Miss An sneered coldly, her voice dripping with disdain: "Let's see just how you intend to handle this."
"Hey, little miss!" Xiang Ri's tone was laced with mockery. "Though my principles usually forbid me from bullying women, for those who refuse to see themselves as such, I see no reason to adhere to that rule."
"You're not wrong, boy!" Miss An snapped back sharply. "I usually avoid picking on disabled men, but for those who have no self-awareness of their condition, I might just toss that habit aside."
"You learn quickly." Xiang Ri smirked, rubbing his nose in mild exasperation. This sharp-tongued, androgynous young woman had already shown her knack for verbal sparring during their first encounter. She truly was someone who refused to take a loss.
Glancing at the thick bandages wrapped around his injured right hand, Xiang Ri chuckled at his own misfortune. "Since you've already decided to bully this so-called cripple, why haven't you made a move yet? Don't tell me…" He suddenly shifted his tone, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Don't tell me you've taken a liking to me? Let me make this clear—I'm already married. If you insist, you'll have to settle for serving my wife by day and me by night."
"I'll kill you!" Miss An roared furiously. With a wave of her hand, the six black-suited bodyguards behind her surged forward.
"Boy, today I'll make sure you learn what it means to cross me!" The androgynous figure's shrill voice rang out, almost hysterical in its fervor.
Seeing the imposing figures charging toward Xiang Ri, Ice Lady's expression darkened. Just as she stepped forward to shield him, Xiang Ri preempted her. With a swift kick, he sent the nearest guard hurtling through the air.
A resounding *thud* echoed as the bodyguard crashed to the ground, sliding several meters before coming to a halt.
The remaining bodyguards froze mid-charge, their eyes wide with shock. They stared at the slender, injured young man who had effortlessly caused such chaos.
From the sidelines, Scarface and his team of security guards collectively drew in sharp breaths, their faces reflecting utter disbelief. Their gazes toward Xiang Ri transformed from those of mere curiosity to something akin to reverence, as if he were some supernatural being.
This couldn't be real, could it? How could a man barely over 170 cm tall kick someone twice his size and weight into the air? If it weren't for the identical astonishment in his companions' eyes, they might've dismissed the entire scene as an illusion.
In the depths of Ice Lady's mesmerizing gaze, a flicker of admiration surfaced. The tension in her poised muscles eased, her lips curving into a faintly enigmatic smile as she studied Xiang Ri with newfound complexity.
Meanwhile, Miss An, who had been eagerly awaiting the spectacle, stood dumbfounded, her mouth agape and her eyes wide in disbelief. The vengeful smirk that had graced her face moments earlier was now replaced by a blank, incredulous expression.
Xiang Ri appeared quite satisfied with her reaction. Though the young lady's stunned expression held a certain charm, he knew this wasn't the time to linger on it. Smiling faintly, he pointed at the remaining five bodyguards. "One, two, three, four, five. Why not all at once? I don't have time for drawn-out nonsense. Frankly, none of you are worth my time individually."
His dismissive tone jolted Miss An out of her stupor. Xiang Ri's sheer audacity, coupled with his aura of indifference, sent her temper soaring. Veins bulging, she barked, "Kill him! Kill him now!"
The bodyguards hesitated briefly before rushing forward. Despite their trepidation, they clung to the hope that their hulking physiques would prevail over Xiang Ri's slender frame. Perhaps what had happened earlier was merely a fluke, an unfortunate coincidence.
Xiang Ri's calm, almost indifferent smile remained. Without waiting for them to reach him, he leaped forward, initiating the attack himself.
Even with only one functional hand, Xiang Ri's combat prowess was overwhelming. Against opponents whose bulk masked their lack of true skill, he made quick work of them.
In less than thirty seconds, the remaining bodyguards lay groaning on the ground. If not for the inconvenience of his bandaged hand, Xiang Ri was confident he could've finished them off in a fraction of the time.
Scarface and his team stood frozen, their facial muscles twitching uncontrollably. Six men had been effortlessly subdued in mere moments. The ease with which Xiang Ri dispatched them was as natural as breathing, as though it required no effort at all.
Reflecting on the earlier scenario, the bodyguards couldn't help but shudder. If that man had truly refused to leave the woman's house, any confrontation would likely have ended with their own bodies sprawled across the ground. The thought sent a wave of dread through them. They had witnessed everything clearly—this unnervingly skilled individual never struck twice. Each blow was decisive, leaving no room for delay.
Amid the chaos, the only person who seemed remotely composed was Ice Lady. Her enigmatic expression remained unchanged, except for the faintest ripple of emotion that flickered in her eyes whenever they landed on Xiang Ri—fleeting, but unmistakable.
Miss An, on the other hand, appeared utterly numbed. Her vacant gaze lingered on the fallen bodyguards, entirely oblivious to the "crippled" man now approaching her. It wasn't until a pair of red-and-white sneakers came into her view that she jolted back to reality. Looking up, she let out a startled scream, stumbling backward several steps.
"Didn't you just say you wanted to kill me?" Xiang Ri asked, narrowing his eyes as he adjusted the glasses perched on his nose. A chilling gleam flashed through his gaze.
"What... what do you want?" Miss An stammered, taking another step back, her raised voice betraying her attempt to mask the fear clawing at her heart.
"You said you wanted to kill me, didn't you?" Xiang Ri repeated, his tone icy and deliberate.
"No, I didn't!" The word "no" was uttered with forced insistence, but under the piercing sharpness of his gaze—a gaze that seemed capable of cutting straight through her—Miss An faltered, unable to hold her ground.
"Are you sure?" Xiang Ri stepped forward, his eyes glinting with the calculated cruelty of a predator toying with its prey.
"I…" Miss An began to defend herself, but the mocking glint in his eyes ignited a sudden flare of defiance. With gritted teeth, she hissed, "That's right! I *do* want to kill you!"
"Finally, some honesty. How refreshing." Xiang Ri laughed, his tone suddenly turning venomous. "But wanting to kill me means you'd better have the capability. Since you've failed and managed to offend me instead, how do you propose to compensate for that?"
"Just kill me, then!" Miss An straightened her posture, her expression resolute.
"Oh, it's not that simple. My life is worth far more than yours." Xiang Ri's gaze briefly dropped to her chest, the sight making him swallow involuntarily. A faintly indecent grin spread across his face. "Besides, it'd be a waste to kill such a beautiful woman. Instead..." He took another step closer, his voice trailing suggestively.
"What are you doing?!" Miss An's heart raced as a dreadful premonition seized her. She instinctively began to retreat, but before she could react, Xiang Ri lunged forward and pulled her tightly into his arms.
"Let me go!" Miss An cried, struggling against the man now pressed against her.
Xiang Ri chuckled darkly, his injured right arm locking her firmly in place. As he reveled in the soft sensation against his chest, he whispered, "It's time you made it up to me."
"Release me this instant! I'll kill you!" Miss An thrashed in desperation.
"Can't you come up with a different line? I'm sick of hearing that." Xiang Ri grumbled, forced to use his uninjured left hand to secure her struggling form.
To onlookers unaware of the situation, their entangled posture could easily have been mistaken for an intimate embrace between lovers.
The crowd stood frozen in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Realizing that her resistance only seemed to fuel her captor's audacity, Miss An ceased her struggles, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Glaring at Xiang Ri with burning resentment, she spat, "Do you know who my father is? If he finds out about this, he'll have you torn limb from li—"
Her threat was abruptly cut short, swallowed by an involuntary gasp.
Xiang Ri had silenced her in the most audacious way he knew—by planting a forceful kiss on her lips.
Miss An's mind went completely blank. A few meters away, the onlookers were equally stunned, their thoughts scattered into oblivion.