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Lu Hanxiao had been a crime boss for thirty years, carving out a formidable reputation in the city. He controlled a vast network of entertainment venues, and anyone with half a brain knew to tread carefully around him.
The burly man who had earlier confronted them was now trembling uncontrollably, unsure of what to do next.
Jian Xi suddenly spoke up, her voice calm but firm. “No one hit me.” It was true—all the blows had been absorbed by He Ran.
Lu Hanxiao circled her face, examining it closely from every angle. Satisfied that she was unharmed, he turned to the burly man and spat out a single word: “Scram!”
Only then did He Ran let out a sharp hiss, clutching his jaw. “Damn, that really hurts.”
Jian Xi bit her lip, a wave of delayed fear washing over her. Still, she stubbornly retorted, “Well, you shouldn’t have gotten in the way.”
He Ran was momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, he shot back, “With those thin arms and legs of yours, if I hadn’t protected you, you’d be on sick leave tomorrow!”
Jian Xi didn’t know why she was still arguing. She turned her head away, her tone frosty. “What’s it to you?”
He Ran froze, taken aback. Then, softening slightly, he leaned down and lowered his voice. “Still mad about that night, huh? Hmm?”
Jian Xi looked up, her expression cold and distant. “What night? Oh, I’ve already forgotten.”
“I’m sorry,” He Ran said softly, sincerely. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
Her icy demeanor crumbled instantly, an unexpected surge of委屈 (grievance) welling up inside her. She lowered her head, unable to speak.
“Hmm? What night are you two talking about?” Lu Hanxiao interjected, thoroughly confused. “What’s going on here?”
He Ran shot him a glare. “None of your business.”
Lu Hanxiao wasn’t offended. Instead, he slapped He Ran lightly on the shoulder, deliberately targeting the spot where he knew He Ran was injured. “Still as hot-tempered as ever, huh? Think you’re some kind of popcorn waiting to explode?”
He Ran cursed inwardly, recognizing the calculated jab. That sneaky bastard.
Earlier that evening, Lu Hanxiao had been upstairs playing cards when a friend casually mentioned some trouble brewing downstairs, involving a particularly beautiful woman. When asked how beautiful, the description had triggered something in Lu Hanxiao’s instincts. Without hesitation, he had gathered his men and headed down to investigate.
Now, back in a private lounge, Lu Hanxiao gestured for everyone to sit. “Order whatever you want to drink.”
“You guys go ahead,” He Ran said curtly, his voice hard. Turning his back to the group, he immediately delivered a punch to Lin Jia, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Lin Jia clutched his face, too terrified to make a sound.
“What kind of shady dealings were those guys involved in? Don’t tell me you don’t know!” He Ran growled, his voice dripping with menace. “Lin Jia, is your head too heavy resting on your neck? Want me to rip it off and use it as a football? Huh?!”
Lin Jia’s eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his face. “Ran Ge, I…”
He Ran kicked him without hesitation. “What ‘I’? You wanna die? Go jump off a building!” He pointed toward the window, his voice rising. “Don’t drag others into your mess! And don’t worry—if you kick the bucket, I won’t lift a finger to take care of your sick mother or unborn child!”
“Ran Ge, I’m sorry,” Lin Jia choked out, his voice hoarse and strained.
“I don’t want your apologies!” He Ran barked. Grabbing Lin Jia by the collar, he dragged him over and shoved him in front of Jian Xi. “Thanks to Dr. Jian here, you’re still breathing. Otherwise, you’d be dead meat by now!”
Jian Xi frowned, her gaze fixed on He Ran.
“Thinking about cursing me again, aren’t you?” He Ran smirked, unbothered. “Women should stay out of trouble. Rushing into danger isn’t bravery—it’s stupidity.”
Jian Xi’s expression shifted, her irritation palpable. Lu Hanxiao immediately signaled for someone outside to bring a glass of ice water. Turning to He Ran, he said, “You need to cool off.”
He Ran slumped onto the couch, his mood sour.
Jian Xi felt utterly exasperated trying to communicate with him. Ignoring him completely, she turned to Lu Hanxiao. “I’m leaving. My colleagues are waiting for me.”
“Colleagues? Bring them up here—let’s all hang out,” Lu Hanxiao offered generously.
“No need. It’s a department dinner—they’ve called me several times already.”
Lu Hanxiao opened the door for her. “Alright, go ahead. I’ll visit our parents another time.”
At the mention of “our parents,” He Ran’s head snapped up sharply.
Jian Xi nodded faintly. “Sure.”
As the door closed behind her, Lu Hanxiao glanced at He Ran, a knowing smirk on his face. “You’ve been staring holes into me this whole time. Don’t tell me—you’ve got your eyes on my little sister?”
He Ran sprawled across the couch, his posture relaxed yet defiant. “I’ve known you for years, and I never heard you mention having a sister.”
“You think I’d trust someone like you with that information?” Lu Hanxiao chuckled, tossing a cigar He Ran’s way. “Our fathers were comrades-in-arms during the war. Their bond runs deep. Jian Xi grew up trailing after me like a shadow—she’s practically my little sister. She studied abroad for a while, so we haven’t seen each other much these past few years.”
He Ran lit the cigar, his jaw tightening briefly.
Lu Hanxiao grinned, flicking ash off his own cigar. “So… you serious about her?”
He Ran met his gaze steadily. “Got a problem with that?”
Lu Hanxiao leaned against the wall, his movements lazy and unhurried. The ember of his cigar glowed faintly red. “My sister isn’t like the women you’re used to playing around with.”
“I’m not looking to play.”
Lu Hanxiao laughed, tapping more ash off his cigar. “There are a few fresh faces at the club—virgins. Want me to send them over?”
He Ran’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice low and deliberate. “I told you—I’m not interested in playing with her.”
Lu Hanxiao paused, brushing off the topic with a casual wave of his hand. “You came all the way from Yao Province. Why didn’t you look me up?”
“Look you up to show you how pathetic I am?” He Ran snorted. “I’m just a worthless piece of trash—not worth your time.”
Lu Hanxiao’s hand stilled, his expression softening. “If it weren’t for He Yan’s betrayal back then, you wouldn’t have ended up like this…”
“Shut the fuck up about the past!” He Ran snapped, his voice laced with barely contained rage.
“If you ever decide to rebuild your empire, it’s not impossible. Just say the word,” Lu Hanxiao said earnestly. “I’ve got your back.”
He Ran stood abruptly, clearly irritated. “Stop spouting nonsense. Tell me—what do Jian Xi’s parents do?”
Lu Hanxiao’s expression grew complex. “You’re serious about her?”
“What the hell do you think?”
“Jian Xi’s mother runs a business. Her father…” Lu Hanxiao hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “…is a civil servant. She also has a younger brother.”
A highly educated family? More or less what He Ran had guessed.
From the adjacent room came the sounds of a poker game. Lu Hanxiao suggested, “Come join me for a couple rounds.”
“No money,” He Ran muttered dismissively, pulling open the door and walking out.
________________________________________
Meanwhile, Jian Xi had returned to her colleagues.
After weeks of relentless work, everyone was finally letting loose, acting like wild horses breaking free from their reins. Since Jian Xi had driven herself, she didn’t need to worry about drinking. But after the earlier commotion, her desire to have fun had evaporated.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed—a new text message:
[Come out.]
She ignored it. Two minutes later:
[My wound hurts like hell. Help me apply some medicine.]
Jian Xi turned off the screen, then turned it back on, rereading the message several times. As she stood up, she replied: [Where are you?]
Pulling open the door, her hand still on the handle, she looked up to see He Ran leaning against the wall, his face bruised and swollen. In his left hand, he held a plastic bag.
Jian Xi walked over and extended her hand. “Give it to me.” She peeked inside the bag. “You bought so many ointments?”
He Ran grunted in affirmation. “The pharmacy owner recommended them.”
“He ripped you off,” Jian Xi said dryly, her lips pressing together. “Follow me.”
Her car always carried a first aid kit, sufficient for minor injuries.
They sat in the car as Jian Xi pulled out a bottle of iodine and a pack of cotton swabs. “These ointments are useless. Let’s disinfect the wounds first.”
He Ran leaned closer. “Be gentle. Don’t use this as an excuse to get revenge.”
Their eyes met—hers clear and steady, his sharp and intense. Within seconds, they both broke into laughter.
That shared moment of levity synchronized their moods. Jian Xi cleared her throat. “I’m not as rough as you.”
He Ran’s hardened expression softened slightly. “I’m a man. How can you compare yourself to me?”
She didn’t respond, silently dabbing iodine onto his wounds.
The car was filled with the faint scent of jasmine essential oil. The atmosphere grew softer, and He Ran’s voice took on a gentler tone.
“Back at the apartment entrance the other day, I said some things I shouldn’t have.”
“Mm,” Jian Xi acknowledged. “Good that you realize it.”
He Ran raised an eyebrow. “Consider everything I said as nonsense. But one thing was true.”
Jian Xi furrowed her brow, trying to recall. “Which part?”
“My abs are harder than that pretty boy’s dick.”
Without hesitation, Jian Xi jabbed the cotton swab directly into his wound.
He Ran didn’t flinch, showing no sign of pain. Instead, he grabbed her wrist. “I’m serious. Why do you like that pretty boy?”
Jian Xi remained silent.
“Is it because he’s handsome?” He Ran’s tone was earnest. “Just based on that incident at the KTV, he doesn’t deserve you.”
The time Lu Pingnan had gotten drunk and made a bet, ordering Jian Xi to come whenever he called within half an hour.
Seeing her increasingly silent expression, He Ran took the cotton swab from her and began applying the medicine himself, his movements practiced and efficient.
“You two met in school, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s easier to be fooled when you’re young. Thinking devotion equals loyalty makes you look foolish in the eyes of someone heartless.”
Jian Xi sensed a note of self-deprecation in He Ran’s smile as he spoke.
“I’ve liked him for ten years,” she said quietly. “During my freshman year, he gave a speech on stage. I still remember the title: ‘How to Innovate the Education Reform System.’”
He Ran scoffed. “Still wet behind the ears and already calling himself an expert. What arrogance.”
He tightened the cap on the iodine bottle and placed it back in the first aid kit. “Love lasting over a decade? Handsome? All lies. If you step back and look at it objectively, you’d realize how stupid you’ve been.”
Jian Xi was momentarily speechless.
“It’s not about how great the other person is—it’s about being afraid to step outside your comfort zone and examine yourself,” He Ran glanced at her. “Am I making sense?”
“Maybe you’re right,” Jian Xi murmured, turning her head away. Her hands rested on the steering wheel. “Over the years, I’ve grown used to it. No one better has come along.”
“Stubbornness only brings suffering,” He Ran muttered, reigning in his temper. “Do you know how a man acts when he truly likes a woman?”
Jian Xi thought for a moment. “Remembering anniversaries, giving flowers and gifts…”
He Ran burst out laughing. “No wonder you think that way. That pretty boy hasn’t treated you right. When a man truly likes a woman, he’ll chase her relentlessly, tolerate no one else touching her, fight to protect her, and fantasize about pinning her to a table night and day…”
He Ran gazed at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The obscenity remained unspoken.
“Dr. Jian,” He Ran asked, his voice low. “Has that pretty boy ever made you feel this way?”
Jian Xi lowered her gaze, staring at her hands.
“Do you want to try it?” He Ran pressed.
“Huh?” Jian Xi blinked, her mind struggling to process his question. “Try what?”
“Being cherished by a man.”
The car was silent, their gazes intense, their heartbeats almost audible.
Jian Xi’s awareness sharpened, and He Ran’s next words confirmed her suspicions.
He spoke slowly, each word deliberate. “What can I do? I really, really want to cherish you.”
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