Chapter 22: Encounter with Li Ruo

“Get lost now while you still can,” Ye Chen said coldly, casting the other man a fleeting glance.

“Go to hell!” the man shouted, lunging forward with sudden fury, charging at Ye Chen with a knife gripped in his reversed right hand and his back hunched. Ye Chen didn’t spare him a second thought. In this world, aside from that little demoness Yao Yue, there was hardly anyone who could truly catch his attention—let alone a few ordinary ex-soldiers.

Just as the man bared his teeth and rushed in, a crisp, commanding voice rang out from the crowd. “Stop!”

But the attacker couldn’t halt his momentum. Clutching the knife, he dashed straight for Ye Chen. Without hesitation, Zhang Yantong raised her pistol and fired at the man’s thigh. The sharp crack of the gunshot sent the onlookers scrambling back. Even though the weapon was in the hands of the police, the people’s instinctive fear of firearms was still palpable.

“Who was that? Who?!” The blond youth sobered instantly at the gunshot, leaping up in a rage and cursing at Zhang Yantong, “Damn it, who the hell are you?”

“I’m Zhang Yantong, captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Jianghuai City Police!” Zhang Yantong strode toward him, pulling her badge from her pocket and flashing it before his eyes. “Take a good look!”

The blond youth exclaimed in surprise, his roving eyes brazenly sweeping over Zhang Yantong’s chest before swallowing hard and muttering, “Big and fair…”

Ye Chen couldn’t help but burst into laughter. This kid had guts, daring to flirt with a policewoman so openly—he was bound for a beating. As expected, Zhang Yantong’s delicate brows drew together, and she struck out with an elbow, landing it mercilessly in the youth’s abdomen. The blond doubled over, agony written all over his face, his eyes bulging as white foam trickled from his lips.

“Damn…” he groaned, clutching his stomach and spinning in place. “I’ll kill you for this!”

“Publicly insulting a government official—an additional charge!” Zhang Yantong waved her hand and ordered the officers behind her, “Take him away!”

“What?!” The officers hesitated. They knew exactly what sort of person this blond youth was, far better than Zhang Yantong, who was still new to Jianghuai City. One of them hurried over and whispered, “Captain Zhang, we can’t arrest this guy!”

“Why not?” Zhang Yantong frowned, sensing that there was more to the situation.

“He… he’s the son of Secretary Jiang Zhong!” the officer muttered. Ye Chen, whose hearing was sharp, caught the words despite the low volume. His heart tightened—so this was the son of the Party Secretary. This was going to be trouble. He anxiously watched Zhang Yantong, uncertain how she would handle it.

“You’re Jiang Zhong’s son?” Zhang Yantong fixed her gaze on him.

“That’s right, I am. Now you’re scared, aren’t you?” The blond youth, rubbing his stomach, managed to straighten up, grinning at Zhang Yantong. “Isn’t your section chief Cui Jianguo? Since when did you take over?”

“Chief Cui has been promoted to deputy director. I’m now in charge of the unit,” Zhang Yantong replied coolly. “Come with me.”

“To where?” The youth looked at her in astonishment. “To a hotel, maybe?”

With a clang, Zhang Yantong swung her handcuffs at his head, raising a large bump. The youth clutched his head in pain, howling, “Damn it! I’m Jiang Zhong’s son! How dare you hit me? Believe it or not, I’ll have you out of that uniform by tomorrow!”

“Take him away!” Zhang Yantong snapped, locking his hands with a click. The other officers, not daring to disobey, hurried to escort the arrogant youth to the police car. Instantly, thunderous applause broke out around them. The people running their stalls outside Jianghuai University were long-suffering, unaccustomed to anyone standing up for them. Seeing Zhang Yantong’s decisive action, their hearts were won over.

“Good, finally someone’s standing up for justice!”

“That’s right! Usually the police are like turtles hiding in their shells!”

The crowd cheered, chatting excitedly and openly praising the police for their conduct.

“Brother Chen!” Liu Momo hurried over, taking Ye Chen’s arm and looking him up and down with concern. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, do you think anything could happen to me?” Ye Chen chuckled, pinching the small, delicate bridge of her nose. “Were you frightened? You did the right thing today—whenever something happens, you should call me first, understand?”

“Mhm!” Liu Momo nodded, happiness shining in her eyes as she clung to his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

Zhang Yantong glanced sidelong at Ye Chen, a flicker of surprise in her eyes before her expression returned to calm. With a faint smile, she approached. “Ye Chen, remember our agreement.”

“Don’t worry, Captain Zhang!” Ye Chen waved to her.

The police car roared away with the blond youth inside. The bodyguards left behind stared in disbelief—had the police really arrested the Party Secretary’s son? They scrambled into their cars, frantically making phone calls for help.

“Brother Chen, do you know that policewoman?” Liu Momo asked, a sly smile on her lips.

“That’s… a secret,” Ye Chen replied with a laugh.

“Hmph, you’re terrible!” Liu Momo let go of his arm and turned away, “If you won’t say, forget it!”

It wasn’t that Ye Chen didn’t want to tell her, but he didn’t want Liu Momo to know about his cooperation with the police or his determination to help bring down Zhang Dadan’s drug den in University Town. With her heart so tied to his, Ye Chen never quite knew how to handle her feelings.

After helping the mother and daughter pack up their stall, he joined them in pushing the tricycle home.

“Brother Chen, you should go on home,” Liu Momo said, tilting her head. “It’s late—you should get some rest. I have class tomorrow too.”

“Alright, I’ll walk you to the intersection,” Ye Chen nodded. He knew Liu Momo’s mother didn’t entirely approve of how close he was to her daughter, but because he’d helped them out many times, she didn’t interfere either. Her attitude toward their relationship was neither supportive nor opposed.

Because of her mother, Liu Momo kept glancing back at Ye Chen, winking and making faces—her innocence and charm stirring a wave of affection in his heart. She was beautiful and clever, always bringing him unexpected joy. Looking at her, memories of his companions from the orphanage surfaced in his mind.

“Brother Chen, we’re heading home!” Liu Momo called, hopping onto the tricycle, resting her cheek on her hand, and sticking out her tongue at him before waving.

Ye Chen stood at the intersection, watching until they were safely across the street before he turned to go home. Just as he turned, a bright red convertible BMW screeched to a halt right in front of him. Ye Chen’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest—who was reckless enough to race cars at night? When he looked closer, he realized with a jolt that it was Li Ruo, the stunning CEO of Tianya Group. Had she lost her mind, coming out to race cars late at night?

“President Li?!” Ye Chen exclaimed.

“Get in!” Li Ruo nodded at him. Ye Chen, puzzled but unable to refuse a beauty’s request, got in obediently.

Tonight, Li Ruo’s attire was a far cry from her daytime formality. By day, she was all business—serious and unsmiling; but now, she looked wild and alluring: black shorts, a strappy top baring her shoulders. Ye Chen’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He asked nervously, “Where are we going?”

“Xiangming Mountain,” Li Ruo said coolly.

“What for?” Ye Chen was startled. Xiangming Mountain was a landmark outside Jianghuai City, lush and green, eighty percent covered in forest, facing the sea to the southeast. The winding roads made it a well-developed tourist attraction for the past twenty years.

“Racing,” Li Ruo replied, a sly smile on her lips.

“You’re kidding, right?” Ye Chen cried, barely getting his seatbelt fastened before the high-performance BMW Z4 shot backward. His head almost hit the dashboard. Before he could react, the car rocketed forward, accelerating from zero to a hundred in under three seconds. Ye Chen’s heart pounded wildly. Li Ruo, tense and her cheeks flushed with excitement, gripped the wheel and pedals with both hands, expertly weaving through the city and onto the road out of town.

“Damn, a sports car?!”

“Hell, was that a beautiful woman driving just now?”

A few peasants out for a walk stared, clutching their hats in astonishment as the fiery red BMW streaked past. Pointing and chattering, their eyes sparkled—they could now boast that they’d seen the world.

“Sister, you’re not supposed to drive a sports car like that!” Ye Chen protested helplessly. The BMW Z4 was a beast, impossible for ordinary people to control—especially this Z435i, equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. People said that only those with lightning-fast nerves and reflexes could handle it—unless you crawled along at a snail’s pace. Noticing the fine sheen of sweat on Li Ruo’s forehead as she sank into the thrill of the drive, Ye Chen reached over to wipe it away.

“Don’t distract me!” Li Ruo snapped, eyes fixed on the road as the car sped toward Xiangming Mountain. The mountain road wasn’t steep, but it was full of sharp turns.

“Don’t do anything crazy!” Ye Chen watched as Li Ruo bit her lip, determined to take on the next stretch of curves. He shouted, “Hey, stop the car! Don’t be reckless, you’ll send us both off a cliff!”

With a screech, Li Ruo slammed the brakes, leaving a black streak on the road. If Ye Chen hadn’t shouted, she might have gone straight off the edge. His warning had shaken her confidence.

“Idiot! Why are you yelling?” Li Ruo glared at him, her beautiful eyes burning with anger.

“Your driving’s not up to par—there are three sharp curves ahead. If you’re careless, it’ll be the end for both of us!” Ye Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved she hadn’t tried it. He quickly opened the door. “If you want to crash, do it alone. I’m walking back!”

“Come back!” Li Ruo barked.

“What? I’m not dying with you. You’re pretty, but…” Ye Chen shook his head, “You’re not my type—too cold, like an iceberg.”

“You…” Li Ruo had never been scolded like that and instantly bristled. “Think you can do better? Hmph, country boy, you probably haven’t even seen a real sports car!”

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