Upon reaching the courtyard gate, Li Bingjie stood under the weeping willow, seemingly too lazy to walk any further and waiting for Li Chengzong to bring the car over.
Xu Zhengyang stood next to her and said with a smile, "I know your personality; you don't like eating with so many people."
"No, you told me this morning that I wouldn't stay if I didn't want to," Li Bingjie said with a smile.
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang smiled and scratched his head.
"Stop scratching your head all the time, you're like a child." Li Bingjie gave him a reproachful look.
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback. Li Bingjie had never said anything like that before. He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "I'm used to it, haha. I'll be more careful next time."
“Ouyang Ying is quite familiar with you. She’s also very nice to you.” Li Bingjie suddenly said this out of the blue.
"Ah, we are quite familiar. Rouyue is studying in the capital and lives at her house."
"Oh." Li Bingjie nodded gently, then asked, "Between her and me, who's prettier?"
"..." Xu Zhengyang was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and said mysteriously in a low voice, "You are prettier than her."
Li Bingjie smiled.
Xu Zhengyang thought to himself, "Li Chengzong, is he asleep in the car? Why isn't he driving over here right now?"
Just as she thought of this, Li Chengzong kindly drove the car up to her. Li Bingjie opened the car door, got in, and said with a gentle smile through the car window, "I know you're not just trying to comfort me."
Xu Zhengyang nodded seriously, thinking to himself that Li Bingjie had changed a lot since she recovered from her illness. She had even learned to be jealous and to be narcissistic, or rather, confident.
The Audi A8 slowly drove away.
Xu Zhengyang turned around and went home.
After chatting in the living room for a while, Xu Zhengyang arranged for Xu Rouyue, Ouyang Ying, and Diao Yishi to rest, and then returned to his bedroom in the west room.
He wasn't sleepy at all, so he sat in front of the computer and opened a webpage to browse the news.
This has become his habit. He spends his free time reading news online every day, including military, financial, entertainment, social, and political news. He reads all kinds of news, both domestic and international.
Just as I opened the webpage and was browsing the news headlines, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Xu Zhengyang assumed it was his younger sister, because his parents would never knock on the door if they were coming at this time. He didn't get up or turn around, but simply smiled and said, "Come in, I'm not asleep."
The door was pushed open, and Xu Zhengyang turned his head and smiled, "You're not sleepy either..." He stopped halfway through his sentence because it was Ouyang Ying who had come in. She walked up to him with a grin, and Xu Zhengyang smiled with a hint of doubt, "Yingying, why aren't you resting?"
"I couldn't sleep. Rouyue needed to look up some information, so I let her have the computer." Ouyang Ying casually glanced around the room. "You weren't on QQ? I just sent you a message."
"Oh, I'm not online. I don't usually use QQ," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, thinking to himself how inconsiderate his sister was, insisting on looking up important information now and not letting the guests use the computer. "Then you can use it. I'm just looking at the news, nothing else." Xu Zhengyang smiled and stood up to offer her a seat.
"Thank you, Brother Zhengyang." Ouyang Ying sat down with a smile, not standing on ceremony.
Xu Zhengyang stood to the side, wondering if I should go out for a bit.
"Brother Zhengyang, is Li Bingjie your girlfriend?" Ouyang Ying didn't touch the keyboard or mouse. Instead, she looked at Xu Zhengyang with a gossipy smile and asked. She sat on the swivel chair and gently twisted her body, her two long, fair legs swaying gently under her light-colored denim miniskirt.
"Ahem, I guess so." Xu Zhengyang raised his hand to scratch his head, but then remembered what Li Bingjie had just said, so he put his hand back down halfway through.
"She's really beautiful," Ouyang Ying exclaimed.
Xu Zhengyang chuckled.
"Brother Zhengyang, I have a question for you. You have to answer honestly." Ouyang Ying put on a serious face.
"What?" Xu Zhengyang asked in confusion.
"Who's prettier, me or your girlfriend?" Ouyang Ying asked like a mischievous little girl, her eyes conveying the message that she meant absolutely nothing more than asking a question.
"Well... you're pretty," Xu Zhengyang replied with a smile, but inwardly he was puzzled. Did all girls like to compare their looks with others in their hearts? In my heart, you're not as pretty as my sister Rouyue.
Ouyang Ying pouted: "Just kidding me."
"No, no, really," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, his tone like an older brother comforting a younger sister.
Ouyang Ying stuck out her tongue: "Stop pretending! Your girlfriend is indeed quite pretty."
Xu Zhengyang couldn't help but scratch his head, smiling somewhat embarrassedly, but he didn't know what to say. Should he thank her for her praise?
"See, you admit it now." Ouyang Ying stood up, stretched, shrugged, and a hint of disappointment and loneliness flashed in her eyes. "I'm really tired. I'm not playing anymore. I'm going to sleep." After saying that, Ouyang Ying pouted and walked out with her ample chest puffed out, her high heels clicking on the floor tiles.
Xu Zhengyang watched Ouyang Ying walk out with a puzzled look on his face, wondering what she came here for? Just to ask me who was prettier, her or Li Bingjie?
Suddenly, the image of Ouyang Ying's beautiful face, her snow-white legs, and her stunning figure flashed through his mind again. Xu Zhengyang pursed his lips and muttered, "They're all pretty, but you're a bit... devastatingly beautiful."
Volume 4, City God Chapter 185: The one they're looking for is a scumbag and a bastard.
If Xu Rouyue had returned home from Beijing alone this summer, given her obedient nature, she would have stayed quietly at home, reading and studying, chatting with her parents, doing some housework, and occasionally accompanying her mother to visit relatives…
That's pretty much how the holiday went.
However, with the arrival of Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi, Xu Rouyue is destined to have a more fulfilling and exciting summer vacation than usual this year.
For the first few days, Diao Yishi and Ouyang Ying lived in Xu Zhengyang's new house with a lot of curiosity and novelty. Occasionally, they would take a walk by the river or look at the fields in the early morning. In the evening, they would deliberately not stay in the air-conditioned room, but instead drag their straw mats up to the roof to cool off while looking at the moon and counting the stars.
However, this kind of life didn't last long. The siblings couldn't stand being cooped up and decided to go out and play, regardless of the hot weather.
For the first two days after their arrival, Xu Zhengyang stayed at home with them. However, he soon went to Fuhe City, only occasionally returning home at night, and sometimes not even coming home at all. There were two reasons for this: firstly, he really didn't have much in common with Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi; secondly… he felt it was inconvenient to stay at home, with such a beautiful woman constantly bothering him with questions. What if Li Bingjie really got jealous?
Xu Zhengyang had also considered that perhaps he was just being delusional. How could that girl Ouyang Ying possibly be interested in him? He was simply taking precautions. To be honest, like most men, Xu Zhengyang had fantasized about building a harem, taking any beautiful woman he could get his hands on, and having a large group of wives and concubines. But if he actually had such a romantic encounter, he wasn't sure he would actually do it; he might instead become a modern-day version of Liu Xiahui (a legendary figure known for his chastity).
Yes, this guy is an honest and kind person who believes that relationships should be exclusive and that one should not let others down or hurt them.
Well, to put it nicely, he's very innocent; to put it bluntly, he's the type who's secretly passionate.
Of course, before such a thing happens, maybe...
This time, Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi were going to travel around Fuhe City. Xu Rouyue wasn't very familiar with the scenic spots and historical sites, so she had to contact Xu Zhengyang to ask if he was free. Xu Zhengyang felt a headache coming on. After all, he was the host, and he had to show some hospitality.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Zhengyang looked at Li Bingjie, who was sitting in front of the computer playing a matching game, and said with a wry smile, "I have to spend two days playing with them."
"Oh, go ahead." Li Bingjie turned to Xu Zhengyang with a gentle smile, then quickly turned back to play intently, saying, "Xiao Wan is coming tomorrow. I'll be with her for a few days, so I probably won't be able to come see you during that time."
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback, wondering if it was because Chen Chaojiang hadn't been in Beijing recently, but instead at Jinghui Logistics in Fuhe City, that Ye Wan had come knocking on his door? Since meeting Ye Wan in Beijing, Xu Zhengyang hadn't inquired about the relationship between Chen Chaojiang and Ye Wan. He wondered if their relationship had suddenly warmed up during this time?
After Li Bingjie left, Xu Zhengyang hesitated for a moment, but still decided to call Chen Chaojiang:
"Chaojiang, Ye Wan is coming to Fuhe City, did you know?"
There was a clear pause on the other end, followed by Chen Chaojiang's icy voice: "I don't know."
"How's your relationship going? I haven't asked you..."
"We exchanged a few text messages and had a meal together afterward."
"Nothing else?"
"Um."
Xu Zhengyang pursed his lips and asked, "Does Ye Wan have feelings for you?"
"have no idea."
"..." Xu Zhengyang was never a gossip, and he was too lazy to ask about or care about such relationship issues. Besides, discussing this with Chen Chaojiang would easily make him angry. So Xu Zhengyang said, "Well, I just wanted to let you know. By the way, if there's nothing going on at the company, come out and have some fun for a couple of days. Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi are getting bored at home and want to travel around our Fuhe City."
"Okay." Chen Chaojiang readily agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Zhengyang wondered if he should just let Chen Chaojiang accompany them. He was busy every day, sitting in his office researching online, occasionally listening to reports from ghost messengers, making judgments, issuing orders, and then going on a spiritual journey to the underworld at night... He was very busy.
True to his word, Xu Zhengyang actually arranged for Chen Chaojiang to go there, while he himself used the excuse of being busy with work to say that he would definitely make time to play with them.
Considering Xu Rouyue's delicate and charming appearance, and Ouyang Ying's stunning beauty, these two absolute beauties, dressed in revealing clothes in the middle of summer, would surely attract the lust of some men with both desire and audacity if they went out on a trip. Therefore, with Chen Chaojiang, this super-powerful man, accompanying them, Xu Zhengyang could basically rest assured about their safety.
Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi didn't say anything else, thinking that Xu Zhengyang was probably really busy. How could he not be busy as the chairman of a logistics company and the owner of an antique shop?
Besides, even when he has free time, he should spend more time with his girlfriend.
When Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi first met Li Bingjie at their home a few days ago, they only felt that Li Bingjie looked familiar, but they never imagined that she was the granddaughter of Old Master Li, whom they had met on the opening day of the new Gu Xiang Xuan store. Last year, the Li Bingjie they met was an ethereal and aloof woman, always exuding an aura of coldness and unapproachability; while the current Li Bingjie, though not very talkative, had a gentle expression and her eyes always carried a soft kindness. Anyone looked into such eyes would feel comfortable.
That same day, after leaving Xu Zhengyang's room and arriving at Xu Rouyue's bedroom, Ouyang Ying heard Xu Rouyue repeat the story, and only then did she suddenly remember Li Bingjie's identity.
That afternoon and evening, Ouyang Ying felt a little empty inside. She secretly gave a bitter laugh to herself. Was it really necessary to be jealous and sad because of the relationship between the two of them? Could it be that she had fallen for Xu Zhengyang? This was just a bit inexplicable... So the next day, Ouyang Ying restrained herself from thinking about these things and tried her best to regain her previous cheerful mood.
Enough of the digression. Chen Chaojiang and Xu Rouyue accompanied Ouyang Ying and Diao Yishi on a trip to tourist attractions in the surrounding counties of Fuhe City. On the morning of the fourth day, just as Xu Zhengyang had feared, they encountered harassment from local thugs.
The incident occurred at Jingniang Lake, a tourist scenic area in the western part of Fuhe City, bordering Bu County, at around 10:00 AM.
The incident escalated significantly, and Chen Chaojiang launched a violent attack, injuring seven people, two of whom suffered broken ribs.
Chen Chaojiang had originally followed Xu Zhengyang's orders: even in this situation, he shouldn't use excessive force, only intending to teach them a lesson. However, those local thugs were no pushovers; after being attacked, they immediately drew their knives. Because Chen Chaojiang was protecting the brash and aggressive Diao Yishi, he took a knife wound with his arm. Now, the thugs had no time to regret their actions. Seeing blood, Chen Chaojiang instantly went berserk, quickly and decisively taking down all seven men.
As a result, apart from those who were seriously injured and sent to the hospital, everyone else was taken to the local police station.
When Xu Zhengyang learned of the news, he was sitting in his office talking on the phone with Zhong Shan, the captain of the criminal investigation team of Cixian County Public Security Bureau. He asked Zhong Shan to help him check on their construction team's construction site on the North Ring Road of the county. It was said that some local thugs were extorting money from the construction team's workers and collecting protection fees under various pretexts.
Looking at the caller ID on his phone, Xu Zhengyang said a few polite words about inviting Zhong Shan to dinner later, then hung up. When he answered, Xu Rouyue's slightly choked and fearful voice immediately came through:
"Brother, we're in trouble..."
Xu Zhengyang's brows furrowed sharply. He said in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid, tell me what happened?" He knew that his sister and the others had gone to Jingniang Lake for a day trip.
“We encountered some thugs. Brother Chaojiang beat them up, and we’re at the police station now. Brother Chaojiang was stabbed by someone.” Xu Rouyue’s voice choked as she spoke, turning into sobs.
"Rouyue, don't cry, don't worry, just wait there, I'll be right there!" Xu Zhengyang said softly, then hung up the phone and walked out of the office with an extremely gloomy expression.
As we've said before, Xu Zhengyang is not a purely kind person; he is protective of his own, especially his family and friends!
My sister was harassed by thugs, and my best friend Chen Chaojiang was stabbed...
Xu Zhengyang was so angry that he almost ordered the ghost messengers to immediately send all those hooligans to the train tracks to commit suicide.
On the way to Jingniang Lake, Xu Zhengyang mentally reviewed the entire incident, which slightly lessened his anger. His sister and Ouyang Ying had not been physically assaulted, and Chen Chaojiang's knife wound on his left arm was not serious; he had received six stitches and bandaged it at a small clinic near the police station and was now at the station.
The group of thugs were all quite young, around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, and they were from a village called Jingniang Village near Jingniang Lake.
In recent years, thanks to the booming tourism industry, Jingniang Village, with its unique geographical advantages, has been engaged in various tourism businesses in the Jingniang Lake tourist area, and almost every household in the village is financially well-off. These few hooligans, however, come from even wealthier families than other families in the village. With plenty of money to spare, they do nothing but spend their days emulating the arrogance and domineering ways of their parents in the vicinity of the tourist area, aimlessly wasting their days and flaunting their power.
The saying "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too" probably applies quite well to them and their family environment.
What happened today could have been avoided. These thugs wouldn't have been so arrogant as to harass someone who had a male companion. It was only because Ouyang Ying pulled Xu Rouyue along a few steps quickly, putting some distance between them and Chen Chaojiang and Diao Yishi, that the thugs mistook them for the two girls traveling together.
As a result, the thugs approached and harassed her, making vulgar remarks. Ouyang Ying immediately glared at them and rebuked them angrily. The thugs, not to be outdone, retorted with even more offensive language. Then, Diao Yishi and Chen Chaojiang came over. Relying on the presence of the incredibly strong Chen Chaojiang, Diao Yishi immediately went forward and started fighting without saying a word.
What happened next was completely out of control.
Well, upon closer inspection, they didn't really lose out. The other side suffered two serious injuries and five minor injuries, which was quite unlucky. Xu Zhengyang figured there was no need to make a big fuss; just bringing the people back from the police station would suffice. Later, he could have the ghost messengers send a few ghosts to scare them.
To Xu Zhengyang's surprise, when he arrived, he found that the entrance to the police station had been blocked by the villagers of Jingniang Village.
Good heavens, a hundred villagers gathered there, their emotions running high. The men were itching to fight, and the women were making a huge fuss, as if they were about to storm into the police station and drag out the culprit who had injured someone that day, and beat him to death to vent their anger.
Xu Zhengyang pulled the car over to the side of the road, frowning as he looked at the crowd thronging in front of the police station. Annoyed by the commotion, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number of Pang Zhong, the city police chief.