Wife, I’ve Been Reborn (GL) - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Late Night Walk and a Predicament
It was already 10:30 PM after evening self-study. Chen Jiao scurried over to Mu Nan as class ended. “Talk to Zhao Shi nicely, I’m heading off!” Mu Nan gnashed her teeth, looking at Chen Jiao. Sure enough, she knew! Not only did she know, but she also sold her out!
She stood up. Beside her, Xu Liangchen suddenly grabbed her arm. Mu Nan turned back to see a smile blooming in Xu Liangchen’s phoenix eyes. “Let’s walk together.” Oh… She almost forgot, Xu Liangchen was here. Mu Nan immediately felt much more at ease. After packing her textbooks, she walked out of the classroom with Xu Liangchen.
Meeting him was definitely out of the question. She didn’t care if Zhao Shi truly wouldn’t leave until he saw her; anything could be explained clearly tomorrow morning. On a night like this, she didn’t have the courage to meet a boy alone. The key was that she didn’t know him at all.
10:30 PM was already close to midnight. The streets were mostly empty, deadly silent, with only one or two dog barks breaking the night sky. Mu Nan felt a little scared. She looked at her deskmate, who stood ramrod straight beside her. “Aren’t you scared?”
Xu Liangchen frowned, not quite understanding what Mu Nan meant by “scared.” “Are you afraid of the dark?” She shouldn’t be afraid. In the past, she loved going out and playing wildly with her at night, camping on mountaintops more than once. Mu Nan shook her head. “No, I just feel…” Sigh, I just feel uncomfortable. That feeling was hard to describe. It was quite bad.
Xu Liangchen saw her inexplicable expression, sighed, and took her hand. Mu Nan’s hand was small, delicate and boneless. On a night like this, it felt a little cooler. Xu Liangchen’s heart stirred slightly, and she tightened her grip on Mu Nan’s hand.
“Xu Liangchen.”
Xu Liangchen turned. “Hmm?”
Mu Nan thought for a moment, then asked, “Why are you so good to me?”
Xu Liangchen suddenly smiled, her usually cool eyes sparkling with mirth. Mu Nan’s eyes lit up; a beauty’s smile indeed made the scenery breathtaking. “I just want to be good to you.” With that, she didn’t care if Mu Nan understood and led her into the alley.
…
An Ambush in the Alley
At the end of the alley stood a few boys. One of them said, “When she comes over, you know what to do.” The boy beside Zhao Shi, who was holding a cigarette, looked a bit impatient. “Alright, alright, we know what to do.” Zhao Shi still meticulously instructed, “Make it look convincing.” The boy beside him waved his hand.
Make it look convincing? What a joke. When had he ever acted when robbing people or sexually assaulting them? If it weren’t for the large sum of money Zhao Shi offered this time for help, when would it ever be his turn to talk to him? The smoking boy’s eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. Anyone Zhao Dazhong (Zhao’s Young Master) fancied must be a beauty. Even if he couldn’t have her, he still deserved to enjoy the show. He raised his hand and beckoned two of his underlings. “When I say ‘now,’ you let Zhao Shi out.” The underlings nodded, and with grim expressions, led Zhao Shi to squat in a corner. Zhao Shi hid in the darkness, a strange smile on his face. How could he not know what kind of people these were?
As soon as Mu Nan entered the alley, she felt a chilly wind. One hand was held by Xu Liangchen, the other wrapped around her own arm. “It’s a bit…” Before she could finish her sentence, she saw three or four boys appear in front of them. The boys held silver, pipe-like sticks in their hands and stood squarely in front of them.
“Oh, two little beauties tonight.” One of the smoking men said with a smile to the others beside him, his gaze lewd, scanning Mu Nan and Xu Liangchen up and down, as if they were already stripped naked, at their mercy.
“Boss, Mu Nan is the one with long hair.” Jiang Hao’s underling took two steps forward, whispering a reminder. Jiang Hao’s gaze lingered on Mu Nan for a moment, then shifted back to Xu Liangchen. Now this was a real stunner. Jiang Hao rummaged through his limited vocabulary for words to describe her: a face like a blossoming flower, a graceful figure, and a pure, ethereal demeanor. Especially those phoenix eyes, gazing at him coldly and indifferently, which aroused his interest even more. The more dignified Xu Liangchen appeared, the more his mind began to imagine her being wanton. A white bed, a beauty, delicate and boneless, at his command… Just thinking this, his body involuntarily began to heat up, his gaze growing more intense! That Zhao Shi must have been blind. How could he not want such a great beauty, preferring a little bud instead?
Mu Nan trembled all over under their gaze. She wanted to pull Xu Liangchen and run back, but then she saw two more boys standing behind them. She couldn’t help but swallow, her voice lacking conviction. “What do you… what do you want to do?”
Jiang Hao heard this and clutched his stomach, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “What do we want to do? Hahahaha, of course, of course, we’re going to do you!” He laughed in broken sentences, as if her question was pointless, his eyes openly devouring Xu Liangchen, as if she were already his prize. Jiang Hao hadn’t expected such an unexpected bonus tonight. Anyway, Zhao Shi only wanted Mu Nan, so he would enjoy this one beside her tonight. “I want the short-haired one; you guys can do whatever you want with the long-haired one.”
“You despicable bastard!”
“Xu Liangchen, run!” Mu Nan was anxious, seeing their gazes fixed on Xu Liangchen. She knew, of course, that Xu Liangchen was beautiful, even beautiful enough to make her own heart flutter a little. She knew very well what would happen if Xu Liangchen fell into their hands.
Xu Liangchen had been silent and still. Now, hearing Mu Nan’s words, she smiled faintly, her beauty captivating. Jiang Hao felt his soul being pulled away, and his “little brother” immediately reacted. He only wished he could dive into that soft embrace. He looked at Xu Liangchen’s hand holding Mu Nan’s; how wonderful it would be if it were caressing his own body. Xu Liangchen’s voice was faint as she said to Mu Nan, “Are you worried about me?”
Mu Nan, as a matter of course, nodded. “Of course, I’m worried! Look at the way they’re looking at you; it’s not right. You should run quickly, I’ll hold them off.” Xu Liangchen’s grip on her hand tightened even more, her thumb continuously rubbing Mu Nan’s knuckles. Her phoenix eyes swept over the boys. “No need to worry.”
Jiang Hao seemed unable to restrain himself any longer, eager to embrace the beauty right then and there. The desire in his body surged, impossible to suppress. He let out a low growl, “Get them!”
Several underlings moved to surround them. Xu Liangchen placed her backpack in Mu Nan’s hand, pulled her to the side, and, seeing Mu Nan looking at her nervously, smiled faintly. “Give me a few minutes.” Mu Nan’s body, clutching the textbooks, was still trembling, her voice already tinged with a cry. “Don’t go…”
Xu Liangchen looked at her tear-filled eyes, her own gaze growing colder, yet her movements were incredibly gentle. “Just five minutes.”
Jiang Hao heard this and laughed again. “Five minutes? Beauty, it seems you don’t have much faith in my fighting power.” The underlings chuckled, their gazes freely roaming over Xu Liangchen. Xu Liangchen turned to look at him, her voice still light and faint. “Hurry up, time is limited.” Seeing that she didn’t take him seriously at all, he became somewhat angry and roared at his stunned underlings, “What are you waiting for, go!”
The underlings looked at each other, each with their own selfish thoughts. Such a delicate girl in Jiang Hao’s hands… Who knew what her fate would be. But if they didn’t charge, then their own fate would certainly be bad. Thinking this, the leading underling closed his eyes and rushed towards Xu Liangchen.
Xu Liangchen backhanded and grabbed the man’s arm! She didn’t seem to use much strength, but the stick fell to the ground. Jiang Hao snatched a long stick from one of the dazed boys, muttering, “Useless! Can’t even subdue a woman!” Before he could reach her, Xu Liangchen hooked her foot, bringing the stick on the ground into her hand. Her movements were swift. By the time Jiang Hao reached the spot where she had been standing, she was already behind him. She swung the stick hard at his back, with great force. Jiang Hao was caught off guard and stumbled forward!
A murderous glint flashed in Xu Liangchen’s phoenix eyes. Just as she was about to strike Jiang Hao’s head again, Mu Nan shouted, “Watch out behind you!” She quickly shifted her position. A stick grazed her side, the white steel pipe looking even colder in the moonlight. Xu Liangchen was surrounded by the boys, standing alone in the center, her eyes filled with a chilling intensity. Her posture remained ramrod straight, her head slightly raised, one hand gripping the steel pipe, the other behind her back. A breeze picked up, making her clothes flutter.
Although Jiang Hao hadn’t practiced any specific moves, he had gotten into many fights over the years while opening illegal businesses and seizing territory, relying on sheer tenacity. Now, being struck by Xu Liangchen like this, he felt completely humiliated and was extremely annoyed. His eyes were also filled with murderous intent, and he spat out the cigarette that had been hanging from his mouth. “If you’re looking for death, don’t blame me!”
Xu Liangchen chuckled. “Jiang Hao, you should thank me.” Jiang Hao was stunned. She knew his name? The aggression in his eyes lessened. “Thank you for what?” In the brief moment Jiang Hao spoke, Xu Liangchen slammed the stick hard onto his calf. In the air, there was only the sound of bones shattering and a man’s roar.
“Ah!!” Jiang Hao writhed on the ground in pain. Only then did Xu Liangchen throw the stick aside, a smile returning to her eyebrows, and she turned to fiercely step on him. “Thank me for saving you from prison!”
…
Aftermath and a Gentle Journey Home
The few underlings, seeing their boss’s leg broken in one or two moves, felt a chill and looked around nervously. “Go!” Someone shouted this, and several boys rushed forward together. Mu Nan only saw white steel pipes dancing before her eyes, silver flashes occasionally glinting. Xu Liangchen fought alone, yet surprisingly remained unharmed. Within a few minutes of fighting, the boys fell, some clutching their stomachs, others their arms. The sticks rolled all over the ground. Mu Nan swallowed, unsure whether to step forward.
Xu Liangchen quietly said, “As expected, useless.” This was the first time Mu Nan had heard Xu Liangchen curse. She felt that the person in front of her was very different from the one at school.
After resolving the situation, Xu Liangchen took a few steps forward and stood beside Mu Nan. “Let’s go home.” Mu Nan nodded, her steps unsteady. After two steps, she leaned on Xu Liangchen’s arm.
“I…” Mu Nan was a little embarrassed. She was somewhat weak in the knees from being scared by those people. Xu Liangchen smiled faintly, a gentle warmth about her, unlike her previous cold demeanor. “I’ll carry you.” With that, she put Mu Nan on her back.
Xu Liangchen was actually very thin, her shoulders not broad, and her figure very slender. But Mu Nan just felt safe. Exceptionally safe. She wrapped her arms around Xu Liangchen’s neck and whispered in her ear.
“Xu Liangchen.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you know them?”
“No.”
“Then when did you learn martial arts?”
Xu Liangchen stopped. When Mu Nan spoke, she was close to her ear, her voice like a murmur, gently blowing a few strands of hair around Xu Liangchen’s ear. It was very much like every time she teased her… Xu Liangchen didn’t reply, her ears flushing crimson. The person on her back’s breathing became increasingly stead.
When they were almost at Mu Nan’s house, Xu Liangchen gently shook her. Mu Nan was already fast asleep. Xu Liangchen placed her at the doorstep, knocked on the door, and only after hearing footsteps inside did she return to Mu Nan’s side. Her finger traced Mu Nan’s cheek, and she leaned into her ear, whispering, “It’s been a long time, ever since I fell in love with someone.”