Chapter 25: Are You Blind?

The next day, when Director Kang and County Magistrate Zhuang of Huan County arrived, Zhao Yu and his group were having breakfast in the restaurant.

After a brief introduction, Director Kang’s expression grew serious. “I heard from Miss Lan that you encountered some thugs last night, and they even attacked you?”

Zhao Yu thought for a moment. “They probably aren’t ordinary thugs. At first, their goal was to kidnap Miss Lan, but then they decided to kill me.”

Director Kang and County Head Zhuang exchanged a glance. “It’s highly likely those are people who escaped from the Shen Tuo She family. I’ll have people patrol the area and try to catch them as soon as possible.”

These individuals were lawless and had many hideouts, making them extremely dangerous.

Director Kang continued, “The prosecutor’s office is preparing to prosecute Shen Tuo She and others. Comrade Zhao, this time, we owe you a great deal. If Shen Tuo She had escaped to Taizhou, we would have had no way to deal with him.”

Zhao Yu shook his hand in acknowledgment.

Director Kang didn’t mention the reward money, and Zhao Yu didn’t bring it up either.

County Head Zhuang muttered as he looked at Zhao Yu’s arm wound, “What I don’t understand is how the Shen family found out so quickly that we had captured Shen Tuo She. The news hasn’t even been made public yet.”

Qingtuan looked a little guilty and couldn’t help but glance at Dai Ning.

Dai Ning, eating red bean cheese, was savoring the taste. She was picky and only ate what she liked. Seeing Zhao Yu talking, she quietly grabbed a piece of the red date-flavored one from the plate and stuffed it into her mouth.

Zhao Yu turned around and noticed the empty spot on the plate.

Dai Ning, with her cheeks puffed up and round eyes, looked at him. Zhao Yu didn’t say anything. He poured her a cup of soy milk to help her swallow.

County Head Zhuang said, “The Shen family’s people were never easy to deal with, so it’s not surprising that they have good sources of information.”

Director Kang nodded in agreement. “A clever rabbit has three burrows. It looks like we’ll need to investigate who else might be around Huan County.”

Clearing up corruption in the country was an urgent matter.

Director Kang said, “Comrade Zhao, could you come with me for a moment?”

Zhao Yu stood up and followed him.

Dai Ning was solely focused on finishing her meal and didn’t pay attention to their discussion. However, Du Tian, sitting nearby, perked up her ears, eager to hear anything. She had watched Zhao Yu grow step by step, and now he was beginning to interact with important figures—his future could only be more impressive!

Zhao Yu spoke with Director Kang for quite some time and then returned to the group. “Director Kang said that the reward is already in the process of being applied for, and it will be distributed to us in a few days. I wanted to ask everyone what you think about how the reward should be divided.”

Li Zhuang and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. The villagers, who weren’t very worldly, were still unclear about the situation.

Du Tian spoke softly, “Brother Zhao Yu, everyone trusts you. You can divide it however you think is right.”

Li Zhuang immediately agreed, “Yes, we don’t know anything about this. Zhao Yu, we’ll follow your lead.”

Zhao Yu had already thought about this the night before. Seeing that everyone had no opinion, he said, “Let’s divide it based on merit. Those who helped capture Shen Tuo She and the others, those who contributed fishing nets and anaesthetics, and those who helped escort Shen Tuo She—all will get a share based on their involvement and efforts.”

This seemed like the fairest way to distribute it, and the villagers all nodded in agreement. They didn’t consider the reward to be a big deal. First, they didn’t know how much it would be, and second, even if it was substantial, there were so many people involved that their share wouldn’t be much.

Liu Shuan finally remembered to ask, “Brother Yu, how much is the reward?”

Under the eager gaze of everyone, Zhao Yu answered, “One million for Shen Tuo She, and fifty thousand for each of his subordinates. The total is 2.1 million.”

The villagers, who hadn’t expected much, were stunned.

Li Zhuang, who had never seen such a large sum of money, wondered if he was dreaming. He had unknowingly followed Zhao Yu and helped capture a group of people, and now they had this much money!

Zhao Yu added, “In a few days, I’ll prepare an account book with the distribution details, and you can take a look then.”

Du Tian was confused. Logically speaking, these villagers were like fools—they didn’t understand anything. If Zhao Yu took all the money, he could quickly invest it and become successful. If he divided it honestly, how much would he keep for himself?

But she wasn’t foolish and naturally didn’t voice her thoughts.

Qingtuan immediately seized the opportunity to explain to Dai Ning, “The male lead has his own plans. To accomplish great things, he won’t have such short-sighted goals. Just watch, even if the money they receive isn’t much, the real benefits will come later.”

Dai Ning didn’t have the patience to listen to them blabbering about their meeting. After all, she couldn’t stop Zhao Yu from succeeding, so she might as well go out and have some fun. She hadn’t even seen any of the local food in Huan County yet.

She tried to slip away, but Zhao Yu caught her under the table. “Where are you going?”

“Shopping.”

“You heard what County Head Zhuang said, the Shen Tu family is still out there. For safety, don’t go out yet. Wait until they’re caught, then you can go out.”

“But it’s no fun here.”

Zhao Yu spoke softly, “I’ll play with you later.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Dai Ning knew Zhao Yu generally didn’t lie and reluctantly agreed. Qingtuan automatically interpreted this as “Zhao Yu is offering to play with her.”

After the meeting, everyone went back to their rooms in the hotel to wait for the reward.

Dai Ning, full of expectation, looked at Zhao Yu. He chuckled. “Go back to your room first. I’ll change the bandage and come to you soon.”

She happily left.

Zhao Yu returned to his room, only to find Du Tian waiting at the door.

It had been a long time since Du Tian had a proper conversation with Zhao Yu. Initially, they had a good relationship, and Zhao Yu had always cared for and supported her. But now, in such a short time, Zhao Yu treated her as if she were a stranger.

She held back her feelings and spoke up, “Brother Zhao Yu, can I come in and talk?”

Zhao Yu replied, “If you have something to say, say it here.”

Du Tian bit her lip. “I don’t know what misunderstanding has made you treat me this way, but I must tell you, be careful of Miss Ji. Two days ago, I applied medicine to her, but she… made me drink the wound medicine instead. And on the day Shen Tuo She was captured, she directed those people to hit me. Miss Ji seems innocent, but she’s very cruel. Shen Tuo She even listens to her. I have a guess—could it be that she brought Shen Tuo She to our village?”

Zhao Yu listened quietly, then replied, “If that’s all, you can go back now.”

“Don’t you believe me?” Du Tian asked, incredulous.

Zhao Yu replied indifferently, “I already know about all of this.”

Du Tian stared at him, unable to believe he didn’t care about what she had just said.

Zhao Yu closed the door and went to change his bandage.

――

Zhao Yu arrived on time to play with Dai Ning. He had no experience playing with girls, though Zhao An’an didn’t count, as she was much more mature than Dai Ning.

He brought a set of Chinese chess and set it up on the table, beckoning to Dai Ning. “Come over.”

Dai Ning looked at him, puzzled, as he skillfully placed the pieces. “We’re playing this? Chinese chess?”

Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow, almost as if asking, “What else?”

Dai Ning said, “Let’s play a game! Only old people play chess these days. You come play with me—I’ll be the ADC^[1]ADC (Attack Damage Carry) is a role in multiplayer online games, especially in games like League of Legends, where the player focuses on dealing high physical damage, typically through basic attacks, … Continue reading, and you’ll be my support.”

Zhao Yu hesitated for a moment and admitted, “I don’t know how to play.”

Dai Ning grinned. “I’ll teach you!”

Zhao Yu looked at her and asked, “You don’t know how to play Chinese chess?”

“Of course not,” Dai Ning quickly answered. “Not only chess, but I’m also good at Go^[2]Go is a strategic board game where two players take turns placing black and white stones on a grid, aiming to capture territory by surrounding the opponent’s stones., Gobang^[3]Gobang (Five-in-a-Row) is a board game where two players alternate placing stones on a grid, aiming to be the first to line up five consecutive stones in a row., and flying chess!”

Zhao Yu smiled. “Alright, one round of chess. If you win, we’ll play the game.”

Dai Ning grew displeased. “Are you playing with me, or am I playing with you?”

Zhao Yu sighed. “I’ll play with you.”

Dai Ning was satisfied and pulled out a spare phone from her bag, handing it to Zhao Yu while explaining the game mechanics to him.

Zhao Yu found her bag quite peculiar—it seemed small, but it held an endless amount of things.

He was indeed a newbie at games, and as he said, he was particularly bad at it. Plus, he was from the mountains and wasn’t even familiar with using a phone.

Dai Ning played happily on her own, occasionally calling him stupid. Zhao Yu’s hand still hurt, but he didn’t complain and quietly played along.

In reality, they were both terrible at the game and had been scolded by their teammates. Their teammates lovingly called them the “noob duo.”

Although Dai Ning was bad at the game, she got really into it.

She was used to being lazy and always preferred sitting to standing, or lying down instead of sitting. She seemed boneless as she lay on Zhao Yu’s lap, continuing to play.

Zhao Yu sat up straight, glanced at her, and, after a brief silence, gently pushed her head away.

She didn’t seem to care that her head had been moved.

After a while, Zhao Yu finally got the hang of it. For the first time, Dai Ning realized how smart the male lead really was—he played support and actually started protecting her.

But Dai Ning still couldn’t carry the game and ended up dying.

She glanced at Zhao Yu, who was still doing fine, pouting. “You should die with me.”

Zhao Yu replied, “Okay.”

Without hesitation, he died alongside her, not saying a word or asking why.

At that moment, Dai Ning felt he was really good. She lay back on his lap, her big eyes bright and clear, and asked in a soft voice, “Zhao Yu, do you like me?”

Zhao Yu smiled lightly but didn’t answer.

She grew more curious. “Answer me! Do you like me?”

Zhao Yu looked down at her and said, “No.”

She was immediately upset and incredulously took his hand, placing it on her cheek. “I’m so beautiful, and you don’t like me? Feel it! Are you blind?”

Zhao Yu’s fingers lightly stroked her soft face. “Hmm, I don’t see the beauty, but you do have thick skin.”

Dai Ning, furious, bit him on the pants.

She might be a fool, but she couldn’t stand being called unattractive.

Zhao Yu stiffened and sighed. “Let go.”

Seeing that she wasn’t listening, he pinched her cheek, urging her to release him. She stubbornly clung on, angrily asking, “What, don’t I look good?”

Zhao Yu moved her curls away from her face. “You’re beautiful.”

Dai Ning’s face lit up with a smile, her eyes sparkling as though flowers had bloomed in them, spreading through his vision.

Zhao Yu looked away and asked, “Do you still want to play?”

Dai Ning perked up and sat up straight. “Let’s not play this anymore. Let’s play something else.”

Zhao Yu didn’t mind. To him, as long as it wasn’t about survival skills, it didn’t matter what game they played, as long as Dai Ning didn’t run off.

Dai Ning said, “This game is called ‘I ask, you answer,’ but you can only tell the truth.”

Zhao Yu was suspicious that she hadn’t finished speaking, so he added, “One turn each?”

Dai Ning raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking? It’s all me asking and you answering.”

Zhao Yu smirked but didn’t say anything.

Dai Ning began. “First question: Between Du Tian and Lan Rongrong, who is prettier?”

Zhao Yu looked at her with a deadpan expression. “What do you think?”

Dai Ning pouted. “I don’t want to know what you think. I want to know what you think about it! Hurry up!”

Zhao Yu, trying to tease her, replied, “Du Tian.”

Dai Ning got mad and raised her tiny fist to hit him. Zhao Yu grabbed her hand. “If you want to play, don’t hit me.”

“Fine,” she puffed her cheeks and asked the second question. “Who’s cuter, Zhao An’an or me?”

Zhao Yu couldn’t hold back and laughed.

“…?” Dai Ning was confused. How could such a serious question be funny? She urged Zhao Yu to give her an answer.

Zhao Yu glanced at her and casually said, “An’an is cuter.”

“That’s impossible! How could Zhao An’an be cuter than me?”

This time, she got even angrier, but since she was getting benefits from the game, Dai Ning thought for a moment and asked, “Okay, who’s uglier, Liu Shuan or Li Zhuang?”

Zhao Yu paused. “Li Zhuang.”

Dai Ning was pleased. “I’m going to tell Li Zhuang tomorrow that you think he’s ugly.”

Zhao Yu sighed, tired of playing her game. “What are you even asking? These questions don’t mean anything.”

Dai Ning tilted her head, looking at him. “What do you mean they don’t mean anything? They’re fun! What would count as meaningful questions to you? Okay, let’s switch. You ask me something, but I can lie.”

Zhao Yu, somewhat distracted by her, instinctively wanted to ask her, ‘Who’s more handsome, me or XXX?’ Dai Ning was truly a bad influence.

He stayed silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and asked the question he had been wanting to ask for a long time.

Zhao Yu: “How many people are there in your family?”

“A lot!” she replied.

“Not including hired help, just your direct relatives.”

“Oh, three—my grandpa, my little brother, and me.”

Zhao Yu was surprised. “You have a little brother?”

“Yeah.”

“How come you never mentioned him?”

Dai Ning pouted. “I don’t like that ugly guy.”

Zhao Yu didn’t correct her; after all, the young lady viewed the world in such a way that everyone, except for herself, were ugly.

He skipped over the topic, glancing at her delicate face, which seemed tinted with a hint of peach blossom. He asked quietly, “Have you ever been in a relationship at school?”

Dai Ning’s eyes lit up as she lowered her head, starting to count while recalling. “One, two, three, four… twelve…”

Zhao Yu didn’t even want to look at her, interrupting, “Alright, next question.”

She was confused. “I was counting how many people I rejected. They’re all idiots and ugly, none of them could be good enough for me. No one in this world deserves to be in a relationship with me.”

Zhao Yu didn’t argue with her. “Hmm, go ahead, keep counting.”

He realized that being proud and narcissistic wasn’t always a bad quality.

After counting for a while, Dai Ning happily concluded, “I didn’t realize I was so popular!”

Zhao Yu smiled briefly, then started to think of other questions, like where she lived and what her family members were like. But suddenly, he paused, feeling that this situation seemed oddly familiar—especially like when Lan Rongrong had asked him about his family just a few days ago on the street.

He suddenly stopped smiling and fell silent.

Dai Ning tugged at his sleeve. “Why did you stop asking?”

Zhao Yu stood up. “There’s nothing more to ask. Dinner’s almost ready, so remember to come down and eat later.”

With that, he opened the door and walked out.

Dai Ning watched him leave, casually playing with the untouched chess pieces on the table.

She picked up the “pawn” and moved it step by step until it reached the opponent’s “king.”

With a satisfying “snap,” she captured the “king.”

She chuckled. “Who said I can’t play chess? It’s not that hard, is it?”

Once the “king” willingly stopped resisting, the “pawn” could easily capture it.