Chapter 1947
Afternoon.
At home after lunch.
Dong Xuebing wiped his mouth and said he was full, then went to the bathroom to wash his face and check his appearance in the mirror to make sure everything looked good. Only then did he bid farewell to his family. When Xie Ran handed Dong Xuebing the keys to the Audi A8 he had bought for him, Dong Xuebing took them. He hadnât driven when he returned, and Hui Lanâs Porsche was still parked in the villa garage, so he needed a car.
âThatâs my cue,â Dong Xuebing said.
Han Jing looked at him, âDo you know the way?â
Fang Shui Ling suddenly remembered and quickly wrote down an address, âHere you go, Brother Dong.â
âOkay,â Dong Xuebing took the note and tucked it into his pocket. âEveryone, chat for a bit first. If I hurry, I might make it back for dinner this afternoon.â He knew that they probably wouldnât keep him for dinner, and he wasnât even sure if heâd get through the gate there now. The road ahead looked rough.
âTake care, Brother Dong.â
âBe careful on the road, brother-in-law.â
âXiao Bin, remember to call after itâs done.â
Everyone said a few things. Xie Guobang and Xie Guoliangâs expressions were calm, but Xie Ran and Fang Shui Ling seemed a bit nervous, and their faces werenât natural. After all, they were now just one step away from the final decision, and the bigger the hope, the greater the fear. If Fangâs family disagreed, if Xiao Lingâs family were really firm in their stance, they didnât know what to do. Now, they were hoping Dong Xuebing could help them out and see if he could resolve the issue for them.
Dong Xuebing left and found Xiao Ranâs car, got inside, and tested its feel. The Audi A8 felt good, so he stepped on the gas and drove away.
Thirty minutes later.
Behind a group of villas.
From the outside, it didnât seem particularly special. However, as he circled the group of villas, several detached houses came into view a few hundred meters away, set against towering mountains in the distance and lush green lawns below. Adding to the view, on the left side was an artificial lake. It was a high-end residential area. Dong Xuebing parked in front of one of the houses. Seeing there wasnât much space to park around, he left the car by the gate. Getting out, there was no one around. The gravel path was empty, except for one detached house. This seemed to be the only one in the area, with another villa located further away, accessible from the east. Essentially, each had its road, with no conflict. Detached houses like these were already valuable, but this oneâs private road suggested the property was even more expensiveâat least three or four times more than Dong Xuebingâs villa in the western suburbs.
This wasnât Grandpa Fangâs home. The Prime Minister had a specific residence for that, so this should be Fangâs familyâs private mansion. It was just unclear whether Grandpa Fang was home today. Since Xiao Ling provided this address, it was likely that Fangâs family members were all here today.
At the gate.
Two well-armed guards were stationed there, mirroring the setup at Senior Xieâs house. The guards stood stiffly and expressionlessly, not even glancing at Dong Xuebing when he parked. They stood straight.
Only when Dong Xuebing walked up did they simultaneously focus their attention on him.
One guard raised his hand. âPrivate residence. Outsiders are not allowed inside.â
âOutsiders?â Dong Xuebing looked at them. How can I be an outsider?
The other guard said coldly, âWho are you looking for?â
Dong Xuebing replied, âIt doesnât matter who Iâm looking for, as long as itâs someone inside who can make decisions.â
The guard glanced at Dong Xuebing again, then turned and went into the villaâprobably to notify someone.
Approximately five minutes passed, and the guard slowly came out. He didnât even acknowledge Dong Xuebing and just resumed his post by the gate with his gun.
Dong Xuebing sighed, âCan I go in now?â
âSorry, please leave,â the guard said sternly.
Dong Xuebing was annoyed, âWhy should I leave?â
The guard repeated, âOutsiders are not allowed inside.â
Got it. Dong Xuebing understood now. The people inside didnât welcome him; they wouldnât even let him through the door. Dong Xuebing chuckled to himself at the situationâthis wasnât easy. When he arrived, he had wondered if they would let him in, but it was clear that they wouldn't. From this, he could also tell that Fangâs family definitely knew about him, and they probably knew why he was there.
What to do now?
Just stand out here like an idiot.
Dong Xuebing took out his phone again and called Fang Wenping. He knew she was probably inside the mansion.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
The phone went unanswered again.
Dong Xuebing felt frustrated, looking at the two guards. Waiting outside for sure wasnât going to work. If it were just him, it wouldnât be a problem, but today, Dong Xuebing was representing the Xie family to propose marriage, not just himself. He certainly couldnât let the familyâs dignity be undermined. However, if they didnât let him in, he couldnât force his way through. These two guards were no match for Dong Xuebing. Heck, even if there were ten of them, he could handle them with his eyes closed. But today wasnât about fightingâit was about proposing. If things got out of hand, this situation would only become more complicated, and the proposal might fail. For Xiao Ran and Xiao Ling, Dong Xuebing certainly couldnât afford to do that. He needed to prioritize the big picture and not lose his temper now.
Deep breath.
Another deep breath.
Dong Xuebing calmed down, glancing lightly at the mansionâs structure. He walked to the side, hoping to see if there was a back door. The guards didnât pay him any attention. Turning a corner, Dong Xuebing saw another patrolling guard on the side, holding his gun and watching Dong Xuebing warily. Damn, it was a complete blockade. Trying to get in through ordinary means wasnât going to happen. There was also an obscure electric fence along the high walls surrounding the mansion.
Returning, Dong Xuebing leaned against his car door, lit a cigarette, and glanced at the mansion, mentally strategizing.
Inside.
In the grand hall on the first floor, many people were seated, including both the old and the young, as well as men and women.
Fang Wenping was on the couch, watching TV by herself. She seemed the only one paying any attention, while the others were preoccupied elsewhere.
âWhatâs the son-in-law from the Xie family doing here?â
âSister-in-law, heâs here to propose to you.â
âPfft, what does he think heâs doing? What's good about that clumsy guy, Xie Ran? How could he ever be worthy of our Xiao Ling?â
âI donât get it. Why would they agree to this?â
Whether they agree or not doesnât matter to us. I refuse.â
The second son of the Xie family didnât stop arguing with our eldest brother at the time, causing quite a stir. Didnât Xiao Meng get transferred because of it? Just after he recovered, and now his son wants to marry our Xiao Ling? He is dreaming,â one of the women said. These were probably some of Grandpa Fangâs daughter-in-laws.
The other male members of Fangâs family, including the sons, didnât say anything, sitting there quietly.
Seeing this, the second sister-in-law, who had been complaining, looked towards a middle-aged man, âThird brother, why donât you say something? Xiao Ling is your daughter too.â
The middle-aged man responded indifferently, âLet Dad decide.â
The middle-aged woman was anxious, âWenping, Xiao Ling is closest to you. Why donât you say anything? Are you just going to watch her jump into the fire?â
The second sister-in-law harbored a strong dislike towards the Xie family, so she was angrier than anyone else when the Xie family came to propose.
Fang Wenping glanced at the TV without saying much, âThis is their business to discuss. Iâve already agreed to Xiao Ling. Donât ask me about it.â
It was clear, though, that none of the people present from Fangâs family seemed willing for Xiao Ling to marry into the Xie family. Only Grandpa Fang was upstairs resting and hadnât made a decision yet. The outcome, including the pros and cons, would ultimately depend on Grandpa Fangâs stance. In the Xie family, Senior Xie had already stepped back due to his health, so most family matters were decided by Xie Guobang, the elder brother. In contrast, Fangâs family was different. Grandpa Fang was still very much involved, effectively the second-in-command of the Republic. So, Fangâs family decisions, whether about Xiao Lingâs marriage or the alliance with the Xie family, clearly required Grandpa Fangâs input.
Upstairs, Grandpa Fang was in his study, reviewing documents. His bodyguard was respectfully standing behind him, reporting on the situation outside.
âOkay, I understand,â Grandpa Fang said without expression.
The bodyguard asked, âShall I have them drive him away?â
Grandpa Fang didnât even turn around, âDonât worry about it.â
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
âCome in,â Grandpa Fang thought it might be the eldest or second son.
The door swung open, but the bodyguard was taken abackâstanding there was Dong Xuebing, who should have been stopped outside.
Dong Xuebing smiled, stepping inside and closing the door, âHello, Grandpa Fang.â
Grandpa Fang seemed unsurprised, glancing at him.
The bodyguardâs expression changed, his hand moving towards his gun, âHow did you get in here?â The mansionâs security was so tight that he couldnât figure out how Dong Xuebing had gotten inside without anyone noticing.
Grandpa Fang waved his hand, âEnough, put the gun away.â Then he looked at Dong Xuebing. âEven the countryâs museums, with such strict security, couldnât stop him.â What hope does this little mansion have?â
He was pretty familiar with many of Dong Xuebingâs activities.
Dong Xuebing laughed, âGrandpa Fang, I know Iâm uninvited. I couldnât help it; please forgive me, and donât hold it against me.â
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