“Leader, calm down first. We’ll have plenty of chances to kill that Lin Ao.”
Hou Zi cautiously tried to comfort Xiao Fan. If this continued, everything in the room would be smashed. Would he be the next thing thrown?
Xiao Fan abruptly turned his head and stared at Hou Zi. Hou Zi shuddered instantly. That look in his eyes was terrifying.
“Heh, I’m just venting. Sooner or later, I’ll crush that ant into the ground of Jianghai.”
Xiao Fan suppressed his anger. His foundation was still unstable. He could not vent his emotions on subordinates who were loyal to him.
After this incident, some people inside the organization would surely start to stir. He could not allow those around him to drift away. If he became isolated and helpless, his position as Dragon Gate Leader would no longer be secure.
So he forced himself to speak more calmly to Hou Zi.
“Hou Zi, have Dragon Gate lie low for a while. The Lin Family and the Liu Family are searching for us all over Jianghai. Once the storm passes, that will be Lin Ao’s death day.”
“I’m going to the Qin Family to recuperate for a while. If anything happens, come inform me. You may leave.”
Hou Zi secretly let out a breath of relief and hurried out of the room.
The Lin Family and the Liu Family held immense power in Jianghai. Dragon Gate’s forces were scattered across the entire country. It was not the right time to clash with those two families.
Xiao Fan sat on the sofa with a gloomy expression, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
“Lin Ao. Gu Wanqing. Just wait. Lin Family, Gu Family, you’d better wait for me. And you, Gu Wanqing, do you think I have no other women without you?”
Thinking of this, Xiao Fan instinctively tried to run a hand through his hair, only to feel layers of bandages covering his head. His eyes turned vicious again.
“I am the Dragon Gate Leader. Do you think you’re the only woman for me? Qin Yun from the Qin Family is no worse than you.”
“Hahahahaha!”
Xiao Fan burst into manic laughter on the sofa.
At Dragon Gate’s capital headquarters, an elderly man watched Xiao Fan through a screen while speaking to Elder Hong on the phone.
“Elder Hong, observe for now. As the Dragon King, he must regain his own dignity.”
After speaking, the old man hung up. He leaned on his cane, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“If he fails again…”
He glanced at the young man standing behind him.
“Aotian, you will take over Jianghai.”
The old man slowly walked out.
“Xiao Fan, I didn’t expect to see you like this. Looks like I’ll have to step in.”
The young man called Aotian stared at Xiao Fan on the screen, a mocking smile appearing on his lips.
…
At the VIP ward entrance of Jianghai First People’s Hospital, a charming and seductive woman was pushed out of the room.
“You’re obviously tempted out of your mind. Your rationality value on the status bar is off the charts, yet you’re pretending and driving me away. You little rascal, sooner or later I’ll eat you up.”
Gu Wanqing glanced at the tightly closed door, shot a sultry look toward Lin Ao inside, and stormed off angrily.
“Oh my god, who could withstand that kind of attack? She almost pulled off my pants just now. Luckily my injury made my muscles spasm in pain at that moment, otherwise my first time would have been lost right here.”
Lin Ao lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He kept patting his wildly beating heart.
Gu Wanqing had changed too much. How had he never realized she was so good at pushing people’s weak spots? He could barely accept it. It felt like living in a dream.
This time, when he returned, it was the first time she had proposed breaking off the engagement. According to the original course of events, he should have refused that day.
Because of the Lin Family’s influence in Jianghai, the Gu Family would never have agreed to Gu Wanqing breaking off the engagement.
In the end, they would have held a wedding half a year later, and at that time Xiao Fan would have burst in dramatically.
“Let go of that woman! How dare you touch the woman of the Dragon Gate Leader! I declare that the Lin Family will soon be erased from Jianghai!”
What an imposing entrance line. And that infatuated look. It made Lin Ao speechless.
“Brother Xiao Fan, I knew you would come. Only you are willing to fight the whole world for me.”
Gu Wanqing had looked at Xiao Fan with a lovestruck expression and spoken lines completely out of character.
“Ugh.”
Lin Ao nearly threw up recalling it. Who wrote those lines?
Still, that was how things were supposed to unfold.
But now?
Lin Ao lowered his head and gave a bitter smile.
Break off the engagement? Gu Wanqing would rather die than do that now. Instead, she had talked about marriage with him inside a Ferris wheel.
She had almost slept with him right there. It was terrifying.
Because of that, he had come into contact with Xiao Fan much earlier than expected. He had not even had time to prepare, and his life had nearly been lost again.
He had promised himself to stay away, to keep his distance. Yet now she was chasing him relentlessly, like a beautiful grim reaper. Stunning to look at, but deadly.
Lin Ao clenched his teeth and made up his mind.
From now on, he would not go anywhere near them.
“No, the hospital is too dangerous. I need to go home immediately. I won’t leave the house for the next few days. I must prepare properly for what’s coming.”
The more Lin Ao thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
He wanted to go home at once. The one he needed to guard against was not only Xiao Fan, but also Gu Wanqing. What if she launched a midnight surprise attack and turned it into some kind of late-night ward incident?
His current body could not handle that at all.
Lin Ao packed up briefly and had his family send him back to Lin Family Estate.
…
Liu Menghan picked up Liu Nian and left the hospital.
Inside the car, they stared at each other wide-eyed.
[Already Detached from the Chosen Path.]
The message was clearly displayed before both of them.
They tacitly chose not to speak.
After returning to the Liu Family, Liu Menghan brought Liu Nian to see the two elders of the Liu Family, Liu Zongyuan and Chen Yulian.
Liu Nian did not have a strong impression of them.
When Ye Chen had sent her back to the Liu Family in her previous life, the two elders had already passed away.
She had interacted with them as a child, but her memories were vague.
The two elderly figures trembled as they pulled Liu Nian into their arms. Tears streamed from their clouded eyes.
These past few days of her disappearance had nearly worried them to death.
What Liu Nian did not know was that in her previous life, the two elders had lost their son one year, and a year later their granddaughter Liu Nian had also vanished. Under that double blow, they had barely held on for a year before passing away.
Now that Liu Nian had returned, the two elders would likely live much longer.
The Liu Family would not fall into Ye Chen’s hands so easily.
After holding Liu Nian for a long time, the elders finally let her go and told her to rest well. At the same time, they instructed Liu Menghan to properly thank Lin Ao.
Liu Nian felt overwhelmed with emotion. How long had it been since she had felt this warmth of blood ties?
It made her hate Ye Chen even more.
It was he who had robbed her of the love she was meant to receive.
Liu Menghan took Liu Nian away.
“Nian Nian, we can finally talk properly.”
Liu Menghan had finally found a suitable moment to speak with her. Her mind was filled with questions.
Liu Nian nodded. She also wanted to have a proper talk with her aunt.
They entered Liu Nian’s room.
“Well…”
“I want to ask…”
They both tried to speak at the same time.
“You go first, Aunt. You must have a head full of questions right now.”
Liu Menghan nodded with a faint smile.
…