Xia Libing's Smile

For bar owner Qin Dong, Xiang Kun is undoubtedly the name that left the deepest impression on him this year.

The first time I met Xiang Kun, I was "beaten up." Although I wasn't beaten very badly, it was quite humiliating, especially with many relatives watching. I lost face back home.

So he quickly led his men to that neighborhood to ambush Xiang Kun, hoping to regain his "Brother Dong's" face.

As a result, the other party not only remained calm in the face of being surrounded by a group of people, but also overwhelmed them with their momentum single-handedly. In the end, they even made a phone call to a criminal police officer and threatened him instead.

Afterwards, he was spoken to several times by the police officers in his area, and was "invited" to the branch office for a chat. He then realized that the bald man had a complicated background.

Later, he secretly checked some information about the bald man. On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; his resume showed he was just an average office worker and programmer who had worked at the same company for seven years after graduation—his experience was ridiculously simple. But the more simple it seemed, the more suspicious he became. How could a normal person remain so calm and indifferent when surrounded by eight people and held at knifepoint by a teenager? And then, he even managed to scare the teenager into calling the police?

In particular, the discovery that several cases solved or suspects arrested in the past few months were related to Xiang Kun made Qin Dong even more convinced that this bald man might have a very mysterious background, which is why the police were protecting him so much.

As for his specific background and identity, he naturally dared not investigate further; he wasn't that stubborn.

Later, his cousin had two minor altercations with Xiang Kun his bar. He was initially worried and considered explaining the situation to improve their relationship to avoid any potential problems. Fortunately, more than two months passed without incident, and he didn't encounter Xiang Kun again, so he figured everything would be fine.

Unexpectedly, he heard that name again tonight during a phone call from Liu Feibao.

Qin Dong wasn't easily fooled. The moment he heard Liu Feibao say things like "my niece has taken a liking to Xiang Kun," he knew it was just a made-up story. So, after hesitating for a moment, he asked directly:

"Brother Liu, did you... offend that bald guy?"

Liu Feibao, who lived in Tongshi Town, was also puzzled. Judging from his tone, was Xiang Kun some kind of celebrity?

"Brother Qin, do you know that person?"

"Brother Liu, take my advice. This bald guy has a powerful background and influence. If you can back down, you should." Qin Dong said earnestly.

However, he did not share more information about Xiang Kun, the details of his interactions with Xiang Kun, or his own speculations and judgments with Liu Feibao.

He and Liu Feibao were merely acquaintances; their relationship was far from close, and there was no real trust between them. If it was just some insignificant favor, he would gladly lend a hand. Having more friends meant having more options; he might need Liu Feibao's help someday.

But when it came to Xiang Kun, he didn't want to get involved at all.

"Brother Qin, don't worry, I have nothing to do with that person. I'm just asking around for a younger member of my family. Do you know anything about that person's background or connections?" Liu Feibao quickly asked, his tone becoming increasingly polite.

He truly hadn't expected that a casual phone call to someone he knew in that city would lead him to know Xiang Kun, and even seem to be quite familiar with Xiang Kun's "background and connections."

He was now increasingly certain that the one who made President Qi cower in fear and hide in the car, afraid to show his face, was this mysterious, bald, burly man.

Neither Zhang Qian nor the second-generation fat boy from the chain supermarket could possibly frighten Qi Haoguo, who had experienced many storms, so much just because of their family background.

This also explains why that bald man dared to be so persistent in demanding three thousand dollars for a private settlement.

But Qin Dong didn't give him the answer he wanted, only saying, "I'm not really clear on the specifics, but this bald guy has official connections and is a ruthless person. Unless absolutely necessary... uh, it's best if your niece doesn't get involved with him."

"Official background? The information I've gathered... from his birth and schooling to his work experience, everything seems normal. He's never served in the military or worked for any official organization?"

"That's... that's what makes it so impressive," Qin Dong said meaningfully.

"You mean... the resume I found is actually fake?" Liu Feibao's heart skipped a beat.

"Brother Liu, that's all I can say. I don't know anything else if you ask me. I'm really sorry."

"Not at all, I'm already grateful that you told me all this. I'll find you for a drink sometime."

Liu Feibao could tell that Qin Dong knew more than just that, but he had already made it clear that "I don't know either if you ask me," and he wouldn't say anything more even if asked. Although he was very curious, judging from Qin Dong's tone, he knew that further questioning would be pointless.

But this "important background," "official connections," and "ruthless person" really made him think a lot.

He didn't expect that his initial curiosity, after some investigation, would not be alleviated, but instead would bring even more questions and curiosity.

Qi Haoguo should know who Xiang Kun is, but he also understands that, judging from his behavior this afternoon and evening, President Qi definitely won't say anything.

Liu Feibao then used Qi Haoguo's own experiences, resume, and today's reaction to Xiang Kun's possible identity.

But with his imagination, he simply couldn't guess what kind of "mysterious official background" could enable Qi Haoguo to perform in that way.

Later in the car, their series of actions and changes regarding this business partnership also seemed to suggest a willingness to forgo profits and "be a good person." Was this intentionally done to impress Xiang Kun?

Zhang Hongpu's granddaughter, the second-generation heiress of that supermarket chain, appeared in Tongshi Town with Xiang Kun. Did she have some ulterior motive?

Liu Feibao sat blankly in the study. Although the room was heated, he couldn't help but tighten his pajamas, feeling inexplicably a little chilly.

He vaguely felt that what President Qi feared and what Qin Dong dared not say was something on another level, making him feel like a frog in a well.

Or perhaps I should learn from General Manager Qi?

Before eight o'clock in the morning, Xiang Kun woke everyone up and took them to eat local specialty breakfast.

The key to these local delicacies is their "specialty" – they're basically just things like flatbread, noodles, and wontons. The taste might not suit everyone, but since it's your first time here, you should definitely try them.

Just like the scenic spot that Xiang Kun was going to take them to today, the mountains and rivers were actually just so-so, but since they were already there, he had to take them to see it, after all, it was famous.

Tongshi Town has always been rather inconspicuous in Jianzhou City. It is mountainous and has many rivers and winding mountain roads. It has no large-scale industries. In fact, while other places in the same area have 5A-level scenic spots, theirs is nothing.

Tongshi Town also wanted to vigorously develop its tourism industry in its early years, hoping to ride the coattails of its neighbor's success. After all, they all have the same scenery; if they can't get the meat, at least they can have some soup, right?

Unfortunately, just a dozen kilometers away, the other side has a story, a reputation, and people flock there, queuing up to climb the mountain, while their tourism industry just can't take off. Ultimately, it's because they lack depth, appeal, and sufficient funding to operate.

We played games too late last night, and when we were woken up, none of us looked very energetic, and we kept yawning.

"Chef Xiang, look, isn't this the girl who used to live next door to you?" While waiting for everyone to come down in the hotel lobby, Yang Zhen'er leaned over to Xiang Kun and showed him her phone.

Xiang Kun glanced at the phone; it was a video. The background was on a street, outside a well-known chain Ice Cream shop. In the queue, a chubby little girl who looked like she was still in kindergarten was standing with her mother. She was holding her mother's hand with one hand, while in the other hand she was skillfully flipping a one-yuan Coin with the back of her fingers.

Although his fingers were white, short, and chubby, they looked very nimble, and the speed at which he flipped Coin was truly astonishing.

Xiang Kun recognized her at a glance; it was clearly the Little Chubby Girl Coin Liu Shiling who was being secretly photographed!

"Yes, she was the little girl who used to live next door to me, but she's moved away now."

Yang Zhen'er turned to Tang Baona and said smugly, "I knew he looked familiar! I was right! My ability to recognize people is still pretty good!"

Tang Baona laughed and said, "Last night, Zhen'er wanted to compete with me to see who could flip Coin first. After practicing for a long time, she couldn't find the trick, so she went to a video app to search for tutorials. She accidentally found this really popular video of a little girl flipping Coin, and we thought this chubby little girl looked familiar, a bit like the little girl next door. How come she's so good at flipping Coin? Did you teach her that too?"

"I definitely taught her; this little one is very talented." Xiang Kun glanced at the comments on the video. Sixty percent of them were praising how cool and beautiful the Little Chubby Girl was at flipping Coin, and another forty percent were saying they really wanted to pinch her chubby cheeks...

Tang Baona looked helplessly at the Coin in her palm. "We can't even beat kindergarten kids!"

"Is it because our finger joints are too big and the Coin are too small that it's inconvenient to flip them?" Yang Zhen'er tried to find an excuse for herself.

"Come on, your knuckles are bigger than Xiang Kun's? How come he flips so smoothly?" Tang Baona rolled her eyes at her.

"Isn't Chef Xiang human? What can't he learn quickly? Chef Xiang, Carpenter Xiang, Archer Xiang, Singer Xiang, and now he's even become Coin Flipper! Oh right, Zhang Qian and the others said that Xiang Kun helped Liu Chuang play a game last night, and he was really good at it. If he suddenly takes us on a plane and becomes Captain Xiang, I wouldn't be surprised!" Yang Zhen'er shrugged and said.

"Xiang the Coin Flipper? What kind of nickname is that? I feel like you're insulting me..." Xiang Kun rubbed his nose and changed the subject. "I'll send you a guide on flipping Coin later. It's actually very simple. Just make good use of the Coin's weight, and you can learn it quickly once you find the trick."

Once everyone was there, we went to have breakfast together. We didn't need to drive; it was only a ten-minute walk. The whole street was lined with all kinds of breakfast shops and snack stalls, so they could try a little of everything.

After eating, everyone went back to the hotel to wait. Some took a nap, while others played games, waiting for Lao Xia to arrive before setting off together.

Seeing that it was almost time, Xiang Kun the Sagitar to the train station to pick up the people. The two cars that You Meng had borrowed had been returned to the hotel parking lot yesterday. Moreover, Liang Yulong had something to do at home today, and You Meng had to accompany her back, so the nine of them went to the scenic spot by themselves.

Around 10 a. m., Xiang Kun met Xia Libing at the entrance of the train station.

Xia Libing was dressed as usual, in an orange down jacket, black sweatpants, and high-top basketball shoes. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she carried a dark backpack. Her cheeks were slightly red from the cold, and her eyes were squinted like crescent moons. She looked like a college student traveling alone.

She is beautiful, tall, and has a very special temperament, so she easily attracts the attention of those around her wherever she appears.

As soon as I stepped out of the train station, a young man mustered up his courage and approached me to chat.

Although the distance was a bit far, Xiang Kun's hearing was good enough to hear their conversation.

"Hello, we were in the same carriage on the train, we both boarded in Citong City. Are you here to visit or to see a friend? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, are you also from Citong University?" the young man said shyly.

"I'm not from Citong University." Xia Libing turned to look at him. "I'm from Citong Third Hospital." Then she grinned, revealing a bright smile that didn't actually convey any real joy.

Seeing the young man's expression instantly freeze, and even a hint of fear flash in his eyes, Xiang Kun almost burst out laughing. Since the young man was studying at Citong University, he must know that Citong Third Hospital was a specialized mental health hospital. In addition, Xia Libing suddenly revealed that bright but not smiling, rather cold smile, which would indeed make him subconsciously shrink back.

Xia Libing smiled at the young man and then walked straight to the roadside to wait. The young man looked at her back, hesitated for a moment, and finally did not dare to continue to approach her.

Xiang Kun drove up to Xia Libing, and after she got in, he asked with a smile, "What were you talking about with that handsome guy? Why did he look like he'd seen a ghost?"

Xia Libing, clutching her backpack, turned back and gave Xiang Kun the same smile as before.

To be honest, before today, Xiang Kun had never seen Xia Libing show such a special smile. And it's true, most people couldn't imitate it.

Xiang Kun couldn't help but laugh, "That smile is quite lethal; it can even exude murderous intent. You're really something."

Xia Libing changed her smile again, this time narrowing her eyes and raising the corners of her mouth as she looked at him, but still, there was no real smile in her eyes.

Xiang Kun burst out laughing, looking at her and saying, "Remember the first time we played cards at Nana's house? You said you'd each describe the three of you with an animal, and I said you were like a fox. And believe it or not, with that expression of yours now, you don't even need any other costume to cosplay a fox!"

Xia Libing's smile faded. She rubbed her face, moved her cheeks, and asked, "Don't you feel creeped out? Aren't you scared?"

Xiang Kun shook his head, stepped on the gas, and drove the car away from the side of the road, saying, "How could that be? It's not like I don't know you."

"That's true." Xia Libing nodded, looking ahead with her eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, a smile that was both ambiguous and not quite a smile, but it looked much gentler and more natural than before.

Xiang Kun Xia Libing in the passenger seat out of the corner of his eye. This was the expression he usually saw; Lao Xia was usually either expressionless, appearing somewhat aloof, or this kind of expression—a half-smile, a hidden amusement. He hadn't thought much of it before, but after seeing those two smiles just now, he suddenly realized that this expression, which he previously thought was quite natural, seemed a little "deliberate."

Thanks to the following readers for their generous Breathing Freely: De Nu Xu, Xi Bao Xing Lu Lao Bang Gua, Zhe Suo Ba Bu Gai Le, Ku Jiang, Hell Mingshi, Mo Chou Y Mo Chou, and Hu Xi Zi Zai.