Chapter 29: Sworn Brotherhood

Leaving the Li family villa, Zhang Qi returned to her car. Catching a glimpse of the friction marks on her neck in the rearview mirror, a wave of lingering fear washed over her. Had she not agreed to Li Meng’s terms, she would be a corpse by now. Despite the deep resentment in her heart, she knew this was her only choice.

In a world where the strong reign supreme, a chasm existed between her and Li Meng that could not be bridged. Whether in status, influence, or raw power, she was no match for him. Her only hope now was that the powerful young man would strike soon, sparing her from being mere cannon fodder.

Her phone rang.

"Mr. Tang went to the Li residence looking for you."

Zhang Qi hung up abruptly, only then noticing the numerous missed calls from Tang Xuan. She hurriedly dialed him back.

"Little brother, I heard you were looking for me. Let’s meet at the nightclub; I was tied up just now and missed your calls."

Hearing Zhang Qi’s voice, Tang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and told his driver to head to the nightclub. Zhang Qi went home first to change into an outfit that would hide the marks on her neck.

"Sister, changing your style today? Why are you dressed so conservatively?" Tang Xuan asked, surprised. Zhang Qi had always preferred provocative attire, yet today she was wearing a high-collared top.

"What? Are you planning to use your lecherous gaze on your sister now?"

Tang Xuan waved his hands dismissively. "I didn’t say that. I was just curious."

"This is what you call hidden charm—proper on the outside, but lace underneath. Want a look?"

Tang Xuan was left speechless and amused.

"My sexiness is sometimes on the outside, sometimes on the inside, depending on my mood."

Tang Xuan quickly changed the subject, genuinely fearing she might actually show him. "Liu Zhenhua said you went to the Li family. Li Meng didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Zhang Qi didn't hesitate. "Why would he bother me? But this trip scared the life out of me."

"Scared you? How so?" Tang Xuan asked, intrigued.

Zhang Qi lowered her voice. "It turns out that it wasn't just Li Qin who died; every single bodyguard in the Li family was killed."

Tang Xuan chuckled. He was the one who had done it, so of course he knew.

"And the one who did it was a young man in his early twenties. Shocking, isn't it?"

Seeing Zhang Qi’s dramatic expression, Tang Xuan laughed out loud.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Sister, aren't I in my early twenties?"

Zhang Qi rolled her eyes. "You’re in your early twenties, but can you compare to him? Still, you’re quite impressive yourself—being able to suppress the Huang family at such a young age is something few in Jiangcheng could achieve."

"I’m truly honored to have a little brother like you," she added. "By the way, you were in such a hurry to find me—what’s the matter?"

Tang Xuan pulled out a jade pendant. "Sister, this is for you. Keep it with you at all times; it will bring you good luck."

Zhang Qi took the jade and began to study Tang Xuan.

"What’s with that look?"

Zhang Qi replied, "Little brother, you’re so good to me—what if I end up falling for you?"

Tang Xuan joked, "Wouldn't that be even better?"

Zhang Qi waved her hands, giving him a threatening look. "If you’re thinking about taking off your sister's pants, that’s absolutely off-limits. Come on, follow me home."

She grabbed Tang Xuan’s hand and led him out of the nightclub. Once in the car, Tang Xuan finally asked, "Sister, what is this about?"

"I need to do something to put my mind at ease, so you don't harbor any ulterior motives toward me."

When they arrived at Zhang Qi’s home, Tang Xuan understood what she meant. She had a shrine to Guan Yu set up.

"Come here. From today on, we shall be sworn siblings. Take an oath before Guan Er-ye: in this lifetime, we shall never do anything like taking off each other's pants."

Tang Xuan was left between laughter and tears. Zhang Qi did not know that this would become her greatest regret.

"Sister, what if you are the one with ulterior motives later?"

"Don't you worry, I certainly won't."

Just then, Tang Xuan’s phone rang. He picked it up to hear Zhao Ran’s panicked voice.

"Sixteen, where are you? A group of people came to the house and smashed everything."

"Are you hurt?"

"They didn't hurt anyone, they just wrecked the place. I have no idea who they were."

"I'm coming home right now."

"Sister, I have an emergency. I have to go."

Zhang Qi stood before the mirror, hanging the jade pendant around her neck. She looked at the bruising on her skin and sighed heavily. "To have a brother like you in this life is a blessing I must have earned in the last. It’s just a pity I don’t know how much longer I have to live. If I do die, I will go quietly; I won't ever bring you any trouble."

When Tang Xuan returned home, the intruders had already left. The house was in total disarray; almost everything breakable had been shattered. Zhao Ran was trembling with fear, and the moment she saw Tang Xuan, she threw herself into his arms.

"Sixteen, I was so scared."

Tang Xuan comforted her. "Don't be afraid. I'm back now."

Shortly after, Tang Qinghua and You Zhen returned from their errands. "What happened here? How did the place get like this while we were out?"

Zhao Ran explained, "Not long after you left, a group of people arrived. Without a word, they started smashing everything in the house."

Tang Qinghua looked at Tang Xuan. "Could it be people from the Tang family?"

Tang Xuan shook his head. The Tang family wouldn't dare. The Huang family? Huang Tianyang was dead, and his two remaining brothers were cowards who wouldn't dream of it. As for the Li family, even if Li Meng were given a hundred guts, he wouldn't dare provoke Tang Xuan again. For a moment, Tang Xuan couldn't figure out who would dare to do such a thing.

***

At the Wei residence, Wei Feng had specially invited Huang Long over as a guest. Li Qin’s death was bound to change the landscape of Jiangcheng, and for the Wei and Huang families, this was a golden opportunity to elevate their status.

"Old Wei, the tea is almost finished. Why did you really invite me here today?"

Wei Feng replied, "You’ve heard about the Li family incident, haven't you?"

Huang Long hadn't just heard about it—he had witnessed the entire process. Even days later, his heart still raced at the memory. "Do you think the Li family is finished?"

Wei Feng smiled. "Li Qin is dead. What do they have left to fight the Sun family?"

Huang Long feigned a thoughtful nod. Li Qin was dead, but Tang Xuan remained. As long as Tang Xuan was willing to protect the Li family, the Sun family’s fate was sealed. However, Huang Long wouldn't share these details with Wei Feng.

"If our two families join forces, we can surely get a piece of the pie."

Huang Long said, "I have already withdrawn from the Huang family. Their affairs no longer concern me."

Wei Feng’s eyes widened. "Why?"

Huang Long hesitated for a moment before saying, "I won't lie to you—something major is going to happen in Jiangcheng. The entire structure of power is about to change because of one person. As a friend of many years, I’m giving you a warning: keep your family low-key for now. If you provoke someone you shouldn't, the consequences will be dire."

"My son, Huang Tianyang, is dead. Zhou Zhuoyi and Zhou Hu of the Zhou family, and even Li Qin—they were all involved with that same person."