As Li Chonglou woke up, it was already New Year's Day the next day.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had slept so soundly, so deeply.
The injuries on his body had miraculously healed by seventy to eighty percent overnight. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling of the Hanggong Hotel.
Li Chonglou grinned, "Brother Xu, Happy New Year."
With that, he rolled over and got up.
The Hanggong Hotel was still closed for business today, not accepting any outside guests.
Ning Lang had booked the entire venue to treat all of Li Chonglou's friends.
This naturally included Lin Weiwei, Jin Jing, and some of his key subordinates. Xiao Yun had also invited Shi Jianming.
The Xiong Ying team under Zhou Jiao, and several police officers from Guan Jian and Xiao Da's side.
And Xu Qing, who had closed her shop to celebrate the holiday.
Twelve tables were fully occupied. The New Year's Day entertainment naturally featured several beautiful women performing on stage.
"I didn't expect you to be so formidable. You keep your word, I'm impressed!" Xu Qing walked over to Li Chonglou, holding a wine glass, her eyes slightly red. "No wonder Lin Ying values you so much."
She hadn't held much hope for Li Chonglou's "Whack-a-mole" operation, and hadn't even attended herself.
After all, given how Tian Shan, a fierce bandit, had survived until today, one could imagine his capabilities.
But she never expected that he would eventually fall into Li Chonglou's hands and die miserably.
The moment she received the news, she was devastated.
She lit three sticks of incense for her deceased husband, cut her hair short, and bid farewell to the past.
"Sister Xu, without your help, even if I were ten times more capable, I wouldn't have been able to kill him," Li Chonglou knew why she was like this. He used tea as a substitute for wine, and everything was understood without needing to be said.
"By the way, any news from Lin Ying?" Xu Qing downed her drink in one gulp, took a breath, and recomposed herself before asking.
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Chonglou's phone rang.
Speak of the devil, it was his senior sister Lin Ying calling.
"Senior Sister, Happy New Year!" Li Chonglou's tone was light. He had originally planned to call on his way back to Qin Zhou after the banquet.
He didn't expect his senior sister to call so early.
"Happy New Year, Junior Disciple. Congratulations on avenging your grievance." Lin Ying had already heard the news from Xiao Yun and Xu Qing, and was secretly cheering for Li Chonglou. "Before we set out, my father consulted a divination for you against my wishes."
"There was danger, but it turned out to be safe, not as perilous as the incident in Xihai Commandery, so don't blame me for not looking out for you."
Upon hearing this, Li Chonglou suddenly understood, his heart filled with warmth.
He had no intention of involving his master or senior sisters, but he didn't expect his master to care about him so much.
Even after suffering backlash and injury, he still forcefully cast a divination for him.
In this cold winter, at this moment, he no longer felt any trace of cold.
"How is your business with Master going?" Li Chonglou adjusted his mood and asked.
"It's almost done. As we predicted, Du Wu's tomb has been completely looted, not even the coffin boards were left," Lin Ying said with a hint of helplessness. "We plan to return to Qin Zhou tomorrow."
"It's almost Lunar New Year. We can organize the clues and continue investigating after the holiday."
"Anyway, my father has waited for so many years, he doesn't mind this little while longer."
"Nonsense!" Lin Zhendong's reproachful voice came from the phone. "Tell Chonglou we'll see him in Qin Zhou."
"Did you hear that? He's unhappy. Hehe, I won't talk to you anymore. We'll discuss it in detail when I get back." Lin Ying's charming laughter was like silver bells.
With that, she hung up the phone.
After the New Year's Day banquet concluded, Li Chonglou called Lin Weiwei aside and told her to contact Wu Hao in Qin Zhou directly from now on, as he would be going to Shangjing after the New Year.
Lin Weiwei looked reluctant but said nothing.
After all, a dragon like Li Chonglou could not be confined to one place for long. Going to Shangjing was only a matter of time.
It would just be difficult to see him again in the future; at most, it would be through video calls or voice messages.
"Thank you for your hard work." Li Chonglou saw the reluctance in Lin Weiwei's eyes and didn't say more. He turned and left.
He declined Ning Lang and the others' offer to see him off, and around three in the afternoon, he drove back to Qin Zhou alone.
Before five o'clock, he had arrived home.
Jiang Yuxin was waiting at the door, her eyes full of anticipation, with the smiling Lv Yunxu by her side.
Thanks to the half piece of Qingyan fruit that Li Chonglou brought back, she had escaped death and her temperament seemed to have changed.
The arrogance and nobility that once emanated from her were now hard to find, replaced by authenticity and youthful vitality.
"Chonglou..." Jiang Yuxin's face blushed slightly when she saw him.
"Why are you still calling me Chonglou? Call me husband," Lv Yunxu nudged her from behind, making her blush even more.
However, she followed the push and walked up to Li Chonglou, gently hugging him.
Feeling the not-so-strong but increasingly reassuring embrace of his body, Jiang Yuxin's worries of the past few days finally dissipated, and the heavy stone in her heart was completely lifted.
Li Chonglou was back, which meant he had successfully avenged Xu Lie.
She knew Li Chonglou was no ordinary person. After enduring for nearly three years as a son-in-law, his sudden rise to prominence was just a small hurdle.
Qin Zhou was too small to keep him.
But as long as she could be someone he cared about, she would be content.
Jiang Yuxin thought very clearly, but the clearer she thought, the more reluctant she became to let go, wanting to hold him tightly like this.
"Call me what?" Li Chonglou deliberately played along with Lv Yunxu's teasing.
"Hus...husband..." Jiang Yuxin's face turned red all the way to her ears, her voice as faint as a mosquito's.
Li Chonglou laughed heartily and picked her up in a princess carry, under Lv Yunxu's envious gaze, carrying her into the house.
Just as mother-in-law Liu Zhiru heard the noise and came to open the door, she saw this scene and quickly covered her eyes, her expression filled with emotion: "Oh my, you young people really know how to have fun..."
Father-in-law Jiang Hongyi, with a gentle smile, holding a teapot, wisely led his wife into the kitchen: "What's the fuss about? What era is it?"
In the living room, Zheng Xiumei, sitting in a wheelchair, saw her son walk in and her eyes immediately welled up.
Li Chonglou had gone to Yong'an without her knowledge.
But she wasn't foolish. Xu Lie had died at their doorstep, and she had guessed why her son had gone to Yong'an.
Coupled with the fact that Old Man Liu Yishou was constantly hanging around the house, her suspicions became even more certain.
But she didn't ask. She knew asking would be useless and only increase her worry.
She was incapable and just a farmer's wife, unable to help her son in any way. The only thing she could do was wait for his safe return.
"Mom!" Li Chonglou put down Jiang Yuxin and rushed to hug his mother.
"It's good that you're back... it's good that you're back..." Zheng Xiumei's voice trembled with sobs as she gently patted her son's back.
Everyone watched this scene without making a sound, as if the entire space had frozen.
"Mom, I'm back to spend the New Year with you," Li Chonglou said with a smile, forcing back the surge of emotion.
"Good, good, New Year!" Zheng Xiumei's old eyes were filled with tears, but her face was beaming with smiles.
Just then, Shen Yishou limped down from upstairs, his expression solemn, his eyes filled with melancholy.
After Li Chonglou and his mother finished their reunion, he walked up to Li Chonglou in front of everyone and bowed deeply.
"Kid, accept my bow. From this day forward, if you ever need anything, I will not refuse!"
The entire room was moved.