The front door of the villa flew open.
Rong Yuxuan gripped his steel baton so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A chilling aura burst from him, his eyes as cold as frozen steel. Without slowing for even a moment, he sprinted straight toward the villa across the street.
The three thugs had just reached for the top box of fruit. Their fingertips barely touched the cardboard when an icy voice rang out behind them.
“Put it down.”
Just three words.
Quiet.
But filled with enough killing intent to freeze someone to the bone.
All three men stiffened and spun around.
The Scar-faced Man sized up the newcomer. Just one young man carrying nothing more than a baton. His confidence immediately returned.
He spat on the ground and sneered.
“Who the hell are you? Playing the hero? You own this neighborhood or something?”
The two dyed-blond punks behind him waved their steel pipes and laughed.
“Boss, quit talking to him! He’s just some skinny punk. Let’s beat him up and take everything! The supplies in this villa, and the ones across the street too, they’re all ours!”
“That’s right! Get lost while you still can, or we’ll beat you into the ground!”
Rong Yuxuan’s expression grew even colder.
He didn’t care what they called him.
He didn’t care if they wanted his belongings.
But touching the things he’d prepared for Qingtang, or setting their sights on her home…
That crossed a line he would never forgive.
“I’ll say it one last time.”
With a flick of his wrist, the baton snapped open with a metallic click. Its cold steel gleamed in the fading evening light.
“Put everything back.”
“And leave.”
“Otherwise…”
“None of you are walking out of this neighborhood today.”
The Scar-faced Man burst into laughter.
“Oh? Trying to act tough?”
He stepped forward, machete raised, his face twisted with malice.
“Kid, you’ve got a death wish! Do you even know who I am? You dare stick your nose into my business? I’ll make sure you leave here lying flat!”
With that, he swung the blade viciously toward Rong Yuxuan’s shoulder.
The knife sliced through the air with frightening speed.
…
Inside the villa, Lin Qingtang and Lin Shaoan watched everything unfold through the security monitors.
Qingtang’s heart leaped into her throat.
Almost instinctively, she tightened her grip on the compound bow in her hands. Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
Lin Shaoan also picked up his hunting rifle and disengaged the safety.
His brows knitted tightly together.
“These guys are local gang members from the nearby urban village,” he said quietly. “Assistant Zhang gave me information on them before. They’ve got blood on their hands.”
“Dad…”
Qingtang stared at Rong Yuxuan on the screen.
“Can he… handle them by himself?”
There was unmistakable worry in her voice.
She kept telling herself not to get involved.
Not to trust this strange man.
But seeing him face three armed criminals alone…
She couldn’t stop herself from worrying.
Lin Shaoan gently patted her shoulder.
“Don’t panic.”
“This kid knows what he’s doing.”
“If things go badly…”
“I’ll go out and help him.”
…
Outside, the battle had already begun.
Facing the incoming machete, Rong Yuxuan didn’t panic in the slightest.
He didn’t even use his lightning ability.
With one effortless sidestep, he dodged the blade completely.
Then—
Crack!
His baton slammed into the attacker’s wrist.
A sickening sound of bone breaking echoed through the quiet neighborhood.
“AAAAAH!”
The Scar-faced Man screamed in agony.
His machete clattered onto the pavement as he collapsed, clutching his shattered wrist while his entire body trembled from pain.
The remaining two blond thugs froze.
Neither had expected the tall, lean young man to strike with such terrifying force.
They exchanged glances.
Then, gritting their teeth, they charged from opposite sides with steel pipes raised.
“You bastard!”
“You hurt our boss!”
“We’re gonna kill you!”
Rong Yuxuan’s eyes sharpened.
He moved like flowing water.
He slipped past the attack from the left.
Blocked the strike from the right with his baton.
Metal slammed against metal with a harsh clang.
With one twist of his wrist, he disarmed the attacker completely.
The steel pipe flew from the thug’s hand.
An instant later, Rong Yuxuan drove his elbow into the man’s chest.
The thug let out a muffled cry before flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ground.
He couldn’t get back up.
Only one thug remained.
His legs had already gone weak.
His hands shook so violently that he could barely keep hold of his weapon.
Rong Yuxuan slowly turned toward him.
His gaze was colder than ice.
He walked forward.
One step at a time.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
The blond thug stumbled backward in terror.
“I’m warning you! Our boss has dozens of men nearby! If you touch me, they’ll make you regret it!”
“Oh?”
Rong Yuxuan stopped walking.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“I’d like to see them try.”
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Blue-white lightning flickered across his fingertips.
Crackle!
A bolt struck the ground beside the thug’s feet.
Electricity raced across the pavement.
The thug screamed.
His entire body went numb.
The steel pipe slipped from his hands with a loud clang as he collapsed onto the ground.
Only then did he finally realize…
The man standing before him wasn’t someone they could ever hope to fight.
“W-We were wrong!”
“I’m sorry!”
“We’ll leave!”
“We’ll leave right now!”
The three of them scrambled to their feet in panic.
They didn’t even dare retrieve their weapons.
They fled the neighborhood as fast as they could.
Even their motorcycles were abandoned behind them.
…
Rong Yuxuan didn’t chase after them.
He was afraid that if he left, someone else might appear and frighten Qingtang.
Instead, he quietly walked back to the villa gate.
He bent down and carefully lifted the boxes the thugs had knocked over.
The fruit that had rolled onto the ground was picked up one piece at a time.
Every box was straightened and stacked neatly again.
…
Inside the villa…
Lin Qingtang watched the security footage in silence.
Seeing him gently reorganize the supplies instead of celebrating his victory…
Something inside her softened.
Across two lifetimes…
Other than her father…
No one had ever treated her belongings with such care.
No one had ever considered her feelings so completely.
Even while fighting…
He had deliberately kept the noise to a minimum so he wouldn’t scare her.
Even while cleaning up afterward…
Every movement was careful and gentle.
Lin Shaoan sighed quietly.
“This boy…”
“He truly has you in his heart.”
Qingtang bit her lip.
She said nothing.
But unconsciously…
Her fingers tightened around the corner of her shirt.
The wall she’d built around her heart…
Cracked just a little more.
…
At that moment, Rong Yuxuan’s voice drifted in from outside.
Gentle.
Soft.
Completely different from the ruthless man who had just fought three armed criminals.
He was afraid even speaking too loudly might frighten the girl inside.
“Qingtang… Uncle…”
“Are you both alright?”
“The men are gone.”
“I’ve put everything back.”
“Nothing was damaged.”
“You don’t have to worry.”
Lin Shaoan glanced at his daughter before answering through the door.
“Thank you.”
“We saw everything.”
Rong Yuxuan replied almost immediately.
“There’s no need to thank me, Uncle.”
“It’s what I wanted to do.”
“Protecting Qingtang.”
“Protecting this place.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
After a brief pause, he added quietly, as if speaking to a frightened little rabbit behind the door.
“I know you’re afraid.”
“I won’t come closer.”
“I won’t disturb you.”
“I’m across the street.”
“I’ll always be here.”
…
Across the road, Li An rushed over excitedly as Rong Yuxuan returned.
“Brother Xuan!”
“That was incredible!”
“You took down all three of them in no time!”
“You’re amazing!”
Neither of them knew…
The three beaten thugs had already fled to an abandoned house outside the neighborhood.
The Scar-faced Man clutched his broken wrist while dialing a phone with eyes full of hatred.
“Boss Hu…”
“I need a favor.”
“There’s a tough bastard in the Lakeside Villa District.”
“He crippled my hand.”
“And he’s sitting on a whole villa full of supplies.”
“Bring the brothers.”
“We’ll flatten the place.”
“We split the loot.”
“Sixty-forty.”
A rough voice agreed from the other end.
The Scar-faced Man hung up.
Looking toward the villa district, a venomous smile slowly spread across his face.