"Forget it, it's the thought that counts."
Ultimately, Shen Youling pinched her nose and drank the medicine. It wasn't as bitter as she had imagined. Instead, it was sweet and tasted rather nice. As for its effects, she didn't feel anything, other than being a little hot...
Just as Shen Youling was about to focus on the sensation, her phone suddenly rang. She answered. "So, you finally decided to answer your phone! Were you waiting until we were all dead to be satisfied, you ungrateful daughter!" Dong Mingfeng launched into a tirade.
Shen Youling took a deep breath. "I'm on my way back now!"
She hurried out of the hotel and went straight home. Wei Shanhe's subordinates didn't stop her.
Shen Xin rushed up to greet her, only to be greatly disappointed. "Youling, you're finally back... Why are you alone? Where is that menace of a husband?"
"So you were out all day just wasting time? Oh, why is my life so miserable!" Dong Mingfeng wailed, looking ready to beat the floor and cry.
With her hair in disarray, Shen Jiayue also scolded Shen Youling. "You must be blind to have found such a piece-of-shit husband!"
"I..." Shen Youling lowered her head in shame. She was just about to say she would take full responsibility when one of Wei Shanhe's men answered a call.
"Yes, understood!" The man waved his hand, and the others gathered around him.
"What is this..." The Shen family grew tense again.
Lu Zizheng's fat jiggled as his face turned pale. "A-are they... are they going to execute us?"
"Ah, I don't want to die!" Shen Jiayue broke down completely.
"You don't need to be afraid. Our chairman just said it was all a misunderstanding. Everything that happened is forgiven and forgotten... You're very lucky to have met a benefactor." After speaking, the man and his companions departed.
"Huh?"
"A misunderstanding?"
"Just like that, it's all forgiven?"
"Who is this benefactor he mentioned?"
The members of the Shen family looked at one another, both relieved to have survived and utterly confused.
Shen Youling was stunned. She thought of the note Lin Tang had left. Could he have really gone to see Chairman Wei? Is he the benefactor? Impossible...
"I know who it is!" Shen Jiayue shrieked excitedly. "It must be Brother Shouzhen! It has to be Second Young Master Wang! I only called him for help. He's a good man after all!"
She grabbed Shen Youling's arm tightly. "Sister, listen to me. Second Young Master Wang said he likes you, so he definitely risked pleading with Chairman Wei for your sake. I think you should just marry him. As for that good-for-nothing piece of shit from before, don't you ever contact him again."
"Right, right! The Shen family wants nothing to do with that menace!" Dong Mingfeng chimed in.
Truthfully, she wasn't particularly satisfied with the Wang family's status. But Youling has been married once already; the hope of marrying into an even more prestigious family is likely lost. Although Wang Shouzhen is short and ugly, all things considered... he would have to do. Besides, in all of Jiangbei City, other than the Wang family, how many others have any sway with Chairman Wei?
Before Shen Youling could respond, Shen Jiayue had already eagerly dialed Wang Shouzhen. The call went through.
Wang Shouzhen spoke first, "Congratulations, Shen Jiayue. The chairman of the True Martial Association just publicly announced that he won't be troubling the Shen family anymore. Even the Xie family won't be targeting you."
Hearing this, Shen Jiayue and the others became even more certain that he was the one who had helped them.
Shen Jiayue cooed, "Thank you so much, Brother Shouzhen! If you hadn't put in a good word for us with Chairman Wei, how could we have escaped this disaster? I don't know how to possibly repay you. How about this? I'll bring Youling for a date with you tomorrow. It's settled, then!"
Wang Shouzhen was utterly bewildered. What good word? I didn't do a thing! Besides, with my status, why would Chairman Wei listen to me?
"What's wrong, Brother Shouzhen?"
"Oh, uh, nothing... You're the one who said it. Bring your sister tomorrow. I'll be waiting!"
Wang Shouzhen's mind raced. Forget the details; he decided to go along with it and seize the chance to win over Shen Youling!
Hearing what her sister had said, Shen Youling frowned. "Sister, how can you make decisions for me? I'm not going tomorrow."
Shen Jiayue quickly hung up the phone and said with a grim face, "It's already been arranged. You're going whether you want to or not. What, you just offended the Xie family, and now you want to offend the Wang family, too? Do you have to drag us all to our deaths before you're satisfied?"
"I..."
Shen Xin and Dong Mingfeng also voiced their approval for the date.
Shen Youling instinctively looked toward her grandfather, the one who doted on her most. Poor Shen Qiushi had been knocked unconscious by Wei Shanhe's palm strike earlier and still hadn't woken up.
"Let's not talk about that now. The most important thing is to get Grandpa to the hospital for a check-up!" she said, her face filled with worry and self-blame. She was in no mood to think about anything else.
***
Wei Zichu had originally intended to drive Lin Tang to Villa Number One, but Lin Tang said his wife was still at the hotel and that he needed to go get her.
"I heard that Shen Youling is the number one beauty in Jiangbei. Is she really that beautiful?" Wei Zichu asked quietly.
"Er—" Lin Tang couldn't help but recall the events of last night, and his heart skipped a beat. "Well, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"So how did you two meet? And how did you get married so quickly?"
"That... I can't say!"
"Tsk, so secretive!" Seeing her pout, Lin Tang felt an awkward sweat bead on his brow.
I can't just tell her we slept together the moment we met, can I? And I'm not used to lying.
When they arrived at the hotel, Lin Tang thanked her and got out of the car.
"Wait!"
"Hmm?"
Wei Zichu bit her lip, then asked hesitantly, "Can I have your contact number?"
Lin Tang patted his pockets. "I don't have a phone."
Ever since becoming a disciple, I've lived in seclusion in an ancient temple deep in the mountains, cut off from the world. Forget a phone, we didn't even have a TV.
"You—" Wei Zichu didn't believe him, thinking he was just making an excuse to refuse her. I'm a beautiful girl adored by everyone. When have I ever been treated so coldly? Her eyes immediately began to well up.
"I really don't. You can check my pockets if you don't believe me," Lin Tang explained helplessly.
"Then just take mine. I'll call you after I get a new number. You have to answer, okay?"
Wei Zichu handed him her latest top-of-the-line smartphone, then stepped on the gas and drove off.
A moment later, she slammed on the brakes. Her face instantly flushed beet red, and she felt like steam was about to shoot from her ears. Ahhh, crap, crap! I forgot to delete my selfies from the photo album... He's not going to think I was trying to seduce him on purpose, is he?
When Lin Tang got to the hotel room, he found that Shen Youling had already left. It was late, and he was too tired to go anywhere else, so he decided to just crash there for the night.
He was sleeping soundly when the phone suddenly rang. He frowned, not bothering to look at the caller ID before answering.
An excited voice burst from the phone, "HAHAHA, I broke through! Wei Zichu, did you hear me? I broke through! I told you I, Mo Zhongyuan, am a peerless genius! Now you have no reason to refuse me..."
"Hey, do you have any idea what time it is?" Lin Tang said irritably. "What are you screaming about? Some of us are trying to sleep!"
The maniacal laughter on the other end stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, a voice roared, gasping for breath, "Who the hell are you?!"
"None of your damn business!"
"AHHH! I'll kill you! If you have the guts, tell me where you are! I'm coming to kill you right now!"
"Psycho," Lin Tang muttered. He couldn't be bothered with the man. He simply hung up and added the number to his blacklist. Finally, peace and quiet. He stretched, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
「Meanwhile, in the training room of a lavish mansion in Jinhu City.」
Mo Zhongyuan's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! He smashed all the wooden training dummies and sandbags to pieces. Then he stormed out the door, shouting, "Someone get in here! Find the location of Wei Zichu's phone! Get the car ready! We're going to kill someone!"
A man answered Wei Zichu's phone in the middle of the night. What could that possibly mean? It means they definitely slept together! How could he ever accept that?!
"Yes, Young Master!"
WHOOSH! A group of formidable, menacing-looking men appeared.
Led by Mo Zhongyuan, they sped toward Jiangbei City under the cover of night.