Chapter 4

After all the wounds had been treated, Zhang Zhe gave a few more instructions before packing up and leaving.

Lin Jin was still at the police station, and the cook hadn’t arrived yet. Zhu Shiyan stood up and asked, “What would you like to drink? Coke or orange juice?”

Xi Wan didn’t respond immediately but then suddenly said, “Actually, Zheng Xingyan was right.”

“Hm? About what?” Zhu Shiyan was rummaging in the fridge for a soda. Hearing this, he looked up, confused. “What did he say was right?”

Xi Wan looked at him steadily. “That getting close to me brings bad luck.”

“Thunk.”

Zhu Shiyan gently tapped his head with the can, speaking with a mock scolding tone, “Nonsense. We’ve been in contact so many times, and I haven’t seen anything bad happen to me.”

Xi Wan seemed stunned by the tap, staring blankly at him.

Zhu Shiyan handed him the orange soda and sat down beside him. After gathering his thoughts, he cautiously asked, “Did you know Zheng Xingyan was going to have people beat you up today?”

The soda can in Xi Wan’s hand hissed as bubbles rose—it had been opened by Zhu Shiyan when handed over. Xi Wan held it, didn’t drink, and gave a faint affirmative sound.

Zhu Shiyan suddenly stood up with a snap, glaring at him: “You knew and still ran into the alley? You’re just asking to die!”

Xi Wan was silent for a moment, then said oddly, “If they don’t beat me thoroughly, they’ll come back for another round.”

“What?”

Xi Wan didn’t explain further but cautiously took a sip of the soda.

Zhu Shiyan pondered for a while, then suddenly raised his voice, “So you mean if this time they don’t beat you properly, next time they will, so you chose a small alley so they could beat you properly all at once?”

Xi Wan didn’t deny it, tacitly agreeing.

Zhu Shiyan held back his anger but couldn’t help cursing, “What a bunch of idiots.”

Still unsatisfied, he turned and glared at him again: “And you’re no better—if you know you’re going to get beaten, why not find a way to avoid it? Tell your teachers, parents, or call the police!”

Xi Wan froze. He clenched the bottle so tightly his fingertips turned white.

Teachers? Parents? Police?

He had tried all that the first time he got beaten. What happened?

Teachers took sides, ignoring his bleeding head, dismissing it as childish roughhousing and brushing it off lightly. His parents didn’t care at all, only thinking about how to profit from him.

Calling the police was useless. The cops were in cahoots with the Zheng family and not only failed to punish the attackers but would shift the blame onto him.

Long ago, he realized no one in this world could be relied on; only he could save himself.

Except today...

He looked up at the angry young master standing before him, confusion in his eyes.

This pampered young master couldn’t have been unaware of his situation—knowing everyone despised him, knowing getting close to him only brought trouble—so why did he show such great kindness? Why did he go to such lengths to save him?

Even if it meant getting beaten alongside him.

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