Chapter 113: Encounter with Harassment on the Road

After tidying his appearance, Xiao Ye went to Shu Shan’s study.

"Master Shu, that matter will have to wait a few more days. Zhang Lin has returned, and I believe he will be of help to you."

"I can guarantee that the outcome of this matter will be nothing but good news!"

Xiao Ye wore a faint smile, looking entirely confident of his success. Shu Shan nodded; his only choice now was to trust the words of this young man he had only known for a few days. After saying this and bidding farewell to Shu Ran, Xiao Ye successfully left the Shu residence.

Xiao Ye headed straight for the company, knowing that after such a long break, Qin Xueer would certainly be there. He walked right in, and after being separated for so long, the two could not help but share an intimate moment.

"How are things going? Has the situation with the Shu family improved at all?" Qin Xueer asked about the situation regarding Shu Ran.

"It’s all coming along. I am handling things; don't worry about Shu Ran, she is doing just fine at the Shu residence," Xiao Ye said gently, stroking the back of her head.

In truth, he hadn't done anything at the Shu residence during this trip. He was simply taking advantage of the internal chaos within the Chen family to ensure they wouldn't dare move against Shu Ran.

The two chatted for a long time, and when lunch hour arrived, they found a restaurant nearby to grab a bite. The food was decent today, and Qin Xueer ate more than usual. About an hour later, they stepped out of the restaurant. The street view was lovely, and the two wandered along the roadside, enjoying the breeze.

However, they unexpectedly drew the attention of a group of hoodlums. Because Qin Xueer was wearing a mask, the group felt the urge to harass her.

"Beauty, you have a nice figure. How about finding a place and taking off that mask so the brothers can take a look?" A drunken hoodlum rushed up and said to Qin Xueer.

Disgust flashed in Qin Xueer's eyes, and she hid behind Xiao Ye.

"Don't be in such a hurry, brother hasn't finished talking yet." The hoodlum tried to step forward, but was suddenly grabbed by Xiao Ye!

The hoodlum looked miserable, his previous bravado completely gone.

"I’m warning you, let go immediately! Do you know who I am?" the hoodlum shouted, his voice trembling and hoarse from pain.

"I don't care who you are. If you dare to have designs on my woman, I don't care who you are!"

Xiao Ye tightened his grip, twisting the hoodlum's arm in the opposite direction! The man collapsed to the ground, unable to move. His hand began to swell with blood, his arm turning a bruised, purplish-red. If Xiao Ye had wanted to, he could have completely crippled the hoodlum's arm.

"What kind of hero does this? Let me go, and when I’ve recovered, we’ll settle this one-on-one!" After the brief scuffle, the hoodlum's drunkenness had faded by half. He didn't believe Xiao Ye was actually strong, attributing it all to the alcohol.

"I accept." Xiao Ye hadn't expected the hoodlum to say this; he had originally intended to simply break his arm and let him go. Hearing this, his interest was piqued, and he released him.

The hoodlum stood up, rubbed his sore shoulder, and glared at Xiao Ye.

"Come on then, don't disappoint me." Xiao Ye beckoned, a playful smile on his face.

The hoodlum spat on the ground in response. As a street thug, he couldn't win in a fair fight, but he had mastered plenty of dirty tricks. The hoodlum struck first.

"Daring to make me move, I’ll make sure to cripple you today!" The hoodlum’s eyes were smug; although his fist flew toward Xiao Ye’s face, his leg was already poised to strike. He had injured many people with this surprise tactic.

His fist was easily parried, and Xiao Ye waited for the hoodlum’s next move. The hoodlum sneered, his foot lashing out toward Xiao Ye’s vitals. In a split second, Xiao Ye saw through his intentions. He smiled slightly, grabbed the man's arm, and applied force. A crisp sound of bone cracking echoed in the hoodlum's ears.

"My hand!" The hoodlum’s face twisted, his other hand instinctively reaching for the broken one; the raw pain was unbearable. For a moment, he actually wanted to discard his own hand.

"You can't fight properly, but you've learned plenty of dirty tricks!" Xiao Ye, assuming the hoodlum would try to block, didn't hold back and threw a punch right between his arms!

A dull thud followed, and the hoodlum went flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

"Stop! Please, stop!" After about thirty seconds, the man finally regained his senses and let out a hoarse, shrill cry at Xiao Ye. The dust on his body, the blood on his face, and the unnatural angle of his broken arm made the scene terrifying. His state now was a far cry from his earlier arrogance.

"Let me go, I’ll give you whatever you want, please!" The hoodlum’s face had drained of color, and fear of Xiao Ye radiated from his very marrow.

Qin Xueer watched from the side, horrified by the grisly scene. "Xiao Ye, stop! You’ll kill him!"

Hearing Qin Xueer’s voice, Xiao Ye slowly stopped, stood up from beside the hoodlum, and looked down at him coldly. He hadn't intended to let the hoodlum go, but Qin Xueer’s intervention brought him back to reality.

"Get lost."

The hoodlum struggled to his feet, the pain throughout his body unbearable. Although he had begged for mercy in his humiliation, the agony only fueled the venomous resentment growing in his heart. The feud between them was firmly set. He didn't dare meet Xiao Ye’s gaze and, clutching his broken arm, fled the scene.

"Are you alright? That really scared me!" Qin Xueer ran over to check on Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye shook his head. "I'm fine. I can take on ten of these hoodlums by myself."

Qin Xueer nodded; because of the suddenness of the event, it took her a long time to calm down. The two sat on the street for a while before finally returning to the company. Qin Xueer was fine, but the hoodlum whom Xiao Ye had released was already plotting his revenge.

In a private clinic in Su-Zhe, the hoodlum lay on a bed, drenched in sweat. He had just received anesthesia and was feeling slightly better. The pain in his body made his head swim, his consciousness blurring as he drifted on the edge of lucidity.