The first thing Fan Delun saw when he woke up was BingLan, looking at himself adoringly.
He was a little taken aback, but this feeling is not bad.
Not being watched while asleep, but waking up and seeing someone beside himself.
Only, he remembered what happened yesterday night.
He acted on autopilot to knock out and transfer the guy out. He did not realize BingLan is not one of his subordinates, thus might be far more scared. So, for the first time in his life, Delun shows some care.
"Were you very frightened last night? " He asked her.
BingLan nodded her head.
At her obedient nod, it occurred to Delun for the first time that it's not normal to be so used to violence.
He always knew his own family was a bit different from others. While people say everyone gathers like flies around those with money, no matter how much money he has, he never could quite make friends easily.
Especially with those people, whom he approved of from the bottom of his heart.
When he was young, he thought he was the coolest, for he has the strongest fist.
However, as he dealt with various clients besides his grandfather, he realized. As much money as they have, they are not respected, nor are they the kind of friends one would be proud to have.
Society has always treated him as a lesser being, but Delun never felt so about himself. The people whose approval he sought always treated him the same as rest. The ones who cursed him were always the incompetent ones.
Yet, this time, it occurred to him… he really couldn't protect even a single family member.
Had BingLan chosen any other man, including BaiMing, they would have been able to protect her. An Ordinary man, by not having any enemies. A powerful man, by hiring bodyguards.
However, here he is.. Having done neither.
He has far too many enemies, and the moment he opens his mouth to arrange for bodyguards for her, he will place her name on a thousand death notes.
"I couldn't come to your rescue sooner, I am sorry about that. " he told her.
He remembered yesterday night all too clearly.
No matter what, this is Zhu family hospital. If there is one thing Zhu patriarch hated, it is an outsider meddling in his business.
The amount of nouveau riche who crossed the line with one of his businesses and lost all their cash will probably fill an entire truck.
So, it's important to catch the man, and the person looked like if Delun wasn't fast enough he would slip away.
No matter what, BingLan's presence near him must not be let out into the world.
He had the strange feeling that next time he needs to make a decision between profit and BingLan, he might choose the wrong answer.
Once he did, her safety could not be guaranteed no matter what.
One could guard against a thief for one day, but not for a thousand days.
That's the way it goes.
Since he decided, he should rather get this over earlier than later.
"The wedding, I think we have to postpone." He asid, gauging her reaction.
BingLan frowned.
"Indefinitely." he added after some thought.
It's better to cut off her hopes cleanly. The fight he is engaged in is deadly, and there's no guarantee he will be the winner.
BingLan's frown deepened.
"If you want to get in touch with Bai Ming, you can." He added to that.
He is absolutely sure she will not get in touch with him given how fanatical he looked at their last meeting.
BingLan looked aghast.
After some time, her face cleared as if she had made a decision.
She opened her phone and wrote a question.
"Do you like me?"
Her eyes looked expectantly at him.
Delun had the feeling this was a turning point in his life.
Regardless of what decision he makes, he will walk a path of no return.
"Does it matter?" Delun asked.
"Yes." BingLan typed decisively on her phone.
Then, she waited for his response.
Delun could not answer immediately.
The girl is too smart for him to give a roundabout answer, and saying yes at this point will probably make her insist she will stay with him.
"Are you afraid I will stick to you if you say yes?" BingLan wrote.
"Why? You wouldn't ?! " Delun asked, surprised.
BingLan thought for a moment.
"No. I wouldn't. It's too dangerous by your side." She answered.
Delun looked like he was struck by lightning.
Here he was, trying to let her off as gently as possible, and this girl !!! She is making a fool of him.
His anger must have shown on his face.
BingLan looked smug, or at least satisfied.
"Then what about you? Do you like me ? " he asked in reflex, it's really the first time ever he had been this emotional.
"Yes." BingLan answered Immediately.
Delun became even more angry looking at the answer. Would she say something like 'it's too dangerous by your side' if she liked him?
Is this girl for real ?!!!
Even the whores would tell a guy 'I love you' within their paid time!
What the ?!!!
'I like you, but It's too dangerous for me to stay with you?'
Is she kidding?
Is she F***ing kidding?
Delun almost was about to swear, which he never did in front of girls !!!
He pointed a finger at her, as he felt lost for words.
"Fine ! You are good ! " he said, wagging his finger at her.
BingLan took back her phone.
"I may like you, but the situation is what it is." she showed him.
Then, she kept writing.
" Heaven has given me another chance, I don't want to waste it by dying for random nobody's agenda. "
" I want to live in a house with a picket fence, have two children, a cat and a starfish, picnics on weekends, ski trips in winter, celebrate the lantern festival, and teach my children together with their father."
"But you have too many enemies. "
" I have too little protection if not for you."
" Even if I leave you, I have no guarantee some other random enemy of Baiming will not aim for me."
" If I am to die in an accident anyhow, I would rather do so by the side of the guy I like. "
Bing Lan finished.
She thought for a moment, and wrote more words.
"- by the side of the guy I like, whether he likes me or not." She amended.
Delun was speechless by the time he finished.
This girl is really good.
He has never seen anyone who used facts as skillfully as this girl.
At this point, there's literally no use to tell her he doesn't like her and send her away.
"What do you want then?" He asked her curiously.
BingLan thought for a few moments.
" Don't know. " BingLan wrote truthfully.
Then she looked up at Delun, and blinked her eyes innocently.
Seriously ?!!!
At this point ?
Delun forced himself to calm down. Focus only on the immediate, he told himself.
At this point, BingLan took back the phone and wrote a few words again.
"You were the one who told your subordinate to break my hands ? " she asked.
She was far too messed up in the first time line to think of this point, she did not get injured at all in this time line to focus on this point at all.
However, now that she thought about it, it's very strange.
Delun did not want to hurt her, whether in this time line or previous one.
Ideally, all his subordinates should listen to him.
Then, why did this guy try to break her hands?
Delun paused for a moment.
Indeed !
Zhu Rong Hui is going too far in order to deal with BingLan.
She was not this kind of person before.
Since when was she involved with Bai Ming's affairs?
Sure enough, they were engaged in past life, but he did not think they even met each other at this point.
Delun answered simply.
"Zhu Rong Hui"
BingLan looked shocked.
Why?!!!
What the ?!!!
" Because Bai Ming proposed to me? "
Delun nodded in answer.
BingLan still looked shocked.
After some time, she wrote again.
" Doesn't match. "
Delun frowned.
" The dexterity needed for surgery, and for being just a barmaid is wildly different. The first time I was offered money, I was told it's more than enough for a girl who pours drinks. She specifically targeted my hands.." Bing Lan wrote.
Delun frowned.
True. The details he heard match what BingLan said. His subordinate was told to roughen up her hands, but not break them.
It sounds inhumane when put like that, but for people who dealt with debtors who varied between gamblers, drug addicts and criminals … it's not an unacceptable request.
They never quite dealt with hundred percent innocent, till today.
He regretted the action more than anything in his first time line.
Only…
Regret is not meant for only bad actions. Sometimes, the good deeds you do also bring regret.
Does Zhu Rong Hui … have such a regret? Is she also reborn like them, who regrets letting BingLan get away?
Once the thought entered his mind, it just would not go away.