“Young Master Zhang.”

“Young Master Zhang, greetings!”

The moment Zhang Zhicheng walked in, many of the attendants turned to look at him respectfully.

It seemed his reputation here was no small thing.

Zhang Zhicheng said nothing at all, passing by gambling tables of every size, walking straight inside.

He stopped before a particular doorway, and the brother guarding it stepped forward.

“Young Master Zhang.”

“I need to see Jiang Hongsheng. Is he inside?” Zhang Zhicheng asked in a low voice.

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt—there couldn’t possibly be this many coincidences, there simply couldn’t!

“Master Jiang is discussing business with our Boss Cai and Boss Qin. I’m afraid Young Master Zhang can’t go in right now.” The brother reminded him.

“I must go in.” Zhang Zhicheng stepped forward.

“Young Master Zhang.”

“Young Master Zhang.”

The two brothers guarding the door drew their swords at the same time.

“Please don’t put us underlings in a difficult position.” One of the brothers said.

Zhang Zhicheng took a deep breath, withdrawing his gaze from the door, and looked at the one who had spoken.

“Go announce that I’m here.”

“Yes, Young Master Zhang, please wait a moment!” The brother cupped his hands, pushed the door open, and went inside.

Zhang Zhicheng waited outside the door, his expression growing exceedingly grim.

A short while later, the door was pulled open from inside, and the brother who had just gone in appeared before Zhang Zhicheng.

He waved his hand and said, “Young Master Zhang, please, go in.”

Zhang Zhicheng said nothing and walked inside.

Once inside, the space wasn’t large, but the place where they were actually discussing business wasn’t here.

The brother led Zhang Zhicheng through two more doors, and a spacious hall came into view.

Only a few people were inside, each seated before a low table.

Besides Jiang Hongsheng, there were the two owners of this gambling den, Cai Liantang and Qin Anzhuo, along with three bodyguards each standing watch beside their respective masters.

“Brother Zhang, what’s the occasion that brings you to see me?” Jiang Hongsheng looked at Zhang Zhicheng, stood up, and waved him over.

Zhang Zhicheng merely glanced at the two gambling den bosses before walking over to Jiang Hongsheng.

“Brother Zhang, sit!” Jiang Hongsheng glanced at the chair beside him and sat back down in his own seat.

Zhang Zhicheng took a deep breath and sat down.

“Brother Jiang, I have something to ask you. When do you have time?”

Jiang Hongsheng unhurriedly poured Zhang Zhicheng a cup of tea, asking softly, “Brother Zhang, what is it? Speak freely.”

Zhang Zhicheng glanced once more at Cai Liantang and Qin Anzhuo, hesitating slightly.

If this matter had truly been Jiang Hongsheng’s doing, were these men his accomplices?

Could Jiang Hongsheng alone really have done so much, all without anyone the wiser?

“Brother Zhang, what exactly is the matter?” Jiang Hongsheng asked again.

“It’s nothing too important.” Zhang Zhicheng’s tone eased somewhat. “Just now, I went to see Lingling.”

“So you know?” Jiang Hongsheng gave Zhang Zhicheng’s shoulder a light pat.

“It’s about time I hand my little sister over for you to care for, heh heh…”

“Come.” He picked up his teacup. “Let’s drink to it.”

What Zhang Zhicheng had actually meant wasn’t about Jiang Lingling’s pregnancy, but for now, he still didn’t dare say more.

He raised his cup, clinked it against Jiang Hongsheng’s, and took a sip.

“Brother Jiang, whenever you’re free, shall we have a meal together?”

“Does Brother Zhang have time today?” Jiang Hongsheng smiled with delight. “As it happens, Boss Cai, Boss Qin, and I have arranged to dine together today.”

Jiang Hongsheng patted Zhang Zhicheng’s shoulder again, turning his head to look at him.

“If you’re free, why not join us?”

“There’s nothing pressing.” Zhang Zhicheng’s smile was somewhat forced. “But Lingling is over there all alone.”

“If Brother Jiang doesn’t plan to go back, perhaps I should go keep her company at mealtime instead.”

“Good brother-in-law, what a good brother-in-law!” Jiang Hongsheng patted Zhang Zhicheng’s shoulder, smiling as he looked toward the other two men.

“Boss Cai, Boss Qin, this brother-in-law of mine is quite something, truly quite something!”

Zhang Zhicheng made small talk with the three men inside for a good while, and by the time he came out, his expression had grown even grimmer.

The sky was growing late, and the surroundings had dimmed somewhat.

Zhang Zhicheng wandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys, not going to find Jiang Lingling.

He had come out today fully intending to get to the bottom of things, but unexpectedly, after all this time out, he had learned nothing at all.

What his father said—that he’d accomplished nothing—was true. He was such a failure!

Not only had he failed to help his own family, it seemed he had also let a wolf into the house.

Some unknown amount of time later, Zhang Zhicheng, leading his horse, passed by a shop.

“Young master, what’s wrong?” A flamboyantly dressed woman pulled him aside.

“Why so listless? Did someone wrong you? Never mind, come sit a while at our Yuanmeng House—I promise your mood will surely improve.”

“Come on in, young master, come have some fun.”

Zhang Zhicheng turned his head to glance at the gaudy, colorful establishment, blinking.

“It’s fine, just come take a look first—we only charge if you’re satisfied.” The woman glanced at the attendant beside her.

The attendant understood at once and went over to take hold of Zhang Zhicheng’s horse.

“This way, sir, please!”

And so, Zhang Zhicheng was pulled by the flamboyant woman into the brothel.

He was shown to a room on the second floor, where two young, beautiful women came in, and a fair amount of wine and food was brought as well.

The unimportant attendants left, leaving only Zhang Zhicheng and the two women seated to his left and right.

“Sir, don’t just focus on drinking—won’t you chat with us a little?” The woman dressed in red said.

“Xiaohong’s right. Sir, you can’t only drink—here, have some meat.”

The woman in green snatched the wine cup from Zhang Zhicheng’s hand and placed a piece of meat for him.

“What are you doing?” Zhang Zhicheng glared at the woman in green.

Frightened, the woman immediately handed the cup back to him.

“If you want to drink, sir, Xiaohong will drink with you.” The woman in red, holding a cup, leaned her whole body against Zhang Zhicheng.

Zhang Zhicheng swept his long arm and shoved the woman pressing against him away.

“Get out! This young master doesn’t need company! Get out! All of you, get out!”

He shoved left and shoved right, pushing both women down.

“Out!” Zhang Zhicheng snorted coldly and poured himself more wine.

The two women finally managed to sit up, exchanged a glance, and stood up together.

As they went out, two people entered from outside.

“We’re friends of his. Out.” Feng Jiu’er, now dressed in men’s clothing, said flatly.

Of all the places to go, he just had to come to a place like this, forcing her to buy clothes to change into—what a hassle!

“Yes, sir.”

The two women left, one on each side, closing the door behind them.

Zhang Zhicheng drained a cup of wine and reached for the jug again.

“I told you to get out, get out!” He sensed someone approaching, growing even more irritated.

“Young Master, are you trying to anger your father to death?” Feng Jiu’er walked straight up and sat down across from him.

Jian Yi sat down almost at the same moment as her.

Zhang Zhicheng set down the wine jug, raised his eyes to look at the two people across from him, and took a deep breath.

He said nothing, picked up his cup, and drained the wine within in a single gulp.