Qin An had other things to do, so he didn’t stay long. He had appeared for only a few minutes, but that was enough to cow Zhao Qingyan.
His arrogance was thoroughly crushed.
He even put on a sheepish smile and clasped his hands toward Xu Tao. “Dear sister, why didn’t you tell me you knew the Second Young Master? Look at me, I was blind to Mount Tai!”
“Can you not take it to heart?”
Xu Tao wasn’t foolish enough to try to defend herself. Keeping her face taut, she said nothing and watched as Song Yuan called over the manager and several staff carried Shi Jin out of the private room.
The people inside looked at one another, having been huddled there since earlier, not daring to move.
If even Zhao Qingyan didn’t dare offend him, they weren’t important enough to know his name.
Xu Tao grabbed her and Shi Jin’s bags and followed. Even after she’d gone some distance, she could still hear Zhao Qingyan cursing.
He was calling Hu Hang useless for failing to find out the man’s background.
Xu Tao found it ridiculous. If Zhao Qingyan ever learned that she had no relationship with Qin An at all, and that he might have stepped in only because she tutored Qin Yuting, how would Zhao Qingyan retaliate then?
The stretcher carrying Shi Jin was taken farther and farther away—not to a hospital, but to the club’s private infirmary, where emergencies were treated.
Song Yuan didn’t know who Xu Tao was either, but he was very polite. “Please don’t worry. The medical care here is adequate. Your boyfriend has only superficial injuries; a simple treatment should be enough. There’s no need to involve too many people. I hope you understand.”
Xu Tao wasn’t stupid. She nodded in thanks. As long as Shi Jin could be treated, she didn’t want to make a bigger scene either. Ordinary people couldn’t fight the powerful young men of Wancheng.
“Please have your injuries treated here as well.” Song Yuan gestured for Xu Tao to sit down.
Xu Tao’s cheek didn’t hurt much. While Zhao Qingyan wasn’t paying attention, she’d shouted for someone to beat Shi Jin, then smashed a bottle over Zhao Qingyan’s head. The slap had landed then.
She hadn’t hit him very hard, but afterward someone had yanked her by the hair, and that had hurt badly.
Xu Tao obediently sat while a female doctor applied medicine to her cheek.
She was treated quickly. Shi Jin’s injuries took longer, but before long Xu Tao heard him groan.
He was awake.
Through the glass, Xu Tao met Shi Jin’s eyes. He grinned at her, wincing. Unable to hold back, she burst into tears, her heart a jumble of emotions.
Shi Jin mouthed to her, Don’t be afraid.
In Song Yuan’s eyes, they were the very picture of star-crossed lovers.
He just didn’t know what kind of relationship President Qin had with this young woman. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, for the first time ever, the Second Young Master Qin had stood up for a girl.
Song Yuan didn’t linger. He quietly slipped away.
By the time he returned to the private room, Qin An was already seated, courteously toasting the several senior figures at the table.
All the influential leaders of Wancheng were there, and they praised Qin An and his brother as a pair of outstanding talents.
Qin Ming was steadier than his younger brother. At thirty, he was in his prime, with the air of a refined scholar. The brothers looked alike, but their temperaments were entirely different.
Both were tall and handsome, but Qin Ming’s gold-rimmed glasses concealed his eyes. His phoenix eyes were nowhere near as intimidating as his younger brother’s.
Nor did he have Qin An’s careless, world-weary air, as if nothing could touch him.
Neither brother could be faulted in public. Qin An disliked socializing, but that was no reason to show disrespect to his elders. After several rounds of drinks, even he was feeling a little tipsy.
More than that, his mind was elsewhere.
The dinner ended close to ten.
After seeing the elders off, Qin An tugged at his tie and glanced at Song Yuan.
Song Yuan understood and came over to report. “It looks like she hasn’t left yet. She’s still in the infirmary.”
“What are you two whispering about behind my back?” Qin Ming took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He’d had even more to drink.
Qin An’s expression didn’t change. “Personal business. You go ahead, Brother. I’m going to play teacher for a while.”
The remark came out of nowhere, and Qin Ming didn’t understand it. But he couldn’t control his younger brother. He told him to go home early, then shook his head and got into the car.
.
Xu Tao sat with her cheek propped on one hand, lost in thought. Shi Jin was still asleep in the room. He’d complained of pain earlier, but after lying down for a while, he’d drifted off again.
It was almost curfew. If they didn’t leave soon, they might have to spend the night outside.
Xu Tao was about to wake Shi Jin and get a taxi back to campus as quickly as possible when Song Yuan, the assistant from earlier, came in with several people.
“Miss Xu, President Qin was worried you might have trouble getting a car, so he asked me to take your boyfriend home.”
Xu Tao wanted to say there was no need to trouble them, but the men had already gone inside and lifted Shi Jin up. It was clear they weren’t going to listen to her.
Shi Jin was fast asleep and didn’t wake at all.
Song Yuan nodded to her and gestured for her to follow.
She had no way to refuse, so she followed them out. But only after getting into the car did she realize that she and Shi Jin weren’t in the same vehicle.
Qin An was waiting for her in the car.
Xu Tao steeled herself and climbed in. Out of politeness, she thanked Qin An again right away.
He didn’t say a word—not even a response.
The car started at once. She didn’t even have time to look and see where Shi Jin was.
“Teacher Xu, you hate being apart from your boyfriend?” Qin An asked, leaning his head toward her, one hand braced on the armrest by the car door.
That was the very first thing he asked.
Xu Tao steadied herself and met Qin An’s gaze. “He’s my boyfriend. Of course I’m worried about him. Qin Ming, you didn’t need to go to the trouble of driving us. We could have gotten back on our own.”
“So I was sticking my nose where it didn’t belong,” Qin An said with a smile. “Want to get out up ahead?”
Xu Tao glanced out the window. They were crossing a bridge. If they stopped there, she’d have no chance of finding a taxi.
She had a feeling Qin An was deliberately messing with her again. She fell silent, unable to guess what he was up to.
Qin An really did want to play teacher for once and teach this girl who didn’t know her place a lesson.
“Do you know what kind of man Zhao Qingyan is? How could you go out with him?”
He was famous in their circle for being useless. Only his parents still treated him like a treasure and indulged him, never knowing how many messes they’d cleaned up for him.
Men from powerful families loved playing around with girls like Xu Tao: pure and innocent, with no family connections or wealth to protect them. If they were wronged, all they could do was endure it.
And if they fought back, they could die without anyone to give them justice.
For no clear reason, irritation stirred in Qin An’s heart. “If you hadn’t run into me today, Teacher Xu, what do you think would have happened?”
Xu Tao’s throat tightened. The pain made her dig her nails into her palm.
Zhao Qingyan would have taken advantage of her, and she’d have nowhere to turn for justice. She would have become his plaything, and Shi Jin might have lost his life.
These weren’t a few thugs from back in her hometown. They were the sons of Wancheng’s powerful families.
Xu Tao trembled uncontrollably. Why couldn’t she escape this kind of fate?
Did being beautiful and poor mean she was doomed to be bullied again and again?
Her face went pale, and she didn’t answer, but her eyes slowly reddened.
Qin An clicked his tongue. “Did I insult you? Why are you crying?”
Xu Tao tried not to let the tears fall. They welled in her almond-shaped eyes and brimmed there, but in the end a few slipped down, landing on her full, glossy red lips.
Qin An stared at the marks on her lips where her teeth had bitten into them, darkening his gaze.
“Did Zhao Qingyan kiss you?”
Xu Tao hurriedly shook her head. He hadn’t kissed her—but if things had gone on any longer, who knew?
Those marks were from her biting her own lips in her panic.
Qin An looked at them a few more times. An itch rose on the tip of his tongue and traveled straight to the deepest part of his heart.
She looked so pitiful.
He leaned toward her and offered her a tissue, his voice as soft as water. “Teacher Xu, you have such beautiful eyes, but your taste in men is awful. Where did you find your boyfriend? Can he protect you?”
Xu Tao froze for a moment, then took the tissue. Qin An was a little too close, but there was nowhere for her to retreat.
“Answer me. Hmm? Where did you find your boyfriend, Xu Tao?” Qin An’s voice was low and husky.
It was the first time he’d called her Xu Tao. Her gaze collided with his, and his eyes were so deep they seemed to draw her in, spinning her around until she might be swept away.
Her heart lurched. Afraid to look directly at him, she lowered her head, shrinking into herself like a quail.
He smelled strongly of alcohol. Mr. Qin seemed to have had too much to drink.
His questions made no sense.