Standing on the edge of life and death, Chen Yi showed no trace of fear. His gaze was as calm and fathomless as an ancient well, and a faint, cold smile played at the corners of his lips, as though everything was unfolding exactly as he had foreseen.
From the moment he laid eyes on Wang Wu, he had already noticed the dagger hidden on him.
Wang Wu carried an ominous aura, but unlike the pitch-black malevolence surrounding Luo Yan, his was tinged with a streak of blood-red.
This was a blood curse, the kind of murderous energy that clings only to weapons that have taken lives. The source of that blood-red aura was unmistakably the blade concealed in his sleeve.
How could Chen Yi not be on guard?
"D*mn it!"
Seeing that Chen Yi wasn't panicking as expected, Wang Wu felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if the man standing before him wasn't Chen Yi, but a lone wolf watching its prey step into a carefully laid trap.
At this point, retreat was no longer an option. Wang Wu had no choice but to gamble everything and leave the outcome to fate.
Chen Yi moved swiftly. With his left hand, he seized Wang Wu's wrist in a vice-like grip, and with a powerful kick, he aimed directly between his legs.
Thud!
The forceful blow landed squarely.
"Aaaah!"
Wang Wu let out a heart-wrenching wail that echoed through the parking lot, filled with pain and despair.
The devastating kick had left him utterly incapacitated, his body curling up like a boiled shrimp as he collapsed to the ground.
Chen Yi, true to his philosophy of striking while the enemy was down, wasted no time. Swinging his arm in a wide arc, he delivered a crushing uppercut to Wang Wu's jaw.
Poor Wang Wu couldn't even scream this time. His jaw shattered under the blow, leaving him lying on the ground, groaning incomprehensibly.
"You b*st*rd, trying to play dirty with me? I'll show you what dirty really means!"
Chen Yi shook his fist, grimacing as the force of his punch had left his knuckles throbbing with pain.
Luo Yan stood to the side, still frozen in shock from the scene she had just witnessed. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Yi, her expression a mix of emotions too complex to decipher.
Chen Yi, however, mistook her reaction for admiration. Pleased with himself, he assumed she was utterly captivated by his dashing display of heroics.
Little did he know, Luo Yan's forehead was dotted with cold sweat.
This man was invincible!
Not only was he skilled and quick to react, but he also had absolutely no sense of shame. Moves that others might consider disgraceful—ambushes, low blows—were second nature to him. He wielded them without hesitation, as though they were badges of honor.
"Ahem, uh, do you have handcuffs?"
Under Luo Yan's intense gaze, Chen Yi eventually ran out of poses to strike and awkwardly broke the silence.
"Oh, yes," Luo Yan replied, snapping out of her daze. She casually retrieved a pair of handcuffs from her belt and tossed them to him.
Wang Wu was still lying on the ground, clutching his groin and whimpering pitifully. Tears, snot, and saliva mingled on his face, painting a picture of utter misery.
Chen Yi caught the handcuffs, walked over, and secured Wang Wu's hands. For good measure, he delivered a few more kicks to his stomach, finally venting his frustration.
He was no television hero—kind, just, and merciful to his enemies. In his eyes, such people were fools.
Mercy toward your enemy is cruelty toward yourself.
Had Chen Yi not arrived in time, Luo Yan might have been lying in a pool of her own blood.
Had he not been vigilant against Wang Wu, he could have ended up with a dagger through his chest.
"Ow!"
Suddenly, Luo Yan let out a cry of pain and stumbled, nearly falling.
Chen Yi reacted quickly, rushing to her side to steady her. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
She felt the warmth and strength of his arms supporting her, a sense of security washing over her.
"My ankle… I twisted it," she said softly.
The adrenaline that had kept her going earlier had now faded, and the sharp pain in her ankle became impossible to ignore.
"Don't move. Let me take a look."
Chen Yi gently lowered her to the ground, untied her shoelaces, and removed her shoe.
Though Luo Yan was around 1.7 meters tall—a remarkable height for a woman in eastern China—her feet were small and delicate, her snow-white toes resembling tender lotus shoots.
"Long legs, dainty feet, and the potential for a uniform-and-handcuffs fantasy... I wonder which lucky b*st*rd will get to marry her," Chen Yi thought to himself, his mind wandering.
As a virgin, it never occurred to him that perhaps he could be that lucky b*st*rd.
Luo Yan's face flushed with heat as she felt his hands on her foot. Though she was a police officer accustomed to working alongside men, she had never experienced such intimate contact with one before.
Chen Yi, holding her foot, rolled up her pant leg to examine her ankle. All impure thoughts vanished as he focused on the task at hand.
"It's dislocated. I'll set it back in place. It'll hurt, so bear with me," he said.
"Okay," Luo Yan murmured, her voice so faint it was barely audible, like the buzz of a mosquito.
Chen Yi gripped her foot firmly, his other hand massaging her swollen ankle. Luo Yan's heart raced uncontrollably at his touch.
Click!
Just as she was about to pull her foot away in embarrassment, a sharp sound accompanied a jolt of pain. Then, relief flooded her ankle as the discomfort subsided significantly.
"All done. Go to the hospital later for a check-up, take some medicine, and rest for a few days," Chen Yi said, exhaling deeply.
Having finished treating her, he plopped down on the ground, exhausted. The fight with Wang Wu had drained him, leaving his thin T-shirt soaked with sweat and his limbs heavy with fatigue.
"Chen Yi?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Luo Yan's voice was as clear and melodious as a songbird's, carrying a rare softness.
"Don't mention it. Just don't try to arrest me again, alright?" Chen Yi replied, his tone half-joking. "You can't be ungrateful. I saved your life, you know. You owe me one."
"I know," Luo Yan said, her voice gentle yet firm.
"You know?"
Chen Yi turned to look at her, surprised.
What was going on? This woman, who usually treated him like a criminal, was suddenly so tender. It was unsettling.
Embarrassed by his gaze, Luo Yan kicked him lightly.
"Is this how you repay your savior?" Chen Yi protested, rubbing his backside.
"What, you want me to marry you as thanks?"
"Marry me? Hey, why didn't I think of that!" Chen Yi exclaimed, smacking his forehead in mock realization.
"Would you dare marry me if I agreed?" Luo Yan challenged, refusing to back down.
"If you dare to marry, I dare to take you as my wife," Chen Yi declared, puffing out his chest. "Come now, my dear, let me show you how well I can treat you."
"My dear," Luo Yan mimicked him with a coquettish lilt, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Have you even reached the legal marriage age?"
The mention of legal marriage age hit Chen Yi like a bucket of cold water. He nearly choked on his own breath, glaring at her in frustration. "Luo Yan, must you ruin the mood?"
"Hmph! A little boy like you dares to tease me?" she retorted, though her eyes held a hint of something unspoken.
"Who are you calling a little boy? Want me to prove you wrong?"
"Only little boys feel the need to prove themselves this way."
Chen Yi was on the verge of tears. Was there no end to her insults?
Before long, the police arrived, led by the burly and dark-skinned Zhang Fei.
When he saw Wang Wu lying on the ground, battered and groaning, Zhang Fei's eyes twitched.
"Boss, was this your handiwork? Your methods are brutal—darker than me!" he exclaimed, feigning shock.
"Shut up. It wasn't me; it was Chen Yi," Luo Yan said, throwing Chen Yi under the bus without hesitation.
"Brother, I didn't expect you to be so good at fighting," Zhang Fei said, eyeing Chen Yi with interest. "How about a sparring match sometime? It's been ages since I've met a worthy opponent."
Chen Yi broke out in cold sweat. What was with these people and their obsession with fighting?
Catching Luo Yan smirking at him, he ground his teeth in silent frustration.
"Captain Zhang, please don't joke. I just got lucky and used a few, uh, unconventional moves to take him down. I'm no match for you," Chen Yi said humbly, demonstrating a few exaggerated kicks.
At the mention of "unconventional moves," Zhang Fei glanced at Wang Wu's sorry state and quickly dropped the idea.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Take him back for questioning and see if he has any accomplices," Luo Yan ordered.
Zhang Fei obediently hoisted Wang Wu like a sack of potatoes and tossed him into the car.
As Luo Yan prepared to leave, she paused and leaned close to Chen Yi's ear. "The matter of the gold bars is settled, but don't let me catch you doing something like this again. Next time, I won't go easy on you."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Chen Yi sighed. This woman was relentless in her principles.
Watching her retreating figure, he couldn't help but shout, "Luo Yan, make sure to get your ankle checked at the hospital. If something's wrong, don't move around too much. Take care of your body!"
Then, without waiting for her response, he bolted, disappearing in an instant.
Luo Yan froze mid-step, nearly tripping over herself.
She understood what he meant, but her colleagues didn't.
"Take care of your body"? What did he mean by that?
Sure enough, the officers, led by Zhang Fei, exchanged wide-eyed glances, their minds clearly running wild.
"Wow, that guy works fast. Did he really win over Captain Luo in just a few days?"
The collective thought was written all over their faces, their eyes brimming with gossip.
"He did that on purpose! He must have!" Luo Yan fumed inwardly, gritting her teeth.