Free Web NovelChapter 201: Chapter 201: The Man Named Dingzi
The sound of people talking and the rumbling of the train lulled Gu’er back to sleep.
Gu’er had slept nearly the entire day on the train. By the time Li Zhi called out for her to get ready, she was still bleary-eyed.
"You’re really something, sleeping all day like that. Aren’t you afraid I might’ve secretly sold you off?"
Li Zhi whispered to Gu’er. He had gotten to know her well enough by now to realize nothing romantic would ever happen between them. In his heart, he saw her as a little sister, a friend, and a business partner, so he spoke more casually with her.
"I wouldn’t fetch much money anyway. What’s there to be afraid of?"
Gu’er shot back. She found it easy to get along with people like Li Zhi. He knew what he wanted, and if he couldn’t have it, he would give up decisively without pestering her.
"Who says? I’m sure someone would buy you if I sold you as a bride to Russia."
Li Zhi was just spouting nonsense.
"Alright, enough joking around. We’re almost at the station. Are you sure your friend is coming to pick us up?"
Gu’er stopped bantering with Li Zhi.
"Don’t worry, you’ll see when you meet him. My buddy is very reliable. If he said he’d be here, he will be. I’m sure he’s outside waiting for us right now."
Li Zhi said, full of confidence.
’I hope so,’ Gu’er thought. She wasn’t the type to make friends with just anyone. It wasn’t easy for her to warm up to someone, and she hoped Li Zhi’s friend would be trustworthy.
But when Gu’er finally saw Li Zhi’s friend, she couldn’t quite hide her surprise.
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the man—on the contrary, he was rather handsome. But Gu’er sensed a chilling aura from him. The way he looked at people felt like the stare of a venomous snake, making her skin crawl.
She noticed that even after Li Zhi had said a few things to him, the man merely gave a cold nod, not even cracking a smile.
Seeing someone like that, Gu’er subconsciously wanted to back away. He didn’t feel like Li Zhi’s friend at all; he seemed more like a hitman, as if he were here to assassinate someone.
"Alright, alright, don’t you go scaring Gu’er. She’s a young lady, not like me. She’s not used to that stone-cold face of yours."
Li Zhi gave his friend a playful punch on the shoulder.
The man looked at Gu’er. She tried to smile at him, but her lips only twitched twice; a proper smile just wouldn’t form. freewebnσvel.cøm
Instead, it was Li Zhi’s friend who managed a smile for Gu’er. But that smile only creeped her out more. ’He’d be better off not smiling,’ she thought. ’It’s even scarier.’
"Gu’er, don’t be scared. His name is Dingzi. You can just call him that. Dingzi, this is Gu’er, the ’little sister’ I told you about."
Li Zhi made the introductions.
"Hello, Brother Ding."
Gu’er greeted.
Dingzi nodded at Gu’er and gave another awkward smile.
"His surname isn’t Ding, just call him Dingzi," Li Zhi corrected her. "Come on, let’s head to the inn, drop our stuff off, and find a place to eat. I’m starving."
Gu’er started to walk, but was shocked to find Dingzi suddenly behind her. He had moved as fast as a ghost. Gu’er’s scalp tingled and she felt her heart skip a beat. Before she could even react, the luggage she was holding was in Dingzi’s hands.
Gu’er stared at her empty hands, taking a moment to process what had just happened.
’Was he just being nice and helping me with my luggage? But his movements were way too fast! This guy must have had training, otherwise there’s no way he could have skills like that.’
"Let’s go. My buddy is a really good guy, it’s just that face of his that’s intimidating. You’ll get used to it."
Li Zhi smiled at Gu’er.
"Um, thank you, Brother Dingzi."
Gu’er thanked him, still shaken. This Dingzi had certainly left a deep impression on her. If she were on her own, she probably wouldn’t get any sleep tonight. He was just that unsettling.
It wasn’t until they were eating that Gu’er’s heart finally settled, and her impression of Dingzi began to change.
She knew, really, that people like Dingzi were difficult to get along with. But once you did, they were the most reliable friends you could ask for.
Besides, people like him were often cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Though he was silent and expressionless, he was meticulous and thoughtful.
"Eat up. You know, the food at this restaurant Dingzi found is actually pretty good."
Li Zhi placed some food on Gu’er’s plate.
"Thank you. And thank you, Brother Dingzi. You came ahead of us and arranged everything so well."
Gu’er expressed her thanks. She’d already seen the inn; she had a single room, the one furthest down the hall. Li Zhi and Dingzi were in a double room right next to hers. That way, if anyone tried to go to her room, they would know immediately.
The room itself was very clean, which Gu’er was quite satisfied with. It was just another sign that Dingzi was a thoughtful person.
Dingzi nodded at her, as if to say it was nothing.
The three of them ate, with Li Zhi and Dingzi drinking some baijiu. Dingzi stopped after just two small glasses. Li Zhi claimed that Dingzi could easily handle a liter of the stuff, but Dingzi refused to drink any more. It was only later that Gu’er understood: when he was on the road, Dingzi never let himself get drunk. He stayed vigilant, afraid something might happen. He was in charge of their safety.
Back at the inn, Li Zhi and Dingzi escorted Gu’er to her room.
Gu’er noticed Dingzi’s eyes quickly sweep across the room. He did it so naturally it was clearly an instinctive reaction, not an attempt to snoop. He was checking to see if anyone had been inside, if there was any danger.
Li Zhi had Dingzi go back to their room first, while he stayed behind to talk with Gu’er.
"My buddy and I served in the army together. He joined a lot earlier than I did, though, back when he was just a teenager. I only stayed for two years before coming home, but he just got back last year. I won’t get into what his job was in the military, but trust me, he’s incredibly capable. I can handle two or three regular guys in a fight, but he could take on several of me. Plus, he’s exceptionally sharp. With him around, you don’t have to worry about our safety at all."
Li Zhi was essentially briefing Gu’er, putting her mind at ease.
Gu’er had already guessed that Dingzi must have been a soldier—an ordinary person couldn’t be like that. Still, she hadn’t realized there was so much more to him.
"Then shouldn’t someone like him be working as a bodyguard or something? Why did he come home?"
Gu’er didn’t quite understand; she thought Dingzi was incredibly skilled.
"Sigh."
Li Zhi sighed.
"You’ve seen for yourself. My buddy doesn’t like to talk, he’s not a people person. His relationships in the army weren’t great because of it. When his superiors assigned him a task, he’d complete it perfectly, but he just wouldn’t communicate. He ended up offending someone once, and eventually, he came home. He doesn’t have much family left—his parents passed away years ago, and it’s just him and his grandmother. He didn’t even look me up when he got back. He was trying to get into the Public Security Bureau, but it fell through. When I found out, I dragged him into this partnership. With me, him, and now you, I think the three of us can definitely make this business a success. We’ll be our own bosses and won’t have to take crap from anyone."
Li Zhi was full of emotion. He was upset seeing a good friend end up in such a situation. Getting into the Public Security Bureau should have been a sure thing, but someone else had stolen Dingzi’s spot at the last minute. Li Zhi had been furious. He could have asked his father to step in and fix it, but he didn’t. He figured that even if Dingzi got in, he probably wouldn’t have fit in there anyway. Partnering up in business was a much better path for him.
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