67: Chapter 67 Returning to Beijing and Home

Since leaving the capital for Jiang Province last May to take up his post, more than half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, even though the work was complex and arduous, he had always remained at his post, never once slacking off.

But at this moment, as his feet touched this familiar land, an indescribable sense of intimacy instantly surged into his heart.

Even when his father, Li Hongji, was stationed elsewhere in the past, the original Li Dakang had never accompanied him, choosing to live in the capital instead; this place held all his memories and attachments.

Carrying this warmth, Li Dakang walked briskly through the VIP passage and out of the airport.

At the exit, a black Mercedes-Benz was waiting quietly, as if it had been there for a long time, just to welcome his return.

Seeing Li Dakang appear, the car window lowered rapidly, and a youthful, vigorous face poked out.

"Brother Kang, over here!"

Zhou Mingyuan shouted excitedly, waving his arm vigorously out the window, afraid that he wouldn't see him.

Li Dakang looked in the direction of the voice, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on his face; it was indeed his cousin, Zhou Mingyuan.

"Mingyuan!" He quickened his pace to meet him, the joy of reunion quietly spreading in the bottom of his heart.

Zhou Mingyuan quickly got out of the car, deftly stepped forward to take the luggage, and placed it steadily into the trunk.

The two got into the car together, and the vehicle slowly drove away from the airport, merging into the morning traffic.

Having not seen each other for more than half a year, Zhou Mingyuan was still that dashing and handsome figure, his handsome features full of vitality, every bit the "heartthrob."

"Brother Kang, I finally waited for your return! How long can you stay this time?"

Zhou Mingyuan asked, turning his head while focusing on the steering wheel.

"About a week, I have to go back to Jiang Province on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year," Li Dakang replied with a smile.

"So urgent?" Zhou Mingyuan was a little surprised.

"It's not easy to come back once, it would be better to stay for a few more days."

"Haha, the work now is not as leisurely as before; I'm busy like a spinning top every day that can't stop," Li Dakang joked helplessly.

"Brother Kang, I'm telling you, you are also something; you don't want to be a proper young master of the Li family, but insist on running down to be a township head. Isn't this just asking for trouble?" Zhou Mingyuan looked puzzled.

"Even if you want to enter politics, how fast is the promotion in the capital? Look at Li Daping; isn't he doing quite well in the ministry?"

The Li Daping that Zhou Mingyuan mentioned was Li Dakang's own older brother, Li Daping.

Li Dakang shook his head gently, a trace of depth flashing in his eyes: "Mingyuan, there are some things you don't understand now, but you will understand later."

"Fine."

Zhou Mingyuan didn't ask any more questions and considerately suggested: "Then shall I take you home to rest first?"

Li Dakang shook his head: "It's too late now. I won't go back today. Let's find a place to rest for the night, and I'll go back tomorrow morning."

"Then go to my place. My villa is just empty anyway."

"Okay." Li Dakang nodded in agreement.

Zhou Mingyuan originally had a stomach full of things he wanted to talk about, but seeing the exhaustion that Li Dakang couldn't hide between his brows, he knew he had been traveling all day and was already extremely tired, so he simply swallowed his words.

Anyway, Li Dakang was still going to stay in the capital for a few days, so there would be plenty of time to chat in detail.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a high-end villa.

This was Zhou Mingyuan's private residence, though he rarely lived there.

Li Dakang put down his luggage, took a quick shower, and as soon as he lay on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, Zhou Mingyuan arrived at the villa on time, ready to take Li Dakang home.

As the car drove on the wide roads of the capital, Li Dakang looked at the familiar street scene outside the window, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

In the past half year, the capital hadn't changed much, but he himself had been reborn.

When they were still a few hundred meters away from the Li family compound, Zhou Mingyuan stopped the car: "Brother Kang, I can only take you this far."

Li Dakang nodded understandingly; the Li family compound was heavily guarded, and vehicles without a pass were strictly prohibited from approaching.

He picked up his luggage, got out of the car, and walked toward the courtyard that held countless memories.

From afar, he could already see the vermilion gate and the armed police soldiers standing guard at the entrance.

"Third Young Master?"

The guard recognized him and opened his eyes wide in surprise: "You're back?!"

Li Dakang smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

After a simple registration, the guard respectfully cleared the way.

Pushing open the familiar gate, Li Dakang took a deep breath and stepped into the courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard was a Red Flag sedan with a special license plate; that was the exclusive car of Grandpa Li, so it seemed Grandpa was at home today.

This thought made his steps even lighter.

"Ah! Third Brother is back!" A childish voice suddenly rang out.

Li Dakang's little cousin, Li Da'an, happened to run out of the side room and saw him at a glance.

This shout was like a stone thrown into a calm surface of water, instantly stirring up ripples.

The conversation in the living room stopped abruptly, followed by a burst of rapid footsteps.

"Dakang?"

"Dakang is back?"

...

The relatives walked out of various rooms one after another, their faces full of surprise.

Li Dakang stood in the courtyard, surrounded by this sudden warmth, his eyes couldn't help but feel a little hot.

Just then, an elegant middle-aged woman walked quickly to Li Dakang.

She was wearing a decent navy blue suit, her hair was meticulously tied behind her head; it was none other than Li Dakang's mother, Department Director Zhou Lan.