Feng Lin’s voice was quiet, but it made Xia Xunqian’s heart tremble.
Xia Xunqian breathed deeply, watching Feng Lin’s broad, solid back.
Those strong shoulders made him want to move closer.
Behind him was a filthy, stinking place…
A rotten, black abyss.
He wanted to live properly.
When Feng Lin reached the door, he glanced back at Xia Xunqian. Seeing him still sitting, Feng Lin pulled a bank card from his pocket and tossed it onto the table by the door.
In his usual calm tone:
“Or however you want to live, it’s up to you.”
Then he turned and left.
He didn’t look back. Feng Lin never liked the heavy, drunken smell of the low-end club.
He left quickly.
At the club’s entrance, Xia Xunqian followed him.
Step by step, timid but not retreating.
The September night was cool; the wind played with their hair.
Xia Xunqian’s thin figure swayed with the wind, his cold face showing neither softness nor flattery.
If Feng Lin told him not to follow, he would have left immediately.
At the club entrance, Feng Lin’s driver started the car as soon as he saw him.
Feng Lin looked back at Xia Xunqian.
“Feng family rules are strict, scarier than Xia Mansion. Are you sure?” Feng Lin asked.
His cold words carried the chill of the wind, dangerous to the last tone.
Xia Xunqian paused, listening carefully to his deep voice.
“Mr. Feng… will you take care of me?”
“Your father and mine had a life-long bond.”
Feng Lin opened the car door.
“As long as you don’t kill or burn people, I’ll cover you.”
He studied the pale boy in front of him. The club lights outside made half of him bright, half shadowed.
“But I don’t think you’re capable of getting into real trouble.”
“As long as you behave,” Feng Lin said, observing him.
“I’ll keep my promise. I’ll provide for you, the rest of your life will be worry-free.”
Feng Lin’s words were cold from start to finish.
For him, Xia Xunqian was just a task on his to-do list.
Handled without emotion, like signing documents—nothing more.
Xia Xunqian walked to Feng Lin’s side.
He handed the bank card back, then got into the car.
Feng Lin’s gaze shifted, and he sat in the back seat as well.
Once inside, Feng Lin closed his eyes to rest, while Xia Xunqian sat properly.
The driver didn’t speak; the atmosphere inside was tense.
Xia Xunqian watched the flashing lights outside, fast and urgent. The street signs looked brand new, replaced just these past two days. The car headed toward the New Capital City road.
The driver continued, and at a corner, a broken tree branch suddenly blocked the car’s path!
“Bang!”
The obstacle came fast. The driver slammed the brakes and swerved!
The car jerked violently, and in the back seat, Feng Lin and Xia Xunqian struggled to stay balanced.
The car rocked.
Feng Lin opened his eyes to see Xia Xunqian, eyes shut, face full of fear, holding tightly onto his waist.
It looked as if, because Feng Lin had his eyes closed to rest, Xia Xunqian instinctively protected him.
The pressure of his grip made Feng Lin certain of it.
After a brief jolt, the car stopped with a loud screech!
Feng Lin lowered his eyes; Xia Xunqian was still clinging to him, the entire boy in his arms.
Though terrified, he thought of someone else before himself.
Xia Xunqian hadn’t fully realized it yet. He clutched Feng Lin’s suit tightly, creating creases in the perfectly tailored fabric.
So close, the faint scent of orange leaves on Xia Xunqian quietly reached Feng Lin’s nose.
The same scent as half a year ago.
Strange how a person’s natural scent could smell like orange blossoms.
The driver leaned forward from the front seat. Calm for the most part, but still shaken, he asked:
“Sir, are you alright?”
Seeing Xia Xunqian clinging even lower, the driver frowned.
Having followed Feng Lin for years, he knew how ruthless Feng Lin could be.
Many had tried to get close to the young master, but Feng Lin hated others touching him.
If it had been anyone else, hugging Feng Lin might have been expected.
But this trembling little rabbit had surprising courage.
“The branch fell fast. If it hit, the car might not move later,” the driver explained sternly.
Feng Lin made a quiet hum.
He placed a hand on Xia Xunqian’s waist.
Soft, with almost no bones, it pressed lightly against his fingers.
Feeling it, Xia Xunqian realized what was happening.
His eyes trembled slightly. He quickly let go and sat properly to the side.
Feng Lin glanced at him; Xia Xunqian had moved fast enough.
Feng Lin looked toward the front. The road ahead was completely blocked by the tree.
It was a large tree, impossible for one person to lift.
No wind, no rain—yet it had broken.
Interesting.
The driver hissed:
“Sir, your second master kept pushing you out earlier. Now the tree blocks the way. They clearly want you to come back late!”
The Feng family was huge; combined with Old Master Feng’s debts of gratitude, it was never quiet.
The roads of business were stressful, and the inner courtyard even more so.
This was the only route home. Feng Lin’s sharp eyes narrowed.
“Get out and deal with it.”
The driver stepped down; Feng Lin also got out. Xia Xunqian thought he would help.
But Feng Lin didn’t. He leaned against the car window, smoking.
His tall figure, surrounded by cold white mist, made his cold face look even more noble and relaxed.
The casual stance gave him an aura of pride and control.
Feng Lin’s body was all sharp edges, perfectly matching his age with cold precision.
Some people naturally inspire fear—Feng Lin was one of them.
Xia Xunqian got out from the side door.
He glanced at Feng Lin, then walked toward the fallen branch to help the driver.
The driver stopped him immediately:
“Hey, kid, I’ll do it. There are poisonous vines around. You don’t know them; you might cut yourself. Wait there with Feng Lin.”
Xia Xunqian didn’t move. He knew how to handle it.
The driver insisted:
“Go stand aside, kid!”
Xia Xunqian prepared to lift the larger tree trunk, but a hand grabbed his wrist.
Feng Lin pulled him back, looking at the car.
“Didn’t you hear? I said stand aside.”
Xia Xunqian took a small step back, wanting to move forward, but Feng Lin’s gaze froze him.
“You… aren’t much older than me…”
Feng Lin removed his coat and handed it to Xia Xunqian.
“Take this. If it gets dirty, replace it.”
Xia Xunqian took the coat instinctively. The branches were wet and muddy, and the wind could soil him.
He quickly carried the coat toward the car.
From afar, Xia Xunqian couldn’t hear what was happening.
The driver, finally unable to resist, asked:
“Sir… this kid is yours?”
Having followed Feng Lin for years, he rarely joked like this.
Feng Lin reached for the branch and accidentally grabbed a poisonous vine, cutting his finger.
He frowned and examined it.
The driver cleared his throat: “Your companion.”
Feng Lin’s eyes darkened.
“I remember your kid is 16.”
The driver nodded, glancing at Xia Xunqian.
“Yes, 16, even taller than that kid.”
Together, Feng Lin and the driver moved the branch to the side.
Feng Lin lit another cigarette, glancing at Xia Xunqian.
“So, tell me… how should someone like him be raised?”