He was already in a foul mood, and now someone had the audacity to provoke him? Fine! Consider yourself his punching bag!
Lu Haoran wiped his nose with a dark smirk, switched his jacket to the other arm, and strode toward the source of the commotion with an intimidating aura.
"Let me go! I’m warning you, if you dare lay a hand on me, I’ll make sure you regret it!"
Lu Haoran’s steps faltered, his entire body freezing. That voice…
But how could *she* be here? Despite his doubts, he quickened his pace.
"Ah! You bunch of shameless thieves! I, Xia Han, swear I’ll never let you off!" *Damn it!* She had held back long enough. Did they think she was easy to bully? These bastards kept targeting her—*only* her!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Tears welled up in Xia Han’s eyes, and her movements grew fiercer.
Just then, the weight pressing down on her suddenly lifted. She looked up and saw Lu Haoran’s tall, striking figure under the dim streetlight. Xia Han stared at him, dumbfounded.
The next second, a warm, masculine jacket draped over her shoulders, wrapping her snugly. It even smelled nice.
Lu Haoran knelt on one knee, gently helping her up and pulling her into his embrace. His brows furrowed with concern. "Are you okay?"
How could she be okay? She just kept staring at him without a word, tears glistening in her eyes. As he watched, those tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks…
Lu Haoran’s heart ached. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her eyelids…
Only then did Xia Han snap out of it. *He kissed her!*
Her eyes darted away, and she tried to stand, but Lu Haoran held her firmly against his chest. Before she could react, his gentle voice murmured, "Let me hold you for a bit."
Between the earlier incident and now holding the person he’d been missing, the storm inside him had completely settled. In fact, he was certain now—he *liked* her…
The moment he realized it was her in the distance, his heart had raced uncontrollably. He’d been terrified something might happen to her, even panicked. He *ran* to her. Now he knew… Xia Han’s place in his heart was far more important than he’d ever imagined.
Pressed against Lu Haoran’s chest, Xia Han could hear his heartbeat—strong and rapid. Was he… worried about her?
"Hey, lovebirds, save the PDA for later. Hand over the money, and I’ll let you go."
Sure, this guy looked like trouble, and yeah, he’d just tossed one of his lackeys aside like trash. But he *really* wanted that money back.
"You want money?" Lu Haoran’s voice dripped with dark amusement as his face remained shadowed. "Hanhan, should we give it to them?"
*Hanhan?* Xia Han’s heart skipped a beat…
"Hmm? Not talking? Did they bully you earlier?"
Before she could answer, Lu Haoran carefully helped her up, then turned to the man with a flash of cold fury in his eyes. *This guy, huh…*
"Wen-ge" trembled under the man’s murderous gaze. He was about to retreat when a foot slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling with blood trickling from his mouth.
"Wen-ge! Wen-ge!" His lackey’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees. "D-Dage, we were wrong! We’ll do anything, just spare us!"
Lu Haoran kicked the lackey over, then planted a foot on his chest.
"Who the hell are you to call me *Dage*? Kneel in front of her. Apologize. Slap yourselves until she forgives you. Then *maybe* I’ll let you leave."
Both men scrambled to kneel before Xia Han, frantically slapping their own faces. "We’re sorry, miss! We were blind! We deserve this!"
Xia Han smirked. "Get lost. If I ever see you again, I’ll knock all your teeth out." She even flexed her fist for emphasis.
The two bolted like their lives depended on it—which they probably did.
Xia Han couldn’t deny it—she was in a *great* mood now. That man had been *so* cool just now. She’d been mesmerized. "Tha—"
Lu Haoran cupped her face and kissed her.
Xia Han’s eyes widened. Her lips parted in shock—*her first kiss!*
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Haoran deepened the kiss, his tongue claiming hers with possessive intensity.
By the time he finally pulled away, Xia Han’s legs had turned to jelly. Lu Haoran steadied her with an arm around her waist.
"Why’d you forgive them? After what they did to you?" Not that it mattered—he wasn’t letting them off either way.
Hearing Lu Haoran’s doting tone, Xia Han finally snapped out of her daze, blushing furiously. "H-How could you just kiss me like that?!"
"Heh."
"I kissed the girl I like. What’s wrong with that?" And damn, she tasted good…
*The girl I like… The girl I like…*
Xia Han’s mind short-circuited. She *should* slap this rogue right now, but neither her brain nor her body seemed willing.
Noticing her dazed expression, Lu Haoran’s eyes darkened. He kissed her again.
This one lasted even longer. By the time he finally broke it and scooped her into his arms, Xia Han was too flustered to face him, burying her face in his chest. *Ahhh, so embarrassing!*
A low chuckle vibrated through his chest.
"*Lu Haoran!!!*" Xia Han wasn’t *that* easy to tease!
"Be good. Don’t move. I’m taking you to Xuan to check for injuries." His voice softened with concern.
Xia Han quieted down. Now that he mentioned it, her waist *did* hurt from struggling earlier.
Thus, the pair headed back to Lumeng Apartments, summoning Mu Jingxuan for an emergency checkup…
Mu Jingxuan sighed. *Again?* Did they think he had nothing better to do?
Resigned, he began examining Xia Han…
Meanwhile, Lan Qianqian sipped the medicine Lan Hanyu had brewed, her heart full of warmth.
*Buzz buzz—*
Who was calling?
She glanced at the screen and answered cheerfully. This time, Lan Hanyu could *definitely* tell who it was. He rolled his eyes but stayed silent.
"Mo Han."
"Why didn’t you answer earlier?" Xuan Mohan’s voice carried a rare edge of panic through the phone.
Lan Qianqian paused.
"I… had my phone on silent. Didn’t hear it."
*At least it was just silent.* Something felt off, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. Frowning, he ordered, "No more silent mode. No turning it off. Keep your phone on 24/7. Understood?"
Normally, she’d argue against his domineering tone, but right now, Lan Qianqian only felt sweetness bloom in her chest.