Chapter 106: Encountering the Talented Woman Once More

For the past three days, the entire Leijiang has been abuzz with the news: the underworld kingpin Kui San held a grand funeral for Ma Gang and four of his henchmen. From the crematorium to the cemetery stretched a funeral procession over a kilometer long. Thousands of gang members from various factions, all dressed uniformly in white shirts and black trousers, wearing sunglasses and black armbands, attended the farewell. The police, fearing a gang war might erupt, deployed over a thousand armed officers and paramilitary personnel to maintain order. Even venerable monks from Leijiang's famous ancient temples, including Holy Water Temple and Sweet Dew Temple, came to the cemetery, hanging curtains and banners to hold religious rites.

After work, Mengmeng handed a newspaper to Kang Ning. “Here’s today’s paper. It has a report on the car accident and explosion from a few days ago. It’s terrifying. The teachers at school all say the gangs have grown so brazen—they actually dared to hold a lavish funeral for those thugs who died in the crash in broad daylight. The police are just pathetic!”

Kang Ning finished reading the accident report, put down the paper, and embraced Mengmeng, kissing her. Playfully annoyed, Mengmeng pinched his waist. “You flirt!”

Unfazed, Kang Ning leaned in for a passionate kiss. Mengmeng struggled a bit but then wrapped her arms around his neck, responding with equal fervor.

Five nights ago, after Mengmeng returned home and heard Kang Ning’s apology, she wept so hard she was bedridden. It wasn’t until the next morning that she came to terms with it. From that day forward, Mengmeng seemed to mature overnight; she became more caring and considerate toward Kang Ning, fulfilling every request. Other than a few questions about Su Fang’s temperament and appearance, she never said anything to embarrass him. Kang Ning, anxious and uneasy, was both grateful and guilty.

“Hungry? Dinner’s ready,” Kang Ning whispered to Mengmeng in his arms.

Mengmeng pushed him gently away. “I’m really hungry. Is Sister Jing still asleep? Let’s wait until she wakes up to eat together.”

“Alright, whatever you say,” Kang Ning replied, picking Mengmeng up and walking toward the bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed and began unbuttoning her blouse. Mengmeng grabbed his hand, shaking her head. “No, I just started my period today.”

Kang Ning leaned over her. “Then I won’t go any further. Just let me kiss you.”

Mengmeng hurriedly stopped him from undoing the buttons again. “No, you can’t. I can’t handle it when you kiss me right now. Please behave, okay? I’ll take care of you tonight.”

Just as Kang Ning was about to tease her, his phone rang. Sitting up, he checked the caller ID—it was Gao Qinghua. He put the phone to his ear. “Big brother, calling me at this hour—you want to treat me to a meal, don’t you?”

“Ha ha, you guessed right. Let’s go have spicy boiled fish today, at that countryside restaurant in the southern suburbs where we went last time. Xiao Du and I just got out. Need me to pick you up?” Gao Qinghua’s cheerful voice came through.

Kang Ning replied, “No need to pick me up. I’ll drive there myself.”

Mengmeng didn’t complain and agreed, only asking that they come back early. Kang Ning changed into jeans and a casual T-shirt, kissed Mengmeng, and left. Driving his Passat, he soon arrived at the southern suburb farmhouse restaurant. Parking beside Gao Qinghua's car, he locked his door and entered the bamboo pavilion where Gao Qinghua awaited.

“Sit down quickly,” Du Jianwu poured tea for Kang Ning.

Seeing their good moods, Kang Ning smiled and asked, “What’s the occasion today, brothers?”

Gao Qinghua and Du Jianwu exchanged glances, then Du Jianwu laughed. “There’s definitely a reason to celebrate. Those two wicked guys died suddenly; I’m thrilled. No more worries or helplessness. So today, I’m the host!”

Kang Ning glanced at Gao Qinghua, then turned to Du Jianwu. “I just read the newspaper. It says it was an accidental car crash. When I was repairing cars, I specifically examined the hydraulic systems of Mitsubishi SUVs. At least two models have serious issues. I remember an automotive report about this once, but it faded away—probably Mitsubishi paid to cover it up.”

Gao Qinghua sighed. “That problem is a ticking time bomb. Our unit almost exclusively uses Mitsubishi SUVs; I worry about failures under heavy use. I’ll call the old regiment commander tomorrow to discuss this.”

After the dishes arrived, the three toasted and eagerly began eating. The spicy boiled fish here was truly delicious. Not long after, a tall, beautiful young woman serving dishes caught Kang Ning’s eye. Even after she left, he kept watching her retreating figure.

Du Jianwu, sharp-eyed, teased Kang Ning mercilessly. “Young people these days! Having a flower-like beauty at home isn’t enough, huh? Usually so serious and studious, but when they see a pretty girl, their true nature shows. Ha! I like her too. Look at her smooth skin, tall figure—ample chest, perfect curves. Tsk, tsk, just looking, no touching!”

Kang Ning turned, blushing as he said to Gao Qinghua and Du Jianwu, who were grinning oddly, “I know that girl. Du, do you remember Luo Ming, the guy who lost a hand?”

Du Jianwu’s smile vanished. “Yeah, haven’t seen him in a while. Not sure if his injury healed. What? Is that girl connected to him?”

“A bit. I met her once when I helped Luo Ming take a leave at the bar. Didn’t expect she’d left the bar and come here.” Kang Ning didn’t reveal the full truth but confirmed he had seen the girl at the bar.

Du Jianwu nodded. “No wonder you’re like that. Honestly, such a beautiful girl working long-term in a bar is dangerous. She might go down the wrong path.”

Gao Qinghua trusted Kang Ning’s character but knew that with Lu Jing’s big belly now, Kang Ning must be feeling as restless as he once did. So he teased him, “Guess Xiao Hua is bored? Ha! No shame in that. Everyone likes to look at pretty women. That girl serving just now—I kept glancing, right, Xiao Du?”

Du Jianwu chuckled knowingly. Just then, the girl returned with a plate of vegetables. Kang Ning noticed her flushed cheeks and slightly elongated, bright eyes—clearly embarrassed by Gao Qinghua’s earlier remarks.

Kang Ning smiled kindly. “You’re Shuyi, right?”

The girl stared in surprise at Kang Ning’s handsome face, her heart pounding. “How… how do you know my name?”

Kang Ning smiled faintly. “I’m a friend of Luo Ming’s. We met once at the bar. He said you study very well. How do you think your college entrance exam went?”

Only then did Shuyi understand and smile sweetly at Kang Ning. But when she thought of the exam, her bright eyes dimmed. “I took it, but I probably won’t get into university… I—I have to go now.”

Watching Shuyi’s graceful retreat, Du Jianwu looked at Kang Ning in astonishment, his face full of resentment and frustration. “You really know people. I’m impressed. You always meet one-in-a-thousand girls. Why don’t I have such luck? The heavens are so unfair!”

Gao Qinghua and Kang Ning laughed heartily and raised their glasses to toast the brooding Du Jianwu.