For Libei senior high, one was to enter by the main entrance and exit by the side entrance for the university entrance examinations. Those concerned had been given so many reminders it was annoying. After his sister had entered the venue, Xu Tingsheng simply parked by the side entrance.

  Actually, while the language exam was two and a half hours long and it was technically fine to go home for a while before coming again, just like the parents who were waiting outside in the hot summer sun, this was really the common mentality. However unbearable it is, here I’ll wait. This is the true meaning of accompanying one in the examinations. The more painstaking this was, the more the parents felt like they were fighting side by side with their children inside the examination venue.

  Ask them to go back? No can do. They’re frantic and anxious like there are ants in their pants.

  Xu Tingsheng too had the same mentality. Still, as they were waiting in the car, it was naturally much more bearable.

  Left inside the car, Xu Tingsheng and Wu Yuewei tried hard to continue the conversation for a while before he eventually ran out of topics and said, “I’ll get off and smoke a cigarette.”


  Just like this, he did not get back inside the car for the remainder of those two and a half hours, instead smoking cigarette after cigarette. One inside the car, one outside, the two quietly waited till the bell signifying the end of the first examination finally rang.

  With Libei’s two most outstanding graduates in over a decade standing with everybody else and waiting by the side gate, the gazes of many teachers and parents were drawn by them. Xu Qiuyi walked over and held Wu Yuewei’s hand while privately exchanging words with her, ignoring Xu Tingsheng completely. Even then, Xu Tingsheng felt reassured on seeing the smile on her face.

  Hastening his footsteps and opening and closing the car door for them, Xu Tingsheng next returned to the driver’s seat to drive, not daring to ask too many questions and serve as an annoyance. He adopted the role of a dutiful driver for the two days of the university entrance examinations.

  After the final examination was over, his sister finally walked over to him before anybody else.

  “How was it?” Xu Tingsheng smiled and asked cautiously.

  Xu Qiuyi hit her forehead on Xu Tingsheng’s chest, saying aggrievedly, “It’s all your fault. Now, it’s like if I don’t perform well, it’ll be like our family produced a good-for-nothing. They’re all saying: The brother’s so awesome. No matter what, the sister shouldn’t be that bad……huh?!”


  “Exactly. Huh!” The guilty Xu Tingsheng hurriedly chimed in in agreement.

  Xu Qiuyi raised her head, looking earnestly at him, “You can rest easy, brother.”


  Xu Tingsheng had a flashback of when his younger sister had gotten married in his previous life. She had said exactly this after Xu Tingsheng had finished walking the aisle with her.

  “At least, I definitely won’t enter a half-baked university like yours,” Xu Tingsheng had only just felt slightly moved when his sister mercilessly said such a brutal thing.

  They had come all the way here simply to accompany her for those two days. Wu Yuewei still had finals while Xu Tingsheng had a bunch of stuff besides finals, being even busier. The two had to return at once.

  Still, Xu Tingsheng wanted to drive back unlike how he had come. He was going to borrow a car from his father.

  After packing his stuff and going out, not having yet requested anything, he saw a brand new 2006 Land Rover parked by the entrance. Du Jiang was at the wheel with Zhong Wusheng beside him. Xu Tingsheng was already extremely familiar and close with both of them. He smiled and waved at them.

  “How is it? Is this car to your liking? Dad’s giving it to you,” Mr Xu smiled and said.

  The Mercedes Benz was being hogged by Huang Yaming. Having always been driving Fang Yuqing’s decrepit Volkswagen, Xu Tingsheng had the feeling of owning a good car for the first time. It had been gifted to him by his wealthy father. He could not help but smile to himself in a silly fashion.

  His mother asked, “What is it? My son of a big boss.”


  Xu Tingsheng said with a face full of satisfaction, “I almost forgot……I’m a rich second gen.”


  The whole family laughed.

  “Don’t laugh! This was my actual aspiration back then. To be a loafer, a wastrel……” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “If you really want to, get tired……you’re welcome to come back and be a wastrel anytime,” Mr Xu said.

  Zhong Wusheng and Du Jiang seemed prepared to go to Yanzhou with Xu Tingsheng. Two of the Xu family’s three fierce tigers were being mobilised at once for the first time ever. This was sufficient to show how concerned his father who was all relaxed and casual on the outside was about this incident.

  “Is this necessary?” Xu Tingsheng asked his father.

  “I helped you analyse the situation last night. Your situation now is too chaotic. You may face challenges both overt and covert. So, even as you guard against cannons, you must also be wary of daggers. Whatever the case, having this outward appearance may at least dissuade others from having such thoughts. If they really do act, we will also be prepared,” Mr Xu said with a lowered voice to Xu Tingsheng, not letting the women hear it.

  What outward appearance was Mr Xu referring to? To put it simply: Whatever moves you make, underhanded or otherwise, I’m ready for it.

  Xu Tingsheng could not let his father’s good intentions down. Moreover, the experienced Mr Xu was clearly better at analysing the situation. He noticed that there was a woman standing at the back door of the car too.

  Seeing that Xu Tingsheng had spotted her, the woman who looked twenty-three or twenty-four acknowledged him, “Hello, young master. I’m Du Jin.”


  So it was not just Zhong Wusheng and Du Jiang. Being addressed as young master for the first time, Xu Tingsheng turned and looked rather blankly at his father.

  Mr Xu looked like he wanted to say something but was refraining from doing so. He had wanted to say: Du Jin will help you take care of your little girlfriend. After all, a female would be more convenient. Still, with Wu Yuewei there too, he could only stop and make a motion with his eyes.

  Du Jiang got out of the car and said, “Tingsheng, let me introduce. This is my younger sister. She’s not too good at speaking, please bear with her.”


  Xu Tingsheng asked in a hushed voice, “Bro Du, can you ask her not to call me young master anymore then? I cringe at it.”


  “This……I’ll suggest it to her later then,” Du Jiang smiled, “Still, she received professional training before. These are all rules she was taught. She may not be able to change it at once.”


  “Professional training?”


  Du Jiang nodded.

  Zhong Wusheng put a hand on Xu Tingsheng’s shoulder, whispering into his ear, “If we fight while barehanded, Bro Du and I should be able to beat her. After all, this isn’t television or a wuxia novel. Men and women have differences in physical strength. Yet……if firearms are also included, Little Jin can easily wreck ten of me and Bro Du in a minute.”


  Although Zhong Wusheng’s voice was virtually inaudible at that final part, Xu Tingsheng still managed to hear it. The shock that the word ‘firearms’ brought to him was difficult to express.

  “You mean that Du Jin has……” Xu Tingsheng thought as he turned to look at Zhong Wusheng, Du Jiang and his father.

  While none of them spoke, they also did not deny it.

  Xu Tingsheng did not intend to press them further on this topic.

  Du Jiang drove, the group speeding towards Yanzhou.

  Xu Tingsheng called and arranged for a place of residence for the trio in Yanzhou. It was in the same district, the very same building as him.

  Following this, Du Jin would be in charge of Xiang Ning’s safety and trips to and from school during the weekends. As for the specifics, Xu Tingsheng did not need to worry about that. Clearly, she was the expert in this area. Xu Tingsheng specifically instructed Du Jin to refrain from affecting Xiang Ning’s studies even as she ensured her safety as it was also best if she did not feel restricted or nervous. Du Jin expressed that there was no problem.

  As for Du Jiang and Zhong Wusheng, Xu Tingsheng’s plan was to leave Zhong Wusheng to watch over the overall situation and remain on standby for whatever might arise. The current Zhong Wusheng had already followed Mr Xu for quite some time. Whether in terms of strategy, knowledge, wit or insight, he was already long since no longer that simple martial artist he once was.

  He would leave Du Jiang by his side.

  As compared to Du Jin who was a woman and no one knew of, it was more suitable to have Du Jiang by his side where everyone could see him. In Yanzhou and the surrounding vicinity, the current Du Jiang was actually far more famous as a bodyguard than Zhong Wusheng was. During that battle to protect Lu Zhixin, he had, barehanded and alone, made short work of nearly ten armed assailants in a few minutes. Many had thus heard of the Thai boxing expert Du Jiang.

  Some even speculated in private if Du Jiang could make it to K-1 and beat Buakaw Banchamek……Du Jiang could only smile wryly at that.

  Xu Tingsheng would naturally not be so childish. Still, he was curious as to whether Du Jiang or Zhong Wusheng would win in a one versus one match. To this, Du Jiang had answered, “In a normal spar, I can still win. In an actual fight where we put everything on the line, he will win.”


  Him bringing Du Jiang back was a really obtrusive thing. Seen by those who had schemes in mind, it would evidently serve a much greater effect of intimidation.