Chapter 049 【Different Paths, No Shared Goals】

"Yes, that's correct. I owe my fame entirely to Ling Yongbing. Without him, I might have become like many other aspiring actresses, trading my body or even my soul for my dreams. Or perhaps I would have returned to the city, become an ordinary woman, married an ordinary man, raised children, and lived a plain, mundane life." Zhou Tong's voice grew low, tears streaming down her beautiful face like falling pearls, dampening the front of her clothes. "Many people think I'm Ling Yongbing's mistress, his plaything. But that's not the truth! Although Ling Yongbing lost his wife in middle age, from the day I joined his entertainment company, he never laid a finger on me. It wasn't that I was unwilling. He simply never had such thoughts. He treated me like his own daughter, cared for me, and even offended many people for my sake. He cleared every obstacle for me, using his powerful connections to help me reach the pinnacle of the entertainment industry at just 24."

"So you're doing this to repay him?" Zhou Tong's words had softened Gu Feng's impression of her, as he could tell she wasn't acting. The gratitude she expressed toward Ling Yongbing couldn't be faked.

Zhou Tong nodded slightly and gave Gu Feng a look. "Yes, I'm doing this to repay him."

Gu Feng sighed softly but said nothing.

"Although Ling Yongbing is in the underworld, he's a good man. He never let Xiao Wei get involved in underworld affairs, hoping instead that Xiao Wei would study hard and live like an ordinary child." Zhou Tong sighed. "To avoid Xiao Wei resenting him, he even remained single all these years. Of course, he's had many women around him, but as you know, for a man, physical needs are merely biological. What's more frightening is the emptiness inside."

Zhou Tong's words once again changed Gu Feng's opinion of her. Clearly, she was quite intelligent, and he had to admit that most of what she said was true.

The only thing wrong was that Ling Yongbing couldn't really be called a good man.

Although the definitions of good and evil in this world are never clear-cut, as a gang leader, Ling Yongbing was inevitably involved in vices like prostitution and drugs, so he couldn't be considered a good person.

"Although I don't know why you refused to cooperate with Ling Yongbing, I believe someone like him shouldn't be defeated by someone like Xiang Tianhua," Zhou Tong lamented.

Gu Feng had never met Xiang Tianhua, the leader of the Dong Xing Gang, but he had seen his profile from Qiao Gang. Comparing Xiang Tianhua to Ling Yongbing, the former was a cunning schemer, while the latter was a formidable figure.

A formidable figure might achieve great things, but against a cunning schemer, the outcome is always the same—defeat.

Because for a cunning schemer, there are no ethics or morals—only profit. Such people are the most selfish and despicable in the world, yet in reality, they often thrive.

Compared to Xiang Tianhua, Ling Yongbing might not be a good person, and he even treated someone he regarded as a daughter as a pawn in times of danger. However, he did so only after seeking Zhou Tong's agreement. If it were Xiang Tianhua, such a thing would be impossible.

"I admit Ling Yongbing is admirable in some ways, but I can't cooperate with him," Gu Feng said calmly.

"Why?" Zhou Tong was puzzled.

Gu Feng narrowed his dark eyes, gazing at the distant neon lights, and slowly replied, "Our paths diverge; we cannot work together."

Hearing Gu Feng's words and sensing the faint sorrow in his presence, Zhou Tong was momentarily taken aback. Her expression softened, and she wiped her tears with a white handkerchief, smiling faintly. "I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away earlier."

Indeed, as Zhou Tong said, she had been overwrought. Since her rise to fame, almost everyone in the entertainment industry had viewed her as Ling Yongbing's plaything. They merely avoided saying so publicly or letting gossip editors spread rumors, keeping it to private conversations.

The power of rumors is immense. For a 24-year-old woman, her mental resilience wasn't poor, but it certainly wasn't unshakable. Today, to repay Ling Yongbing's kindness, she had agreed to his request without hesitation. She hadn't expected Gu Feng to see through her cooperation with Ling Yongbing and act so coldly, making her feel deeply wronged.

Later, Gu Feng's words struck her as deeply ironic, and in her anger and frustration, Zhou Tong poured out everything she had been holding back.

However, after hearing Gu Feng's words about walking different paths, she realized she had no right to demand anything from him. Ling Yongbing had his struggles, she had hers, and Gu Feng naturally had his own.

Although Zhou Tong was now a high-profile celebrity, Gu Feng could tell from her earlier words that she was a person of true feeling. Hearing her apology, he smiled slightly. "It's fine."

Perhaps because Gu Feng's expression had been so serious earlier, his smile caught Zhou Tong off guard. She quickly recovered, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. "Actually, you look really good when you smile. You should smile more often."

As she spoke, Zhou Tong started the car. The high-performance vehicle shot forward like an arrow from a bow.

Since arriving in Hong Kong, Gu Feng had felt that his personality wasn't quite suited to city life. However, years of military service had solidified his character, making it difficult to change quickly. Moreover, he wasn't willing to forget his past life. Perhaps, for him, his former life was what truly suited him.

As it was late, the streets were noticeably emptier than during the day.

Seeing that Gu Feng didn't respond, Zhou Tong said nothing more, seemingly having grown accustomed to it. She turned on the car's CD player and began singing softly along with the music.

Although Gu Feng didn't often listen to music, he had to admit that Zhou Tong's singing was beautiful—her voice melodious, her expression heartfelt, her elegant songs carrying a faint emotion, as if telling a story.

After a few songs, Zhou Tong pulled up to the entrance of Mingzhu Apartments. She turned off the music and smiled awkwardly. "I'm really sorry for singing without your permission."

"Your singing is lovely," Gu Feng replied with a slight smile, his demeanor no longer as stern as before.

Gu Feng's compliment brought a glimmer of joy to Zhou Tong's beautiful eyes. Smiling, she took out two VIP tickets. "I'm holding a concert this Saturday at the Hong Kong Coliseum. If you have time, please come. Here are two VIP tickets."

Gu Feng hesitated for a moment, then took the VIP tickets from Zhou Tong and nodded.

After saying their goodbyes, Zhou Tong's car, escorted by two Mercedes-Benz sedans, disappeared down the street.

Gu Feng casually tucked the two VIP tickets into his pocket and instinctively glanced toward his apartment. To his surprise, he saw a small head peeking out the window, looking toward the entrance.

Who else could it be but Lin Jiaying?

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