Morning.
The first floor of the Villa.
Dong Xuebing went to the kitchen downstairs after leaving Qu Yunxuan’s room. He looked at his mother and wanted to please her by helping her prepare breakfast. However, breakfast was made.
Luan Xiaoping gave Dong Xuebing a stare and said. “Wake them up for breakfast.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing ran upstairs to call them. “Huilan, Yunxuan, breakfast is ready.”
Qu Yunxuan carried her crying daughter downstairs. She saw Luan Xiaoping and her face turned red again.
Luan Xiaoping looked at Qianqian. “Is Qianqian hungry?”
Qu Yunxuan replied softly. “I just fed her. I don’t know why she is crying.”
“Let me carry her.” Dong Xuebing walked over and carried Qianqian. He lowered his head and brushed her face with his stubbles. “Is it ticklish?”
Little Qianqian stopped crying and started giggling.
Dong Xuebing continued to tickle Qianqian with his stubbles.
Little Qianqian started grabbing and scratching Dong Xuebing’s face happily.
Qu Yunxuan was jealous. “This girl had become closer to her father.”
Luan Xiaoping laughed and saw Xie Huilan coming down the stairs. “Come and have breakfast.”
“Mum, how can we trouble you during Lunar New Year?” Xie Huilan smiled. “I should be helping you. Xiao Bing, why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
Qu Yunxuan added. “That’s right. Mum, just let me prepare breakfast in the future.”
Luan Xiaoping smiled. “It’s alright. Sit and eat breakfast before the food gets cold.”
Xie Huilan smiled and carried Little Qianqian from Dong Xuebing. She hugged and kissed her cheeks. “Let godma carry you.”
Little Qianqian giggled.
“Good girl.” Xie Huilan smiled and crossed her legs to let Qianqian sit on her lap.
Little Qianqian was too adorable, and everyone wanted to carry her.
After breakfast.
Luan Xiaoping looked at them. “It’s the second day of Lunar New Year, and Old Yang is alone in the City. Since Qianqian is fine, I will bring her back.”
Dong Xuebing did not want them to leave. “Stay a few more days.”
Luan Xiaoping replied. “You all are returning after New Year and can see Qianqian anytime you want.”
Dong Xuebing laughed. “It’s New Year, and we should spend time together. I don’t want to part with you.”
“Don’t want me to leave?” Luan Xiaoping looked at Dong Xuebing from the corner of her eyes. “I think you can’t wait for me to leave.”
Qu Yunxuan looked at her daughter. “Mum, I will go back with you.”
Luan Xiaoping replied. “New Year is not over. Don’t you need to accompany your parents?”
Qu Yunxuan held her daughter’s hand and laughed. “I had spent New Year’s Eve and the first day with my parents, and I got nothing to do here. I only want to spend time with Qianqian. It’s not easy to get seven days off from work.”
Luan Xiaoping nodded. “Alright. We will leave later.”
“Ok.” Qu Yunxuan replied.
Aunt Xuan’s Mercedes S class was parked outside, and she would be driving Luan Xiaoping and Qianqian back.
Luan Xiaoping looked at her son. “I heard you still got to visit your leaders. Visit them and go back early. Old Yang had been asking about you.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “I know.”
Luan Xiaoping looked at Xie Huilan. “Huilan, you should also take note of your health. You are pregnant and should not tire yourself.”
Xie Huilan smiled. “Haha…. I will take note of it.”
“Ok. Take care of yourself. I am not worried about Huilan. Huilan, help me watch over Xiao Bing when I am not around. Don’t let him get into trouble.” Luan Xiaoping reminded me.
Xie Huilan laughed. “Sure. I will watch him closely.”
Dong Xuebing rolled his eyes.
Late morning.
Luan Xiaoping and Qu Yunxuan left with Qianqian.
Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan left for Senior Xie’s mansion in the Land Rover. They should pay their respects on the first day of the New Year, and they were late.
Senior Xie’s mansion.
Dong Xuebing heard everyone would be here today. He might be early, and only Xie Huilan’s Second Uncle was around. He was playing chess with Senior Xie in the backyard. Senior Xie looked healthy and calm when playing chess, and Second Uncle looked uninterested and frustrated. Maybe he had lost too many games.
“Grandpa.”
“Second Uncle.”
“Happy New Year.”
Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan greeted them and presented their gifts.
Senior Xie looked at them and nodded, and continued with his chess.
Xie Guobang saw Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan and waved them over. “Huilan, play with your grandfather. I had been losing since we started.”
Xie Huilan smiled. “Sure. It’s been a while since I played with Senior Xie.”
Senior Xie smiled. “You are not my match. Only Xiao Dong is qualified to play with me.” Dong Xuebing was the only person in the family to win Senior Xie. Senior Xie was very good at chess, and Dong Xuebing cheated with his powers to win him.
Xie Huilan giggled. “How do you know I will not win? Are you afraid to lose to me?”
Senior Xie stroked his beard. “Hmph! Do you think I am scared of a little brat like you?”
“You better don’t get mad if I win you. Haha….” Xie Huilan walked over.
Only Xie Huilan dares to speak to Senior Xie like this.
Senior Xie did not get mad. “I was the one who taught you how to walk and play chess. Do you think you can win? Let’s play three games.” He turned into a child in front of Xie Huilan.
Xie Guojian stood up and let Huilan take his place. He patted Dong Xuebing’s shoulder. “Let them play some chess. Come with me. I need to speak to you.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing followed Xie Guojian.
Living room.
Dong Xuebing sat on the sofa with Xie Guojian.
Xie Guojian looked at Dong Xuebing from top to toe. “How was the trip? Are you injured?”
“I am fine.” Dong Xuebing smiled. “Thanks for asking.”
Xie Guojian smiled. “I can accept if you are injured or missing a limp or two. But you are fine, and this is making me worry. How good are your combat skills?”
Dong Xuebing rubbed his nose. “It was luck.”
Xie Guojian replied. “You killed nine escaped convicts while being handcuffed, and you claimed it was luck. You fought off a tiger in the safari zoo and said it was luck. As a Subdistrict Office Director, you fought against dozens of civilians single-handedly. Don’t forget about your challenges against Seoul’s Taekwondo schools. How can these be luck? Don’t try to hoodwink me. No matter how lucky one is, he can never escape without a scratch against more than twenty pirates with Ak 47s.”
Dong Xuebing was dumbfounded.
Xie Guojian laughed. “I was shocked when I heard it was you. You can’t find anyone with your combat skills in the military. What are you made of? Steel?” He hit Dong Xuebing’s stomach with the back of his hand lightly.
Dong Xuebing smiled. “No. It was those pirates who had lousy marksmanship. They were not trained, and I can easily avoid them with simple footwork.”
“Even if they have poor shooting skills, no one can avoid getting shot with over twenty guns pointing at him. This has nothing to do with the pirates’ skills.” Xie Guojian squeezed Dong Xuebing’s shoulder. “No one is your match when it comes to combat. No wonder my useless son kept wanting to learn martial arts from you. Pass your skills to Xiao Hao. It’s better than letting him fool around in bars and other night spots.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “Second Uncle, this incident…. Did it blow up?”
“What do you think?” Xie Guojian laughed. “It was an uproar in the military when it was reported to the higher-ups. If you are not our Xie family’s son-in-law, someone would have brought you in for questioning.”
Dong Xuebing was speechless. “Is it that serious?”
“Your combat skill is abnormal.” Xie Guojian replied. “The military’s higher-ups had registered your name in their files.”
“Registered my name in the military files?”
Dong Xuebing almost fainted when he heard this.
Dong Xuebing worked in the Public Security Bureau and knew some people had to be registered with the authorities. For example, a Taekwondo black belt must be registered at the local police station. It was because these people could kill others with their bare fists. This includes other martial arts practitioners, and it was to prevent accidents. However, that was registering with the Public Security Bureau.
This was Dong Xuebing’s first time hearing about registering his name in the military files.
From how it sounded, Dong Xuebing knew this was not something to be proud of.
