Back in the house, Xie Baolian had already packed her bags and was sitting on the sofa, but her mood was very low.
"It's time to go!"
Ling Hanfeng received a message; his secretary was already waiting outside in the car.
Xie Baolian's eyes were slightly red. Hugging Li Haochen and Murong Yanran, she said with a choked voice, "Come to Yuan City when you have time!"
Li Haochen held back his tears and hugged Xie Baolian tightly, "Mom... take care, I'll come to see you as soon as I can."
"Auntie, take care!"
Murong Yanran couldn't hold back her tears, which flowed down like a waterfall. She had long considered Xie Baolian as family, or rather... a mother.
The two walked out into the yard and watched Xie Baolian and her party leave. After a long while, they returned to the house. Without that chattering voice, their hearts felt empty, as if something was missing.
On this day, Li Haochen did not go to work in the space, and Murong Yanran did not return to the hotel. They both stayed at home.
That night, Li Haochen received a video call from Xie Baolian. She had arrived safely in Yuan City, and the three chatted for nearly an hour. They could have talked longer, but due to the seven to eight-hour drive and the fatigue of the journey, they ended the call.
After the video chat, Li Haochen and his wife felt much better.
After this day, the two resumed their usual lives, day after day. Murong Yanran's hotel remained as usual, with no incidents occurring, and business even slightly improved. Seeing that nothing had happened for many days, Li Haochen's worries began to ease.
Meanwhile, in the Mayor's office, a middle-aged man was working late into the night. Upon closer inspection, he bore some resemblance to He Qian. He was a person arranged by the He family and was also He Qian's cousin, He Yunxiang.
He Yunxiang was smoking and frowning at the document in his hand.
"She's actually the daughter of Li Sisi and Chen Junlin?"
This document was something he had obtained by leveraging his extensive network to investigate within the family. Looking at the complex relationships, He Yunxiang became cautious.
After thinking for a long time, He Yunxiang extinguished his cigarette, narrowed his eyes, and said coldly, "My dear cousin, your branch of the family is quite calculating. If nothing goes wrong, it's fine, but if something happens, it's our branch that will have to bear the consequences."
Having understood the key points, He Yunxiang certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to act according to the family's instructions. He didn't want to get involved in this vortex; one wrong move could lead to utter annihilation.
He also knew some of the inside story regarding Li Sisi, Chen Junlin, and Zhan Tai Liya. This involved three major families. Even with a hundred times his courage, He Yunxiang wouldn't dare to go after Murong Yanran.
If He Yunxiang knew that the Wang family from the four great families of Yanjing was also involved, one could only imagine his reaction.
It was precisely He Yunxiang's caution that saved Murong Yanran from a disaster. Otherwise, it would have been effortless for a mayor to target a hotel.
Of course, He Yunxiang wouldn't dare to mess with Murong Yanran. However, he was interested in getting involved with the nearby Binhai Resort. Since he had finally ascended to this position, even if the main benefits wouldn't go to their second branch, they still had to secure some benefits for his branch.
As for tackling the Binhai Grand Hotel? If he didn't know how to outwardly comply while inwardly defying and finding excuses, he might as well have thrown himself against a wall and died.
Thus, another ten-odd days passed uneventfully.
Today, Li Haochen was going to take his third driving test, getting one step closer to obtaining his driver's license.
After breakfast, Li Haochen rode his electric scooter to the driving school. Dozens of people were already waiting there. Soon, a 45-seater luxury bus stopped.
"Get on!"
The speaker was Liang Zhisi, the owner of the driving school and the leader for this trip. The students privately called him Liang Zisi (selfish Liang), though there was nothing inherently wrong with him; how this nickname came about was unknown.
The test location was in the neighboring Kai City, which required more than two hours of travel and an overnight stay before returning.
On the bus, Liang Zhisi coughed a few times and announced, "Dear students, thank you all for your support of our driving school. Rest assured, our driving school has very strong connections. If you feel you're not entirely confident, we can also provide some extra assistance. Those who need more information can talk to me privately later."
Indeed, after Liang Zhisi's announcement, two middle-aged women next to Li Haochen added him as a friend and were currently discussing the assistance he could provide.
When they got off the bus, seeing Liang Zhisi's beaming smile, it was likely that quite a few people had sought his "help."
Li Haochen was skeptical about this matter. Of course, he wouldn't try to dissuade others. They were all adults and capable of making their own judgments. He also wouldn't try to sabotage Liang Zhisi's business. It wasn't like murder or rape; it was a consensual transaction. To take away someone's livelihood was like taking their life.
The accommodation was decent, slightly worse than a seven-day hotel, but it was clean. Originally, the rooms were meant for two people, but Li Haochen felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as a stranger. Therefore, he paid extra for a single room.
As soon as he put down his luggage, he received a notification to gather in the lobby on their floor for dinner.
The dining location was near the test site. It was obvious that it was a partner establishment of the driving school. Everyone understood the concept of kickbacks. Since the money had already been paid, Li Haochen didn't mind as long as the food wasn't too bad.