Chapter 174: 174. Physical checkup?

“The person you’re looking for is named Kim Soohwan. He’s the crown prince of the Goryeo Guxin Group.”

A moment later, Tie Hao had someone borrow a black Mercedes with an ordinary license plate from a neighbor. He stood at the entrance of the mansion courtyard and handed the car keys to Lin Fan. Then, he pulled out a piece of paper with the address of the Extreme Speed Taekwondo Gym written on it.

“Moreover, there have been rumors in the Imperial Capital lately that the Ying family and the Guxin Group have grown very close. They’ve already reached many business cooperation agreements,” Tie Hao added with a solemn expression, hesitating as if he had more to say.

“So it really does have something to do with Shen Yueli… Thanks, Brother Tie. I know what to do now.” Lin Fan took the car keys and the note, giving a nod.

Seeing Tie Hao hesitate, Lin Fan added lightly, “Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble for the Old Commander.”

“Alright, be careful out there. To avoid suspicion, I won’t go with you.” Tie Hao’s brow relaxed as he patted Lin Fan on the shoulder, but his gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the mansion’s interior.

Damn it, I’ve been sold out!

Lin Fan froze, his expression changing instantly as he grabbed the car keys and made to jump into the black Mercedes.

“Lin Fan! How dare you trick me! Go on, run! If you take one more step, I—I’ll never speak to you again!”

The next moment, a shrill scream, tinged with anger and embarrassment, erupted from behind him.

Lin Fan flinched and shot a speechless look at Tie Hao, who was struggling to suppress a smirk. Without a doubt, the guy had been deliberately stalling to buy Xia Bingbing time.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Tie Hao grumbled in a muffled voice. “You get to walk away scot-free, but I’m the one the Young Miss is going to harass every day…” He turned and gave the passing Xia Bingbing a look that said, *Mission accomplished*.

“What are you looking at? How old are you, still playing childish games like this?”

BANG!

With a stern expression, Xia Bingbing strode over, yanked open the passenger door, and slid inside.

“Bingbing, I’m really going on official business. It might be dangerous,” Lin Fan said, frowning as he clutched the keys.

“What danger could there be with you around? Lin Fan, don’t tell me you can’t even protect your own woman?”

Xia Bingbing had changed into a simple white dress that made her look pure and youthfully radiant. She spoke nonchalantly as she took foundation and other cosmetics from her small purse, quickly touching up her makeup in the rearview mirror.

“This is all your fault! You kept me up all night, and my dark circles still haven’t faded!” Turning her head, Xia Bingbing pouted her red lips and chided Lin Fan coquettishly.

“Fine, fine, it’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” Lin Fan’s head was starting to throb. He silently pulled open the driver’s side door.

RUMBLE!

The brand-new black Mercedes roared like a tiger unleashed from its cage. It sped away from the Xia Family Mansion, heading for the Extreme Speed Taekwondo Gym.

Inside the mansion gates, Mr. Xia Sr. paced with his hands behind his back, his expression filled with emotion. “That kid hasn’t had it easy. Hiding in Haicheng for seven miserable years… I wonder how much grief he had to endure from the Su Family.”

“The Young Marshal is merely a dragon stranded in shallow waters, not a creature meant for a small pond,” Tie Hao said with a reassuring smile as he stepped forward to meet him. “He just needs one opportunity to rise again. You needn’t worry about him.”

Just after midnight last night, once Lin Fan’s whereabouts were exposed, the Xia family had effortlessly uncovered all the information about his past seven years. They had deliberately kept it from Xia Bingbing, however, to spare her feelings.

“Getting divorced is actually for the best. At least it might temper that stubborn-as-a-mule attitude of his… But that girl from the Hai City Yuan Family… Ah, well. Let the young people sort it out themselves.” Mr. Xia Sr. massaged his temples, a wry smile on his face.

“That Yuan Youwei? How can she possibly compare to our Miss Bingbing?” Tie Hao shook his head with a confident smile. “Besides, the Young Marshal and Miss Bingbing are childhood sweethearts. Yuan Youwei doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Whatever. In any case, that kid can only stay in the Imperial Capital for three days. He can’t cause too much trouble.” Mr. Xia Sr. waved his hand dismissively, his expression growing somber again as he and Tie Hao walked back into the mansion side by side.

Although the higher-ups in the Imperial Capital War Zone had made an exception and allowed Lin Fan to stay, the question of his future still required careful consideration. To simply cast aside such a figure would be a grave loss for Xia Country. But Lin Fan was still burdened by a false accusation. Until his name was cleared, he could not make a public appearance. It was a difficult, truly difficult situation.

「Southern Imperial Capital, Extreme Speed Taekwondo Gym.」

“Xiao Ya, this is the Extreme Speed Taekwondo Gym my brother runs! It’s been incredibly popular with the young people in the Imperial Capital over the years. We’ve had over ten thousand students in total!”

SCREECH!

A white BMW braked to a stop at the gym’s entrance. Inside the car, Kim Sooeun’s eyes shone with pride as she pointed to the red banner above the entrance.

“You came on the perfect day. You’ll even get to watch many Taekwondo masters compete in person.”

“Mm-hm. Thanks, Sooeun. I would never have dared to come to a place like this by myself.”

Huang Xiaoya looked up. On the banner, the words “Extreme Speed Taekwondo Gym Anniversary Invitational Tournament” were brightly displayed.

The two excitedly got out of the car and walked into the gym. The vast, brightly lit facility was already filled with people in white Taekwondo training uniforms. In the central area, a young man and woman were engaged in a fierce sparring match.

“Miss Kim, Mr. Jiang Taizhong is in his office. Please follow me.” A lobby manager approached them, his face wreathed in smiles. He led the ever-curious Huang Xiaoya and Kim Sooeun to the office area on the second floor.

After a knock, the door was pulled open from within, revealing a burly figure in a black leather vest. Unexpectedly, while his build was imposing, he had the handsome, slender face of a boy band member. His narrow eyes, however, looked somewhat murky and held a faint, wicked gleam.

“Oppa! It’s been so long! I missed you so, so much!” Kim Sooeun shrieked, pouncing forward as a blushing and slightly stunned Huang Xiaoya looked on. She threw herself at Jiang Taizhong, planting frantic, uninhibited kisses on his porcelain-white cheeks.

“Third Miss, is this lady your friend?” A faint smile touched Jiang Taizhong’s lips as he gently pushed the reluctant Kim Sooeun away. He fixed his gaze on Huang Xiaoya, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He had accompanied the Kim siblings to Xia Country many times and had his fair share of its women. But compared to the refined, petite girl before him, those flashy women from the clubs paled in significance.

“Mhm, mhm! She’s my good friend, Huang Xiaoya! She wants to learn Taekwondo from you, Oppa! She wants you to be her master!” Kim Sooeun gave the visibly uncomfortable Huang Xiaoya a little push forward as she made the happy introduction.

“Very well. For the Third Miss’s sake, I, Jiang Taizhong, will make an exception and accept you as my student.” Jiang Taizhong frowned briefly, then nodded. “Come in by yourself,” he said, gesturing into his office. “I need to assess your aptitude first to see if you’re suited for my high-intensity training.”

“Xiao Ya, did you hear that? Hurry and go in, this is a rare opportunity! Whatever Oppa asks you to do later, you absolutely must agree!” Kim Sooeun urged her in a low, mysterious whisper, her eyes flicking toward Jiang Taizhong. When their gazes met, she couldn’t help but look smug, as if to say, *Aren’t you going to praise me?*

Jiang Taizhong gave a slight nod in return, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

“Th-then, thank you in advance, Mr. Jiang.”

Huang Xiaoya had noticed the silent exchange between them. For some reason, an inexplicable unease settled in her heart. The lavishly decorated office ahead suddenly seemed to have a faint, sinister chill.

CLICK.

The door locked behind her, leaving Huang Xiaoya standing face-to-face with Jiang Taizhong.

“Miss Huang, take off all your clothes. I need to examine you carefully, bit by bit.”

Jiang Taizhong drew the curtains. When he turned back, his handsome, porcelain-white face was twisted into an undisguised, wicked smile.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep