Chapter 92: The Awakening of Insects

Clearly, Zhao Ruyi is a tigress.

Her strikes were extremely fast; even though Ning Weidong possessed physical fitness and reaction speeds far beyond the average person after crossing over, he was still startled by her.

Zhao Ruyi had clearly trained, and her level was quite high, but she held back her strength in her strikes, gauging the measure for fear of hurting Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong had integrated the original owner's experience and muscle memory; although it was an unorthodox style, it was not at all inferior in actual combat, not to mention his physical fitness far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

Even though Zhao Ruyi's physical fitness was considered quite strong among women, even stronger than the average man, she was still far behind when facing Ning Weidong.

Yet, she was self-righteously holding back her full strength.

Ning Weidong jumped sideways, avoiding her strike.

Zhao Ruyi raised an eyebrow, not expecting Ning Weidong to dodge so easily, but she was not slow in the slightest, following up with a kick.

With a *whoosh*, her pant leg cut through the air, but it was blocked by Ning Weidong raising his hand with a *bang*.

Theoretically, legs have more power than arms, and Zhao Ruyi had exerted full force in that strike, making it all the more powerful.

To her surprise, when it kicked against the arm Ning Weidong had raised seemingly at random, it didn't budge him in the slightest! At this, Zhao Ruyi finally couldn't keep her composure; she finally realized that Ning Weidong's large frame wasn't just for show, but contained immense power.

Ning Weidong grinned, and while she was momentarily distracted, he countered by hooking his hand, grabbing her ankle, and pulling upward.

Zhao Ruyi had a very stable stance, but she was at a disadvantage today wearing high heels, and combined with Ning Weidong's truly immense strength, she was pulled into a stagger in one go.

Ning Weidong stepped forward to meet her, and the two collided.

Zhao Ruyi's ankle was still being held up by Ning Weidong, and that leg couldn't be put down, forcing her to stand on one leg; startled and annoyed, she whipped her hand like a lash, striking fiercely at Ning Weidong's temple.

From the two exchanges just now, Zhao Ruyi had already tested that Ning Weidong's martial arts were not weak, and his physical fitness was surprisingly strong, leaving her no room to hold back.

With a *bang*, Ning Weidong blocked again; Zhao Ruyi was using Tongbei Fist techniques, and her seemingly fair and tender hands whipped out, fast and ruthless like the tip of a lash.

An ordinary person hit by this, if not directly suffering a fracture, would have their arm immediately swell up in a large patch.

Unexpectedly, Ning Weidong was like nothing had happened, not even letting out a hum; he not only blocked it easily but also flipped his wrist and locked onto her hand.

Zhao Ruyi felt a brute, immense force that she was completely unable to contend with, twisting her arm behind her back.

She had never encountered this kind of situation before; even among experts in the military, she was no match for them in combat, but they didn't have such great strength.

Or if they had such strength, they couldn't catch her wrist at all.

In short, at this moment, Zhao Ruyi felt for the first time in her life how weak she was; the moment her hand was twisted behind her back, she felt like a little chick.

And what made her even more ashamed was her current posture.

With her wrist twisted, her whole body was shoved into Ning Weidong's embrace, and because she had just raised her leg high, it was caught by Ning Weidong's other hand and couldn't be put down.

This resulted in a full split, with that leg resting on Ning Weidong's shoulder.

This posture left her completely exposed and was exceptionally shameful.

Zhao Ruyi instinctively wanted to break free and tried to strike with her left hand.

By this time, Ning Weidong had let go of her ankle and grabbed her left hand as well, twisting it behind her back.

Zhao Ruyi shook her shoulders, feeling the two large hands restraining her like iron pincers, unable to break free at all.

Ning Weidong was face-to-face with her, separated only by one long leg in between.

Ning Weidong smiled with a smirk, his gaze shifting slightly downward: "I didn't notice before, you're actually quite well-endowed."

Zhao Ruyi felt a sense of stifling, with her thigh being restrained and pressing against her chest, and she was also furious.

"You filthy hooligan!" Zhao Ruyi was accustomed to the principle of "if you can use your hands, don't waste your breath," but now that she had lost the fight, she didn't know how to curse, and after holding it in for a long time, she only managed to squeeze out these three words.

Ning Weidong didn't mind: "How am I a filthy hooligan for hugging my own wife?" As he spoke, he tightened his hold on her.

Zhao Ruyi felt like she couldn't breathe; this posture on the side of the road in the compound made her very nervous: "Let me go, someone is coming!"

Ning Weidong, however, said with a grin: "Then give me a kiss. You already called me a filthy hooligan just now, if I don't do something a hooligan should do, wouldn't I be at a loss?"

"You!" Zhao Ruyi was incredulous that there could be such a shameless person in the world: "In your dreams! Ning Weidong, don't get cocky; when someone comes, I'll scream that you're acting like a hooligan."

Ning Weidong curled his lips: "Go ahead and scream. If the matter blows up, it's the Wang Family and your Zhao Family who will lose face. Who in the compound even knows who Ning Weidong is~"

"You..." Zhao Ruyi was speechless; this person was simply a rogue, and yet this guy had his combat stats maxed out.

And Ning Weidong was right; he could afford to lose face, but the Wang Family and the Zhao Family could not.

Zhao Ruyi took a deep breath to calm herself and said sinisterly: "Ning Weidong, have you thought about whether you can keep holding me forever? What will be the consequences when you let me go? I will tell my brother that you acted like a hooligan toward me, and that you ruined the marriage alliance between the two families. At that time, it won't just be you; your brother will be implicated too. Let me go now, and we can still talk..."

Suddenly, Zhao Ruyi's words came to an abrupt halt.

It was because Ning Weidong had leaned in and blocked her mouth directly with his own.

An unprecedented sensation made Zhao Ruyi's body tremble; she stared wide-eyed at Ning Weidong in disbelief, followed immediately by immense humiliation and anger.

Her first kiss was actually gone just like that; disregarding the pain in her wrists, she shook her head desperately to throw off Ning Weidong's lips and shrieked in shock and fury: "You bastard! You hooligan, I'll kill you!"

The commotion she made was not small and immediately drew the attention of nearby guards.

The security level in this area was not low; in fact, people had already noticed when Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi started fighting earlier.

It was just that they had walked out of the Wang Family together, walking side-by-side looking like a couple out for a stroll, and since Zhao Ruyi hadn't screamed, no one had bothered to interfere.

But now that Zhao Ruyi was screaming, these people could no longer pretend not to see, and someone immediately came over from afar to investigate.

Ning Weidong noticed this situation, while Zhao Ruyi revealed a triumphant, cold sneer, with various images of how she would torment the bastard in front of her constantly flashing through her mind.

However, the very next moment, Ning Weidong said three words that made her expression freeze instantly.

"Zhao Jingzhe!"

Ning Weidong sneered and blew a breath into Zhao Ruyi's ear, making her shiver and suddenly snap back to reality.

"What did you say?" Zhao Ruyi pursed her lips, pretending to be calm on the surface, but she was panicking inside.

At this moment, the nearest guard was already less than thirty meters away.

Ning Weidong smiled and released Zhao Ruyi, letting her put her leg down.

Zhao Ruyi didn't attack again, only staring at him with a sinister gaze.

Ning Weidong said softly: "Zhao Jingzhe, you probably don't know that Wang Jingsheng has a ledger in his hands, right~"

At the mention of Wang Jingsheng, Zhao Ruyi's complexion changed abruptly.

Originally, she still held onto a shred of luck, but as Ning Weidong spoke the name of Wang Jingsheng, Zhao Ruyi's heart sank.

Just then, that guard came up close, stopped three meters away with vigilance, and saluted, saying: "This female comrade, do you need help?"

Ning Weidong was in no rush to explain, only giving Zhao Ruyi a look.

Zhao Ruyi forced out a smile and said to the guard: "Comrade, thank you, we're just playing around~"

The guard's gaze swept over Ning Weidong, he nodded, saluted again, and said in a deep voice: "Sorry, to have disturbed you."

Zhao Ruyi let out a breath, then looked back at Ning Weidong, gritting her teeth as she said: "What do you mean?" Ning Weidong raised his right hand to his waist and pursed his lips, signaling for her to link arms with him.

Zhao Ruyi frowned and said in a suppressed voice: "Don't push your luck!"

Ning Weidong let out a "tsk," his attitude resolute.

Zhao Ruyi stared at him for a few seconds, finally looked away first, stamped her foot, and walked over.

But upon reaching Ning Weidong's side, she delayed and refused to reach out to link arms with Ning Weidong.

Seeing her stubbornness, Ning Weidong simply grabbed her hand and forcibly placed it in the crook of his arm.

Although Zhao Ruyi was unwilling, since she was already linked, she didn't pull away.

Ning Weidong chuckled: "Look, isn't this quite nice~ To meet a handsome and tall partner like me through an arranged marriage, you must be feeling quite pleased with yourself, right?"

Zhao Ruyi's face turned even darker; what the hell was "pleased with herself."

Helplessly caught by this shameless villain Ning Weidong, she simply stayed silent.

Ning Weidong continued walking forward, with Zhao Ruyi linking his arm, looking even more like a couple in the heat of love.

It was just that their conversation was entirely the opposite.

In reality, it was only when Ning Weidong saw Zhao Lichun just now that he confirmed the Zhao Jingzhe recorded in the ledger left by Wang Jingsheng was Zhao Ruyi.

The Zhao Family had three children in this generation; the eldest was Zhao Lichun, the second was Zhao Yushui, named in the order of the twenty-four solar terms.

So, when it came to Zhao Ruyi, she originally should have been named Zhao Jingzhe.

It was just unclear what the consideration was; perhaps "Jingzhe" didn't sound good for a girl, or perhaps Zhao Ruyi's mother didn't want to have any more children, as the difficulty of completing all twenty-four solar terms was simply too great.

So, they simply changed Zhao Ruyi's name.

Furthermore, Zhao Ruyi worked in the Factory Office at the Red Star Factory, which also matched the records in Wang Jingsheng's ledger.

This made Ning Weidong even more certain that the Zhao Jingzhe in the ledger was Zhao Ruyi.

"Don't be like this, cheer up, we are a couple." Ning Weidong smiled and reached out to pinch Zhao Ruyi's cheek.

"Get lost!" Zhao Ruyi instinctively resisted, forcefully shaking off Ning Weidong's hand.

Unexpectedly, Ning Weidong's expression changed instantly; he pressed his palm down, grabbed her by the neck, and said with a cold face: "Watch your attitude!"

Zhao Ruyi felt her throat being constricted, a sense of suffocation where she couldn't catch her breath.

Fortunately, Ning Weidong let go once he finished speaking, again signaling for Zhao Ruyi to link arms with him.

This time Zhao Ruyi learned her lesson, reached out to link arms, and secretly gritted her teeth, vowing to take revenge when she had the chance! Ning Weidong said: "I'm very curious, with your background and salary, you shouldn't be short of money, so how did you get dragged into this?"

Zhao Ruyi choked, finding it hard to speak of.

Ning Weidong waited a moment, then said impatiently: "I'm asking you a question~"

Zhao Ruyi helplessly pouted and said: "How could money ever be enough~ Lipstick, clothes, shoes... what doesn't cost money to buy?"

Ning Weidong was stunned, not expecting this answer; it seemed quite different from the impression Zhao Ruyi gave people.

But upon second thought, he felt relieved; human nature was inherently complex.

Moreover, it was no longer the years of the past; back then, people couldn't reach the outside world, and everyone's food, clothing, housing, and transportation—good or bad—were all about the same.

However, with the strengthening of exchanges with the West and Europe and America, things from over there inevitably poured in.

One could tell a thing or two from Zhao Ruyi's attire; this girl's lifestyle definitely couldn't be considered simple.

According to the introduction from Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen, the Zhao Family's family style was quite strict.

Especially the father of the Zhao family, who was in his prime, had his own political ambitions, and was very strict with his family members.

As such, if Zhao Ruyi wanted to satisfy her consumption, she naturally had to find ways to get money.

But this woman seemed not very bright, completely unaware of how to utilize her status.

As for Wang Jingsheng, he likely didn't know her true background either; looking at the amounts of money distributed in the ledger, it was clear he only considered Zhao Ruyi's position in the Factory Office and there were no other bonuses.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been just this little bit of money.

Thinking of this, Ning Weidong couldn't help but sigh; as the saying goes, raise sons in poverty and daughters in luxury—it really wasn't without reason.

The fear with girls is that they are short-sighted, selling themselves for a bit of petty profit.

Ning Weidong could be certain that these little schemes of Zhao Ruyi at the factory were definitely done behind her father's and brother's backs.

Thinking of this, Ning Weidong chuckled and turned his head to look at the woman beside him.

Zhao Ruyi felt a bit creeped out by his gaze and whispered: "What are you laughing at~ It's creepy."

Ning Weidong said: "Since you like money so much, how about I take you to earn big money?"

Zhao Ruyi said dismissively: "Earn big money? You yourself only make thirty-some yuan a month, what big money can you take me to earn?"

Ning Weidong let out a "che": "You blind, stupid girl."

"Who are you talking about!" Zhao Ruyi bristled again.

Ning Weidong pulled out the hand she was holding and patted her on the butt.

"You! You stinking hooligan~" Zhao Ruyi was extremely depressed, but didn't dare to shout, only able to mutter under her breath, fearing she would call the guard over again.

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow: "You're not convinced even when I say you're stupid? With that little bit of speculation you all are doing, how much money can you earn in total? When it gets to you, can you even get three thousand yuan a year?"

Zhao Ruyi stiffened her neck and said: "You've got a big mouth; three thousand yuan is enough for you to earn in ten years of work."

Ning Weidong vowed: "In the future, if you follow me, I guarantee you'll get over thirty thousand a year, do you believe me?"

Of course Zhao Ruyi didn't believe him, thinking Ning Weidong was bragging to the heavens.

Ning Weidong said: "You don't believe it?"

"Should I believe you? Do you think I'm an idiot? And thirty thousand a year at that." Zhao Ruyi scoffed.

Ning Weidong smiled and didn't argue with her; saying more about this kind of thing was useless, only putting the facts before her eyes would be convincing.

"Let's go, heading back." Ning Weidong turned around and walked back.

With things said to this point, he and Zhao Ruyi had nothing left to talk about.

Zhao Ruyi had effectively dug a hole and buried herself; from now on, as long as the requests Ning Weidong made weren't too excessive, this matter would be enough to hold over her for a lifetime.

This was no longer a simple matter of participating in speculation and profiteering; it also involved a homicide case.

This was the most troublesome part.

(End of chapter)