Chapter 16: with translation of title

The matter of Lin Dongfan marrying Chu Lingxi is indeed not believed by many people outside. Especially Li Hengbo, who thinks highly of himself, would never believe this even if beaten to death.

In Li Hengbo's view, Lin Dongfan is nothing but a shameless good-for-nothing.

Li Hengbo

Chu Lingxi is a wisp of fairy spirit amidst the myriad flowers, a graceful dancer, and the pure, upright lotus under Zhou Dunyi's brush — to be admired from afar, not to be trifled with!

Chu Lingxi is also an obedient girl who listens to her mother, and everything in her life is arranged by Shen Junlan.

Shen Junlan is a person with extremely high standards; even when the Chu family had fallen into a mire of decline, she would never hastily marry her daughter off to a good-for-nothing who amounts to nothing.

Party Secretary Chu

He, Li Hengbo, has been pursuing Chu Lingxi for two years; the reason he hasn't even been able to touch her hand is precisely because he hasn't gained Shen Junlan's full approval.

Chu family

Mayor

Municipal Party Committee compound

Li Hengbo could be certain of one thing:

The situation of the two tigers contending has already been laid out in the open; Chu Jinsong is not a soft persimmon to be kneaded by others, having already stumbled once before, and this time he certainly won't just sit and wait for disaster.

Right now is exactly when Chu Jinsong needs to employ people.

This time, we must let Chu Jinsong see our determination not to marry anyone but Chu Lingxi, must clearly state our position, and must let Chu Jinsong see our willingness to lay down our lives for the Chu family.

It was past eight in the evening.

As the Chu family was eating, Li Hengbo came to the door holding flowers.

The outer gate of the house was locked.

Li Hengbo stood outside the gate and shouted, "Lingxi, are you home? Open the door."

The Chu family members inside, hearing this call, were not surprised; they had already expected Li Hengbo to be a wind‑following opportunist who would surely come knocking today without shame.

Chu Lingxi set down her bowl and chopsticks and rose: "I'll go get rid of him."

"Sit down."

Shen Kunlan stopped Chu Lingxi.

It wasn't that we worried Chu Lingxi didn't know how to shake off Li Hengbo's entanglement; we simply didn't want any contact between her and Li Hengbo, not even a word.

After all, Lin Dongfan was also at home, and Shen Kunlan felt it necessary to consider his feelings.

Shen Kunlan rose and went out herself.

Through the iron railing outside the gate, she issued an eviction order to Li Hengbo: "Please go back; my Lingxi doesn't want to see you again, and please don't harass her in the future."

"Teacher Shen, the day Lingxi returned to the country, I went to the airport to pick her up. Because Lin Dongfan interfered, a misunderstanding arose between us. Could you let me go in to explain to her?"

"There's nothing to explain; please go back."

Having said that, Shen Kunlan turned and went back inside, too lazy to bother with Li Hengbo.

Li Hengbo stood outside the gate holding flowers, regret showing on his face.

Last time Shen Kunlan had asked him to go to the provincial capital to deliver medicine to Chu Jinsong; he feared being implicated and didn't dare accept.

He knew that would surely disappoint Shen Kunlan, but he didn't expect her to be so cold as not even to let him in the door.

In desperation.

Li Hengbo stood at the gate and explained loudly: "Teacher Shen, I admit that I did not do some things well enough before. During the period when Chu Shuji was placed under double regulation, I did not go to deliver medicine to him. But delivering medicine isn't something I can just do if I want to. Even if I went to the provincial capital, I couldn't get the medicine into Chu Shuji's hands."

After waiting a moment, no one from inside came out to respond.

Li Hengbo then knelt down with a thud.

Holding the flowers, he confessed to Chu Lingxi: "Lingxi, from the moment I first saw you, you have ruled my world. I don't know if this counts as love at first sight, but I know my eyes can no longer hold another woman. I hope you will give me a chance to care for and protect you with my life."

Inside the house.

Chu Lingxi ate with her head down, feeling so stifled she wanted to rush out and slap Li Hengbo twice.

But she couldn't act rashly, with her husband Lin Dongfan beside her and her stern father Chu Jinsong opposite; it wasn't yet her place to decide.

Shen Kunlan stood at the window watching outside, the more she saw the more she despised him: "Say kneel and he kneels—this Li Hengbo really goes all out, doing anything to achieve his goal."

"I really misjudged him before."

Chu Jinsong lifted his wine cup and took a sip, feeling a hint of regret.

After setting down the wine cup.

Chu Jinsong again asked the silent Lin Dongfan: "Dongfan, Lingxi is already your wife; now someone is shouting at the gate, declaring love to your wife—don't you want to go out and see?"

"Dad, if he wants to kneel, let him kneel."

Lin Dongfan rose and poured a bit more wine for Chu Jinsong.

Chu Jinsong smiled with satisfaction: "You stay calm in crisis, kid—you really have the bearing of a general. As long as you can keep your composure, that's good. Remember: a person doesn't compete with a dog for height."

"Mm, come, let me toast you another cup."

Recalling Gongjin of old, when Xiao Qiao first married, he was heroic and vigorous! At this moment, Lin Dongfan indeed bears the demeanor of Zhou Yu back then—beauty at his side, in talk and laughter, the enemy's masts and oars turn to ashes.

Suddenly a few claps of thunder shattered the night's atmosphere.

The heavy rain poured down just like that.

The unyielding Li Hengbo still knelt at the Chu family's gate, shouting in the downpour: "Lingxi, I am utterly sincere toward you—what must I do for you to come out and see me?"

Neighbors on either side opened their windows to watch.

A retired official shouted down from the building: "Young man, this Municipal Party Committee compound is no place for you to shout and yell. You have no sense of propriety! If Chu Lingxi were my daughter, I wouldn't let her come out to see you either. Hurry up and leave—once the security arrives, the embarrassment will be yours."

Indeed, that old comrade was right.

Shen Kunlan was calling the security team; in a short while, two young guards who had just been discharged from the military ran over in the rain.

"Go!"

The two guards, without a word, seized Li Hengbo as soon as they moved.

Are you blind? You don't even know me—let go of me!

Li Hengbo struggled desperately to break free.

Damn!

One of the security guards, enraged, executed a shoulder throw and slammed Li Hengbo to the ground: "You ungrateful bastard, you're asking for a beating!"

In the downpour, the two guards beat Li Hengbo black and blue on the spot.

If this had happened before, they definitely wouldn't dare lay a hand on Li Hengbo, but today is different—today the director's wife sent them to drive Li Hengbo away.

What does 'drive away' mean?

Both guards took the order to heart; after beating Li Hengbo senseless, they shouted and chased him out of the residential compound like stray dogs.

Get lost!

At the gate of the residential compound, the guard gave him another hard shove.

Li Hengbo couldn't keep his balance, stumbled and fell to the ground; he rolled over, lying in the rain like an exhausted dead dog, gasping for breath.

He still clutched the bouquet of confession flowers, though the petals had already been shredded by the violence and the rain.

No!!!

My fate shouldn't be like this! It shouldn't be like this!!

In the downpour, Li Hengbo roared hoarsely; his desperate tears mingled with the rain, forming a picture of collapse.

I don't know how long I've been lying here.

Lin Dongfan approached, holding a black umbrella, and lightly kicked Li Hengbo twice: "Can't get up, huh? Want me to call 120 for you? Free of charge."

Get lost!!!

Li Hengbo lay on the ground, roaring with his eyes shut.

Lin Dongfan shook his head regretfully, pulled out his phone, and dialed: "Hey, garbage collection? There's a piece of trash lying on the ground here—could you come pick it up…"

You damn well quit being smug here!

Li Hengbo suddenly pushed himself up.

He flung the wilted bouquet to the ground, glaring at Lin Dongfan with uncontrollable rage: "Even if I fall today, crushing you is as easy as squashing an ant!"

I just love watching you act all big and mighty while actually being useless." Lin Dongfan lit a cigarette calmly: "I'm here to remind you to stay away from Chu Lingxi from now on. If you dare to harass her again, next time it won't be just a black eye and swollen face.

Heh, I'm useless, you think you're any better?

A salty taste filled his mouth.

Li Hengbo spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, gritted his teeth and snarled: "I may be just an office secretary, but you're a toilet‑guarding piece of trash—what gives you the right to act high and mighty before me? The woman I could never marry in this lifetime, even if your ancestors' graves smoked, you couldn't touch a finger of hers. Dream on if you think you can marry her."

Sure enough, you've been beaten stupid—you still haven't figured out the situation." Lin Dongfan shook his head helplessly, turning and walking away: "You will die of stupidity."