Before she could get up, the man pressed down on her. An Ruo silently cursed her bad luck, raising her arms to block his chest: "Shen Tingfeng, if you touch me, you're breaking our agreement!"
"Who came to save you last time you were kidnapped?" Shen Tingfeng curled a strand of her long hair around his fingers, sniffing it gently. "And when you were drugged with that aphrodisiac, which bastard helped you out?"
An Ruo's heart pounded like a drum, her eyes cold as she glared at him. "That doesn't seem to be any of your business, does it?"
Shen Tingfeng let out a cold laugh, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "I've changed my mind now."
He wanted to possess this woman, to see her submit beneath him. Once she was his, would he still have to worry about her not playing along?
"Your hesitation just now made me feel like you might betray me, so I need a different way to keep you."
An Ruo hurriedly defended herself, "No, I won't betray you..."
The people in the room tactfully withdrew, leaving only the two of them. Fear crept into An Ruo's heart, terrified that the man might actually follow through!
Shen Tingfeng forcefully tore open her shirt buttons. Just as An Ruo felt a wave of despair, the door was violently kicked open, the loud noise startling them both.
Shen Tingfeng cursed loudly, just getting up to check when his vision suddenly went dark—a blanket covered his head, blocking his sight, followed by a vicious kick to his abdomen!
The man who burst in seemed to be going for the kill. That one kick sent Shen Tingfeng flying several meters, stumbling into the coffee table before crashing into the wall, instantly leaving him writhing on the ground in pain.
When An Ruo got up and saw the intruder was Jiang Su, she froze in shock.
Hadn't he left Shen City?
The man's eyes were bloodshot as he rained punches and kicks on Shen Tingfeng, beating him until he had no strength to fight back. With the blanket still over his head, from a distance he looked like a ball being kicked around.
The room was a mess.
An Ruo straightened her clothes, then stepped forward to grab the man's arm, shaking her head at him. They exchanged a silent glance before quickly slipping out of the hotel.
Shen Tingfeng had taken a severe beating. Covered in injuries, he struggled to pull the blanket off, but the room was empty. He didn't even have the strength to call for help, lying weakly on the floor, unable to move.
...
The two ran for a long stretch without stopping, only relaxing when they reached a bustling square filled with traffic.
An Ruo came to her senses and looked down to see the man still holding her hand.
She froze for a moment, then shook him off in a panic.
"S-safe now."
The man looked at his now-empty hand, his deep eyes darkening. "Mm."
Thinking back to what had just happened, An Ruo first thanked him, then asked with a puzzled look, "How are you here?"
"Came back for something."
"I mean, how did you end up charging into the hotel?" And beating Shen Tingfeng up without a second thought.
"He crossed me a few days ago." The man raised a hand to rub his nose. "Came by today to teach him a lesson."
"Oh." An Ruo nodded.
It wasn't that she was curious about their grudge, but it seemed like every time she was in danger, this man happened to be there.
The man glanced at her, let out a light laugh, and said, "You don't think I came specifically to save you, do you?"
"..."
"Come to think of it, I've saved you a few times now. This fate is really something." A sly grin crept onto his face. "If this were ancient times, and you had no way to repay me, you'd have to give yourself to me."
An Ruo's lips twitched slightly. "But this is the 21st century."
The man crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her. "So you're saying I saved you for nothing?"
After all, without him, she wouldn't have escaped Shen Tingfeng's clutches this time.
An Ruo looked around. "How about... I buy you a coffee?"
The man frowned. "I did you such a big favor, and all I get is coffee?"
"I'll treat you to a meal another day."
"Why not today?"
An Ruo glanced at her phone and pursed her lips. "It's almost dinner time. My husband is waiting for me at home."
"You have a husband?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Mm."
"Then why are you hanging around someone like Shen Tingfeng?"
An Ruo had a cold personality and wasn't willing to share her secrets with people she didn't know well, especially since she hadn't even told Chen Keqiao about these things.
Seeing she wasn't willing to open up, the man knew his limits and didn't press further.
They chatted a bit more before going their separate ways.
But after walking only a short distance, the man stopped, turned around, and watched the girl's retreating figure.
His expression turned serious as he pulled out his phone and called Ye Feng.
"How's it going?"
Ye Feng looked at the room full of unconscious bodyguards—all Shen Tingfeng's lackeys.
"All taken care of."
Hanging up, he patted Qi Ming, who was sprawled on the floor, sleeping like a dead pig.
...
At the seaside villa.
As soon as An Ruo stepped into the living room, she saw the man, who usually stayed upstairs lost in thought, sitting on the sofa listening to the TV.
"Back?"
He must have heard her footsteps, turning his head slightly, his eyes hollow and devoid of light.
Butler Xu took her bag. Ever since An Ruo had pleaded for him last time, his attitude toward her had done a complete 180, becoming overly attentive.
"Mm." An Ruo forced a smile, walking over to sit beside him. "What made you come downstairs today?"
"Didn't you say I should get more fresh air?" He gave a faint smile. "You're at work, and I'm bored alone."