Besides, Yang Ce had never met such a domineering girl. Compete or move out—there was no third option? That was going a bit too far. Did she take him for a soft persimmon, to be squeezed however she pleased?

The thought made Yang Ce a little angry. "Fine, let's compete. What do you want to compete at?"

"A fight. You dare?" Seeing that Yang Ce had agreed, Wang Yanqiu let a faint smile show at the corner of her mouth.

"What's there to be afraid of?" said Yang Lanxu. When it comes to fighting, I'm the granddaddy of fighting. You think you're really something, do you?

But Wang Yanqiu did not see it that way. She would grant that Yang Mo had some skill, but it was only the brawling of small-time thugs—nothing that could stand in polite company. Wang Yanqiu was confident that once she unleashed a killer's moves, Yang Ce would be left with nothing to do but be trampled underfoot.

"All right, then it's settled. No going back on it!" Afraid that Yang Ce might change his mind, Wang Yanqiu spoke at once.

"Settled. Whoever backs out is a turtle's egg and a bastard's son." Yang Ce cut in, "You just go wash up nice and clean and wait for me in bed."

Truth be told, Yang Minlan was getting a little annoyed with this girl, Wang Yanqiu. So the renovations disturbed your rest—what a tiny little thing. Yet you won't let it go, and now you want to duel me. Fine, I'll oblige you.

Heh heh. You think being a little killer means victory is in your grasp? And you even dangled such a tempting condition in front of me—well, then dig the pit and wait to fall into it yourself.

Hearing the filth coming out of Yang Ce's mouth, Wang Yanqiu was thoroughly displeased, but since she now had a way to deal with Yang Juehuan, she would put up with it for the time being.

"Good. When do we compete?" Wang Yanqiu asked.

"You name it," Yang Ce said, indifferent. "Ladies first."

"Then in a little while." Wang Yanqiu wanted a quick resolution; she did not want to wait a moment longer than necessary.

"In a little while? I'm afraid that won't do." Yang Ce shook his head.

"What, are you scared? Need more time to prepare?" Wang Yanqiu taunted.

"That's not it. A friend of mine is being discharged from the hospital today. I just came to buy her a coat, and I still have to drive her home afterward," Yang Yanzhou said.

"Fine, then. I'll wait until you're done." Wang Yanqiu wanted to settle it as soon as possible, lest Yang Ce change his mind later.

"Even if you want to be my lover, there's no need to be in such a hurry," Yang Jincong said with a laugh.

"When did I ever want to be your lover?" Wang Yanqiu was finally roused. "Don't flatter yourself. I just want to teach you a lesson."

"Teach me a lesson, huh? Then I really can't be in a hurry. If I hurried, wouldn't I be a fool delivering myself up for a lesson?" Yang Hengye said. "In a bit, after I get home, I'll take a shower, then have a little nap, then eat something nice."

"Yang Ce, you and I are irreconcilable!" Wang Yanqiu gave a humph, got out of the car, and left one parting line behind: "Two o'clock in the morning. I'll be waiting. If you don't show, I'll tear your house down."

Damn. More domineering than me. This girl has the makings of a gangster—so ruthless in her dealings. She's a real talent.

"Hey, wait!" Something suddenly struck Yang Ce. The girl had only said two in the morning; she hadn't said where. How was he supposed to find her?

"What now?" Wang Yanqiu turned back, afraid Yang Ce might go back on his word.

"You didn't say where. How am I supposed to find you?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"I'll be at home. Just come to my place and find me," Wang Yanqiu said after hearing him out. Seeing that Yang Yongjin seemed about to renege, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, at your place, is it? Now, I'm a very proper sort of person; I don't care for doing anything intimate at a girl's house. But since you're sincerely inviting me, I'll make an exception," Yang Ce said with a chuckle.

"Shameless!" Wang Yanqiu spat the word, then turned and strode quickly into the distance. Her steps were astonishingly fast, and in a moment she had vanished from sight.

Watching Wang Yanqiu's receding figure, Yang Ce cursed under his breath. This woman—how exactly am I shameless again? Truly baffling.

Yang Ce started the car and hurried toward the hospital. Fortunately he hadn't been delayed too long; an hour for the round trip was fairly quick.

Entering the ward, he found Auntie Li already packed and resting on the sofa to one side, while Chen Shutang and Zhou Yanning sat side by side on the hospital bed, talking about something.

Judging by the scene, it was probably Chen Shutang telling Zhou Yanning about something—perhaps some of the people and happenings at university, and reminding her of the habits and cautions to keep in mind once she became a university student.

Zhou Yanning was listening intently, and Chen Shutang was speaking intently too. The two of them were like teacher and student—a very tranquil picture indeed.

"Mengyan, Jiajia, I've bought the clothes." Yang Ce entered the ward and set the bag down to one side.

"You got them!" Chen Shutang rose to her feet and took the paper bag from Yang Ce's hand. "I was worried the mall might be closed by now. I was just about to call you and tell you it'd be fine to go to my place and fetch a coat."

To be continued

944. Let's Go Home

"Heh heh, at this hour the mall is actually quite crowded," Yang Hengye said. "I don't know the first thing about girls' clothes, so I just bought one at random. If it's not pretty, don't hold it against me."

"It doesn't matter if it's not pretty. It's just something to get through one night anyway." As she spoke, Chen Shutang took the down jacket out of the bag.

Zhou Yanning's face was full of delight and anticipation. How could she possibly mind? This was the first piece of clothing Yang Ce had bought for her. Pretty or not, Zhou Yanning was overjoyed. It represented a gesture of feeling, a keepsake.

"Not bad." Chen Shutang spread out the down jacket Yang Ce had bought and smiled. "Jiajia, what do you think?"

"Mm, I think it looks quite nice too." Zhou Yanning thought for a moment. "I happen to be short a winter down jacket. Now I won't have to buy one."

In truth, given Zhou Yanning's family circumstances, how could she possibly be without clothes to wear? Her wardrobe was probably piled mountain-high by now. But Zhou Yanning wanted an excuse to keep wearing the clothes Yang Ce had given her in the days to come.

Zhou Yanning finished dressing, and the clothes fit her remarkably well. Chen Shutang teased, "Yang Ce, seems you know Jiajia's measurements quite well."

"Heh, same goes for yours." Yang Ce was determined to uphold the egalitarian spirit of treating everyone alike.

Chen Shutang knew exactly what he meant and shot Yang Puqi a glare, then ignored him, taking Zhou Yanning by the hand and leading her out of the ward. Zhou Yanning had only lain in that hospital bed for a little over a month, so her limbs were unaffected and she walked quite normally; it was only that after so many days without food, sustained by glucose and nutrient fluids, she felt light and floaty.

As for her stay here, Zhou Yanning had brought nothing with her; only the bedding and towels had been added later, and Auntie Li could pack them all into one small bag.

Yang Ce offered to carry it for Auntie Li, but she refused. "Such a light bag—how could I let you trouble yourself, Mr. Yang?"

Yang Shuoxuan did not insist. These petty tasks fell within Auntie Li's duties; if you wouldn't let her do them, she would think you were dissatisfied with her work.

Zhou Yanning kept feeling she was living in some fantastical space-time, wondering how she had come to have a home and become one of a trio. Though she knew the odds of transmigration were practically nil, the facts were exactly that.