Lei quickly ended the call with sponsors after a brief talk with Chao and hoped that he could catch up with Lili. He rushed out, saying nothing. Lei believed he did not have to. Because it was obvious to all that he was smitten with Lili.
All the guys, read as mostly Chao and Yixing, were making fun of him because he was smiling more. But he couldn't help it. She was too lovely and playful.
The days they spent together, either talking or messaging, were the most fun days since his childhood.
He ran towards the gate, where he saw two people standing. Suddenly he heard an undistinguished shout and saw a strange person running towards Lili and Yitian.
His blood was frozen with instant fear when he was close enough to see a flash of a blade in that girl's hand. He ran even faster, but he only saw Lili pulling Yitian away quickly and making a sidestep. She tried to dodge it completely by turning her body to the side, but that girl still managed to scratch her.
Lei was a meter away when he saw red splatter over Lili's white shirt. He saw only red. He didn't care if the attacker was a girl or a guy. In his mind were only two words. Protect Lili.
He quickly caught the attacker's hand with the box cutter and dug his fingers into her forehand. And with the second hand, he was struggling to get the cutter from her. But he was stronger. And more determined.
When he finally got it from her hand, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Yitian was standing beside him, reaching out for the blade.
"Call the police. She is not stable," he said, but Yitian already had a phone in his hand. He held both of the girl's hands and had to struggle with her. She was shouting, cursing them, and screaming.
Lei did not want to hurt her but was afraid of a header or her biting, so he let go of one hand and bent the other to her back. Then he did the same with the other one.
Now he was holding her safely from behind. He was taller and jumping up to give him a header would hurt her a lot.
"Lili?" He looked for her. She was sitting on the pavement with the security officer. Where the hell was the guy till now?!
"Where were you until now?!" He shouted at the guy. It was his duty to guard these premises.
"I'm sorry, sir. I was just going off the toilet when I saw you rushing out." He bowed to him and went back to Lili. She was pale.
'Ugh, where are the police with an ambulance? Why was everyone so slow?!' he yelled inside his mind, while still holding the attacker.
"Can you get this lady? I want to help the bleeding lady," he said because he saw the officer say something to Lili, but she wasn't responding.
"She doesn't know Cantonese very well. Speak in English," he continued, walking over to them and dragging the rebelling girl with him.
"Lili. Are you okay?" he asked after he gave the attacker to the officer and sat next to Lili. She nodded. Oh my god, her skin was pale, even normally, but now she looked like death.
"Don't worry. It's just a scratch," she said. Her husky voice was extremely exciting for him, but she was definitely in pain.
He took away her hand, holding her left arm.
He was immediately freaked out. She was bleeding. A lot. There was a big stain on the sweatshirt. And the cut was terrible. It was really deep. He could see steady, dark blood flowing out of it.
He looked at Yitian, explained everything to the phone, and was looking out for the ambulance car.
"Lili, honey, that's not just a scratch, that is a big cut," he mumbled, admiring how she was holding on.
He was trying to find something to put over it. For now, he was putting pressure just with his hand. And it did not seem to help.
'Where were the police? Ambulance? God, how to behave? She was still conscious. Good,' he thought, starting to panic.
"Yitian, go get…" He wanted to get a first aid kit, but Yitian was already walking over to them from the officer's house.
"Don't worry. I already have it." He kneeled beside them and rummaged through a box, took out a compress and bandage, and started to work. He was efficient and quick.
"Press it firmly. It's pretty deep," Yitian said when done and Lei immediately held her arm, putting pressure on it. Lili was observing them the whole time.
"How come you are so good at first aid?" she asked, her voice weak.
"I have a certain past…" Yitian smiled lightly and went away again.
"Honey? Thank you for saving him, but think about yourself first, okay?" Lei said she looked at him. Her gaze was making his heart ache. She looked in so much pain.
"I thought this is a pretty safe country. I didn't think she would attack until it was too late. And I didn't notice that box cutter until she was near us. And Yitian was back to her. She was aiming at his arm. He needs it." Lili sighed and shivered a bit. He hugged her with his right hand.
"Honey, but you need your hands, too." When he said it and saw her shock, he regretted saying it.
"It's a left hand. I don't need it that much." She swayed a bit.
"I think I shouldn't have drunk so much last night, Leilei. I was too slow. I used to do kendo, so should be quicker. But I couldn't get my brain to work," she was ranting and he let her.
'Leilei?' Was running in his head. He was quite stunned by his new nickname.
"Shhhh. Sweetie, you were good. You reacted. You saved his arms and yours will be okay too, don't worry." She put her head on his shoulder.
'Mm, are we closer now? Will she call me Leilei even when she is not in distress?' His mind didn't seem to get out of the gutter. He liked it. It sounded so sweet coming from her lips.
They waited for the ambulance silently, but it was soon there. They rushed to them because they saw Lili's stained sweatshirt.
"What's your name?" they asked her.
"Lili," she answered. And Lei was surprised. He wanted to continue to hug her but was rushed away to not be a hindrance.
"What? I took a few Cantonese lessons from Lucy since I'm going out with you," she said weakly and smiled at him. It was so sweet he couldn't help but smile back.
"She is a foreigner. She can't speak Cantonese much. I will translate," he said to the medical staff that just nodded and cut bandages. Blood was rushing forward again. Not as much as before, but still a lot.
"She needs stitches," they said to him.
"Is she allergic to something? We will give her painkillers." He asked Lili, forwarded the answer to medics, and again and again like that when they asked something.
"You need to go to the hospital," he said. She nodded and stood up with help.
"Mmm, I know. She cut my vein, probably a cephalic vein. I'm glad she missed my nerve since I can move the hand," she said, shocking Lei with her knowledge again. She often said something too smart, some random things.
'Who would know so many things and facts? If she guessed right… well, he was suddenly much more interested,' he was thinking when they were riding to the hospital.