For her, Lu Zhengting's proposal should have been a cause for great joy, but instead, she felt immense pressure. Returning to her room, she placed her phone beside her, shook her head, and sighed. After a pause, Xia Yan picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts. It was already quite late, and when she saw Lin Xujia's number still saved in her contacts, a wave of sadness washed over her.
In the dead of night, silence always stirs up a flurry of thoughts. The neon-lit streets were now empty of hurried crowds, and as the lights dimmed and the myriad household lamps went out, the world seemed to return to stillness once more.
The Lin family could no longer compare to what it once was. Lin's father was still hospitalized, and Lin Xujia had now turned the tables, repaying every grievance she had suffered under her stepmother. Leaving home, Lin Xujia wandered the empty streets, streetlights lining the path one after another, illuminating the road. Her aimless steps made her look like someone unwilling to return home, drifting through the night.
Lin Xujia had walked this road countless times before, because a few steps ahead lay Ye Yunchen's place. Gazing at the familiar buildings, a bitter or perhaps joyful smile tugged at her lips. Since the Lin family's decline, she hadn't been happy. To most people, the family's downfall had nothing to do with her, but she knew she was the one who had set it all in motion.
The road seemed empty except for herself, yet Lin Xujia suddenly felt a surge of fear. Hugging herself, she kept glancing back, and when she spotted figures not far behind her, she instinctively quickened her pace. Recent news of nighttime robberies was rampant, and she never imagined that those following her were after more than just her wallet.
As her pace quickened, so did theirs. She dared not look back again; fear had clouded her mind, making it impossible to think clearly. Ye Yunchen—his face flashed through her mind. Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number she had memorized by heart.
The phone rang with a dull buzz, but no one answered, only the cold, mechanical voice of the voicemail. The figures behind her drew closer. She remembered a small alley to the left up ahead, one that saw few people even during the day, let alone at night.
"Pick up, pick up, Ye Yunchen! If you don't answer, I'll tell Xia Yan about us," Lin Xujia muttered to herself, clutching the phone. In an instant, or perhaps the blink of an eye, the stalkers appeared right behind her. One hand landed on her shoulder, and when she turned her head, she was too terrified to speak.
There weren't just one person following her—there were three. Gritting her teeth, Lin Xujia's first instinct was to hand over her purse, but their eyes weren't on the bag. Their gazes were lecherous, and Lin Xujia wasn't naive; she knew what that look meant. Her hand trembled as she gripped the phone. The three men were tall, with sunken features, pale faces, and bluish lips, their expressions twisted and menacing. She shook for a long time, too scared to move.
"Hey, girl, out alone this late—were you hoping to run into us?" one of them said, revealing a mouthful of disgusting teeth as he spoke.
Lin Xujia bit her lip and said nervously, "What do you want? Stay away from me."
"You don't know what we want?"
"Get lost." She saw another hand reaching for her.
"Get lost? Where do you want us to go? It's quiet now—why don't you have some fun with us?"
"Don't come any closer. I've called the police! I've already called!"
"The police? Fine, go ahead. We wouldn't mind spending a few more months inside—at least we'd get free meals. Right, guys?"
"The boss is right. Go ahead, call the cops. Want us to do it for you?"
Lin Xujia tried to say more, but the three men lost patience. The last speaker grabbed her clothes and tore them with a sharp rip, the sound of fabric splitting echoing in the night.
Suddenly, her phone rang, sparking a glimmer of hope. Squinting, she looked at the man pinning her down and searched for the phone that had fallen nearby. Struggling, she finally grabbed it, and when she saw the caller ID, her heart sank to the depths yet soared to the skies.
It was Xia Yan calling.
At that moment, Xia Yan felt heavy-hearted. The moment the call connected, she heard screams and the sound of tearing fabric. She leaped out of bed, clutching the phone, and frantically shouted into it. When she heard no response from Lin Xujia for a long time, she panicked and rushed to the study to find Lu Zhengting, forgetting all about his proposal.
Since Xia Yan had left the study, Lu Zhengting had remained standing by the window in the same position. When she pushed open the door, the smell of cigarette smoke filled the air.
"Lu Zhengting, something's happened..."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting spun around to look at her. Seeing her urgency, he stubbed out his cigarette, ran his slender fingers over his throat, cleared it, and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"
Xia Yan seemed startled by his appearance. She blinked, hardly believing that the dejected man before her was the always cold Lu Zhengting. The screams from the phone reminded her of why she was there. "It's Xiaojia. She's in trouble. Listen..."
Lu Zhengting merely frowned slightly. He had never thought highly of Lin Xujia, especially after she used Xia Yan to make him target the Lin family. Though he hadn't told Lin Xujia outright, it was only for Xia Yan's sake.
"Lu Zhengting, what are you waiting for? Can't you hear the sounds on the phone? You're the only one who can save Xiaojia now."
"..."
"Lu Zhengting, you can't be angry just because I turned down your proposal and do nothing. This is a matter of life and death."
"So you know you rejected my proposal?"
"We can talk about us later. If something happens to Xiaojia, I'll never forgive myself if you do nothing."
"This is my first time proposing to a woman, and the first time I've been rejected—all because of you."
"Lu Zhengting, are you going to help or not? If not, I'll go find Brother Ye. Actually, I can ask Ning Xi for help!" With that, Xia Yan turned to leave the study.
"Come back!" Lu Zhengting said coldly. Seeing her freeze, he took the phone from her hand and casually called Ning Xi.
For Ning Xi, who had just fallen asleep, this was a serious disturbance. Squinting, he answered the call, but upon hearing Lu Zhengting's voice, he snapped his eyes open. Glancing at the time, he grumbled, "This better be important, waking me up this late."
Ning Xi had a terrible temper when woken up, especially if he wasn't fully rested.
"I'll send you the number. Find out where she is."
"Who? Did the little sister-in-law run away?"
"Just do as I say. Why so much talk?"
"Lu Zhengting, I'm trying to sleep here."
"Then expect the Ning family to come drag you off to a blind date tomorrow."
"I've got the number. I'll find her location now." Ning Xi flipped over and sat up, rubbing his sore shoulders. He'd been run ragged by Zhan Meng lately and now understood what it felt like to be tormented by a woman—one word: exhausting, two words: very exhausting, three words: life-threatening.
Ning Xi quickly traced the number Lu Zhengting had sent and froze. "She's in Tiancheng, close to me."
"Then get over there now. I'll send people to back you up."
Still smarting from Lu Zhengting's threat, Ning Xi knew better than to cross him. After Ning Nan's incident, Old Master Ning, to prevent Ning Xi and Ning Bei from following the same path, had been scheming to set them up with women—aka blind dates. To them, it was a blatant insult. Did they need blind dates to find partners?
Grabbing a jacket, Ning Xi was about to leave when Zhan Meng caught him in the living room. Disheveled and wearing a loose shirt, she looked like a ghost as she grabbed his collar.
"Ning Xi, where are you going so late?"
"I have something to handle."
"What could be so important at this hour?"
"Something important."
"I'm coming too."
After a moment's thought, Ning Xi took Zhan Meng along to Tiancheng.
When Ning Xi arrived, Lin Xujia's clothes were nearly gone. Seeing the man on top of her, he let go of Zhan Meng's hand, walked over, and kicked one man away. Without giving them a chance to speak, he launched into a brutal beating. Zhan Meng stood by, stunned, as Ning Xi's moves were swift and decisive.
"Ning Xi, you're amazing! That was so cool!"
The three men, who had been helpless against his assault, took advantage of Ning Xi's distraction with Zhan Meng to land a punch. Caught off guard, he took a hit and could only grit his teeth, unable to complain to Zhan Meng, who looked both innocent and admiring. He suspected she was a spy sent by the enemy to torment him.
"Trying to run?" Ning Xi glanced at Xia Yan, who had just rushed over from the car, and stepped on one man's hand. When Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan approached, he smiled and let go.
"Xiaojia..." Xia Yan went to Lin Xujia's side. Seeing her clothes nearly torn off and scratches on her arms, she instinctively began to remove her own clothes to cover her.