Chapter Fifty-One: Thank You for Your Gift

Page 1 of 3

Fang Yujia sat inside the car. From a distance, though the view was unclear, she could already tell that the man accompanied by the woman was her brother-in-law. To be certain, Fang Yujia took out a pair of binoculars and looked again.

“It really is Xiao Cheng!” Fang Yujia held the binoculars, her chest heaving with excitement, and even felt a sudden urge to cry.

After searching for so many days, she had finally found Xiao Cheng. No matter how she looked at him now, he seemed to be out of danger. That was enough. That was all she needed.

She raised the binoculars for another look. Xiao Cheng’s expression was calm, though he occasionally frowned. A bandage was faintly visible beneath his collar, a sign that the gunshot wound he suffered that day had indeed been serious.

The woman beside Xiao Cheng was stunning, leaning against him like a delicate bird. Fang Yujia furrowed her brow. Who was this woman, whose beauty and figure were in no way inferior to her own? She had never cared too much about appearances, but she was objectively aware of her own allure.

Her previously excited mood suddenly cooled. Evidently, it was this woman who had been caring for her brother-in-law these past days.

A sense of bitterness welled up inside Fang Yujia. Xiao Cheng would rather trust an outsider than her. Instead of coming home to recover from his injuries, he had chosen to be cared for by this woman. Was she really so inadequate—less than a stranger?

She had searched for Xiao Cheng for two days with great effort, only to find him here, enjoying the company of a beautiful woman. Watching their intimate posture, she felt a surge of anger.

“All my searching for you was for nothing!”

Since Xiao Cheng was safe, Fang Yujia decided she no longer cared. She slammed her foot down on the accelerator, speeding out of the plaza—the Maserati possibly reaching a hundred kilometers per hour for the first time.

After driving for a while, Fang Yujia suddenly felt something was off. Why should it matter to her if Xiao Cheng found himself a woman? Did she have any reason to be angry?

Xiao Cheng was eighteen—an age when romance and frivolity are only natural. Being with a woman was nothing extraordinary. And it was perfectly normal for him not to stay home and let her care for him. She had always misunderstood and wronged Xiao Cheng; it was no wonder he didn’t trust her.

Thinking of this, she felt a wave of melancholy. Her brother-in-law would rather trust others than her, his own sister-in-law. But this wasn’t Xiao Cheng’s fault; it was hers, for not being a good enough sister-in-law, for never truly understanding him.

“Thank you for your gift. I really like it,” Fang Yujia said with a soft laugh, then sighed.

…

Xiao Cheng had no idea Fang Yujia had come by and seen him.

The grand opening celebration was finally drawing to a close. When the deafening firecrackers ceased, Xiao Cheng let out a long breath; the event had been excruciatingly tedious.

“What do you think of my new place?” Zhuo Qinglian asked playfully, seeking Xiao Cheng’s opinion. This was her enterprise—at her age, owning such a large business was certainly a point of pride.

“It’s not bad,” Xiao Cheng replied, forcing himself to sound interested.

Page 2 of 3

Zhuo Qinglian continued, “The ribbon-cutting is about to begin. Would you like to join me?”

“I’ll pass. You go ahead. I’ll take a look inside,” Xiao Cheng said. The fact that he’d stayed this long was already a feat for someone who hated trouble.

Unable to persuade him, Zhuo Qinglian went alone to the ribbon-cutting.

Xiao Cheng wandered through the nightclub, looking around with interest. He had plenty of experience with nightclubs, but this one’s design was truly unique.

The club’s main theme was glass—vast spaces constructed with it, lending a sense of openness that banished any hint of oppression or confinement.

Most of the clientele were white-collar professionals, coming here at night to unwind and relieve stress. The layout made relaxation effortless.

Some details were particularly thoughtful. For instance, the private booths were separated by frosted glass—transparent on top, so sightlines remained open, while the lower half provided discreet cover for guests’ less decorous behavior.

As Xiao Cheng studied the design, he suddenly felt a hostile energy lock onto him. He frowned and extended his spiritual sense along that energy, discovering a burly man seated in a hidden surveillance room. The man was powerful, but a level below Xiao Guowei.

Xiao Cheng was curious. Who had a grudge against him? He’d recently been involved in a few matters, but all with well-connected people—none who would take such direct action.

He didn’t pay much attention. This level of strength posed no threat to him, so he continued his leisurely tour.

In the surveillance room sat a brawny man with a cigar clenched between his teeth. He was built like a mountain, with a square face—this was the second-in-command of the Qinglian Gang, known as “Long Worm.”

Long Worm stared at the monitor displaying Xiao Cheng, a sinister smile curling his lips. He didn’t know who this kid was, but if he dared to get close to Zhuo Qinglian, he would never let him go. Zhuo Qinglian belonged to him.

“Boss, I found the guy you asked about!” someone entered and addressed Long Worm.

“Oh? What’s his background?” Long Worm asked.

“He’s called Xiao Cheng—a young master of Shanghai Xiao Pharmaceuticals. About ten days ago, one of our brothers saw him racing at Sheshan, together with the boss.”

So, he had some background—a young master of Shanghai Xiao Pharmaceuticals. But that meant nothing to Long Worm.

He was unaware of what had happened at Green Peak Club. If he had known, he would have thought differently. But Zhuo Qinglian had strictly forbidden any word from getting out, and so it remained a secret.

“Heh, not bad! Keeping a pretty boy outside for so long and I didn’t even know. Go gather a few men—let’s give him a lesson.”

Long Worm’s smile grew even more chilling. Those familiar with him knew that whenever he wore that look, blood was sure to follow.

Page 3 of 3

…

Xiao Cheng made a circuit of the nightclub and was impressed. If managed well, it could rival the city’s top venues like BABYFACE.

At the entrance, he saw the ribbon-cutting had finished. Guests were pouring in, and the state-of-the-art sound system was playing Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” its quality so vivid it stirred passion in everyone, making them move to the music.

Zhuo Qinglian stood by the entrance, with an extremely burly, bald man at her side—a strange crimson lotus flower tattooed on his head.

Seeing Xiao Cheng, Zhuo Qinglian hurried over, smiling, “What do you think of my club’s design?”

Her pride was obvious, and Xiao Cheng guessed she was the designer. He didn’t hesitate to praise her: “It’s excellent, the best nightclub I’ve ever seen. The designer must be quite the expert—and a beauty, too.”

Zhuo Qinglian knew he’d seen through her little game, but she was still delighted by his praise.

“Come, let me introduce you. This is Worm—our Qinglian Gang’s second-in-command. Look at that build—he’s the perfect human shield!” Zhuo Qinglian said with a laugh.

Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but find it amusing that this nearly two-meter-tall man was called “Worm.”

But from the first glance, Xiao Cheng already guessed this was the same man who had targeted him with killing intent from the surveillance room. He had no good impression of him and didn’t understand why the man wanted to kill him—there had been no previous encounters.

Long Worm, introduced to Xiao Cheng as a mere pretty boy, was displeased. He’d expected Zhuo Qinglian to introduce Xiao Cheng to him, but she didn’t bother, as if he wasn’t worthy. He lost face.

“Hello, I’m Long Worm. On the streets—” Long Worm grinned, flashing unnaturally white teeth, and extended his hand toward Xiao Cheng.

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face. Xiao Cheng returned the smile and, before Long Worm could finish reciting his intimidating street name, reached out, shook his hand, and cut him off. “A pleasure.”

Their handshake was brief, and Xiao Cheng showed no intention of introducing himself.

Long Worm was instantly furious. Just a pretty boy, and yet Zhuo Qinglian wouldn’t introduce him, and now he didn’t even bother to introduce himself. Did he really think he was someone important?

—