Volume 1 Chapter 16: Save Me
Li Xuzhou had been in Germany for half a month.
He worked as diligently as ever, but during daytime in China, he would proactively video call his mother.
Mother Li understood his intention. During the calls, she would slightly shift the camera angle to capture Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu eating, Ruan Yu daydreaming, Ruan Yu reading, Ruan Yu threatening the koi fish.
From countless corners of these videos, Li Xuzhou pieced together a complete image of Ruan Yu.
He missed her a little.
While working, Li Xuzhou rarely got distracted.
But once he stepped away from the busyness, waves of longing would crash over him. Whenever he saw a house with beautiful scenery in a prime location, he would think of Ruan Yu under the sunlight and couldn’t help but purchase it. Over the past month, he had bought three properties, large and small.
During his free time, he would sit in the courtyard, quietly watching the screen recordings on his phone.
He often regretted not speaking more with Ruan Yu before leaving.
That heartless little thing.
Yet he clearly knew that now was not the time for intimacy. He couldn’t scare her, nor did he want Ruan Yu to dislike him.
That chaotic night three years ago, when Ruan Yu had been drugged and forced to collapse weakly into his embrace, she hadn’t been fully conscious of their closeness.
That night might have been a nightmare Ruan Yu didn’t want to recall, and Li Xuzhou dared not act rashly.
Li Xuzhou’s tone remained flat as he said, “Arrange the private jet for a return to China.” Upon hearing his assistant’s news, one could say he acted impulsively, issuing the order without considering the consequences.
After a ten-hour journey, when the private jet landed on the helipad of the Li Residence, Li Xuzhou already knew the whole story.
It started with Jin Mu’s latest video, released across major platforms. At the 5:26 mark, a slender figure appeared for five seconds. The girl’s floral dress was positioned next to the man’s gray sweatpants on the left side. She stood on tiptoe, her slender calves looking beautiful. Only the lower half of their bodies was captured, making them appear like a couple.
Five seconds of footage wasn’t enough to prove anything, but the video’s background music and captions were highly suggestive.
“Cooking for the one I love most.”
“Nothing is sweeter than her.”
“The fragrance of a floral dress.”
…
Jin Mu was a major internet celebrity, and the release of this video immediately caused an uproar.
#Jin Mu Relationship# topped the trending charts on various platforms.
During this time, Father Li and Mother Li had sent him messages, telling him to handle it himself. Ruan Yu was still unaware of the situation.
For the news to spread so rapidly, Li Xuzhou didn’t believe there wasn’t someone behind the scenes fueling the fire.
With an expressionless face, he replayed those five seconds repeatedly. Those calves—he had once kissed them tenderly, leaving countless red marks.
The assistant recognized it as Ruan Yu because the floral dress had been purchased under Li Xuzhou’s instructions. There were only two such dresses in the world.
Right up until he entered the house, Li Xuzhou had been contacting the CEOs of various platforms, demanding the removal of the video and instructing lawyers to terminate the contract with Jin Mu.
As soon as he opened the door, Li Xuzhou immediately looked toward the kitchen, where a man and a woman stood together with their backs to him.
Jin Mu asked gently, “How about soft-centered chocolate paired with pistachio sauce?”
Ruan Yu nodded. “That’s fine.”
“Would you like some savory pastries?”
“Yes.” Ruan Yu’s tone was already tinged with impatience. Jin Mu talked too much, indecisive and troublesome.
Jin Mu was so absorbed in his interaction with Ruan Yu that he failed to notice her mood, still smug about the online comments as if Ruan Yu truly harbored special feelings for him.
The video footage from that day was somewhat cleverly shot, using angles to make the distance between them appear closer. Ruan Yu had merely stood on tiptoe to reach the dipping sauce on top of the cabinet, but the video made it seem as though she and Jin Mu were engaged in some intimate gesture.
Unable to resist teasing her, Jin Mu said, “Then call me ‘brother,’ and I’ll make it for you.”
“What?” Ruan Yu was furious, thinking she had misheard. Her long-standing vigilance toward danger made her subtly step back.
Jin Mu didn’t notice her aversion, mistaking it for flirtation.
In Italy, he had had many bed partners and gone on numerous dates, experiencing even more intimate encounters. Yet Ruan Yu was the first person to stir his heart so deeply—adorable yet sensual, her innocent way of eating utterly captivating.
With no one else around, this was the perfect opportunity to take things further. Confident in his charm, he slowly closed in on Ruan Yu. “If you… give me a kiss, I’ll make you another dessert.”
Ruan Yu felt her blood rush to her head, her forehead flushing with rage. Clenching her teeth, she reached behind her and grabbed a long knife used for cutting watermelon. “Kiss you?” Just repeating the words made her nauseous, reviving the same feeling she had experienced three years ago when she first awoke.
“Yes, right here.” Jin Mu’s gaze turned lecherous. As he leaned forward slightly, he felt someone grab the back of his collar. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through his lips—the watermelon knife gleamed as it slashed his mouth, drawing blood from his gums.
Before he could react, Li Xuzhou threw him heavily to the ground.
The towering figure blocked all light from the crystal chandelier, casting Li Xuzhou’s face in shadow, his eyes gleaming with a chilling intensity.
“Jin Mu, you were bought with my money to bring joy to others.” Li Xuzhou cracked his knuckles and untied his tie, wrapping it around his left fist. “Whether I ask you to make one dish or a hundred, your only duty is to obey. What gives you the right to make demands?” His voice dropped to a low, menacing tone. In the next moment, his fist landed mercilessly on Jin Mu’s face, ignoring the blood seeping from his lips.
Consumed by rage, Li Xuzhou was beyond reason, striking Jin Mu’s face again and again. Several teeth flew from Jin Mu’s mouth. At first, Jin Mu managed to plead for mercy, but by the end, he was barely conscious, emitting only incoherent cries of pain.
It wasn’t enough. Still not enough. Li Xuzhou’s breathing grew heavy, his nostrils flaring with fury. Jin Mu didn’t know that Ruan Yu was a treasure he dared not touch—someone he couldn’t bear to burden with his own affection. Yet here was Jin Mu, shamelessly humiliating her, speaking to her with such frivolity as if she were some plaything.
For a moment, Li Xuzhou felt a ringing in his ears. He could hear nothing, consumed only by the thought of Jin Mu’s death. Only if Jin Mu vanished from this world would Ruan Yu feel safe.
His mind grew hazy, his senses blurred. Suddenly, he felt his sweat-soaked shirt being tugged from behind.
“Mr. Li…” A faint, tearful voice brought him back to his senses. He stopped his movements, panting heavily as he turned around. He saw Ruan Yu reaching out to clutch his clothes, her cheeks streaked with clear tear tracks. Li Xuzhou’s hands trembled slightly from prolonged exertion. He wiped his fingers on the fabric of his suit pants, then gently brushed away Ruan Yu’s tears with the knuckle of his index finger.
His movements were tender as he spoke softly, “Why are you crying? Did I scare you…”
The girl, like a fledgling bird, threw herself into his arms, sobbing, “I’m so scared… Mr. Li, save me…”