“You’ve got some nerve!” Just as Yu Nanzhi reached out to grab her, the man standing beside her instantly shielded her behind him, glaring at him with fury.
“Who are you? Why are you harassing my person?”
“Your person?” Yu Nanzhi was extremely displeased, his brows furrowed in disbelief as he questioned Ji Liao, “When did you get involved with some other wild man?”
Ji Liao sneered, suppressing the trembling in her heart, and spoke with both detachment and coldness, “Who I get involved with—does it still have anything to do with you?”
“You really forget the pain once the wound has healed.” Yu Nanzhi stood there, locking eyes with the man. The man was no lesser—his height matched Yu Nanzhi’s, his features were remarkably kind, and the pride and courage emanating from the depths of his heart were admirable.
Who was he? What was his relationship with Ji Liao? Why could they be so intimate, laughing and talking together?
Yet, Yu Nanzhi had forgotten—he no longer had the right to meddle in Ji Liao’s affairs. Whom she was with and whom she had ties to were no longer within his jurisdiction.
It felt as though, in that very moment, his inner fury triggered a cataclysm. The two confronting each other, neither willing to admit defeat.
Ji Liao gently tugged at Lu Chengnuo’s sleeve, her tone tender and affectionate, “A’nuo, let’s go. Let’s not waste time here with someone like this.”
Lu Chengnuo didn’t hesitate much. With an “Mm,” he turned and conceded. Unabashed, he extended his distinct, knuckled fingers to grasp Ji Liao’s delicate, jade-like hand. She didn’t pull away, and the two, a perfect match, walked away right in front of Yu Nanzhi.
At that moment, Yu Nanzhi was like a discarded rag doll, standing alone in the crowd, even staring fixedly at the retreating figures of the two, clenching his fists as if he had suffered an immense injustice. In frustration, he punched the wall.
“Stop!”
The angry voice came from behind. Ji Liao trembled all over, and Lu Chengnuo clearly sensed her shaking.
Startled, Ji Liao’s fear only made Lu Chengnuo laugh in extreme anger. “Is there anything else you want to say? Please say it all at once. We’re in a hurry and don’t want to waste time with you.”
Yu Nanzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly displeased with his words. “Matters between Ji Liao and me are none of your business.”
“Please remember—her matters are my matters. Liao Liao, let’s go.”
Yu Nanzhi nodded, his expression icy to the extreme. “Ji Liao, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But I must remind you—I wonder if you still remember Yun Bao and that dog named Cha Cha.”
A’Bao, Cha Cha…
Recalling those distant yet familiar names, Ji Liao jolted violently. Terrifying memories surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming and drowning her.
Yu Nanzhi remained as cold-blooded as before. This reminder made Ji Liao tremble even more violently. She subtly broke free from Lu Chengnuo’s hand, habitually wrapped her arms around herself, and retreated, eventually crouching in a corner like a frightened kitten or puppy, shivering uncontrollably.
“Liao Liao, what’s wrong?” Lu Chengnuo crouched down as well, placing his hands on her shoulders. But she seemed to have lost all courage, continuously avoiding him, acting as if Lu Chengnuo were invisible.
The reason Lu Chengqing was hospitalized was because he had been kicked by Yu Nanzhi while trying to rescue her. If Lu Chengnuo were to clash with Yu Nanzhi again, she couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t be beaten to death by him. She didn’t dare take that risk—she was afraid of losing him.
Her reaction was something Yu Nanzhi hadn’t anticipated. As he took two steps forward, Ji Liao seemed to sense his movement and immediately pulled Lu Chengnuo into her embrace, murmuring incessantly, “Don’t hurt him… he’s innocent…”
She was terrified, her face drained of color, yet her only thought was to protect that man.
Just what kind of existence was this man in her eyes?
“Are you afraid of me?” Yu Nanzhi pretended not to notice her panic.
Ji Liao’s lips trembled as she raised her fear-filled eyes to meet his gaze, denying it: “I’m not afraid of you… I’m not afraid of you at all.”
But no one believed that.
Lu Chengnuo could feel her body trembling uncontrollably, breaking out in cold sweat. He was so enraged he was nearly driven mad, while Yu Nanzhi seemed rather pleased, smug and maliciously satisfied.
However, at that moment, Ji Liao began to retch. Her blind cane clattered to the ground as she released Lu Chengnuo, one hand clutching her chest and the other bracing against the wall, vomiting until tears and mucus streamed down her face.
“So, Ji Liao, in the few months I couldn’t find you, you’ve hooked up with some random man and gotten yourself pregnant…”
Before he could finish, a punch landed on his face. Lu Chengnuo’s fist was nothing like Ji Liao’s soft, weak slaps—it packed enough force to loosen teeth.
“You’d better clean that filthy mouth of yours before speaking to us again. Otherwise, we can’t stand the stench of shit you’re spewing.”
Ji Liao choked back a sob, and Lu Chengnuo held her close, whispering gently, “I’m here, it’s alright.”
The damp night wind chilled the hearts of all three. Yu Nanzhi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring at Lu Chengnuo with a murderous expression. “What you’re doing will get Ji Liao killed.”
Lu Chengnuo, of course, didn’t understand what she had endured in the years before he knew her—those five years when Ji Liao was tormented by nightmares, living a life worse than death, and every thought of Yu Nanzhi made her wish to die.
Holding her now was, to her, a profound act of compassion.
Lu Chengnuo met his gaze squarely, his words ringing with conviction: “The one who will get her killed isn’t me—it’s you. Sir, I don’t care what deep-seated grievances you’ve had with her before, but if you dare harm her even a little now, I’ll make sure you pay back double.”
Yu Nanzhi curled his lips into a scornful smile. “Not long ago, a little girl who said I was seeking death is now lying in the hospital fighting for her life. Do you really think I’m afraid of your threats?”
“You’re the one who hurt Qing’er!” Lu Chengnuo shot to his feet, grabbing Yu Nanzhi by the collar. When had his little sister ever suffered such harm?
Yu Nanzhi seemed unfazed by the gesture, arrogantly flashing a mocking grin. “Oh? So her name is Qing’er. Fitting—she’s as delicate and translucent as her name suggests.”
“You’re asking for death!”
The two men abandoned all decorum, brawling at the hospital entrance, trading punches and kicks with precision and force.
Though Ji Liao was blind and couldn’t see the fight, she knew they were locked in a fierce struggle.
“Stop fighting! Please, stop fighting!”
She screamed hysterically, trying to intervene, but as she stood and took two steps, she tripped over her blind cane and nearly tumbled down the stairs.
Lu Chengnuo faltered slightly, and in that moment of distraction, Yu Nanzhi landed a punch on his cheek. It stung sharply, but he still halted the fight to rush over and help Ji Liao up.
“Are you hurt, A’nuo?” Despite her own painful and humiliating fall, Ji Liao anxiously checked his face and body with concern.
Yu Nanzhi watched coldly as Ji Liao fretted over someone else. There was a time when the woman who once claimed to like him had now turned to anxiously care for another man. This feeling of decline was truly fucking unpleasant.