26: Chapter 26 I Like Big Things

Ding Qing's gaze swept across the room, confirming there was no one else, before finally landing on her.

No comfort, no questions.

Only a command so brief it was almost cold, his voice deep and raspy, like gravel rubbing together:

“Go.”

Zhao Xiaoya snapped out of it as if waking from a dream.

She scrambled up from the floor on all fours and stumbled toward the door.

It was as if she were escaping Hell, yet also running toward her only salvation.

She instinctively wanted to reach out and grab the hem of his clothes for a sense of security.

But the moment she touched the cold fabric and the dark red stains upon it, she recoiled as if from an electric shock.

She only dared to follow closely within the shadow cast by his tall figure, never falling a step behind.

Ding Qing turned and led her down the stairs.

Every step he took was upon the devastation, under the terrified gaze of Zhang Tianhao.

The survivors in the hall, whether bodyguards or servants of the Zhang Family, were as if under an immobilization spell.

Frozen in place.

Their gazes followed the figure with complex emotions as he walked toward the main door as if no one else were there, shrouded in bloodlust and Evil Qi.

And the girl behind him, tearful and looking like a startled fawn.

Zhang Tianhao slumped in his chair.

Watching Ding Qing disappear into the night beyond the shattered doors, the suffocating feeling that had nearly crushed his Soul finally began to recede.

Cold sweat soaked his undershirt, sticky and freezing.

Beyond the fear, a more intense and sharp intuition—honed from half a lifetime of living on the edge—surged wildly.

A golden scale is no mere pond-dweller; it transforms into a Dragon upon meeting the wind and clouds!

What Ding Qing displayed was a terrifying power that transcended mundane understanding!

He was an existence that even someone like the Master of the Black Mountain Temple would take notice of, or even need to cooperate with.

Zhou Zhengxiong was dead. The Zhang Family's vitality was severely damaged, but they had also completely severed their ill-fated connection with the Zhou Family.

Old Daoist Huang had intervened this time only to fulfill an old promise; after this incident, the Zhang Family's favor with him was completely exhausted.

Abnormal events... were becoming more and more frequent...

The higher-ups were also keeping things strictly confidential...

As a former tycoon of Spring City's gray industry, Zhang Tianhao knew well the dangers of the undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface.

Mountains can crumble, and rivers can run dry.

The only way was to seize this true Dragon before him that had come crashing through the waves!

Ding Qing was young, had a clean background, was ruthless in his methods, and possessed infinite potential—yet he wasn't entirely cold-hearted.

He was the perfect person for the Zhang Family to cling to for their rise after this desperate situation.

Perhaps even...

Perhaps the only hope for the Zhang Family to find a foothold in this treacherous and chaotic world!

“Someone, come here!”

Zhang Tianhao suddenly shouted hoarsely.

His voice trembled from excitement and weakness, yet it carried a sense of desperate resolve.

“Pass on my words! From this moment on, every property and venue under the Zhang Family's name—wherever Mr. Ding Qing sets foot—is to receive him with the highest level of hospitality!

His requests are my commands, and his friends are friends of the Zhang Family! If anyone dares to be negligent, don't blame me!”

His eyes flickered with the sharp, almost greedy light characteristic of a businessman.

It was as if he could already see the Zhang Family tied to this giant ship, riding the wind and waves into the future.

“Prepare a car! Prepare generous gifts! When Mr. Ding has time... no, as soon as he returns, we must immediately express the Zhang Family's sincerity and apologies!”

...

On the other side of the city, at the bottom of Zhao Xiaoya's apartment building.

The night wind blew, dispersing some of the scent of blood and the shock from her body, but it could not wash away the burning mark on her heart.

“Ding Qing...”

The two strolled down the street, and only in the occasional flash of passing headlights could Zhao Xiaoya's flushed cheeks be seen.

“Did you come specifically to save me?”

She mustered the greatest courage of her life, her voice carrying the hoarseness of post-crying and a hint of trembling sweetness.

She looked up in the night breeze, her eyes shimmering with tears as she gazed at the tall man before her, who was as cold and hard as iron.

“Yes!”

The halo of the streetlights fell softly on his sharp profile, those cold lines possessing a heart-stopping charm at this moment.

“Thank you... I... I...”

The maiden's feelings were nearly bursting from her chest, the words “I like you” tumbling behind her teeth.

Tonight's experience had deeply engraved Ding Qing's image into her heart.

No girl could resist a man like Ding Qing, who was like walking pheromones.

Besides, he had just rescued her like a peerless hero in a movie.

This sense of dependency after extreme fear instantly catalyzed into a surging adoration.

Ding Qing stopped and looked down at her.

His eyes remained calm, clearly reflecting her shy yet brave appearance.

There was no disgust or surprise in that gaze, only a clear understanding that saw through everything and... a trace of imperceptible detachment.

He didn't let her finish.

“Zhao Xiaoya,”

He spoke, his voice deep and steady, carrying the indifference of stating a fact.

“You are a good classmate.”

Zhao Xiaoya's heart trembled, and an ominous premonition arose.

“But,”

Ding Qing's gaze lingered for a moment on her youthful, delicate face before falling to her flat chest.

Without the slightest ripple in his tone, he clearly uttered a few words.

“I like mature women—the ones with big breasts.”

He paused.

He seemed to be recalling a specific image, or perhaps just stating a preference.

“I don't like 'poor' little girls.”

Every word was like a cold stone, precisely smashing the pink fantasy the young girl had just constructed.

The color drained from Zhao Xiaoya's face instantly, and her lips trembled.

The courage she had just gathered and that bit of shy sweetness were frozen and shattered by this blunt, almost cruel rejection.

She stared at him blankly.

It was as if she were seeing the essence of this person clearly for the first time.

Powerful, cold.

Like an insurmountable iceberg, he didn't care at all about the humble gaze of the grass on the shore.

Ding Qing stopped looking at her and turned.

His tall figure merged into the shadows of the street corner without hesitation and disappeared.

Leaving Zhao Xiaoya standing alone under the streetlight.

The night wind blew, piercingly cold.

The newly sprouted feelings had withered before they could bloom, leaving only an unforgettable shock and an indescribable sense of hollow loss.

Is he rejecting me because I'm small?

Zhao Xiaoya looked down at her toes; she wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

...

“Holy shit!! Brother Qing, you really are my brother—no, you're my father!!”

A world-shaking howl erupted from Wang Yang's rental apartment.

He watched Ding Qing return unscathed and listened as the other man described the results of his “visit” to Jingyuan Villa in the most nonchalant tone.

And at the mention of Zhang Tianhao's almost fawning “highest level” order, he was so excited he danced around, wishing he could kowtow to Ding Qing on the spot.

“The Zhang and Zhou families! Just like that... they gave in? The Zhang Family even wants to treat you like an ancestor? Badass! So badass!”

“Brother Qing, from now on, we can walk sideways in Spring City!”

Ding Qing ignored his noisy chatter.

He told him to contact Huang Guohua, Sun Hao, and Zhao Xiaoya tomorrow.

The next day, the five of them met again in a greasy private room at a barbecue stall.

The atmosphere was completely different from the lingering fear at the KTV last time.

Huang Guohua had been promoted, but his complexion looked even more haggard and numb, with a lingering fear in the depths of his eyes that wouldn't dissipate.

Sun Hao's face was pale, filled with lingering fear.

Zhao Xiaoya kept her head down, silently sipping her drink and avoiding everyone's gaze, especially in Ding Qing's direction.

Only Wang Yang was as excited as a child who had just gotten a new toy, his face beaming.

Ding Qing didn't waste words and was concise:

“The trouble with the Zhang and Zhou families has been resolved. As for Zhang Tianhao, he shouldn't give you any trouble in the future; in fact, he might even try to curry favor with you. You can return to your normal lives.”

The plain words carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

They instantly dispelled the long-accumulated gloom between Huang Guohua's brows.

The few of them breathed a long sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted; their gazes toward Ding Qing were filled with gratitude and awe.

“I might be leaving for a while.”

Ding Qing continued, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

“Be careful yourselves. If anything happens, contact Wang Yang; he knows what to do.”

He didn't say where he was going or what he was going to do.

Wang Yang immediately puffed out his chest and slapped it loudly.

“Don't worry, Brother Qing! Leave it to me. I promise to watch over everything!”

Huang Guohua's lips moved, wanting to say something of thanks or advice, but in the end, it only turned into a heavy sigh and a single sentence.

“Ding Qing... take care.”

Sun Hao also hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Zhao Xiaoya remained silent, her knuckles turning slightly white as she gripped her cup.

The gathering ended abruptly.

Huang Guohua and Sun Hao left with a sense of relief and complex emotions.

Zhao Xiaoya stood up silently.

Without looking at anyone, she walked out quickly.

Her slender back appeared somewhat desolate and fragile in the crowd.

Wang Yang wanted to pull Ding Qing aside to brag some more, but he was stopped by a look from Ding Qing.

“Keep an eye on Sun Hao; something's wrong with him.” Ding Qing dropped those words and also turned to leave.