"Little junior brother, no matter what you do, I, your senior sister, will always stand by your side," Lin Ying expressed her stance in her own way.
The killing intent and resolve in Li Chonglou's eyes shook her deeply.
In her eyes, although her junior brother was a bit reserved, possessing decisiveness and a way of thinking far beyond his peers, he wasn't a ruthless person.
Instead, she felt a strong desire to protect him at all times.
But from this moment on, she realized she had never truly understood this seemingly simple junior brother.
Perhaps the experiences of his mother and wife had completely changed his heart.
She didn't know if it was for better or worse.
But no matter what, even if Li Chonglou killed someone, she would stand firmly by his side.
Concepts like justice and righteousness were for outsiders.
She only knew that Li Chonglou was her junior brother, her father's successor.
Helping him required no reason.
"Senior sister, you've done too much for me," the sharp gleam in Li Chonglou's eyes vanished completely with Lin Ying's words.
An ineffable warmth surged in his heart.
People are like this; in life, there are many crossroads.
A single thought can lead to Buddhahood, another to demonhood.
No one can avoid making a wrong step.
But what distinguishes people is whether, when taking that step, there is someone who can make them feel warmth and love.
Jiang Yuxin couldn't provide this, as she was in a position of being protected by him.
The warmth she brought was that of passionate love, a love that demanded sacrifice at all costs.
His mother couldn't either, as she was currently in a coma.
Unable to utter a single word.
But his senior sister could!
At the very moment he was ready to defy the world, his senior sister's unquestioning trust and support were undoubtedly the greatest comfort.
It made him deeply realize that there were still people in this world who loved him.
The killing intent, which had been as thick as substance, had already dissipated significantly.
Li Hanlong, of course, would not be let go. He would not return to Qin Province until all his new and old grievances were settled.
As for others, as long as they didn't provoke him, it would be fine.
"I forgot to tell you, the two foremen, Zhang and Chang, have been quite diligent. For the sake of Old Cao's reputation, they seem to want to do something to atone," Lin Ying said, feeling somewhat relieved.
After Li Chonglou returned to Qin Province, she had been their liaison.
She hadn't mentioned it before because although these two foremen were willing, they were ineffective.
After two days of busy work, they hadn't found anything.
They were less useful than Liu Ping'er's group from the water gun club.
However, rats have their ways, and snakes have their paths. Keeping these people around might yield unexpected results someday.
Besides, with Li Hanlong as the target, even a motley crew could serve a purpose.
"Tell them to come directly to me," Li Chonglou nodded. "Senior sister, I'm making you work hard again."
"I can't beat Li Hanlong. If he comes at me with brute force, his strength overwhelming technique truly gives me a headache."
"You know all my weaknesses, so I can only rely on you."
Lin Ying gave a playful smile, brimming with confidence. "Rest assured, completely."
"I can't win against him for now, but if he wants to snatch someone from me, he's not worthy."
These words were not boastful.
Li Chonglou had observed very closely when they sparred.
His senior sister's disadvantage lay in her weaker innate strength, a disadvantage common to women.
However, her advantage was in her exquisite techniques. If she hadn't been distracted by him, she might not have been at a disadvantage even after fighting Li Hanlong for a day, possibly even being able to wear him down.
The powerful healing and endurance capabilities of the sheepskin scroll's heart method were truly impressive.
However, Li Hanlong was not foolish.
His mother was protected by Xu Lie in Qin Province. Now that Xu Lie was unconscious, he couldn't return to Qin Province.
If his senior sister could protect him in Yong'an, it would be foolproof.
Then he could freely engage with Li Hanlong.
Coincidentally, the Jiang family had gone bankrupt and were now in a state of lament. He didn't plan to let Jiang Yuxin return to Qin Province, saving her from the torment of those scumbags.
Keeping her here to keep his senior sister company would be both reassuring and less lonely.
"Leave the hospital to me. I'll have a good chat with your sister-in-law. You go find a house first, and as soon as Auntie feels better, bring her home. This place is too crowded and noticeable," Lin Ying said, seeing Li Chonglou's intention and gently patting his shoulder.
Walking into the ward.
Jiang Yuxin's polite voice immediately sounded from inside.
But soon, she was influenced by Lin Ying's spirited style and began speaking without reservation.
When it came to getting close to people, Senior Sister was too damn good at it.
Li Chonglou listened for a while in the corridor, a smile forming on his lips, and then strode away.
With this thought in mind, Li Chonglou slept for a while in the car.
When he woke up, the sun had just risen, its bright but not scorching light invigorating him.
He stretched, planning to take the car for repairs first,
and then take a bus to look for a house himself.
Since he had decided to stay in Yong'an to deal with Li Hanlong, he needed to establish a base first.
Buying a house wasn't suitable; Yong'an's housing prices were three times that of Qin Province.
He couldn't possibly buy an apartment and expect so many people to live together.
He couldn't afford a villa for now, and besides, he would need a lot of money for future endeavors, so he couldn't spend carelessly.
The best solution was to rent.
Renting a villa, or a large traditional courtyard house like Ning Lang's, would be good. It was down-to-earth and would likely be comfortable for his mother.
Ring, ring…
Just then, his phone rang.
Looking at it, he saw it was Ning Lang.
Speak of the devil, there he was.
"Brother, Yong'an is about to undergo a change…" Ning Lang's voice sounded filled with worry.
"What's wrong, Brother Ning?" Li Chonglou asked back.
"Last night, something significant happened in Wuning County. Lian Zijian, the chairman of Lianchuang Group, and a bodyguard died in the mountains. That's not all," Ning Lang continued. "There was someone else with him."
"His surname is Huang!"
"He didn't die, but reportedly… his condition is very serious."
"The news has been completely sealed. The reason I heard about it was purely by chance."
"Brother, did you sleep well last night?"
As he spoke, his tone sounded a bit strange, as if implying something, with hidden meanings.
"I slept well, accompanying my mother. If it weren't for Brother Ning's help, I wouldn't have found her so quickly." Li Chonglou remained calm, his tone perfectly normal.
How could he not understand that Ning Lang was warning him?
The last place he had investigated with Ning Lang's help was Wuning County.
And then this major incident occurred.
With Ning Lang's intelligence, coupled with his inquiries to Ning Lang's subordinates, how could he not connect the dots?
Hearing this news, Li Chonglou suddenly had a glimmer of understanding.
Lian Zijian and the man in sunglasses likely didn't die from excessive blood loss.
In terms of blood loss, Huang He had suffered the most, his lower body completely destroyed.
Although Lian Zijian was shot in the left chest, Li Chonglou had intentionally aimed slightly higher, wanting him to live, to suffer a fate worse than death.
But now it seemed he had been silenced by Huang He's men.
After all, for a dignified man surnamed Huang to be rendered incapable of being a man, if this were to spread, it would not only affect his reputation.
It would also cause tremors in his vast economic empire.
Of course, this assumed that Huang He was indeed closely related to that person surnamed Huang.
"That's good, that's good… If you have time, brother, come over for some tea and antique viewing," Ning Lang said with a hearty laugh. "Although I'm not accomplished, there are few people in Yong'an who can quietly sneak into my house."
The implication was that even if someone investigated and found something,
he could be alerted in advance, allowing Li Chonglou to escape.
"Brother Ning, I still need to find a house and might not have time for now," Li Chonglou politely declined.
Ning Lang had already been won over by him; when something happened, he thought of notifying him.
He also wanted to use his connections to protect him.
But this wasn't the kind of subjugation he was accustomed to. Li Chonglou never liked to exploit others.
At most, it was mutually beneficial.
Ning Lang was sincere towards him, and he didn't want to drag this person, who was tired of the martial world and yet bound by circumstances, further into this whirlpool.
"Looking for a house? Look for me! I have plenty of houses!"
Ning Lang's tone rose by an octave. "Hurry, hurry, come over. From small apartments to villas, to large garden estates, I have them all."
"It's settled then. I'll be waiting for you."
Saying that, he didn't give Li Chonglou a chance to refuse again.
Since he was so enthusiastic, it would be meaningless to be too coy.
Li Chonglou thought about it and agreed.
He hadn't wanted to drag Ning Lang into the whirlpool, but Ning Lang, knowing what had happened, still treated him this way, indicating that he didn't want to stay out of it himself.
The specific reason was unknown for now.
But he was very clear that Ning Lang would not harm him.
About half an hour later, Li Chonglou took a taxi to the large mansion in the southern part of the city.
Ning Lang, dressed in a Taoist robe, greeted him with a beaming smile.
Behind him was Brother Chang.
Upon seeing Li Chonglou, Brother Chang's expression was very conflicted. He didn't want to greet him with a smile but was helpless by his boss's enthusiasm.
He truly couldn't understand what was so outstanding about Li Chonglou that the renowned Wolf Brother praised him so highly.
Was it just because of that antique?
That a few words could make him be treated as a god?
What a joke.
"Brother Ning," Li Chonglou stepped forward and gave Ning Lang a light hug.
He rarely got so intimate with people. As the saying goes, the friendship of a gentleman is as bland as water.
Maintaining distance is the long-term way for friends.
The closer the relationship, the faster it burns, and over time, love can turn into hate.
The saying "a bowl of rice of kindness, a bucket of rice of enmity" mostly comes from this.
But Ning Lang was not an ordinary person.
Among intelligent people, there was no such bourgeois sentimentality; facing each other honestly was more important.
"The house has been prepared," Ning Lang said, putting his arm around Li Chonglou's shoulder and walking into the mansion. "Other places are too far away, so why don't you just live with me?"
"My courtyard has four entrances and four exits, with bedrooms next to the main hall. It can accommodate ten people!"
"Why go far when you can come here? I can seek your advice from time to time."
Li Chonglou nodded without hesitation, "Good!"
On the way, he had already guessed Ning Lang's style.
Since Ning Lang didn't shy away from trouble, he certainly wouldn't either.
Moreover, they were both enthusiasts. The knowledge exchange regarding antiques would serve as rent.
"My mother, my wife, and my senior sister, a total of four people," Li Chonglou gestured with his hand.
"Mas... Master, there are five of us, five people!" Just as he finished speaking, a panting voice was heard from outside the gate. Zhang Dongxu, with a backpack, rushed into the mansion.
He had finally rushed back from Wuning County. Midway, he had received a call from Ning Lang, asking Chang Arm to contact him,
telling him to go directly to the mansion.
The bewildered Zhang Dongxu rushed here, not expecting to hear his Master Li Chonglou's voice before even arriving.
He was overjoyed.