Chapter 8

In his previous life he had punched a sandbag for over ten years, but he never hit a person before dying, and he didn't know how effective it would be in real combat.

Now Heaven has given him a chance at rebirth, and Lin Dongfan really wants to find someone to fight. Unfortunately, Li Hengbo, even with his face turned livid from holding back, didn't rush forward to strike first.

That's very Li Hengbo!

To make sure his career isn't affected, Li Hengbo can endure a lot; even if someone stabbed a knife into his heart, he wouldn't ruin his public‑servant image in front of everyone.

After waiting over ten minutes, Chu Lingxi, pulling her suitcase, finally appeared in the crowd.

Chu Lingxi is a dancer, naturally slender and graceful.

Today she wore a custom‑made light‑green cheongsam; this modernized new‑national‑style garment perfectly blends Eastern classical beauty with Western fashion.

Even amidst the bustling crowd, she still shone brightly.

"Chu Lingxi, what are you looking at? Over here."

Lin Dongfangu held up the sign in his hand; the sign bore two bold lines: "Lingxi, Lingxi, where are you? Look this way!"

Chu Lingxi didn't know Lin Dongfan, but she could read.

When she looked over, she wasn't sure whether she first read the words on the sign or looked at the person; either way, she flashed a hint of surprise, then gave a knowing smile.

"Lingxi."

When Chu Lingxi stepped forward, Li Hengbo, holding a bouquet, was the first to go up to greet her.

"Welcome back to the country."

Li Hengbo held the bouquet out to Chu Lingxi.

Chu Lingxi politely replied, "Thank you," but didn't reach out to take the bouquet; she tilted her head, gazing at Lin Dongfan, who was blocked behind the crowd.

This made Li Hengbo quite vexed.

Li Hengbo reached out again to pull her suitcase: "Let's go, the car is outside."

"No trouble, someone's picking me up." Chu Lingxi protected her suitcase with one hand and raised the other high, waving and shouting at Lin Dongfan: "I'm over here."

Li Hengbo instantly flew into a rage:

"He's just a good‑for‑nothing; after five years in our unit he's still a low‑level clerk! Besides, he has a fiancée—Director Fang Xiaoxin from the court. Want me to introduce you?"

"Mr. Li, please move aside."

Chu Lingxi acted as if she hadn't heard, pushing her suitcase forward through the crowd.

She forced Li Hengbo to the side.

At that moment Lin Dongfan also squeezed out of the crowd, stepped forward and greeted: "Chu, great beauty, finally seeing you in person—I didn't expect you to be even lovelier than your photos."

"You're handsome too."

When Chu Lingxi smiled, the little dimple on her face was adorable.

"Welcome back to the country."

Lin Dongfan opened his warm arms and shared an embrace with Chu Lingxi.

Just as they embraced.

Li Hengbo felt as if he'd been stabbed, angrily yanked Lin Dongfan away and shoved him hard: "When will this end? You're shameless!"

"Who are you calling shameless?" Lin Dongfan asked calmly, smiling.

Li Hengbo glared, turned, and rebuked Chu Lingxi: "Yes! Your father's in trouble now, your Chu family has fallen on hard times, lost its former glory—but you can't be blind! What good is it that this bastard is handsome? In the entire political‑legal system of Nanzhou City, you couldn't find a second person more worthless than him!"

"Who are you?"

Chu Lingxi stared at Li Hengbo with a look of surprise.

Li Hengbo, furious, held up two fingers:

"I've chased you for two years, and now you ask who I am? Even if you don't think highly of me, Li Hengbo, you can't debase yourself like this! He has a fiancée—do you not understand human speech?! You're acting like a mistress..."

"Slap!!"

Chu Lingxi swung a slap, cutting off Li Hengbo's roar directly.

Under the gaze of everyone.

That slap completely shattered Li Hengbo's pride; the astonished looks of the onlookers around him left him embarrassed to the point of wanting to disappear.

Li Hengbo gritted his teeth in anger, but ultimately dared not do anything to Chu Lingxi.

Although the Chu family now shows signs of decline, in Li Hengbo's view, as long as the provincial discipline inspection commission hasn't reached a final verdict on the Chu Jinsong case, no one can act against the Chu family.

Li Hengbo then turned his hostility toward Lin Dongfan.

Pointing at Lin Dongfan's nose, he snarled: "You brat, just wait—I'll deal with you tomorrow back at the office!" Having said that, he stormed off angrily.

Lin Dongfan laughed as he saw his back: "Is this guy sick?"

"Probably just escaped from a mental hospital." Chu Lingxi lowered her head to look at her right palm: "A lunatic's skin is really thick—he slapped my hand red, it hurts."

Lin Dongfan asked with a smile: "Want me to help you pull your suitcase?"

"Pretty smart."

Chu Lingxi simply dropped her suitcase, held her head high, and walked out.

Lin Dongfan pulled the suitcase and chased after her: "Wait up, what's in this box? It's so heavy..."

"A woman's secret—don't pry."

After Chu Lingxi stepped out of the bustling airport, she opened her arms and drew a deep breath of fresh air, her face full of intoxication.

It was as if her life had no regrets at all.

A picture of carefree ease.

During the time she was abroad performing, her mother twisted her waist and her father was placed under shuanggui; these matters seemed to have been tossed by her into the clouds beyond.

Lin Dongfan wondered: "Aren't you worried about your father's situation?"

"Or… should I cry on the spot for you to see?"

Chu Lingxi glanced back with a smile; that faint little dimple, whoever sees it finds it beautiful—a real‑life version of "a glance back that bewitches a hundred beauties."

This made Lin Dongfan even more determined in his will to counterattack.

Recalling his past life, Li Hengbo not only married the peerless beauty Chu Lingxi but also gained the Chu family's political resources—truly a great winner in life!

Now the tides have turned.

In this life, as long as I hold on tight, all this will be mine.

This is the meaning of counterattack!

Lin Dongfan stuffed Chu Lingxi's luggage into the trunk, opened the car door and invited her in, originally intending to let her sit in the back as the leading lady.

Chu Lingxi, however, opened the front passenger door and got in: "You're not my driver, I'd rather sit up front; otherwise I'd feel bad."

Suit yourself.

Lin Dongfan handed her a bottle of water.

After starting the car, he asked again: "What music would you like to hear?"

"I like anything with a Chinese style," Chu Lingxi said.

Lin Dongfan usually rarely listens to music, and for a moment couldn't think of a song title, so he simply played a soothing guqin piece—"Spring River Flower Moon Night."

Chu Lingxi immersed herself in the music, closing her eyes to rest for a moment.

Suddenly she turned to Lin Dongfan and asked: "Xiao Li Zi says he'll deal with you after work tomorrow—are you scared?"

"Xiao Li Zi?"

This eunuch-like nickname made Lin Dongfan chuckle involuntarily.

Lin Dongfan calmly replied: "He's just a lowly secretary; although he has some authority, he can't kill me yet—he's still lacking the timing."

"I never imagined he was such a person," Chu Lingxi said, looking disappointed.

Lin Dongfan laughed and asked: "What kind of person?"

Chu Lingxi frowned: "When we first met, he actually called me a mistress—so infuriating, and even worse..."

"Is there anything worse than that?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Chu Lingxi tilted her head back and took a sip of water: "I don't want to mention him again—disgusting. Tonight, call your girlfriend over; I'll treat you both to dinner."

"Can't do that," Lin Dongfan laughed.

Chu Lingxi looked bewildered: "Are you speaking Chinese? Why can't I understand?"

"In her eyes, I'm just a hopeless loser with no future—we broke up not long ago." Lin Dongfan smiled self‑deprecatingly: "They climb step by step; next they'll be chief judge, and I can't keep up."

"People in officialdom are truly realistic."

Saying this, Chu Lingxi closed her eyes again to rest.

Lin Dongfan lowered the music volume a bit, slowed the car, and tried to provide Chu Lingxi with a comfortable resting environment.

Chu Lingxi kept her eyes closed, then suddenly smiled: "You're quite thoughtful—no wonder my mom likes you so much. Guess what I'm thinking?"

Lin Dongfan laughed without hesitation: "I'm Lin Dongfan, not Lin Bu Fan nor Lin Half‑Immortal; giving me such a difficult task overestimates my ability."

"I knew you wouldn't guess." Chu Lingxi closed her eyes with a smile: "Xiao Li Zi isn't trying to mess with you, is he? I've come up with a good plan to help you get out of this."

"What plan?"

Lin Dongfan stared fixedly at the road ahead, driving cautiously.

Chu Lingxi kept her eyes closed, contentedly: "Quitting your job? You've been a low‑level clerk for five years and still have no prospects."

"You really know how to come up with ideas."

In the course of their chat, Lin Dongfan recalled Teacher Shen's evaluation of this dear daughter—just seven words: "Sometimes she's full of foolishness."

Now it seems Teacher Shen wasn't wrong about her.