By the time Shen Yuan got off work, the sky was completely dark.
She stood behind the counter, drying the last washed mug and hanging it gently on the mug rack.
Zhou Yan had wanted to let her leave early, but the midday commotion had delayed a lot of the shop’s work, and she insisted on finishing the closing tasks.
Linda leaned against the coffee machine, her gaze resting on Shen Yuan’s thin figure. Her brow hadn’t relaxed since the afternoon.
“Shen Yuan.”
“Hm?” Shen Yuan turned around.
“You can take tomorrow off.”
Shen Yuan’s hand, wiping the counter, paused.
She looked up at Linda. “Sister Linda, I won’t let it affect my work.”
Linda looked at her. “I’m not kicking you out.”
Shen Yuan lowered her eyes and said nothing.
She knew Linda wasn’t a bad person.
But after what happened in the shop today because of her, if she stayed, she really was like a bomb that could go off at any moment.
“If you think it’s inconvenient, I can—”
“Shut up.” Linda cut her off, tossing the rag onto the counter with a cold expression.
“I hate it when people make decisions for me. Whether you stay or not is something for me and the boss to worry about. You don’t need to be here playing the self-sacrificing martyr and quitting on your own.”
Zhou Ning, who was checking the accounts nearby, immediately nodded frantically.
“Right, right, right! Don’t pull that ‘I’ll leave for your own good’ tragic heroine act. The audience doesn’t buy that anymore. These days, everyone loves a chaotic, unhinged, burn-it-all-down vibe!”
Shen Yuan wanted to laugh at her words, but the corners of her mouth wouldn’t lift.
Zhou Yan pushed open the office door and walked out, holding a manila envelope in his hand.
“I consulted a lawyer friend about the debt collectors.”
He handed the envelope to Shen Yuan.
“Inside are the relevant legal provisions and suggested responses.”
“If they come again, call the police directly. Absolutely do not meet them in private.”
Shen Yuan stared at the envelope in front of her, her fingertips curling slightly.
A sudden wave of heat stung her eyes. She blinked hard and reached out to take it.
“Boss, I—”
Zhou Yan’s voice was gentle. “No need to rush your thanks. Do your job well—that’s the best return you can give this shop.”
Shen Yuan took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
“I will.”
…
When she left the coffee shop, the wind outside was biting cold.
There were few people on the street.
Shen Yuan gripped her bag strap tightly and walked toward the bus stop under the streetlights.
As she passed the mouth of a narrow alley, her footsteps suddenly halted.
In the shadows not far ahead stood two people.
The glowing red tip of a cigarette flickered, illuminating the two faces she had seen in the shop earlier that day.
Shen Yuan’s heart tightened. She clutched her phone and turned to leave without hesitation.
The footsteps behind her immediately closed in, cutting off her escape.
The man in the black jacket casually tossed his half-smoked cigarette to the ground, grinding it out with his shoe. He leaned against the wall, smiling coldly.
“Running away?”
Shen Yuan gripped the edge of her phone.
“I’ve already called the police.”
“Go ahead.” The man didn’t take it seriously at all, stepping closer step by step. “Before the cops get here, we can have a little chat, right?”
Shen Yuan took a step back, her back pressing against the cold wall.
“I have nothing to talk about with you. For the debt issue, please go through legal channels.”
The smile on the black jacket man’s face instantly vanished. He spat on the ground. “You’re pretty tough, huh?”
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Shen Yuan’s arm.
Shen Yuan quickly sidestepped to dodge, but another man reached out and blocked her path.
“Don’t touch me!”
Her voice trembled, but she bit down on each syllable, refusing to show a trace of fear.
The man in the black jacket let out a cold laugh.
“Someone was protecting you during the day—what about now?”
Before he even finished speaking, a hand suddenly shot out from the dense darkness beside them, fingers clamping down on the black jacket man’s wrist like iron pincers.
The force was immense.
The man hissed in pain.
“Who—”
Xu Anran stood beneath the dim streetlight, still wearing the crisp suit from midday.
The night wind stirred the hem of his coat. His face was as calm as still water, his gaze cold as ice.
“She said don’t touch her. Can’t you understand human speech?”
Shen Yuan froze in place, staring at the familiar profile: “Xu Anran?”
Xu Anran didn’t turn around.
He twisted his wrist with sudden force, flinging the black jacket man’s hand away, then stepped forward, shielding Shen Yuan completely behind him.
His back was tall, carrying a cold, forbidding sharpness.
Yet it was like a wall that had suddenly cut through, sealing off all danger and chill from the outside.
The black jacket man clutched his aching wrist, cursing as he took a half-step back: “Who the hell are you?”
Xu Anran’s voice was frigid: “Her boyfriend.”
Shen Yuan stared at his broad shoulders, her breath catching for a moment.
She opened her mouth: “You don’t have to—”
Xu Anran cut her off coldly: “Shut up.”
Shen Yuan closed her mouth.
Fine.
When under someone’s roof, it’s best not to talk back.
The black jacket man sized up Xu Anran. Seeing he was alone, his confidence swelled again.
“Perfect, you’re just the one we’re looking for. Your woman owes money and won’t pay—you’ll pay for her?”
Xu Anran’s gaze turned even colder.
“How much is the principal? Show me the contract.”
The black jacket man was caught off guard, his eyes flickering.
“Why do you care so much? Just pay up and we’re done.”
“No contract?” Xu Anran stepped forward. “Then this is illegal debt collection.”
The other man clearly grew impatient: “Why are you wasting words with him!”
He swung his arm and shoved at Xu Anran.
Xu Anran sidestepped slightly, dodging the man’s hand, then grabbed his arm in a reverse grip, using the man’s own momentum to slam him hard against the rough brick wall.
The movement was lightning-fast, with no hesitation.
Shen Yuan didn’t even see how he struck—she only heard the man let out a sharp, pained cry.
The black jacket man was furious and humiliated.
“You dare throw a punch?”
Xu Anran stared at him coldly: “You cornered her first.”
The black jacket man grew angrier and swung a fist at him.
Xu Anran raised his forearm to block the blow, the back of his hand scraping harshly against the rough cement wall as he dodged, the skin splitting open in a bloody gash.
Shen Yuan’s heart clenched. She instinctively stepped forward: “Xu Anran!”
Xu Anran ignored her completely.
He grabbed the black jacket man by the collar and slammed him hard against the wall with one hand.
A dull thud echoed through the alley, and the man’s vision swam with stars.
Just then, the sharp wail of police sirens sounded from the alley entrance.
The emergency call Shen Yuan had blindly dialed in her pocket had finally gone through.
The two men’s faces instantly twisted with panic.
The black jacket man clutched his chest and spat: “You got lucky!”
He turned and ran.
Xu Anran watched their retreating figures coldly: “Think you can get away?”
The police car pulled up steadily at the alley entrance.
The matter was handed over to the police station for processing.
…
At the police station.
Shen Yuan sat on the bench in the corridor, her hands still trembling.
Xu Anran stood not far away, explaining the situation to the police officer.
The back of his hand was still bleeding.
Blood seeped down along his knuckles, glaringly bright under the fluorescent lights.
By the time they finished their statements and walked out, it was almost eleven.
The night wind was biting cold.
Shen Yuan followed behind Xu Anran, watching his straight back, and spoke in a low voice: “Thank you.”
Xu Anran paused mid-step.
He turned around, looking down at her from above, his gaze utterly cold.
“No need to thank me.”
Shen Yuan looked up.
Xu Anran stared at her: “I just didn’t want you getting into trouble and then blaming me for it.”
Those words were harsh.
In the past, the two of them would have already started arguing.
But Shen Yuan just quietly looked at him.
At his cold, hard features.
At the dried blood on the back of his hand.
She knew he was saying the opposite of what he meant.
And she knew he didn’t want to admit he was helping her.
She didn’t call him out on it.
She just gave a slight nod.
“Don’t worry, I won’t blame you anymore.”
Xu Anran’s breath caught for a second.
He abruptly looked away, his jaw clenched tight.
He would have preferred her to argue, to make a scene with him like she used to without a care.
He didn’t want to hear her draw the line between them so clearly in that flat, unemotional tone.
Shen Yuan stared at his hand.
“Your hand is hurt.”
Xu Anran hid his hand behind his back.
“It’s just a scratch.”
“It needs to be treated, or it’ll get infected.”
“None of your business.”
Shen Yuan was silent for a few seconds, not insisting further.
“Then I’ll transfer you the money for the medicine.”
Xu Anran’s body stiffened.
He turned his head, staring at her hard, suppressed anger churning in his eyes.
“Shen Yuan.”
“Hm?”
“Is the only thing you know how to do besides transferring money?”
Shen Yuan thought about it seriously, her tone sincere.
“I also know how to cook congee.”
Xu Anran was almost amused despite himself.
But when his gaze landed on the lingering panic in her eyes that hadn’t fully faded, the harsh words stuck in his throat and wouldn’t come out.
The two of them walked back to the rental apartment in silence.
Pushing open the door, Xu Anran didn’t even bother changing his shoes before heading straight to his room.
Shen Yuan stood at the entrance, looking down at the few drops of blood on the floor.
In the end, she said nothing.
She turned around and pushed the door open again.
Ten minutes later, Xu Anran heard the lock click.
He walked out of his room and saw Shen Yuan coming in carrying a small plastic bag with a pharmacy logo on it.
Inside were iodine, cotton swabs, gauze, and band-aids.
She set them down on the dining table, her voice soft.
“The pharmacy on the corner was still open.”
Xu Anran leaned against the doorframe, his eyes dark as he watched her.
Shen Yuan lowered her gaze: “It’s fine if you don’t want me to treat it. I’ll just leave the stuff here.”
With that, she sat down on the sofa that belonged to her.
Xu Anran suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse.
“Come here.”
Shen Yuan was startled and turned her head.
Xu Anran had already pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table, his face cold, casually resting his injured hand on the tabletop, palm facing down.
“Weren’t you going to treat it?” He didn’t dare look at her.
Shen Yuan froze for a moment.
Then, she slowly walked over and sat down on the chair across from him.
Under the light, the wound on the back of his hand was a terrible sight.
The torn skin at the edges had already turned pale, mixed with dust and clotted blood.
Shen Yuan lowered her head, tore open a cotton swab, and dipped it in iodine.
“Bear with it, okay? It might sting a little…”