The matters in Chang'an concluded, and after leaving the Kun Mausoleum, the four of them didn't even return to the hotel. They directly booked flights back to Yong'an, planning to drive back to Qin Prefecture once they reached Yong'an.
On the way, Li Chonglou remained silent, his mind in turmoil. If he hadn't felt as bad when he learned his father was dead in the Kun Mausoleum, it might have been different. But now, his body was occupied by the soul of Wu Zetian. Where in the world she was, he didn't know. Since she hadn't returned to find him and his mother in over twenty years, it meant she was no longer his father. She was the empress, filled with ambition and intent on restoration.
Could a person with a body but no soul still be considered his father? Should he continue searching for him? These two questions constantly swirled in Li Chonglou's mind until they landed at the airport.
Ning Lang was personally waiting at the exit. Seeing Li Chonglou appear, he rushed forward for a bear hug. "It's so good to see you back," he said.
"This is my senior sister, you know her. This is my master and Brother Xu. My name is Ning Lang, I'm Li Chonglou's friend in Yong'an," Li Chonglou introduced them.
Ning Lang first shook hands with Lin Zhendong, then his gaze fixed on Xu Lie. "You're the fierce tiger that Chonglou talks about incessantly?" he asked. "Truly a hero!"
Setting aside Xu Lie's imposing aura and towering physique, just the deep, sharp tiger-like eyes were enough to inspire awe in Xiao Xiao. Ning Lang, being a man of righteousness, immediately felt a sense of camaraderie upon meeting Xu Lie.
"That's me. Chonglou has also praised you highly," Xu Lie grinned as their palms clasped. Men, especially those with a strong spirit, could feel a connection without needing many words.
Ning Lang had a seven-seater Mercedes Benz V-Class. It was spacious, and he took everyone back to his large residence to entertain them.
"Why don't you all stay here until Chonglou recovers before you depart?" Ning Lang, having learned of Li Chonglou's experiences along the way, immediately offered upon returning home. He hadn't seen Li Chonglou in days and truly missed him. He often felt an emptiness in his heart, something he didn't even feel towards women. Yet, he was constantly thinking of Li Chonglou.
"We're not used to staying here, and besides, I need to go back to Qin Prefecture to see someone," Lin Zhendong refused politely.
Li Chonglou added, "When I bring your sister-in-law to Yong'an, we can stay here for an extended period. Not now."
"She's still waiting for me at home."
It had been about half a month since he went to the West Sea and then to Chang'an. Although they had been in contact via phone, their affection was still at its peak, and he was not satisfied. Li Chonglou was already eager to return home.
Upon hearing this, Ning Lang laughed heartily, expressing his understanding, and no longer pressed them.
"Should I call Xiao Yun, Xu Ling'er, and Lin Weiwei over?" Ning Lang asked in a low voice during dinner. "They often ask about you and are very concerned." He thought about how little time Li Chonglou had been in Yong'an, yet he knew so many beautiful women. In contrast, he, the overlord of Yong'an's underworld, was surrounded only by men. Those who knew him understood he wasn't interested in women. Others might even think he had peculiar tastes, so he playfully teased Li Chonglou, as a topic of conversation over tea and dinner.
"Next time. Speaking of me, what's your status with Jin Jing?" Li Chonglou countered without missing a beat. Before he left, Jin Jing and Ning Lang had been flirting. It was impossible that there had been no developments after such a long time.
"Not yet, not yet. If there's any news, I'll be the first to tell you. You're the matchmaker, after all," Ning Lang chuckled, knowing he couldn't out-argue Li Chonglou.
After dinner, before it got dark, Xu Lie drove the Hongqi car that Li Chonglou had left there. Carrying the gifts Ning Lang had prepared for his mother and parents-in-law, the four of them rushed back to Yong'an. They drove Li Chonglou directly to his villa.
*Ding dong!*
Li Chonglou, eager to be home, stood at the door and rang the doorbell.
"Who is it?" Jiang Yuxin's clear voice came from inside. Immediately after, the door creaked open. Seeing Li Chonglou standing outside, Jiang Yuxin's beautiful eyes widened, and she clutched her mouth in excitement.
"Why are you standing there? Don't you welcome your husband home?" Li Chonglou joked. The next second, Jiang Yuxin threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. They stayed like that for over thirty seconds before reluctantly separating. Her voice was soft and tender as she asked, "Why did you come back so suddenly? You didn't even let me know in advance."
Since the night Li Chonglou had left, after they had consummated their marriage, her heart had left Qin Prefecture with him. In the days that followed, even her work, which used to invigorate her, had become distracting. She could only try her best to suppress her longing. Although Li Chonglou hadn't told her the details, she could sense that their trips to the West Sea and Chang'an were undoubtedly fraught with danger. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't have主动asked to be intimate with her before leaving. Now, seeing him return safely, she could no longer control herself, and their deep affection was unleashed.
The three elders playing cards inside turned their heads, pretending not to see.
"This is for you." Li Chonglou took out a long, rectangular seal wrapped carefully in brocade. Qing Shan stone is a type of Shoushan stone, with a relatively low hardness of only about three on the Mohs scale. It is easily scratched, so it requires careful daily maintenance. This was the most precious treasure he had obtained since his rebirth. The Western Zhou Shi Qiang Plate couldn't be counted, as it was an untradeable national treasure. He had given one piece to Ji Ling, so this one naturally belonged to his wife.
"What is this?" Jiang Yuxin's beautiful eyes gleamed, and she eagerly opened it. Seeing a seal engraved with "San Wu" (Three Nos), she couldn't help but laugh and punch Li Chonglou lightly on the chest. "You big straight man, are you making fun of me for being a woman of 'three nos'?" She was surprised he had given her a seal, and truly couldn't guess what he was thinking. Normally, men would give their wives or lovers rings, necklaces, or cosmetics. Yet her husband was the most unique. Of course, she didn't care what gift Li Chonglou gave her. She also couldn't understand the value of this seal, thinking it was just an ordinary one. But regardless of its worth, the sentiment was irreplaceable. After experiencing so much hardship and enduring so many grievances, to receive Li Chonglou's heart, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world every moment.
"How dare I! Come inside, it's cold outside." Li Chonglou's gaze had already passed through his wife and caught sight of the three elders inside, who were suppressing laughter with amused expressions. Jiang Yuxin then realized she had been too excited and quickly moved aside. Her pretty face, however, had turned bright red. She thought about her past self, who was as cold as ice and never showed favor to any man. But now, she was like a different person. Even Lü Yunxu often said she had changed completely, and her tone always carried boundless envy. Had she truly changed?
"Mom, Dad, Mom, I'm back." Li Chonglou entered the house with a pile of gifts, greeting them one by one. The three of them could no longer pretend, and they all stood up to inquire about his well-being.
"Son, did your business trip go smoothly?" Zheng Xiumei asked knowingly, gently stroking Li Chonglou's cold face. She didn't know what Li Chonglou was actually doing. She always thought he was working for the richest man and was sent on a business trip. Coupled with the harmonious relationship with her in-laws now, she worried less than before. But as the saying goes, a mother always worries when her son travels far. This fact could not be changed. Feeling the warmth of his mother's hand and seeing her complexion gradually become more ruddy, now able to walk freely, Li Chonglou felt a lot more at ease. Thinking about the unsuccessful search for his father, but unable to tell his mother these things, he felt a sting in his nose, swallowed with difficulty, and forced a smile. "Mom, it went very smoothly. Your son has grown up."
"That's good, that's good..." Zheng Xiumei smiled contentedly.
Meanwhile, his mother-in-law, Liu Zhiru, had a fawning expression. She had already prepared tea. "Chonglou, you must be tired from your journey. Have some water." Ever since her daughter told her that Li Chonglou was now collaborating with the richest man, she had changed her ways and even broke off contact with her friend Ji Shan. How arrogant she had been towards Li Chonglou before, and how timid she was now. This was human nature. His father-in-law, Jiang Hongyi, however, remained calm and composed. He had a clear conscience.
"Thank you, Mom." Li Chonglou certainly wouldn't hold grudges against Liu Zhiru. Human nature is driven by self-interest. People who are not selfish often have grand ambitions. It's impossible to expect ordinary people to be perfect. Didn't he know how cruel the Jiang family had been to him? He wasn't a saint. Why didn't he save the Jiang family when they went bankrupt? That was precisely because of it. But Liu Zhiru was different; she was Jiang Yuxin's mother. No matter what she had done in the past, it was in the past now. Moreover, she had changed considerably since his last visit and had helped take care of his mother. Doing these things was already quite good. Only incompetent and foolish people would dwell on others' past mistakes.
After a brief period of pleasantries, Jiang Hongyi finally rescued Li Chonglou from the two mothers and led him to the study. He said with a serious expression, "Chonglou, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Dad, please tell me. I'll do my best and won't refuse," Li Chonglou nodded in agreement. His father-in-law had always treated him well, showing him respect since he married into the Jiang family. It was just that he had spent little time at home before and was sent to other cities. Also, due to a lack of paternal love in his childhood, he had always regarded Jiang Hongyi as a father. Seeing his politeness and formality, he guessed that the matter might be related to the Jiang family.
"You see, the Jiang family has been bankrupt for several months now," Jiang Hongyi said, indeed referring to this matter. "This situation cannot continue, especially for my father. The old man's health is deteriorating day by day. Although Jiang Hongwei and his son are in prison for their own mistakes, blood is thicker than water."
"I can't bear to watch his family members and other relatives of the Jiang family starve or freeze. Of course, I have no right to demand that you do anything for them..." Jiang Hongyi knew how the Jiang family had treated Li Chonglou before. At that time, he had little influence and was not favored, struggling to even take care of himself, let alone help his son-in-law. Now that his son-in-law was powerful and had the support of the richest man, the Lü family, perhaps he could help the Jiang family make a comeback.
After Jiang Hongyi finished speaking, Li Chonglou did not answer immediately. He remained silent for nearly a minute before slowly saying, "Dad, you can have Grandpa come over. There are plenty of rooms at home."
"As for the other members of the Jiang family, it's fine if they start small businesses. If they don't have enough capital, they can borrow, but they must sign IOU notes."
"As for the Jiang clan making a comeback, my opinion is that you should not interfere. Ability and position must be matched. Those who lack virtue for their talent will inevitably bring disaster."