“No!”
“I won’t marry you!”
Leng Hanshuang spoke resolutely, then forced herself to stand up despite her injuries. “I owe you my life, and I will repay you!”
With that, she turned to leave.
Seeing this, Chen Fan quickly called out, “Where are you going?”
“It’s late at night, and you’re badly injured. Where can you possibly go?”
“That’s none of your concern!” Leng Hanshuang remained cold and aloof, continuing to walk away.
But Chen Fan grew anxious and snapped, “Stop right there!”
“You make it sound so easy—saying you owe me a life and will repay it! But if you just leave, who am I supposed to find? Besides, I’m badly injured from saving you. How can you just walk away like this? I don’t care if you don’t want to marry me, but you can’t just leave like this!”
Leng Hanshuang frowned slightly. “Then what do you want?”
“Stay with me and protect me for one year! After that, you can go wherever you want. How about it?” Chen Fan proposed.
Leng Hanshuang frowned deeply, glancing back at Chen Fan and then at Xue Ying. “You have Xueying Sword Immortal, one of the Ten Great Masters, by your side. Why would you need my protection?”
Hearing this, Chen Fan was taken aback and instinctively looked at Xue Ying beside him.
One of the Ten Great Masters—Xueying Sword Immortal!
Xue Ying was actually one of the Ten Great Masters! Xueying Sword Immortal!
Although he had never practiced martial arts, common sense told him what it meant to be called one of the Ten Great Masters and a Sword Immortal.
Yet Xue Ying was merely Hua Qiancheng’s maid!
What kind of person was Hua Qiancheng, then?
To have one of the Ten Great Masters, a Sword Immortal no less, serve as his maid!
Before Chen Fan could speak, Xue Ying said coldly, “You’re overthinking it. He’s not worthy! I’m only here to escort him back as a favor to someone.”
Hearing this, Chen Fan snapped back to reality and quickly added, “Exactly! I’m not close to her! Besides, I risked my life to save you, and all I’m asking is for you to protect me for a year. That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”
Leng Hanshuang frowned slightly but didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she coldly observed Xue Ying and Chen Fan, as if pondering something.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. “Fine! One year it is! But I will only protect you from harm. I won’t help you with anything else, and I certainly won’t marry you!”
“Deal! You can’t go back on your word!” Chen Fan quickly agreed.
“When I, Leng Hanshuang, give my word, it’s unbreakable!” she declared coldly.
“Good! That’s good!”
Chen Fan smiled as he spoke, then turned to Xiao Ke and Xiao Ai. “Take her to rest and take good care of her!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
The two little lolis didn’t hesitate. They responded and stepped forward to help Leng Hanshuang leave.
But Chen Fan turned to Xue Ying. “Xue Ying, has anyone ever told you that you’re actually very beautiful, with a face that could topple kingdoms and a grace that’s unmatched?”
Hearing this, Xue Ying’s expression suddenly changed, and she replied with clear disgust and disdain. “Finished disgusting Leng Hanshuang, and now you want to disgust me too? Or do you think someone like you could ever hope to make me stay and protect you?”
“You saw my situation, didn’t you? They definitely won’t let me go. Without someone to protect me, how many more days do I have to live?” Chen Fan said helplessly.
“What does that have to do with me?” Xue Ying replied coldly.
“I…”
Chen Fan was momentarily at a loss for words. “Xue Ying, look, whatever conditions Young Master Hua offers you, I’ll double them! If worst comes to worst, I’ll offer myself to you!”
“Get lost!”
Xue Ying immediately rebuked him with disgust. “Don’t make me sick!”
“But don’t worry, during this time, I’ll have the Young Master arrange some people to protect you! And don’t be ungrateful—Leng Hanshuang is at the Ninth Realm Peak, with formidable strength. Once she recovers from her injuries, she’ll be more than enough to protect you!”
With that, Xue Ying didn’t hesitate in the slightest. She tossed down a bottle of medicine, turned, and left, giving Chen Fan no opportunity to speak further.
Watching Xue Ying’s departing figure, Chen Fan’s eyes revealed a trace of peculiar emotion.
One of the Ten Great Masters! The Xueying Sword Immortal!
Such a figure was actually willing to serve as someone’s maid.
What kind of person was Hua Qiancheng, then?
But at that moment, Lian Yue spoke gently, “Husband, let me help you rest.”
“Alright.”
Chen Fan responded softly and, with Lian Yue’s support, stood up. However, he noticed that Lian Yue’s expression seemed somewhat troubled.
“Lian Yue, what’s wrong? Why do you look unhappy?”
“Husband, I know I’m just a concubine and have no right to say such things, but… I know she’s very beautiful and has an extraordinary presence, but in the end, she came to kill you! How could you risk your life for someone who wants to kill you? What if something were to happen to you?”
As she spoke, Lian Yue’s pitiful eyes welled up with tears.
“There, there, everything’s fine now, isn’t it?”
Chen Fan comforted her softly and added, “Besides, this way, we have a master to protect us, don’t we?”
“But… but…”
Lian Yue’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she couldn’t bring herself to finish.
“Alright now, be good. I know what you’re thinking. I won’t do this again in the future. Wipe your tears—it hurts me to see you like this,” Chen Fan said tenderly.
“Husband, please don’t do this again! I’m scared!” Lian Yue pleaded, wiping her tears as her voice trembled.
“Alright! With your husband here, there’s nothing to fear!”
Chen Fan soothed her gently before changing the subject. “Come on! Don’t forget, you promised me that if I won the Literary Gathering Champion tonight, you’d reward me properly! You can’t go back on your word!”
Hearing this, Lian Yue’s expression suddenly changed. “Husband, you’re injured like this, and you’re still thinking about…”
“I don’t care! I want to see how my sweetheart plans to reward me today! Hehe!” Chen Fan deliberately chuckled mischievously and gave Lian Yue a playful pinch.
“Husband, you’re so bad!”
Lian Yue’s face suddenly flushed with shyness. “I won’t reward you unless your injuries are healed!”
“That’s not up to you!”
With that, Chen Fan wrapped his arm around Lian Yue’s slender waist and led her toward his room.
But this was only to ease Lian Yue’s worries.
Not only was Lian Yue afraid—even he himself was terrified.
Today, he had even felt like he was about to die.
The reason he acted as if nothing mattered was simply to reassure Lian Yue, Xiao Ke, and Xiao Ai.
However, based on his understanding of Chen Guogong, who was vengeful and narrow-minded, Chen Guogong would never let him off.
The Lin Family would also never let him go!
Moreover, having failed tonight, they certainly wouldn’t give up. They would surely come after him, one after another.
And they were all ordinary people without the strength to tie up a chicken, completely incapable of resistance!
Therefore, he had to strengthen security measures, and it had to be arranged as soon as possible!
Otherwise, no one knew when the next assassination attempt would come.
Hiring ordinary people would be nothing but a waste of rice, serving no real purpose.
But where could he go to find those martial arts masters?
And even if he found them, how could he make those martial arts masters obey him?
What if he ended up inviting a wolf into his house?
Chen Fan suddenly felt troubled.
Maybe he should try cultivating himself?
If he couldn’t find martial arts masters, why not turn himself into one?