"Leon, wake up. The counselor wants to see you."
Leon Chen, deep in a pleasant dream, was jolted awake by his roommate, John Wu.
"I haven't missed any classes recently," Leon yawned, glancing at the clock. It was past ten at night. He wondered why the counselor wanted to see him so late.
Muttering to himself, Leon headed downstairs. There, a refined senior greeted him with a look of apology. "Sorry to bother you so late."
Leon's eyes conveyed, "So you do know it's late."
"Since you're here, I won't disturb you any further," the counselor smiled and quickly made his exit.
Leon was left confused when a man and a woman stepped forward from the shadows. Though the dim light obscured their features, Leon felt he had seen them before.
"Leon, our young lady's father wishes to meet you," the man said slowly.
"Don't refuse," the woman in the cheongsam brandished a small, gleaming knife.
Leon remembered. These two had been with Isabella Xiang during his hospital stay. He had suspected they were the reason Isabella hadn't attended classes recently. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "Who is your young lady?"
"Leon, you really are forgetful," the woman teased, her tone suddenly turning icy. "Did you think you could just kiss our young lady and pretend nothing happened? There's no such luck, especially not with the daughter of the Xiang family."
The man interrupted her coldness with a gesture. "Our young lady's father wishes to meet you. We hope you'll accompany us."
Leon hesitated. It was clear these two were determined to take him regardless of his willingness. After considering the situation, he nodded.
"I need to grab something from my dorm first."
"Our car is waiting outside."
...
Leon found himself in a sports car speeding towards the outskirts of Xi Jing.
"Leon, aren't you worried at all?" the woman asked, puzzled by his calm demeanor. She was used to seeing people tremble with fear in such situations. Yet here Leon was, seemingly unfazed, even enjoying the scenery.
At first, she thought he was pretending. But after releasing a bit of her killing intent and seeing no reaction from him, she realized he truly was indifferent.
Was it naivety or confidence in his abilities? She found the situation intriguing.
"Worried about what?" Leon asked.
"Worried that we might harm you."
Leon replied, "If you wanted to harm me, you could've done it already. Involving the counselor was unnecessary."
The woman nodded in agreement.
"So, what's your relationship with Isabella Xiang?" Leon asked casually.
"Bodyguards," she answered curtly, unwilling to divulge more.
Leon didn't press further, instead pondering what he would say when meeting Isabella's father.
Upon reaching the outskirts, Leon saw a heavily armed helicopter waiting. Clearly, it was there for them. He had known Isabella had a powerful background but hadn't expected it to be this secretive, involving a helicopter in a country with restricted airspace.
"What's this for?"
"Xi Jing is quite far from Ze Dong. The master wishes to see you as soon as possible, so please bear with it," she smiled.
Ze Dong City
They arrived in Ze Dong around 2 AM. Leon had dozed off on the flight, only to be woken by the woman.
"Couldn't you have picked a more convenient time?" Leon rubbed his eyes.
"This timing draws less attention."
"Quite mysterious," Leon muttered. If he didn't know they were with Isabella, he might have thought he was being taken out to be killed.
Following the woman, Leon curiously inspected the large but plainly decorated villa. Despite its size, it lacked ostentatious luxury, giving Leon a strange feeling, as if something hidden lurked in the darkness.
"Don't look around. It's for your own good," she warned coldly.
"Hidden assassins in the dark?"
Leon's casual remark made her tense, her killing intent flaring for a moment before she calmed down. "You sure like to joke."
"If I don't, I'll fall asleep," Leon chuckled.
"Tonight's events must remain secret, or you'll face dire consequences. Assuming you survive tonight."
"Is Isabella's father that terrifying?" Leon asked, genuinely curious. "Can you give me a hint? Surely kissing a girl isn't worth all this drama."
Her eyes were filled with disdain.
"Accidentally kissing her while holding her passionately? I hope you don't use that excuse with her father..."
So, I kissed a landmine, not a beauty, Leon thought wryly.
The woman led Leon to a room and left him there.
Leon surveyed the small room lit by several dim candles. Two chairs were set up with a desk between them, piled high with books. A man sat in one chair, engrossed in his reading. He hadn't even glanced at Leon since he entered.
The book the man was reading was interestingly titled "The Doctrine of the Mean." He seemed genuinely absorbed in it, savoring each word. Leon stood for what felt like an eternity as the man turned page after page. After finishing "The Doctrine of the Mean," the man picked up another book, "The Path of Decay," deliberately ignoring Leon.
Feeling bored standing there, Leon decided to sit in the other chair and pick up "The Doctrine of the Mean," intending to pass the time. Surprisingly, he found the content engaging, and soon he was engrossed in the text.
Leon didn't notice the man's slight reaction when he opened the book. The man's eyes briefly flicked towards him before returning to his own reading.
The two remained silent, the only sound being the rustle of pages in the quiet night.
After an indeterminate amount of time, a soft voice finally broke the silence. "Young people today have no respect for their elders. You've disappointed me, Leon."
Leon looked up to see Isabella's father's piercing eyes. His presence was imposing, his mere gaze chilling the room and making the night feel even colder.
"You may leave now," he ordered coldly.