An Ruo was startled by his sudden move, standing frozen as he pressed against her. His tall, imposing frame loomed over her like a small mountain, enveloping her completely.
The bodyguard caught a glimpse of a slender leg in high heels beside the man's thigh, understood the situation at once, and hurriedly fled without bothering to question their identities.
The elevator doors slowly slid shut, the crisis averted. The man stared at the girl beneath him, her eyes closed, her thick lashes trembling slightly, betraying her unease.
He pressed the button for the first floor with one hand, his gaze still fixed on the girl's face.
She was dressed beautifully tonight. What was she thinking, coming to such a dangerous place alone this late, and for what?
He had watched those men with impure intentions sizing her up, forced to act like a stranger and help her out, unable to take her home and give her a proper scolding.
The elevator was silent, not a sound for so long. An Ruo couldn't bear the heat of the man's breath any longer and slowly opened her eyes.
The man in front of her was staring intently, his deep, dark eyes cold and complicated, leaving her stunned.
Caught off guard, he cleared his throat, straightened up, and maintained a gentlemanly distance from her.
"Ding!"
The elevator doors slid open. The man stepped out first, and An Ruo silently followed behind him, dodging the rushing bodyguards.
A few bodyguards ran past in the lobby. Huo Jinyan, who was discussing adult matters with some beauties, frowned. "Did someone steal the fire hydrant?"
"Or did they steal Young Master Huo's heart?"
Huo Jinyan lifted a woman's chin, leaned in, and lightly bit her earlobe. "My heart was stolen by you."
The beauty was swept away by his sweet talk, completely lost in it.
---
Stepping out of the Red Wine Club, the cold winter wind made her shiver. An Ruo hesitated, following behind the man.
She pondered for a moment, then, as if making a huge decision, caught up to him. "Um... you're injured. Shouldn't you get that wound treated first?"
Shen Xiaoxing touched his brow bone, the sticky blood not yet dry. He nodded without hesitation. "You're taking full responsibility."
"...Okay."
An Ruo bit her lip, blaming her bad luck today.
She raised her hand to hail a taxi when a few sharply dressed young men appeared at the entrance of the club. One of them spotted her and immediately strode over.
"Ruo Ruo?"
An Ruo's expression froze. Turning to see Zou Yikai, she felt nothing but rejection.
"What are you doing here?" He couldn't hide the smile on his face. "I've been trying to reach you for days. Why won't you answer my calls?"
"I..."
Him again!
Shen Xiaoxing exuded an undeniable chill, his dark eyes gleaming with a sinister, cold light, as if he wanted to pierce through Zou Yikai.
He grabbed An Ruo's shoulder and pulled her into his arms. "Because she's with me!"
A blatant provocation!
Zou Yikai frowned at him. "Who are you?"
Before An Ruo could answer, the man's tone was direct and unyielding. "I'm her current boyfriend."
"..."
An Ruo looked at him in bewilderment. The man met her gaze, raised an eyebrow, and winked, completely unfazed by the onlookers.
"Ruo Ruo, aren't you..." Zou Yikai struggled to get the words out. "Didn't you say you were married? Why are you cuddling with another man here?"
An Ruo had forgotten about that. Her eyes darted nervously as she bit her lip. "It's him..."
The man beside her was visibly taken aback, his deep gaze fixed on her. An Ruo tried to ignore it, determined to cut off Zou Yikai's hopes.
"From now on, let's just act like strangers when we meet."
"Ruo Ruo..."
An Ruo cut him off. "Stop pestering me!"
"Have you forgotten all the promises we made?" Zou Yikai refused to give up. "I don't believe you're so heartless. There's no way you married another man in just a few months. You must have your reasons, right?"
"..."
"Is it because Xiao Che is in the hospital and you need money, so you..."
Shen Xiaoxing didn't want to hear the truth about An Ruo being married. The fire in his chest burned painfully. His cold glare made Zou Yikai too scared to continue.
The guy's forehead was still bleeding, and his eyes were like those of a demon emerging from hell—clearly not someone to mess with.
"Are you deaf or what?" The man's words were deliberate and sharp. "She said she doesn't want to see you again. If you run into her on the street, take a detour. I won't always be this patient warning you."
Zou Yikai looked at An Ruo. Seeing her silent, it was as if she had confirmed that there was no going back, no return to their sweet days of love.
---
Sitting in the taxi, An Ruo could feel the man's icy aura beside her, his unfriendly gaze fixed on her.
She suddenly regretted bringing a stranger to the hospital like this, not even worrying that he might have ill intentions along the way.
Just as she was growing anxious, the man shouted to the driver, "Stop."
"We're not at the hospital yet..."
Shen Xiaoxing ignored her, pushed open the door, and walked straight to a bench by the roadside. An Ruo had no choice but to pay the fare and jog after him.
"If we're not going to the hospital, what about the wound on your forehead?"
The man leaned back on the bench, tilting his chin slightly. An Ruo followed his gaze and saw a pharmacy across the street.
"Wait here." An Ruo ran to the pharmacy as he instructed.
Soon, she returned with a bag. "There's a full set of medicine in here. Treat the wound first to prevent infection."