Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Zhao Family’s Trump Card
Qin Tuo felt a little awkward and quickly pulled his arm away.
"Miss Chen, thank you for helping me out just now."
Chen Man Ni quickly waved her hands, saying shyly,
"You’re being too polite, Mr. Qin. You saved my father’s life. It was the least I could do."
The two of them talked as they walked to the hotel entrance.
"Mr. Qin, I’ll arrange a car to take you home!"
"Okay, thank you."
Qin Tuo nodded, then got in the car and left.
Watching Qin Tuo leave, Chen Man Ni felt her cheeks suddenly flush.
Her heart skipped a beat!
’Chen Man Ni, oh, Chen Man Ni, don’t tell me you’re starting to like this Qin Tuo?’
’Impossible! How could I possibly like him!’
’I’ve only known him for a day!’
Chen Man Ni shook her head fiercely, trying to banish the thought.
But she found her heart was a complete mess.
...
When Chen Man Ni returned to the hotel and walked into private room 888, she was utterly stunned by the scene before her.
Chen Wenxiong had taken off his jacket and was doing push-ups, already drenched in sweat.
"Sixty-five, sixty-six, sixty-seven..."
Chen Man Ni was shocked and rushed over to help her father up.
"Dad! You’re not fully recovered yet. How can you be doing such dangerous exercises?"
Chen Wenxiong chuckled, standing up and waving his hand.
"It’s fine, Manni. I know my limits."
He took two sips of tea and shook his head with emotion.
"For years, I’ve been plagued by this illness, getting out of breath just from walking quickly. I never thought I’d recover so fast after Mr. Qin’s treatment. It’s a miracle!"
Chen Man Ni nodded emphatically, sighing.
"Yes, that Mr. Qin is truly amazing!"
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but stick out her tongue.
Thinking about how she had spoken so rudely and repeatedly mocked Qin Tuo not long ago, Chen Man Ni felt a pang of guilt.
Chen Wenxiong caught his breath and asked with a frown,
"Manni, how did things go?"
Chen Man Ni knew exactly what her father was asking about. She nodded and replied,
"The Zhao Family was forced to back down. They’ve already left the hotel, and the engagement banquet has been canceled."
Chen Wenxiong nodded. This was all within his expectations.
But then, his expression turned serious as he said,
"Zhao Tiancheng is a vengeful man. He won’t let this go."
Chen Man Ni sneered dismissively.
"Dad, you’re overthinking it. Would the Zhao Family really dare to retaliate against our Chen Family?"
Chen Wenxiong shook his head and said gravely,
"Of course, they wouldn’t dare to move against the Chen Family. But they might vent all their anger on Mr. Qin alone!"
At this point, Chen Wenxiong seemed to recall a rumor, and his tone grew heavy.
"Besides, the Zhao Family still has an ace up their sleeve that they haven’t played. If they use that trump card, even our Chen Family would have to tread carefully!"
He finished with a long sigh.
"Ah? Dad, what should we do then?"
Chen Man Ni’s face fell, her heart filled with worry.
She felt that her own intervention had escalated the conflict. If Qin Tuo was really targeted by the Zhao Family for revenge, she would feel terribly guilty.
Seeing his daughter like this, Chen Wenxiong suddenly couldn’t help but smile.
"If you really want to help Qin Tuo, it’s actually very easy."
"Oh, Dad, stop being so mysterious and just tell me!"
Chen Man Ni insisted.
Chen Wenxiong smiled.
"The only reason the Zhao Family dares to move against Mr. Qin is because he lacks the backing of a powerful family. However, if he became the son-in-law of our Chen Family, I believe that anyone in Ming City would have to think twice before daring to touch him, lest they face the wrath of the Chen Family."
Chen Man Ni immediately flushed beet red and shot her father an annoyed glare.
"Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? How could Mr. Qin possibly become our Chen Family’s son-in-law? It’s not like I like him..."
Her voice trailed off, becoming nearly inaudible by the end.
Chen Wenxiong burst out laughing and teased her,
"Oh, you don’t like Mr. Qin? Then why were you holding his arm so affectionately in the hotel lobby just now?"
At his words, Chen Man Ni paled and her face turned bright red.
"Dad, how did you know about that?"
The moment the words were out, she clamped her mouth shut, realizing she had just admitted to it.
Chen Wenxiong pointed mysteriously at a TV screen on the wall.
"There. I saw it right there."
Only then did Chen Man Ni realize he had seen it on the surveillance feed.
The thought of her father seeing her holding Qin Tuo’s arm made Chen Man Ni’s face burn even hotter.
Flustered, she quickly tried to explain.
"Dad, don’t misunderstand! I was just helping Mr. Qin out of a bind!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Chen Wenxiong gave a mysterious smile.
"My dear daughter, as they say, no one knows a daughter better than her father. I know your personality. Since when have you ever willingly gotten close to any man?"
"Aiyah! Dad, stop it!"
Chen Man Ni was mortified, her face burning with embarrassment.
"Oh, right, Dad, I just remembered I have something to do, so I’m leaving!"
With that, she bolted out the door and fled in a panic.
"Haha..."
Behind her, Chen Wenxiong’s gratified laughter echoed.
But after the laughter faded, Chen Wenxiong’s brows furrowed tightly, and he muttered to himself.
’This Qin Tuo... what on earth is his background? He’s so mysterious!’
He had seen clearly on the monitor that Qin Tuo possessed formidable skills.
Moreover, his calm demeanor in the face of crisis was definitely not an act.
Even if he hadn’t stepped in, Chen Wenxiong believed Qin Tuo could have handled everything himself!
’What an enigmatic young man!’
Chen Wenxiong shook his head, sighing with emotion.
...
Qin Tuo returned home carrying bags of all sizes, filled with food and daily necessities.
When he got home, he saw that his father had returned from collecting scraps and was about to start cooking.
"Son, you’re back?"
Before Qin Tuo could speak, his father, Qin Hongguo, rushed out from the kitchen, looking faintly emotional.
"Dad, you’ve worked hard. Let me do it!"
Qin Tuo quickly put down his things and took over the chore.
Qin Hongguo nodded with a grunt, then carefully looked his son over from head to toe.
’He really lost a lot of weight during these past two years inside!’
Just then, the sound of his mother Luo Xianglan’s coughing came from the bed.
Qin Tuo immediately went to brew her medicine and help her drink it.
Watching Qin Tuo busy himself, Qin Hongguo thought for a moment before finally speaking.
"Son, now that you’re out, live an honest life. Treat this as a lesson, and don’t be so impulsive anymore."
Qin Tuo nodded with a grunt.
"I know, Dad."
Qin Hongguo shook his head and sighed.
"Starting tomorrow, you can come collect scraps with me. We won’t get rich, but at least we won’t starve."
’Collect scraps?’
Qin Tuo was about to say something when his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Dad, what happened to your leg?"
Qin Hongguo waved his hand dismissively.
"It’s nothing! Just a small accident. On my way back, I was nearly hit by a truck. It’s just a scratch, nothing serious!"
Hearing this, Qin Tuo’s heart sank.
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