Upon seeing Mu Xing appear, Bai Yan, who was surrounded, quickly pushed aside two boys and tried to walk over, calling out, "Young Master Mu!" But before she could get out, one of the boys grabbed her hand, saying, "Don't go!"
Bai Yan groaned in pain as her hand was twisted and grabbed. Mu Xing's heart flared up instantly. She rushed over and grabbed the man's wrist joint. The man immediately felt the pain and released Bai Yan.
Mu Xing immediately shielded Bai Yan behind him.
"Are you alright?" she asked in a low voice.
Rubbing her reddened hand, Bai Yan frowned and shook her head: "It's nothing."
Seeing the red marks on Bai Yan's fair arm, Mu Xing felt a pang of heartache. She turned and gave the two bastards a cold look, not wanting to get entangled with them any longer. She said to Bai Yan, "Let's go, I'll take you home."
However, the two drunkards were not easily appeased. Seeing a stranger suddenly appear out of nowhere, they immediately started arguing: "Hey! Who do you think you are, thinking you can just leave? We've already reserved that beauty! Get out of here!"
Another one shouted, "That's right! If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here! Do you even know who we are?" As he spoke, he pulled out a wad of cash from his bag and waved it at Bai Yan, "Beauty, come here quickly, all this money is yours!"
The drunkard had no idea to control his volume and made a few noises, which gradually attracted the attention of the people in the dance hall.
"What's going on? Who's causing trouble?"
"Isn't that Wang Wuzhi? Why is he arguing with someone?"
Looking at Bai Yan beside him, whose face was flushed with anger, Mu Xing felt a surge of anger. He originally wanted to argue with them, but seeing that there were onlookers, he was worried that Bai Yan's identity would be exposed, so he had no choice but to take Bai Yan and leave quickly.
Before he could even take a step, a drunkard suddenly staggered over and yelled, "Hey! Didn't you hear me talking to you?!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Mu Xing and raised his hand to strike her down!
Unable to bear it any longer, Mu Xing shielded Bai Yan behind him and, amidst gasps of surprise, turned and delivered a precise punch to the drunkard's stomach.
"Ah!" the drunkard screamed, his stomach cramping. Before he could even fall to the ground, he had already spat out red and white vomit all over the place, immediately drawing a chorus of disgusted curses.
"You little brat, you actually hit someone!" Seeing his friend being hit, another person also threw a punch and rushed over.
Mu Xing didn't hesitate either. He went up to meet the drunkard's fist, pulled and twisted it, and when the drunkard staggered, he slammed his knee into his stomach!
Suddenly, another wave of stench hit.
"What's going on? Huh?! Who's causing trouble?!" Amidst the commotion, the school's hired security team suddenly rushed over. Upon seeing the person lying on the ground, they panicked: "Young Master! Young Master Wang! Who's the blind fool who hurt you?!"
Young Master Wang? He's actually Uncle Wang's son?
Mu Xing belatedly realized who the person lying on the ground was. Just thinking about Uncle Wang's kind face, whom she had seen just two days ago, made her feel completely overwhelmed.
Seeing the security team arrive, the students scattered like birds. In the midst of the chaos, Bai Yan suddenly grabbed Mu Xing: "Let's go!"
"Let's go!" Mu Xing grabbed Bai Yan's hand without hesitation, and the two ran out with the crowd.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The street where the car was parked was bustling with people. Li Yining sat in the car, initially just leaning back in her seat and waiting. After a while, she couldn't help but start looking around, but she couldn't see Mu Xing anywhere.
The rustling sound made the maid sitting opposite her feel a tightening in her heart. She looked up at her mistress and suggested, "Miss, should we ask Uncle Wang to go out and look for Miss Mu? Even if we write a letter to say goodbye first, Miss Mu should be back by now."
Li Yining remained silent, but the maid couldn't help but mutter, "It's fortunate it's Miss Mu. If it were anyone else, how could they dare keep Miss waiting? After not seeing her for several years, Miss Mu has already stopped respecting Miss..."
"Where did all this talk come from?" Li Yining glared at her. "Ah Xuan has never neglected me. These past few times were just due to various reasons. Don't tell her about these things later."
The maid pursed her lips and said nothing more.
After waiting a while longer, Li Yining finally couldn't sit still any longer. Instead of asking the driver to look for her, she got out of the car and walked straight to the restaurant.
She hadn't walked more than a few steps when someone called out to her from behind: "Oh, isn't this Miss Li?"
Upon hearing that familiar, sweet voice, Li Yining frowned. She turned her head coldly to look at the woman behind her: "Do I know you?"
The woman covered her lips, her smile deliberately alluring to the point of being blinding: "You've already forgotten me? Miss Li, you're even more forgetful than Second Master. I am Fei Hua."
Of course, Li Yining knew her name was Fei Hua. Ever since she slapped this woman at her second brother's place that day, this woman had been seizing every opportunity to disgust her.
Upon hearing Fei Hua mention her second brother, Li Yining naturally flew into a rage. Just as she was about to make a sarcastic remark, a commotion erupted in the restaurant, and two people holding hands rushed out of the door like the wind.
Facing Fei Hua's sudden wide-eyed surprise as she looked at the restaurant, Li Yining couldn't help but turn her head to look as well, and was immediately stunned.
…Ah Xuan?
Mu Xing pulled the woman she had just danced with as they ran out, followed by a dozen security guards who chased after them, hurling insults. The two of them didn't look back, but swam through the crowd like fish and ran straight to the other end of the street.
Just as Li Yining was about to call out to Mu Xing, she looked down and hesitated for a moment when she saw the two holding hands tightly.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Xing and the woman had disappeared into the crowd.
"Damn it! They got away!"
"What are you all good for? You can't even catch a little brat!"
Having lost their target, the security guard leader had stopped, while the rest continued the chase. The leader was cursing and swearing when he was suddenly pulled back by a young woman standing nearby.
Her face flushed with anger, Li Yining gritted her teeth and asked, "Who are those two people, that woman?!"
The head security guard naturally recognized the eldest daughter of the Li family. He was startled by her furious appearance and hurriedly said, "I know her. I heard she's a prostitute from a brothel, I think her surname is Bai. She's quite famous."
Upon hearing the word "prostitute," Li Yining felt nauseous.
Why would Ah Xuan know a prostitute?!
A surge of anger rose within her, and Li Yining turned to glare at Fei Hua, sneering, "Are all of you prostitutes this shameless?"
Fei Hua naturally recognized Bai Yan and Young Master Mu. She was worried when Li Yining made a sarcastic remark. She then deliberately laughed and said, "Miss Li thinks you're shameless? There are many more shameless things that happen in places where Miss Li can't see!"
Li Yining knew what she was implying from her ambiguous words, and immediately became trembling with anger, turning her head away and walking towards the car.
Mu Xing, who was running at full speed, completely forgot about Li Yining and only cared about holding Bai Yan's hand and running wildly.
At first, it was to avoid security guards, but later, they didn't want to stop.
One hand held the other, soft and delicate. Gradually, sticky sweat seeped out. Several times, both hands almost slipped and let go, but each time someone gripped them tighter. Neither of them let go or stopped.
They ran hand in hand for two blocks, then stopped behind a wall and leaned against it, panting heavily.
"Huff, huff..."
Holding hands, Mu Xing, with one hand on his knee, looked up at Bai Yan while panting.
Bai Yan leaned back against the wall, no longer caring about her image, panting heavily with sweat streaming down her face, and met Mu Xing's gaze.
The two of them, panting heavily, looked at each other for a while, neither speaking. Then, someone, for reasons unknown, broke the silence, a smile spreading across their faces.
At first, it was just a few faint smiles, but later I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hey, they can't even catch up with us, they're so useless!" Mu Xing laughed so hard he was shaking. "I never thought I'd be chased all over the street at twenty years old."
Bai Yan laughed and said, "Who told you to hit someone? You scared me to death."
"Can we not fight? I can't just watch you get bullied," Mu Xing said boldly. "Even if there are ten more than just two people..."
Bai Yan raised an eyebrow at her: "You'd fight ten more if they came?"
Mu Xing waved his hand: "Ten more, and I'll definitely run even faster than before!"
The two of them burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while, Mu Xing said again, "Seriously, no matter how many people there are, I will definitely protect you, even if it means getting beaten up."
Hearing her say that, Bai Yan was still smiling, but a sudden pang of sadness welled up in her heart.
Many people have told her, "I will protect you."
They once truly cherished her, making her believe that she would never have to wander again, but in the end, she was repeatedly and cruelly thrown into an even darker abyss.
Bai Yan was lost in thought when she suddenly realized that Mu Xing had stopped talking. She quickly composed herself and looked at Mu Xing, only to find that he was staring straight at her.
The wind gradually subsided, the noise was shut out in the distance, and all around was quiet. Only the two of them could be heard breathing and their hearts pounding again before they could calm down.
The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was perfect.
Is Young Master Mu finally going to do that to her too?
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and Bai Yan lowered her eyes, adjusting her mood.
Consider it payment for Young Master Mu's help.
Mu Xing moved closer and closer, and the unfamiliar yet gradually familiar scent of wood enveloped her step by step.
The shadows obscured all the starlight, and Bai Yan obediently closed her eyes.
Then she felt a tickle near her ear, her soft hair brushed against her cheek by the breath of his voice, sending a shiver down her spine.
She heard Young Master Mu say, "This looks like a library."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bai Yan didn't react for a moment: "...What?"
Mu Xing had already stepped aside and was standing on tiptoe looking at the other side of the wall, his tone very excited: "I've heard from my uncle that they funded the construction of a new library and collection. I've always wanted to come and see it, but I never had the chance. Today, however, I stumbled upon it by chance."
She turned to look at Bai Yan, her eyes sparkling with anticipation: "Miss Bai, have you been here before? Would you like to go inside and take a look?"
Instead of the expected contact, Bai Yan didn't know whether to be happy or surprised. She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. She forced a smile and said, "Okay."
They should be happy, right? Being able to take advantage of them without any secrecy while on official business is exactly what they want most.
but…
Without dwelling on the "but," Bai Yan followed Mu Xing around the wall and through the main gate into the library.
This library was built in 1900 (the year of Gengwu) in response to the Nationalist government's education policy, spearheaded by the Wenjiang Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As such, it is quite large in scale and exquisitely constructed.
The peacock blue glazed tile roof shimmered in the night, and high heels clicked on the granite steps, making a tinkling sound.
The two climbed the steps, and the security guard at the entrance carefully informed them of the closing time before letting them in.
With a heart full of appreciation, Mu Xing walked into the main library building, admiring its interior architecture. Every brick and tile was placed perfectly, and different spaces revealed the architect's different styles, yet together they appeared exceptionally harmonious and beautiful.
It was nearly nine o'clock, but the library's reading room was still bustling with people browsing the bookshelves. The brightly lit hall was spacious and quiet, with only the rustling of pages breaking the silence.
Mu Xing strolled over to a bookshelf and carefully observed the book classifications. Bai Yan followed behind her, originally just passing the time without any particular interest, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed a book on the shelf.
The Complete Sonnets of Shakespeare...?
Her heart pounded, and unable to contain her excitement, she carefully tiptoed to take out the book.