Chapter 20: Avenging You (Part 2)

A few moments later, Ji Tian lay on the ground, beaten and limp, her expression venomous as she glared at Dai Ning.

Dai Ning made a playful face at her.

Shen Tuo She slid his arm around Dai Ning’s waist, his breath warm and close as he asked, “Are you pleased?”

Dai Ning replied, “It’s alright.”

Shen Tuo She had never met anyone quite like Dai Ning, someone who, even at her own expense, wouldn’t hesitate to make trouble for others.

Despite his past, full of numerous beautiful women, none could compare to Dai Ning.

It wasn’t just her looks or figure—it was that rare, pampered, refined air about her that made her so alluring.

He tightened his grip on her waist, beginning to slip his hand under her qipao. Dai Ning giggled, amused. “That tickles.”

Momentarily speechless, Shen Tuo She didn’t respond.

The scarred man finally spoke up, reminding him, “Boss, we should find a place to lay low. We’re too exposed here, and if the villagers catch wind, getting back in might be a lot tougher.”

Shen Tuo She knew that their delay, caused by Dai Ning’s antics, had cost them the best time for taking advantage of the women. But once they secured control of this isolated village, he’d be free to do as he pleased.

Without hesitation, he ordered, “Tie everyone up. If anything goes wrong, we’ll use them to threaten the villagers. Right now, it’s lunchtime. Enter from the edge of the village and bind whoever you can; if they resist, kill them!”

Shen Tuo She bound Dai Ning himself.

Dai Ning scowled. Lately, she’d been rather unlucky—first tied up by Zhao Yu, and now by Shen Tuo She.

Just as she was thinking this, several people burst out from the woods.

Shen Tuo She’s face darkened, and as he reached for his weapon, a massive fishing net suddenly descended, trapping everyone inside.

Dai Ning was pushed aside, away from Shen Tuo She.

She looked up at her rescuer, blinking. “Zhao Yu?”

He crouched next to her, also tangled in the net. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not!” she huffed, taking the chance to complain. “That man with the peach-blossom eyes tried to kiss me and even touch me!”

This time, Zhao Yu didn’t scold her. Instead, he gently patted her hair and whispered, “I’ll avenge you.”

By now, the massive net had entrapped everyone, friend and foe alike, including Xiao Yan, Zhang Yongfeng, and the others.

Dai Ning’s fourteen bodyguards, along with about twenty villagers, held the net tightly.

Shen Tuo She tried to tear his way out, but found that the net left him numb and weak.

Zhao Yu remained silent as he endured the numbing pain pressing into him.

Seeing that Shen Tuo She’s men were immobilized, the bodyguards took out electric batons, delivering a few hard shocks to each.

Shen Tuo She convulsed, cursing between gasps, “You… bastards…”

Soon after, he passed out.

Only then did the villagers remove the net and help each other up.

The fishing net had been laced with anesthetic, leaving most of the intruders weak and numb.

Zhao Yu barely managed to stand, and the bodyguards helped Dai Ning up. She immediately flicked one of them on the forehead: “You slowpokes! If you’d been any later, your Miss would’ve been kidnapped!”

Among the group, only Dai Ning, protected by Zhao Yu, seemed in good shape. Ready to settle scores, she was the liveliest of them all.

She marched over and kicked Shen Tuo She in the side. “Serves you right!”

Unconscious, Shen Tuo She toppled over, his head striking a stone, leaving a red mark.

Zhao Yu looked away indifferently.

A villager asked, “What do we do with these people?”

As straightforward people, they wouldn’t have dared knock out and tie up these intruders if Shen Tuo She hadn’t attacked their village. Now they looked to Zhao Yu for guidance.

Stretching his numb limbs, Zhao Yu said, “Tie them up for now. Tomorrow, we’ll hand them over to the police. Check if anyone’s hurt.”

Xiao Yan, still shaken, leaned into Liu Shuan, who comforted her. Chen Xiaoli, having narrowly escaped harm, was also helped to her feet. But the worst off was Du Tian, who had taken a beating from Shen Tuo She’s men.

With her face bruised and swollen, Du Tian called out pitifully, “Zhao Yu…”

His gaze turned cold, and he showed no inclination to help her this time. Li Zhuang, who had feelings for Du Tian, pitied her and went over to assist.

Seeing Zhao Yu’s indifference, Du Tian felt a pang. She knew he must have witnessed her luring Dai Ning out, and her carefully crafted image as the gentle, neighborly girl was likely shattered in his eyes.

But she hadn’t intended for this to happen; it was Dai Ning’s bodyguards who had the power to save them. Surely, Dai Ning wouldn’t have just stood by and watched them be harmed?

There was no proper place to hold Shen Tuo She’s men, and the villagers were reluctant to bring them into the ancestral hall. After some thought, Zhao Yu said, “Take them to the grain yard.”

The grain yard was spacious and open, making escape difficult and avoiding encroaching on anyone’s home.

“Separate them, tie their feet, and secure each to a pole or tree,” he instructed.

The villagers did as told.

After Zhao Yu finished, he noticed Dai Ning tickling a youth’s cheek with a blade of grass.

The boy’s mouth was gagged, and his face was swollen, clearly showing signs of a harsh experience.

Zhao Yu squatted down and asked him, “Are you with these men?”

The boy shook his head quickly, pleading for help.

Without immediately removing the gag, Zhao Yu lifted him up, deciding to keep watch over him himself. He thought carefully—if Shen Tuo She’s group had an extraordinary background, this measure would prevent any widespread fear among the villagers.

Dai Ning followed Zhao Yu, watching him carry the county official’s son away.

The boy looked around fifteen and had evidently suffered at Shen Tuo She’s hands, resembling a frightened puppy.

Dai Ning glanced at him, then asked the green orb, “Could he become the male lead’s sidekick?”

The green orb was startled. “How did you guess?”

Dai Ning replied, “It’s a common trope in these novels—the hero gathers followers and starts a harem.”

The green orb marveled at her learning progress—these last two days of reading novels hadn’t been for nothing.

Dai Ning wasn’t too concerned with Zhao Yu’s affairs; being notoriously unlucky, she felt unable to interfere in the male lead’s destiny.

Instead, she started thinking about lunch.

In the courtyard, Zhao Yu handed the boy a bowl of food.

The boy ate ravenously, savoring even the simplest farmer’s rice with a few slices of preserved meat. Shen Tuo She hadn’t fed him for a day and a half.

Zhao Yu said, “When you’re done eating, explain what happened.”

The boy sighed contentedly, flashing a grin with his white teeth. “Thanks for saving me. My name’s Zhuang Hongxiu. My father, Zhuang Xiang, is the magistrate of Huan County. The man you caught today is a fugitive from our county. He and his family have done terrible things there. After his father was arrested, he kidnapped me from school before running.”

Zhao Yu’s face remained expressionless, though his mind raced with thoughts.

The boy chattered on, “Wow, your net is amazing! How did you do that? Shen Tuo She’s men were armed, but they fell all at once.”

“A fishing net with anesthetic,” Zhao Yu replied.

The village didn’t hunt the animals in the mountains, so they once raised fish in the river. Though fewer people fish now, their nets remain unique: strong, thin, and even capable of cutting into the skin. When Shen Tuo She’s men were caught, they struggled, and the anesthetic worked quickly, allowing the villagers to capture them without a single casualty.

Zhuang Hongxiu was amazed. “That’s incredible.”

Zhao Yu ignored him. “There’s no room for you here. Head out of the courtyard and find the village chief to arrange something.”

Having roamed for a month, Zhuang Hongxiu was fearful of being alone and insisted on staying at Zhao Yu’s house.

“I can sleep in the courtyard!”

“Do as you like,” Zhao Yu replied coldly.

Though he wasn’t exactly unkind, he wasn’t warm to strangers either. Zhuang Hongxiu ended up making do in the woodshed.

To Zhao Yu, both Zhuang Hongxiu and Dai Ning had grown up privileged, yet only one of them showed such taste.

After finishing her meal, Dai Ning suddenly remembered something.

She rushed over and knocked on Zhao Yu’s door.

Zhao Yu was halfway through undressing when he recognized her footsteps.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You promised that if I learned the phonetic symbols, you’d let me hit you back! Zhao Yu, where’s that stick of yours?”

Zhao Yu changed clothes, opened the door, and saw her eyes sparkling like black pearls.

“Another day,” he said.

“No, I want to do it now.” She held out her reddened palm. “You promised, no backing out!”

Without further argument, Zhao Yu retrieved the yellow wooden stick and handed it to her.

Dai Ning swung it a couple of times, feeling energized.

“I get twelve hits!”

He chuckled. “Go ahead.”

She struck his arm hard, putting all her energy into getting even, sparing no strength. Seeing he didn’t react, she twirled and struck his back.

Zhao Yu frowned slightly but remained silent.

After twelve strikes, Dai Ning considered a thirteenth, but Zhao Yu caught the stick. “Alright, enough.”

She blinked. “Alright, I forgive you!”

He patted her soft hair and spoke gently, “Stay out of trouble, and don’t wander off anymore.”

He closed the door and resumed undressing, revealing that her strikes had reopened the cuts left by the net, staining his shirt with fresh blood.