At this moment, Qin Mengxue had already returned to her university dormitory.
After leaving home in tears, she went back to her dorm.
"Wuwuwu!" Qin Mengxue sobbed uncontrollably on her dorm bed, while her close friends rushed to comfort her.
Meanwhile, the protagonist Zhou Hong was standing in front of a roadside food stall, gazing at a rice cooker inside. He had contemplated rushing in and grabbing the rice cooker several times, but ultimately abandoned the idea, unwilling to lose face.
Unbeknownst to Zhou Hong, about fifty meters behind him, a Bentley was parked. Inside, a middle-aged man was watching him while on the phone.
"Master, I've found the Zhou Hong you mentioned," the middle-aged man said into the phone.
"Quickly, what is he doing?" a voice of an old man came from the other end of the line.
"He's standing in front of a food stall, staring at a rice cooker, and constantly swallowing. He looks like he really wants to eat, but for some reason, he hasn't gone in."
"Hahaha, he's truly been kicked out by the Qin family. My chance has come. Little Wang, keep an eye on him. I'm coming over right away."
"Master, are you serious? He seems like an ordinary person."
"What do you know? Just keep watching him. The Qin family has thrown him out, and I intend to seize this opportunity."
"Yes, I will follow him closely."
Zhou Hong sighed as he looked at the steaming rice cooker, then continued walking down the street, his stomach rumbling.
He was unaware that a luxury car worth millions was following him. It wasn't that he lacked awareness, but there were too many cars on the road, and he wasn't particularly sensitive to such things. Most importantly, the following vehicle exuded no murderous intent or sense of danger, so he naturally didn't pay it any mind.
After about half an hour, Zhou Hong arrived at a rather secluded street.
"Alas, heaven is vast, where is my home?" Zhou Hong looked up at the starry sky, sighing inwardly.
Just then, a voice came from behind him: "Hello, are you Zhou Hong?"
Zhou Hong slowly turned his head. A man around seventy years old stood there.
Zhou Hong frowned slightly, not recognizing the man. However, judging by his attire and demeanor, he seemed to be quite wealthy.
"I am Zhou Hong. Who are you?"
"Haha, hello Zhou Hong, my name is Qiao Wanli."
"Qiao Wanli? I don't know you."
"It doesn't matter, we'll get to know each other by chatting. Can I treat you to a meal?" the old man asked.
Zhou Hong was about to say there was nothing to chat about, but upon hearing the mention of a meal, he quickly nodded. "Sure."
Zhou Hong could tell that the old man had no martial arts skills, so he wasn't worried about any malicious intent. Even if he did, Zhou Hong figured he could withstand a palm strike from him.
"Please get in the car."
Zhou Hong unceremoniously sat into the luxury vehicle.
"Old man, your car is quite fancy," Zhou Hong said, touching the luxurious seats with a smile.
"If you like it, I can give it to you," the old man replied with a smile.
"Unsolicited kindness often hides ill intent. Speak, what do you want with me?" Zhou Hong asked directly.
"Zhou Hong, I actually know that you are Qin Changhui's live-in son-in-law, or more accurately, the live-in son-in-law betrothed to his daughter since childhood."
"Oh, you know so much about me."
"Hehe, if I'm not mistaken, Qin Changhui's daughter doesn't like you, and you were kicked out today, weren't you?" the old man asked with a smile.
"It wasn't exactly being kicked out. I wanted to leave myself. If I had clung on stubbornly, they wouldn't have been able to do anything to me."
"That's what being kicked out means."
"Hehe, whatever, it doesn't matter. You should tell me why you're looking for me."
The old man chuckled and said, "Then I'll be direct. The Qin family doesn't welcome you, but our Qiao family does."
"What do you mean? Are you also expecting me to be a live-in son-in-law for your family?"
"Hahaha, Zhou Hong, you're right. I just found out you were kicked out by the Qin family. Do you know how happy I was? I rushed over immediately, for fear of missing this opportunity."
Zhou Hong frowned, appearing somewhat bewildered.
"Zhou Hong, I'll be frank. I have a granddaughter, and I want you to be her fiancé. To be honest, my granddaughter's beauty is no less than Qin Changhui's daughter. You've probably seen her."
"Who?" Zhou Hong asked, confused.
"Her name is Qiao Xiaoyu. She's very close friends with Qin Changhui's daughter and they often hang out together."
"Ah!" Zhou Hong was greatly surprised. He immediately recalled being at the KTV last night with Qin Mengxue and her three friends. One of them, named Qiao Xiaoyu, was incredibly sweet and lovely. At the time, Zhou Hong had thought that Qin Mengxue's friends were also so attractive. He never expected this old man to claim her as his granddaughter and want him as his son-in-law.
"You're not joking with me, are you?"
"Not at all, I am truly sincere. It seems you've met my granddaughter. What do you think of her? Is she beautiful? No less beautiful than Qin Mengxue, right?"
"She is indeed quite beautiful," Zhou Hong chuckled, rubbing his hands. Qiao Xiaoyu from last night had indeed left a deep impression on him; she was certainly no less beautiful than Qin Mengxue.
"To tell you the truth, my granddaughter Xiaoyu is one of the campus beauties at Jinzhou University, on par with Qin Mengxue. Would you be willing to enter into a marriage contract with my granddaughter?" the old man asked, looking at Zhou Hong with longing.
"Forget it. Do you think I'm stupid? A marriage contract is useless. Only a marriage certificate matters," Zhou Hong snorted. He had previously thought a marriage contract signified being husband and wife, but now he understood that only a marriage certificate counted. He wouldn't be fooled so easily anymore.
"Haha, if you feel at ease only after getting a marriage certificate, then I'll have her go with you to get one tomorrow. We can even expedite it tonight," the old man said earnestly.
Zhou Hong couldn't quite figure out the old man's motives. What was he after? Was it his good looks?
"What do you say, Zhou Hong? I'm very sincere. By the way, our Qiao family is even larger than the Qin family. The Qin family has only recently gained some strength due to Qin Changhui's strong business acumen over the past decade or so. In terms of family heritage, they are no match for our Qiao family. I hope you'll consider it carefully. Of course, if you refuse, I won't give up."
"Old man, does your granddaughter know about this? Don't let it be like Qin Mengxue, where she says she doesn't like me, and I get my hopes up for nothing."
"Don't worry. Even if she's unwilling, you can force her. If you don't believe me, I'll have her come back tonight and arrange for your wedding night."
Zhou Hong couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Was he this desperate?