“I-I was worried about you, so I didn’t leave. I came up to the second floor to find you so we could go home together.”
Lin Meijia was cursing furiously in her heart, but it wasn’t time to fall out with Jiang Wan’ning yet. So, for now, she continued playing the role of the caring older cousin.
“Cousin, w-waah… I was so scared.”
Now that Jiang Wan’ning had found a family member, she quickly moved over, wrapped her arms around her cousin, and began quietly sobbing through her tears.
A beautiful woman in tears could soften even the hardest-hearted robber.
If they hadn’t been driven to desperation, who would want to rob people? Who would want to become a criminal?
The robbers looked away and began discussing how they could escape.
The hostages were terrified, and many had already scared themselves into wetting their pants.
Those who were braver were also thinking about how they might save themselves.
But whenever they saw the guns in the robbers’ hands, they immediately abandoned the idea and placed their hopes on the police, praying that soldiers would come to rescue them…
Jiang Wan’ning’s palms were slightly sweaty.
She was certain that he had arrived.
But she wasn’t sure whether her appearance just now had managed to attract that man’s attention.
What if he wasn’t interested in her face?
Would she still have a chance to get close to him?
“Don’t be afraid. Someone will definitely come to save us.”
Lin Meijia desperately tried to play the role of a good older sister, shielding her cousin.
But inside, she was screaming hysterically—
Why don’t these robbers lose their minds over her beauty?
Why don’t they just violate Jiang Wan’ning right now?!
Yet no matter what Lin Meijia thought, the robbers had absolutely no intention of laying a finger on Jiang Wan’ning.
They wanted money, not women.
They weren’t animals who would immediately lust after every beautiful woman they saw.
Neither of them knew that it was precisely because they had chosen not to act on that impulse that they would ultimately survive this ordeal…
The women’s restroom.
A dark figure climbed in through the window.
The moment the man landed, he spotted the familiar figure lying on the floor.
He walked over and, after confirming that the other man’s chest was still rising and falling, calmly withdrew his gaze.
This nephew of his had been spoiled rotten by his father and elder brother. He couldn’t even perform a proper fighting move, and whenever he encountered danger, all he could do was passively take a beating.
As long as he was still breathing and wouldn’t die, that was enough.
He hadn’t come here for this useless nephew.
With his long legs, he simply stepped over the obstacle.
Now it was time to go rescue the girl he had taken an interest in.
While unconscious, Lu Jinchao’s mind was hazy. In his dazed state, he seemed to see the back of his uncle.
He opened his mouth.
He really wanted to call out to his uncle and ask him to save his future wife.
But soon, his consciousness sank back into darkness…
“Clack. Clack. Clack.”
Military boots struck the tiled floor, the crisp footsteps carrying an inexplicably intimidating rhythm.
The two robber brothers were still discussing how they would use the hostages to break through the police cordon, how they would distract the pursuing officers afterward, how one of them would escape, and how they would spend the money they had stolen.
Then—
A heavy presence suddenly settled over their shoulders.
Both men sensed the terrifying feeling of being watched by a beast.
Slowly, they turned around…
The newcomer wore a combat uniform made from a special material. He was extremely tall, forcing them to tilt their heads back just to look at him.
The moment they got a clear look at his face, both robbers desperately wanted to turn around and run.
“Who—who are you? How did you get in here?”
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that you’re under arrest. Surrender peacefully and you’ll receive leniency. If you insist on resisting…”
The man didn’t finish.
He merely raised a hand and adjusted the frame of his glasses.
A bone-chilling coldness instantly washed over the robbers.
Their legs went weak, and they couldn’t summon even the slightest desire to resist.
They realized that if they fought him head-on, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I-I surrender. Don’t kill us!”
The leader gritted his teeth, threw the gun in his hand onto the floor, and kicked it toward the hostages, making it clear that he had no intention of putting up a fight.
Seeing his big brother do it, the other robber immediately threw down his gun as well.
In truth, he didn’t even know how to fire it.
There were no bullets inside.
It had only been a bluff to intimidate people.
“Good. Hands behind your head. Kneel beside the window.”
The man’s gaze was dark and unfathomable, and a satisfied look appeared in his eyes.
The two robbers obediently did as they were told.
On the surface, they appeared completely submissive.
In reality, the leader secretly exchanged a glance with his younger brother.
He had kept a backup plan!
The moment this man showed an opening, he would charge first and clear the way.
His little brother would run.
And whatever happened, he must not look back…
The man seemed not to notice their subtle exchange.
He took the radio from his chest and ordered,
“All right. Come up and escort the hostages downstairs.”
“Roger that!”
Hearing their conversation, the more than one hundred hostages finally realized they had survived.
Many burst into tears of relief, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at the man who seemed to have descended from the heavens like a divine warrior.
Among them was the dumbfounded Lin Meijia.
And beside her, Jiang Wan’ning was timidly studying the man.
Yes.
It was him.
Lu Jinchao’s uncle.
The mysterious man who was the true power behind the Lu family—
Lu Xiaolin.
In her previous life, Jiang Wan’ning had only seen scattered reports and interviews about this man in newspapers and on television.
There had been only one occasion when she had encountered him face-to-face.
Not long after her cousin married into the Lu family, Lin Meijia had invited Jiang Wan’ning to stay at the Lu residence for a while, supposedly to show off her status.
Instead, she had deliberately trapped Jiang Wan’ning in the attic to teach her a lesson.
And it was on that occasion that this man had appeared…
Lost in her memories, Jiang Wan’ning looked dazed, as though she had been frightened.
A few strands of hair were slightly disheveled, giving her an indescribably delicate beauty.
It was precisely this vulnerable appearance—so natural and uncontrived—that caught Lu Xiaolin’s eye.
With a single glance, he locked his attention onto the girl.
His heart pounded relentlessly in his chest, screaming for one thing—
He wanted her.
He wanted to make her his…
“Excuse me.”
As the man approached, the crowd automatically parted, clearing a path for him.
Lin Meijia’s heart sank further and further.
Until the man stopped directly in front of her.
From the very beginning, his gaze had been firmly fixed on the Jiang Wan’ning standing beside her!
Jealousy consumed Lin Meijia from the inside out.
Jiang Wan’ning again!
Why were all the outstanding men attracted to Jiang Wan’ning?
Why could Jiang Wan’ning so effortlessly gain everyone’s attention?
“What’s your name?”
The man’s gentle voice rang out.
When he spoke to the girl, it was as though he had suddenly become a completely different person.
Jiang Wan’ning’s heart began beating faster.
Her body instinctively retreated, and she hid behind her cousin.
She quickly glanced up at the man.
Seeing no hostility in his expression, she answered softly,
“J-Jiang Wan’ning. The ‘Wan’ means evening, and the ‘Ning’ is the ‘ning’ in lemon.”
“Mm. That’s a lovely name.”
The man’s eyes darkened slightly.
He was somewhat displeased by the woman standing between them.
Why does she have absolutely no sense of propriety? She’s blocking the way!
But he suppressed his irritation so he wouldn’t frighten the young girl and continued asking,
“How old are you?”
“……”
At his question, Jiang Wan’ning looked at him warily.
She pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.
It was, after all, a rather intrusive question.
The man chuckled softly.
Good.
At least she had some sense of self-protection.
Just moments ago, she had been a timid little rabbit, a tearful little crybaby.
And now she had immediately become wary.
The interaction between the two completely shattered Lin Meijia’s composure.
She knew that look in Lu Xiaolin’s eyes.
It was the look of a man who had decided he would have a woman.
Who was Lu Xiaolin?
He was Lu Jinchao’s uncle.
The true head of the Lu family.
A powerful military figure.
The future leader of the entire Lu family.
How could a man as outstanding as him possibly take a liking to Jiang Wan’ning?!
Lin Meijia regretted it.
She regretted everything.
If only she had known, she never should have brought Jiang Wan’ning to the café for that blind date!
If she hadn’t—
None of this would have happened!