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"Oh, I see." Chu Yuening suddenly understood.

They had only managed to view the house when they found the time, and it was settled due to its favorable location and ample space. Most of the follow-up matters were handled by Zhang Jiande.

Speaking of which,

"I haven't even met the contractor for the renovations yet. I should go take a look later."

"Let's go." Cong Ling smiled brightly as she eagerly offered to gather the scattered chairs, "You can ask Fei Yu to bring his men to help."

Indeed, they would need assistance once the shop was up and running.

Chu Yuening pondered for a moment before declining, "Fei Yu? He's now the third-in-command of the Fourteen Gang, so he probably doesn't have the time, right?"

"The third-in-command position is all because of you," Cong Ling encouraged her to make use of him without hesitation, "Even if Qiu Hao knows, he'll definitely agree."

"Qiu... Hao?" Chu Yuening caught onto the name and playfully teased, "You used to call him Brother Qiu, didn't you?"

Even Cong Ling, who was accustomed to the nightlife scene, couldn't resist blushing. She averted her gaze, "I didn't expect Brother Qiu to like me either!"

Saying this, Zong Ling started counting her flaws on her fingers. "I'm fat, lazy, and ignorant of social norms."

"The most important thing," she said, letting her hand fall and sighing, "is that I work in this line, so my reputation isn't spotless. Why on earth would Brother Qiu like me?"

"Surely you didn't choose this line willingly," Chu Yuening shook her head. "If there had been any other option, you wouldn't have entered this world." She then took Zong Ling's slender wrist, gave it a gentle squeeze, and let go.

"You still think you're fat? You'd be nothing but bones if you lost any more weight."

"My dear, you just don't understand. Those disgusting men love this kind of body – they want women with big breasts and hips, but everything else should be slender."

Zong Ling lifted the flap of her red leather jacket, revealing what lay beneath, but the thought of her troubles made her lower it again. She pushed her hair back with one hand and reached into her pocket for a cigarette with the other.

Her red nails plucked a cigarette from the pack, and she clicked a lighter several times.

Remembering something, she lifted her gaze, smiled brightly, and put the cigarette back in its box.

"Never mind, I won't smoke in front of you. Master, what do you think Brother Qiu sees in me?"

The second-in-command of the Fourteenth Gang had no shortage of clean women vying for his bed.

Con Ling truly couldn't understand why Qiu Hao had chosen her.

After some thought, her expression turned dejected. "Once, I even took a client in front of him."

Recalling Qiu Hao's poignant unrequited love story, Chu Yuening coughed lightly.

Indeed, it wasn't easy to become the second-in-command of the Fourteenth Gang; Qiu Hao was incredibly patient.

"You're dwelling on this. Why not ask Qiu Hao himself? He'll definitely tell you the reason. After all, he hasn't liked you for just a day or two."

"The Master speaks the truth," a steady voice echoed.

Both raised their heads to look.

Qiu Hao approached with a group, carrying two gift boxes. The moment he arrived, he placed the boxes in one hand and reached out with the other to pull Con Ling up from the ground.

He noticed that beneath her leather jacket, Qiu Ling wore only a strapless top, softening her scarred face and melting the coldness in her eyes.

"You're dressed so lightly? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Qiu Hao took off his thin fleece jacket and draped it over Qiu Ling's shoulders. "Is there something on your mind that you won't share with me?"

Qiu Ling held onto the jacket, still warm from Qiu Hao's body heat. Ever since he had taken the initiative to break the ice, he would visit Temple Street whenever he had free time.

Today, she had intentionally come out knowing that Qiu Hao would be here.

Intending to avoid Qiu Hao, she ended up bumping into him instead.

A'Ling kept her head down, remaining silent.

"Master, I just dropped by to check on you," Qiu Hao said, passing the gift box to Chu Yuening.

Chu Yuening took it and placed it on the cart, jesting, "Thanks, but no gifts without cause. Is there something you need help with?"

Qiu Hao looked at A'Ling rather awkwardly, "Recently, A'Ling plans to support some children. I've investigated their backgrounds, but I'm worried I might have missed something. Could you please calculate and verify?"

Chu Yuening nodded. "Sure, do you have their birth dates and times?"

Qiu Hao glanced behind him.

The younger brothers were lined up in front of the stall. Upon catching their leader's gaze, one of them promptly took out a slip of paper and handed it over. "Master Chu, here are the child's birth details."

"Please take a look, Master," Qiu Hao smiled.

After nearly being tricked by a sponsor when they first met Ling, he had become more cautious, fearing that someone like that might hurt Ling again.

When he learned that Ling wanted to sponsor another child, Qiu Hao immediately began his investigation.

Chu Yuening took the paper, calculated on her fingers, then looked up at Ling. "What about your birth details?"

Ling was taken aback, but after a moment, she managed to react.

After comparing the two sets of birth details, Chu Yuening said, "Relax, the child will have a bright future and won't have any negative impact on Ling."

Hearing that the child seeking sponsorship was promising, Ling became cheerful. She looked at Qiu Hao and met his deep, scarred gaze filled with affection.

Ling felt flustered once again, her cheeks turning slightly warm.

"Why would you know?"

"Silly girl, if I want to know something, what could possibly be hidden from me?" Qiu Hao reached out to gently stroke the bridge of Ling's nose. "That's why I like you."

He had been hesitant to get too close before, fearing he might scare Ling away. Now that the truth was out, he no longer felt restrained in his actions.

"Besides, why didn't you tell me when something was wrong? Your body is yours, and I respect you; I wouldn't interfere. But that can't be a reason for you to reject me." As Qiu Hao spoke, his scar furrowed along with his brows, his eyes taking on a hint of hurt.

"When it comes to whether we're suitable or not, it's me who's not worthy of you. How could someone who climbed to the second-in-command position in the Fourteen Gang be an upright person? In my earlier years, how much blood have I stained my hands with from gambling dens?"