“Who’s there?”
Zhao Guixiang’s annoyed voice came from inside. Why had someone broken their window in the middle of the night?!
Then, “Crash!” Another piece of glass shattered.
Lin Ruyuan quickly got dressed and went out into the yard. Zhao Guixiang was about to open the door to see who it was, when—“Crash!”—another piece broke.
This wasn’t mischief; it was deliberate!
“Mom!” Lin Ruyuan realized something and stepped forward, grabbing Zhao Guixiang’s arm, shaking her head to signal not to open the door.
Lin Ruyuan felt that this was more serious than it seemed. It was around eleven at night—who lets their children run around smashing windows at this hour?
Moreover, nothing like this had ever happened before. Lin Ruyuan had a bad feeling.
“Damn it! Now I can’t even go home!” A man’s furious voice rang out. Lin Ruyuan recognized it immediately—it was Feng Xiaolong.
He was trying to take revenge on her.
“This…” Zhao Guixiang’s expression tightened as she looked at her daughter. Not a child—it was a man!
Even through the door, Zhao Guixiang felt it was dangerous. She pushed Lin Ruyuan back into the house. “No matter what you hear outside, don’t go out!”
“What are you doing, Mom?” Lin Ruyuan asked softly.
“I’m driving him away!” Zhao Guixiang guessed that this person was here to cause trouble. She would handle it, but first, she had to keep her daughter safe.
“Mom, it’s Feng Xiaolong,” Lin Ruyuan said, urgently holding her mother’s wrist. “He’s definitely here for revenge. He’s desperate and capable of anything. Don’t confront him. Don’t go outside.”
“It’s him!” Zhao Guixiang’s heart sank. This could be serious.
If Feng Xiaolong wanted revenge, even their low wall wouldn’t stop him. If he managed to break in—
Zhao Guixiang quickly locked the door, ensuring their safety first and thinking of seeking help. Ideally, he would make enough noise to alert the police so they could catch him.
After a long while…
Hearing no further noise outside, Lin Ruyuan wondered if Feng Xiaolong had smashed the windows and run away.
Then, “Knock, knock—” came a firm knock on the door.
Neither mother nor daughter had gone outside. Zhao Guixiang watched the wooden door nervously.
When Qin Jianchuan’s voice called out, Lin Ruyuan’s tension eased slightly.
“It’s me.”
“Mom, I’ll go open the door,” Lin Ruyuan said, but Zhao Guixiang stopped her. “No, don’t go.”
“It’s Qin Jianchuan,” Lin Ruyuan reassured her mother, patting her hand. Feng Xiaolong was dangerous, but Qin Jianchuan was not.
Zhao Guixiang still held her stick tightly, standing close to protect her daughter. If anything went wrong, she would intervene.
When the door opened, Lin Ruyuan saw Qin Jianchuan in military uniform, holding Feng Xiaolong firmly on the ground.
Feng Xiaolong looked up, grinning at Lin Ruyuan. “It’s fine now. What are we going to do with him?”
“Take him to the police station,” Lin Ruyuan said without hesitation.
“Good!” Qin Jianchuan agreed readily, then kicked Feng Xiaolong hard in the stomach. “Running around smashing someone’s windows at night—truly shameless!”
“Lin Ruyuan, you little brat! Wait till I get out of jail; we’ll settle this properly!” Feng Xiaolong’s eyes were red with rage. If he weren’t restrained, he probably would have tried to kill her.
“Ugh!”
Zhao Guixiang spat furiously at Feng Xiaolong. “You shameless scoundrel! How dare you come after my daughter! If you hadn’t cheated, Director Chen wouldn’t have been after you!”
Absolutely outrageous.
Qin Jianchuan needed to take him to the police immediately, with Lin Ruyuan accompanying him. Zhao Guixiang, still worried, suggested going along as well.
“Mom, it’s fine,” Lin Ruyuan said. She knew her mother had been frightened tonight and needed rest, not to follow them to the station.
“Comrade Qin, thank you for tonight. We’ll come visit another day to properly thank you,” Zhao Guixiang said. She had met Qin Jianchuan twice and knew of his relationship with Fang Shijun. She had heard he was a young and accomplished regiment commander—a promising young man. He had really helped them tonight.
“Madam, no need for another day. Tomorrow will do,” Qin Jianchuan said, seemingly oblivious to Zhao Guixiang’s politeness.
Zhao Guixiang froze. “Huh?”
“Tomorrow, let me come to your house for a meal. Consider it my thanks!”
Zhao Guixiang nodded. “Okay, come tomorrow for dinner.”
Lin Ruyuan’s eyes darkened. She still had a few questions she wanted answered.
After delivering Feng Xiaolong to the police and completing the reports, it was already around 1 a.m.
Qin Jianchuan’s car was parked outside the station. Lin Ruyuan got into the passenger seat, her voice calm. “Why were you near my house tonight?”
Before Qin Jianchuan could answer, she added, “Don’t tell me it was a coincidence. I don’t believe coincidences like this exist! I want the truth.”
Was Qin Jianchuan watching her? Thinking of this, Lin Ruyuan looked at him warily.
“Not a coincidence,” Qin Jianchuan said, his thin lips curling slightly, his dark eyes fixed on hers. “Almost every night, I come by. Once your yard lights go out, I leave. Tonight just happened to be when I caught him trying to break your windows.”
He had subdued him effortlessly.
“He was carrying a knife!”
Qin Jianchuan had already handed him over to the police.
It was clear he came tonight for revenge and meant to draw blood.
It was hard to imagine what would have happened tonight if Qin Jianchuan hadn’t been there—Lin Ruyuan and her mother could have been in serious danger.
Lin Ruyuan couldn’t hide that she was scared. She had a second chance at life and valued it more than anyone.
“Thank you,” she said.
“More than words, I want to see your actions,” Qin Jianchuan said.
The air inside the car felt warmer than outside. Lin Ruyuan looked at his handsome, well-modeled face, and her heart couldn’t help but stir.
The sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable, as if he was laying himself bare before her.
“My mother invited you to our house for dinner tomorrow,” she said, casually.
Qin Jianchuan’s smile faltered slightly. “Tomorrow evening then. You won’t be home at noon.”
Lin Ruyuan gave a soft “Mm.” “Okay.”
The car drove to her home. Qin Jianchuan watched her get out and sighed quietly. No progress yet.
Lin Ruyuan told her mother she was home, went inside, but couldn’t sleep. Seeing the lights still on, she turned them off.
As expected, outside she heard a faint engine start—someone had been watching.
Lin Ruyuan’s mind raced.
Was Qin Jianchuan really planning to pursue her?
If what he said wasn’t true, why did he leave the inheritance for her in her past life?
In his previous life, he had never shown any affection toward her. Why now—was he suddenly displaying it so openly, like a peacock spreading its tail?
Could it be that seeing her break off the engagement pushed him to finally pursue her properly?
If that’s the case, his values were surprisingly upright.