"What's going on here?"
When Liu Dan and Fengqin arrived at the main hall of the bar, they saw a group of rowdy young thugs with brightly dyed hair surrounding two college boys. The furniture nearby had been knocked over, scattered in disarray.
"Well, perfect timing. Which one of you is the manager?" sneered one punk with multiple earrings on each ear.
"I'm the manager. May I ask what happened?" Fengqin kept her tone polite, though she could tell right away these people were here to cause trouble. Still, a business is a business—you had to keep things civil.
"Well now, aren't you a pretty one?" The earringed punk stepped up to her, reeking of alcohol, his voice thick with sleaze. "How about sharing a drink with us later, sweetheart?"
Fengqin, tall and striking in her yellow suit, stood out easily—she was nearly 1.75 meters tall, and Liu Dan, having grown a bit during his recent hospital stay, had just reached 1.8. Standing next to her, the punk looked almost comically small, barely 1.65 meters. It was like a child yelling at an adult.
"Was it something one of our staff did that upset you?" Fengqin asked, calm and professional, her expression unreadable.
The punk clearly realized they couldn't push things much further. "Nah," he said, pointing rudely at the two trembling students. "These two brats ruined our vibe, that's all."
It turned out the two were students from Xinhua University. After finishing their dance, they were on their way out when one accidentally kicked over a bottle on the floor. It was dark in the bar, and such accidents weren't unusual—but these thugs had clearly been looking for an excuse to stir up trouble.
The two students had never seen anything like this before. They were frozen with fear.
Fengqin, watching the scene unfold, felt a wave of sympathy. "How about this," she offered gently, "we'll waive your tab tonight, as a gesture of goodwill from the bar."
The punk grinned and exchanged looks with his buddies, then turned back to her, leering. "You think that's enough to fix our mood? Pretty lady, if you join us for a drink, maybe we'll let it go. What do you say, boys?"
A wave of vulgar laughter broke out.
"You've gone too far."
Liu Dan had kept silent until now, but he couldn't bear it anymore. These guys weren't just making trouble—they were trying to take advantage of Fengqin. Though they had only known each other for two days, he already thought of her as a big sister. Seeing her harassed like this infuriated him.
He stepped forward to defend her, but Fengqin caught his hand, gently holding him back.
"You really won't stop, will you?" Her tone had turned cold.
"Oh, look, she's getting mad," said the punk mockingly, reaching out to touch her face.
That was the last straw.
Liu Dan pulled Fengqin behind him and punched the punk straight in the stomach. The guy was launched several meters into the air, crashing hard to the ground. He tried to get up but couldn't.
There was a stunned silence—then chaos erupted.
"Bastard! You dare hit our boss—kill him!" someone shouted. The rest of the gang grabbed beer bottles and hurled them at Liu Dan.
Fearing Fengqin would be hit, Liu Dan pulled her into his arms and turned his back to the flying glass. The bottles smashed against him one after another.
Stunned by the suddenness of it all, Fengqin found herself pressed against Liu Dan's chest. The scent of soap and clean sweat filled her nose, strangely comforting. She felt warm. Safe. It was a feeling she didn't want to end.
Liu Dan's internal energy surged in response to the attack. The mysterious martial art he'd been cultivating activated instinctively, shielding him from harm. Though he barely felt the bottles striking his back, his ear—an unprotected area—was cut and bleeding.
The punks, out of bottles, were preparing to rush in when the bar's security finally arrived. Realizing they were outnumbered, the thugs retreated. Their leader, still woozy from Liu Dan's punch, growled as his men helped him to his feet.
"You're all dead! I swear I'll trash this dump! You hear me?" he spat. "The next time you see me, you'll regret it!"
Back in her office, Fengqin carefully sat Liu Dan down on the leather sofa. Pressing a handkerchief to his bleeding ear, she fussed over him. "You really are something. So reckless. When we get to my place, I'll treat your wounds properly."
Still simmering, Liu Dan muttered, "But they were clearly looking for trouble—and trying to take advantage of you!"
Watching him scowl in outrage, Fengqin felt a strange warmth rise in her heart. Yet her tone remained light as she scolded him: "Listen to yourself. You can't just go punching people. You're still a student—you can't fight a whole gang! Even if you beat one, what about the rest? You're way too impulsive. I'll have to keep a close eye on you from now on."
Liu Dan fell silent. He knew she was right.
After giving instructions to her staff, Fengqin walked him out.
By now, it was close to one in the morning. The streets were quiet. Under the streetlights, their shadows stretched long behind them, eventually overlapping as they walked side by side.
They didn't say much. Just walked.
Somehow, Liu Dan realized that his arm was pressing softly against Fengqin's chest. He went stiff, keeping his arm perfectly straight and still, not daring to move. Thankfully, the lighting was dim, so she didn't notice how red his face had gotten from the combination of blood loss and embarrassment.
"Uh... Sister Qin," he said, trying to sound casual, "do you think you could help me find a place to stay off-campus? I can't make it back to the dorm by curfew, and I don't want to wake everyone up every night."
"I'll check tomorrow," she replied thoughtfully.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at her apartment, nestled behind the small hill near campus.
Before going in, Fengqin added, "By the way, I have a roommate—my junior from university. Try not to wake her, okay?"
The apartment was a cozy three-bedroom with two sitting rooms, around a hundred square meters. The ceiling was painted blue and white, dotted with cartoon stars and moons. The furnishings were plentiful but neatly arranged, giving the place a warm and inviting feel.
"Sit," said Fengqin, guiding Liu Dan to the leather sofa. She returned a moment later with some medicine and gauze.
"Alright, be good. Take off your shirt," she said casually as she set the supplies down.
Liu Dan blushed. "I-it's fine. Really. I'm not hurt that bad."
"Don't be a baby. Let me see. What if it's serious?" She reached to pull up his shirt.
"I'll do it myself!" he yelped, grabbing the hem protectively.
What followed was a bizarre little standoff: Fengqin trying to lift his shirt, and Liu Dan struggling to keep it on, both equally stubborn.
As the tug-of-war escalated, Liu Dan leaned back to escape her grip—but lost his balance, and the two of them fell together onto the couch. Instinctively, he caught her in his arms to break the fall.
They froze.
It was the second time today she'd ended up in Liu Dan's arms.
At the bar, everything had been chaos. All she remembered was how safe he'd felt. Now, cradled securely in his embrace, his scent surrounding her, Fengqin felt dizzy. Entranced.
Liu Dan's heart pounded wildly. The softness pressing against his chest made his breath quicken.
Noticing his ragged breathing, Fengqin giggled softly and whispered, "You little perv. You can let go of me now."