Chapter Ninety-Two: Warmth, A Lovely Rendezvous

Zhou Shaofeng walked with steady, powerful strides, each step seeming to follow some hidden rhythm as he slowly closed in on the few men curled up on the ground.

His gaze was icy, like a blade of frost just drawn in winter. Without the slightest hesitation, he gave them each a lesson in “sobering up” one by one—a not-quite-heavy, not-quite-light kick aimed at the soles of their feet. It was punishment for their earlier arrogance, and at the same time a way of showing Li Chao his resolve to defend his dignity.

In an instant, Zhou Shaofeng seemed like a different man. The cold severity on his face melted away, replaced by a smile that was almost humble.

He stepped lightly to Li Chao’s side and lowered his voice, speaking with careful deference, as though afraid of disturbing this hard-won peace.

“Brother Chao, has the fire in your heart eased at all? If not, I’d be glad to keep serving you and teach these shameless fools a proper lesson.”

At this, a faint smile touched the corner of Li Chao’s mouth, carrying a hint of magnanimity and tolerance.

He waved a hand lightly, an action that acknowledged Zhou Shaofeng’s loyalty while also showing his own easy detachment from the scene before him.

“Shaofeng, I appreciate the thought. But a person should know when to be merciful. Since they’ve already admitted fault, give them a chance to mend their ways. Their apology does seem sincere enough.”

The moment he said this, Song Qiang and the others were overwhelmed by an indescribable surge of gratitude, their eyes turning red as if tears might spill over at any moment.

They had never imagined that after such a cold and merciless standoff, they would be granted such lenient treatment.

They hurriedly thanked him again and again, wishing they could etch this kindness into their hearts forever. As they turned to leave, their steps were lighter, tinged with relief.

Yet just as the gathering was about to disperse, Song Qiang seemed to remember something important. He stopped abruptly and looked back at Li Chao, a flicker of hesitation and hope slipping through his eyes.

Turning around, he lowered his voice even further, almost to a whisper.

“Big brother, actually, I came today for more than just this misunderstanding. I have another request. I... I’m here for treatment. Right now the clinic is empty, and your medical skill is extraordinary, your heart so compassionate—could you...”

Before he could finish, the air seemed to freeze for a heartbeat, every gaze turning toward Li Chao.

Li Chao blinked slightly, then his brows drew together as if weighing something in silence.

Just as the mood became subtly tense, a sudden thud broke the stillness—not the sound of refusal everyone had imagined, but the crash of an old book sliding from the bookshelf behind Li Chao.

Zhou Shaofeng moved with such speed it was like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves. Without warning, he kicked Song Qiang flat to the ground. The force was not enough to cause serious injury, but it was more than enough to make Song Qiang gasp in pain.

“What are you looking at, you idiot!”

Those words, rough and contemptuous, shattered Song Qiang’s plea in an instant.

“You did something wrong and you still have the nerve to ask Brother Chao to treat you?”

Zhou Shaofeng’s tone was full of scorn and anger, as though Song Qiang’s request itself were an insult to Li Chao’s noble character.

“Get lost!”

With that furious shout, Zhou Shaofeng’s stance was resolute and cold.

Song Qiang lay on the ground, shock and grievance mixing on his face. He had never imagined that his moment of greed would provoke such fierce disgust.

But before the imposing Li Chao, who stood like a mountain and carried righteousness like the sky, he dared not utter a single word of rebuttal. He could only swallow the humiliation, struggle to his feet, and leave this place that now filled him with awe, his departure marked by embarrassment and unwillingness.

Just as Song Qiang was about to vanish from sight, Li Chao’s gentle yet deep voice drifted to his ears like a spring breeze.

“You’re not seriously ill. You just have too much cold yin energy in your body. Spend more time in the sun, and you’ll naturally recover.”

Those words were like a warm current, instantly thawing the heart that had gone cold from humiliation.

Song Qiang turned back in surprise to look at Li Chao, his eyes full of disbelief and gratitude.

He tried once more to sense what was happening inside him, and the discomfort that had long troubled him truly seemed to lessen, just as Li Chao had said.

At that moment, Song Qiang finally understood. Li Chao had made him stand guard in the sunlight not merely as punishment, but as a subtle form of treatment.

That deep wisdom and compassion filled him with endless gratitude and admiration.

He hurriedly bent low and gave Li Chao a deep bow, tears glimmering in his eyes—his truest thanks to a benefactor.

Then, with a sense of relief and joy, he led his companions away from the clinic, each of them lightened in spirit.

After they left, Li Chao gently patted Zhou Shaofeng’s shoulder, signaling him not to get too worked up.

He then assigned separate tasks to Yuxin and Sun Peng, and walked on with Zhou Shaofeng deeper into the village.

Along the way, Li Chao asked about the progress regarding his sister from the day before.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaofeng’s face broke into an easy smile. He thumped his chest and answered with full confidence.

“Brother Chao, leave it to me! Beating that bastard up was nothing at all. Getting your sister out of that misery is what really matters—that’s when I’ll know I’ve done something worthwhile. As for the divorce agreement and the house, that guy is probably too scared to even mention the name of the Li Family Village now, let alone come back.”

After hearing this, Li Chao’s lips curved into a satisfied smile, his eyes shining with trust and gratitude toward Zhou Shaofeng.

“You’ve worked hard, Shaofeng. You always help me at the crucial moment. I’ll remember this kindness.”

Then he changed the subject and pointed to the somewhat dilapidated courtyard before them, a trace of emotion flashing in his eyes.

“This courtyard has carried so many memories of our family, but time spares no one. It’s reached the point where it needs a renovation. I heard your family has some real experience in property construction, so I was wondering if you could help me find some reliable workers and rebuild this place properly.”

The moment Zhou Shaofeng heard this, he felt instantly relieved. So the “trouble” Brother Chao had mentioned was something this simple.

He quickly replied, “Brother Chao, you’re being far too polite! This is nothing to me at all. My family really does have some resources in property construction. Finding a few skilled and trustworthy workers is easy. Leave it to me—I’ll make sure it’s built solidly and beautifully, and turn this courtyard into something brand-new!”

Looking at Li Chao’s serious, earnest expression, he had initially assumed he was about to be entrusted with some earthshaking matter. He never expected the subject to turn so suddenly to the renovation of an old house.

In that instant, it was as though his mind had fallen from exploring the vast starry sky back to splashing in the stream at the village entrance. It felt like asking a genius who excelled in advanced mathematics to solve a question as elementary as primary-school arithmetic—hardly the best use of talent, and yet strangely relaxing and pleasant.

“Simple!”

A confident smile spread across Zhou Shaofeng’s mouth. He beat his chest so hard it thudded, his voice full of firmness and grandeur.

“Leave this to me, and I’ll make sure you’re amazed and completely satisfied!”

His eyes gleamed with the hunger for a challenge and the anticipation of showing his abilities.

At his words, a warm smile slowly bloomed on Li Chao’s face. In that smile was trust in Zhou Shaofeng’s capability, as well as the relief of seeing a difficult matter resolved so easily.

“Good then,” he said softly, his tone calm and free, the ease of entrusting a professional matter to the right hands.

Li Chao couldn’t help thinking that an expansive network of connections could, without warning, bring unexpected convenience and surprise.

The two stood side by side on the weathered threshold, sunlight filtering through thin clouds and spilling over them, lending a warm glow to an otherwise ordinary conversation.

They discussed every detail of the renovation with enthusiasm, from the layout to the style, each idea filled with anticipation for the future and plans for what was to come.

Just then, a light set of footsteps broke the quiet. Yuxin stepped out gracefully from the neighboring courtyard, her arrival like a spring breeze, adding a touch of tenderness and life to the scene.

Seeing them, she naturally joined the conversation about building a home, her face bright with longing for a better life.

“Sister-in-law, since we’re rebuilding anyway, why not be a little bolder?” Li Chao suggested, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Our two courtyards are right next to each other. Why not take this chance to merge them and build a magnificent three-story villa? The whole village would envy us!”

At this, a faint blush rose to Yuxin’s cheeks. She lowered her head and lightly bit her lip, looking shy and a little uneasy.

“Rebuilding would be nice,” she said softly, though a trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes. “But if we really build it, wouldn’t the two families be living in each other’s company all the time? The village gossip might be hard to avoid...”

Her voice was gentle, but it carried genuine worry over the trouble such close proximity might bring.

Li Chao laughed heartily, his laughter full of fearless optimism for the future.

“What matters most is that we’re happy ourselves. Why should we care about those irrelevant whispers?”

He thumped his chest and his eyes flashed with confidence.

“Besides, everyone in the village is hoping I can lead them toward a better life. Who’d still have the energy to chew over other people’s affairs?”

As he spoke, he looked into the distance. His composure and confidence dimmed everything around him.

Indeed, time had passed, seasons had changed, and Li Chao’s status in the village was no longer what it had once been.

Every decision he made, every action he took, tugged at the hearts of the villagers.

They not only respected him deeply, they also rushed to draw closer to him, hoping to gain a bit of his success or an opportunity to work with him.

Zhou Shaofeng stood to the side, listening to Li Chao and Yuxin talk, his mind in turmoil, taking a while to catch up.

Sister-in-law? Living together?

Those two phrases kept spinning in his head, the implications so immense that he could only inwardly marvel.

But he knew very well that the waters here ran deep, and as an outsider he had no place asking too much, nor saying too much.

So he wisely chose silence and shifted his attention to the more practical task before him: building the house well and helping Li Chao bring his vision to life.

In the afternoon, the sunlight was just right and the breeze gentle.

Li Chao called Sun Peng over, and the three of them sat together, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

Sun Peng’s return added liveliness and warmth to the meal.

Though the table held nothing more than a simple home-cooked spread, Zhou Shaofeng ate with unusual excitement.

He knew this was not merely a meal. It was recognition of his place as part of this larger family, and an important sign that their bond had deepened.

Zhou Shaofeng laughed inwardly, though his face remained calm. To himself, he thought, this house renovation is not just the rebirth of a house, but also a deep tempering of human relationships. It seems Li Chao’s web of connections is only growing tighter.

Just as he was calculating these things in his mind, a burst of ringing phone tones shattered the calm indoors.

Li Chao answered, and on the other end was a staff member from the Porsche dealership, calling to say that everything regarding the license plate paperwork was proceeding smoothly.

With Zhou Shaofeng’s help, Li Chao quickly organized the required documents and sent them over one by one. The efficiency was impressive.

The atmosphere at the table remained warm, but that quiet was soon broken by Liu Dan’s arrival.

The moment she entered, she greeted everyone with gratitude, especially expressing deep thanks to Li Chao.

It turned out that with Zhou Shaofeng’s help the day before, she had not only secured many advantages, but the real source of it all was still Li Chao’s wisdom and decisiveness.

The two chatted happily, and Li Chao’s humble yet graceful manner only deepened Liu Dan’s respect for him.

When she left, an almost careless trace of intimacy in her manner nearly made Zhou Shaofeng, who had been quietly watching from the side, lose his composure.

Tea nearly sprayed from his mouth, and he hurriedly covered it up with a casual “I choked on the tea,” smoothing over the embarrassment.

Yuxin looked over at Zhou Shaofeng in confusion, but he only smiled, though inwardly his admiration for Li Chao had grown even more.

He thought to himself, with one sister-in-law on the left and one woman on the right, Brother Chao’s ability to keep every side pleased is truly astonishing. To hold both ends at once and still keep a firm grip on them—such skill is exactly the model we should all be learning from.

Zhou Shaofeng then drove away, leaving behind a trail of light tire marks, a sign that the day’s affairs had been neatly settled.

His efficiency in handling things was as swift and precise as his driving.

By afternoon, the professional surveying team arrived as promised. Carrying precise instruments, they meticulously measured and recorded the site.

As night fell, when most people had already settled into the warmth of supper, Li Chao’s phone received the design team’s carefully prepared renderings.

The speed was astonishing, once again proving the truth that professional matters should be left to professionals.

Inside the clinic, under the soft glow of the lamp, Yuxin sat beside Li Chao, both of them focused on the rendered designs.

Wonder and disbelief shone in Chunlian’s eyes as she gently touched the drawings, as though through them she could feel the future palace-like grandeur of the building itself.

“This is far too luxurious!” she exclaimed, her voice carrying both delight and concern.

“It’s beautiful, like a palace. But... but if we really build according to this plan, how much would that cost?”

Yuxin’s worry was not unfounded. Years of frugal living had made her acutely sensitive to every expense.

Her thinking was like an old tree weathered by the years, its roots deep and not easily shaken.

Li Chao answered Chunlian’s concern with his usual confident smile.

“Don’t worry, Yuxin,” he said softly. “A few hundred thousand at most. For me, that’s only a small sum.”

“We’re not just building a beautiful house—we’re making a real leap in the quality of our lives.”

“Trust me. It will all be worth it.”

Li Chao’s words, like spring rain on thawing earth, slowly melted the ice in Yuxin’s heart.

She looked at him, her eyes bright with trust and expectation.