When Chen Yang arrived in Luzhou City, the city lights were already on. Having received Ning Qiaoqian's call, Chen Yang drove at breakneck speed, rushing for about four hours before finally reaching Luzhou.
It was Saturday, and the traffic in and out of the island was heavy, with the cross-sea bridge bustling with cars. Chen Yang's pink GTR sports car could only crawl along in the traffic. Through the car window, he could see the sea beyond the bridge, reflecting a mesmerizing halo under the night sky. In the distance, above Gaoqi Airport on the coast, flights were slowly descending, their bright landing lights creating a beautiful scene over Luzhou.
Chen Yang, however, had no time to appreciate the scenery. Ning Qiaoqian's call was urgent, and Chen Yang didn't know what had happened. Four hours had passed, so he only wanted to get to Ning Qiaoqian's side as quickly as possible.
After crossing the cross-sea bridge and entering the island, the traffic thinned out considerably, and the car gradually picked up speed. Ning Qiaoqian sent the address to Chen Yang's phone that afternoon. Following the car's GPS directions, Chen Yang drove through Xiamen's city center and arrived at a high-end seaside villa area beside the ring road.
The security guards at the gate seemed to recognize Ning Qiaoqian's car; upon seeing the GTR, they let him through without even asking any questions. The roads inside the villa area were very wide, lined with straight palm trees that swayed gently in the sea breeze, creating a tropical atmosphere.
Chen Yang drove straight along the road and saw a luxurious detached villa closest to the beach.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Chen Yang saw a burly man in a black suit and sunglasses approach. Chen Yang had an excellent memory; by the light of the streetlamp, he immediately recognized the man as one of the two mysterious figures who had suddenly appeared during his conflict with Deng Qing at the bar that night.
Chen Yang gently rolled down the car window. The burly man stepped forward, sizing Chen Yang up and down, and asked,
"You're Chen Yang?"
Chen Yang nodded without speaking. The burly man in the black suit coolly said,
"Come with me!"
Chen Yang locked the car and followed the burly man towards the villa. However, to Chen Yang's surprise, the man didn't lead him into the villa's yard, but instead to a black Mercedes parked at the gate. As the man approached, the rear window of the Mercedes slowly rolled down, revealing a burly face with a full beard.
The bearded man had dark skin, and his piercing eyes would occasionally flash with a sharp light. The first time Chen Yang saw him, he felt a sense of danger. In an instant, Chen Yang was certain of two things: first, this man had definitely served in the military, and in a special unit at that; second, this man's hands were definitely stained with blood, and not just a little. The burly man in black walked to the car window, bowed slightly, and said respectfully,
"Brother Dao, Chen Yang has arrived!"
Brother Dao nodded slightly, his sharp gaze falling on Chen Yang, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Chen Yang felt Brother Dao's gaze was almost tangible, giving him a silent pressure. But when Chen Yang met Brother Dao's gaze, his expression remained calm and composed, showing no sign of fear.
Brother Dao raised an eyebrow in surprise, and the burly man in black beside him also glanced at Chen Yang with astonishment. Brother Dao's imposing aura, cultivated over many years, made many of his old subordinates feel uneasy under his gaze. Unexpectedly, this young man was so calm; it seemed the young lady's chosen person was indeed extraordinary.
After a moment, Brother Dao withdrew his gaze and said calmly,
"Get in the car!"
Chen Yang didn't say anything more, opened the other door and got in, while the burly man in black went around to the passenger side, opened the door, and got in. Although Chen Yang didn't know what Brother Dao was up to, he was certain of at least two things: first, Brother Dao and the burly man in black were connected to Ning Qiaoqian; second, Brother Dao didn't actually harbor any ill will towards him. His gaze, though sharp, didn't carry any murderous intent—Chen Yang could clearly sense this.
Since he was already on Xiamen Island, he decided to see what was going on.
As soon as Chen Yang and the burly man in black got into the car, the driver, who had been sitting quietly, silently started the engine, and the car smoothly drove away from the villa.
Brother Dao comfortably leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes slightly, and said calmly:
"Kid, did the young lady send you?"
Chen Yang was slightly taken aback and replied:
"If the young lady you're referring to is Ning Qiaoqian, then that's correct."
"To see the young lady, you have to pass three hurdles first. That's a rule set by our boss!" Brother Dao said coldly. Although he didn't answer directly, he was essentially acknowledging that Ning Qiaoqian was the "young lady" he was referring to. Chen Yang smiled silently, offering no reply. After a while, Brother Dao curiously opened his eyes, turned to look at Chen Yang, and asked:
"Aren't you going to ask what the three obstacles are?"
Chen Yang shrugged and said:
"Since I'm here, I might as well accept whatever trouble you set up!"
Chen Yang felt a little strange. Since Ning Qiaoqian had sent him, and Brother Dao seemed to be one of Ning Qiaoqian's subordinates, why would they set up three obstacles to prevent him from meeting Ning Qiaoqian?
But Chen Yang knew that even if he asked, Brother Dao might not tell him. What Brother Dao needed to tell him, Brother Dao would naturally tell him.
Brother Dao paused for a moment after hearing Chen Yang's words, then laughed loudly:
"Haha! Good lad, quite composed! I hope your performance won't disappoint me!"
After saying that, Brother Dao leaned back and closed his eyes to rest. Seeing this, Chen Yang simply leaned back lazily in his seat and closed his eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yang faintly heard the sound of waves crashing in his ears. Then, the car came to a smooth stop. Opening his eyes, Chen Yang found himself in a dead-end road by the sea, the road ending at the boundless ocean. Huge waves crashed heavily against the boulders below the cliff, instantly shattering them into a misty white fog. The power of nature instilled a sense of awe and wonder.
"We've arrived. Get out!" Brother Dao said casually.
Meanwhile, in the backyard garden of the seaside villa they had just visited, there was a delicate little pond. Several lotus flowers grew in the pond, their leaves lush and their petals fragrant. A few beautiful koi fish darted happily among the lotus roots, creating a scene of leisurely tranquility.
Seated on a white oak armchair beside the pool was a middle-aged man in a dark blue Tang suit. He appeared to be in his early fifties, with short, neatly styled, jet-black hair. His skin, though slightly dark, was wrinkle-free, clearly indicating excellent skincare. He held a small bag of fish food in his hand, and on his right thumb was a bright green thumb ring. A closer look would reveal slightly protruding knuckles and heavy calluses on his palms and the area between his thumb and forefinger.
The middle-aged man gently tossed a handful of fish food into the pond, causing the koi to scramble for it. He casually placed the food on a small table next to the lounge chair and then asked,
"Did A-Dao see that kid?"
The burly man in black, who had been standing respectfully behind the middle-aged man with his head bowed, immediately stepped forward, bowed slightly, and replied,
"Brother Kun, Brother Dao has already seen Chen Yang. Judging by the time, they should have arrived at Lover's Bay by now."
Brother Kun nodded slightly, watching the fish in the pond with interest for a while, then asked seemingly casually,
"Is Qianqian still refusing to eat?"
The burly man in black respectfully replied,
"Yes." "Yes, Miss said she won't eat until you agree to her demands, and she also said..."
At this point, the burly man in black hesitated. Brother Kun frowned and said in a slightly harsher tone:
"Why are you hesitating? Just say it, I won't blame you!"
"Yes! Brother Kun!" the burly man in black quickly replied, "Miss said... she said it would be better if she starved to death, at worst she'd go down to join her mother, anyway you don't care about them..."
After speaking, the burly man in black nervously looked at Brother Kun. To his surprise, Brother Kun's expression remained unchanged; he didn't erupt in anger, but simply stared blankly at the koi in the pond.
After a long while, Brother Kun sighed deeply, waved his hand listlessly, and the burly man in black immediately understood, bowed, and retreated to a distance. Kun stood up and walked to the pool, gently stroking the thumb ring on his thumb, muttering to himself:
"Susu, in the blink of an eye, our daughter has grown up. She's as beautiful as you were back then, but unfortunately, she didn't inherit your temper. Instead, she's as stubborn as me. I promised Lao Xing years ago that we would arrange a marriage between our children. His son is quite handsome, a returned student from studying abroad, but she didn't even give him a second glance. Now she's even found a boyfriend outside! Sigh! It's truly heartbreaking!"
Thinking of his deceased wife, Kun's eyes reddened. He blinked hard, as if his wife were right before him. "So many years of fighting and killing, my heart is so tired! Susu, since you left, I miss you every day! Sometimes I really want to go down and be with you, but I can't! I can't leave Qianqian, and those old brothers who fought alongside me back then, it's not something I can just abandon. But don't worry, I've long since left that life of bloodshed behind, now I'm a legitimate businesswoman..."
In a room on the second floor of the villa, Ning Qiaoqian, wearing a cute light yellow Mickey Mouse pajama, stood barefoot by the window, silently watching Kun Ge's back under the backyard light, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Just then, the phone on Ning Qiaoqian's bedside table suddenly rang, and she went to answer it.
"Hello... Uncle... I know! Is my cousin being bullied in there?... Yes, I've found you the best lawyer. He'll handle the appeal... At most, it's just excessive self-defense; the second trial will definitely overturn the verdict... Don't worry, you're my only uncle, I'll help you no matter what! If all else fails, I'll just agree to that person's conditions!"
Hanging up the phone, a faint sadness appeared on Ning Qiaoqian's face. Thinking of her father's conditions, she felt a surge of frustration.
"Chen Yang, you have to do your best! This time, I'm really counting on you!" Ning Qiaoqian silently said in her heart.