In Ling Xiao’s plan, she was standing outside the ring while paving the way for things to slowly develop. She was waiting for the wild animals and villains from all around to sniff a chance and act against the remainder of the Fang family, even Xu Tingsheng.
Just as she wanted, someone took the first step as the Fang family was indeed targeted. Those who wished to render Xu Tingsheng dead were raring to go too.
Then, the sudden explosion outside Xihu City disrupted the entire situation.
The list of names of those who had died in the explosion included more than eight well-known officials from Yanzhou and Xihu City. While they might not be in very great positions of power, the shock and upheaval this brought about was inevitably great.
If Tan Yao had not died, had fled or been arrested, the situation would very likely have been distorted to target the Fang family and Xu Tingsheng. If things reached that point, it was not something that Tan Yao taking sole responsibility might be able to resolve.
Still, by dying together with them, he had established this to be the rash action by a youth for love. His lover having been threatened...the blood rushed to the youth’s head as he furiously resorted to violent, extreme means.
Thus, the turbulent currents which had originally had a clear direction began sweeping through everything indiscriminately.
Meanwhile, Xu Tingsheng was still in the detention centre, completely cut off from the outside world.
Some thought of this as the desperate struggle of a cornered Xu Tingsheng. Some sniffed a chance. Some began to feel restless and uneasy…
Some began to pull out their blades in their hidey holes. Some were in a rush to make their moves. Some were put in a situation wherein they had no choice but to assert themselves.
Yanzhou fell into chaos.
Rumours spread that Zhicheng’s Ning Garden would be taken back by the government and auctioned off again.
Rumours spread crazily that Xu Tingsheng and Fang Yuqing would soon be officially charged.
The squad from Yanzhou City returned to the capital, but with one person missing. For some unknown reason, Chen Jianxing had stayed behind. Speculations were rife for a time.
Tongtong emerged from Bright Brilliance in the early hours of the morning. She rubbed her shoulders and stretched, greedily sucking in a deep breath of the night sky’s cool, clear air.
The current operations of Bright Brilliance had virtually fully fallen on her shoulders. That it was tiring was still secondary. Scariest was how Bright Brilliance’s morale had suddenly taken a plunge, with its prospects uncertain. That was pretty taxing, both physically and mentally.
As she lived not far from Bright Brilliance, Tongtong walked home. This home was like a harbour to her, giving her sweetness, happiness and hope. Every time she bought something and placed it in her home, looking at it...she would be filled with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.
She was always thinking that Xu Tingsheng might pop in for a visit one day, and he would like this place.
Still, currently, Xu Tingsheng was in jail, Tan Yao was dead and Huang Yaming off somewhere unknown...in Bright Brilliance which had been calm and powerful, that former sense of security had suddenly disappeared.
She did actually feel panicked and pained. Tongtong had worried over Xu Tingsheng and cried for Tan Yao. She very much wanted to call Huang Yaming and tell him to hurry back, that Bright Brilliance wasn’t able to hold on for much longer. Yet, she was worried that that might negatively affect him.
She took out her key and opened the door, took off her shoes and placed them on the shoe rack, put on her slippers, looked up…
There were three people sitting on her living room sofa, looking at her.
At the time like this, asking them how they had entered already had no meaning. Tongtong recognised Ding Miao at first glance. He was well-known in Yanzhou and had attended the opening of Bright Brilliance, having come again afterwards too.
As a manager of a bar in Yanzhou, Ding Miao was one of those who had to be recognised immediately lest they risk offending him.
“Boss Ding? You…” Tongtong was just about to inquire as to what was going on when she suddenly found another person there very familiar.
He was...that hotel scam, and the accident afterwards...Tongtong remembered Dongzi now.
Tongtong’s first reaction was to turn and run.
Dongzi dashed over, swiftly closing the door and physically blocking it as he obstructed Tongtong’s path.
“You, what do you want?” Knowing that the other party was very likely here for revenge, Tongtong tried hard to maintain her composure.
“Still remember me, bitch? You freaking scammed me,” Dongzi ground his teeth, saying resentfully.
“You can ignore him, Miss Tongtong,” Ding Miao who was still sitting on the sofa interrupted and smiled, saying, “Relax, with me here, your safety is definitely assured...come over for a chat?”
Knowing that she would definitely not be able to escape, Tongtong could only walk over to Ding Miao as per his request.
“Sit,” Ding Miao smiled and gestured graciously as if he was the owner of this place.
Tongtong nodded and sat down, “Boss Ding, this…”
Ding Miao smiled in a very genteel fashion, “In coming uninvited, I’d like to request our collaboration in a matter, Miss Tongtong.”
“Collaborate? Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“You’re surely joking, Boss Ding. I’m only an employee, what can I do…” Tongtong tried to maintain her composure as much as possible, “If it’s collaboration with regard to the bar, how about you wait for Boss Huang’s return? I’ll help you mention it to him…”
“On the off chance that he does not return…have you ever thought about that?” Ding Miao stared at Tongtong, seeing her open her mouth yet not saying nothing, gradually growing panicked and helpless.
“Not only will Huang Yaming not be back, Xu Tingsheng too will basically be unable to come out. Tan Yao is already dead and the Black Horse Club and Zhicheng will soon collapse…” Ding Miao unceasingly exerted pressure on Tongtong before finally asking loudly, “Have you ever thought about what you’ll do then? Work somewhere else, or go back to the clubs? Have you offended anyone during your time with Xu Tingsheng? Will you be able to live peacefully in the future?”
“I…” Tongtong broke down just like Ding Miao wished for as her entire self seemed to deflate in an instant.
Ding Miao smiled satisfiedly, switching to consoling warmly, “Actually, you don’t have to be so scared. As a woman in the industry, you need to find a harbour. In the past, Wu Kun was your harbour. Afterwards, it was changed to Xu Tingsheng...now that Xu Tingsheng has been taken down, it’s actually nothing more than switching to another harbour for you.”
Tongtong looked up, “What do you mean, Boss Ding?”
“Taking over Bright Brilliance or establishing another Bright Brilliance in the future is actually no problem at all for me. I can hand the bar over to you to manage and give you shares...along with two additional million,” Ding Miao extended two fingers.
Astonishment could be seen in Tongtong’s eyes, but she maintained her silence.
“Are you Xu Tingsheng’s woman?” Ding Miao pressed.
Tongtong shook her head.
“Even if he fortunately manages to survive, do you think he will want you?”
Tongtong hesitated for a moment and shook her head again.
Ding Miao spread his hands apart, “So, why don’t you think for your own sake.”
Tongtong looked up, “What do you want me to do, Boss Ding?”
Ding Miao laughed, indicating with his gaze, “The two of them are both here. I don’t think it’s hard for you to guess...my younger brother died as a result of Xu Tingsheng’s plotting, right?”
He was actually probing here to see how much Tongtong knew about this matter, see if she knew that actually, he had participated in it too.
Tongtong first looked puzzled, then panicked...her reaction left Ding Miao very satisfied,
“Relax, you won’t be held accountable for this. I know you only provided a message,” Ding Miao comforted, then said as he gazed into Tongtong’s eyes, “Help me to be stand witness, make Xu Tingsheng pay for my brother’s death. Do just that, and what I promised earlier will all be yours.”
Tongtong shook her head, “No, he’s helped me before…”
Ding Miao chortled, “Wrong, it’s you who saved his life, while what he’s returned to you is far from enough. You like him? Let me tell you, at the end of the day, you’re just a woman from a bar and someone he must keep controlled. Does he treat you very well? Don’t be silly. It’s very easy to say a few nice words, and very economical too...does he like you? Has he ever looked at you properly before? Touched you? ...He looks down on you for being dirty, get it?”
What Ding Miao was saying was the greatest sore point in Tongtong’s heart. She always had an inferiority complex in front of Xu Tingsheng precisely because of this. Silence, inner struggle, unconsciously revealing a sad expression-Tongtong’s reaction was really wholly authentic.
Therefore, Ding Miao felt like he already had a high chance of succeeding with this…
“How about this. I’ll give you some time to consider. Give Bright Brilliance a call and take two days of leave. You can also answer the calls that normally come in,” Ding Miao got up, “Still, in order to prevent you from doing anything stupid...the two of them will be here, accompanying you. After you’ve finished considering this matter, tell them. They’ll inform me, and I’ll come over.”
Leaving an opportunity and actually a threat too, Ding Miao took his leave.
He was not afraid of waiting a day or two. He was very confident of success...first was because from his earlier research, the relationship between Tongtong and Xu Tingsheng was not that deep. At least, she had not gotten the bar’s shares and was not Xu Tingsheng’s woman too. Second was Tongtong’s reaction. Third was because he felt women were merciless. Moreover, the life of this woman was in his hands too...how would she choose?
After Ding Miao’s departure, only Tongtong, Dongzi and Old Dog remained in the house.
“It’s this woman who stole your phone?” Old Dog asked.
Dongzi ground his teeth and glared at Tongtong, his eyes virtually spewing flames as he nodded, “It’s her.”
“Tongtong, innit? Do you know how sorrowful a state you put us in…” Old Dog said to Tongtong before turning to Dongzi and asking, “Before she stole your stuff and took off, which step didya reach?”
Dongzi’s face turned red at once, “She took off her jacket...I hugged her a bit.”
Old Dog forced a smile and clapped the back of Dongzi’s head, “Doesn’t that mean you didn’t get a single taste? Hey...say, wouldn’t it be great if she doesn’t agree to Boss Ding’s scheme? Before we kill her, you can have all the fun you want.”
Dongzi directed a fiery gaze at Tongtong before looking away again.
Tongtong got up and asked, “I’m hungry. I’m going to cook. Do you want any?”
Dongzi was rather dazed, “Me?”
“Yes. You want to eat?”
“...”
Tongtong cooked noodles, ate and went to catch up on sleep. Old Dog slept in the guest room while Dongzi slept in the living room to prevent Tongtong from running away. Tongtong handed her phone in before returning to her room and lying down on her bed.
Actually, Ding Miao was not wrong. Tongtong was already very clear on the fact that she would never be able to possess Xu Tingsheng, not even as a lover... in terms of benefits too, what Xu Tingsheng had given to her for saving his life was also far from enough...it was also undeniable that part of the reason for Xu Tingsheng keeping her by his side was to keep her controlled.
Along with the fact that Xu Tingsheng was currently in a crisis...Ding Miao’s confidence was not baseless.
Still, there was something others did not know.
At the head of Tongtong’s bed, strung with a string, was a small, intricate perfume bottle. Xu Tingsheng had given it to Tongtong as a gift after coming back from France before as he had purportedly taken great care in choosing it.
Tongtong did not have the heart to use even a single drop. She had tied the perfume bottle at the head of her bed as it was the first thing she saw when waking up every morning...
At that time, Tongtong had really just been an accompanying lady at Starry Splendour who had merely helped Xu Tingsheng to fend off two rounds of alcohol.
At that time, she had still yet to save Xu Tingsheng’s life.
The little perfume bottle sparkled beneath the light. Tongtong looked at it, looked at it for a long time...biting her lips, she smiled blissfully.
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