Chapter 3

At that critical moment, Xue Yunkai arrived. He grabbed the robber by the wrist and twisted it hard, then swept his leg out in one swift motion, easily taking the man down. “Ah! I think my hand is broken…” the robber wailed loudly. Xue Yunkai said calmly, “It’s not that serious.” Ning Qian walked over and wanted to kick the man a couple of times, but Xue Yunkai stopped her. “Forget it. We’ll take him to the police station later.” The robber immediately panicked and pleaded, “Please, please forgive me! This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this. Everything I said just now was true. There was a flood in my hometown, and my parents are old and starving…” “Look, this isn’t even a real dagger. It’s made of bamboo…” Ning Qian took a look and realized that he was telling the truth. Even so, after experiencing all the deceit and treachery of her previous life, Ning Qian didn't believe his story at all. She said coldly, “I’d be a fool to believe you. You’re quite the storyteller.” The robber was indignant, feeling as though his heartfelt sincerity had been betrayed. His eyes even turned red. “Big Sister, how can you say that? Just now, you were sympathizing with me and even said you’d help me find a job. I really do want to find an honest job so I can support my parents…” His voice became choked with emotion again. Xue Yunkai pondered for a moment, then bent down and helped the robber to his feet. In a gentle voice, he said, “All right. I believe you. Come to the factory after four tomorrow afternoon and find me. My name is Xue Yunkai.” The robber was overwhelmed with gratitude. He repeatedly bowed to him. “Thank you, Big Brother! Thank you! You’re truly a good man!” After he left, Ning Qian frowned. “Director Xue, how could you believe him so easily? He could very well be lying to gain our sympathy.” In her previous life, there had been plenty of beggars under the overpasses who deliberately dressed in rags to gain people's sympathy and make money. After finishing their “work,” they would go to restaurants and get massages, living even more comfortably than ordinary people! Xue Yunkai glanced at her indifferently and said coldly, “What about you? When you said you wanted to marry me just now, were you lying too?” Ning Qian froze. Why had the conversation suddenly turned back to her? “Let’s go. Whether he was lying or not, we’ll know tomorrow.” With that, Xue Yunkai strode ahead. Ning Qian was still standing there in a daze when the man turned around and glanced at her. “It’s late. It isn’t safe for a young woman to be out alone. Hurry up and catch up.” “Oh, all right.” Ning Qian quickly walked a few steps and followed closely behind him. Looking at his tall figure, she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of security. Although she didn’t agree with what he had done just now, at least she could tell that this man was genuinely kindhearted. “Ow, that hurts…” Ning Qian suddenly stepped into a pothole and twisted her ankle. “What happened?” the man asked, stopping. “I twisted my ankle…” Ning Qian said, sweat beading on her forehead from the pain. Afraid that he might suspect her of exaggerating, she immediately rolled up her pant leg, revealing her fair ankle. Xue Yunkai looked over. The girl's ankle was as delicate as finely crafted porcelain—fair, flawless, slender, and graceful. He steadied himself and crouched down, gently touching it. Ning Qian's body stiffened. The man's fingertips were slightly rough, and wherever he touched, she felt as though a tiny electric current had passed through her. It was a strange sensation. After carefully examining her ankle, Xue Yunkai noticed that it was slightly swollen and red. “Try moving it. See if you can still walk.” Ning Qian moved her foot and immediately winced in pain. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll sit here for a while. It should be fine after I rest.” She felt a little embarrassed about holding him back. Xue Yunkai frowned. Did this girl not think before she spoke? How could he possibly leave her here alone? What if something happened to her? After hesitating for a moment, he crouched down. “Get on. I’ll carry you.” Ning Qian's face instantly turned red. She hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no. I can walk by myself.” With that, she started hopping forward on one leg. Xue Yunkai couldn't bear to watch any longer. He walked over, scooped her up, and placed her on his back. Ning Qian: “…” She hadn't expected this seemingly refined man to be so forceful when he wanted to be! Still, his shoulders were broader and sturdier than she had imagined. Resting against his back gave her an extraordinary sense of security. As he walked, the muscles in his back moved beneath her, and his entire body radiated a distinctly masculine warmth. Ning Qian's little face flushed. Could it be that she really was destined to be with this man in this life? Xue Yunkai was far from calm either. The girl's full breasts pressed tightly against his back. Even through their clothes, he could feel their softness and rounded shape. The beautiful image he had glimpsed in the bathhouse earlier involuntarily surfaced in his mind again, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. His tall body was wrapped in the heat of summer, and a layer of sweat soon covered his skin, soaking through his clothes. He pressed his lips tightly together and quickened his pace. After leaving the main road, they came to a long uphill slope. Their homes were not far apart, both located on this slope. Ning Qian felt his breathing gradually becoming heavier and couldn't bear to let him continue. “Director Xue, you can put me down. My ankle doesn't hurt as much anymore.” The man ignored her and continued carrying her forward. Ning Qian was inexplicably moved. He had a disability in one leg, yet he had carried her for more than half an hour. She felt that she had really put him through a lot. Since this was a mountainous city, most of the houses had been built along the slopes, with many located halfway up the hills. Ning Qian's home was also halfway up the slope, requiring them to climb numerous flights of stairs. Xue Yunkai carried her all the way to the building before finally setting her down. Seeing that his shirt was already soaked with sweat but that he wasn't even panting heavily, Ning Qian couldn't help marveling at his stamina. The man looked at her with his dark eyes and asked calmly, “Can you get upstairs by yourself?” If he carried her all the way inside, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble. Ning Qian immediately nodded. “It's fine. I can manage.” “All right. When you get home, put a cold compress on it.” After giving her the reminder, the man turned to leave. “Wait.” Ning Qian took out the bag containing his clothes. “I'll take these home, wash them, and return them to you. Is that okay?” “No need.” The man took the clothes from her and gave her a faint glance. “I hope that from now on, aside from matters related to work, we can keep our distance.” With that, he strode away. Ning Qian bit her lip. He really was a block of wood. Was he really that impossible to sway? But it didn't matter. She was no longer the Ning Qian she had been before. The greater the challenge, the more determined she was to succeed. In this life, she had to rely on this man to escape that family. As for what would happen afterward, she could only take things one step at a time. She limped her way upstairs. The building was an old red-brick apartment block from the 1950s. It had five floors, with six households on each floor. The staircase was in the middle. Her family lived on the second floor, in the apartment at the far right. The moment she pushed open the door, a hard slap landed across her face! The force was so great that it nearly knocked her off her feet! Clutching her burning cheek, she glared angrily. “Brother, what gives you the right to hit me?” Ning Qian's mother pointed at her and cursed. “You deserve it! Who told you to shamelessly seduce your future brother-in-law? You're a disgrace to the Ning family!” Nearby, her younger sister wore a triumphant smile. Ning Qian looked at them coldly. “You all know that Zhou Jianan and I were doing perfectly fine together. Why would I try to seduce Director Xue?” The entire family fell silent. That actually sounded reasonable. “Don't you dare believe her! She must be jealous that my future husband is more promising than Brother Jianan, so she wants to steal him from me!” “That's right, that's definitely it!” The whole family seemed to have lost their minds. They immediately found Ning Lan's explanation perfectly reasonable again. Ning Qian curled her lips into a cold smile. “Oh? You certainly sound very affectionate when you call him ‘Brother Jianan.’ In fact, I think you're the one coveting my man, which is why you set me up…” “Nonsense! I would never do that!” Ning Lan immediately became nervous again. She kept wondering to herself: Why was her older sister suddenly so aggressive, completely unlike the honest and timid person she had always been?