She saw that even though the boy’s face was already covered in wounds, there was not a trace of fear in his eyes.
When she spotted the wheelchair lying on the ground nearby, Ruan Xing was certain he was Lin Shen.
She never imagined she would meet Lin Shen under such circumstances. She only knew that years later, Lin Shen would become the youngest and most ruthless entrepreneur in the capital city. She never expected his youth to be so bitter.
Her heart suddenly ached with sorrow and pain.
Lin Shen happened to meet Ruan Xing’s gaze, but there was no gratitude in his eyes. Instead, he looked at her with mockery, as if telling her not to meddle in his affairs.
Ruan Xing paid him no mind. She had only one thought in her heart: protect him.
The girl suppressed her fear and spoke timidly.
“You… let him go. I’ll give you anything you want. My father has money—I can give you money.”
Her soft, trembling voice was unusually clear in the alley.
Lin Shen’s lips curled slightly as he watched the scene with amusement.
He couldn’t help thinking, What a fool. She’s clearly terrified but still won’t run away. Is she out of her mind? She must be an idiot!
Lin Shen could see she was frightened—her voice trembled as she spoke, and her forehead was already damp with sweat from nervousness.
The blond-haired boy looked at the girl before him and couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not really interested in money, but you…” He trailed off, stroking his chin lazily while giving Ruan Xing a meaningful once-over.
“If you agree to be my girlfriend, I might let this cripple go.”
Ruan Xing felt extremely uncomfortable under his blatant gaze, a wave of disgust washing over her. Her eyes turned colder.
Usually mild-tempered, she was genuinely angry this time. Her small face slowly darkened, like a cat ready to pounce.
“You wish! Why don’t you look in a mirror and see for yourself…”
Ruan Xing’s voice was naturally sweet and soothing, yet her tone held no trace of anger.
In an instant, the blond-haired boy’s expression turned ugly. His patience worn thin, he glared fiercely at her.
“You little bitch, I’m negotiating with you out of respect. Since you don’t know your place, we’ll beat this waste to death today.”
“You guys, go teach him a lesson.” With a gesture from the blond boy, his lackeys suddenly moved toward the battered youth.
When Ruan Xing realized what was happening, her face turned pale.
As the group began kicking and punching the boy, Ruan Xing’s heart ached. Without another thought, she rushed straight toward him, her small hands desperately hitting and pushing the people surrounding him.
Seeing the shocking bruises covering the boy’s body, Ruan Xing steeled herself and squeezed through the crowd, using her own body to shield him. The relentless blows now landed entirely on the girl’s back.
Lin Shen stared in astonishment at the girl protecting him. She pressed her lips tightly together, enduring the pain without making a sound. Her eyes were tinged with deep red, yet they remained clear and resolute.
Several lackeys noticed the girl stubbornly shielding the boy and glanced uncertainly at their leader.
“What are you looking at? Keep hitting!” The blond boy glared fiercely at them.
The girl was as beautiful as an angel, making it hard for them to bear what they were doing. But no matter how reluctant they felt, what could they do? They still relied on the blond-haired leader.
So they could only grit their teeth and continue.
Another wave of intense pain washed over Ruan Xing, and she was almost at her limit. But thinking of the badly injured boy beneath her, she stubbornly held on.
Lin Shen had clearly seen how terrified she was earlier. He thought she would run back home after being frightened by those guys, never expecting she would risk everything to protect him, enduring the kicks and punches without a sound.
Watching the girl’s strained expression, Lin Shen suddenly rolled over and tightly shielded her in his embrace.
Suddenly, the sound of police sirens echoed through the air, causing everyone’s expressions to change.
“Cops! Let’s get out of here!” the blond-haired leader shouted.
The group immediately scattered, fleeing toward the alley entrance without a second thought.
Now only the two of them remained in an intimately entangled position.
Lin Shen became aware of how ambiguous their posture appeared and quickly rolled off Ruan Xing.
Ruan Xing forced herself to stand up despite the pain. Though her body ached all over, her face remained relatively unharmed. Her injuries were minor compared to Lin Shen’s.
After rising unsteadily, she stumbled over to retrieve Lin Shen’s wheelchair. Kneeling down, she reached out to help him up, but the moment her hand touched his arm, the boy glared at her with gloomy eyes filled with unconcealed disgust.
“Get lost.” The icy words slipped from his thin lips.
Ruan Xing flinched and jerked her hand back, her eyes turning slightly red.
Even in her previous life, aside from dealing with Huo Jing, she had never been treated with such contempt.
Though she knew Lin Shen was different from Huo Jing, she couldn’t help the tears welling up in her eyes.
When Lin Shen noticed the girl’s red-rimmed eyes, something twisted painfully inside him – a strange, unfamiliar sensation he’d never experienced before.
Ruan Xing ultimately withdrew her hand.
“Then… call your family. Here’s my phone.” She pulled a white phone from her pocket and tremblingly offered it to the boy.
Lin Shen clearly saw the worry and fear in the girl’s eyes. The words of refusal stuck in his throat, and he eventually accepted the phone.
After inputting the number, Lin Shen only stated his location and asked the person to pick him up before ending the call without another word.
The girl took back her phone without speaking and walked toward the alley entrance.
Left alone, Lin Shen silently watched the girl’s slender, fragile retreating figure, his expression growing darker as he mocked himself inwardly.
His entire body throbbed with pain as if his bones were shattered, yet he seemed completely numb to it as he desperately dragged himself toward the wheelchair.
Once…
Twice…
Three times…
The boy repeatedly struggled to lift himself onto the wheelchair, his movements growing increasingly pathetic.
The overwhelming weakness in his body finally forced him to give up.
See? See, Lin Shen? How could anyone tolerate a useless cripple like you?
See? She abandoned you in the end.
Someone like you is nothing but gutter trash. She must be disgusted by you.
Lying on the ground with a grim expression, Lin Shen was drowning in self-loathing when suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.
Looking up, he saw the young girl standing before him drenched in sweat, as if she had run over, her breathing still slightly unsteady. Lin Shen immediately noticed the medicine in her hand.
So she had gone to buy medicine.