76: Before going home

Ten minutes later, the private room door was gently pushed open.

When Feifei returned, she saw Li Zhan with a young girl nestled in his arm, drinking.

The girl's chest was pressed tightly against his arm.

Seeing Feifei return, the girl tactfully got up and moved aside.

"Brother Zhan~"

Feifei hooked her arm back around Li Zhan's, leaning close to his ear to whisper,

"Sister Qin really is quite pitiful.

Her husband passed away in a work accident, and she still has a teenage daughter at home to support..."

Li Zhan leaned back into the sofa,

lit a cigarette, and frowned slightly,

"This place of ours isn't a charity."

Feifei's eyes dimmed, her red lips unconsciously tightening.

Li Zhan glanced at her expression,

reached out and pulled her into his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead,

"Forget it...

She can't handle the hostess work.

Ask her if she's willing to do cleaning. We'll pay her a higher wage."

"Really?"

Feifei's eyes instantly lit up. She bounced up like a cheerful little deer,

planted a loud kiss on Li Zhan's cheek,

"I'll go ask her right now!"

She turned and skipped out of the private room.

Li Zhan watched the direction Feifei left, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He shook his head, then turned and beckoned to the girl hiding to the side,

"Come here, keep pouring the wine."

Li Zhan had just picked up his glass when his phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly.

"Hello?"

A hurried voice came from the other end of the line.

Within a few short seconds, Li Zhan's face turned grim, his knuckles turning white.

"I'll be right there."

He stood up abruptly, his glass slamming down on the coffee table with a *thud*.

Coincidentally, Feifei pushed the door open to come back in. Seeing this, she hurried forward,

"What happened?"

Li Zhan grabbed his suit jacket, his tone deceptively calm,

"It's nothing. I need to go back to buy groceries first."

He patted Feifei's hand perfunctorily and strode out.

In the main hall,

Sister Qin, who had just changed into casual clothes, was looking down, adjusting her bag strap.

Simple jeans hugged her full hips,

and the hint of cleavage visible at the neckline of her sweater was still eye-catching.

Hearing footsteps,

she looked up and saw Li Zhan. Her ears instantly flushed red, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.

Recalling those scorching hands that had just stroked her thigh...

Sister Qin mustered her courage, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, "Tha... thank you..."

Li Zhan didn't stop walking, merely giving a slight nod.

As they passed each other,

he caught the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, completely different from the heavy perfume in the nightclub.

The cold wind outside the revolving door hit him in the face.

Li Zhan fished out his car keys, his gaze turning sinister as he looked towards the direction of Phoenix City.

—

In the second-floor office of the Xinrui Entertainment Center,

by the time Li Zhan pushed the door open, Shui Sheng had already been waiting by the sofa for a while.

"Brother Zhan." Shui Sheng stood up.

Li Zhan casually tossed his overcoat onto the sofa,

pulled a pack of cigarettes from a drawer, flicked one out and threw it to Shui Sheng, then lit one for himself.

"Talk." he said, exhaling smoke.

Shui Sheng took the cigarette but wasn't in a hurry to light it.

"Brother Biao from Phoenix City went to Baoan yesterday, met with the second-in-command of the Chaoshan Gang."

He lowered his voice, "Couldn't monitor the specifics of what they discussed.

Also..." he hesitated,

"This afternoon, our lookouts in the Lianhua Residential Area spotted people from Phoenix City in the neighborhood."

Li Zhan's hand holding the cigarette suddenly stilled.

He took a deep drag, his eyes darkening, "Get Golden Tooth Sheng over here."

Li Zhan walked to the window, looking towards Phoenix City, his face gloomy.

Ten minutes later,

a tall, skinny man with a gold front tooth, bowing and scraping, followed Shui Sheng in.

"Familiar with the Chaoshan Gang in Baoan?"

Li Zhan turned and threw a cigarette directly at him.

Golden Tooth Sheng hurriedly caught it, "Familiar! Familiar!

Boss Chen specializes in e-waste business."

He gestured, "Buys whole warehouses of scrap circuit boards,

sells the useful parts to Huaqiangbei, and the rest can be... used for gold refining."

Li Zhan narrowed his eyes, "Can you make a connection?"

"I know one of the big boss's underlings, Fatty Ming."

Golden Tooth Sheng rubbed his hands together, "No problem passing a message."

Li Zhan walked to the desk, pulled open a drawer,

took out a stack of bound banknotes and threw them onto the coffee table in front of Golden Tooth Sheng,

"Go set up a dinner.

Have that Fatty Ming pass a message. Say I have some business I'd like to discuss with their big boss."

After Golden Tooth Sheng took the money and left,

Shui Sheng leaned in and whispered, "What about Sister-in-law..."

"I'll handle it."

Li Zhan stubbed out his cigarette butt.

The ember struggled twice in the ashtray before dying out.

"Put more people on the Lianhua Residential Area.

Also... you need to keep a close eye on Phoenix City and the Chaoshan Gang.

I want to know their every move."

After Shui Sheng left,

Li Zhan picked up his jacket, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Ninth Master had really stepped over the line this time.

—

In the evening,

the aroma of cooking wafted from the kitchen of the Lianhua Residential Area.

A Zhen, wearing an apron, was stir-frying green peppers and beef in front of the stove,

while Lily was beside her, slicing tomatoes with practiced skill.

Xiaoxue stood on her tiptoes to get plates from the cupboard, a sliver of fair waist visible under her white sweater.

Xiao Wen was mixing a cold dish, sneaking bites of cucumber now and then.

"Sister A Zhen, the soy sauce." Lily passed the condiment bottle.

"I think I put too much salt..."

Xiaoxue stuck out her tongue.

The laughter of the four women echoed in the kitchen,

the clatter of the spatula and the sound of running water weaving together into a warm symphony.

During dinner,

A Zhen keenly noticed the gloom between Li Zhan's brows.

She picked up a piece of fish and placed it in his bowl, "Tired today?"

Li Zhan shoveled a mouthful of rice, "You and Xiaoxue come with me back to my hometown tomorrow."

"What about me?" Xiao Wen asked urgently.

"Don't you still have classes? Wait until your winter break first."

Li Zhan glanced at A Zhen's slightly swollen belly, "A Zhen will be staying in our hometown for a while this time."

He looked at Lily, "Lily still has work here. We'll all go back together for New Year's."

Lily nodded, picking up a piece of meat for Li Zhan and said with a grin,

"Someone has to stay behind to take care of Brother Zhan..."

Late at night, in the quiet,

the bedroom was filled with the scent of spent passion.

A Zhen's sweat-dampened hair stuck to Li Zhan's chest, her flushed cheeks still carrying the lingering glow.

The thin quilt had slipped to her waist, revealing the graceful curves of her body—

her rounded shoulders, full breasts, and the waist made fuller by pregnancy.

"Are you going to move against Phoenix City?"

She asked softly, her finger tracing circles on his chest.

Li Zhan stroked her back, the skin under his palm smooth as silk.

"People from Phoenix City were spotted in the neighborhood."

Li Zhan tightened his arm, pulling her closer,

"You go back to our hometown for a while. It'll be good, Mom can take care of you while you're pregnant."

His rough palm gently brushed over her belly,

"Only when you're safe can I do what needs to be done without worry."

A Zhen lifted her head to kiss his chin and sighed.

She knew that once her man had walked this path, there was no turning back.

Touching her slightly swollen belly, "You be careful yourself. I'll wait for you peacefully back home."

"It's fine. At most, I'll come pick you up in a month."

Li Zhan lightly kissed her forehead, "Might as well take some money back to look around, see where's a good place to build a house."

Outside the window, a bright moon hung high.

A Zhen nestled in Li Zhan's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat,

and slowly drifted into sleep...