Rumors circulating around town brought a flood of customers to Wan Tong’s stores. Some of them came solely to catch a glimpse of the young woman who was being doted on by the big shot.
Wan Tong hadn’t anticipated the gossip to be such widespread. To reduce unnecessary commotion, she rarely showed up at the stores herself.
When it came time to settle accounts for the new quarter, not only had Wan Tong recouped her costs, but she also made a significant profit. So she persuaded her Dad to take it easy for several times, but he couldn’t sit still and insisted on working at the construction site. A day away left him feeling incomplete, and she couldn’t persuade him otherwise.
Initially, Wan Tong planned to bit a bullet and use her money to buy a small garden villa for the family, hoping this would keep her Dad from constantly heading to the construction site.
However, before she could gather enough money, Yan Qinglu bought the villa for her at seventy percent of its market price with just a word.
This left Wan Tong feeling down for a while. She had worked hard to earn money, but now it seemed like she was just living off someone else.
When Yan Qinglu heard her lament, he held her and laughed for a long time, making Wan Tong blush. He then kissed the corner of her mouth and whispered, “Who was it that said they couldn’t afford to support me last time? Then… just be good and enjoy the life of a kept woman.”
Wan Tong was speechless. Back then, she was short on funds because she was opening a new branch. Now, she was a young, outstanding entrepreneur and a little wealthy woman herself.
Of course, buying a small garden villa was still a bit of a stretch for her.
Moreover, without Yan Qinglu’s influence, the seller wouldn’t have lowered the price.
“I haven’t told my family about this yet. I don’t know if they’ll be shocked or delighted. I should go back and prepare them first,” Wan Tong said.
“Okay,” Yan Qinglu nodded, “Take Daxiong and Youqian with you.”
Now, there are several version of the stories of their relationship that had been spread, but the main theme was always about power and dominance.
Yan Qinglu was more concerned about her safety.
Wan Tong nodded, “Where are you going?”
Yan Qingluo adjusted his shirt collar, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Business meeting.”
“Who would dare meet with you?” Wan Tong narrowed her eyes.
Yan Qingluo’s dark-colored shirt added a touch of elite sophistication to his aura, making him look both refined and imposingly authoritative.
“Enemies,” Yan Qinglu said lightly, as if joking.
Wan Tong didn’t press further, just reminding him to stay safe.
At dusk, as Second Brother Yan was heading home, he noticed increasing commotion centered around the building he lived in. He grabbed someone and learned that a building was on fire.
This area was full of old houses with no fire safety measures, and the houses were so close together that a fire could spread quickly.
Second Brother Yan glanced at the smoke-filled direction and hurried home, worried.
Sure enough, the burning window was his!
“Brother Lu! You can’t go in!”
“Stop Brother Lu!”
The familiar voices came from nearby. Brother Yan turned to see several figures rushing through the narrow doorway, with Yan Qinglu leading the way.
—Was Tongtong inside??
Second Brother Yan ran forward but was stopped by a middle-aged man. “Second Yan, where are you going? It’s dangerous!”
“My sister might be inside!”
“No one is at your house. Little Fourth Yan came back today but left again!” the uncle shouted at the top of his lungs.
Second Brother Yan’s heart, which had been tense, finally eased, but thinking about the few people who had just gone in, he began to worry again.
He shook off the uncle and ran inside, determined to get Yan Qinglu and the others out first.
As soon as his figure disappeared, dozens of people suddenly surged from the alley outside. They went to nearby households to fetch water and drag hoses. The originally terrified residents gradually calmed down and joined in the fire-fighting efforts.
In the corridor filled with thick smoke, Second Brother Yan saw several of Yan Qinglu’s underlings, but didn’t see him.
“Get out quickly, Tongtong isn’t in the building!” He grabbed one of the guys by the collar and dragged him downstairs, shouting again towards the upper floors, “Yan Qinglu!”
“Brother Lu! Little Fourth Yan isn’t upstairs!” Chen Hou’s throat felt like it was tearing apart, his voice hoarse.
“You guys go down first! I’ll go find him!” Second Brother Yan pushed a few of them again, then headed upstairs without looking back.
Chen Hou was about to follow when he felt the floor shake. A loud *bang* made his eardrums buzz.
Something had collapsed with a crash, and Chen Hou hurriedly pulled the others to retreat downstairs quickly. “Go, get out first!”
After Chen Hou and the others got out, they didn’t stop. He looked up at the flames, which had noticeably weakened, but it seemed the corridor had been blocked…
“Get a net, even blankets will do!” Chen Hou’s voice was hoarse, but the others understood immediately and quickly darted into the nearby building.
In less than half a minute, two figures appeared in a second-floor window : Yan Qinglu and Second Brother Yan.
At the edge of the crowd, Lin Daxiong saw the figures jumping out of the window and hurriedly squeezed in, “Lu-ge!”
“Lin Daxiong! Where the hell did you go? Where’s Little Fourth Yan?!” Chen Hou supported Yan Qinglu, shouting at him.
Lin Daxiong dropped the popsicle he was holding and pointed towards the alley, “Still back there. I came first since I heard the commotion.”
Yan Qinglu’s hair was disheveled, his bangs seemingly singed by the fire. He was drenched, with burns on his back and arms where his clothes had been scorched through, exposing blackened, red skin, a shocking sight.
Hearing Lin Daxiong’s words, his tense expression finally relaxed a bit, and he started walking forward.
“That looks like Yan Qinglu. I saw him in the papers!”
“Yeah, I saw him at the construction site last time. Those guys putting out the fire are his men…”
“But why is he here?”
“I heard he was saving someone. He just rushed straight in…”
Whispers spread around them.
“Stop crowding around, go fight the fire!”
Lin Daxiong, tall and intimidating, roared, and the area quieted significantly, leaving only the sound of rushing water.
At the end of the alley, Wan Tong, holding an expensive ice cream, looked at the bustling alley and grabbed a woman running out, asking, “Sister, where’s the fire?”
“It’s on the third floor of building number 7, but it’s almost out,” the woman replied hastily before running off.
Hearing this, Wan Tong started to run but suddenly saw Yan Qinglu’s figure ahead.
“Yan Qinglu!” Wan Tong walked up to him and saw that he was drenched. She asked, “What happened to you?”
She wanted to help wipe the soot off his face, but Yan Qinglu tightly grabbed her wrist and asked hoarsely, “Where did you go?”
“It was too hot at home, so I went to check on the new house and bought some ice cream…” She brought the ice cream in her other hand up to his face.
Noticing something odd about his bangs, she frowned and asked, “Did you go into a fire?”
Yan Qinglu didn’t answer. His eyes were red, with faint traces of blood in his sclera, but his gaze was deep and gentle. His voice was low and calm, “Is it sweet?”
“Why don’t you try it?” Wan Tong’s attention was diverted, and she brought the ice cream to his lips.
Yan Qinglu bent down and took a bite.
Just as Wan Tong was about to ask if it was sweet, he suddenly leaned in and kissed her. The cold, creamy sweetness passed from his lips to hers.
It was very sweet.
Zhong Youqian, holding a mung bean popsicle, stood behind Yan Qinglu and clearly saw the wounds on his back. He had wanted to speak several times but didn’t dare. Now, seeing their intimate behavior, he quickly turned away.
Seeing passersby pointing and whispering in shock and embarrassment, Zhong Youqian put on a stern face and drove them all away.
Yan Qinglu’s men exchanged glances and stood nearby, facing away from the couple.
*Plop*
Zhong Youqian glanced back secretly and saw that Wan Tong’s ice cream had fallen to the ground.
He felt a pang of regret—such a waste, she hadn’t eaten much.
As Wan Tong was about to run out of breath, Yan Qinglu let go of her. When his lips parted, his tongue swept away the sweetness at the corner of her mouth and then gently pecked her lips a few more times before holding her tightly again, as if afraid someone would snatch her away.
Wan Tong rested her chin on his shoulder, only then realizing they were in a public place. Surrounded by a circle of tall figures, they had created an intimate space for the two. It was quite embarrassing.
She lowered her eyes and saw the burned clothing on Yan Qinglu’s back and the exposed, scorched skin.
“Yan Qinglu!” she exclaimed in shock, “You’re hurt!”
As her words fell, tears started streaming down her face.
Yan Qinglu released her, and Wan Tong, with tear-filled eyes, wiped at the black soot on his face, revealing more blood beneath it.
Her tears fell even more freely.
[Shishi, are you broken? The boss is in this condition, why aren’t you saying anything?]
[…Because no danger was detected.]
[Burned this badly, and it’s not dangerous?]
[The boss faces much more dangerous situations daily.]
[…]
Wan Tong grabbed Yan Qinglu and anxiously said, “Let’s go to the hospital.”
Yan Qinglu had two burns on his body, which might leave scars.
Second Brother Yan also had an injury on his lower leg, but it wasn’t as serious as Yan Qinglu’s, so he didn’t need to be hospitalized.
Their rental home had been set on fire intentionally. The arsonist was found by Yan Qinglu, who beat him up before turning him over to the police.
Wan Tong gave the keys to the small garden villa to Second Brother Yan and told him and Dad to move in early.
When Second Brother Yan learned that she had bought a garden villa, he was astonished for a long time.
“It wasn’t me who bought it; Yan Qinglu gave it to me,” Wan Tong explained.
“He gave it to you? That’s not right, we can’t accept this house,” Second Brother Yan said sternly.
Wan Tong smiled helplessly, “Don’t worry, Brother. He’s got plenty of money. A house like this is nothing to him. It’s not like you’re selling your sister.”
Second Brother Yan glanced in the direction of the hospital room, feeling even more burdened.
When he went to find Yan Qinglu earlier, Yan Qinglu was kicking down the door, nearly rushing into the fire. For Tongtong, Yan Qinglu was willing to risk his life.
Fortunately, Yan Qinglu was unharmed this time. Otherwise, Tongtong would have been heartbroken.
“Tongtong, from today on, I won’t oppose you being with Yan Qinglu. But if you ever suffer any grievances, remember to tell me,” Second Brother Yan said seriously.
Wan Tong nodded, “Okay, I’ll also let Yan Qinglu know.”
Only then did Second Brother Yan leave, reassured.
Turning back into the ward, Wan Tong sat by the bed. Yan Qinglu was lying on the bed, stretching his hand out towards her, but she pushed it away.
“This is your second time being hospitalized,” Wan Tong tried to sound indifferent, but her words were filled with worry and pain.
Yan Qinglu placed his hand on the back of hers, and this time she didn’t push it away.
He sat up from the bed, and Wan Tong quickly supported him, but he pulled her into his arms.
“This will be the last time,” he whispered in her ear.
In fact, after Yan Qinglu was discharged this time, he abandoned his usual low-profile style. A dozen luxury cars came to pick him up, and this incident even made it into the gossip section of the daily news.
Rumors about a big boss falling for a little flower also spread. The story of the fire turned into: the big boss saved the little flower from the flames, the little flower was moved, and eventually devoted herself to him…
Yan Qinglu’s cold-hearted image was suddenly overlaid with a layer of deep affection, becoming a topic for people’s idle chatter.
Some even speculated whether the little flower’s career was secretly supported by the big boss.
Amidst the constant gossip, Wan ‘Little Flower’ Tong focused on her career without responding. However, she noticed that when discussing cooperation with others, they were all extremely respectful…
Yan Qinglu’s name still carried weight.
But they might also be afraid of the bodyguards following her.
The fire was set by people from Yan Qinglu’s rival faction, but within just a month, Yan Qinglu retaliated. The rival’s dance halls, nightclubs, and bars all ran into trouble, forcing them to sell at low prices, which then fell into Yan Qinglu’s hands.
In the original world’s plot, Yan Qinglu indeed got involved in this area, but that was later on. Now, because of Wan Tong’s incident, it happened earlier.
Since moving into the garden villa, Yan Zheng stopped going to the construction site. Every day, he meticulously shopped for furniture, happily busy, but this kind of busyness brought him joy.
He learned about Wan Tong’s relationship with Yan Qinglu from Second Brother Yan, and it took him almost just one night to accept their relationship. Sometimes, he would even pull Yan Qinglu along for a drink or two. Occasionally, after drinking too much, he would howl about wanting to hang out with Yan Qinglu.
Yan Qinglu remained calm throughout, but Wan Tong and Second Brother Yan were always left in a mix of tears and laughter.
Did their father not realize his role as a future father-in-law? He actually wanted to hang out with his future son-in-law?
Not long after, Eldest Brother Yan and Third Brother Yan also arrived from the village. Although they had already learned most of the situation through letters, they were still shocked when they saw the garden villa.
Studying really does pay off.
“Where’s Youngest Sister? Is she still throwing a tantrum?” Third Brother Yan quietly tugged at Wan Tong’s sleeve and asked softly.
Almost the entire family was gathered.
Wan Tong nodded, “She has her own business and has also bought a house outside.”
To be precise, Yan Wan’ying had recently been taking loans to hoard houses, and as for her clothing store, its revenue seemed to be declining day by day.
“Is making money in the city that easy?” Third Brother Yan asked in disbelief.
“Easy and not easy, depends on whether you find the right way and if you have the right backing.”
“…You might as well have said nothing,” Third Brother Yan replied.
Wan Tong laughed, “Anyway, as things stand now, I am the backing for my brothers.”
Eldest Brother Yan, who was beside them, also heard and responded with a smile, “Apart from farming and raising pigs, we don’t know how to do anything else, but we can still do some manual labor.”
When they left the village, they were a bit worried since they didn’t have any particular skills.
Third Brother Yan proudly patted his chest, “With Tongtong as my backing, what’s there to be afraid of?”
This made both Eldest Brother Yan and Second Brother Yan laugh. Yan Zheng glared at Third Brother Yan, “You haven’t even started and you’re already thinking about relying on backing.”
“Fourth Sister and I are the closest, of course, she’s my backing. I just want to be a freeloader.” Third Brother Yan shamelessly hugged Wan Tong.
Just then, Yan Qinglu walked in from outside and frowned upon seeing this scene.
Third Brother Tan also felt an invisible pressure in the air and instinctively sat up straight.
“Is this Xiao Yan?”
The letter didn’t mention the relationship between Yan Qinglu and Wan Tong, but Third Brother Yan recognized Yan Qinglu. They had once stolen someone else’s green fruit together as kids.
Yan Qinglu sat down on the other side of Wan Tong and quietly greeted, “Third Brother.”
Third Brother Yan nodded in confusion, then widened his eyes as he watched Yan Qinglu take hold of his precious little sister’s hand…
—W-what’s going on?