In China, the provincial capital is usually the economic and political center of the province. But there are exceptions that in some provinces, other major cities might take the place of its provincial capital. For example, in Shandong Province, Tsingtao city developed much better than Jinan, the provincial capital. It was a similar case with Xiamen in Fujian Province, and Dalian in Liaoning Province. These major cities were far more advanced in their development of economy, culture, and other aspects, thereby stealing the show. It was particularly true for Jinan. In the recent two years, not only Tsingtao, but Yantai, another major city in Shandong Province, developed much further in the economy.

The first reason why Tsingtao could take the leading role of economic advancement in Shandong Province was its location. Tsingtao was blessed to be a harbor city, fully prepared for economic growth. And the second was its history. During the previous hundred years of history, Tsingtao had been highly thought of due to its profound history and abundant culture, as well as its developed economy.

In a seaside square, Qin Sheng was wandering slowly accompanied by Song Zhiqiu. He wore casual clothes bought in Jiujiang and didn’t look decent as usual. It was relatively cold since this was northern China, which had a lower temperature than the south. Fortunately, it was a good day. Song Zhiqiu, who was beside him, dressed like a fashion model with Hermes scarves, a V-neck sweater, grey coat, skintight jeans, and high-heeled thigh boots. She also wore a pair of sunglasses. Compared with Qin Sheng, Song Zhiqiu looked like a fair lady from the upper class.

The sunshine was comfortable enough to make people drowsy. Qin Sheng and Song Zhiqiu had somewhat made a compromise, rather than tit-for-tat as before. The atmosphere between them was peaceful and fine.

This square was in the downtown area of the city, with the International Sailing Center nearby. Quite a lot of visitors and citizens were here and there.

“Last year, I received a message. It said that our Song Family’s antique jade was at the Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai Province. Were you the person who sent the message?” Song Zhiqiu just remembered this and asked.

Qin Sheng answered, “Yeah. I was in Hangzhou in those days. I came across people from the Zhang family and made a deal with them. They helped me with something and I told them where the antique jade was. But I felt regretful, since if they got it, your Song family would hate me. So I sent you a message.”

“I’m so surprised that you would remember my phone number,” Song Zhiqiu said with a self-mocking smile.

Qin Sheng shrugged and said, “Don’t you remember that I have an extremely good memory? Anything I see, I know it by heart. Otherwise, how could I have called you last night?”

“I’d rather that you forgot it. If so, we’d never have met again and you’d never disturb my life,” Song Zhiqiu said with annoyance. Obviously, she didn’t feel happy about this.

Qin Sheng skipped this topic and asked, “So, what about the jade? Who got it, you or the Zhangs?”

“We were late. The Zhangs got it before us. So, if people of the Song family find out that you’re now in Tsingtao, you know the result. It’ll be hard for you to leave here,” Song Zhiqiu said, staring at Qin Sheng disdainfully. Her situation was terrible as well. If her family knew that she was in touch with Qin Sheng, she would be scolded to the graveyard.

Qin Sheng giggled and said, “Take it easy. I’m leaving here in two days.”

“Where are you leaving for?” Song Zhiqiu didn’t want to care about any of Qin Sheng’s business, but she still asked the question before she thought about it.

This was also a question to Qin Sheng. He had thought it over and over on his way just now. He thought he could go to Hong Kong to ask Jiang Xianbang for help. When he was in Xiamen, Zhuang Zhou gave him a fake identity, with a passport, permit for traveling to Hong Kong and Macao, and other certificates needed. He had experienced so much recently and needed time to take a rest and relax. He was confused about quite many things and had no idea about any solutions, which was a bad sign.

Jiang Xianbang had overcome all kinds of difficulties in his life, and was experienced enough to give him lessons for his future life. He shouldn’t drown himself in confusion any longer. But there was another thing he wondered about; where was Zhuang Zhou and what was he doing? Zhuang Zhou’s behavior was beyond his imagination.

“Hong Kong,” Qin Sheng answered.

Song Zhiqiu frowned and asked, “Hong Kong? Do you have any friends there?”

“An elder. He can help me a lot,” Qin Sheng answered and nodded.

Song Zhiqiu sighed and asked, “What on earth happened to you over the past two years? You made me feel that you’ve suffered a lot. You’re totally different from the man I knew before. You’ve almost become another person.”

“Since I left Shandong, I’ve been in a lot of places. I had no destination. I just wanted to go to different places, looking around. After that, I went back to Shanghai, and stayed for a couple of months. But I offended somebody there and was almost killed. Then I went to Xiamen and took a rest for half a year. After I got healed, I went to Hangzhou. I stayed there over the previous months. However, several days ago, I was driven out of the city. I thought about going to Wuhan. But a friend of mine betrayed me and leaked my plan to my enemy. So I had no choice but to go to another place. That’s why I’m here in Tsingtao.” Qin Sheng explained, keeping a lot of details hidden.

Song Zhiqiu listened, then said, “Full of ups and downs.”

“Maybe it’s my destiny. I’m bound to travel here and there. I have no idea where my destination is. Anyway, let’s talk about something else,” Qin Sheng said with a self-mocking smile.

Song Zhiqiu squinted and said, “The more you pursue, the more effort you need to make and the more suffering you will endure.”

“Maybe. When I get exhausted, I might settle down somewhere,” Qin Sheng sighed and said. He stretched out his arms like he was trying to hug the blue sky and white clouds. He took a deep breath and said, “Tsingtao is nice. I’d like to travel around. Maybe I’ll never be here in the future. But if I come here again, I won’t see you.”

Song Zhiqiu was upset by Qin Sheng’s words, but she said nothing, concealing her feelings. Their story would never have a happy ending. What happened last night would be the last plot of the story. They were born to be different persons and destined to go different ways.

For the whole day, Song Zhiqiu and Qin Sheng wandered around. For convenience, Song Zhiqiu booked a room for Qin Sheng at the Westin Hotel, which was behind the Navy Center where Qin Sheng stayed yesterday. If Qin Sheng continued to stay there, other people might find that they were together, over which others would gossip to ruin her reputation. And Qin Sheng would be in danger if his enemy knew where he was. Besides, considering what they had done last night, Song Zhiqiu would never let it happen again.

In the evening, Song Zhiqiu took Qin Sheng to a seafood restaurant in Badaguan. She knew that Qin Sheng fancied seafood and this was a good restaurant, so she took him here.

Over the following three days, Song Zhiqiu skipped all her work and invitations to show Qin Sheng around Tsingtao. That was the only thing she could do for Qin Sheng. She still remembered and cared about their old stories. But now was not the time. Qin Sheng was in a bad condition. As his friend, and as a woman who used to love him, she hoped that Qin Sheng would be fine. So she led Qin Sheng to travel to all the places of interest in the city as well as those in the suburbs like Mount Lao and Huangdao. Qin Sheng greatly praised the green tea produced on Mount Lao. Besides that, she also borrowed a yacht from her friend so that Qin Sheng could enjoy the scenery on the sea.

Qin Sheng was going to leave Tsingtao the next day. He had bought a plane ticket to Shenzhen. So this dinner was to say goodbye. As Qin Sheng said, once they separated, it was hard to say when they would meet again. And even if they were to meet, they might pretend to be strangers.

Seafood restaurants on the beach were Qin Sheng’s favorite. Song Zhiqiu used to take Qin Sheng here to enjoy the beer, seafood, and barbeque. She knew his likes and dislikes. He disliked those gourmet restaurants and liked casual restaurants that made people relax. Most of the time, these restaurants were outdoors, but since it was freezing cold outside on this winter night, the restaurant now was arranged indoors.

They ordered many dishes of seafood and barbeque, covering the whole table. Song Zhiqiu and Qin Sheng were enjoying the local beer, which was well-known for its good taste.

Song Zhiqiu held up the mug and said, “I wish you have no more obstacles. I wish you have a bright future. I wish you find a beautiful and thoughtful wife. I wish you have your own home.”

“Thank you.” Qin Sheng showed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart.

In a corner of the restaurant, Zhuang Zhou and Nan Gong were also enjoying the seafood. They followed Qin Sheng and Song Zhiqiu everywhere. For them, it was kind of like a business trip, and they both felt that they fell in love with this city while traveling around.

“I’ve booked plane tickets for us. You follow Qin Sheng tomorrow, and I’ll take another flight later. I booked you in first class, so you can board at the last minute and get off before others. He won’t find you there.” Zhuang Zhou told his arrangement to Nan Gong, staring at Qin Sheng over there.

Nan Gong sighed and said, “It’s too exhausting recently. We just came to Tsingtao for a few days, but now we’re leaving for Shenzhen, and then going to Hong Kong. When can we stop?”

“I have no idea either. Let’s wait for the plan from Beijing.” Zhuang Zhou simpered.

Nan Gong glanced at Qin Sheng and said, “When he goes back to Beijing, he must make up for what I’ve done for him, or I’ll make him pay a lot.”

“You can try,” Zhuang Zhou said and giggled.

Mansion No. 8 on Laiyang Road was built by a construction company owned by the Song family. Most mansions in Tsingtao were built by the Song’s company. Their family members all lived in their own productions because it was economical and the family was also proud of them. But Song Zhiqiu was an exception. She wasn’t willing to live there.

Song Jianing, the cousin of Song Zhiqiu, lived there. Among the young generation of the Song family, he was closest to Song Zhiqiu. After Qin Sheng escaped from the engagement party, he, along with some underlings accompanying him, chased Qin Sheng for almost two months. If he didn’t have so much work to do, he would have kept chasing Qin Sheng until he caught him.

In the Song family, Song Jianing was the eldest grandson and Song Zhiqiu was the eldest granddaughter, and they were close to each other.

Song Jianing had gone on a business trip to Shanghai for the previous days and had just come back today. It was his habit to bring some gifts for Song Zhiqiu and invite her out to eat after his business trips.

And this should be today’s arrangement. Song Jianing called Song Zhiqiu, only to be told that she was occupied with something and was having a meal with a friend. Song Jianing felt something wrong.

Before this call, the company’s secretary had told him that Song Zhiqiu hadn’t gone to the company to work for four days, which was quite weird of her. In addition to this, he was told by another friend that Song Zhiqiu went out to sea by yacht with a strange man.

Song Jianing wanted to ask her about these things today, but never expected that she would not be free. He thought it over and over, suspecting that his sister was seeing somebody.

Then, Song Jianing called Xiaoliu, Song Zhiqiu’s driver, and said with the script in his mind, “Xiaoliu, where is Zhiqiu now? I called her but nobody answered.”

“Hmm…” Xiaoliu said with hesitation.

Song Jianing realized his hesitation and then asked, “I already know about it. But the thing is if you’re faithful enough to tell me the truth. If you want this job, you’d better not lie, or you can leave tomorrow. Who’s the man with Zhiqiu these days?”

Song Jianing was pretending and making up a story. But the story he made up was exactly what happened these days. Xiaoliu, the driver, was so scared by Young Master Song’s words that he immediately told him everything he knew.

Song Jianing listened to Xiaoliu with his complexion clouding over. He hung up the phone and left for the restaurant to meet Song Zhiqiu and Qin Sheng.

New troubles were coming to Qin Sheng.