Chapter 33: The Hunting Family

Yingying had been hiding in her room, crying ever since she returned home. Zhou Heng entered with a cup of warm water, shaking his head in dismay at the sight.

“Miss, you should try to forget him. Perhaps you and Mr. Du truly have no fate together. I believe you will find someone even better.”

“You don’t understand a girl’s heart at all.” Jian Qianying, resentful, threw all the pillows and quilts from the bed onto the floor.

“I know you’re heartbroken, and I know my precious daughter is hurting. But you can only blame that boy for not cherishing you. Don’t worry, though—your father has already found you a far more outstanding partner.” At that moment, Jian Ruixiang walked in, followed by a young man.

“This is Tang Ge, the heir of the wealthy local Tang family. You two are perfectly matched, and together you’ll surely have a happy and fulfilling life.”

Tang Ge approached her unhurriedly, his gaze carrying a deadly charm. He gently cupped Yingying’s chin and spoke softly, “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yingying.”

Sweat beaded on Yingying’s forehead. Displeased, she pushed Tang Ge away and said, “Get lost! Unless you’re Hu Ge, I want you gone. Dad, I’m telling you—other than Bin, I’ll never marry anyone.”

“Yingying.”

“Dad, you’re being unreasonable. Don’t think I’ll give up so easily.”

“I’m only thinking of your happiness.” Jian Ruixiang hugged Yingying tenderly, trying to comfort her.

“Miss, please stop being stubborn. You should listen to the master.”

“Dad, I need to go out and clear my head. Please forgive your disobedient daughter. Goodbye.” Yingying pushed out of her father’s embrace, ran out of the villa, and climbed into a pink sports car, speeding away.

“Bin doesn’t want me, and now I’ve quarreled with Dad. There’s nothing left in this city for me. I’ll travel wherever my heart takes me.”

She drove for an unknown length of time and finally reached the seaside. Alone in her car, Yingying let her thoughts run wild. “Oh, sea, please let your waves sweep away my pain. Let your clear waters wash over me, heal the wounds deep in my heart.”

Ever since Du Bin had rejected Jian Qianying, he sat alone in the pavilion, clutching the photo Zhou Heng had given him. The picture showed a beach trip—Fang Yilin in a bikini, cradled in Wu Jiahao’s arms, her smile radiant with happiness.

“Du Bin, ever since dinner you’ve been lost and spiritless. Still thinking about that girl, aren’t you? Honestly, you must realize how heartless you’ve been.”

“If you regret it so much, you shouldn’t have been so decisive. Surely you feel a sense of loss and remorse. Am I right, Old Du?”

“Can you two be quiet? I’m just thinking about other things.” Du Bin slipped the photo away, an action that caught Li Ning’s attention. She thought she caught a glimpse of his ex-girlfriend’s picture, but before she could say anything, a car sped up nearby.

“Mr. Du—”

“Butler, what’s the matter?” Du Bin saw Zhou Heng, who looked frantic, and guessed something was wrong.

“It’s bad news—Miss Yingying has disappeared.”

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“Disappeared?” Everyone responded in shock.

“How did she disappear?”

“Miss Yingying couldn’t win Mr. Du’s affection. In her grief, she fled reality. She said she was going out to clear her head, but now she’s missing.”

Zhou Heng recounted the events in detail. Hu Guozheng gave Du Bin a scornful look, saying, “See? I told you this playboy would hurt people everywhere he went.”

The three drove off, following Zhou Heng’s directions, not noticing the sly, satisfied smile on Zhou Heng’s face as he watched them leave. “Miss, I’ve done all I can. Whether you end up together is up to fate.”

Tracking the GPS signal, Du Bin and the others searched along the coast near the disappearance site.

“Where could she be?”

Li Ning picked up an earring from the ground. Du Bin took it, recognizing it immediately as Jian Qianying’s. “This is Yingying’s earring.”

Following the trail of dropped items, they finally spotted Jian Qianying atop a cliff. By the time they ran over, she had already jumped into the sea. Standing at the edge, the three could only see the surging waves, no sign of her. “Yingying! Yingying!”

Hu Guozheng turned to Du Bin, “What are you waiting for? Strip and save her!”

“Damn it, you know I can’t swim!”

As the two argued, a figure suddenly dove into the water and swiftly brought Yingying ashore. Seeing she was safe, the three hurried down the cliff, Zhou Heng following close behind.

“Are you all right?” The man who rescued Yingying was strikingly handsome, his muscular physique enviable.

“I’m fine. Thank you for saving me. My name is Yingying. May I ask yours?” As she looked at him, her heart fluttered like a startled deer, her cheeks tinged with pink.

“It’s nothing. I’m Lei Zhixin.” He set her down, greeted Du Bin and the others, then departed.

“Yingying, are you okay?” Du Bin asked with concern, but Yingying ignored him entirely, her gaze never leaving Lei Zhixin’s retreating figure.

“Miss, are you all right?”

Du Bin, thinking she was still angry, apologized, “Yingying, I’m sorry. I never meant to dislike you.”

“Brother Zhixin.”

Her sudden words left Du Bin bewildered. What was happening?

“We can't waste time. Butler, come with me—we must catch up with Brother Zhixin.” Ignoring Du Bin, Yingying dragged Zhou Heng with her in pursuit of Lei Zhixin.

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“Here we go again. Miss, you really should think things through, or you’ll regret it later.” Zhou Heng could only sigh helplessly, rubbing his temples.

“Butler, do you think I’ll give up so easily? Brother Zhixin, wherever you go, I’ll follow. Wait for me, Brother Zhixin! Your heroic image is etched forever in my heart.”

Such an outcome was hard for Du Bin to accept. He stared, dumbfounded, at the distant figures. Hu Guozheng grinned mischievously, “Feeling embarrassed now, aren’t you? Thought she’d be your girlfriend, but in the end, it was all for nothing.”

“Du Bin, you must be really upset.” Li Ning delighted in his misfortune, joining Hu Guozheng in mocking him.

His confidence bruised, Du Bin stubbornly refused to admit defeat. “No, no, no, I’m not upset at all. Why would I be?”

“Playboy, the heart of a woman is as unfathomable as the ocean. You’ll never catch it so easily.” Hu Guozheng laughed loudly, and Du Bin’s forehead bulged with veins of irritation. “Are you two done laughing?”

Meanwhile, Ye Tang, after leaving Du Bin’s house, returned home and told her aunt, Ye Lan, what had happened. Ye Lan, worried for her future safety, sent her back to train at the Hunting Clan. The Hunting Clan was located near Shaoguan; the village’s houses were all from the Republic era, forming a circle when viewed from the mountains. Around the perimeter lay a complex maze of protective forests, said to have been designed in the Ming Dynasty by a master at the request of an heir, based on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, to shield the place from their nemesis—the vampires.

After finishing her training, Ye Tang collapsed onto her bed, utterly exhausted. Every time she recalled the battle on General Mountain and compared it with her current self, she felt she had so much further to go.

“Wu Qiwei, who are you really?”

Though she had personally killed him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. By rights, his strength surpassed hers, yet he always seemed to suppress himself. The strangest part was that he hadn’t even tried to dodge the final blow; instead, he rushed straight into it. The more she pondered, the more confused she became, so she decided to stop thinking about it.

She picked up her phone from the bedside table, turned it on, and was immediately bombarded with spam messages. As she was about to delete them, she saw a missed call from Du Bin. Just as she was about to return the call, a loud explosion sounded from outside.

Ye Tang opened her window and saw black smoke rising from somewhere in the village. Ordinarily, a fire wouldn’t be cause for concern, but the panic among the residents suggested something serious had happened. Ye Tang hurried downstairs, following the smoke.

The streets were labyrinthine, every building almost identical. Anyone unfamiliar with the area would surely get lost. She soon arrived at the scene, where villagers and even clan elders had gathered.

“Wu Qiwei, what exactly do you intend to do now that you’re back?” an angry, bald elder shouted.

Hearing the name, Ye Tang, who was about to squeeze in for a closer look, froze with shock. Wu Qiwei. She had suspected he wasn’t dead, but never imagined he had deliberately lost to her.

Wu Qiwei crossed his arms and laughed mockingly. “Do I really need to explain myself to you old fossils?”

“You’re still brooding over what happened years ago, aren’t you?” the elder pointed his cane at him.