This damn bastard, not saying a word?

  Xue Qin waited for a long time but didn’t hear Lin Yu respond. She turned her head and glared at him fiercely.

  Lin Yu hadn’t even noticed her words. At the moment, he was fully focused on the rearview mirror on the right side, his expression serious. After a moment of thought, he said, “Turn right ahead and take Fengling Bridge. Stop the car after crossing the bridge.”

  “Why? I won’t!” Xue Qin snapped angrily. She wasn’t his chauffeur—why should she follow his directions?

  “There’s a Buick that’s been following us for a while,” Lin Yu said calmly.

  “Huh? Really? Should I call the police?” Xue Qin’s voice carried a hint of panic.

  Born into privilege, her life had been smooth and uneventful for over twenty years. She had never encountered anything like this, so it was natural for her to feel flustered.

  “We’re not sure yet if they’re targeting us. It wouldn’t be good to cause a misunderstanding,” Lin Yu replied. In truth, he was worried that calling the police would scare these people off, making it impossible to uncover who was behind them.

  Even if they were scared away now, they’d just find another opportunity to strike later.

  “Oh.” Xue Qin let out a sigh of relief, thinking Lin Yu was probably just being overly cautious.

  Still, she followed his instructions and drove toward Fengling Bridge, stopping the car after crossing it.

  “Huh? Why’d they stop?” In the Buick Regal, Big Mouth Zhang saw Xue Qin’s car come to a halt and immediately ordered his men to stop as well.

  “Boss, this place is deserted at night. A man and a woman stopping here… are they gonna do it in the car?” A scrawny guy with dyed yellow hair grinned lewdly.

  “No way! That’s Young Master Zheng’s woman. Hurry up, tell Leopard and the others to circle around and block them,” Big Mouth Zhang commanded.

  He then sent a message to Zheng Tianyi, saying he’d take care of Lin Yu in twenty minutes and that Zheng Tianyi could swoop in to play the hero afterward.

  After stopping the car, Lin Yu and Xue Qin remained seated, watching as the Buick Regal also parked without moving. Lin Yu frowned—why weren’t they making a move?

  Just then, a Ruifeng minivan suddenly screeched to a stop in front of Xue Qin’s car, blocking their path. Seven or eight men jumped out, armed with metal pipes or machetes, their faces twisted with menace.

  At the same time, five more men emerged from the Buick Regal, also brandishing weapons.

  Xue Qin paled, guessing these men were after her. She had recently secured the sales rights for Versace, and many were jealous—it wouldn’t be surprising if someone wanted revenge.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Lin Yu reassured her softly before opening the car door and stepping out.

  He had been ambushed by Scarface once before with Jiang Yan, so this kind of situation didn’t faze him much.

  The difference was, last time, Scarface had been after the Ming Dynasty calligraphy in his hands. This time, these men were here to cripple him.

  “Little girl, you dare steal our boss’s business? Tired of living?” Big Mouth Zhang barked, reciting the lines he and Zheng Tianyi had rehearsed. With his ugly face and menacing expression, he looked genuinely terrifying.

  Hearing that these men were indeed targeting her, Xue Qin’s face turned ashen. She clenched her delicate fists and said to Lin Yu, “They’re here for me. This has nothing to do with you. Go.”

  Lin Yu was taken aback, giving Xue Qin a surprised look. This cold, arrogant, and even somewhat caustic woman had a selfless side to her?

  “Brothers, cripple this pretty boy first! Then strip the woman—we’ll all have some fun!” Big Mouth Zhang laughed wildly.

  Fengling Bridge was remote, located in a new business district. At night, the area was practically deserted.

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  That was why Big Mouth Zhang dared to act so brazenly.

  If it weren’t for Young Master Zheng’s money, he’d have loved to take Xue Qin right then and there.

  A woman of her caliber? In his entire life, he’d never even gotten close to someone like her, let alone had the chance to touch her.

  The gang of thugs erupted in excitement, charging forward with wild shouts.

  Young Master Zheng had forbidden them from laying a hand on Xue Qin, but in the chaos, a few accidental touches here and there were inevitable, right?

  “Scared? If you are, close your eyes. I’ll handle this,” Lin Yu said gently to Xue Qin.

  Xue Qin stared at him with wide, glistening eyes, already slightly red-rimmed. Moved, she whispered, “You could’ve run. This isn’t your fight.”

  “Of course it is. You’re Elder Song’s granddaughter. Keeping you safe is my duty.”

  Lin Yu smiled faintly. Seeing the worry on her face, he patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t forget—I’m the one who saved that little girl from the twentieth floor of a burning building.”

  Xue Qin’s eyes widened even further, a flicker of exhilaration flashing in them. He’d finally admitted it!

  While they were talking, the gang of thugs had already reached them, swinging their weapons mercilessly at Lin Yu.

  “Close your eyes!” Lin Yu reminded Xue Qin once more before his figure suddenly blurred into an afterimage.

  Xue Qin obediently shut her eyes. The sounds of screams and bones cracking sent chills down her spine. Her eyelashes fluttered nervously, and she clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly dug into her palms.

  Time seemed to stretch endlessly, every second an agony.

  “Alright, you can open them now.”

  Lin Yu’s gentle voice reached her again.

  Eagerly, she opened her eyes. In reality, only a few minutes had passed, but to her, it felt like an eternity.

  The sight before her left her utterly stunned.

  The gang of thugs who had been charging at them moments ago were now all sprawled on the ground, clutching their chests or stomachs, howling in pain.

  Big Mouth Zhang, however, stood unharmed by the Buick—though his mouth and eyes were wide open, as if he’d seen a ghost.

  He hadn’t even seen Lin Yu move, yet all his men were already down.

  A cold dampness spread in his pants, accompanied by the faint smell of urine.

  Overwhelming terror shattered his mental defenses. Without a second thought for his men, he turned to flee to his car.

  But as he spun around, Lin Yu was suddenly standing in front of him.

  “Ghost!!” Big Mouth Zhang screamed, stumbling backward and landing hard on his backside.

  “Calling me that… isn’t entirely wrong.”

  Lin Yu chuckled to himself before stomping down on Big Mouth Zhang’s ankle.

  “Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts!”

  Big Mouth Zhang shrieked, his hands flailing wildly in the air.

  “Who sent you?” Lin Yu demanded coldly.

  He needed to find out who was behind this to eliminate the threat permanently. Otherwise, Xue Qin would remain in danger.

  Is this really the same timid man I bullied in the mall?

  Xue Qin stood frozen in the distance, staring at Lin Yu in awe. The admiration and excitement in her eyes were unmistakable.

  Over the years, her indifference toward men stemmed from the fact that she had never met one who surpassed her. She could support and protect herself—she was strong enough to need no one. So why bother with men?

  Especially since so many of them were all talk, full of empty flattery but no real substance. Over time, she had developed a disdain for men, which eventually led to her identifying as a lesbian.

  Compared to men, women’s emotions felt purer—at least they weren’t after her body.

  But Lin Yu’s appearance had abruptly reshaped her perception of men. It turned out that legendary men—capable, responsible, and dependable—really did exist.

  Meanwhile, three kilometers away, a black Lamborghini was parked by the roadside.

  Zheng Tianyi lounged in the driver’s seat, arms behind his head, humming a tune cheerfully. He was in high spirits.

  You useless trash, He Jiarong. How dare you compete with me for a woman? You won’t even know how you died.

  He glanced at the golden Rolex on his wrist. Seeing that it was about time, he quickly spritzed on some cologne, started the car, and sped toward Fengling Bridge.

  From a distance, he spotted Xue Qin’s car sandwiched between two others. A smug smile curled his lips.

  Not bad, Big Mouth Zhang. You’ve done well.

  With a screech of tires, he pulled up sharply and jumped out, shouting heroically, “Qin’er, don’t be afraid! I’m here!”

  But as he rushed forward, he froze.

  Why were all his own men on the ground? Where was He Jiarong?

  “What are you doing here?” Xue Qin shot him a cold glance.

  Zheng Tianyi gulped, suddenly at a loss for words.

  This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go!

  All the lines he’d prepared were useless now.

  “I—I came to save you…”

  After a long pause, he managed to force out an awkward reply, scratching his head.

  “No need. Jiarong already took care of them.” Xue Qin smirked disdainfully.

  Jia… Jiarong?

  No “He” anymore?

  Zheng Tianyi felt the world spin. He nearly collapsed on the spot.

  “Oh? Young Master Zheng, you’re here?”

  Lin Yu dragged Big Mouth Zhang—now beaten to a pulp—over and dropped him at Zheng Tianyi’s feet.

  “Heh, yeah. I was passing by and heard some commotion, so I came to check it out. Didn’t expect it to be you and Qin’er.” Zheng Tianyi forced a smile, his face twitching unnaturally. “I wanted to help, but you’d already handled it.”

  He tried to appear composed, but inside, he was terrified.

  How the hell is He Jiarong this strong? All those men couldn’t take him down?

  “Young Master Zheng, you’ve arrived just in time. I was interrogating him about who sent them, and he accused you—said you paid him to stage this act. How should we deal with him? It’s up to you.” Lin Yu grinned, tossing Big Mouth Zhang onto the ground.

  “Nonsense! You bastard, I don’t even know you!”

  Zheng Tianyi’s face twisted in panic. He kicked Big Mouth Zhang several times, cursing furiously.