"What on earth did you do to Chuchu?" As soon as Xiang Ri stepped through the door, Miss An Xin—the young lady dressed in an androgynous style—hurled a pillow at him with a furious glare.
Xiang Ri caught it effortlessly, tossing it aside with an air of indifference. "This doesn't seem to concern you, does it?" he replied coolly before treating her like thin air and striding toward the bedroom.
"Stop right there!" Miss An, incensed at being ignored, shouted in anger. Seeing him continue walking without so much as a pause only deepened her fury. She couldn't resist sneering, "I suggest you don't go into the bedroom—unless, of course, you enjoy disappointment."
"What do you mean by that?" Xiang Ri, just about to push the bedroom door open, froze abruptly. He turned, frowning, and demanded an explanation.
"Nothing much," Miss An replied, her face alight with vengeful satisfaction. "I just thought you should know—Chuchu has already moved out!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Xiang Ri shoved the door open and stormed into the room. Sure enough, the furnishings had undergone a complete transformation. There was hardly a trace of Chuchu left.
For a split second, he stood stunned. Then, with a sense of urgency, he dashed back out, his voice nearly a roar as he confronted Miss An. "When did Chuchu leave? And where is Xiaoqing?"
Miss An showed not the slightest trace of fear. On the contrary, she looked smug, relishing his distress. "I think you should give up already. Chuchu said she never wants to see a scoundrel like you again. As for Xiaoqing... well, here, this is the note she left behind. See for yourself."
With that, An Xin tossed a crumpled piece of paper his way, her expression one of malicious glee.
Xiang Ri hurriedly took the crumpled note and unfolded it. On it was written:
"Teacher, I couldn't stop Chuchu from moving back, so I had no choice but to go with her. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. But teacher, this time you've gone too far. How could you deceive Chuchu by having another woman outside? I hate you!"
"Is that all?" Xiang Ri asked, his heart settling slightly. With his disciple by Chuchu's side, nothing too serious should happen.
"What else did you expect?" An Xin snorted coldly, her tone turning more venomous. "Feeling regret now, aren't you? I have no idea why Chuchu ever fell for a scoundrel like you. You've got no height, no looks, and apart from brute strength, what else do you even have—"
"Shut up!" Xiang Ri roared, cutting her off mid-sentence. His face twisted in anger. "If you keep quiet, no one will mistake you for a mute!"
"What did you say?" An Xin, already fuming, shot up from the sofa. But upon catching sight of the man's terrifying expression, a tremor ran through her heart. Even so, she stubbornly snapped back, "Men are all the same—eating from one bowl while eyeing the pot!"
"Better than some women being lesbians, don't you think?" Xiang Ri retorted sharply, his words striking a nerve.
"Bastard!" Sure enough, veins bulged on An Xin's forehead as she clenched her fists. Snatching up another pillow, she charged straight at him. "I'll fight you to the death!"
Xiang Ri tilted his head to avoid the incoming pillow. When she kept throwing things, he grabbed her wrist with a firm hand. Applying just a bit of pressure, he made her scream in pain. "It hurts! You bastard! Let me go! I'll kill you!" she shrieked, trying to kick him.
Seeing her unrepentant, Xiang Ri sidestepped her swinging foot and tightened his grip slightly. "Still hurting now?"
"Ah!" An Xin's face turned pale from the pain, convinced her wrist bones were about to shatter. She bit her lip hard and spat out angrily, "You bastard, I won't let you get away with this!"
"Won't let me get away?" Xiang Ri's gaze turned icy as he dragged her toward the sofa, still holding her wrist. "And how exactly do you plan to do that, hmm?"
Under his control, any slight movement sent waves of excruciating pain through her arm. Left with no choice, she bit her lip and obediently followed, inwardly cursing him to a fate worse than death.
"Sit down!" Once they reached the sofa, Xiang Ri abruptly released her hand, shoving her onto the seat. He sat down beside her, his gaze scrutinizing her with unsettling intent.
"What are you trying to do?" An Xin, disregarding her pain, shrank back and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes filled with unprecedented fear. The man's actions brought to mind certain unsettling scenes from television. If he were to succumb to his primal instincts, there was no way she, a defenseless woman, could resist. The thought made her curl up instinctively.
Seeing her reaction, a flicker of amusement danced in Xiang Ri's eyes. "Relax. I have no interest in someone as androgynous as you," he said, leaning back lazily against the sofa, utterly at ease.
An Xin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, though her teeth clenched in frustration. "What do you even want from me? If you have nothing better to do, just stay away from me!"
"How about I treat you to a meal?" Xiang Ri suddenly sat upright and uttered an unexpected proposal.
"What did you just say?" An Xin's eyes widened, almost as large as a bull's, her lingering anger giving way to astonishment and disbelief. "Did I hear you wrong?"
"Chuchu's gone, Xiaoqing's gone—what, should we just sit here and drink northwest wind?" Xiang Ri retorted with an air of inevitability, though an unfathomable glint flickered deep in his gaze.
"You…" An Xin trembled with fury, her whole body shaking. She had never encountered someone so heartless. "Don't you care about Chuchu and Xiaoqing at all? How can you say something so despicable? Chuchu must have been blind to fall for an ungrateful wretch like you!"
"Take it or leave it." Xiang Ri's expression remained impassive as he rose to his feet. His steps were heavy as he headed toward the door.
If he were to admit concern, no one could rival him in that regard. But what good would it do? His worries wouldn't change anything. In fact, this wasn't even his greatest concern. What troubled him more was something else entirely—Chuchu moving out might actually be for the best. At least now, he wouldn't have to constantly worry about her safety.
After all, Xiang Ri hadn't forgotten that someone had recently taken an interest in ending his life. Who knew when or where a bullet might suddenly find him? If Chuchu stayed by his side and something happened, he would never be able to forgive himself, no matter how many lifetimes he lived.
Initially, when he first heard that Chuchu had moved out, he did consider going after her. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. It would be wiser to deal with the people after his head before making any decisions. Moreover, Xiang Ri had already resolved to send this androgynous troublemaker packing as well. As irritating as she was, he wasn't cruel enough to wish her dead.
An Xin's expression shifted several times before she finally seemed to come to a decision. "Fine, why wouldn't I? How could I miss the chance to take advantage of a sucker? Not going would be a disservice to the nation!"
"Then let's go," Xiang Ri said as he reached the door. He turned back, seemingly oblivious to the sly glint in An Xin's eyes.
"Wait, I'll change my clothes first!" With that, An Xin darted back to her room.