Fu Hanchen’s breathing was somewhat heavy. Without a word, he took off his shirt and handed it to Qiao Ruan. “Put this on first.”
Qiao Ruan looked at the hand extended before her, her gaze dimming slightly. Her body ached terribly at the moment. If this were her past life, Qiao Ruan might have acted spoiled, crying and making a fuss, even demanding that Fu Hanchen seek revenge for her.
She truly feared pain.
Even a minor cold usually made her reluctant to visit a clinic for an injection. Now, she could only bite her lip tightly, enduring the pain as she took the shirt Fu Hanchen handed over and quickly slipped it on.
As she stood up, Fu Hanchen’s robust physique filled her vision.
Their eyes met unexpectedly, and in that single glance, the air between them grew ambiguous, the temperature steadily rising.
The shirt she wore still carried the lingering scent of sage from Fu Hanchen’s body.
Qiao Ruan parted her lips. “I’ll return the clothes to you as soon as possible…”
Fu Hanchen raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. He had expected her to use this opportunity to say something, to gain more advantages for herself, but she said nothing.
Fu Hanchen responded indifferently, “The people have already been captured for your interrogation. Tonight, alone… will you be alright?”
Qiao Ruan didn’t react immediately. After a moment, she asked, “Are you going to stay with me?”
Instantly, Fu Hanchen’s expression grew even more peculiar. His dark eyes fixed on her without moving. Qiao Ruan averted her gaze. “I’m fine, but I don’t want to let them go.”
Fu Hanchen’s lips twitched slightly. An eye for an eye—that suited her personality.
“If you can handle the interrogation, I can take you there later. You don’t have a first-aid kit here. Come to my room with me to treat your wounds.”
Qiao Ruan detected a hint of compromise in Fu Hanchen’s words. In her past life, Qiao Ruan was someone Fu Hanchen despised—she bullied Lin Ran, lacked intelligence, and sought to win the affection of everyone in the Fu family, naturally earning Fu Hanchen’s disgust.
Fu Hanchen hated trouble the most and had little patience for women. In this life, he had come to the countryside to bring her to the city, one of their few interactions. Although Qiao Ruan had no particular thoughts about Fu Hanchen, she knew that if she wanted to join the military in the future, she would need Fu Hanchen’s letter of recommendation.
Thus, she had to leave a good impression on this person.
She wanted to continue walking the path her father had taken. Her father had strived his entire life, longing for that medal of honor, but he never obtained it, even in death.
Qiao Ruan wanted to join the military, earn awards, fulfill her father’s last wish, and then embark on her own journey to make money, never relying on anyone again!
For now, she only had her father’s pension, which she needed to use wisely to build her wealth.
The mission was arduous and long. At this moment, Qiao Ruan was covered in injuries, and she had to tend to her wounds quickly—otherwise, she would truly be in agony!
Qiao Ruan pursed her lips tightly as she followed behind Fu Hanchen. When they passed Lin Ran’s room, she instinctively glanced sideways. Seeing the door closed and the lights off inside, she couldn’t tell if Lin Ran was asleep or not even there. Qiao Ruan spoke softly, “Is Lin Ran in her room? Is she asleep?”
Her room was located deep in the hallway. If the middle-aged couple who kidnapped her wanted to increase their chances of success, it was unlikely they would risk coming to the innermost room to abduct her. Moreover, how had they so precisely located her room, entering with the sole intention of kidnapping her?
Although Qiao Ruan did not directly suspect Lin Ran, she trusted no one at the moment and remained vigilant.
Fu Hanchen, however, turned back and gave Qiao Ruan a meaningful glance. “What, are you blaming her?”
Hearing this, Qiao Ruan grew displeased. “Does Young Master Fu have feelings for Lin Ran?”
Fu Hanchen immediately fell silent, his brows tightly furrowed. Yet he began to realize that perhaps his prejudice against Qiao Ruan ran too deep? He always felt that whenever she stayed quiet, she was scheming something in her mind.
“She was outside my room when it happened.”
Qiao Ruan let out an indifferent “oh.” “I was just asking casually. I’m the one who was almost kidnapped, and I haven’t said anything about it. For Young Master Fu to suspect me like this is just unnecessary.”
Caught off guard by her retort, Fu Hanchen was momentarily stunned. After returning to the room, he quickly walked to his suitcase, took out a fresh shirt to change into, and then handed a first-aid kit to Qiao Ruan.
Qiao Ruan was carefully examining her wounds in the mirror. Every time she spotted a bleeding spot, her small face would scrunch up tightly!