"Brother Li!" Xu Ling'er, with eyes red-rimmed, lunged into Li Zhonglou's embrace.
She hadn't shed a tear facing those thugs earlier.
Now, seeing Li Zhonglou like a god of war, effortlessly taking down these scumbags with just a few punches, her emotions surged, and she couldn't hold back any longer.
Xu Ling'er was petite, her head only reaching Li Zhonglou's shoulder. Buried in his chest, her tears streamed down, soaking a large patch of his shirt.
"Stop crying, with me here, no one will dare bully you," Li Zhonglou said softly, stroking Xu Ling'er's hair as if comforting a daughter.
This girl, with her little nose and small face, looked so lovable.
A person's character could indeed be contrary. Before meeting his master, he was weak and yearned for a strong reliance.
This was also one of the reasons he became a live-in son-in-law in the Jiang family.
But later, he increasingly understood that one must be strong oneself. Once his own state of mind became powerful, he would develop a protective instinct towards the weak.
Both Xu Qianqian and Xu Ling'er were like this.
The commonality between the two girls was that their older brothers were gone.
The difference was that Xu Lie died for him, while Xu Ling'er's brother died because of him.
Therefore, towards them, even with Li Zhonglou's state of mind, he couldn't be entirely guilt-free.
"Okay, let's go quickly," Xu Ling'er said, releasing Li Zhonglou and wiping her tears.
She wanted to stay in Li Zhonglou's embrace, to enjoy this sense of security, but reality reminded her that she couldn't.
The thugs were still groaning on the ground, and many people were watching. The police would likely arrive soon.
"No rush, these rotten apples must be taught a lesson," Li Zhonglou looked back, and soon the wailing of police sirens could be heard.
A police car sped towards them.
Out stepped Fan Feng, the male officer who had previously gone on duty with He Yin.
Li Zhonglou had kept his phone number. The reason he hadn't acted immediately was that he had informed Fan Feng.
These petty thugs, in broad daylight, dared to act so outrageously at the entrance of the cemetery.
Beating them up was too light a punishment. Without some substantial lesson, more weak individuals would likely be bullied.
As the saying goes, it's easy to see the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with his subordinates.
Ning Lang, the King of the Underworld in Yong'an, never bullied others with his power. His subordinates also had their own rules.
Conversely, these groups of useless scumbags who roamed the streets, understood nothing, and banded together were the ones who most often acted like bullies, tormenting ordinary people like themselves.
Provoking Xu Ling'er could only be blamed on their own bad luck.
"Brother Li," Fan Feng greeted respectfully after getting out of the car.
Knowing Li Zhonglou's true identity, his attitude had completely changed, and he was filled with reverence.
"Thank you for your trouble," Li Zhonglou nodded.
Fan Feng and his colleagues handcuffed the downed thugs one by one and put them into the car.
Before leaving, he remembered something and said, "Oh right, Brother Li, He Yin has been transferred. I heard she went to the Municipal Bureau."
"She said there's a mission at the Municipal Bureau, possibly a collaboration with Xiong Ying. She asked me to say hello if I saw you."
"Okay, I understand," Li Zhonglou replied.
He thought that Officer He Yin was quite thoughtful, even remembering to say hello before leaving.
But who would have thought they would run into each other again at the Municipal Bureau? This greeting was somewhat in vain.
He wondered if it was fate or coincidence.
After watching Fan Feng and his team leave.
Li Zhonglou then drove Xu Ling'er to his car.
A moment later, Li Zhonglou exclaimed, "What? You're going to Shangjing?"
"That place has much more pressure than Yong'an. Can you, a young girl, handle being a 'Jingpiao' (someone who works in the capital)?"
When something wasn't directly his concern, he still felt anxious.
Whether it was guilt towards Xu Ling'er, or because of Liu Ping'er, Li Zhonglou cared quite a bit about her.
Hearing that she planned to go to Shangjing to make a living, he couldn't help but worry for her.
In his previous life, he had settled in Shangjing for the latter half of his life, so he was very familiar with the place.
If you had money, power, or ability, it was naturally comfortable there. But for ordinary people, it was actually quite a struggle.
As the saying goes, you earn money in Shangjing, you spend it in Shangjing, and you can't take any of it home.
A young girl like Xu Ling'er, who looked like she desperately needed protection, would be fine if she succeeded there. But if she failed, she might end up on a dark path.
This world had too many temptations.
Especially for girls, beautiful girls were themselves a scarce resource.
They would constantly face the sugary temptations thrown by greasy old men.
For a while, relying on her inner pride and modesty, Li Zhonglou believed Xu Ling'er could resist.
He worried that one day she might become empty, disheartened, or encounter problems in life that she was too embarrassed to share with him or Liu Ping'er.
At such a time, if a man with ill intentions appeared, the outcome would be unpredictable.
"I've grown up," Xu Ling'er said playfully, "My brother is gone, Sister Ping'er also joined the army, and the club was sealed."
"I have no family left in Yong'an. Staying here makes me anxious every day."
"I don't know the meaning and value of my own existence, so I want to go and find that value."
As she spoke, she deliberately forced a bright smile and looked at Li Zhonglou, saying, "Brother Li, you are a man like the wind. You definitely wouldn't want a troublesome little burden."
"I will become strong, so strong that I can help you!"
At this moment, Xu Ling'er's voice was filled with power and charisma from the bottom of her heart.
Although in Li Zhonglou's eyes, she still seemed very young, he couldn't bring himself to refute her.
After a moment of silence, he nodded, "We will support you wherever you go, but don't forget, if you encounter difficulties, don't try to endure them alone."
"Call me!"
"Hehe, how can one grow without difficulties in life?" Xu Ling'er didn't truly agree.
It was clear that she wasn't as fragile as she appeared. Her heart, about the size of a small fist, could endure pain far beyond that of ordinary people.
Looking at Li Zhonglou's calm yet turbulent eyes, Xu Ling'er made a silent resolution.
One day, she would stand before Brother Li with dignity, and face the feelings hidden within her heart on equal terms.
At that time, regardless of his marital status, she would put forth all her effort to pursue him once.
She believed that such a day would not be too far off.
The two of them continued in silence, Li Zhonglou driving calmly, while Xu Ling'er kept glancing at him.
It was as if she wanted to engrave his appearance in her heart.
An hour and a half later, Li Zhonglou dropped her off at the airport.
She had no luggage. All her belongings were left in Yong'an, perhaps temporarily, perhaps abandoned, perhaps a severance from her past.
Stopping at the drop-off point, Xu Ling'er couldn't help but hug Li Zhonglou one more time.
But this time, there were no tears, nor any farewell words.
After the embrace, she turned resolutely and stepped into the airport.
Watching her small but determined back, Li Zhonglou smiled with relief.
This girl was no ordinary person.
She would awaken one day; it was only a matter of time.
As he drove away, he softly said, "The outcome is undecided, the future is full of promise. Keep going!"