This whole situation left me completely baffled. What exactly had Brother Xu said to that fat guy to scare him off so quickly?
Earlier, when those guys—Linzi, Feng, and Long—had ganged up on me, they'd left me bruised and battered, with blood dripping from my nose. After Brother Xu sent them packing, he asked if I needed a ride to the hospital. We weren't close—we'd only met once when Yan She brought me here last time—so I didn't want to trouble him. It's just some scrapes. I'll be fine.
Brother Xu chuckled and insisted I should still get checked out. I said I'd take a cab myself—no need to bother him. He waved it off, saying it wasn't a problem, but I held firm. Eventually, he let it go.
Leaving Miik with Jiang Qingqing, I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eye. If it hadn't been for that mess, she wouldn't have recognized me.
Still, in that moment, I hadn't had a choice. If I hadn't stepped in, Jiang Qingqing would've kept getting hit. But now that I had intervened, I had to face the consequences. I didn't dare speak—just kept my mouth shut.
When we reached the street, Jiang Qingqing stopped walking. The silence was suffocating. Finally, I hesitantly asked, Ms. Jiang… why'd we stop?
She shot me a glare so icy I immediately shut up, shrinking like a scolded child. After a tense moment, she flagged down a taxi. Miik was in a busy area, so it didn't take long. Once the car pulled up, she climbed in and snapped at me, Get in!
Her tone sent a jolt of fear through me. All my usual defiance toward her evaporated—now, a single look from her was enough to terrify me. I scrambled into the cab.
Jiang Qingqing told the driver, City People's Hospital.
I quickly said, Ms. Jiang, I'm fine. No need to go to the hospital.
She gave me another frosty look and repeated firmly, Hospital. The driver, sensing who was in charge, started driving.
The whole ride, I stole glances at Jiang Qingqing. Her face never lost its icy expression.
My face had taken several kicks—both cheeks were swollen, making me look like a pig. At the hospital, Jiang Qingqing dragged me through X-rays and checkups. I'd been beaten pretty badly, so I figured she was worried about internal injuries.
Luckily, nothing was seriously damaged. The doctor prescribed some painkillers and anti-inflammatory meds. By the time we left, it was past 1 a.m.
Too scared to speak, I trailed behind her like a lost puppy. Maybe I should just leave. By tomorrow, she might cool down a bit. Gathering my courage, I said, Ms. Jiang, if there's nothing else, I'll just grab a cab home.
Jiang Qingqing stopped walking. She turned to face me, the handprint on her cheek now faded, her beauty fully restored. Her cold gaze pinned me in place.
Is there something else you want to do to me?
Her tone made my legs go weak. N-no! Of course not!
She smirked. At Miik, weren't you trying to take me to the restroom?
I wanted to cry. Ms. Jiang, I'm really tired. I should just go home and sleep.
But Jiang Qingqing wasn't letting me off that easily. You want to sleep? Fine. She pointed across the street. There's a hotel. Let's get a room.
Before I could protest, she grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the Guotai Hotel. Despite her heels, she moved fast, her grip ironclad. I had no choice but to stumble along.
At first, I thought she was just trying to scare me. But when she pulled out her ID to book a room, I realized she was dead serious. She got a deluxe twin, took the keycard, and hauled me upstairs. The hotel staff must've been confused—a stunning woman forcing a reluctant guy into a room.
Inside, Jiang Qingqing shoved me in, slammed the door, and locked it. I stood there, petrified, unsure what to do.
I still didn't understand why she'd brought me here. Too scared to move, I sat stiffly on the couch. Jiang Qingqing ignored me, setting her bag down before disappearing into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
When she came out, she glanced at me before drying her hair by the door. After a while, she finally spoke. Aren't you going to shower?
Seizing the chance to escape her glare, I bolted into the bathroom. In record time, I scrubbed myself clean, even humming a little tune in my relief: "Wash, wash, take a bath, baby's skin so soft and—"
By the time I emerged, fully dressed, Jiang Qingqing was sitting on the bed—also fully clothed.
Not knowing what to say, I grabbed the hairdryer. Jiang Qingqing watched silently as I blasted my hair until it was bone-dry. Finally, she scoffed. How much longer are you going to do that?
I quickly turned it off and shuffled over. Just as I was about to sit on the couch again, she snapped, What are you doing? Come sit here.
I obediently sat on the bed.