Before Wang Hao could react, a brutal force shoved him against the wall. His head struck the concrete surface with a sharp, loud crack, instantly splitting open.
“Which bastard dares ambush me?!”
The man clutched his head as blood gushed down his cheeks. His expression was twisted and terrifying, like a ferocious demon.
Yan Ye sneered, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him forward. His thin lips parted as he uttered, “Your grandpa, that’s who.” With that, he slammed Wang Hao’s head into the wall once more.
Wang Hao covered his head, bowing and pleading, “Spare me, boss! It was this bitch who seduced me! She’s just a worn-out shoe—if you like her, I’ll let you have her first—”
Before he could finish, Yan Ye, consumed by rage, kicked him hard in the face. Several of Wang Hao’s teeth shattered on impact, finally silencing his foul mouth.
Yan Ye tightened his grip, hoisting Wang Hao up. As he turned, his gaze collided with Xu Xiaoyue’s panicked eyes.
Her face was drenched in sweat, her nose and eyelashes red. She panted heavily, her body trembling uncontrollably. An inexplicable, indescribable restlessness surged in Yan Ye’s chest.
He attributed it to disgust at Wang Hao’s despicable behavior. With another swift motion, he threw Wang Hao to the ground and mercilessly stomped on the wrists that had committed the violence.
The man’s agonized screams echoed through the alley, yet no one came. Only then did Xu Xiaoyue belatedly realize that no one lived nearby.
Zheng Jiaojiao had deliberately brought her here and abandoned her. If not for the fortunate encounter with the man before her today, her life might have been ruined.
Wang Hao lay on the ground, his eyes still glaring viciously at Xu Xiaoyue.
This scumbag had likely harmed countless young girls, yet even now he dared to glare at her. Xu Xiaoyue’s eyes reddened with fury as she stormed forward and kicked him fiercely several times.
“Even a girl from the countryside wouldn’t want trash like you—a worthless piece of garbage!”
Under the blows, Wang Hao whimpered and writhed in pain on the ground.
If not for being new to the compound and wanting to avoid trouble, Xu Xiaoyue would have dragged Wang Hao to the police station long ago.
After dealing with Wang Hao, Yan Ye finally turned his attention fully to Xu Xiaoyue.
The girl before him had disheveled hair, like a pitiful little bird drenched by rain, evoking sympathy.
Instinctively, he adopted the stern demeanor he used when disciplining his subordinates. “Stand straight. Fix your clothes.”
Having witnessed Yan Ye’s ruthless lesson, Xu Xiaoyue obediently stood at attention, almost clicking her heels together.
“What happened to your forehead?” Yan Ye’s sharp eyes immediately noticed a small scrape on the woman’s smooth forehead. The minor wound stood out starkly against her fair skin.
Reminded by the man, Xu Xiaoyue belatedly felt a slight sting on her forehead and gently touched it.
“Ouch, I must have bumped it accidentally earlier.”
Xu Xiaoyue said it lightly, but Yan Ye couldn’t help frowning.
“Get on.” The man’s voice was low as he crouched down. His taut muscles tightened instantly, his broad shoulders and narrow waist fully displayed before Xu Xiaoyue.
"Th-thank you." Xu Xiaoyue was momentarily stunned, then wrapped her arms around his neck, her delicate body leaning softly against him.
The woman's hair occasionally brushed against his cheek, that familiar faint fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, stirring his heartstrings.
The man's eyes instantly darkened.
This was the first time he had carried a woman on his back. Compared to the weight training in the military, Xu Xiaoyue's weight was as light as a feather, yet her presence was overwhelmingly intense. Nestled against his back like this, she was impossible to ignore.
"Xiao Yan, who is this?"
An elderly man first looked at Xu Xiaoyue, then turned to Yan Ye, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"A female comrade I met on the road was injured. Could you check if she needs bandaging?"
Yan Ye explained casually, yet a trace of barely noticeable urgency tinged his tone.
The old man wore a meaningful smile as he glanced at the wound on Xu Xiaoyue's forehead.
"It's nothing serious. Just disinfect it."
With that, he casually handed the alcohol nearby to Yan Ye, then hurried away as if chased by a ghost.
Xu Xiaoyue looked up and met the man's stern face, his expression dark and serious, as if he were presiding over an important meeting.
She instinctively shrank back, timidly saying, "Maybe… I should do it myself."
Yan Ye raised his eyes, taking in Xu Xiaoyue's slender arms and legs. She was so light it seemed she could be lifted with ease, lighter even than the training equipment in the military. She looked every bit like a pampered young lady who had never done a day of hard work.
Could she really apply the medicine properly by herself?
"Close your eyes." The man's low, magnetic voice sounded beside her ear.
Xu Xiaoyue obediently complied, but she hadn't expected the rough, large hand holding a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to press directly against her forehead.
"Mmm, it hurts. Gently, please."
Xu Xiaoyue couldn't help but lean back, opening her eyes to see the cotton swab. She pouted and cooed, "Maybe I should still do it myself."
Yan Ye's hand paused slightly as he met those misty almond-shaped eyes.
Even though the weather wasn't particularly hot, he felt a wave of heat rapidly surge from his lower body to the top of his head.
He instinctively crossed his legs, trying to conceal the awkward situation, and scolded in a low voice, "Speak properly. Don't use that sugary tone."
Xu Xiaoyue felt wronged. This man had already scolded her countless times, treating her as if she were one of his soldiers. If it weren't for the fact that he had saved her twice, she would have long since lost her temper.
Feeling displeased, Xu Xiaoyue recalled how Wang Hao had bumped into this man's chest in the alley. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she narrowed them slightly and gently pressed her small hand against his chest.
"Does it hurt?" she asked with a sly smile, looking at Yan Ye.
Their bodies were pressed close together, their breaths seemingly intertwined.
Yan Ye caught that faint, elusive fragrance once more—subtle yet incredibly alluring.
His muscles tensed even more, and he deliberately kept his distance from the woman, his dark eyes gazing deeply at Xu Xiaoyue.
"Do you act like this with others too?"
Xu Xiaoyue withdrew her hand and shook her head, thinking to herself how boring this man was.
She completely failed to notice the blazing desire about to erupt from the depths of his pitch-black eyes.
For the remainder of the medicine application, Xu Xiaoyue had braced herself for pain, but to her surprise, Yan Ye's touch became much gentler.
After spraying alcohol and bandaging, with all procedures completed, the two of them remained the only ones in the health station.
Xu Xiaoyue curiously craned her neck, looking around, while Yan Ye lowered his gaze, methodically putting everything back in its place.
"I'll walk you back…" Before the man could finish his sentence, two distinct "gurgling" sounds echoed in the air.
Yan Ye’s eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze settling on the woman’s flat abdomen.
Realizing what had happened, Xu Xiaoyue’s face flushed bright red in an instant. Though straightforward by nature, she was so embarrassed she wished she could vanish into the ground. Forcing herself to stay composed, she said:
"Thank you so much for today. If you hadn’t shown up in time, who knows what that scumbag might have done to me!"
Mentioning this, even though Yan Ye had already taught the thug a harsh lesson, anger still simmered within him.
He looked at Xu Xiaoyue’s captivating face—the kind any man would turn back for a second glance—yet this woman had an innocent look in her eyes, as if she understood nothing.
At this thought, Yan Ye couldn’t help but furrow his brow and said, "Knowing how dangerous people can be, don’t wander into such alleys next time. What were you doing running around in broad daylight?"
Xu Xiaoyue nodded obediently. This time, she had indeed been careless, assuming that in the capital, security would be foolproof.
She looked up, meeting the man’s dark eyes, and tugged softly at his sleeve.
"Comrade Yan, you’re right. Thanks to you showing up this time. It’s almost noon—how about I treat you to a meal?"