Chapter 31: The Clingy Heiress

Since returning from the cruise, everyone had slipped back into their own routines. Du Bin had wanted to talk to Ye Tang about that girl named YOYO, but unfortunately, she had been unreachable lately, her phone always off—it seemed she was busy. At Li Ping's invitation, the group decided to hold a grand feast at his country estate to celebrate, and everyone readily agreed to the idea.

A week passed in a blink, and the friends arrived one after another as promised. After dividing up the tasks, Hu Guozheng stood at the manor gate, hands on his hips and grumbling in annoyance, “Hmph! That lazy old Du is slacking again. He's been out so long and hasn't come back to help.”

“Fatty! Don't think that complaining about Du Bin means you can avoid helping yourself,” Li Ning called out from the kitchen, carrying a platter to the table and catching Hu Guozheng shirking his duties.

“Hahaha… Do I have to help too?” Hu Guozheng pointed to himself, feigning innocence.

“Of course you do.”

Seeing the sumptuous spread, Hu Guozheng meekly pitched in, “Today's a real treat.”

Li Ping emerged from the villa, humming a tune and carrying a cake. Seeing the preparations nearly complete, he said, “Looks like the food is ready.”

“Brother, Du Bin went out to buy snacks and drinks ages ago and still hasn't returned. He didn’t even take his phone.”

“No way!”

“Let’s not wait for old Du. Let’s eat first!” Hu Guozheng, unable to resist any longer, reached out for the food, but Li Ning immediately snatched up her chopsticks and smacked his hand, scolding, “No sneaking bites! We eat when everyone’s here.”

“That’s right. This feast is to celebrate our safe return from the ship, so we must wait for everyone before starting.”

Hu Guozheng sulked, hands on hips, pouting, “If you want to eat, just eat. Why all the fuss?”

Meanwhile, Du Bin, carrying snacks and drinks, left the mall and headed to the parking lot. There, a striking Rolls-Royce was parked. The man in the driver’s seat spoke seriously, “Miss, you should reconsider.”

“My mind is made up,” replied the girl in the back seat, her eyes fixed on Du Bin. “My young heart has been deeply captivated by this boy’s heroic presence. Butler, what are you waiting for? Take action!”

“Very well, Miss,” the butler sighed.

As Du Bin walked toward his parking spot, he suddenly sensed someone watching him. He looked around but saw nothing unusual.

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” he thought. The recent events had been so intense and complicated that now even the slightest stir made him anxious.

Just as he was reflecting on his own nerves, a Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of him. The door opened, and a beautiful young girl sprang out.

Du Bin gave her a curious glance—she was attractive, but why was she coming toward him? He was puzzled.

“Brother Du Bin!”

As he turned to open his car door, the girl called sweetly. Du Bin turned and saw her waving, and before he could say anything, she eagerly hooked her arm around his. The suddenness left him utterly bewildered.

“Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else.”

---

“How could I? We met on the ship—don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me,” the girl said, still clinging to Du Bin with a bird-like affection.

“On the ship? The cruise ship…”

She smiled sweetly. Du Bin was confused. If she was a survivor from the cruise, she should have had dealings with the police, yet she didn’t seem afraid like the others. Seeing his expression, she said, “Yes, especially since you dared to confront that monster and save everyone. I wanted to find a chance to thank you.”

“Brother Du Bin, get in the car!”

“In the car? But I have things to do—”

“Don’t be like that!” The girl pouted and forcibly pulled Du Bin into the Rolls-Royce, catching him completely off guard.

“Butler, drive!”

“Yes, Miss.” The butler immediately steered the car onto a road opposite from Du Bin’s intended direction.

Watching the road home disappearing behind him, Du Bin knew escape was impossible and sighed inwardly. “You seem to have looked into my identity, but I know nothing about you.”

“Yes, my name is Jian Qianying. You can call me Ying Ying. That’s our butler, Zhou Heng.”

Du Bin politely greeted Zhou Heng. “So, Ying Ying, where are we going?”

“To my house! I told you I wanted to thank you.”

“Will you tell me what kind of gift it is?” Du Bin’s mind flashed with dreams of money—perhaps he might become a wealthy man, maybe even closing the gap between himself and Fang Yilin.

Ying Ying saw his delighted expression and said slyly, “Hmm, I won’t tell you.”

Half an hour later, the car stopped outside an iron gate. Du Bin peeked out, seeing a place of remarkable natural beauty.

“This is…”

“This is my home. I’m so happy you came to visit!” Ying Ying signaled Zhou Heng, who quickly produced a remote to open the gate.

“Your house…”

The gate, controlled electrically, swung open swiftly. Du Bin held his breath, quietly watching it reveal a garden spanning thousands of square meters, with an English-style villa at its center. The car slowly drove in.

“What an enormous estate!” Du Bin noticed the walls enclosing the grounds, numerous entertainment facilities in the garden, rare trees planted everywhere, and a stream beside it, the whole scene leaving him dumbstruck.

“Do you like it? By the way, let me introduce you to my friends.”

---

“Your friends?”

Jian Qianying opened the window and suddenly whistled outside. Du Bin watched her curiously. Soon, the sound of running echoed, and several figures darted out from the woods.

As they drew closer, Du Bin realized they were two tigers, baring their teeth and staring at him as if he were prey. Terrified, Du Bin dared not approach the window.

“Your friends are a little too friendly!”

Fortunately, after crossing a small bridge they left the tigers behind. Suddenly, Du Bin glanced down and saw a shadowy, massive figure in the water. Curious, he asked, “Ying Ying, what kind of fish do you keep in there?”

“Nothing special, just a few crocodiles.”

Du Bin was speechless—wealthy people truly lived as they pleased, keeping wild beasts as pets.

Soon, they arrived at the center villa, its decor resembling a fairy tale. Du Bin sat in the hall, admiring the unique scenery and valuable collections.

“Brother Du Bin, do you think my home is beautiful?” Jian Qianying asked with a gentle smile.

“Beautiful.”

“Do you like it?”

“I do.”

“In that case, from now on, you’ll live here as a guest. Is that alright?”

“This…” Du Bin was caught off guard by the sudden invitation. Even if he wanted to stay, he couldn’t dare—this place wasn’t his, and he was someone who struggled to support himself. Though the publisher sent him some royalties, they were but a drop in the ocean.

“You brought me here for reasons deeper than just sightseeing, didn’t you, Ying Ying?”

“Brother Du Bin, don’t misunderstand.”

Zhou Heng placed the tea set on the table, noticing Du Bin’s guarded look. He explained, “Mr. Du, here’s the truth. Our Miss and Chen Zhuohao were classmates, so she was invited to the cruise wedding. That’s how she encountered those monsters. Since you bravely fought them and saved everyone, our Miss has admired your courage ever since and insisted on repaying you.”

“So that’s it, but I wasn’t the one who defeated the monsters.”

“Brother Du Bin, are you upset?” Jian Qianying looked at him with a pitiful expression.

“No,” Du Bin replied, understanding at last. Though he wished to linger, the thought of his friends waiting for him made him anxious.