Chapter 21: Zeng Yilong

When Li Ning retraced his steps and saw the door already open, he knew he was too late. As he approached, he found his older brother standing dumbfounded at the threshold, looking even more shocked than himself. Clearly, he was struggling to process what had just happened—ah, well.

From the moment she saw Li Ning, Yanyan had already guessed the truth, yet she still looked at Li Ping with a trace of surprise. Qin Ling, sensing the strange atmosphere, had a rough idea of what was going on and nudged her gently to bring her back to herself. Li Ping was thoroughly unsettled; he had never imagined he would see her again, least of all under these circumstances and in this setting.

“Yanyan, do you two know each other?” Chen Zhuohao asked, puzzled. Seeing the way Li Ping was staring at his girlfriend made him a little angry, but needing their help, he had to swallow his irritation.

Li Ping didn’t know how to answer, but Yanyan, regaining her composure, replied naturally, “No, we don’t. I just have this feeling we might have met back in our student days, that’s all.”

“Oh, I see.” Hearing this, Chen Zhuohao’s mood instantly improved. Du Bin, who was watching from the sidelines, was reminded of Fang Yilin and Wu Jiahao; he couldn’t help but feel a kinship with their troubles.

“Let’s sit down,” someone suggested.

Li Ping nodded and chose a seat far from the others. Li Ning, his older brother, followed suit.

“Come on, everyone, let’s eat breakfast!”

The others looked at Li Ping in confusion, seeing him act as though nothing had happened. The group, half awkward and half distracted, discussed the matter of the letter over breakfast. Afterward, everyone went their separate ways: Chen Zhuohao to oversee the wedding arrangements on the cruise ship, Qin Ling naturally accompanying Yanyan to the bridal shop to try on dresses, Hu Pangzi eager to play escort and tagging along, Li Ning returning to his room to play battle royale games with his comrades. Ultimately, only Du Bin and Li Ping were left with nothing to do until Du Bin suggested exploring the market to break the tension.

The two walked the bustling marketplace in silence, surrounded by tourists. Eventually, Du Bin broke the silence: “Did you really know her?”

Li Ping hesitated before nodding. “Yes. She’s my ex-girlfriend. We broke up two years ago.”

“I see. Sorry about that.”

“It’s nothing.”

They wandered along the market until they reached the shore, and when they were tired, they returned to their guesthouse to rest. That evening, Li Ping went alone to a bar to drown his sorrows. Conflicted and melancholy, he let the alcohol bring back old memories—a love he had let slip away, a romance he himself had abandoned. After two years of no contact or news, fate had reunited them, and she turned out to be Qin Ling’s best friend. Suddenly, from a shadowy corner, Du Bin appeared. Seeing Li Ping slumped drunkenly over the table, looking much like himself these days, Du Bin hoisted him up and carried him away.

The next day was the cruise ship’s departure and the wedding ceremony’s blessing. Du Bin and the others took a car to the Star Ferry Pier, and as soon as they got out, the first thing they saw was the enormous cruise liner.

“Wow!” Hu Guozheng exclaimed, dazzled by the scene. “This is awesome!”

The ship was festooned with bright, colorful balloons, and at the bow, two red hearts were joined in a splendid display. Li Ping wanted to board the ship, but Li Ning insisted on dragging him around for a tour.

“Let’s go inside!” Qin Ling, growing impatient, urged them along. She checked her watch—it was eight in the morning. The departure ceremony was scheduled for nine, the ship bound from Star Ferry Pier to Xisha Bay. That night, the wedding would be held on the open sea, followed by a two-day cruise.

For the wedding, they all dressed to impress: the men in suits and ties, while Li Ning and Qin Ling appeared in evening gowns. Li Ning, once known for her unruly, tomboyish ways and masculine style, stunned Du Bin with her transformation—he never imagined this “tomboy” could look so captivating.

Noticing Du Bin’s stare, Li Ning grew annoyed, covering her chest for modesty, which only made Du Bin chuckle to himself: “With a chest that flat, what’s she afraid of showing?” he thought.

She seemed to guess his thoughts, stomped on his foot in a huff, and stormed off. Clutching his foot in pain, Du Bin muttered, “Damn, did I really just offend her?”

At nine, the sails were raised and the ship slowly moved off. The passengers busied themselves with their own affairs. Qin Ling stood alone at the bow, gazing out at the endless sea. The cool breeze lifted her wavy hair, and for a while, she forgot her sorrow.

Just as she was enjoying the moment, a familiar voice broke her reverie from behind. Qin Ling turned—he still wore that arrogant, handsome expression, and his eyes seemed to possess a power that could see straight through her. Qin Ling avoided his gaze. “What are you doing here? No one here knows you, Mr. Zeng.”

“Heh, I don’t care if no one else on this ship knows me—as long as I know you, that’s enough,” Zeng Yilong replied, stepping forward as if to take her hand. Qin Ling quickly put her hands behind her back. “Don’t think that chasing me all the way here means I’ll forgive you. You treated me like a pawn. All the time we were together, I thought you were an honest businessman, but it turns out you were a shareholder in that sick club. I won’t forgive you for that.”

“Lingling, I know I went too far. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, but I truly didn’t know they’d chosen you as bait. If I had known, I would never have agreed.” Zeng Yilong put on a wounded expression, but she remained unmoved.

“You can say whatever you like now.”

“It’s true. Everyone in the club bet on your deaths, but I was the only one who bet on the underdogs to win. Do you know why?” Zeng Yilong placed his hands on her shoulders. At the moment when Qin Ling was caught by Ma Jinlong, his heart truly trembled. His original plan had been to curb Ma Jinlong’s influence, but in that final round, he ended up betting everything he had without hesitation. Looking back, he was a little afraid of how his anger had drowned out his reason.

“I don’t know, and I don’t need to know.”

“It’s because of you.”

“Because of me? Don’t kid yourself. It was all part of the script you people wrote from the start.” Despite her words, Qin Ling found herself searching for reasons to forgive him, though she was determined not to do so too easily after what he’d done.

Zeng Yilong pulled her into a tight embrace. Who would have thought that, though he was triumphant in business and had even driven Ma Jinlong, one of the three giants of Guangdong, into bankruptcy, he was utterly helpless before the woman he loved. “Can we not talk about this anymore? You haven’t answered a single one of my calls. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

“Your goal of replacing Ma Jinlong has been achieved. You’re now the president of the club, Mr. Zeng. Ordinary people like me aren’t worth your concern.” Qin Ling struggled to break free from his arms.

“Lingling, please, don’t be so stubborn.”

“Get lost.” She finally broke free and was about to slap him when a girl suddenly appeared, swiftly drawing a dagger and pressing it to Qin Ling’s throat.

Zeng Yilong shouted, “Stop! Don’t hurt her!”

When the girl lowered her dagger, Zeng Yilong asked warily, “Who are you?”

“You can call me YOYO. My master was very worried when you came here alone and sent me to protect you until you return to headquarters. If anything happens to you, I’ll be in big trouble.” The girl before him had long, flowing sky-blue hair, a well-proportioned figure, and eyes so sharp and cold they were hard to meet.

“Well, you and your master really are busybodies. Suit yourself, but I’m warning you—don’t lay a finger on her.”

“I understand.” YOYO retreated two meters away.

“Thank you, Boss Zeng, for sparing my life. I’ll take my leave. I hope I’m not in your way.” Seeing the beautiful woman suddenly appear by his side, Qin Ling was instantly consumed by jealousy and stormed off for the cabin without a backward glance, leaving Zeng Yilong unsure whether to laugh or be angry.