knowledge. Lin Ying knows our family's background. Don't disgrace your senior sister any further." These words were a mix of scolding and lecturing, as if he considered himself Li Chonglou's elder, teaching him how to behave.
Even Lin Ying couldn't stand it anymore, her expression turning cold. "Zhang Chen, my junior brother may be young, but that doesn't mean anyone can lecture him. Besides my father and his parents, no one has the right to tell him what to do." Her words were neither humble nor arrogant, but they made Li Chonglou feel incredibly gratified.
Zhang Chen's expression froze, his face looking as if he had eaten something unpleasant. Lin Ying had stated her position clearly. If he continued to be tactless, he wouldn't dare compare himself to Lin Zhendong. That was a legendary figure in the archaeology field. After a few seconds of silence, Zhang Chen quickly reverted to his flattering smile. "Lin Ying, you've misunderstood. I only wanted him to gain some knowledge out of consideration for you. As I am a guest, it would be impolite to ask me to leave like this, so I won't lecture him." He was being shamelessly persistent and tactless.
However, Li Chonglou now looked at him with a different perspective. Although this person was vulgar, boastful, and lacked substance, he had a thick skin. To pursue a woman, one might lack money or good looks, but never a thin skin. It was no wonder his senior sister treated him coldly the entire time, yet he still panted his way to Qin Zhou. As the saying goes, one shouldn't hit a smiling face. Seeing his two-faced demeanor, Lin Ying found it difficult to say anything further. She was well aware of Zhang Chen's motives and had made it clear that it was impossible. Yet, he persisted, and moreover, Zhang Chen's father had a considerable friendship with her own father, making it difficult for her to forcibly dismiss him due to social obligations.
Upon returning to the shop, the first thing Lin Ying did was open the safe. She took out the documents that she had asked Li Chonglou to retrieve that night. With a profound smile, she said, "If Shen Yishou knew that this was just a diversion, he'd probably die of anger."
Hearing this, Li Chonglou's eyelids twitched. He suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Senior Sister, you tricked me!" He continued, "Aren't you afraid I'd be beaten to death by Shen Yishou? Why would you need to retrieve a document in the middle of the night? Are you really playing your little junior brother like this?"