The two bodyguards lurking in the shadows felt their heads buzz simultaneously.
Exchanging a glance, they each threw a punch at the other!
This is what happens when you hesitate!
Now the boss is injured!
But to be fair, both of them had recognized that Miss Lin Mo wasn’t in any real danger.
Miss Lin Mo had sharp instincts.
Even while comforting others, her body was tense, ready to dodge at any moment.
If they could see it, how could the boss not?
Well, the boss wasn’t exactly a professional.
Or maybe… he was trying to play the hero?
No time to dwell on it—both bodyguards rushed out of the car toward the scene.
The thick scent of blood filled the air as Lin Mo spun around and delivered a fierce kick to the Scarred Man’s torso.
Staggering back, the Scarred Man dropped his knife again, its tip now stained with fresh blood.
Shen Ji’an froze for a second. “Mr. Xie!”
He reached out to grab the Scarred Man’s collar, only to see the man suddenly lifted into the air.
Shen Ji’an: “???”
A closer look revealed two burly men, each gripping one of the Scarred Man’s arms.
Like a pendulum, they slammed him hard onto the ground.
The impact left the Scarred Man coughing up blood, his internal organs severely damaged.
Good Samaritans?
Shen Ji’an didn’t overthink it. “Thank you!”
Lin Mo, seeing the Scarred Man subdued, immediately turned to Xie Guanyan.
“Where are you hurt?”
She lifted his hand, scanning his body—no wound on his stomach, none on his chest.
“You’re grabbing the wound,” Xie Guanyan said, his voice laced with pain.
Lin Mo: “…”
She released his hand and looked.
A deep gash ran across his right forearm.
His white shirt was soaked in crimson, a horrifying sight.
Her palm was sticky with his warm blood.
That knife hadn’t been aimed at Lin Mo—it was meant for Auntie Zhen.
So the angle had been off.
Lin Mo’s heart ached inexplicably. “I could’ve dodged it!”
He didn’t have to get hurt!
“Sorry,” Xie Guanyan murmured softly.
He knew Lin Mo was agile.
But he couldn’t help himself.
When that blade flashed toward her, his body moved before his mind could react.
The beautiful man’s lips were pale from blood loss, his usually gentle voice now low and fragile, carrying an indescribable vulnerability.
Lin Mo instantly regretted her words.
“I’ll take you to the hospital. Shen Ji’an, stay and call the police. Auntie Zhen is coming with us.”
Leaving Auntie Zhen here would only traumatize her further.
She’d bring her to the station for a statement later.
“Let me drive you—I’m fast!” one of the burly men offered, after confirming the Scarred Man was barely breathing.
“I’ll stay and help the kid with the police,” the other added.
The two looked strikingly similar, like twins.
Lin Mo didn’t refuse their kindness. “Alright, thank you!”
Auntie Zhen hesitated to get in the car. “Xiao An, Xiao An…”
Lin Mo reassured her gently, “It’s okay. Xiao An is safe—he’s waiting for the police.”
Inside the black SUV:
The burly man at the wheel didn’t dare glance at the boss in the passenger seat.
This job was probably over.
They’d noticed someone tailing the boss’s car earlier, but the man hadn’t exited at the restaurant.
After a long wait with no sign of him, they’d let their guard down.
Now it was clear—he’d gone to buy a knife!
Lin Mo had been followed before, too—by a private investigator.
They’d reported it to the boss, who told them to ignore it and stay hidden.
Xie Guanyan sat in the passenger seat, calmly pressing his jacket against the wound to stop the bleeding.
Lin Mo, in the back, kept a soothing hand on Auntie Zhen’s back, her gaze drifting to the man in front.
His white trousers were speckled with blood.
Like an untouchable flower of the high mountains, fallen to earth and bruised.
She lowered her lashes, a strange feeling stirring in her chest.
When that knife had gleamed in the light… Had Xie Guanyan felt no fear at all?
Outside the Sichuan restaurant:
Shen Ji’an called the police, then dialed his second brother.
Shen Yihan was already home, working on the couch.
He usually used the study, but after seeing Xie Guanyan work from the sofa, he’d adopted the habit too.
Turns out, it was way more comfortable.
“What’s up, Shen Ji’an?” Shen Yihan asked.
Using his full name just felt right.
“Second Brother, Mr. Xie got hurt protecting Jie. They’re heading to the hospital—can you check on them?”
Shen Yihan’s cold eyes widened. “What happened?”
Shen Ji’an summarized the attack by the knife-wielding assailant after their dinner with Xie Guanyan.
The Scarred Man’s identity was too complicated to explain, so he skipped it.
Shen Yihan’s first thought: “Is Jie okay?”
Shen Ji’an: “Jie’s fine.”
Shen Yihan’s second thought: “She took you to dinner but not me?”
Shen Ji’an: “…”
The nearest hospital was just a kilometer away—not Kangyue, but SS Hospital, one of Xie Guanyan’s investments.
The wound was deep, nearly to the bone.
As the doctor cleaned it, Xie Guanyan didn’t flinch, though a faint sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead.
The burly man, however, winced like it was his own arm. “Doc, be gentle! Gentler!”
“He’s lost so much blood—how many pig-blood soups will it take to recover?!”
Even after anesthesia was administered for the stitches, the bodyguard fretted. “Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon!”
Lin Mo studied the man, wondering if he’d fallen for Xie Guanyan at first sight.
Xie Guanyan wasn’t into men, though.
Not that she could blame the guy—most Good Samaritans would’ve just dropped them off.
But this one handled registration, queued up, did everything.
Leaving her with nothing to do but watch over Auntie Zhen.
Auntie Zhen had calmed down, though she still trembled slightly.
The burly man even fetched hot water for them.
He held an extra cup, clearly for Xie Guanyan.
Hospital water was scalding, so he blew on it to cool it down faster.
The whole thing felt… oddly intimate.
Lin Mo had no idea this was just the man’s desperate attempt to keep his job.
(Okay, maybe there was a sliver of genuine concern. But just a sliver.)
Xie Guanyan, annoyed by the chatter, adjusted his glasses with his uninjured hand. “You can leave.”
The bodyguard set the now-lukewarm water aside. “It’s just right now. Drink it when you’re thirsty!”
Then he obediently left.
With the chatter gone, Lin Mo’s focus zeroed in on the doctor’s stitching.
Xie Guanyan’s forearm was pale, the angry gash stark against his skin—a sight that made her chest ache.
One wound barely healed, and now this.
“Will it scar?” she asked the doctor.
The flawlessly sculpted man was now imperfect because of her.
She was practically fUnStraight!
The doctor continued his work without pause, "It's hard to say, but with proper care and applying scar-removal cream later, it might leave no trace."
Lin Mo asked with concern, "How should it be protected?"
The doctor replied, "Avoid straining it in the early stages, and keep it dry to prevent infection. Once it scabs over, make sure not to pick at it. Gentle massages can help promote blood circulation in the area."
Lin Mo nodded, committing it to memory. "Alright, I understand."
Behind his glasses, Xie Guanyan's amber eyes gazed at the young woman with infatuation, his breath slightly quickened.
Shanshan was worried about him.
For such a minor injury, it was worth it.
