Chapter 14: Are We That Close?

"Who exactly is this Ye Aotian? Why is he so ruthless? Doesn't he know how to show any mercy?" Su Lan, standing beside Lin Li, looked at Qin Lang in the ICU, her voice trembling.

Only Lin Li wore a faint smile at this moment. "If only things were that simple. From what I've seen, this man is narrow-minded and can't tolerate the slightest slight."

"Qin Lang is sure to run into more trouble in the future."

Hearing this, Su Lan was at a loss for what to do.

"Old Qin is on his way back. He never expected things to blow up like this. Hmph, that old fox—who knows how he'll punish those responsible this time."

Qin Guosheng is coming back?

Lin Li was a little surprised. In the original story, Qin Guosheng and Su Lan were already husband and wife in name only. Su Lan stayed with Qin Guosheng because she was being blackmailed and also hoped to look after Qin Lang in his absence.

When all was said and done, the old man only cared about his son.

As for Qin Lang, he wasn't Su Lan's son at all.

But over the years, Su Lan had cared for Qin Lang with genuine dedication, so much so that Qin Lang didn't dislike his stepmother.

The old man had so many women outside—who knew who Qin Lang's real mother was? Su Lan was simply the most suitable, so she was chosen for the role.

It was just that Su Lan had suffered all these years.

"If the old man comes back, things will become much simpler," Lin Li chuckled. He had been at a loss for how to handle matters, and now the opportunity had arrived.

With Su Lan's help, he could use Qin Guosheng's power to deal with certain people and achieve his goals.

Despite Qin Guosheng appearing to trust him, behind the scenes the old fox was always gathering evidence against Lin Li.

The old man was shrewd and utterly controlling of his subordinates, never giving them a moment to breathe.

"This boy is beyond my control now. Whatever happens, let them sort it out. I'm tired," Su Lan said, shaking her head, her eyes flickering with indecision.

Seeing Su Lan's peculiar demeanor, Lin Li grew thoughtful.

In the novel, very little was said about Su Lan—she was a minor character, after all.

It was only because of his own involvement that Su Lan's character had gradually gained depth.

But who could say what Su Lan's past was truly like?

Still, Lin Li was curious. Su Lan must have been an exceptional woman once—why would she settle for Qin Guosheng? Why raise his child for so many years?

There must be some secret behind it.

But now, getting to the bottom of it wouldn't be easy.

"It seems I'll have to investigate this myself," Lin Li muttered softly. Now that Su Lan was his woman, he naturally had to pay more attention.

No one had expected Qin Lang to end up like this.

But what surprised Lin Li even more was that Leng Ningxue had actually brought Ye Aotian with her.

When she saw Qin Lang unconscious in the intensive care unit, she was clearly startled.

"How could this happen?"

Lin Li smiled. "You should ask your bodyguard. My elder brother will be back soon, so you’d better get your stories straight."

"If you let something slip, with my brother’s temper..." He shook his head, smiling.

Leng Ningxue cast Lin Li a thoughtful glance, while Ye Aotian sneered coldly at the side.

Qin Guosheng?

He had already investigated the situation before arriving in Jiangcheng. This old fox didn’t scare him.

Lin Li understood—Ye Aotian was never one to back down.

The God of War returns, after all.

Ye Aotian had yet to reveal his true strength. When Qin Guosheng returned, the first thing that would happen was that Ye Aotian would destroy him.

Lin Li brought this up only to warn Ye Aotian. He wanted him to know Qin Guosheng was coming back, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard.

Ye Aotian thought Lin Li was merely posturing and immediately retorted, "If I could beat you senseless last time, I can do it again."

"As for Qin Guosheng, so what? Qin Lang brought this upon himself. If anything like this happens again, even if Qin Guosheng comes in person, I won’t hold back."

Leng Ningxue glared at Ye Aotian. "Be quiet. It's not your place to speak here."

Ye Aotian didn't understand but wisely kept his mouth shut.

Lin Li found this amusing.

Did this fool really think that just because he was the protagonist, he was invincible?

Leng Ningxue asked, "Are you in charge here? I wonder if we might speak privately for a moment."

Su Lan had already gone home to pack clothes, as she would be caring for Qin Lang in the hospital for some time.

With Qin Guosheng absent, Lin Li indeed had a great deal of influence in the Qin family.

He simply nodded.

Ye Aotian was unwilling. "Miss, no! This man is up to no good—he and Qin Lang are birds of a feather. I can’t let you go with him."

Leng Ningxue glanced at Ye Aotian. "What’s it to you? Ye Aotian, are you worried people will think you’re mute if you stop talking for a moment?"

"Shall I hire someone to chat with you all day?"

Ye Aotian’s face turned beet red. "Xue'er, I’m doing this for your own good."

Leng Ningxue’s expression darkened. "Who are you calling Xue'er?"

"Ye Aotian, let’s get one thing straight—I don’t know you that well. You’re just my bodyguard."

"In public, address me as Miss Leng."

With that, she tossed him a haughty glance and walked away with Lin Li.

Ye Aotian was fuming.

When he’d first met Leng Ningxue, they’d been so polite to each other, and he’d even saved her once.

Now, their statuses were worlds apart, and even her way of addressing him had grown so distant.

Following behind Leng Ningxue, Lin Li couldn't help but find it all rather funny. He even turned back to give Ye Aotian a mocking smile.

The gesture nearly made Ye Aotian explode with anger.

He could only watch as the two vanished from sight, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. "Just you wait, Lin Li. One day, I’ll make you kneel before me and beg for mercy."

He glanced at Qin Lang in the hospital room.

Next would be Lin Li.

Ever since this man appeared, his relationship with Leng Ningxue had changed completely. Everything had been going according to plan until now.

With that thought, Ye Aotian made a phone call.

"Hello, it’s me. Yes. I’ve run into a problem over here. Tell Long to come."