Yang Qin went straight into the small shop. Wen Quhua had already come out of her store and was waiting at the entrance. As soon as he came out, she asked with concern, “How is it? Is he okay?”
Yang Qin noticed the tension in her eyes.
Why was she so tense? She was not particularly close with Xiao Xin, yet she cared so much about his condition.
Wen Quhua had only remembered after dozing off for a while in the morning. The task panel had initially given her Yang Qin’s background. When the accident happened this morning, she had been frightened, but after sleeping, she became clear-headed and recalled that according to the investigated background of Yang Qin, there had indeed been an accident at a construction site in Langcheng that year.
This accident not only caused deaths but also left a young boy disabled due to delayed treatment at the hospital, resulting in amputation. Originally, this should have been the responsibility of the construction site boss, but for some reason, in the end, the blame was placed on Yang Qin, and he was prosecuted.
She still did not know who Yang Qin was, but from this, it was clear that he was also at the construction site.
Xiao Xin must be that boy who would be amputated and disabled.
All of this would eventually become a blade hanging over Yang Qin’s head, so of course she cared about Xiao Xin’s condition.
She looked at him with hope.
Yang Qin lowered his eyes to look at her, his expression complicated. “He’s fine. We should thank you for calling the cars. We got there in time. Otherwise…”
He recalled Doctor Chen mentioning amputation. At that moment, the first thought that surfaced in his mind had actually been of her.
In a sense, what she saved was not only Xiao Xin, but also him.
The moment she heard that Xiao Xin was fine, Wen Quhua let out a huge sigh of relief. She patted her chest. “That’s good.”
So it was not as if she had returned from rebirth only to accomplish nothing. At least now, she had unintentionally done something very important.
Whether for that boy’s future life, or for Yang Qin who had not yet reached that outcome, it was all very important.
That left the mess at the construction site.
She could not worry about who Yang Qin was for now. Finding the construction site boss who had fled was more urgent.
That way, Yang Qin would not end up being the one to take the blame.
Wen Quhua turned to leave, but a hand grabbed her. When she turned back, the first thing she noticed was the dried blood on his hand.
Startled, she instinctively tried to pull away.
Yang Qin lowered his eyes and saw that his broad-knuckled hand was still covered in blood that he had not had time to wash off. He immediately let go and hid it behind his back. He had only wanted to say one thing to her.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I wasn’t helping you anyway,” Wen Quhua replied very quickly. She had not forgotten how he had treated her with disdain and indifference earlier, so she immediately put on an act.
Seeing the unfamiliarity and coldness in her eyes, Yang Qin was taken aback.
In fact, he rarely saw this side of her, because she was usually polite. Everyone said that the new Boss Wen was gentle and amiable.
He had seen that she was difficult, picky, and demanding, but he had also seen her smiling eyes many times. So now, he paused for a moment.
Wen Quhua did not care about him. Having gotten the information she wanted, she turned and went back into her shop.
Yang Qin could not suppress his irritation. He simply walked under a tree and lit a cigarette.
He still had many things to do. He had no time to think about the lady boss. The wages of his team and Xiao Xin’s work injury compensation were all matters to handle.
He had only smoked half the cigarette before he stubbed it out and turned to head back to the construction site.
*
Wen Quhua hurried back to make calls. She spent money to hire an informant to immediately investigate all information about the construction site boss.
Having come back from 2014, she firmly believed in one principle: if money could solve something, then it was not a problem.
Wen Quhua also immediately went to report to the authorities, applying to restrict the construction site boss’s movements.
One phone call after another. Wen Quhua had a good plan, but things did not go smoothly in every aspect. For example, she did not know anyone in Langcheng. Even applying for a restriction order at the Public Security Bureau was difficult. If it dragged on too long, the construction site boss would have already fled thousands of miles away.
She also did not want to use her family’s connections. If her family found out she had come to Langcheng, it would be even more troublesome.
Construction site
Yang Qin passed by the family members causing trouble, holding white cloth banners. When they saw him, quite a few coworkers gathered around him.
“Brother, what should we do?”
“Go into the site first. Pack your things. Those who should go home, go home and wait. Those who have other jobs, go do those first. This matter won’t be resolved quickly. Don’t delay your livelihoods.”
Yang Qin remained rational. Since the family members were already making a scene, there was no need for them to join in.
“Brother is right. We definitely can’t stay at this site anymore. Let’s go get our things.”
It was easy enough to enter the site. Yang Qin and the others went straight back to the dormitory. After packing up his and Xiao Xin’s belongings, he thought of something and went to another area.
After retrieving a spare key from the finance office and going to the dormitory he had rented for Wen Quhua, he paused in surprise.
Her things were packed, but…
How long had she even lived here? Had she moved her entire home in?
A new mosquito net, mattress, bedsheets, quilt, clothes, skincare products, daily necessities, and even her teacup was pretty.
His brow twitched, but he still stepped forward and tried to carry as much as he could for her.
There were too many things for one person to carry out. Fortunately, the brothers with him did not have many belongings and helped carry his and Xiao Xin’s things.
Outside, family members were making trouble and guarding the main gate, not allowing anyone to leave. But Yang Qin had been here since the site first opened. How could he not know another way out?
He led them through a locked side door and directly broke the lock.
“You all go ahead. I’ll go deliver these things.”
Looking at the pink and delicate items on him, everyone’s mouths twitched. It was obvious they were women’s belongings. As for whose, they all had some idea. That very conspicuous Boss Wen, who had been drawing attention ever since she arrived in Langcheng.
They just did not know what relationship Yang Qin had with the lady boss. He had disappeared earlier, and now it seemed he had gone to pack her things.
Yang Qin did not explain. He walked off directly. Even with his strength, the weight of the items made his shoulders sink. His arms, hands, and back were all covered with her belongings.
When he arrived at the sweet soup shop, he took a deep breath and called out,
“Wen Quhua.”
He was carrying so many things that he could not even get through the door. Wen Quhua walked over with a puzzled expression. When she saw him like this, she was completely stunned for a moment. Then she quickly stepped forward to take the bags from his hands…
“You… you…” Wen Quhua could not even form a complete sentence.
“Don’t you even recognize your own things?” He did not mean to mock her. He was just used to not speaking nicely to her. As expected, the moment he said it, she glared at him.
Wen Quhua took two or three bags and could no longer carry them. She told him to just put everything down, but the quilt was on his back, and if it touched the ground, it would get dirty. He frowned. “I’ll take them upstairs for you.”
Since he was willing to do the heavy work, she naturally did not act coy and stepped aside.
Seeing him carrying the quilt and mattress like a huge turtle shell on his back, struggling up the narrow staircase, she could not help but let out a laugh.
Yang Qin’s back stiffened, but he pretended nothing had happened and carried everything upstairs.
Wen Quhua held back her laughter and followed him, directing where to place the items. After setting down the heavy load, his whole body relaxed.
The smile in Wen Quhua’s eyes could not be suppressed. This man did have some conscience. He had even helped bring her things over. Although it would not have mattered much if she had thrown them away, some of the dresses had been brought from Hong Kong, and she quite liked them.
“Thank you.”
“No need.” His tone was cold and indifferent. She had helped so much with Xiao Xin’s situation. He should be the one thanking her.
Still acting like this again.
Wen Quhua truly could not understand him. She directly crossed her arms and stepped forward to block his path, looking up at him.
“Master Yang, if I’m not mistaken, you dislike me?”
“If you dislike me, then why did you help me rent the dormitory, help me get food from the canteen, and even help me—”
“No.”
Blocked by her, he could only step back, trying to speak calmly. He said he did not dislike her.
“Then I misunderstood? If you don’t dislike me, why are you avoiding me?”
She stepped closer again, clearly determined to get to the bottom of it.
Yang Qin did not expect that as he kept stepping back, he would back into the sofa. When he stumbled and fell, she instinctively reached out to pull him, but ended up falling solidly onto him as well.
He… was harder than the sofa.
Wen Quhua instantly burst into tears. She had knocked her nose and lips, even biting herself until she bled.
Yang Qin quickly lifted her face, anxiously checking. Tears streamed down like a line, and her cherry lips were stained with blood, looking especially vivid.
“Does it hurt?” His thumb pressed on her chin, tilting it down slightly to check where her lips or teeth had been injured.
It was the first time a man had held her mouth open like this. Wen Quhua forgot to cry and was completely stunned.
It was indeed the inside of her lower lip that had been bitten, which was why the blood showed. His brows were tightly furrowed. “It’s not serious. Just apply some medicine…”
When he looked up and met her tear-filled eyes, he saw his own reflection in them, so clearly showing panic and concern.
As if burned, he quickly let go and avoided her clear gaze.
Seeing that he wanted to push her away and leave, Wen Quhua would not let go of this chance. She pressed both hands on his shoulders and stared at him stubbornly, demanding an answer.
“You still haven’t said why you’re avoiding me.”
Her whole body was almost pressed against him, soft yet impossible to push away. Her tearful eyes locked onto him, not allowing him to escape.
Yang Qin’s brow twitched. His whole body was tense like steel, suppressing himself as he looked at her.
His gaze was dark and sharp, as if something fierce was being restrained beneath it. It startled her, and she unconsciously licked the trace of blood on her lips.
In that instant, she caught something in his eyes. It was the most primal desire of a man looking at a woman.
She released him and tried to move back, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.
Looking at her flustered expression, he let out a low scoff. “Still asking?”
N-no, not asking anymore.
She avoided his gaze, her heart already in turmoil, unable to understand when this man had started to take an interest in her.
He had washed his hands and changed his clothes, but there was still a faint smell of blood on him. His gaze from above was unrestrained and sharp, making her feel uneasy.
She did not know what he intended to do. When she felt his rough hand land on her waist, her whole body stiffened.
“M-Master Yang, if you dare bully me…” she threatened in a trembling voice.
The man in front of her was definitely not the gentle and refined type she liked. He sat with his legs apart, holding her firmly against him. His broad hands gripped her waist, his gaze roaming over her at will.
It suddenly reminded her of a leopard she had once seen in a wildlife documentary, silently watching its prey from behind the shadows of a tree. Dangerous and fierce.
Yang Qin curled his lips slightly.
“Bullying?”