Chapter 67: Our Baby!

Not only did Wang Xiushen help Qin Luo take down the signboard of the Divine Needle King, he even arranged for a cargo van to transport it. There was no other choice—the sign was simply too large and heavy. A taxi couldn’t possibly accommodate it, nor could it be squeezed in.

As the sign was being removed from the shop, all the employees rushed out, followed by curious customers who crowded the entrance of the Divine Needle King, making it a bustling scene.

With the help of four workers, the massive sign was finally loaded into the van.

Qin Luo walked up to Wang Xiushen, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said with a flourish, “Master Wang, I await your esteemed presence.”

“Haha, it’s a promise,” Wang Xiushen replied heartily. “I look forward to witnessing the legendary Taiyi Divine Needle in action.”

Qin Luo nodded to Wang Yangxin, then, like a foreman, climbed into the passenger seat of the van, waved to those outside, and instructed the driver to set off.

Once the little van had disappeared into the flow of traffic, Wang Yangxin looked up at the now-empty lintel, feeling as if he had lost something irreplaceable.

“Grandfather, we should pay him to buy back the sign,” Wang Yangxin said to his grandfather, who was still gazing into the distance.

Wang Xiushen turned to look at his grandson and sighed. “Ah, Yangxin. You still don’t understand. Compared to that boy of the Qin family, you are far behind.”

“Grandfather, I’ve disappointed you,” Wang Yangxin said with guilt. After all, it was he who had lost the family’s treasured heirloom, and he was filled with remorse.

“You have indeed disappointed me,” Wang Xiushen replied. “But not because you were outmatched in skill and lost. It’s your childish idea of buying back the Divine Needle King sign with money that disappoints me.”

“Grandfather, soon the whole city will hear of what happened. Our Wang family’s reputation—” Wang Yangxin protested, unwilling to accept the rebuke. He only wanted to protect the family’s name.

“Yangxin, is the honor of the Divine Needle King something that can be bought with money? If so, then we might as well give up this empty reputation. If you have the ability, win back the sign with genuine skill and learning. If not, then it rightly belongs in someone else’s hands. To have it hanging above our door would only make me feel ashamed,” Wang Xiushen admonished.

If Yangxin still failed to grasp this truth, his achievements would end here.

“Grandfather, I understand now,” Wang Yangxin said, bowing his head.

“Good. This is not a bad thing,” Wang Xiushen said. “Things that are too rigid break easily. Smooth sailing breeds arrogance. A setback like this may ignite ambition in you all.”

“Yes, Grandfather. I will work hard.”

Under Qin Luo’s direction, the van arrived at the Lin family villa.

Qin Luo jumped out and ordered the three accompanying workers to help carry the sign inside.

Lin Qingyuan came out from the inner room, and upon seeing the workers laboriously moving the huge sign, he asked, “Where did this sign come from?”

He ran his hand over it and exclaimed in surprise, “Impressive. True rosewood. This is a fine piece.”

Qin Luo had the workers set the sign up in the living room, paid their fee, and then, with an air of mystery, said to Lin Qingyuan, “Grandpa Lin, there’s quite a story behind this sign.”

“Oh? What’s the story? Tell me,” Lin Qingyuan said, running his hands over the characters, full of admiration.

Anyone with some discernment could see that this was no ordinary sign.

Recalling what Wang Yangxin had boasted earlier, Qin Luo explained, “This sign is made from a single slab of yellow rosewood—just the material alone is priceless. The calligraphy was penned by the great master Qi Zhi Chanshi himself. During the late Qing dynasty, a prince, grateful for a physician’s help, commissioned this sign as a gift. If you were to auction it, it could feed a man for a lifetime.”

“So precious?” Lin Qingyuan asked. “Where did you get such a treasure?”

“I won it in a medical contest,” Qin Luo replied with a smile.

“A medical contest? Who was your opponent?” Lin Qingyuan’s eyes drifted to the characters on the sign, and he asked in surprise, “Divine Needle King? In the capital, only Wang Xiushen is known by that title, right?”

“Yes, it was his family. But I didn’t win it from him personally, but from his grandson, Wang Yangxin.”

“Wang Yangxin? The name sounds familiar,” Lin Qingyuan mused.

“He accompanied Old Master Wang when they visited last time,” Qin Luo said with a smile.

“Oh, that’s him? You met again after that?”

Qin Luo nodded, but didn’t mention the wager with Wang Yangxin over Lin Wanxi.

As they were speaking, a car horn sounded outside. Looking out, they saw Lin Wanxi’s champagne-colored BMW gliding into the courtyard.

Lin Wanxi, with no afternoon classes, had hurried back after her errands. Carrying her purse, she entered the house, and was stunned to see the immense sign in the living room. Turning to Qin Luo, she asked, “Did you really go and challenge him?”

“I did. I had nothing else to do today,” Qin Luo replied with a smile.

Seeing the sign, Lin Wanxi knew at once that Qin Luo had defeated Wang Yangxin.

“Amazing.” She couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.

He’d accepted the challenge for her sake, and emerged victorious. The feeling was truly delightful.

“It’s more than amazing,” Lin Qingyuan said proudly. “Wang Yangxin is quite famous in the capital—people call him the Little Divine Needle. For Qin Luo to defeat him speaks volumes about his skill.”

Lin Qingyuan was well aware that this young man was destined for greatness. News of Qin Luo taking the Wang family’s Divine Needle King sign would spread quickly throughout Beijing, and before long, fame would be unavoidable.

Alas, it was a pity his granddaughter hadn’t yet managed to make Qin Luo hers.

“If only I hadn’t barged in that night,” he thought, remembering the scene of Qin Luo and Lin Wanxi tangled in bed, regret filling his heart.

At that moment, Qin Luo’s phone rang in his pocket.

He glanced at the screen—it was Li Qingcheng, that notorious enchantress. Qin Luo hesitated, unsure whether to answer.

If he answered, he knew that Lin Wanxi disliked Li Qingcheng’s infamous reputation.

But if he didn’t, wouldn’t that make Lin Qingyuan and Lin Wanxi even more suspicious?

Besides, he’d already had a taste of Li Qingcheng’s methods. Better to offend a scoundrel than a cunning woman.

“Qin Luo, why aren’t you answering?” Lin Qingyuan asked, seeing him lost in thought with phone in hand.

“Oh, I will,” Qin Luo replied with an awkward smile.

“Hello?” he said, putting on a serious face.

“Little brother, what took you so long to answer? Do you want your big sister to spank you?” came Li Qingcheng’s sultry, provocative voice from the other end.

I was pure by nature, but reality forced me astray.

One sentence was enough for Lin Qingyuan and Lin Wanxi to exchange looks filled with suspicion. They’d both overheard Li Qingcheng’s words, and their imaginations immediately ran wild about Qin Luo’s relationship with her.

Qin Luo looked at Lin Wanxi with an aggrieved expression and asked, “What is it?”

“Nothing, I just missed you and wanted to hear your voice,” Li Qingcheng cooed.

“If that’s all, I’ll hang up now,” Qin Luo replied.

“Wait.” Li Qingcheng’s tone suddenly turned serious. “You heartless thing, do you hate answering my calls that much? Don’t you care about our business at all? I’ll give you half an hour—come to the beauty salon and see me immediately. I have something important to discuss with you. Don’t say you have class this afternoon—I just checked your class schedule. And don’t say you’re busy—I know you’re free. Get here quickly, or I can’t guarantee I won’t do something drastic.”

After hanging up, Qin Luo realized Lin Qingyuan and Lin Wanxi were both staring at him intently.

“There’s really nothing between us,” Qin Luo explained miserably.

“I’m going upstairs,” Lin Wanxi said.

Lin Qingyuan watched his granddaughter’s retreating figure and sighed softly. He turned to Qin Luo and said, “Of course we believe you. I have some faith in your character.”

With this single sentence, Lin Qingyuan had closed off any future excuses for Qin Luo. If he ever got involved with Li Qingcheng, it would mean his character was not to be trusted.

The wisdom of age, indeed.

When Qin Luo arrived at Qingcheng International, he was led directly to Li Qingcheng’s private office on the third floor by the receptionist, Xiao Wan. This spared him the trouble of running into the gang of female ruffians on the second floor who would surely have teased him.

“Mr. Qin, President Li is inside. You can go in yourself,” Xiao Wan said, stopping at the office door.

“Thank you,” Qin Luo replied. After Xiao Wan left, he knocked at the door.

“Come in,” came Li Qingcheng’s emotionless voice from inside.

When she was serious, she was indeed quite imposing.

As soon as she saw Qin Luo enter, however, her face softened into seductive charm, and she said in a syrupy voice, “Oh, I thought it was a subordinate coming to report. If I’d known it was you, Qin, I would have been more enthusiastic.”

“What do you need from me?” Qin Luo asked, feeling frustrated. Li Qingcheng always seemed to flirt as soon as she saw him, and he was helpless to resist.

“Oh, must there be a reason? What are we to each other, hmm?” she teased.

Qin Luo turned to leave. “If there’s nothing, then I’ll go.”

“Come back!” Li Qingcheng called coquettishly. “You blockhead, can’t even take a joke. I do have business with you.”

“What is it?” Qin Luo asked again. If he didn’t press for an answer, she’d never let him go.

Li Qingcheng rose gracefully from her chair and stretched languidly.

The movement pulled her white fitted shirt tight under her silver suit jacket, revealing a slender waist and a delicate navel. Her chest, too, was accentuated, the buttons straining as if about to burst.

“Isn’t big sister pretty?” Li Qingcheng asked playfully, noticing Qin Luo’s dazed gaze.

“Yes, you are,” Qin Luo replied with conviction. He couldn’t bring himself to lie.

“Good boy. Consider that a special reward from your big sister,” Li Qingcheng said, winking seductively.

“------”

Seeing that Qin Luo dared not respond, Li Qingcheng gave him a look of mock annoyance. “No fun at all.”

She opened a drawer and took out an elegant porcelain bottle, white with blue designs, and handed it to Qin Luo. “As the father, you should take a look. Our baby has been born.”

Qin Luo’s hand shook so badly he nearly dropped the bottle on the floor.