Lin Mian hadn’t run far before someone grabbed her, pressing her head down and forcing her to kneel in the muddy grass.
Her slender back was bent under the pressure, her pale face nearly touching the muddy water. He Duoye’s boot, planted firmly on the ground, was less than half a meter away from her.
The heavy rain continued to pour. Lin Mian breathed in the scent of rainforest mixed with gunpowder and blood.
She tried to lift her head, but a firm hand kept her pressed down.
“Stay still, or I’ll kill you.”
Lin Mian had no choice but to shout into the mud: “He Duoye! It’s me!”
She didn’t hear He Duoye’s response, but she heard the voice of the person holding her head: “You know our boss?”
Lin Mian immediately said: “I know him very well.”
The grip on her loosened slightly, allowing Lin Mian to raise her head.
Just then, the gunfire from the other side stopped. Fourth Brother and his men all lay in pools of blood. Lin Mian glanced back only once before a chill ran through her entire body.
In all her life, this was the first time she had seen dead people.
And if she wasn’t careful, the next dead person would be her.
“What, has Third Master taken a liking to this woman?” The bald man walked over to Lin Mian, holding a smoking gun, a grin on his face. “This is truly unprecedented. Usually, Third Master wouldn’t even glance at women from outside.”
Manniu, who was restraining Lin Mian, said: “This woman tried to attack our Third Master, so I detained her.”
The bald man exclaimed: “So bold. It seems we can’t keep her alive.”
He turned the gun barrel, aiming it directly at Lin Mian’s head.
Instantly, goosebumps erupted all over Lin Mian’s body. Faced with such a close brush with death, she couldn’t help but tremble.
In her terror, she had no choice but to shout: “He Duoye, save me!”
She didn’t want to die yet.
The bald man immediately looked up: “So it’s someone you know… Could she be an old flame of yours?”
The heavy rain finally began to lessen. Before the rain had completely stopped, sunlight broke through the clouds and shone down.
The bright light fell on He Duoye’s black boots and long legs, giving off a cold, sharp impression.
Lin Mian’s heart pounded violently. For a moment, she couldn’t be sure whether He Duoye would actually save her or not.
Back then, it was Lin Mian who had initiated the breakup. Before they parted ways, they had a particularly ugly argument. In the heat of the moment, she had said some harsh things.
Over the years, during sleepless nights, Lin Mian would often think about their past.
She thought about their youthful naivety and impulsiveness.
She thought about He Duoye’s good qualities, as well as his bad and crazy ones.
Sometimes she regretted breaking up.
But whenever she remembered how He Duoye had completely vanished after their split, she would think bitterly that it was for the best to have broken up with that possessive, controlling freak. Otherwise, one day they might have ended up as a sensational news story.
Now, four years later, she had even started going through matchmaking arrangements. That insatiable dog He Duoye must have had countless girlfriends by now.
How much of their old feelings did he still hold for her?
But even if there were no lingering feelings left, he shouldn’t just stand by and watch her die, right?
A night of intimacy creates a hundred days of affection—and they had shared countless nights together.
After several long seconds, He Duoye’s voice finally came. Unlike in their youth, his voice had become low, hoarse, and mature, carrying a careless tone.
“Yes, a woman I slept with for a while when I was a hot-blooded teenager in my teens.”
He bent slightly and stepped out of the car.
Lin Mian stiffly raised her head, her face pale, her pupils dark and bright, reflecting He Duoye’s towering, imposing figure.
Even back in high school, he had already been the tallest boy in the entire school. Now, after several years, he had grown a few centimeters taller, his frame becoming stronger and more imposing—broad shoulders, well-developed chest muscles.
A lean yet powerful narrow waist, and a pair of impossibly long legs.
Now, he had become so mature, robust, and awe-inspiring. His narrow eyes looked down, gazing at Lin Mian with a wild and dangerous, almost sinister aura.
Like a terrifying venomous snake or a dreadful demon.
It was hard to tell if, in the next second, he would suddenly reach out, grab Lin Mian by the neck, and cruelly strangle her.
He had changed so much.
Lin Mian widened her eyes. Only at this moment did she truly see clearly this ex-boyfriend she hadn’t seen in over four years.
So unfamiliar.
“Long time no see.” He Duoye walked up to Lin Mian, crouched down, looked at her pale, delicate face, and suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
That handsome, mature face with its sharp bone structure only made him appear more sinister.
“Did you ever think of this day when you kicked me to the curb back then, hmm?”
Lin Mian’s lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Since she’s Third Master’s woman, then Third Master should take her away.” Uncle Mei walked over, his voice sounding gentle and unhurried, like that of an old teacher.
“And this… the girl’s boyfriend.”
He turned to look at Zhang Zhiwen, who was being dragged over by his subordinates.
Zhang Zhiwen was already terrified out of his wits, his face drained of color, his expression panicked. “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”
He Duoye glanced at him, then suddenly raised his hand and pinched Lin Mian’s chin. He narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.
Lin Mian instinctively swallowed. Even after more than four years, she still felt a physical tension at the sight of He Duoye’s smile.
Because in the past, every time He Duoye smiled like this, she would suffer terribly in bed.
“Have you slept with him?” He Duoye asked.
Before Lin Mian could answer, Zhang Zhiwen hurriedly said, “No, no! We were set up by our families for a blind date. We’ve only met a few times. I’ve only held her hand, never even kissed her.”
Zhang Zhiwen pleaded, “Please, spare my life. I’m the only son in my family, and I have parents to support. If I die, my parents won’t survive either.”
He Duoye stared at Lin Mian’s pale face and said with a smile, “That sounds truly moving. Should we spare his life?”
Lin Mian’s lips moved, but no sound came out.
She had met Zhang Zhiwen’s parents. His mother was a very kind person, so kind she had no temper, and she was incredibly tolerant of Lin Mian. Sometimes, when Lin Mian looked at her, she would think of her own mother, who had passed away early.
Lin Mian didn’t like Zhang Zhiwen, nor did she like the overbearing Father Zhang, but she really liked Mother Zhang.
She even felt a bit greedy for Mother Zhang’s selfless, kind gestures.
But in the next moment, Lin Mian remembered how Zhang Zhiwen had betrayed her again and again without hesitation.
“I’m not close to him,” Lin Mian replied.
Zhang Zhiwen immediately became agitated. “Lin Mian, how could you—”
Before he could finish his angry outburst, he was kicked to the ground.
“Shut up.”
He Duoye let out a low chuckle, his narrow, wicked eyes fixed intently on Lin Mian’s face.
“Traveling abroad together, yet still not close…” His long, scorching fingers lightly tapped Lin Mian’s cold, pale cheek. “You’re truly heartless, Mianmian.”
He smiled, his deep voice husky and seductive, mature yet dangerous.
“In that case, how about you both die here together?”