Liang Jiankong opened the car door and gestured for her to wear the slippers. Xu Qingyan hadn’t expected this level of thoughtfulness from him, and it felt somewhat unexpected. After a moment of hesitation, she extended her foot. Her feet were already frigid, possibly with a few minor cuts that had scabbed over.

Liang Jiankong entered the house while Xu Qingyan remained in place. Seeing her uncertainty, Ah Bao approached and suggested, “Come on, let’s head inside.”

She considered asking if she could stay outside, but eventually, she stepped inside.

Liang Jiankong headed directly upstairs into the bedroom, settled on the sofa, and gestured for Xu Qingyan to enter with a slight nod of his chin. Xu Qingyan stood at the doorway, her brows lightly furrowed. Ah Bao, standing between them, scanned the surroundings before finally saying to Xu Qingyan, “Dr. Xu, please come in.”

Xu Qingyan took a deep breath and took two steps inside.

Liang Jiankong adjusted his collar and undid two buttons before instructing Ah Bao, “Bring the medical kit.”

As Ah Bao exited, he closed the door behind him.

Upon her entry, Xu Qingyan quickly scanned the house and noted the absence of any servants or other people inside.

Liang Jiankong asked, “What’s on your mind?”

Xu Qingyan snapped back to reality. She watched him rise and pour her a glass of alcohol, adding a few ice cubes before casually swirling it. He then gestured toward the sofa, holding the glass. “Sit.”

Ah Bao returned promptly, placing the medical kit on the coffee table.

Liang Jiankong waved his hand dismissively and said, “That’s enough; you can go rest now.”

Ah Bao glanced at Xu Qingyan, who remained composed, sitting cautiously on the edge of the sofa with her head down. He then gave a slight bow to Liang Jiankong before exiting the room.

Liang Jiankong took a sip of his drink. The golden liquid rolled down his throat smoothly as he savored it. He let out a satisfied sigh.

He seemed to recall something and asked, “Would you like something to eat?”

Xu Qingyan shook her head quickly, her appetite completely absent in this situation.

“Okay,” he said nonchalantly, “then let’s attend to those wounds first.”

Xu Qingyan froze. She glanced at the first aid kit and then down at her injured feet. Liang Jiankong had already risen and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a basin of water and a fresh towel in hand.

“Let’s wash it first,” he suggested, half-crouching to place the basin of water by her feet. “Test the water temperature.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t quite understand his intention and remained seated.

Maintaining his posture, he locked eyes with her stoic face. She was looking at him with a detached demeanor.

After a brief pause, Liang Jiankong suddenly grabbed her left ankle. Xu Qingyan was startled, instinctively recoiling, but he paid no attention to her struggles. In no time, her foot was submerged in the warm water.

Her cold foot was suddenly exposed to the water, causing her skin to tingle slightly upon contact. However, after few seconds, the comforting sensation of adjusting to the water temperature gradually spread through her limbs and body, making her feel much better.

“Your other foot,” Liang Jiankong gestured, as if he was about to grab her right foot again. This time, Xu Qingyan immediately submerged it in the warm water herself.

He straightened up and returned to the sofa. He didn’t think there was anything improper about his actions. He opened the medical kit and took out iodine, cotton swabs, gauze and adhesive bandages. 

“A little cleaning will do,” he said.

Handing her a towel, he watched intently as Xu Qingyan, feeling somewhat uneasy under his gaze, dried her feet.

Liang Jiankong opened the iodine bottle, dipped a cotton swab, and approached her, as if he intended to tend to her injuries. Xu Qingyan was startled this time. Her heart was racing as she abruptly stood up, not caring that her feet were bare.

“No need,” she replied as coldly as she could and avoided eye contact with him.

Putting aside the man’s identity for now, Xu Qingyan felt extremely uncomfortable being touched by a relatively unfamiliar man. Even when a Japanese man had held a knife to her neck, she had remained composed, but now she displayed this awkward expression.

Liang Jiankong found it amusing as he shook the cotton swab and chuckled, “Just disinfecting.”

They locked eyes for a moment, and then Xu Qingyan spoke, her voice not too loud but firm, “I’ll handle it myself.” She added, “I’m a doctor.”

Those four words seemed to have an impact as Liang Jiankong simply nodded and leaned back slightly, saying, “Then go ahead.”

Xu Qingyan hesitated to return to her previous spot. Instead, she chose to sit on the other side of the sofa. She leaned over and pulled the medical kit closer. One leg was bent, resting on her knee, as she carefully examined the soles of her feet. It wasn’t the most elegant posture, but she had no choice as she disinfected the scraped areas.

Liang Jiankong casually lifted his glass again, his long legs stretched out and one arm resting on the backrest of the sofa. He sat silently, with his gaze fixed on her.

Xu Qingyan keenly felt his gaze upon her and this made her uneasy. She could feel her cheeks heating up but her eyes remained downcast throughout, hidden beneath the veil of her lowered eyelashes. With utmost concentration, she focused on her task, occasionally adjusting the stray locks of hair that kept slipping down her forehead. She had to repeatedly tuck them behind her ears, revealing her delicate earlobes. Her movements were precise and meticulous, a testament to her surgical expertise.

As Liang Jiankong observed her, his gaze followed her graceful fingers, slender and fair, with neatly manicured nails that exuded a gentle strength. These hands didn’t seem fragile; they held an underlying power, as if they were capable of composing a mesmerizing melody if given the chance to perform on stage.

Just by looking at those hands, one might be tempted to fall in love.

Liang Jiankong quietly sipped his drink, his reaction imperceptible.

“If they really chopped it off, that would be a pity,” he mused, seemingly random. However, Xu Qingyan swiftly grasped his meaning.

Nonetheless, back then, he simply replied, “Feel free.”

Xu Qingyan continued disinfecting her skin until she had applied the last band-aid to the small wound. She placed each bottle back in the medical kit and disposed the waste in the trash bin. After completing this series of tasks, she didn’t sit back down but turned to face Liang Jiankong. Her gaze, however, drifted past him, lost in thought, not really focusing on anything in particular.

“Thank you.” 

Liang Jiankong nodded. His gaze fixed on her unfocused eyes, “You’ll stay here for the next few days.”

Her reaction was straightforward. She furrowed her brows and asked, “Why?”

Liang Jiankong spoke casually, “You were brought here as a witness. Don’t you think I should interrogate you before releasing you? Even acting requires a full performance. Later, you should request a leave from work if needed and take care of your personal matters. Starting tomorrow, hand over your phone.”

He didn’t sound like he was negotiating.

There was a moment of silence before Xu Qingyan replied, “When they took me away, I didn’t bring anything with me…”

“…” Liang Jiankong paused, then shrugged. “Never mind, disappearing for a day or two isn’t a big deal. In our line of work, people often vanish, and some of them never return.”

His attempt at humor fell flat, leaving Xu Qingyan devoid of laughter. Observing her lack of reaction, Liang Jiankong quickly lost interest. “Just kidding. Go rest in the next room.”

Without hesitation, Xu Qingyan exited the room.

With her departure, Liang Jiankong’s face lost all traces of amusement.

Liang Jiankong walked over the window. There were three men patrolling the courtyard below. He was observing them as they patrolled without bothering to look up

His face, reflected in the window, appeared cold and his habitual smile now seemed more like mockery. A sudden surge of irritation welled within him. He absently ran a hand through his hair and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette, but came up empty. After a moment of frustration, he gave up the search.

In reality, he wasn’t a heavy smoker. During his early days on the streets, he had smoked heavily as a way to fit in. Back then, he lacked the status to decline a cigarette, and refusing one invited trouble. During those dark days, cigarettes had served as a lifeline for maintaining his composure.

Later, he quit smoking. When he did, nobody dared to insist he must smoke when offering him a cigarette. Some stubbornly claimed he was being disrespectful, but did everyone truly deserve Lord Liang’s respect?

Still, he would simply offer a faint smile and say, “Smoking is bad for your health.”

Initially, everyone would stare at his deadpan expression before bursting into laughter, claiming he had quite the sense of humor. He continued to observe them dispassionately amid their smokescreens until they no longer dared to laugh.

Occasionally, the desire for a cigarette overcame him, but most of the time, he would simply take one out, give it a sniff, quell his inner restlessness, and return it to its place.

Now, he craved a cigarette to dispel the image in his mind.

Her pale face offered no certainty, but she responded with uncertain sincerity, “I don’t know.”

She remained uncertain whether he would take her life.

A soft chuckle escaped him. He couldn’t help it, though he wasn’t sure why.