Chapter 7: Scared Out of Your Wits?

Before Su Wan could even process his words, Mu Yunshen had already stood up, facing the other man. “Brother Guang, you’re too polite.”

The newcomer looked to be in his thirties or forties, bald, and trailed by dozens of men. Hearing Mu Yunshen’s words, he merely sneered, “Mu Yunshen, don’t play games with me. Last time, you stole my turf—I haven’t even settled that score with you. And now you’ve delivered yourself right to my door!”

“Brother Guang, I can’t say I like that. I’m just in a good mood today, out for a meal with friends. I don’t see anything wrong with that, do you?” Mu Yunshen wore a smile, but standing by his side, Su Wan could see clearly that his hand had already closed around a beer bottle on the table, ready to strike at any moment. Her expression shifted involuntarily at the realization—after all, this wasn’t a movie.

As Su Wan was thinking this, the other side had already barked, “Cut the crap! Get them!”

There was a series of sharp cracks as someone smashed beer bottles. By the time Su Wan reacted, Mu Yunshen had already moved her behind him, and with a swift lift of his long leg, he kicked one of the men straight to the ground.

Back in her childhood, Su Wan had watched gangster films and thought heroes like Chen Haonan were impressive, but now that such a scene was happening in her own life, it was anything but entertaining.

Unlike the other side, Mu Yunshen’s group included several women, while the opponents wielded machetes, swinging them with alarming ferocity. Mu Yunshen shielded Su Wan behind him, his agile moves giving the attackers no advantage. From the other side came shrill screams and the sounds of tables being smashed.

Su Wan had just turned her head to look when a gleaming knife suddenly arced down toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for pain that never came. She opened her eyes to see Mu Yunshen kicking the attacker aside, his white shirt now stained with red.

The entire scene was utter chaos.

In the end, perhaps the restaurant owner had called the police, because as soon as sirens wailed, the gang scattered without a trace. Still rooted to the spot, Su Wan felt Mu Yunshen tug at her sleeve. “Run!”

She stumbled after him in a daze, and somehow ended up in his car.

Once they’d shaken off the police, Mu Yunshen finally looked over at her. “Not bad just now—you didn’t even scream.”

Su Wan’s face was still stiff, and it took a moment before she slowly turned to him in response.

Mu Yunshen grinned at her expression. “You’re not so scared you’ve lost your wits, are you?”

“…Your hand, is it alright?” Su Wan’s sudden question caught Mu Yunshen off guard, then he chuckled. “I’m fine. But if you’re feeling guilty, you could dress the wound for me.”

Su Wan wanted to say that it was his enemy, and she’d only been dragged along by him tonight. But seeing the blood spreading from his wound, she swallowed her words and changed course. “Let’s stop at a pharmacy nearby.”

—

Su Wan bought disinfectant and gauze at the pharmacy. When she returned to the car, Mu Yunshen was just putting away his phone. He smiled at her. “Thank you.”

He smiled often, with deep crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, but his eyes themselves were bright—when Su Wan first saw them, they reminded her of a young deer in a nature documentary. Yet from the way he had just fought, he was clearly more wolf than fawn.

Her thoughts drifting, Su Wan finished disinfecting his wound. As she was about to wrap the gauze, Mu Yunshen suddenly reached out, grabbing her hand.

Su Wan frowned, about to pull away, but Mu Yunshen brought her fingers to his lips and pressed them against his mouth.