Chapter Thirty-Four
"Xiang Dong, no, no, Young Master!" Father Yu panicked, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "My son has offended you, I apologize on his behalf."
Cheng Xiangdong shook his head. "General Manager Yu, please take your son back first. This matter will be resolved."
"Young Master..." Yu's father wanted to say something more, but Cheng Xiangdong stopped him.
"It's late, please go back."
"This...sigh..." Mr. Yu sighed and had no choice but to take his son back first.
Yu Mufeng was in a state of shock. The eldest young master, the second young master... Cheng Xiangbei? His mind was in chaos. He mechanically followed his father outside, like a walking corpse.
"Alright, one's done. Next one?" Han Minglang nudged the barely-clothed Long Jiumo. "Should we notify his parents too?"
"It's best not to," Cheng Xiangdong shook his head. "The two families still have a personal relationship. What if we can't refuse?"
"Hmm, that is a problem." Han Minglang stroked his chin.
"That's why you have a headache." Cheng Xiangdong added another kick without holding back. "Kids these days are too cunning."
"Since you're not comfortable showing up, I've come up with a good alternative for him."
"What?" Cheng Xiangdong raised an eyebrow.
"Just you wait and see!" Han Minglang laughed heartily, went outside and asked the manager for a bed sheet. Under Cheng Xiangdong's questioning gaze, he roughly wrapped Long Jiumo in it. "Done, let's go!" After saying that, he effortlessly hoisted Long Jiumo upside down.
"Hey, where are you taking this person?" Cheng Xiangdong couldn't help but laugh when he saw him carrying someone like a pig.
"You'll see when we get there." Han Minglang waved to Shao Lixin. "Ah Xin, lend me a car!"
"Okay!" Shao Lixin quickly tossed him a car key. "Drive away, don't be shy!"
"Tch, it'll definitely be returned intact." With that, amidst the chorus of respectful farewells from his subordinates at Ya Yuan, he tossed Long Jiu Mo into the car. He then called to Cheng Xiang Dong, "Xiang Dong, let's go!"
"Nannan, are you feeling alright anywhere?" Cheng Xiangbei asked anxiously as he stayed by the bedside.
After rescuing Lu Nan, they sped home. They originally intended to take Lu Nan to the hospital, but the little rascal refused to go. Left with no other option, they wiped Lu Nan's body with a hot towel and then fetched a doctor from a familiar clinic to apply medicine to her.
As Lu Nan had said, the injuries were not serious. The bruises and whip marks weren't bleeding, so the doctor applied a blood-activating and stasis-reducing ointment and gave her an IV drip to replenish fluids. Because of her back injury, Lu Nan could only rest on her side in bed.
"I'm fine." After tossing and turning for half the night, Lu Nan leaned against the pile of pillows, feeling tired and listless.
"Do you want some water? Does your body hurt? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Seeing his beloved's haggard appearance, Cheng Xiangbei felt extremely distressed. However, he couldn't take Lu Nan's pain for her, and he didn't know how to express his heartfelt love.
“Tiger…” Lu Nan grasped his hand. “I’m really alright.”
“Nan Nan…” Cheng Xiangbei’s eyes were red.
"Boss!" Li Weide couldn't stand it anymore and lifted the man up. "Let Lu Nan rest quietly for a while!"
“Yes! I’ll stay here and watch over things. You go and get something to eat first.” Luo Ming dragged a chair over and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I can't eat," Cheng Xiangbei shook his head.
“Tiger…” Lu Nan grinned. “Be good.”
Seeing his forced composure, Cheng Xiangbei's tears welled up in his eyes. Lu Nan looked at him and forced a smile.
"Boss..." Li Weide quickly pulled him out. "Don't shed tears in front of Lu Nan, boss! Everyone's counting on you now!"
Cheng Xiangbei wiped his face and nodded. "Okay, let's eat!"
"That's right! You need to be full to have the strength to take revenge!" Liu Fei walked over with a bowl of noodles. "Brother, I don't know how to make anything else, just noodle soup. Eat it while it's hot!"
"And you two?" Cheng Xiangbei took the bowl and asked Li and Liu.
“We’ve all eaten, so it’s your turn.” Li Weide handed him the chopsticks. “We still have a long night ahead, so hurry up and eat!”
Cheng Xiangbei took a deep breath and started slurping his noodles.
Li Weide and Liu Fei exchanged a glance and smiled with satisfaction.
"Where are we going?" Cheng Xiangdong watched Han Minglang shift gears and change lanes, the route becoming more and more familiar.
"You'll know when we get there." I gave him a reassuring look.
Cheng Xiangdong shook his head, glancing at the back seat. The body under the sheet was groaning intermittently, indicating that its vital signs were still quite strong. "What a hot potato."
"Don't worry, it'll be out of reach soon."
"Oh?" Cheng Xiangdong raised an eyebrow.
"Look, we're here." The car screeched to a halt in front of a guesthouse. Han Minglang got out, said a few words at the reception desk, and immediately a soldier-looking man followed him out.
"Come on, carry this guy." Han Minglang opened the car door and gave a thumbs up.
The other party obediently hoisted Long Jiu Mo onto their shoulder.
"They've even started enslaving the masses!" Cheng Xiangdong laughed.
"I'm not afraid of doing physical labor, but carrying this bag of garbage in this place would damage my image."
"Fine, you always have so many reasons."
Han Minglang smiled and put his arm around Cheng Xiangdong's shoulder, leading him inside. Cheng Xiangdong had been here before; it was Han Mingjun's territory. "Will I have to trouble you again, brother?"
"Anyway, he has a good way of reforming lost sheep. Just leave them here, and don't let them out until they've been reformed."
"Aren't you afraid of being sued for illegal detention?"
"How is it illegal?" Han Minglang raised an eyebrow. "It was absolutely voluntary, three hundred percent."
As the two chatted and laughed, the door to the banquet hall opened. Inside were the colleagues who had just gone out with Han Mingjun to "run errands," and now they had long since shed their fierce and combative facades, drinking and joking around with glee.
"Hey? Xiao Lang?" Han Mingjun put down the wine glass he had just picked up and asked in confusion, "Why did you come over again?"
"I've brought you something." Han Minglang nodded to everyone present.
"What is it?" The eldest brother had a premonition that he was being tricked.
“This is it!” Pointing to Long Jiu Mo, who was wrapped in a bed sheet, Han Minglang said shamelessly, “The Cheng family can’t do anything to him, so we’re sending him to my older brother to train him.”
"Do you think I'm a trash can?" Han Mingjun frowned.
“Brother…” The two brothers bumped shoulders with each other.
Even Han Mingjun, who was always protective of his own, couldn't do anything about his younger brother. "Honestly, you have to worry about this kind of guy."
Hearing this, Han Minglang knew he had successfully passed on a hot potato. He winked and said obsequiously, "Well, you're my brother, after all!"
Han Mingjun shook his head and chuckled. "You brat!"
"Alright, I'm leaving the person in your hands! You handle it!" Han Minglang laughed. "Xiang Dong and I are going to check on Lu Nan. You guys continue drinking!"
"Are you leaving already?" Han Mingjun asked, a little reluctant.
"Hey, I knew you wouldn't want me to leave."
"Get lost!" With a kick, Han Minglang grabbed Cheng Xiangdong and ran away.
"You brat!" Han Mingjun shook his head, looking at Long Jiumo who was thrown on the ground. "Xu Zhao!"
"Yes!" Xu Zhao followed behind him.
"Settle this kid down first, then get him enlisted."
"Is that okay? It has to be voluntary, right?" Xu Zhao frowned.
“He has no choice.” Han Mingjun thought of the camera he had left in the car; it contained some interesting things. “Also, transfer him to Zhouzhi’s jurisdiction and give him a good reformation.”
Xu Zhao gasped. Zhou Zhi? That was the army's infamous devilish instructor. "Can he handle it?"
Han Mingjun shrugged. "It depends on his fate."
Cheng Xiangbei stuffed the noodles into his stomach in a few bites, wiped his mouth, and couldn't wait to go into the bedroom.
"How are you?" Lu Nan seemed to be asleep, and he asked Luo Ming in a low voice.
"It's nothing," Luo Ming said with a smile. "He's sleeping soundly."
Cheng Xiangbei held Lu Nan's exposed hand, which was a little cold. He gently rubbed it, hoping to give Lu Nan some warmth. Luo Ming looked at his affectionate expression and sighed quietly.
Sensing Luo Ming's gaze, Cheng Xiangbei turned to look at him, then smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry you had to see this."
Luo Ming shook his head. "Boss, Lu Nan is lucky to have you taking such good care of him."
"But I still hurt him."
"No one can guarantee that accidents won't happen."
“Yeah.” Li Weide leaned against the door and said in a low voice, “Boss, actually you and Lu Nan… are a couple, right?”
Cheng Xiangbei nodded without hesitation. "Yes, you..." He paused before continuing, "It's okay if you can't accept it."
Li and Luo chuckled. "Boss, what are you talking about! We've suspected you two are a couple for a long time. If we couldn't accept it, we wouldn't have waited until now to say it."
“Yeah!” Liu Fei walked over as well. “I don’t understand homosexuality or anything like that, but you’re my boss. You helped me when I was going through the toughest time, and I remember that.”
“No…” Cheng Xiangbei shook his head. “I didn’t do anything.”
"Boss!" Li Weide raised his hand to stop him. "The brothers admire you and are willing to follow you. Your feelings are your private matter; you don't need to explain them to us."
Cheng Xiangbei choked up, his throat so blocked he couldn't speak.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Liu Fei hurriedly ran to open the door. "Who is it?"
“I am Cheng Xiangbei’s older brother,” Cheng Xiangdong said calmly.
"Oh, just a moment." Liu Fei quickly opened the door. "Hello, Brother Cheng!"
Cheng Xiangdong smiled and walked in with Han Minglang. Both of them were taller and more imposing than others. Even though he resembled Cheng Xiangbei by seven points, his demeanor made the people in the room unconsciously bow.
"Hello, elder brother!" Li and Luo were a little nervous when they saw him.
"Thank you everyone," Cheng Xiangdong said with a smile. "I brought some snacks from Zhang Ji's shop, please have some!"
After saying that, he handed over the tote bag in his hand. Luo Ming quickly took it and gestured with his eyes for Li and Liu to follow him to the living room. After seeing them open the paper bag and start eating, Cheng Xiangdong and Han Minglang went to the bedroom.
"How is Nan Nan?" Cheng Xiangdong's eyes showed heartache when he saw the bruises on Lu Nan's forehead.
"The medicine has been applied." Cheng Xiangbei made room for them and whispered, "This bottle of water is just to replenish his fluids."
What about the other injuries?
"They're all bruises, no blood."
"Was he...?" Cheng Xiangdong managed to squeeze out a few words.
Cheng Xiangbei shook his head. "No, if they dare to touch Nannan, I'll make them pay with their lives!"
Cheng Xiangdong patted his younger brother's head. "Your task now is to look after Nannan until he recovers. Your older brother will take care of everything else."
Cheng Xiangbei nodded and rested his head on his brother's shoulder. "Brother, you have no idea how scared I was! If anything had happened to Nannan... I... I..."
The tears that had been held back for so long finally fell. Cheng Xiangdong patted his brother's shoulder and pressed his head against his chest. "It's okay, it's okay, your brother's here..."
As Han Minglang watched the brothers embrace, he felt a warm current flowing through his chest, a surge of tenderness.
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