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came from the bedroom."Hey, why isn't Rong Shao staying for dinner!""No!" he said in a faint voice.Her heart tightened, she pursed her lips, and uncontrollably, clenched her fists.After feeling that h...Hesitantly, Lin Meng still gritted her teeth and moved her slender finger, picking up the phone. Watching the screen indicating the call flashing, Lin Meng nervously immediately grabbed the phone and brought it to her ear. Her heart jumped into her throat, naturally trembling with nervousness. At the same time, her mind frantically rehearsed what she should say after hearing Rong Ling's voice in a moment.

However, the low music at his ear echoed repeatedly, and even after almost a full minute, there was still no movement. Lin Meng felt this minute was very long.

What's going on!

Her uneasiness deepened. When the standard female voice finally prompted her, "Sorry, the person you've called is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later," she powerlessly hung up, feeling a strange mixture of emotions. First, there was suspicion; suspicion that he didn't want to answer her call. Second, came anxiety; anxiety that she might have disturbed him and so he didn't want to pick up. Then came a flurry of other random guesses.

She jumped out of bed, clutching her phone, pacing back and forth across the floor like a headless fly, her mind completely blank. A wave of panic washed over her: what if something had happened to him!

Thus, I was worried.

This emotion grew stronger and stronger in her heart over time, eventually overpowering all other feelings with a crushing victory. Her breathing became rapid, her heart pounded, and she immediately called Rong Ling again. But once again, only music answered, and no one picked up the phone.

Lin Meng bit her lip, anxious beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She silently prayed: Please, please, pick up the phone! I hope nothing bad has happened...

To be honest, Lin Meng had no concrete idea what Rong Ling was actually doing. He seemed to be a businessman, but she wasn't quite sure what kind of business he was in. It seemed very diverse and chaotic. Moreover, besides being a businessman, he seemed to have another identity. At least, the skills he displayed in front of Xiao Yi that day were rather unusual.

This girl's imagination had run wild, like a horse without reins, racing around and nearly dizzying itself.

The second call also ended in failure.

At this moment, Lin Meng felt a mix of anxiety and sorrow. Regarding Rong Ling, she had only known him superficially. If she knew any of his friends, perhaps she could ask them to check on him. All she wanted was confirmation that he was safe.

This time, after the call ended, she dialed again for the third time. She was so anxious while listening to the music that she was almost going to cry when the phone finally connected!

It actually worked!

"Hey!" was Rong Ling's unique voice, as mellow and fragrant as aged red wine.

"Róng Lǐng!" Lin Meng cried out excitedly, her voice betraying the sob in her throat.

"What's wrong" Rong Ling sensitively caught it, raising his voice: "Crying"

"No...no!" Lin Meng hurriedly reached out to wipe her eyes, not knowing if it was because she was too worried, but she blurted out everything in her heart. "I...I'm just a little worried about you. I called several times just now, and you didn't answer. I...I was a bit scared..."

Maybe I'm a little afraid now, Lin Meng said this, her eyes were red. In this world, accidents like car crashes seem to happen anytime, and no one can predict whether the next second will happen to your closest person.

On the phone, Rong Ling was silent for three seconds before softly rebuking, "Silly, what nonsense are you thinking"

Listen carefully, you can hear the warmth and tenderness he has for her in his words.

Lin Meng held the phone, giggling a little sheepishly.

Rong Ling slowly explained: "I was in a meeting just now and couldn't leave, so I didn't answer the phone. Seeing that you called several times in a row, I asked the meeting to pause for a moment and came out. You're so eager to find me, are you afraid something happened to me"

By the end, Rong Ling’s voice was laced with amusement, a teasing tone that spoke of intimacy and playful satisfaction between lovers.

Lin Meng hung his head, feeling even more embarrassed. He thought he had really overreacted. Sure enough, he had important matters to attend to. Looking at her now, she realized she had truly disturbed him.

"Rong Ling, then you should hurry to the meeting." She urged him hastily. "I don't have anything important here. I'll call you after you finish the meeting."

After hanging up the phone, she felt her ears burning with shame. She thought she had made a fool of herself and must have embarrassed Rong Ling.

"Oh dear…" Lin Meng jumped onto the bed, blushing and annoyed. She covered her face with her hands and buried herself deep into the blankets. "This is embarrassing… so embarrassing…"

She mumbled to herself for a while, before this mixture of shame and guilt subsided somewhat. Then, speechless, she realized that she had forgotten to ask Rong Ling what time the meeting would end!

"Oh my gosh, how could I be so stupid!"

Lin Meng let out a low cry of dismay, burying her head back under the covers. She had to admit, Ren Rong was right; she really was too stupid!

She didn't dare to call again, still afraid of disturbing him once more. She thought she'd wait a little longer to call. Besides, she secretly hoped that after the meeting ended, Rong Ling would give her a call. Holding back her impatience, she shifted her attention to the book and began battling with the sea of questions.

As expected, when it was almost nine o'clock in the evening, Rong Ling called. Lin Meng was so happy that she almost jumped out of her chair.

"Rong Ling!" she cried out excitedly.

Nà biān róng líng dī dī xiào, xì yuè dào: "Zháo jí le ba"

That's the English translation.

Her face flushed slightly, but she said nothing.

"Do you miss me" he asked again, determined to flush her cheeks red before giving up.

Lin Meng's breath quickened, her lips moving but no words came out. She simply couldn't bring herself to answer him. He remained silent, calmly waiting for her response. It seemed as if she didn't speak, he could patiently wait forever.

Whenever Rong Ling fought, Lin Meng always lost. So after a while, she bit her lip and let out a soft hum.

"Think."

Soft and glutinous, just like a little girl. This voice was drawn out, lingering with a trace of shyness, and a hint of coquettishness.

On the phone, Rong Ling smiled faintly, his laughter like a small bell, each sound ringing into Lin Meng's heart. His heart began to beat wildly. He laughed for a while before finally stopping slightly, his low voice flowing like cello notes: "Go on, what is it!"

Lin Meng hesitated for a moment, wondering... should she say it or not! After thinking about it, since she had embarrassingly made so many calls, she might as well tell him. Even if it added to Rong Ling's worries.

"Well, it's like this, after school today..."

She was just getting a handle on things when suddenly a sweet female voice came through the phone.

"Alright, Rongge, let's go quickly. We can talk about anything later. Everyone is waiting anxiously!"

Lin Meng's ears perked up unconsciously, carefully analyzing the familiar voice. To her great dismay, she realized that the speaker was most likely He Ya!

Why is she with Rong Ling! Didn't Rong Ling say he was in a meeting the whole time Why is she here! Remember, she's a student, not Rong Ling's employee!

What a bother!

Lin Meng bit her lip.

But what annoyed her even more was that following up, Rong Ling directly said to her: “Let’s do this for now. I have things to take care of, I’ll call you later!”

After he finished speaking, before Lin Meng could even open her mouth to call him back, he hung up the phone.

Lin Meng listened to the cacophony of sound and was stunned. In his mind, he naturally pictured Rong Ling leaving that day. He Ya was coquettishly holding onto his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. They left together in a natural and intimate manner.

She, could only stay in J city.

While He Ya, however, could go anywhere with him freely and openly.

Because, that's her status.

And He Ya, she is such a noble presence!

A sense of disappointment settled in her heart. She clutched her phone to her ear, holding it there for about ten minutes, until her arm grew tired and ached. Only then did she come back to herself, withdrawing her arm as if waking from a dream. She looked down at the phone, her eyes clouded with worry. Her lips unconsciously curled into a pout. Her long, thick eyelashes drooped like wings, closing together and casting a faint shadow in the corner of her eye.

What are you thinking about!

She chided herself softly and quietly.

Only the blush on her face had completely faded.

"Study, study!" she muttered, straightening her back. Her eyes were fixed on the exercise book with its running lines of black box characters, but her vision was blurring. She held a ballpoint pen in her fingers, which trembled uncontrollably.

Actually, she desperately wished Rong Ling wouldn't answer her call and would patiently listen to her woes and grievances. But with that girl present, she could only feel her own humiliation time and again.

It seems, I can't compare with her.

My heart, why does it hurt a little

She blinked back the tears, forcing them down. She pushed her phone to the furthest corner of the table. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her textbook and began reading aloud, following the text diligently. This had to be a more effective way to shift her focus!

As for the call Rong Ling had mentioned, it still hadn't come until she was about to go to sleep. She placed her phone beside her pillow, lay on her side, and stared at it for over an hour.

Even the midnight bells have already rung!

She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes slowly.

Last night, I had a very disorienting dream. It felt like I was running constantly, and I was searching for something... I feel so tired...so tired...

When I woke up, everything in the dream was hazy and all I felt was a headache. The first thing I did was turn my head to look at my phone, but the screen was clean with no missed calls displayed.

He broke his promise!

Perhaps... I'm just too busy, perhaps...

Perhaps, what he meant by "a little later" was different from what she had in mind...

Or perhaps, he... forgot...

She gobbled down a bit of breakfast, and while packing her bag, she glanced at her phone for a moment. Still, she quickly reached out and tossed her phone into her bag before swiftly leaving.

What she desired was simply a life free from disturbance. Now, in this situation, she should be grateful! — This was what she told herself before leaving the house!

After entering school, she was somewhat surprised to see that Goo Kyo-hee had several band-aids on his face. She couldn't help but go up to him and ask, "What happened to you" He seemed fine yesterday when he left!

Gu Jianxi grinned: "It's nothing!"

"Did you get into a fight with someone" she guessed.

"Well." Gu Jianxi hummed. "It's nothing, they can't do anything about it!"

them!

Lin Meng frowned, it seems like she's still quite popular with many people. How could she not show some concern after Gu Jianxi untied her yesterday

Be careful from now on.

Gu Jianxi nodded.

On one side, curious students watched the two, thinking that perhaps today was the day the sun rose in the west. The school beauty, who usually didn't care about others, was actually talking to the notorious troublemaker of the school. Of course, Lin Meng noticed those gazes. She thought for a moment and said to Gu Jianxi: "I'll go back to my seat."

Jian Gu Jianxi nodded, Lin Meng turned and left. At the same time, she caught the eyes of many people. She immediately grinned and slowly smiled, nodding to everyone.

When a beautiful woman smiles, my heart dances with joy!

Everyone seems to have seen thousands of blooming peach blossoms in front of them, almost dazzling their eyes. Their hearts beat fast, and they all secretly exclaimed: "Oh my God, it's so enchanting! It's too beautiful!"

A few who weren't so composed, even blushed, and all quickly turned their heads away. However, once Lin Meng returned to her seat and settled down with her book, those people suddenly became inexplicably excited again. After all, the school belle had smiled at them! For a moment, they felt that Lin Meng was actually quite approachable too!

"Well, who was it that said she was arrogant and looked down on everyone! Who said she had a bad temper and looked down on people! Who said she didn't like socializing with others and that her two best friends were only close because they grew up together, otherwise she wouldn't even bother with them!"

That's strange, who said that, I wonder!

Several people touched their heads, for a moment they really couldn't remember. Anyway, it seemed that the rumors became more and more outrageous as they spread. Then, they seemed to actively believe those rumors. Because this girl was too beautiful, her faint aura actually had a very noble feeling, which made these immature classmates subconsciously feel inferior, so they subconsciously believed those rumors and didn't approach her. Actually, it wasn't that Lin Meng rejected them, but these people were overwhelmed by their own insecurities first, and then they wove themselves a reasonable illusion, creating a "bad" Lin Meng. In this way, they could find excuses for ignoring Lin Meng with peace of mind.

In fact, everyone has a love for beauty. Even if you reject something beautiful, your gaze will still be uncontrollably drawn to it time and time again.

Now these people think carefully, Lin Meng usually, is clearly a person who seems quite quiet! And, she has never really heard her say anything insulting!

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and suddenly there was a desire to get closer to her.

...This content was first published by XiaoXiang Academy...

The sun, day after day, repeated its work of shifting westward. Lin Meng still didn't go to evening self-study, directly carrying her schoolbag home. Halfway through the walk, yesterday's four hooligans swaggered over again. However, their faces had each added some bandages or something similar, which seemed to affect their appearance a bit. But Lin Meng felt that they looked familiar somehow, as if she had seen them on someone else not long ago.

When Lin Meng saw the four people coming, she had no choice but to quickly turn around and face away from them. At this time, she was a bit far from the four people, so they probably hadn't seen her yet. Lin Meng didn't want to cause trouble, so she glanced at a small supermarket nearby and quickly slipped inside, planning to sneak back after the four people passed her.

Seeing the four people getting closer and closer, she felt a little nervous and secretly hoped that they wouldn't enter the supermarket. To avoid being discovered by the four people, Lin Meng went deeper into the supermarket. Unfortunately, the supermarket wasn't big. No matter how deep she went, the distance to the street-facing entrance was only six meters away.

She had her back to the door, pretending to be engrossed in examining the goods on the shelves, when suddenly she heard a commotion outside.

"Are you four looking for death Dare you come wandering here" it was Gu Jianxi's voice.

“Hee hee…” One of the thugs, Xie Xie, replied with a sinister grin: “Gu Jianxi, don’t be so arrogant. This place isn’t yours, why can’t we come here How did you feel being beaten last night Let me tell you, you better watch yourself and stop interfering with my pursuit of women. Otherwise, I’ll find someone to beat you up again!”

"It's cowardly to attack someone with multiple people against one. What's there to brag about You even dare to talk about it, bah! It makes me ashamed for you!"

"Hey, hey, who cares about being embarrassed or not You see, we haven't had any face a long time ago. You’re the one with a face, you hero! Saving the damsel in distress, stepping up for that little girl, hey hey, that girl thanked you yesterday. How did it feel! Pshh, in the end, you still got beaten up by our boss!"

Lin Meng was instantly stunned!

Those four thugs cursed some more. When Gu Jianxi raised his fist and made a move to fight, the four of them ran away muttering curses.

Gu Jianxi snorted softly, inserted his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and strode away with a cool air.

After that, Lin Meng came out of the supermarket and hurriedly chased after him.

"Gu Jianxi!" she shouted.

Gu Jianxi turned around, feigning surprise and asked, "How did you get here I didn't see you just now. I thought you had already gone home."

Lin Meng stepped forward, getting to be about a step away from Gu Jianxi. Looking at Gu Jianxi's face, which was in really bad shape and looked like it had been beaten up, she started feeling uncomfortable inside.

"Were you beaten by those people last night"

"No!" Gu Jianxi quickly denied it, but his rapid glance away and evasive behavior betrayed his guilt.

"Don't keep it from me." Lin Meng frowned. "I know everything."

"How do you know!" Gu Jianxi pretended to be surprised.

"I heard your conversation with those four thugs just now."

Guk Jianxi lowered his head, pursed his lips, and pretended to be nonchalant as he hummed, "It's nothing really, just pretend nothing happened."

"How is this possible!" Lin Meng raised an eyebrow. She had seen Gu Jianxi single-handedly taking on four people yesterday, so effortlessly. But even in that situation, he only sustained a minor scratch on his face. Look at him now, with several wounds across his face; it's easy to imagine how intense the battle last night must have been.

"Didn't they get a lot of people to beat you up"

"Well, let's just pretend it never happened," he replied. But didn't he deny it

Lin Meng immediately felt guilty and blamed herself, saying: "It's all my fault!"

Gu Jianxi waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "Don't overthink it. Where there's talk of this, it was my own volition. Besides, I didn't let those people get away with anything."

Lin Meng smiled, but it seemed a little forced.

"Next time, you shouldn't fight for me and those people." She was afraid that the four of them would think about harming him again at night.

Gu Jianxi frowned, his voice dropping several degrees, very displeased. "I'd rather be killed than watch you being bullied!"

Lin Meng was stunned, Gu Jianxi's metaphor...

Her heart was a little flustered. For a moment, she didn't know how to speak to Gu Jianxi.

“These days, I’ll give you a ride home.” Gu Jianxi casually said this. “I see those people are still up to no good. They'll come bother you again these days when they see you alone. Four of them can’t beat me. With me around, they definitely won’t dare to harass you anymore.”

"This..." Lin Meng hesitated, but then she thought of Jiang Po Lang. He used to go to school and back home with her, but now...

"I'm sorry, I think it's best if we don't. " She didn't want to cause any more trouble than necessary. She could just be more careful on her way home later, and steer clear of those four guys like she did today.

Gu Jianxi was taken aback. He hadn't expected Lin Meng to refuse. This girl wasn't as he had imagined... weak and easily manipulated! Even in this situation, without any outside help, she still had her own opinions, which was quite rare. Besides, he was, after all, a handsome guy. Asking someone out after school was also his first time. Other girls would either fawn over him or pretend to be aloof despite secretly being interested. But he knew that this girl's refusal wasn't pretentious at all, nor was it a play of coy.

Likewise, if she only had this beautiful skin, Rong Ling would have long since abandoned her, let alone treasured her so carefully like a jewel in a golden house!

"So it is..." Gu Jianxi smiled. "Then do as you please."

Lin Meng hung her head, feeling a little ashamed inside. After all, this was someone's kindness.

"Still, I have to thank you." she said.

"Don't mention it!"

"I'll treat you to a meal next time." Lin Meng looked up and smiled, taking it as thanks.

Gu Jianxi responded very quickly this time. "Okay,"

That's settled then.

"Well, it's settled then." Gu Jianxi smiled slowly.

Then, it was goodbye, each going their separate ways. Watching Lin Meng walk away, Gu Jianxi slowly narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he still had to do something, otherwise, this girl wouldn't be able to break through!

It was late at night when Rong Ling finally called. He didn't apologize, just briefly explained that he had gone out with friends yesterday and returned too late to call. He said it was better to call now instead. Rong Ling continued the conversation from the day before, asking her what she had wanted to say.

Yesterday and today, Lin Meng's mood was a little different. She smiled and said it was okay, but Rong Ling coldly replied, "Angry!"

She still smiled and said no.

There, Rong Ling snorted angrily: "If it's nothing, just don't call!"

Having finished her words, she abruptly hung up the phone. It seemed that her meekness and unwillingness to cause trouble had angered him instead!

She heard the "beep beep" of the blind tone and smiled wryly.

Actually, shouldn't she be the one who is angry!

As evening fell on another day, Lin Meng once again walked the same path. She cautiously looked around and towards the distance, failing to spot the group of four men. Her heart felt a little more at ease. However, things didn't go as she wished. After about five minutes of walking, the four ruffians suddenly appeared from different directions, surrounding her with lightning speed, leaving her unsure which way to run. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! The four men stood around Lin Meng, grinning wickedly. This time, they wasted no words and directly reached out to grab her.

"Hey baby, come with us."

"Let go!" Lin Meng roared, but was dragged away by the four men's brute force.

"Hey, I told you to let go!" Lin Meng's voice raised a little, and several passersby started looking in their direction.

The ruffian whispered menacingly, "Don't scream. Or I'll post photos of you and Rong Ling getting intimate all over the school."

Lin Meng's face turned pale. This time, she was truly scared. How could her intimate photos with Rong Ling... how could they... She instinctively refused to believe it.

"You dare to deceive me."

"Haha, we're not fooling you. Come with me, I'll show you pictures."

Several people dragged Lin Meng along, Lin Meng pursed her lips and followed unsteadily. At this moment, her mind was very chaotic, and she no longer had the ability to judge rationally. When she was dragged to the alley, she realized that this was not right. What if... these people were just fooling her, then what if they did something to her in the alley...

She couldn't even imagine it, she immediately gritted her teeth, without making a sound, she watched for an opportunity and rushed out of the alley. The four people were unprepared, thinking that Lin Meng should obediently surrender, so they let her break free all at once.

"Hurry, chase after her!" one person exclaimed urgently.

These people, who usually stroll the streets and alleys, had practiced their stamina. In no time at all, they caught Lin Meng.

"Want to run!" One person angrily pushed Lin Meng against a wall, suddenly leaning forward and pressing her down. Unintentionally, he discovered that the girl he was pressing was so soft, and her breath was so intoxicatingly fragrant. He couldn't help but feel something in his heart. When he saw her incredibly beautiful face, as if it only belonged to someone out of a painting, his heart beat even faster.

Before, due to Lin Dong, he could only drool over her and didn't dare to make a real move. Now, with the big boss backing him up, there's no need to worry about Lin Dong at all, so what is there to fear! Now's the chance to take advantage of the chaos and touch her a little, it should be fine.

He secretly glanced out of the alley with the corner of his eye, then deliberately shifted his body outwards to block the gaze of someone watching him from outside the alley. Taking this opportunity, he pinched Lin Meng's waist hard.

Lin Meng's small face flushed red, feeling ashamed and humiliated. "Let me go!"

Her obsidian eyes glared at the young hooligan, but they melted his heart despite his having already gotten away with it once. He thought to himself, "No wonder our boss went through so much trouble orchestrating this play to get this girl. She's truly a gem." Just one glance was more alluring than any bar dancer he had ever seen. He couldn't help himself and took the opportunity to touch Lin Meng's waist again. The softness sent a surge through him, making him want to reach further and touch her breasts.

This thug was blocking the eyes from outside the alley, but he couldn't block the three brothers beside him. The three weren't blind, and immediately noticed their brother's awkward movements. Two of them had moved, looking at Lin Meng's beautiful face, their hearts itching. This was the woman the boss had his eye on, they naturally wouldn't really touch her, but... a few touches wouldn't be a big deal, right

Only one person frowned. He stepped forward, grabbed the ruffian who was still trying to enjoy the fragrant food.

"Don't mess around!" the man growled.

At the same time, there was a shout outside the alley: "What are you doing!"

While shouting, that vigorous figure dashed over at high speed, his mouth filled with fury as he snarled, "It's you four again, looking for death!"

One of the four people immediately cooperated and cried out in a panic, “Run!”

Immediately, the four of them fled like frightened animals, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Gu Jianxi feigned a chase for a distance, but the final result was that none of them were caught. When the four people disappeared from sight, Gu Jianxi ran back, sweat dripping down his forehead and panting as he looked at Lin Meng, asking, "Are you alright!"

He's really sweating, he's genuinely run hot.

Lin Meng shook her head, her face still not back to normal. She was so angry that her whole body trembled!

Gu Jianxi tousled his hair and asked with concern, "Haven't they done anything to you!"

He glanced at Lin Meng's waist without a trace. Lin Meng didn't notice, and with difficulty controlled her anger, shaking her head, not wanting to say more.

"Thank you!" she thought. It seemed like saying "thank you" to Gu Jianxi was becoming a trend for her.

Koo Jian-xi frowned. “Don’t be so polite with me. Come on, let me send you back first, or those four rascals will come and cause trouble again.”

This time, Lin Meng did not refuse because she was still shaken by what had happened.

"How could they have brought you here! This place is quite a distance from the street. Why didn't you shout" He deliberately inserted himself between Lin Meng and Rong Ling.

Lin Meng shook her head, silent.

Gu Jianxi naturally understood why she was silent. This was all orchestrated by him, with the script and lines almost entirely his handiwork. But at this moment, he had to deliberately misinterpret Lin Meng's head shake.

"Well, scared speechless now, aren't you!"

Before Lin Meng could respond, he went on talking to himself. "Don't be afraid, it's nothing serious, just some hooligans, they can't amount to much. From now on, I'll send you home every day, see if those punks dare to block you again!"

He said that with a bit of aggression. Lin Meng walked her head down, without directly refusing, nor nodding in agreement. She thought to herself, maybe if he sent her home, she could avoid some trouble. But… why did those thugs know so much about her And… were the so-called photos real!

Because she was uneasy, she seemed rather silent along the way. When she got home, she didn't even invite Gu Jianxi in to sit down, just saying that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to take a nap. Gu Jianxi understandingly said it was fine and left directly. However, after he left Wenqu District, he didn't return to school, but instead went straight into the alleyway they had just been in. In the depths of that maze-like alley, those four hooligans were huddled together smoking, occasionally muttering something to each other. When they saw Gu Jianxi appear, the four of them stopped talking at once and looked at him.

The tallest one, flattering him, asked: "Big brother, how was it Did you have a big harvest this time"

After he finished speaking, he squinted and acted as if he knew something. But with his triangular eyes, his expression was a little creepy.

Gu Jianxi smiled, striding forward with an easy gait and a calm expression.

Seeing this, the man guessed that things were going well and felt a surge of excitement. He eagerly reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one up and offered it to Gu Jianxi. "Come on, big brother, have one."

Gu Jianxi smiled and reached out to take it, but as his fingers were about to touch the cigarette, his face suddenly turned cold. His five fingers curled into hooks, grabbing the man's arm in an instant. He asked in a sinister voice, "Was it this hand that touched her just now!"

His face changed color, his eyes were full of panic, and he stammered, "Brother... no... not..."

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sickening "crack," and his arm, directly by Gu Jianxi's black-faced hand, was dislocated.

"Ah――" The man screamed, his voice rough as a pig being slaughtered. His legs went weak and he slumped to the ground with a thud. He clutched at his severed arm, his face contorting and slowly paling in the process.

Ku Jianxi glared at the man coldly, his killing intent palpable as he growled in a low voice, "Considering you've done well in the past few instances, this time, I won't go too hard. Consider it a warning. Don't appear before me again, or else—"

He let out a cold snort. "You know my temper, I think this doesn't need me to say more."

Although he was in great pain and sweating profusely, he still nodded and agreed.

Gu Jianxi pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and threw it in front of the person. "Take this money and leave. Remember, after you go back, immediately forget about what happened these two days!"

That man trembled as he reached out to pick up the money, stuffing it into his pocket. He struggled to climb to his feet, clutching his immobile arm, and walked away unsteadily. The three standing by, their smiles gone, looked at Gu Jianxi with identical fear.

Gu Jianxi raised an eyebrow and glanced at the three of them. The three were so frightened that they lowered their heads, and their necks were slightly sweating. As expected, Gu Jianxi was still Gu Jianxi, a ruthless and merciless master. These days, they had cooperated to perform the "hero saving beauty" act, almost being deceived by Gu Jianxi's appearance as a "chivalrous hero" and forgetting his true nature.

Ku Jianxi took out a cigarette and slowly lit it. By the time he finished smoking, his aura as the boss had reached a new level in the hearts of his subordinates!

"You three did a good job." Gu Jianxi crushed his cigarette, lifted his foot, and stomped on the butt with his sneakers to put out the fire. "Keep it up in the future, I won't let you down."

The four of them chorused in agreement, and only then did they let out a sigh of relief and lift their heads.

Suddenly, Gu Jianxi's face changed again, his eyes turned cold and sharp like knives, staring at them. "Just remember this: don't treat me like a fool. Anything that happens under my nose, I know about it, and I will never let it go unpunished."

Just like that tall guy earlier!

The remaining three nodded, all indicating that they understood and would definitely not do anything to betray their big brother.

Ku Jianxi hummed in response, dismissing the three. When they were out of sight, he turned around, his gaze like a sword aimed at a corner of the wall.

"Aren't you coming out yet" he sneered coldly. Does he really think he's so unaware, being overheard from the corner and acting like an idiot who doesn't notice a thing!mpulsive; he had to remain calm, stay composed.Turning back, he picked up Lin Meng who was lying on the ground and placed him carefully on a chair in the corner. Making sure there was a distance betwe...