Chapter 110: A Brother's Doubt

After Mengmeng woke up and found Kang Ning was not by her side, she walked into Lu Jing’s bedroom and pushed the door open, only to find Lu Jing putting on her slippers, looking just as though she had just awakened.

"What could have happened?" Mengmeng asked anxiously. "Sister Jing, do you know where that guy went? He has never stayed out all night before, no matter how late he was."

"That’s impossible, he always comes home," Lu Jing said as she stood up. "Could he be out for a run and currently in the shower?"

Mengmeng tapped her forehead. "Oh, I forgot. I'll go check."

As Mengmeng hurried toward the bathroom, she passed the dining room and saw Kang Ning slumped over the table, fast asleep. Twelve empty bottles were lined up neatly on the surface. Just as she was about to step forward to confront him, she stopped, her expression of anger melting into deep tenderness.

Knowing that Kang Ning had never drunk like this before, and thinking of his background and the heavy, inescapable pressures he carried, Mengmeng’s eyes grew misty.

She quietly walked over, carefully gathered the bottles, and pulled up a chair to sit beside him, gazing at his handsome face with profound affection. Lu Jing walked over and, seeing the scene, sat down as well. The two beautiful women sat in silence, watching their beloved man.

Kang Ning, sensitive by nature, slowly stirred awake. Seeing the expressions on his two girlfriends' faces, he offered an apologetic smile. "I got drunk, didn't I? After I parted ways with Brother Gao and Brother Du yesterday, I received a call from home that put me in a bad mood. I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I wandered around for a while. When I got home, I just wanted a drink to help me sleep, but I didn't expect to fall asleep right here."

"You drank twelve bottles and you call that 'just a drink'?" Mengmeng pointed to the pile of empty bottles in the corner, dissatisfied. "If you have something on your mind in the future, can you tell us? Don't drink like this again; it hurts to watch!"

Kang Ning stroked her face. "I promise, I won't drink like this again. Jing-er, how are you feeling?"

Lu Jing gently stroked her belly and smiled sweetly. "I'm doing well. The baby is kicking now."

"Really? Haha, that’s so interesting, let me feel it!" Mengmeng happily placed her hand on Lu Jing’s swollen belly.

Kang Ning stood up, stretched, and began to prepare breakfast. After Lu Jing and Mengmeng chatted and washed up, they found that Kang Ning had already prepared fried eggs and milk. After telling them he would be back soon, Kang Ning went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth while filling the tub with hot water, and closed the door to enjoy a long, relaxing soak.

After lunch, Lu Jing went for her usual nap. Kang Ning walked to the place where he had been looking for a garage to rent. After much effort, he found the landlady, a stout woman, and paid one thousand yuan to rent a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor for three months. With the landlady’s enthusiastic help, Kang Ning quickly cleaned the semi-old apartment. Seeing that it contained only a dilapidated bed and a few old chairs, he drove to a second-hand market and bought a set of fairly new furniture, a 165-liter used refrigerator, and some basic kitchen utensils. He then hired a small truck and two workers to head back to the food company dormitory.

By the time everything was finished, it was 4:30 PM. Kang Ning locked the door to his new place, went to the market outside the residential complex, and bought enough meat and vegetables for two days before heading home.

Just as he finished dinner, Gao Qinghua called. Kang Ning frowned slightly as he picked up the phone. "Brother, are you inviting me for drinks again today?"

"I’ll drink you to death! Get down here. I’m downstairs; I have something to discuss with you." Gao Qinghua’s voice sounded off.

Kang Ning told Lu Jing and went downstairs, where he saw Gao Qinghua sitting in Du Jianwu’s Jetta, waving at him. Kang Ning climbed into the backseat, and before he could even close the door, Du Jianwu drove off toward the exit of the complex.

Sensing that the situation was unusual, Kang Ning joked, "Are you two trying to kidnap me?"

They didn't answer, driving straight to the parking lot of the Hongyun Restaurant. After parking, they gestured for Kang Ning to get out. Gao Qinghua grabbed Kang Ning’s hand, walked into the restaurant, and led him to the innermost private room on the second floor. Du Jianwu locked the car and followed closely behind. Once inside, they ordered a few dishes at random, told the waiter to close the door, and stared at Kang Ning in silence.

Kang Ning laughed, confused. "What’s with this look? Did you two take the wrong medicine?"

Gao Qinghua let out a long sigh and asked sternly, "Xiao Hua, there’s no one else here. Tell us honestly—is it your doing that those three men are in the hospital?"

"What three men? What did I do?" Kang Ning asked, surprised.

"Cut the crap! The three men at the farmhouse—they're still in the hospital. Was it you?" Gao Qinghua raised his voice, his eyes piercing.

Kang Ning shook his head. "Brother, I really don't know what you're talking about. If you suspect me of something, why not take me to confront these three men? Wouldn't that make everything clear instead of leaving me to guess?"

Du Jianwu laughed, turning to Gao Qinghua. "See? I told you so. This guy is definitely not a simple character! Talk about airtight—look at him!"

Kang Ning’s heart skipped a beat. He stood up and said to them with regret, "If this is what our brotherhood has come to, then we have nothing left without trust. I’m sorry, but if there is anything you need me to do, please go through the proper procedures. I’ll be taking my leave now. Thank you both for your support all this time!"

Du Jianwu, not expecting this reaction, sat there at a loss. Gao Qinghua stood up quickly, reaching out to grab Kang Ning’s chest. But Kang Ning didn't back down; he lifted his right hand to parry while his left hand struck like lightning toward Gao Qinghua’s waist. As Gao Qinghua stepped back and kicked forward, his left fist whistled toward Kang Ning’s face. Kang Ning side-stepped, his left hand turning into a claw to firmly hook Gao Qinghua’s wrist, while his right hand silently aimed for Gao Qinghua’s throat. Gao Qinghua was shocked and, disregarding his own safety, swung his right fist toward Kang Ning’s neck. Kang Ning had no choice but to turn his palm into a claw to grab Gao Qinghua’s right wrist. The two stood shoulder-to-shoulder, locked in a tense stalemate.

Du Jianwu watched in a trance. The exchange between Gao Qinghua and Kang Ning had been fast as lightning and fierce as thunder. A battle of such high caliber had ended in a hair-raising split second, leaving Du Jianwu, who was seeing Kang Ning’s martial arts for the first time, filled with admiration.

Gao Qinghua glared at Kang Ning and growled, "If you don't let go, believe it or not, I'll spit in your face!"

Kang Ning was startled and quickly stepped back. He was genuinely afraid Gao Qinghua might actually do it. Standing three steps away, he shook his head helplessly. "You’re actually willing to say something like that? I give up!"

Du Jianwu burst into laughter. Gao Qinghua, his hands finally free, sat down awkwardly, rubbing his aching wrist while glaring at Kang Ning. "If you don't sit down and behave, I’m going to draw my gun!"

Kang Ning sat back down reluctantly. Just then, two waiters knocked and entered to set the table. Du Jianwu shooed them away, telling them not to be disturbed, and poured drinks into all three glasses. "Xiao Hua, those three men are now in a vegetative state. Your 'confrontation' idea is useless! Sigh—I’ve lived this long, and I’ve only ever heard of such soft yet lethal palm strikes, never seen them. We aren't saying it was you today, we just want to know—what school of martial arts can damage a person’s brain without leaving any external traces?"

"Look at Brother Du, how professional he is. Unlike you, talking about spitting on people?" Kang Ning mocked Gao Qinghua, ignoring his fiery glare, and turned to Du Jianwu with a faint smile. "Brother Du, you think too highly of me. I’ve never seen such a technique either. But if we’re talking about smashing a skull, many could do it. To damage the brain without breaking the skull, I imagine only a few masters of Bagua Palm or Wudang Cotton Palm could manage it. I once heard my father mention that even the most talented martial artist would need at least thirty years of training to barely achieve that. If you don't believe me, you can ask your internal contacts in Beijing; you’ll likely find the answer soon."

Gao Qinghua and Du Jianwu exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, Gao Qinghua said, "Xiao Hua, even though we know what you said is true, we can't help but suspect you. As far as I know, only you have the ability to leave no trace. Du and I have analyzed it from several angles, and we both have our doubts. To be honest, Du privately asked the waitress from last night today. She was the last one to leave, and she got very nervous the moment your name, Wu Xiaohua, was mentioned. Fortunately, Du didn't make a scene and let her go."

Du Jianwu smiled slightly. "If those two wanted fugitives were conscious, I might have even received a commendation! Oh well, let’s stop talking about it. Those two were ruthless criminals; they killed over a dozen people and wounded four officers while resisting arrest. After being on the run for three years, we finally found them, but now they’re vegetables. I have no idea how to write the case report for this mess. Come on, let’s have a drink."

Kang Ning finally relaxed, his calm smile returning as he clinked glasses and drank with them.

Halfway through the drinks, Gao Qinghua began to analyze why he had been on the defensive earlier. Kang Ning, not holding back, demonstrated the footwork and let Gao Qinghua consider it alongside his own internal training. Gao Qinghua immediately grasped the brilliance of the technique and, overjoyed, downed three drinks with Kang Ning, leaving Du Jianwu feeling deeply envious.

Seeing this, Kang Ning let Du Jianwu spar with him as well. After understanding his style, Kang Ning taught him three exquisite grappling moves, leaving Du Jianwu feeling as if he had discovered a treasure and deeply touched by Kang Ning’s generosity.