Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  “Ahhh.”


  Xuxu heard the man’s groan, and she gave an involuntary shudder. She wound her hands around his waist and whimpered. “Yan Rusheng.”


  “Be good and go to the side.” Yan Rusheng gently nudged Xuxu and smiled at her in reassurance. Unknown to Xuxu, he had swiftly extended his leg and aimed another kick.

  The hooligan who had tried to splash boiling soup on Xuxu earlier on suffered another one of Yan Rusheng’s kick. He was rolling on the floor.

  In a flash, Yan Rusheng appeared next to him. He then stepped on the man’s hand with one foot, while the other stepped on his head.

  “Ahhh……”


  The man shrieked in agony. He writhed like a snake on the floor.

  Yan Rusheng exerted more force and the man’s ear-splitting scream intensified.

  “Let me go now! Let me go!”


  Yan Rusheng squatted and looked at him with menace in his eyes. He hardened his expression. “Open your eyes and take a good look at me.”


  “I know you, Third Master Yan!” The hooligan begged and repeatedly pleaded. “Third Young Master, please let me go. My fingers will be broken.”


  “That’s exactly what I want.” Yan Rusheng gritted his teeth. He then exerted more force on his foot, and in a split second, the fingers underneath it snapped.

  The severe pain brought along excruciating and traumatic shrieks from the man.

  Xuxu covered her ears and turned around. She was trembling badly—the harrowing incident badly shook her. And to add on, the man’s shrieks were distressing to hear.

  To the man who wanted to disfigure her as a punishment—she could not be lenient towards him.

  “Oh my……”


  Qi Lei settled the hooligans and dashed out of the shack. He saw Yan Rusheng stepping on the hooligan’s head, and it had taken him back. “Third Brother Yan.”


  When the man’s scream finally died down, the furious gleam in Yan Rusheng’s eyes subsided.

  He lifted his foot off of him and immediately turned around. He bolted towards Xuxu. “Xuxu, are you alright?”


  He stood behind her with his hands hesitantly hovering in mid-air. He didn’t dare take another step towards her, and so his hands gradually fell.

  Xuxu turned around and looked at Yan Rusheng. She shook her head lightly. “I’m fine. Thank you.”


  Thank you……

  It pained Yan Rusheng when he heard Xuxu thanking him in such a formal way, but at least she was fine.

  Yan Rusheng heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Qi Lei.

  He pressed his lips and remained mum.

  Qi Lei smiled rather foolishly at him. “Third Brother Yan, thankfully you came in time. Can you please send Sister Xuxu home? I’m slightly injured, and I want to go back to apply ointment on my wounds.”


  Xuxu anxiously turned around when she heard Qi Lei. “Where were you hurt?”


  Qi Lei smiled and reassured her. “I’m fine, my injuries are superficial. Hurry up and go home with Third Brother Yan.”


  He glanced at Yan Rusheng.

  Yan Rusheng nodded.

  Xuxu was still worried about Qi Lei. “Are you sure you are really alright?”


  “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll go back first.” Qi Lei turned around to leave.

  Xuxu stared after Qi Lei for some distance before turning around. She caught a glimpse of the ladle on the ground and seemed to recall something. She looked up at Yan Rusheng and opened her mouth, but she couldn’t seem to utter a word.

  After a short while, she spoke to him with her head bowed. “You…… are you alright?”


  Yan Rusheng felt rather disappointed when he heard how formal and distant she was with him.

  If it was in the past, she would rush to him and tear his clothes apart to check his wounds.

  “I’m fine. It’s cold outside, let’s go back,” he softly replied as he shook his head. He then turned around to walk away.

  Xuxu stole glances at the tall and forlorn-looking figure ahead of her. She bit her lips with her hands clenched tight.