Chapter 12

It wasn’t until now that Ruan Qing remembered the chaos from the day before, she had driven Zhao Hao away but completely forgot to take his keys. Zhao Hao was an athlete, and he also minored in martial arts. With his temper, it was likely that if he ran into Nian Qi, a fight would break out.

On the other hand, Nian Qi was a man with wounds on his body and blood-stained blades, it seemed he wasn’t someone to mess with either. In Ruan Qing’s mind, she braced herself for the worst, two men, bruised and battered, beating each other senseless.

But when she rushed home in a panic, the scene that greeted her was beyond anything she had imagined. There was no fight, no chaos, just Nian Qi sitting calmly on the sofa, holding a bag of chips, and watching TV with focused attention.

The moment he saw her return, he stood up and greeted her with a serene, indifferent tone. “You’re back?”

He was still wearing the same loungewear Ruan Qing had bought—though, to be precise, that outfit was originally intended for Zhao Hao. Zhao Hao, her ex-boyfriend, whom she had dated for two years, like a loyal but wild little pup. The very same Zhao Hao she had caught cheating in her own bed yesterday and kicked out of her apartment after giving him a sound beating.

“Zhao Hao didn’t hit you, did he?” Ruan Qing asked anxiously as she hurried to Nian Qi’s side, scanning him from head to toe. His arm was still bandaged, but those were injuries he had already sustained before crossing over into this world, treated at the hospital the day before. Aside from that, his face was clean, with no fresh wounds or signs of bruising.

Ruan Qing let out a breath of relief, looked around, and asked, “Where’s Zhao Hao? Did he leave?”

“He’s inside,” Nian Qi replied, pointing toward the study.

Ruan Qing: “???”

With a growing sense of unease, Ruan Qing pushed open the door to the study. What she saw inside made her jaw drop. Zhao Hao was tied to the computer chair, struggling violently, his eyes wide with fury as they bulged from their sockets.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
“Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”
“Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!”

His mouth had been gagged, reducing his furious curses to muffled grunts. Even though Ruan Qing couldn’t make out the words, she could tell they were anything but polite.

Closing the study door with a calm expression, she turned to Nian Qi and asked, “What happened?”

Nian Qi gave a polite smile. “He let himself in and started throwing punches as soon as he entered. So, I subdued him and asked for his name, it turns out he’s Zhao Hao.”

It all clicked into place for Nian Qi at that moment. During their visit to the hospital, Ruan Qing had told the staff that the man accompanying her was “a friend,” using Zhao Hao’s identity for the records. Then, when Zhao Hao barged in earlier, he had yelled, “You’re wearing my clothes!”, which matched what Ruan Qing had said about having an “ex.” Now everything made sense.

Initially, Nian Qi had thought Ruan Qing was a widow. But when she mentioned that she had never been married, it had left him a bit confused. Now he understood—“ex” wasn’t a deceased husband but a former lover.

“Given the many differences between our worlds, I figured it might be difficult to explain things directly,” Nian Qi said. “So, I subdued him first and then used that device you call a ‘phone’ to contact you.”

Ruan Qing kept her expression neutral but praised him, “You did well.”

“Uh…” She jerked her thumb toward the study. “I’ll… go talk to him. You…”

Taking the hint, Nian Qi nodded graciously. “I’ll step outside to enjoy the scenery.”

By “outside,” he meant the balcony.

With that, he casually walked out to the balcony, folding his arms as he looked out over the view. Meanwhile, Ruan Qing entered the study, firmly shutting the door behind her with a decisive snap.

It was clear that Ruan Qing had yanked the clothes she stuffed into Zhao Hao’s mouth out, as the room was now filled with his furious curses. Soon, the curses escalated into a heated argument between the two.

Maybe they thought the closed door and the fact that Nian Qi was on the balcony would prevent him from hearing them. Or at least they assumed he wouldn’t catch much of the conversation. But with their loud voices and Nian Qi’s sharp hearing, every word was crystal clear.

Snippets like:
“You still have the nerve to call me a cheater? The moment I leave, you let another man move in!”
“And if you hadn’t already been sneaking around with him, how could things line up so perfectly?”

Although Nian Qi wasn’t sure what “cheating” meant, he somehow understood the gist of the argument quite well.

Suddenly, the door to the study slammed open, and Ruan Qing stormed out in a fury. She stomped to the balcony, grabbed Nian Qi by the arm, and dragged him into the living room without a word!

Zhao Hao rushed out after them, his face twisted with anger. “What else do you have to say for yourself?”

Ruan Qing sneered. “What’s there to explain? Why should I even bother?”

“If you’re so convinced that I’m involved with him, fine, I’ll admit it!”

She hooked her arm around Nian Qi’s and pressed her body close to his, raising her voice dramatically. “There! Now you see it! I’ve got a new boyfriend,he’s in better shape than you, better-looking than you, and even better at fighting. You, a martial arts student? How did you end up tied up like a helpless chicken?”

Nian Qi, with his sharp features, tall and well-built physique, and natural masculine charm, stood there quietly. Despite the oddity of his ancient-style topknot, the modern clothes gave him a unique, fashionable vibe. He fit perfectly into this confrontation, a handy “boyfriend prop” for Ruan Qing’s spat with her ex.

Having been given food, shelter, and kindness by Ruan Qing, Nian Qi didn’t resist at all. He stood silently, focusing inward, willingly playing his role as a temporary tool in this showdown.

Zhao Hao, now seething with anger, lashed out: “You old pervert! You just love guys with great bodies who know martial arts!”

Crude as the insult was, it wasn’t far from the truth. Back when Zhao Hao had bragged about his martial arts skills, it had been a bonus point in Ruan Qing’s eyes, though she saw him as a simple, naive boy.

“Yes, yes, I like exactly that kind, you knew it all along,” Ruan Qing said with a mocking smile. “And now that I’ve found a new one, get out of my house. Immediately.”

The truth was, Ruan Qing and Zhao Hao never had any real emotional connection. Their relationship was transactional. The gap between their ages, mindsets, and experiences was enormous. She read current affairs, he chased anime trends, they had nothing in common.

They stayed together purely to meet each other’s needs. But since Zhao Hao ate her food, used her things, and spent her money, she demanded at least one thing in return—basic decency. She wasn’t asking for love, but he couldn’t even give her the bare minimum of respect. If he couldn’t manage that, what was there to discuss?

“So, what now? Still not leaving? Hoping to get back together with me?” she taunted.

Zhao Hao was livid. The truth was… he had come back hoping to reconcile with her.

Sure, Zhao Hao was attractive and had plenty of younger girls chasing after him. But those girls never offered to pay for meals, and the best they could manage was to split the bill. None of them could afford the sneakers he liked, nor did they spoil him the way Ruan Qing did. Only he knew how comfortable life had been with her.

Besides, it wasn’t like Ruan Qing was unattractive, she was still a beautiful woman, just older.

However, with things escalating to this point, with her flaunting another man right in front of him, there was no turning back now. If he didn’t walk away, he’d lose all dignity.

Zhao Hao, whose brawn far exceeded his brain, was fuming with frustration. “Who the hell said I came to get back together with you? I’m just here to pick up my stuff!”

Ruan Qing raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Your stuff? What stuff? Did you pay even a cent for the water bill? The electricity? The rent?”

“Which T-shirt did you buy? Which pair of shoes did you pay for?”

Hearing her sharp retort, Nian Qi suddenly understood, the convenient tap water and electrical appliances in this world weren’t free,they all cost money. Good living, as it turned out, wasn’t something that fell from the sky. It was built with silver, every bit paid for.

Zhao Hao tried to swallow his anger and said, “Ruan Qing, let’s not make this ugly. Can we just part ways peacefully? I’ll pack my things and leave.”

If it had been an amicable breakup, Ruan Qing wouldn’t have cared about the things she had bought for him, after all, they were meant for him in the first place. But yesterday, she had caught Zhao Hao in her bed with another person! The sheer disgust from that discovery hadn’t even worn off yet, and she still hadn’t addressed the fact that her expensive 140-thread-count bedsheets had been ruined!

Letting go of Nian Qi’s arm, she sneered coldly. “What makes you think we can end things peacefully? Who gave you the guts to say something like that?”

Zhao Hao’s eyes widened in frustration. “I’ve been polite enough, haven’t I? What more do you want from me?”

“I don’t need anything from you,” Ruan Qing said icily. “I just need you to get lost.”

She pointed a finger directly at Zhao Hao and continued, “And let me make this clear, nothing in this house belongs to you. Not one thing.”

Her tone was resolute and unwavering, she wasn’t going to let him take even a single sock with him.

Zhao Hao began to panic. Forget the clothes, those were replaceable. But his shoes? Those were his lifeblood! He had only five pairs at the dorm, while the rest, more than a dozen, were all here in Ruan Qing’s apartment!

“Look, I’ll let everything else slide, but I have to take my shoes!” he demanded fiercely. To emphasize, he jabbed his finger into the air twice as if that would make his words more convincing.

But deep down, he was all bluster, and after making his point, he nervously glanced at Nian Qi.

Most of Zhao Hao’s clothes were loose athletic wear, so they fit Nian Qi quite comfortably. However, it was clear that Nian Qi was taller. And not only had Zhao Hao experienced Nian Qi’s skills firsthand, but the man’s presence alone was unsettling. Dressed in loungewear and slippers, with his long hair tied into a traditional topknot, he looked both out of place and oddly fashionable. There was something about him, something between ancient and trendy that exuded a mysterious energy, making Zhao Hao feel unnerved.

Noticing Zhao Hao’s uneasy glance, Ruan Qing couldn’t help but roll her eyes dramatically.

She had seen clearly back in the study, Zhao Hao had been tied securely to the chair, not a scratch on him. It was obvious that Nian Qi hadn’t needed to use much force to subdue him. After all, martial arts in the modern world were more about performance and flair. But in ancient times, martial arts were techniques meant to kill.

Both Zhao Hao and Nian Qi knew martial arts, and Ruan Qing had initially worried that the two men might have fought. But now, seeing them side by side, all her worries vanished, there was a clear disparity in their abilities.

Despite his bravado, Zhao Hao knew he was outmatched. If Nian Qi weren’t here, Ruan Qing would have threatened to report Zhao Hao to his university. He was planning to pursue graduate studies, and if he dared to use violence against her, a formal complaint would cause him major trouble. But now that she had Nian Qi, a far more capable fighter standing by her side, there was no need for words.

Ruan Qing tilted her head towards Nian Qi and said, “Do me a favor, would you?” She gestured subtly with her chin in Zhao Hao’s direction.

Having formed a strange bond with this man from another time, it seemed they understood each other perfectly. Nian Qi gave a slight nod, his eyes conveying, Leave it to me.

Then, he reached out his hand towards Zhao Hao.

Zhao Hao’s eyes widened in fear at the sight of that hand. He was a sports major with a martial arts minor, he prided himself on his skills. As soon as he saw the man with the mysterious topknot extend his hand, Zhao Hao instinctively tried to dodge, activating the strength in his legs and waist to move.

But—

Snap!

Before he could react, a sharp grip tightened around the back of his neck.

Zhao Hao was utterly bewildered. With all his speed and skill, how had he failed to evade that hand? Why? How?!