Chapter 30

“What?” Yang Zhengfeng was astonished. “Daen has targeted Ruan Nianchu?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure it’s Daen’s doing?”

Li Teng said, “Can’t be entirely sure, but it’s likely.”

Yang Zhengfeng remained silent for a moment, sighing. “If it really is Daen, then going after Ruan Nianchu is clearly aimed at you. Whether this possibility is big or small, we can’t take it lightly.” After a pause, he continued, “Let me contact the Yuncheng police immediately. Before Daen is caught, ask them to assign someone to protect that girl.”

Li Teng furrowed his brow. “The local police here haven’t dealt with Daen before, they’re not familiar with his tactics. No good.”

“True.” Yang Zhengfeng thought for a moment. “Then send one of our own. Regardless, we can’t let innocent civilians’ lives be threatened.”

Li Teng reached for a cigarette from the pack with one hand and put it in his mouth. “Who do you suggest we send?”

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“Py Elk?”

“Py Elk kp vss kxrwzpkhl. Ls tsse.”

“Tysgk?”

“Ls tsse.”

“Kkydt Jyknbldt?” Zydt Hbldtqldt’p lulp zkv wr. “Mbyv jke kp tsse, pjkzzle, yde uswdt, sdl sq vbl vsr vyzldvp yxsdt vbl dlo alnawkvp.”

Nk Mldt alxshle vbl nktyalvvl, bkp vsdl nsze. “Mbyv jke pvawvp yaswde zkjl y rlyn*nj yzz eyu zsdt, yp kq bl’p ycswv vs vyjl vbl pvytl. Ls tsse.”

Brsd blyakdt vbkp, Zydt Hbldtqldt’p qklau vlxrla qzyale wr. “Zsw’al y rykd kd vbl dlnj. Lsvbkdt kp tsse ldswtb qsa usw. Ebu esd’v usw fwpv pyu usw’al vbl sdzu sdl qkv qsa vbl fsc?”

Nk Mldt qwaasole bkp caso yde nzlyale bkp vbasyv. “…R eked’v xlyd kv vbyv oyu.”

“Bullshit, you know damn well what I mean,” Yang Zhengfeng cursed. “I’ve been your boss for a long time, do you think I can’t see through your intentions?”

“I really didn’t.”

Yang Zhengfeng impatiently interrupted, “Alright, it’s settled. Until further instructions come from above, your mission is to ensure Ruan Nianchu’s safety. Since Daen has already made a move against her once, there will undoubtedly be a second time. Instead of running around like headless flies trying to find him, it’s better to wait for him to come to you and act accordingly. This is an order.”

Li Teng turned his head away, looking out the window. “Understood.”

“Protect that girl well,” Yang Zhengfeng’s voice came through the earpiece, with a suppressed smile evident. “If anything happens to her because of Daen, you’ll be the one to answer.”

He tossed the phone onto the center console, closed his eyes, and spoke in a cold tone, “Repeating the same thing over and over again, aren’t you tired?”

Yang Zhengfeng replied steadfastly, “You’re an old man, a little nagging won’t hurt. Which old man doesn’t nag? Alright, let this old man nag one last time.” His tone grew slightly more serious. “Li Teng, once this opportunity passes, it won’t come again. There’s no regret medicine in this world. Despite all your efforts to keep her out of it, she still got involved. Do you know why?”

Li Teng lifted his eyelids. “Fate.”

After all these years, going round and round, they ended up back where they started. That’s their fate.

---

At half past five in the afternoon, Ruan Nianchu packed up her things, carried her backpack, hugged the flowers, and walked out of the vocal rehearsal room. Just as she descended the first step, her phone received a WeChat message.

She opened it, sent by her mother: “Before coming home tonight, make a trip to the supermarket and buy these things.” Attached was a long list of miscellaneous daily items like toothpaste, soap, shower gel…

Ruan Nianchu wiped a drop of cold sweat from her forehead and replied after a moment: “Got it, Mom. 😊”

After replying, she put her phone back into her pocket and prepared to leave the unit to catch the subway. At that moment, there was a honking sound coming from the direction of the parking lot.

Ruan Nianchu turned around, her eyes flashing momentarily, and she froze.

It was Li Teng’s car. The driver’s window was halfway down, and he was looking at her directly with a determined gaze.

He suddenly appeared and then disappeared this afternoon, and she thought he had left early. Pondering, Ruan Nianchu walked over with a puzzled expression and forced a smile, “What a coincidence, Li Teng. We meet again.”

Li Teng said lightly, “What’s so coincidental? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

“…?” Ruan Nianchu was startled, asking, “Do you have something to tell me?”

Li Teng said, “You asked me to go with you to and from work, remember?”

Indeed, she did mention this, but that was before they broke up. Ruan Nianchu hesitated at first, but then thought it was just a matter of catching a ride on the way, so it shouldn’t be a big deal. After breaking up, they were still friends, and since he was so straightforward, she should be generous too.

So she smiled, “Oh… I remember now. But let’s skip it today. I need to go to the nearby supermarket first. You don’t have to wait for me.”

“That works out well,” Li Teng said, “I also need to go to the supermarket.”

“…That’s truly coincidental,” Ruan Nianchu chuckled dryly twice.

“Get in,” he reached out to open the car door for her. Seeing no room for further refusal, she composed herself and sat in the passenger seat.

Li Teng drove the car out of the performance troupe. When they passed by the gate, the guard standing there immediately saluted solemnly. Ruan Nianchu also enjoyed the privilege of being looked back at with respect for the first time.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention, she kept her composure, sitting up straight.

“Which supermarket are we going to?” Li Teng suddenly asked.

“Walmart on Liuyin Avenue,” Ruan Nianchu replied. “It’s not far from my house, and probably not far from yours either. It’s on the way you usually take home from the general military district.”

He scoffed lightly, “I don’t go home that way.”

Ruan Nianchu furrowed her brows at his words, quite puzzled. “Why not? Isn’t your house in the same direction as mine?”

“No,” one is in the south of the city, the other in the north, separated by a hundred thousand miles.

“But you clearly said it was on the way before.”

Li Teng glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, “Do you believe everything I say?”

“…?” Ruan Nianchu was stunned for a moment, then blurted out without thinking, “So we’re not on the way. Then why did you used to send me home every day before and wait for me so long today?”

He countered, “Why do you think?”

He was such a strange person that anything strange he did seemed to become normal. Ruan Nianchu pursed her lips, glanced back at her phone screen, and muttered in a low voice, “Who knows what’s going on in your head all the time.”

Li Teng drove his car, speaking slowly and deliberately, “Miss, I have my quirks, why are you blushing?”

“…?” With his words sinking in, Ruan Nianchu’s body stiffened. Subconsciously, she raised her hand to touch her left cheek, then her right cheek. The temperature of both sides of her face was normal.

The person beside her chuckled softly.

Ruan Nianchu was bewildered, dazed, it took her a few seconds to realize he was teasing her. Immediately feeling embarrassed, she bit her lip and scolded softly, “Are you always this playful with me? Do you think I’m easy to fool? Why are you so naughty?” Too much, rotten egg!

“I am a bad egg. I’m sorry.”

“…Did he apologize so quickly? Doesn’t hitting himself hurt? Ruan Nianchu was speechless, thinking to herself that he must be really out of his mind.

With a smirk playing on his lips, Li Teng glanced at the rearview mirror. The girl’s cheeks and even her neck were tomato red. Her snow-white skin was as clear as jade, truly flushed this time.

In the evening, the supermarket wasn’t too crowded. Ruan Nianchu swept through the aisles according to the list her mother sent. Before long, the cart was filled with daily necessities and fresh fruits and vegetables, forming a small mountain.

She walked ahead, holding her phone, looking around; Li Teng pushed the shopping cart behind her, expressionless.

After a few minutes, Ruan Nianchu’s shopping spree came to an end. When she turned around, the cart was filled to the brim with her things. She sent a voice message to her mother: “Done shopping.” Then she put her phone back into her pocket.

Li Teng asked, “Finished shopping?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“Let’s go then.” He turned and pushed the cart towards the checkout counter. He didn’t like crowded places. Supermarkets were too noisy. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t even want to stay for five minutes.

Ruan Nianchu suddenly remembered something and caught up with him. “Hey!”

Li Teng paused, glancing at her. “What’s wrong now?”

“You said you were going to buy something too, right?” She looked through the cart, puzzled. “What do you want to buy? Did you get it?”

He stood still for a moment, then turned around and grabbed a discounted box of teddy bear cookies from the nearest shelf, throwing it into the cart. In a flat tone, he said, “Got it. Let’s go.” With that, he went straight to the checkout counter.

Ruan Nianchu’s lips twitched. “…”

As the saying goes, when things go against the norm, there must be something unusual going on. She felt like this man was definitely under some sort of spell today.

Since then, Ruan Nianchu’s life seemed to have suddenly undergone some changes. Li Teng’s possession seemed to worsen day by day, and with it, the inexplicable increase in their interactions, becoming more frequent. Every morning at seven-thirty, he would appear punctually at the entrance of her residential area, pick her up, and drop her off at work. And every evening at five-thirty, he would also pick her up from work on time.

This harmonious yet eerie coexistence continued until this Saturday.

It was drizzling that day, and the air in the early autumn Yuncheng was damp and cold, with the entire city seemingly shrouded in mist, making the street scenes blurry. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the rain stopped.

Ruan Nianchu and Li Teng headed to Xuan’an Town together.

Xiaoxing was very talented. After just a few lessons, he had already learned to read sheet music roughly, which made Ruan Nianchu very happy. After returning to the city center after class, she couldn’t help but admire even during dinner, “Xiaoxing can read music on his own now. It’s really amazing to learn to read music in such a short time. Auntie Xia is also very happy. She said a good teacher produces outstanding students.”

These words praised her disciple and herself.

Li Teng raised his eyes at the sound, his gaze falling on Ruan Nianchu’s face. With both hands propping up her chin, she had a silly smile on her face, her cheeks rosy, her big eyes sparkling, her eyebrows and eyes curving, looking charming and cute. Lowering his gaze, he noticed she had applied lipstick, the slightly dark red contrasting against her snow-white skin, adding to her allure.

This woman had a kind of fatal attraction to him. Whether it was her appearance, personality, or her graceful curves. She was like a spring dream in his darkest days, his obsession was too deep, his desires too heavy. Once he removed his disguise, he couldn’t imagine what he might do.

Across from her, Ruan Nianchu took a sip of soup, adjusted her posture, and crossed her long legs under the table.

Li Teng stared at her, his gaze as deep as the sea.

As she picked up a piece of beef to eat, she suddenly noticed something and looked up. As she did, her eyes met his.

Ruan Nianchu blinked, curious, “Why do you keep staring at me?”

Li Teng tapped the table with his index finger, lowered his gaze, “Nothing.”

She chuckled, sighing, half jokingly and half seriously, “You know, sometimes I really want to know what’s going on in your head.” He was a contradictory entity. Cold and indifferent, like a piece of ice that couldn’t be warmed; yet bold and wild, like an eagle in the sky.

Anyway, she couldn’t understand this man at all, but she was full of curiosity about him.

After a few moments of silence, the person across from her smiled casually, “Really want to know?”

She nodded, “Yes. Can you tell me?”

“Sure.”

This answer was unexpected. Ruan Nianchu paused, her eyes flashing, “Then what are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about you all the time,” Li Teng flicked his lighter, lifted his eyelids, and stared straight at her, “Ruan Nianchu.”

She frowned, not understanding, “What do you mean?”

He said, “It means, I’m thinking about you all the time.”

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