The drunk, however, had no intention of letting her go. He grabbed her arm, pulling her close, laughing: “Who said you could leave? You dare to walk away when big brother hasn’t allowed it?” He reached out to touch her face.
Jing Xin tried to step back and turn her head to avoid him, struggling desperately. She detested him grabbing her like this.
People walked by without paying attention. In a nightclub like this, there were no pure interactions between men and women. Performing MAKE LOVE in the hall wouldn’t draw any criticism.
Jing Xin felt desperate. The man’s hand gripped her tightly. During her struggle, her T-shirt was torn, exposing her shoulder. Seeing her skin made the man even more excited, and he rudely kissed her.
Jing Xin was stunned, angry, and embarrassed. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
The drunken man, feeling the sting of the slap, pressed Jing Xin against the wall, bringing his mouth close to her face, and reached toward her chest.
Jing Xin closed her eyes in despair, but the expected groping never came.
A powerful fist struck the drunk man’s face, instantly distorting it. The drunk man’s hand involuntarily released her.
Jing Xin opened her eyes in confusion. Jiang Xiangyang stood before her with a face filled with murderous intent.
Tears began to flow from her eyes.
Jiang Xiangyang glanced over, thinking women were troublesome and always ready to cry.
The drunk man, having taken a punch, took a while to come to his senses. He saw a tall young man before him but lost his focus when Jiang Xiangyang threw a punch into his stomach, causing him to collapse to the ground in pain.
Afraid of escalating the situation, Jing Xin pulled Jiang Xiangyang outside.
The drunk man wasn’t one to give up easily. Wobbling to his feet, he shouted, “You coward, running away like a turtle after hitting someone. Stop right there!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Xiangyang’s feet seemed to freeze. Despite Jing Xin’s pulling, he wouldn’t move.
He turned around, slowly walking to the drunk man, grabbing his clothes and lifting him from the ground. His eyes were a deep, bottomless black, and his voice was cold: “What do you want? I’m ready.”
The drunk man seemed surprised by his return.
He stared blankly, his eyes confused.
Suddenly, three men burst out from a side room in the corridor, the drunk man’s companions. Seeing them, the drunk man became confident, roaring: “This guy wants to cause trouble. Beat him, beat him to death!”
The three men rushed at Jiang Xiangyang, and they immediately began fighting. Jing Xin stood pressed against the wall, her heart pounding. She watched a fist strike Jiang Xiangyang’s mouth, drawing blood. A corner of her heart felt brutally struck, aching inexplicably.
Fortunately, these three were no match for Jiang Xiangyang. His punches were fast and fierce, landing on critical spots, beating them thoroughly. After ten minutes, the four men supported each other and hurriedly escaped, leaving behind threats: “Wait for us. We’ll definitely come back for revenge!”
Jiang Xiangyang turned and walked toward the bathroom, with Jing Xin following after a few seconds. He stood by the sink, his face calm, showing no trace of the previous violence. Like an elegant gentleman, he turned on the faucet to wash his hands when Jing Xin quickly stepped forward and stopped him.
He looked at her questioningly.
Jing Xin pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the blood from his mouth, avoiding his gaze.
A sweet fragrance wafted as her warm fingertips slid across his cold skin, causing momentary stiffness. Jiang Xiangyang clearly wasn’t used to such gentleness. He believed women to be troublesome—seemingly weak yet often instigators of conflict. Today, he impulsively played the role of a knight protecting a damsel.
He cursed softly, waving his hand dismissively: “Go away.”
Jiang Xiangyang reached for the faucet again, but Jing Xin fearlessly grabbed his hand: “The water isn’t clean. You can’t clean a wound with it.” Her voice trembled.
Jiang Xiangyang looked incredulously at her. Jing Xin’s eyelids lowered, her long eyelashes curling like small fans, hiding the brilliance in her eyes. Despite her pale, frightened face and shaking voice, she stubbornly held her back straight.
The bathroom’s bright lights made Jing Xin appear even paler against the black glass counter. Her slender hand held his broad, dark one, creating a striking contrast, as if they were from completely different worlds.
Jiang Xiangyang grew angry, losing his patience, and violently shook off her hand: “Mind your own business. Go away.”
This cold rejection made Jing Xin feel embarrassed, tears almost falling. She desperately held back her tears but didn’t move from in front of the sink.
Jiang Xiangyang reached out to move her. Jing Xin suddenly looked up, her long eyelashes trembling slightly as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
He was somewhat shocked, his hand stopping midair as an unfamiliar emotion struck his heart, making him frustrated. After a moment, he helplessly lowered his hand.
“Jing Xin, you’re here. Why have you been out so long? Cai Mi asked me to check on you,” Shan Shan said as she walked over, glancing curiously at the young man before her.
This man’s first impression was striking; he was over 1.9 meters tall, with a strong, proportionate build. Even in his ordinary T-shirt and jeans, he exuded a captivating presence. Shan Shan, who was always interested in handsome men, felt a sense of shock at his appearance. His features seemed perfectly crafted, leaving no flaws to be found.
If there was anything slightly imperfect, it would be the small scars on his face, but Shanshan thought that made him more masculine and cool – she couldn’t find words to describe him.
Jiang Xiangyang passed by and turned to walk out, planning to meet Ah Bao and the others at the dock at ten o’clock, uninterested in lingering with Shanshan.
As soon as he left, Shanshan grabbed Jing Xin gossip-style: “Jing Xin, do you know him? Who is he? So cool.”
Jing Xin replied: “Jiang Xiangyang.”
Shanshan added: “So you know Jiang Xiangyang. Last time you tested me, thank goodness I didn’t say I liked him, or you would have assassinated me. But honestly, he’s truly exceptional; Wang Luozhou can’t compare.”
Madam nodded: “Oh, I see! Yang was a good child, but unfortunately, he’s learned bad things from bad people. You friends should persuade him. If he continues like this, his life will be ruined. I don’t know where he got into a fight yesterday and got injured.”
“He’s injured again,” Jing Xin felt a dull ache in her heart and said, “Auntie, let me go see Yang with you.”
As she sat in the swaying car, many thoughts flew through her mind. She felt that visiting him so abruptly was somewhat inappropriate.
However, after hearing her mother’s words, she felt she should go and see him. He had saved her at the nightclub, and if he hadn’t appeared that day, she would have been harassed by that man. Now that he was injured, wasn’t it normal to visit him?
Thinking this way, she felt relieved.
Jiang Yang’s home was located in an old apartment in the center of City A, marked “City A Tax Bureau Family Quarters.” They lived on the first floor in a small courtyard with good lighting, though it seemed poorly maintained, with several pots of dead flowers piled in one corner.
When Jing Xin entered, Jiang Yang was hanging bandages and holding a brush in his left hand in front of an easel. He looked surprised to see her, then dipped his brush in paint and continued painting.
Jing Xin was astonished. He was injured but still painting? He looked seriously hurt, with his right hand in a sling and thick gauze wrapped around his arm, blood seeping through, and bruises on his face.
