Su Qingwan’s expression immediately grew solemn.
Gone for five years.
Now, he was back.
Although she knew her son had returned safely, she desperately wanted to know about the hardships he had faced during those five years.
“Auntie, Brother Jiang has been training with a master for the past five years!
Otherwise, why would he have stayed away from home for so long…”
Long Jiaojiao knew it was difficult for Jiang Ning to explain, so she spoke up for him.
Although she didn’t know the full story, she had been able to piece together a general idea from her own investigations.
“Son, is it true?
Were you really training with a master?!”
Su Qingwan looked at Jiang Ning, her voice trembling with excitement.
“Yes, Mom.” Jiang Ning’s expression was one of resignation as he explained, “It was a place completely cut off from the rest of the world.
I couldn’t have left at all if I hadn’t made a breakthrough in my training.”
“Wonderful!
That’s just wonderful!”
Su Qingwan immediately stood up and clapped Jiang Ning on the shoulder.
“Did you see that, my love?
Our son has made something of himself!”
Tears streamed down Su Qingwan’s weathered face, leaving Jiang Ning slightly confused.
Ever since he was a child, he had rarely seen his father.
Aside from the house and money his father had left for the family, he had no strong memories of him.
In a way, Jiang Ning and his mother had relied on each other to survive ever since he was a child.
“Mom, where did Dad really go?
Is he dead or did he just disappear?”
Jiang Ning asked, completely bewildered.
His whole life, he had been asking where his father was.
But every single time, Su Qingwan had been evasive…
Su Qingwan let out a heavy sigh, her voice laced with sorrow.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning knew better than to press her further.
‘With my abilities, I’ll uncover the truth myself one day.’
“Auntie, let me take you to a hotel.
This place is so small, and there’s only one bed.”
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Long Jiaojiao quickly wrapped her arms around Su Qingwan’s and gave it a gentle shake.
“Huh?
Stay in a hotel?”
Su Qingwan glanced around at the furnishings in her home, the reality of the situation dawning on her.
The room was less than ten square meters, with nothing but a single, dilapidated wooden bed.
There was no way two people could sleep on it.
She was about to nod, but she subconsciously felt her pockets.
Waving her hand, she sighed, “Let’s just forget it.
I’m not tired.
Ning’Er should get some sleep.”
“Mom—I have money!”
Jiang Ning sensed his mother’s dilemma and couldn’t stop himself from shouting.
“Auntie, I was the one who suggested it, so how could I let you pay?
Don’t worry!
Room and board are all on me.
You can stay for as long as you like.”
With that, Long Jiaojiao took Su Qingwan by the arm and led her toward the car waiting outside.
Wanting his mother to get a good night’s sleep and to ease his own guilt, Jiang Ning followed them.
‘I can go without sleep, but I also know that if I don’t, my mother won’t be able to rest peacefully either.’
‘Besides, how could anyone sleep soundly on a bed like that?’
‘Otherwise, how could my mother, nourished by my Spiritual Qi, have woken from such a deep sleep?’
When they reached the luxury car, Su Qingwan visibly hesitated.
She looked down at her dirty clothes, afraid of soiling the car.
“Auntie, please, get in.
It’s no problem at all.”
Long Jiaojiao sensed Su Qingwan’s discomfort and politely opened the passenger-side door for her.
After helping her in, she even thoughtfully fastened her seatbelt for her.
Watching how considerate Long Jiaojiao was, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but nod in approval.
‘Elderly people often get carsick.
Sitting in the passenger seat would help with the motion sickness.’
In less than ten minutes, Long Jiaojiao had driven them to a five-star hotel.
Fish Leaping Dragon Gate!
That was the name of the hotel.
For convenience, Long Jiaojiao pulled right up to the main entrance of the hotel lobby.
“Auntie, you and Brother Jiang head into the lobby.
I’ll go park the car and be right with you.”
Long Jiaojiao helped Su Qingwan out of the car, then drove off to find a parking spot.
Gazing at the magnificent lobby, Su Qingwan’s body began to tremble involuntarily.
‘It’s so luxurious!
It makes me feel so out of place.’
“Mom, don’t worry.
One day, I’ll buy you a big house and marry lots of wives,” Jiang Ning said, supporting Su Qingwan with a half-joking smile.
What every mother wants, after all, is to see her children succeed.
Jiang Ning’s words were exactly what Su Qingwan needed to hear.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Su Qingwan said happily, and finally took a confident step forward.
But the moment she appeared in the lobby, a harsh voice rang out.
“Where did this beggar come from?
How dare you show your face in our hotel!”
The sudden rebuke stopped Su Qingwan in her tracks, her right foot hovering in mid-air.
She looked up, staring blankly ahead, her eyes filled with fear.
“I… I’m sorry… I’ll leave right now…”
Su Qingwan pulled her foot back and turned to leave.
But Jiang Ning planted his foot firmly on the floor, his expression turning ice-cold.
“Is this how you treat your guests?!”
Jiang Ning glared at the lobby manager who had just spoken, his eyes blazing with fury.
‘My mother had just managed to overcome her feelings of inferiority, and this bastard shattered her confidence with a single sentence!’
“Kid, don’t you know this is a five-star hotel?”
The lobby manager was a young man with his hair tied in a small ponytail.
He looked utterly ridiculous.
“So what if it is!
You think we can’t afford it?!”
Jiang Ning snorted, furious.
“Ning’Er, don’t cause trouble.”
Seeing Jiang Ning storm forward, Su Qingwan shakily went after him, grabbing his hand to pull him away.
The manager with the ponytail sneered.
“Well, old hag, I didn’t think you’d be so sensible!
But this is the Fish Leaping Dragon Gate.
It’s not a place you can just waltz in and out of as you please!”
“Huh?” Su Qingwan gasped in fear and quickly pleaded, “Please, young man, we didn’t mean to come in.
Just let us go.”
The ponytail-wearing manager sneered.
“I don’t think so!
You’ve dirtied our floors.
The least you can do is scrub them for a month to work off your debt.”
At these outrageous words, Jiang Ning’s face instantly became as cold as an iceberg.
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet by dozens of degrees.
“ACHOO!”
The manager shivered and complained to the front desk staff, “Why is the AC so damn cold today?
I’m about to freeze to death.”
“It’s not too late to apologize to my mother.”
Jiang Ning finally spoke.
‘My mother is here, so I can’t just attack him.
An apology would at least make her feel a little better.’
“What did you say, kid?”
The manager frowned, a hint of anger creeping onto his face.
“Apologize?
You’re telling me—the lobby manager of this hotel—to apologize?”
“Let me tell you something.
Even if your mother dropped dead right here, I wouldn’t apologize to her!”
A murderous glint flashed in Jiang Ning’s eyes.
“Is that right?”
With a light flick of his hand, Jiang Ning sent a streak of white light surging into the manager’s body.
The man didn’t notice a thing.
It was a curse Jiang Ning had placed upon him.
From this day forward, he would spend every waking moment in absolute agony.