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The training ground was filled with the mixed scent of sandalwood and sweat in the early morning.

Qi Dongcao kicked the sandbag so hard it shook violently, strands of hair sticking to her sweaty neck.

She had been practicing for three hours straight, as if only physical pain could suppress her inner struggle.

"Dongcao," Zhao Xin's voice came from the doorway, "The osmanthus flowers at the old house are blooming, let's go back and take a look."

Qi Dongcao finished her stance and turned around, seeing her adoptive father standing in the morning light, dressed in an unusual training uniform.

This once-powerful business tycoon who dominated the north now has graying temples.

"Dad..." she wiped her sweat, "I want to have some peace and quiet lately."

Zhao Xin slowly approached, casually unbuttoning his cufflinks: "Did your second uncle come looking for you?"

Qi Dongcao's body stiffened, and her left hand unconsciously reached for the jade bracelet on her wrist.

She carefully wrapped the crack with gold thread, but it was still shocking to behold.

"Sigh! I guessed so." Zhao Xin sighed, then suddenly assumed a fighting stance. "Come on, spar with Dad."

Before he could respond, a palm strike pierced his heart and reached his chest.

Qi Dongcao skillfully blocked and countered, and the two moved and dodged on the soft matted ground.

After thirty moves, Zhao Xin suddenly changed his move, using a unique move of the Qi family called "Swallow's Whirlwind," which caught Qi Dongcao off guard and knocked her to the ground.

“This move…” she gasped, her eyes wide.

“Your father taught me.” Zhao Xin pulled her up, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “That year you had a fever and were hospitalized, we sparred in the corridor until dawn.”

He patted non-existent dust off his training clothes. "Dongcao, go ahead and investigate whatever you want, do whatever you want. This family won't fall apart."

Qi Dongcao's eyes felt hot.

The warmth of Zhao Xin's palm overlapped with childhood memories. Which one was the real one: the man who held her hand at her father's funeral or the aging adoptive father she was now with?

"Dad..." she finally asked, "about what happened back then..."

Just then, Huang Fengtu rushed in, "Chairman, General Manager Pang said that a Akhal-Teke horse has arrived at the horse farm, and he would like you to come and try it out!"

Zhao Xin gave Qi Dongcao a deep look, as if he could see through all her unanswered questions: "We'll talk about it when we get back tonight."

"..."

……

The birch forest at the suburban horse ranch rustled in the autumn wind.

Pang Tuo led a magnificent chestnut horse, his forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.

"Old Pang, you're sweating more than a horse!" Zhao Xin said with a smile as he took the reins.

A light, imperceptible press of the finger on the horse's carotid artery caused its heart to race, clearly indicating it had been frightened.

Pang Tuo chuckled dryly twice: "This beast has a fierce temper, Chairman, be careful."

Zhao Xin mounted his horse, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the distant bushes where metallic reflections shimmered.

He pretended not to notice and gently spurred the horse's belly: "Let's run a couple of laps to loosen up our muscles."

The ambush was suddenly launched as the horses charged into the forest path.

The tripwire sprang up from the dead leaves, and the Akhal-Teke horse neighed in alarm and knelt down on its front hooves.

Zhao Xin rolled over as he fell from his horse, and when he landed, he had already drawn a dagger from his riding boot.

"Come out." He sneered at the empty woods. "Chen Hongxiong, even your father wasn't this despicable back then."

Then six men in black surrounded them from all directions, the leader of whom was Chen Hongxiong, whose face was sinister.

The scar on his right cheek looked even more menacing in the shadows of the trees: "Chairman Zhao, you have impressive skills, but it's a pity you're going to meet your end here today."

Zhao Xin caught a glimpse of Pang Tuo hiding behind a tree: "Old Pang, what are they threatening you with? Your son or your wife?"

Pang Tuo knelt down abruptly, tears streaming down his face: "Chairman! My son owes gambling debts, and they said they'd chop off his hand..."

"I understand." Zhao Xin nodded.

Suddenly, he threw the dagger hard at Chen Hongxiong's face, and while Chen dodged, he rushed towards the thinnest thug.

He knocked his opponent down with an elbow strike and made his escape.

A furious roar came from behind: "Chase him! Don't let him get to the river!"

Now in his middle age, Zhao Xin is acting like he used to chase after debts when he was young.

The tree branch struck his face, leaving bloody marks, and his lungs burned with pain, but he knew that as long as he could hold on until he reached the riverbank, there would be a chance of survival, where he had buried the emergency supplies he had buried years ago.

When he finally jumped into the icy river, the pursuers on the bank cursed and fired wildly.

Zhao Xin swam half a kilometer downstream and dug out a waterproof bag from the silt.

Inside were a spare cell phone, cash, and an old Type 54 pistol.

……

Just then, an accident occurred on Zhao Xin's film set.

An actress fell while suspended by wires and was rushed to the hospital.

In the VIP floor of a private hospital, Guo Qingniu leaned against the wall outside the operating room, eating an apple.

This burly man, standing 1.9 meters tall, wore an ill-fitting suit with his tie askew, looking like a black bear that had wandered into civilized society.

"Brother Guo, Miss Li only has a fractured ankle," the young assistant whispered. "Isn't there a need to be so worried?"

Guo Qingniu spat out the apple core: "The boss said someone is going to cause trouble today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened with a "ding".

Five "doctors" in white coats walked over quickly, and the one in the lead took out his badge: "We are from the medical malpractice investigation team."

Guo Qingniu grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "What a coincidence! Me too."

He suddenly sprang up, delivering a karate chop to the intruder's carotid artery while simultaneously kicking another man to the ground with a side kick.

The remaining three hurriedly drew their guns, but Guo Qingniu had already grabbed the IV stand and swung it around to smash it.

Amidst the clanging of metal, he pulled out a baton from his waist: "Tell Chen Hongxiong, the Zhao family isn't all dead yet!"

Five minutes later, when the security guards arrived, they only saw five "doctors" piled up in the corner like a human pyramid, with Guo Qingniu using their ties to tie people up.

"You dare to cause trouble on the Zhao family's turf with such mediocre skills?" He clapped his hands and stood up, then suddenly remembered something and pulled out his phone. "Hey, sister-in-law? It's all done! Tell the boss not to worry... What? Miss Dongcao is going to Shanghai?"

At the end of the corridor, the actress, who had just finished her check-up, leaned on her crutches and stared in disbelief as the thug in the suit hummed a tune and walked into the elevator.

……

In the study of the Zhao family villa, Huang Fangfei was bandaging her husband's abrasion on his arm.

"You really want to go and risk it yourself?" Her voice trembled. "Do you even know what kind of madman Chen Hongxiong is...?"

“It’s precisely because he’s gone mad that we need to lure the snake out of its hole.” Zhao Xin took a sip of whiskey. “Qi Fengnian is out of prison, Nalan Changsheng is back in power, and now even Pang Tuo has been turned against him…”

He suddenly coughed, and there was a trace of blood on his handkerchief.

Huang Fangfei snatched the glass: "You're still drinking! The doctor said..."

"Fangfei." Zhao Xin pressed her hand down. "Tomorrow, I'll send Yange to Switzerland."

The room suddenly became quiet.

Ten-year-old Zhao Yange was reciting Tang poems next door when her childish voice drifted over: "I left home young and returned old..."

"Is it really necessary?" Huang Fangfei's eyes reddened. "The company has so many bodyguards..."

In fact, Huang Fangfei did not want her son Zhao Yange to leave, because going to Switzerland would mean being far away from the group, and would also make it easy for him to lose his right to inherit the Jinhai Group.

Huang Fangfei is not as simple as she seems on the surface; she wishes Su Ning would die outside forever and never come back.

“Sigh! They’re after Ba Liang this time.” Zhao Xin looked out the window. “I owe that kid too much, I can’t let him get involved again. And I absolutely can’t let Zhao Yange get involved.”

Then he dialed the internal line again, "Dongcao, come to the study." "Dad, you wanted to see me?"

When Qi Dongcao pushed open the door and entered, Zhao Xin had already regained his usual sternness: "Pack your luggage, we're going to Shanghai tomorrow."

"What?" Qi Dongcao stood there, stunned.

“Protect Ba Liang closely.” Zhao Xin handed over a photo of Su Ning and Shen Jiayi on campus. “Qi Fengnian will find out his whereabouts sooner or later. I believe that with you by Ba Liang’s side, your second uncle will be more cautious.”

Qi Dongcao clutched the photo tightly, Shen Jiayi's smiling face contorted between her fingers: "Dad, why me?"

“Because…” Zhao Xin looked at her meaningfully, “you are both my daughter and a member of the Qi family. Neither side will easily touch you. Besides, hasn’t your grandmother already made her decision?”

"..."

The jade bracelet gleamed softly under the light.

Qi Dongcao suddenly realized that this was both protection and exile.

"What? You don't want to marry Ba Liang?"

"I will follow your instructions."

"Go! Spend as much time as possible with Balang, and try to help him regain his memory."

"Dad, I'll try my best."

……

The president's office at the headquarters of Shanghai "Jiuzhoufang" company.

Suning was reviewing the data for the launch of UnionPay when the front desk intercom suddenly rang: "Mr. Su, a Ms. Qi is looking for you."

On the monitor screen, Qi Dongcao stood in the lobby in a beige trench coat, with her carry-on suitcase at her feet.

Unlike her usual polished look, she wore only light makeup today, and there were obvious dark circles under her eyes.

"Let her up." Su Ning pressed the door open button and simultaneously sent Shen Jiayi a text message: [Date canceled tonight, something came up at the company.]

The elevator doors opened, and Qi Dongcao stepped out, dragging her suitcase. Her first words made Su Ning raise an eyebrow: "Su Ning, I'm here to apply for the assistant position."

"The Zhao family's daughter is my assistant?" Su Ning chuckled. "Does Zhao Sanjin know about this?"

“He arranged it.” Qi Dongcao looked directly into Su Ning’s eyes. “Someone wants to harm you and Shen Jiayi. He sent me specifically to protect you.”

The office temperature suddenly dropped.

Suning stood up and closed the blinds: "Tell me in detail."

Two hours later, Qi Dongcao finished telling all the inside stories.

From Chen Hongxiong's revenge to Qi Fengnian's conspiracy, and even the details of Zhao Xin's attack at the horse farm.

Suning's expression had returned to calm.

“So,” he twirled his pen, “I need an assistant who can be both a bodyguard and a businessperson?”

Qi Dongcao took out a laptop from the box: "I am fluent in four languages, have a certified public accountant qualification, and can take down a 1.9-meter-tall strong man in close combat."

She paused, "And I know all your habits, like adding three sugar cubes to your coffee, but never adding milk."

Su Ning suddenly laughed: "Monthly salary of 20,000, accommodation included, meals not included."

"Where to stay?"

"Wherever I live, you must live too. You must be on call 24/7, and stay by my side while I eat and sleep. I can't manage the company's affairs while I'm at school, so you must come to the company to oversee things in my place." Su Ning suddenly looked at Qi Dongcao meaningfully and ambiguously.

"Hmph! Are you hiring an assistant?"

"Didn't you say you were my childhood sweetheart? Logically, you shouldn't mind, right?"

"I……"

Qi Dongcao walked to the French windows, where the lights of the Huangpu River flowed in the night.

She gently stroked the gold thread on the jade bracelet, then suddenly asked, "Su Ning, you really... don't remember anything at all? When we were little, you always followed me around calling me 'Sister Dongcao'..."

Su Ning was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "The only memories I have are of the three corpses in the abandoned factory, the blood, and the little girl who kept calling out..."

"..."

A flash of lightning streaked across the window, and then a torrential downpour began.

As Qi Dongcao gazed at the blurred city outline through the rain, she vaguely felt that fate was like this rain, seemingly chaotic yet with its own trajectory.

On the desk, Shen Jiayi's text message lit up: [Okay~ Remember to miss me! PS: I've finished your French homework ^_^]

Qi Dongcao, noticing the message on Suning's phone, felt inexplicably jealous. "Okay! I promise you."

"Remember! From now on, you are no longer the CFO of Jinhai Group, but my personal assistant, Suning. You cannot disobey my requests in any way. Also, don't call me Ba Liang anymore; I really dislike that name."

"Then a monthly salary of 20,000 is too low."

"Then I'll give you all my wealth?"

"What?" Qi Dongcao was stunned.

Then Su Ning took Qi Dongcao away from the "Jiuzhoufang" company and went directly to a luxury mansion in the pouring rain.

When Su Ning led Qi Dongcao from the garage to the bedroom of the mansion, Qi Dongcao had already roughly guessed Su Ning's thoughts.

"Eight... Su Ning, what are you doing?"

"Since you're my childhood sweetheart, what do you think I should do?"

"But……"

"you are not willing?"

"..."

Then, Su Ning smiled and kissed Qi Dongcao's head, leaving Qi Dongcao stunned by his actions.

Then, with a blank mind, I awaited the beginning of my new destiny, feeling both apprehensive and expectant.

An hour or two later, Qi Dongcao finally clung tightly to Su Ning and asked, "Su Ning, when...when did you fall for me?"

"I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I feel like you are the most beautiful gift bestowed by God."

"Then why did you treat me that way?"

"Because I really don't want to go back to the Zhao family, even if I regain my memories."

"Why? Don't you want to inherit the Jinhai Group?"

"It's meaningless! I still prefer to create my own business rather than something left to me by Zhao Sanjin."

"..."

"Winter Grass, will you stay by my side forever?"

"Yes, until the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, until death do us part."

"I have many women around me, wouldn't you mind?"

"..." At this moment, Qi Dongcao responded to Su Ning with silence, after all, no woman wants to share a man with other women.

"It's no use caring! Because you can't get rid of me now."

"Hmph! I didn't expect you to be this kind of person."

"Winter Grass, do I want more?"

"what……"

Today, Suning brought Qi Dongcao so many surprises, and this is the first time she has let go of all her worries.

Being caught between the Zhao and Qi families put her in a difficult position, but becoming Su Ning's woman made her fearless.

Qi Dongcao looked at the sleeping man beside her with a fascinated expression, "Su Ning, I will always protect you and never let you leave me again."

...(End of chapter)