A sudden voice from behind made Lin Xi jump.
“Do you always walk without making a sound?”
Xiao Jingwen glanced at Lin Xi and sat down beside her.
“You were just too focused on your thoughts.”
He sat down, but he didn’t look away.
His gaze was blunt and unabashed, slowly sweeping over her from head to toe.
Not just in this era—even in later generations, Lin Xi had never seen anyone stare at someone as directly as Xiao Jingwen did.
She turned her head away. “What are you looking at?”
Xiao Jingwen examined her once more before finally letting his gaze settle on her hand.
“Let me see your hand.”
So that was what he meant…
Lin Xi understood and turned to look at him. “You came because of what happened with Zhao Mingze?”
Xiao Jingwen didn’t answer.
Lin Xi refused to extend her hand.
Then he would reach for it himself.
He took her arm and pulled it toward him. Her slender wrist barely filled the breadth of his palm.
The contrast between their skin tones was striking. Xiao Jingwen’s Adam’s apple moved silently as he turned Lin Xi’s palm upward.
The knuckles were slightly red, but the skin wasn’t broken.
“Have you put any medicine on it?”
With her wrist held like this, Lin Xi immediately thought of that night.
She instinctively pulled back.
Xiao Jingwen didn’t let go. He tightened his grip slightly.
“Don’t move. I’m putting some medicine on it.”
As he spoke, he reached into his trouser pocket with his other hand and pulled out a small, flat tin of ointment.
…Lin Xi froze.
She stared at it in disbelief. “You brought ointment with you before you even came?”
“Better to be prepared.”
Xiao Jingwen didn’t look up. Using his fingertip, he spread the cool ointment evenly over the reddened area, inch by inch.
He was so focused that anyone watching might have thought he was conducting some kind of experiment.
Once he finished, Xiao Jingwen released her hand and sat upright again.
He asked Lin Xi, “What were you worrying about just now?”
Xiao Jingwen had told her before that he was a sniper.
A sniper had the sharpest sensitivity and observation skills. It wasn’t surprising that he could tell she was troubled just by seeing the crease between her brows.
“I was thinking about whether I should kick Lin Jianguo out of my house today or deal with him on the day of the wedding.”
The two of them happened to be sitting at the mouth of the alley.
A breeze blew through, and the hem of Lin Xi’s skirt kept brushing against his trouser leg.
Xiao Jingwen glanced down before saying, “You decide.”
“If you want to do it today, I’ll get someone from the Housing Management Office to help you.”
“If you’d rather wait, the room at the guesthouse hasn’t been checked out yet. You can stay there for the next couple of days and get some peace and quiet.”
Was he offering her his support?
Lin Xi glanced sideways at him.
To make it easier for her to meet his eyes, Xiao Jingwen was sitting hunched slightly forward, his elbows resting on his knees.
He had probably come out in a hurry. He hadn’t even changed his clothes, and there were several creases pressed into his shirt.
Those little signs of ordinary life made his whole demeanor seem much gentler.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
This time, it was Xiao Jingwen’s turn to ask the question.
Lin Xi came back to herself, withdrew her gaze, and brushed the hem of her skirt before standing.
“Nothing.”
“Come on. Don’t sit here at the mouth of the alley. If the neighbors see us, they’ll start gossiping.”
Xiao Jingwen stood up.
He was tall enough to block out a large patch of sunlight, casting Lin Xi completely into his shadow.
Xiao Jingwen lowered his head slightly. “Made up your mind?”
“I’ll stay at the guesthouse.”
She had fought enough and caused enough commotion. She wanted some peace and quiet for a couple of days, while also giving Lin Jianguo the illusion that everything had settled down.
Things were more interesting when emotions rose and fell, when the tension tightened and loosened like the strings of a qin.
She would let Lin Jianguo enjoy his peace for a couple of days.
Then, on the day of Lin Ran’s wedding, she would deliver a devastating blow to him in front of all the neighbors.
That would be satisfying.
Xiao Jingwen had driven there.
The guesthouse wasn’t far away. Since the room had been registered by the military unit, Lin Xi didn’t need to provide an introduction letter.
The room had already been cleaned.
The clean bedding carried the faint smell of laundry detergent.
Sunlight filled the room. The windows hadn’t been opened, and the moment the door was pushed open, a wave of heat hit their faces.
Xiao Jingwen closed the door and went over to open the window for ventilation.
The enclosed room, the familiar surroundings…
The moment Lin Xi saw the scene, images from several days ago flashed through her mind.
She had completely overlooked this when agreeing to come to the guesthouse.
And besides—
Xiao Jingwen still had that condition!
She had been careless!
Lin Xi clicked her tongue inwardly.
When Xiao Jingwen returned to her side, she hurriedly pulled ten yuan from her pocket and stuffed it into his palm.
“Here’s the room fee. Thanks for arranging this. If there’s nothing else, you can leave now.”
Over the several times they had met, even on the day Lin Xi had rejected him with all her claws out, her tone had always been calm and unhurried.
It was rare to see her speak so quickly and anxiously.
Xiao Jingwen lowered his eyes and looked at the bills lying in his palm.
He smiled.
“You seem to really like giving me money.”
“What do you mean, I really like giving you money…”
Halfway through her sentence, Lin Xi realized he was referring to the three yuan she’d given him the first time they met.
She suddenly didn’t know how to respond.
Xiao Jingwen let out a low chuckle.
“You don’t have to be afraid. I told you, for this month, we’ll just spend time getting to know each other. I won’t cross any boundaries.”
He needed to calm her down first. Only then could they have a proper conversation.
Seeing Lin Xi secretly let out a small breath of relief, Xiao Jingwen continued.
“Can I ask you a question?”
He’s that smart, and there was still something he couldn’t figure out?
Lin Xi thought to herself that it definitely couldn’t be a good question.
“No!”
“What did those three yuan that day mean?”
They spoke at exactly the same time. Xiao Jingwen didn’t give her a chance to refuse.
But it wasn’t the outrageous question she had expected.
So Lin Xi didn’t mind answering.
“It didn’t mean anything. I only had three yuan on me that day.”
After she finished speaking, she didn’t hear a response from Xiao Jingwen for quite some time.
Curious, Lin Xi looked over.
The corners of Xiao Jingwen’s lips were curved upward, and he looked to be in an exceptionally good mood.
“Okay. Got it.”
He said, “I’ll bring the photos over tomorrow morning.”
She would file the report tomorrow, and the day after that would be Lin Ran’s wedding—the perfect time to have people come and arrest them.
The timing was just right.
Lin Xi nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait for you.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Jingwen took the ointment from his pocket and placed it on the table.
“Your hand is still a little red. Remember to put some ointment on it tonight.”
After setting it down, he genuinely seemed to have no intention of staying any longer.
He walked toward the door.
His hand had already closed around the doorknob.
Yet for some reason, he suddenly turned around and strode back.
His back was straight, his military bearing giving every step a powerful momentum that created an intense sense of pressure.
Lin Xi instinctively held her breath.
“Is there something else?”
“Mm.”
Xiao Jingwen’s gaze settled on Lin Xi’s face.
The next moment, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
His palm was very warm, and the heat in the room had not completely dissipated either. Lin Xi instinctively stepped back.
Xiao Jingwen pulled firmly, giving her no chance to retreat.
Lin Xi stumbled forward two steps and had to grab his shoulder to steady herself.
“What are you doing?”
She was getting angry now, her fist tightening.
“Relax.”
One by one, the man pried her fingers open. Then he took her hand and pressed her palm against his lower abdomen.
His firm abdominal muscles were clearly outlined beneath his shirt, every ridge and contour distinct through the fabric.
Xiao Jingwen leaned slightly forward and spoke close to her ear.
“Your eyes, nose, and throat—none of these are the best places to strike.”
He slowly guided her palm downward.
Xiao Jingwen said, “Next time, kick here. A man’s weak point is right here.”