Chu Shangluo walked quickly down the dark, quiet alley, feeling like it was the longest stretch of road he had ever walked.

He kept thinking about why Chu Shangyue ran out but didn’t see Ren Jiaoming, who was known for his fighting skills, coming to rescue him. There were five men inside, and one had just been released from prison… The more Chu Shangluo thought about it, the more terrified he became, his body breaking out in a cold sweat.

He reached the small courtyard, which was eerily quiet, except for the occasional sharp bark of a dog. The snow outside the gate was littered with chaotic footprints and disturbing blood stains. The door to the house was wide open. As Chu Shangluo approached, he heard the sounds of a man’s agonized groans, the sounds of a fight, and something crashing to the ground.

His heart sank as he quickly walked up to the door. The first thing he saw was four men lying on the ground, clutching their stomachs and screaming in pain. Then he saw Ren Jiaoming, impeccably dressed in a suit, wielding a chair and swinging it at a man holding a sharp knife. The man was knocked to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at Ren Jiaoming.

Chu Shangluo then noticed the man’s pants were half pulled down to his knees, exposing something filthy. What the hell had this bastard done? To whom? How far had this gone? Chu Shangluo gritted his teeth, and as soon as he stepped into the room, Ren Jiaoming stomped down hard on the man. The man let out a blood-curdling scream, convulsed twice, and passed out.

The other thugs, seeing this, frowned and instinctively covered their groins. Chu Shangluo noticed Ren Jiaoming was wearing black gloves, seemingly to avoid getting his hands dirty. Ren Jiaoming calmly looked at the thugs on the floor, who were now completely powerless, then took off his gloves, revealing his delicate, pale hands.

One of the thugs, clutching his stomach and curled up on the ground, cursed, “Don’t be so arrogant, my big brother is coming back with some of the others. If you’re capable, wait for him!” Ren Jiaoming seemed to ignore him, stepping over the man’s face as he walked past. The man trembled in pain.

Chu Shangluo froze. In that moment, he realized Ren Jiaoming was different from what he was used to seeing. His face was still cold, but in his eyes—eyes that were usually emotionless—there was a trace of excitement. Especially when he was hitting someone, that excitement was like a blazing fire, burning intensely.

The thugs inside were badly beaten, their clothes soaked in blood, while Ren Jiaoming remained spotless, not a hair out of place, as if he had achieved a one-man victory. Chu Shangluo suddenly understood why most of the rumors about Ren Jiaoming involved him beating people to the hospital.

Ren Jiaoming walked toward the door, glanced outside, and when he saw Chu Shangluo standing there, a flicker of disappointment flashed briefly in his eyes.

Chu Shangluo had something he wanted to ask Ren Jiaoming, but he paused when he saw the look in Ren Jiaoming’s eyes. He turned his head to look at the dark doorway. What was Ren Jiaoming waiting for?

Then he recalled what one of the thugs had said earlier—that his big brother was going to call more people. So, Ren Jiaoming was waiting for more people to fight? Had he not had enough yet? Chu Shangluo was startled by his own guess. If that were true, his secretary was too damn hardcore! And had two faces,^[1](Two faced: It means, Ren Jiaoming is pretending to be good but is actually bad. too?!

Ren Jiaoming neatly folded his gloves and tucked them into his pocket, his eyes returning to a calm state. He walked over to Chu Shangluo’s side and said, “I came just in time. Chu Shangyue is fine.”

Chu Shangluo stared into Ren Jiaoming’s eyes, trying to see some trace of the madness from earlier during the fight. But now, in Ren Jiaoming’s dark eyes, there was nothing but his own reflection. The brutality and fierceness from before seemed as if they had never existed.

“Are you okay?” Chu Shangluo grabbed Ren Jiaoming’s hand and started to check it over, completely forgetting he was supposed to be angry with him.

Ren Jiaoming withdrew his hand and replied indifferently, “I’m fine.”

Chu Shangluo then remembered that he had already said he would give up on him, so why was he still caring about Ren Jiaoming? It made him feel embarrassed. He changed the subject and looked at the thugs behind Ren Jiaoming, who were beaten horribly, and said, “You’re ruthless as hell. You didn’t leave me any chance. I was even thinking of kicking one of them while they were down, but I’m afraid I’d break their neck.”

Ren Jiaoming replied, “They can’t take a hit.”

“You’re too modest,” Chu Shangluo said as he took out his phone. “Let’s go back. I’ll call Chu Zong to clean this up.”

“Alright.”

Just as Chu Shangluo pressed the dial button, he suddenly saw a flash of white light in his eyes. He looked up just in time to see a man with a knife attempting to sneak attack Ren Jiaoming. Without thinking, Chu Shangluo pushed Ren Jiaoming aside, and his phone fell to the ground with a “clink.”

Ren Jiaoming spun around, one hand pulling Chu Shangluo behind him while the other grabbed the thug’s neck, slamming him to the floor. Ren Jiaoming stepped on the thug’s knife-wielding hand. His long, straight leg rose and stomped down fiercely again and again until the thug could no longer hold onto the knife, crying out in pain and passing out.

Only then did Ren Jiaoming stop. He turned his head and met Chu Shangluo’s concerned gaze.

Chu Shangluo grabbed Ren Jiaoming’s arm and angrily kicked the man lying on the ground. “Damn! Did he cut you? Your sleeve’s torn open here.”

As he spoke, he pulled up Ren Jiaoming’s sleeve and saw a bloodstained gash on his arm. He panicked, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Ren Jiaoming didn’t move. His gaze was focused on Chu Shangluo’s arm as he grabbed his wrist. When Ren Jiaoming moved, Chu Shangluo let out a muffled groan, feeling a sharp pain in his arm. He looked down and cursed, “Damn it! When the hell did I get stabbed?”

Chu Shangluo glanced at the wound and immediately turned away. The cut on his arm was much longer than Ren Jiaoming’s, and blood was pouring out. He wasn’t sure if it had hit an artery. The pain made his face go pale as he cursed, “I swear, I’m going to send these idiots to prison!”

There were still a few conscious thugs inside the house. Upon hearing about going to prison, they scrambled desperately to get away. Chu Shangluo pointed at them and shouted, “Stop crawling! Even if you crawl to the ends of the earth, I’ll catch you and send you to—ah! Ugh!”

Chu Shangluo shuddered from the pain and realized Ren Jiaoming was wrapping a white cloth around his arm. Where did the cloth come from?

Chu Shangluo lifted Ren Jiaoming’s suit jacket, revealing a patch missing from his white shirt, exposing his smooth, tight skin. The view was truly beautiful, but right now, Chu Shangluo was sweating from the pain and had no energy to appreciate it.

Ren Jiaoming wrapped the wound, but the white cloth couldn’t stop the blood from pouring out rapidly. He pressed one hand against Chu Shangluo’s injury and led him outside. “There’s a hospital nearby, not far from here.”

They had barely walked a distance when Chu Zong arrived with his men. When Chu Shangluo saw Chu Shangyue open his arms, about to rush to him, he froze in fear, realizing that his injured arm wouldn’t be able to withstand such a hug. But Ren Jiaoming stepped in front of him just in time, saying, “Bring the car around, let’s go to the nearest hospital.”

Only then did the people who had rushed over realize that both men were injured. Chu Zong was about to drive, but the boy leading them said, “That hospital hasn’t been open for a long time. The closest hospital is far and remote, and you might not find it. President Chu has lost so much blood. You can’t afford to go that way. Call an ambulance, and then go to my house. I have bandages and medicine. I’m a nurse, so I can take care of you for now.”

Chu Shangluo was gasping from the pain, cursing, “Damn it, I guess that’s the only choice! Chu Zong, go tie those idiots up and wait for the police!”

Chu Zong led a few subordinates into the small house, and Chu Shangluo followed the boy to his home. The boy’s house was small and dimly lit, with only a bed, a cabinet, and a simple stove. The walls were cracked. The boy took out a medical kit and squatted down in front of Chu Shangluo.

Chu Shangluo glanced at Ren Jiaoming and said, “You take care of him first.” His disregard for his own safety in favor of Ren Jiaoming was evident to everyone except Chu Shangyue, who noticed everything. Despite being so open about it, Chu Shangluo didn’t even realize that it was an unintentional gesture. The more unintentional it seemed, the more it showed how much he cared about Ren Jiaoming.

Ren Jiaoming noticed the blood-soaked sleeve of Chu Shangluo’s shirt and unconsciously shifted his gaze to his pale face. A complex emotion rose in his chest, tightening around his heart, causing his heartbeat to slow.

Ren Jiaoming told the boy, “I can do it myself. You take care of President Chu.”

The boy then looked at Chu Shangluo and said, “President Chu, your injury is more serious. Let me take care of you first.” He untied the cloth wrapped around Chu Shangluo’s arm, and Chu Shangluo shuddered from the pain.

Chu Shangyue held Chu Shangluo’s uninjured arm, tears welling up as he watched his brother in pain. He felt the pain too. Chu Shangluo looked at the boy who was dressing his wound and tried to distract himself, asking, “What’s your name?”

The boy wrapped the wound with great care and took a while before answering, “Qian Xiaosi.”

“You look like you’ve just reached adulthood. How are you a nurse?”

“I went to a health school, a vocational school. But don’t worry, I have a nurse’s certificate. I also interned at a hospital, so my skills are fine. But when it came time to get a permanent position, I was replaced because I wasn’t good at playing the game.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Chu Zong entered with a few of his subordinates. One of them exclaimed, “Wow, this place is so small and broken!”

Qian Xiaosi lowered his eyes and quietly said, “Sorry, I can’t offer you better hospitality.”

Chu Zong shot a glare at the subordinate who had spoken carelessly.

Chu Shangluo continued asking, “Being a nurse in the capital must pay well. Why would you go work as an escort?”

Qian Xiaosi replied, “I owe someone money.”

“How much?”

Qian Xiaosi bit his lip. “Fifty thousand…”

“Fifty thousand? You sold yourself for fifty thousand? That can’t be right!” The talkative subordinate exclaimed in shock.

Chu Shangluo glared at him. “For someone with a vocational school education, a nurse’s salary is at most seven or eight thousand a month. Even if you don’t eat or drink, it would take six or seven months to save that much. For a kid like him, fifty thousand isn’t that easy to come by.”

Ren Jiaoming looked up at Chu Shangluo when he heard his words. In his mind, Chu Shangluo had always been someone living in luxury, getting whatever he wanted without a second thought, accustomed to behaving recklessly without regard for others, no different from the pampered young masters like Jiang Jia who didn’t know the hardships of life. But in that moment, he realized Chu Shangluo was different from what he had imagined.

Qian Xiaosi was disinfecting Chu Shangluo’s wound, and Chu Shangluo was sweating from the pain. Chu Shangyue was frantically wiping his sweat, blowing gently on the wound, “It doesn’t hurt! It doesn’t hurt! Luo Luo, it doesn’t hurt!” Chu Shangluo was in so much pain that he wanted to throw his foolish brother aside. He gasped for air and asked, “How did you end up owing so much money?”

Qian Xiaosi hesitated for a moment, then gave an embarrassed smile. “I cosigned a loan for a friend I trusted, but then he ran off, and now I have to pay the debt. I was so stupid, wasn’t I, President Chu?”

“Stupid, really stupid! How could you cosign so casually?” The talkative subordinate couldn’t help himself again.

Chu Zong nudged him with his elbow, signaling him to shut up.

Chu Shangluo looked at Qian Xiaosi’s forced smile and gently patted his head. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re gone. It’s just me now,” Qian Xiaosi answered without much sadness on his face, his hands never slowing down as he continued to work.

Everyone fell silent. Qian Xiaosi’s background resonated with many in the room—orphans, poverty, being betrayed by someone they trusted, encountering unfairness in the workplace—all of these elements connected with their own experiences. Ren Jiaoming was an orphan, Chu Shangluo had been cheated by a trusted secretary, Chu Zong had been very poor, and the talkative subordinate had been pushed out of his last job because of connections. Any one of these things alone was unfortunate enough, but Qian Xiaosi had experienced all of them. His life hadn’t been easy.

At this moment, even the talkative subordinate no longer dared to say something like, “Fifty thousand, and you’re willing to sell yourself?”

Once Qian Xiaosi finished bandaging Chu Shangluo’s wound, he looked at the heavy atmosphere in the room and smiled, “You don’t need to pity me. I can still support myself. I just plan to do this a few more times, pay off the debt, and then quit.”

Chu Shangluo looked at his beautifully wrapped wound and said, “You don’t have to sell yourself anymore.”

Qian Xiaosi froze for a moment, looking at Chu Shangluo with a bit of hope, though he quickly told himself not to expect anything.

Chu Shangluo asked, “Do you know how much real estate costs in the capital?”

Qian Xiaosi, confused, mumbled, “Ah?”

Chu Shangluo pulled the boy, who was kneeling in front of him, up and said, “I had a business talk with Chen Tianyun today. I don’t know if you understood, but to put it simply, it’s about building a building. Your land is in the plan, but the project was supposed to start next year. Anyway, it’s already set. Come see me tomorrow. I can advance some of the relocation money for you. It’ll be enough to pay off your debt and support you for quite a while.”

Qian Xiaosi stood there, stunned, still a bit confused.

Just then, the sound of an ambulance siren echoed from outside the door. Chu Shangluo patted his head. “What are you dazing for? Go find Chu Zong—he’s the one with glasses. Exchange numbers with him, and tomorrow he’ll take you to see me.”

Qian Xiaosi snapped back to reality, and tears welled up in his eyes. “Really? This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Why are you crying? I can’t stand seeing anyone cry; it’s too much,” Chu Shangluo said, reaching out to wipe Qian Xiaosi’s tears. “Don’t go back to selling yourself, and don’t make any more unreliable friends. Find a hospital to work as a nurse. Life is long. If you suffer in your early years, you’ll enjoy the good life when you’re older. I’m not kidding; this is the truth!”

Ren Jiaoming had been watching Chu Shangluo the entire time. He saw him gently wiping Qian Xiaosi’s tears and encouraging him with a mix of impatience yet utter patience. Every movement, every expression, and even his tone of voice—it was clear to Ren Jiaoming that his attention toward Chu Shangluo had long exceeded that of anyone else, though he himself hadn’t realized it yet.

On the way to the hospital, Chu Shangluo was in so much pain that after a nurse administered an anesthetic shot, he fell asleep leaning against Chu Shangyue. Despite being in a similar situation, Ren Jiaoming seemed composed, even making a call to Chen Tianyun to confirm the progress of the project. After finishing the call, he glanced at the others, noticing that Chu Shangyue was still tightly holding onto Chu Shangluo, murmuring something.

When he listened closely, Chu Shangyue was repeating, “Luo Luo, it doesn’t hurt! It doesn’t hurt!”

Ren Jiaoming checked the time—it was nearly eleven o’clock—and said, “Soon, Chu Zong will come to pick you up. I’ll stay with President Chu.”

Chu Shangyue shook his head, his eyes red, pleading, “No, Luo Luo is terrified of pain. He needs me to stay and blow on him.”

It seemed as if a floodgate of memories had suddenly opened. As he recalled, he spoke in broken sentences: “Luo Luo’s afraid of pain. He’s been afraid since he was little. He’d cry when getting a shot, cry when he fell… growing up…” He pointed to Chu Shangluo’s hand, which was so pale it showed his veins, “He’s afraid of colds, IVs… he doesn’t cry anymore, but he’s still scared. He’s most afraid of blood and pain!”

Ren Jiaoming was momentarily stunned as he looked at Chu Shangluo’s bleeding arm and recalled the image of him sweating in pain. Afraid of pain, yet he still shielded him from the knife… Ren Jiaoming’s long eyelashes fluttered, and for a moment, it felt as if something had seared his heart.