Gong Xiaoyi nodded, reluctantly bidding farewell to Lu Chen and Liu Li.
On the way back, the two walked.
Liu Li asked curiously, "You and that young man named Gong Jiu must have a very good relationship, right?"
Lu Chen nodded, "We went through life and death together, shed blood and sacrificed lives together, wandered the martial world together, and did many heroic things. Those were truly glorious years..."
As he spoke, a nostalgic expression appeared on his face.
Liu Li was quite shocked: "Such a deep friendship? No wonder...wait, where did you go to shed blood and sacrifice yourselves?"
Lu Chen continued, "...We leveled up together, fought monsters, formed a sect to seize treasures. I was the leader, he was the second-in-command, phew! Those memories are truly unforgettable!"
"Wait!" Liu Li said, both amused and exasperated, "You're not talking about playing online games, are you?"
"Yes, online games!" Lu Chen was puzzled. "What did you expect? Something about bleeding and sacrificing yourself and still surviving?"
Liu Li's beautiful eyes widened: "So that's what kind of brothers you are!"
Lu Chen nodded, continuing solemnly, "After I arrived in Yunzhou City, he was the first person I sought refuge with, but he was barely able to take care of himself. He was forced to relocate, and one of his legs was broken—he was in a terrible state. I gave him almost all my money, and I nearly ended up homeless. Luckily, I met you. You gave me a job, and that's how I settled down."
Liu Li's wide eyes glistened with tears. She suddenly took a large step forward, then twisted around to face Lu Chen, and reached out to hug his strong waist.
She gently tiptoed and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, then pressed her face against his chest, softly saying, "Chen, you're so good. You're a very loyal person, and you're so kind to others."
Lu Chen, with a flutter in his heart, asked, "Is this a reward for me?"
"Yes!" Liu Li said tenderly, "Chen, I like you."
Lu Chen comfortably wrapped his arm around Liu Li's waist, whispering in her ear, "Then let me ask you something, Sister Li. What do you think about me teaching you striptease?"
"What the heck!" Liu Li pushed Lu Chen away abruptly, playfully scolding, "You haven't forgotten about that!"
Lu Chen nodded, his expression serious, "That's something I've been dreaming of for ages! Sister Li, look at your ample breasts and curvaceous figure, so sexy and alluring. It would be such a waste if you didn't show me striptease!"
Liu Li chuckled, lightly slapped Lu Chen across the face, ignored him, and turned to leave.
Lu Chen immediately chased after her: "Sister Li, if I catch you, I'll take it as a yes!"
The man and woman were running happily through the late-night streets.
They passed a small commercial street; although it was late, there were still quite a few stalls. The two were tired from running and leaned on each other as they slowly walked forward.
Lu Chen said softly, "Sister Li, I'm sorry."
Liu Li was slightly taken aback: "Why are you apologizing?"
"I was going to celebrate your birthday today, but so much happened, and now your birthday isn't really over. So, I think I should apologize," Lu Chen said earnestly.
Liu Li gently shook her head: "Silly boy, I think this year's birthday is the most unforgettable one I've ever had. I'm so content, more content than any birthday before, I'm not lying to you!"
She turned her head and saw something, then suddenly said, "But actually, there's still one thing I'm not satisfied with."
"Huh?" Lu Chen was taken aback: "What's not satisfied with?"
Liu Li pointed to a small stall not far away that was being packed up, and said seriously, "You haven't bought me a birthday present yet." The stall she pointed to was just a small table with a red cloth spread out on it, selling bracelets.
Lu Chen bought three garnet bracelets, each a different color, and put them all on Liu Li. They looked truly vibrant against Liu Li's fair wrist.
Looking at the three garnet bracelets that cost only fifty yuan in total, Liu Li let out a soft sigh of relief and said with satisfaction, "These are much prettier than those pearl jewelry pieces worth fifty thousand. If I had to choose, I would definitely choose these three."
"Of course!" Lu Chen chuckled, "Because they contain my deep affection."
"Get lost!" Liu Li clenched her fist and punched Lu Chen's chest.
The two continued walking back, and Liu Li suddenly made a suggestion. She wanted to sell all the pearl jewelry; she could get at least four hundred thousand yuan, right? Part of that money could be invested in Moon Fang, and the rest could be used to pay for medical treatment for Gong Xiaoyi's family, solving their immediate crisis.
Lu Chen agreed, kissing Liu Li on the forehead: "Sister Li, you're so good! You've strengthened my resolve to teach you striptease!"
"I say, you've gone too far!" Liu Li pouted playfully.
Lu Chen chuckled, a lecherous grin on his face. However, his plans for tonight backfired. When he took Liu Li back to her rented apartment above the Moon Fang pastry shop, the two lingered at the door for a long time, Liu Li even allowing him to touch her breasts. But when Lu Chen tried to push her inside, she refused.
Liu Li, panting, said, "Chen, I'm not ready, I'm sorry. Let me be ready first, okay?"
Lu Chen was helpless and had to give up.
Walking back alone, he felt listless. His body felt suffocated. However, he understood that Liu Li's "not ready" was probably just an excuse. She didn't want him to have her so quickly.
Isn't it said that the easier a woman is to get, the less a man cherishes her?
In other words, Liu Li wanted Lu Chen to cherish her later.
Lu Chen understood, but his little brother didn't quite understand—he practically went home with a stiff erection!
Back at his place, Lu Chen opened the door and was immediately hit by a strong smell of alcohol.
The living room was dark; he couldn't see anything. Lu Chen was puzzled, but when he turned on the light, everything became clear, and he was suddenly stunned.
Good heavens! What on earth was Qingqing doing?
Several empty liquor bottles lay scattered on the coffee table. Although they were small bottles, they were still baijiu (Chinese white liquor), and even drinking too much of it would be unbearable.
So, someone couldn't take it anymore—that person was Dong Qingqing.
She was still wearing a suit, but the top was pulled to one side, revealing a thin white tank top underneath. The tank top clung tightly to her large breasts, trembling precariously with her breathing, quite a dramatic sight.
She leaned against the back of the sofa, one hand pressed upwards, her palm slightly supporting her head, which seemed ready to slip at any moment. Her other hand was actually inside her vest, reaching quite high, until it was practically on top of her bra.
And because of this gesture, a large portion of her fair, soft belly was exposed, her delicate navel faintly visible.
Below, one leg dangled to the floor, the other rested on the coffee table.
She was wearing a skirt suit; needless to say, her panties were visible without even looking down.
Deep tear tracks ran down her face; she had clearly been crying, and crying bitterly at that.
Lu Chen was both amused and exasperated, finding his usually aloof landlady rather adorable when drunk.
He walked over and placed his hand on Dong Qingqing's soft, supple thigh, gently shaking it.
"Sister Qingqing, Sister Qingqing, wake up! Hey, wake up! Don't sleep here, you'll get cold!"
After shaking her a dozen times, Dong Qingqing finally reacted.
However, her reaction left Lu Chen dumbfounded.
Dong Qingqing abruptly pulled her hand out from under her tank top, and then a dark shadow slammed onto Lu Chen's head. Her hand then fell limp.
"Don't...don't bother me, damn it! Go away!" she muttered.
Lu Chen stood there dumbfounded, a wonderfully fragrant scent wafting from his nose, and a thin black strap swaying before his eyes.
He stupidly ripped the thing off his head—a black bra. Judging by the size, it was a D-cup, quite large!
Lu Chen was both amused and exasperated: "Qingqing, did you really have to do this? I heard that getting hit on the head by a woman's thing will bring three years of bad luck! Uh, no, it seems like it's only the underwear that's affected... Ah, thank goodness."
Lu Chen patted his chest, still shaken.
Looking at Dong Qingqing again, his blood began to boil. Without a bra, her thin vest was so clearly visible.
Lu Chen sighed, forcefully picked up Dong Qingqing, hoisted her soft, fragrant body onto his shoulder, carried her into her bedroom, and tossed her onto the bed.
A voluptuous, sexy, mature woman's body lay sprawled on the bed, the posture not exactly elegant, but undeniably alluring.
Especially those large, unbra-free breasts that stretched her vest taut. Lu Chen, watching, was almost in tears: "Sister Qingqing, don't torture me like this. I haven't done it in so long. Don't force me... You're drunk, I can't just force myself on you, right..."
The test of willpower had arrived!
Lu Chen gritted his teeth, jumped up and down a few times, then took a deep breath and began to undress Dong Qingqing.
Actually, he just took off her sexy black stockings, then her skirt, and quickly covered her with a blanket, not daring to look any longer. But honestly, by now, it seemed like he'd seen everything about Sister Qingqing.
Looking at the tear-streaked face of Dong Qingqing, Lu Chen felt a pang of heartache.
He understood why Dong Qingqing was drunk and crying—for her unhappy marriage, and maybe even for the child she shouldn't have had.
Although Lu Chen had never met Dong Qingqing's son, he knew she still missed him dearly.
However, because of that damned Li Yuzhu, and his parents constantly gossiping about his mother in front of the child, the child felt no love for Dong Qingqing and didn't want to stay with her. This was Qingqing's greatest heartache.
Lu Chen went to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and placed Dong Qingqing's towel on it. He came out, put the basin of water on the bedside table, wrung out the towel until it was half-dry, knelt on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped Dong Qingqing's face, removing all the tear stains.
While wiping, he murmured, "Qingqing, I used to be a handsome, rich, and successful man, and I've been with countless women. This is the first time I've ever wiped a woman's face! This is the best service I can offer you. If you're still conscious, hug me, and I won't go out tonight..."
After murmuring for a while, Dong Qingqing didn't react.
However, when Lu Chen washed the towel and wiped her slender neck, something finally happened.