Finally back home!
Li Qianfan descended the gangway, and the moment his feet touched the ground, an overwhelming sense of stability washed over him.
He wasn't sure why.
Whenever Li Qianfan was abroad, even in the Dragon Ruins, he'd subconsciously felt a disconnect, as if he had no roots and no one watching his back.
To put it simply, he felt unsettled.
Actually.
Li Qianfan knew this was a consciousness his grandmother had meticulously cultivated in him since he was eight years old.
Yang Xiao had done this to tell Li Qianfan: "From now on, no matter where you are, never forget that you are a descendant of the dragon! Whatever you do, stand from the perspective of benefiting the East Land! Because this is where your ancestors have thrived for thousands of years! You don't necessarily have to be a good person. But you must never forget your roots!"
Feeling the lightness in his heart settle, Li Qianfan couldn't help but jump a few times on the spot.
"Tch, country bumpkin."
A disdainful scoff suddenly came from above and behind him.
Li Qianfan froze.
Zhai Xing, standing beside him, turned his head sharply!
He saw a woman, wearing large sunglasses even before dawn, with a small bag slung over her shoulder, standing on the gangway, coldly saying, "Move aside."
The woman appeared to be in her thirties, quite attractive. Despite the cold weather, she was dressed rather lightly.
She wore an ivory trench coat, unbuttoned.
Beneath it was a V-neck black wool sweater, with a blue silk scarf tied around her neck. A platinum cross dangled conspicuously in the shallow cleavage.
She had on a brown skirt, sheer thermal leggings, and knee-high boots.
After Li Qianfan had descended the gangway, lost in his thoughts, he had blocked the path for others.
Especially his impulsive jumping, which did indeed resemble a creature that lived underground.
But was that the reason the woman could casually call him a country bumpkin?
Zhai Xing was furious—
However, Li Qianfan raised a hand to stop Zhai Xing from acting impulsively, then smiled apologetically at the woman and moved out of the way.
He had blocked someone's path, and that's why he was scolded.
He didn't need to get into a conflict with this woman over it.
In the future, if he couldn't help but express his excitement with a jump upon returning to the country, he would just stay away from the gangway.
After the woman descended, she looked ahead, ignoring Li Qianfan's apologetic smile. Her rather flat backside swayed as she strode forward.
A round-faced middle-aged woman and a girl in her early twenties quickly followed her down the gangway, hurrying after the woman.
"What nerve."
Zhai Xing muttered under his breath.
"Forget it, don't be angry. I was blocking her way, so I deserved to be scolded."
Li Qianfan, having been away from the East Land for over a month, was in a genuinely good mood and didn't dwell on being insulted.
He reached out and ruffled Zhai Xing's hair, then, as they walked towards the exit, he mused, "It's almost New Year's, isn't it?"
Seeing that his young master was truly in good spirits, Zhai Xing didn't want to bring up the woman again and spoil his mood. "Yes, yes, it's almost New Year's."
Li Qianfan looked up and said, "But there's no New Year's atmosphere in the air."
"Everywhere else is good, it's just the customs that are lacking."
Zhai Xing linked her arm through Li Qianfan's and said, "When it's nearing New Year's in our Blazing Flame Valley, there are constant firecrackers and fireworks. The smell of sulfur fills the air, which is quite pleasant. Unlike outside, it's so quiet during the New Year. There's no sense of the holiday at all."
Li Qianfan casually remarked, "Isn't this for environmental protection, to make the air sweeter, eliminate safety hazards, and reject noise?"
"Tch. What truly pollutes the air are the fireworks and firecrackers set off during the New Year? The exhaust from cars on every street—do they not pollute the air every day?"
Zhai Xing pouted. "Those who dislike setting off firecrackers, I haven't seen them propose banning cars. Even those people openly disparage electric cars that don't emit exhaust. As for safety hazards, that's even more absurd! How many car accidents happen every day?"
The more Zhai Xing spoke, the more animated she became. "Noise? That's even more ridiculous. When those idiots go to discos and dance until they're deaf, no one suggests banning discos. I just think some people have taken money from overseas and are barking nonsense at ancestral customs. They wish we would celebrate Western holidays. So many people died during Halloween in Seoul, and yet they didn't jump out to say they wanted to ban Halloween gatherings. Bah, idiots."
Li Qianfan—
He hadn't expected this little girl to have such potential as a "righteous youth."
Li Qianfan reached out, ruffled her hair again, and gestured for her to stop talking.
The two arrived at the ticket gate.
Just then, they saw the woman who had called Li Qianfan a country bumpkin passing through security.
Then they saw—
Suddenly, a group of over a dozen people in security uniforms rushed towards the woman. In the shortest time possible, they formed a human wall, holding hands to protect her and her two companions as they walked towards the departure hall entrance.
The sky was just starting to lighten.
The city, having slept all night, was just opening its sleepy eyes. There weren't many people on the streets, let alone at the airport on the outskirts.
The airport departure hall was also mostly empty.
All the passengers who had disembarked from the same flight were pulling their luggage, hurrying out.
Who would pay attention to this woman?
"Wow, I didn't expect she was a celebrity."
Watching the woman make such a grand entrance, Li Qianfan finally figured out what she did.
Besides the so-called entertainment celebrities, who else would deliberately create such a scene to prove they were an idiot?
Thinking that he had been insulted by an actress as a country bumpkin, Li Qianfan suddenly felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.
"Young master, try to think more openly. We were blocking her way, so it was our fault."
Zhai Xing, sensing his reaction, quickly patted his chest and feigned a comforting tone, urging him not to be angry.
You little rascal!
Li Qianfan glared at her but couldn't be bothered to argue.
The two left the ticket gate.
Because the dozen security guards escorting the woman had blocked the path for those behind them, they had to slow their pace.
Zhai Xing was not one to let an insult slide.
When her young master had blocked the woman's way, he was called a country bumpkin.
So, when the woman, with her airs, blocked their path, Zhai Xing was determined to get back at her.
She grabbed Li Qianfan's arm, broke through the human wall formed by the security guards, and walked to the woman's back.
Then she pushed the woman aside and yelled, "You country bumpkin, get out of the way, you're blocking my path!"
The woman shrieked, stumbled, and nearly fell to the ground. Her sunglasses, meant to be stylish, also fell.
The security guards were startled and quickly moved to block Li Qianfan and Zhai Xing.
Zhai Xing glared. "All of you, get lost! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Zhai Xing was not like that actress, who only knew how to pose to attract attention.
She was a killer!
Especially after descending from the battlefield of the Black Water Forest, when she glared, a bloody aura suddenly erupted from her, causing the security guards to tremble instinctively and retreat, as if they were being stared down by a wild leopard.
Li Qianfan touched his nose.
But he let her have her way.
"Stop them!"
The woman, pushed off balance, screamed in shame and anger.
The security guards—
Before they could react, a surprised girl's voice came from the departure hall entrance behind them: "Brother Qianfan!?"
Li Qianfan looked up.
He saw a petite girl in a black trench coat.
The girl took off her mask, revealing a pretty, round face.
Tang Xiaoni.
Li Qianfan hadn't expected to encounter his childhood best friend here.
It was obvious.
Tang Xiaoni, who had entered from outside the hall, was rushing to catch a flight.
Catch a flight?
More than a month ago, after Brother Qianfan marched west, she had been closely following the developments in the Black Water Forest. After Rhode released the news of "Mr. Qianfan freezing to death" with heartfelt condolences, Tang Xiaoni, who had cried for days and even wanted to become a nun, was now overjoyed to see Li Qianfan and couldn't care less about catching a flight.
She immediately pounced towards him like a swallow returning to its nest—
The woman who had been pushed by Zhai Xing also saw Tang Xiaoni.
She paused, then exclaimed in surprise, "Ms. Tang, why are you here to pick me up personally?"
Zhai Xing heard her voice and turned to look at the woman.
Tang Xiaoni, however, didn't even glance at the woman who had greeted her.
She was simply overcome with joy and, at the fastest possible speed, rushed to Li Qianfan's side.
Just as she was about to leap into his arms, she suddenly remembered something (Brother Qianfan was a married man).
With a sudden stop, she hastily halted her steps.
But she grabbed Li Qianfan's hand, shook it, and choked out, "Brother Qianfan, when those bad guys said you were dead, I... You're finally back safe, that's great!"
Feeling Tang Xiaoni's genuine emotion, Li Qianfan looked at his only childhood playmate, casually reached out and ruffled her hair, and smiled, "Yes, I'm back. What, are you going on a business trip?"
Tang Xiaoni nodded.
Then she added, "Brother Qianfan, now that you're back, I won't go."
You should go and attend to your business.
Just as Li Qianfan was about to say something, Zhai Xing preempted him. "Miss Tang, aren't you? Why don't you and my Mr. Qianfan step aside and chat further. To avoid blocking the way of the great star and being called a country bumpkin again."
Women hold grudges.
Especially when women have a conflict.
If they can't vent their anger in time, they will feel uncomfortable for many days!
Li Qianfan and Tang Xiaoni didn't hear the woman's words to Tang Xiaoni, nor did they see her fawning expression. Zhai Xing saw it.
From the woman's exclamation of "Ms. Tang," Zhai Xing also shrewdly realized something.
Immediately, Zhai Xing began to needle the woman!
"What?"
Tang Xiaoni was startled and looked at the woman.
Zhai Xing said, "Look. Just as your Brother Qianfan disembarked, he was overwhelmed with emotion at finally being back alive and blocked her path down the gangway. She then called your Brother Qianfan a country bumpkin and told him to get lost! No wonder she was so arrogant; it turns out she knows Ms. Tang."
Tang Xiaoni's expression immediately changed.
Li Qianfan rolled his eyes at the petty Zhai Xing.
And then he looked at the woman—
She looked at Li Qianfan like an idiot.
She never dreamed that this young man, whom she had called a country bumpkin, had an unusual relationship with her boss, Tang Xiaoni!
"Lin Ru, your airs are getting bigger and bigger. You even dare to scold my Brother Qianfan. I don't dare to sign a contract with you anymore."
Tang Xiaoni said calmly to the actress named Lin Ru, then turned to her assistant. "Sister Fang, immediately terminate all cooperation with Lin Ru. Withdraw all resources invested in her. And announce to the public that anyone who dares to sign with her is crossing the Four Nine Tang family!"
Assistant Sister Fang immediately agreed.
Lin Ru was completely stunned—
"Let's go, Brother Qianfan, don't worry about her."
Tang Xiaoni linked arms with Li Qianfan and turned to quickly walk out of the departure hall.
Sister Fang, her assistant who was supposed to travel with her, wanted to remind her that this trip was very important.
But she wisely chose to remain silent, looked at Lin Ru on her phone, and said with a faint smile, "You know, it's not easy to reach your current height by relying on various companions. Yet, you don't cherish it and insist on acting like a big shot, putting on ridiculous airs. Now look at you?"
Lin Ru was dumbfounded—
Outside the hall entrance.
Li Qianfan couldn't refuse Tang Xiaoni's enthusiasm and could only smile wryly as she dragged him down the steps.
But they were stopped by several people rushing towards them.
Tang Xiaoni instinctively moved closer to Li Qianfan and looked at these people.
They were all dressed in black, with stern expressions.
The man in the lead took out his ID and held it up to Li Qianfan. "I am Du Wei from the East Land branch of the International Special Operations. May I ask if you are Mr. Li Qianfan?"
Li Qianfan nodded. "Yes, I am Li Qianfan."
"Good. Mr. Li Qianfan, the matter is this."
Du Wei nodded. "You are suspected of murdering Shen Congdao and 35 other people abroad. Now, we request that you accompany us to assist with our investigation. We hope you can cooperate with our work."