At the Blue Ocean Sky Restaurant.
Xiang Ri ordered a few dishes that suited his taste, indulging himself at a table to make up for the hunger that had gone unsatisfied at home earlier.
However, being on a special "mission," he remained vigilant, frequently casting glances at a couple seated a few tables away. They were his targets for the day.
The man, unsurprisingly, was Yi Tianxing, the spoiled heir of a wealthy family, dressed in his usual attire of a so-called successful businessman. The woman, still the elegant beauty with light makeup, now bore a deeper furrow in her brows compared to their first encounter.
Yet, these surface details weren't the primary focus of Xiang Ri's observation. His attention had zeroed in on the scoundrel heir himself—more specifically, his wandering hand.
From his side-angle position, Xiang Ri could clearly see the subtle movements that the man likely thought would go unnoticed. Moreover, their proximity allowed him to catch snippets of their conversation.
Yi Tianxing, with one hand swirling the crimson liquid in his wine glass, had his other arm possessively wrapped around the woman's slender waist.
Though the lightly made-up beauty's expression was one of clear discomfort, she seemed restrained by some unspoken fear. She occasionally shifted her waist in protest, but her efforts only emboldened Yi Tianxing further, his roving hand beginning to climb with audacious intent.
"Don't..." the woman muttered, her lips pressed tightly together as she placed a firm hand on the offending claw attempting to venture toward her sensitive areas.
"You'd better behave," Yi Tianxing growled, his eyes flashing with menace. He was visibly irritated by her audacity to resist him at such a critical moment.
"I..." Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, but she stubbornly kept her hand in place, refusing to relent.
Yi Tianxing's glare darkened. "Shu Ying, don't forget about your mother's company..." As expected, this line was the most effective weapon in his arsenal. The woman's face immediately fell, her lips turning pale as she bit down hard. Closing her eyes, she released her grip on his hand.
Seeing her submit entirely, Yi Tianxing smirked triumphantly, his hand continuing its ascent. "See? This would've been so much easier if you'd just complied. Acting all noble... as if you aren't going to end up in my bed anyway. What difference does it make if I touch you now?"
Xiang Ri could no longer bear to watch. Though he wasn't particularly familiar with the woman, her status as a stunning beauty—and more importantly, her current predicament—was enough to stir any decent man into action.
With a swift motion, Xiang Ri stood up and strode over in just a few steps. He grabbed Yi Tianxing's lecherous hand mid-air.
"Damn it!" Yi Tianxing roared, furious at having his "fun" interrupted. Who dared ruin his mood? Was someone tired of living?
As he prepared to rise and teach the intruder a painful lesson, his eyes met a familiar face, one radiating a dangerous intent. His fury dissipated instantly, replaced by a tremor in his voice. "Y-you... what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Xiang Ri chuckled darkly, releasing his hand. "That depends entirely on how sincere you're willing to be."
At that moment, the lightly made-up beauty opened her eyes. The humiliation she had braced herself for had not come, leaving her stunned. Could that beast have changed his mind?
When her gaze fell upon the man now standing before her, realization dawned. She finally understood why the violation she had feared never transpired.
Although they had only met once, the memory of that man's explosive fury and the scene of him pummeling someone lingered vividly in Shu Ying's mind—especially since the recipient of the beating had been the very scum she despised most. Amid her satisfaction, his image had been indelibly etched into her thoughts. Yet now, he appeared slightly worse for wear, his right hand seemingly injured—and quite severely at that.
Was this the work of that scoundrel, leveraging his powerful connections?
Without hesitation, Shu Ying attributed the injury on his hand to Yi Tianxing, the despicable second-generation heir. She knew all too well how influential he was; making someone "disappear" or lose a few body parts was mere child's play for him. So when she saw Xiang Ri approach, she assumed he was here to exact revenge for his wounded hand, her gaze toward him filled with worry.
Unaware of Shu Ying's complex inner turmoil, Xiang Ri instinctively glanced at her. Noticing the unusual glimmer in her eyes, he misinterpreted it as fear of the scumbag heir and said reassuringly, "Hey, don't worry, beautiful. I'm here to save you!" With that, he stepped protectively in front of her.
Though his tone carried a teasing edge, Shu Ying felt warmth bloom in her chest. His actions deeply moved her, and the tears she had stubbornly held back finally rolled down her cheeks.
As she gazed at the slightly frail shoulders shielding her, she was reminded of her father's selfless act when she was seven. She could still vividly recall his slim frame stepping fearlessly into the path of an oncoming car to shield her. The two images—then and now—gradually overlapped in her mind. At that moment, Shu Ying made a silent resolution: no matter what it took, she would never let this man be harmed, even if it meant sacrificing her most precious possession.
Yi Tianxing had somewhat regained his composure. Staring at the young man before him, whose presence bore down on him with immense pressure, he couldn't suppress the fear bubbling within—even though he noticed the injury to Xiang Ri's right hand. "What... what do you mean by sincerity? Are you suggesting I give this woman to you?" Misinterpreting Xiang Ri's earlier jest, Yi Tianxing assumed he was coveting the exquisite beauty he himself had yet to fully claim.
"Precisely. It seems your brain isn't entirely useless," Xiang Ri responded, playing along, his gaze sharpening with menace. "You know what to do, don't you? Or do I need to spell it out?"
"I understand." With no choice but to bow to the circumstances, Yi Tianxing forced himself to yield. He knew Xiang Ri wasn't an ordinary person. Otherwise, his own father wouldn't have repeatedly warned him to steer clear of this man. Moreover, he had overheard certain secrets from an indulgent uncle, suggesting that this man might share a blood relation with him.
"Good. Glad we're on the same page," Xiang Ri said with a satisfied nod. Since Yi Tianxing had shown some semblance of sensibility, he decided to let him off. "Now, you're free to leave. Oh, and don't forget to settle the bill on your way out." Perhaps due to the faint kinship he had deduced, Xiang Ri's desire to pummel him had noticeably waned.
Initially planning to leave and plot his revenge later, Yi Tianxing stopped short when he caught sight of Xiang Ri's disdainful expression. As a pampered heir, no one had ever dared to treat him with such contempt. His suppressed anger reignited, especially when his gaze fell on the vulnerable woman he had worked so hard to claim. Was he truly going to let her slip away to someone else? Absolutely not.
"What's the matter? Still have something to say?" Xiang Ri asked, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes as he noticed Yi Tianxing hesitate.
Avoiding eye contact, Yi Tianxing glanced at the red wine on the table and muttered, "It's not that I disagree, but we can't treat her like some object to be given away at will, can we? I just want to clarify—if she's willing to leave with you, I won't stop her. But if she refuses, then surely you wouldn't force her... would you?"
Though he left the sentence unfinished, the implication was clear. If the woman chose not to leave, it would be unreasonable to compel her. Yi Tianxing was almost certain she wouldn't go with Xiang Ri, as he still held her lifeline firmly in his grasp.
"What's your decision, miss?" Xiang Ri turned to the lightly made-up woman, who had wiped away her tears and now wore an expression of resolute determination. He was confident she wouldn't choose to stay with the scumbag. However, in his self-assurance, he overlooked a crucial detail—one that, if remembered, would have kept him from asking such a foolish question.
"I've made up my mind," Shu Ying said softly, her face devoid of emotion. "Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot go with you."