Li Yan lay in bed, phone in hand, restless and wide awake. Her mind was a storm of worries—on one hand, she was anxious about Cao Yang's safety, and on the other, she had to endure the loud moans coming from the room next door.
"Damn it, it's too early!" she cursed under her breath. She didn't dare knock on the door. As usual, she was all bravado in front of Cao Yang but meek around others.
The sky was beginning to lighten, and Cao Yang still hadn't returned. Was she really going to pack up and head back to her hometown with the money?
Sigh…
She sat on the bed, fuming.
Time passed, though she didn't know how long. The woman next door only stopped making noise once the sky was fully bright.
Li Yan got up and prepared to leave, but first, she decided to call Cao Yang.
Just as she dialed, the doorbell rang.
Li Yan froze. Heart pounding, she rushed to open the door—and there stood Cao Yang. Overjoyed, she flung herself into his arms, scolding and hitting him at the same time.
"Alright, alright, it's okay, it's okay," Cao Yang soothed, gently prying Li Yan off him.
"You bastard! Why didn't you die out there?!" Li Yan noticed the scratches on his neck, blood streaks clearly visible.
"They hit you?"
"Nope, nobody laid a hand on me. Everything was resolved peacefully."
"Then where did the scratches on your neck come from?"
Cao Yang touched his neck. It hurt a little. Ah, of course—it must have been Lei Yu, scratching him during their… intimate moment. He hadn't noticed at the time because he was too immersed.
"It's nothing. I scratched myself," Cao Yang said, ignoring Li Yan's suspicious gaze, and headed for the shower.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he peeled off his shirt and realized the scratches weren't just on his neck—his entire back was marked with red handprints. This wouldn't heal for days.
He shook his head, amazed at Lei Yu's… intensity, completely disregarding whether he was too forceful and had overwhelmed her.
Dressed, he came out and saw Li Yan lying on the bed, beckoning him with a finger.
"You know," she whispered in his ear, "the girl next door made a racket all morning. That guy… he was too good. Totally destroyed her!"
Her implication was crystal clear—just testing whether Cao Yang was as skilled as he claimed.
Li Yan had been conflicted about giving herself to him. Even if she did, she wouldn't hand herself over easily; she liked to play hard to get. But Lei Yu's sudden appearance threw her plan into chaos. She feared Cao Yang might get involved with Lei Yu and leave her out, so she decided to take the initiative.
Cao Yang rubbed his temples. Li Yan's hints were so obvious. If he ignored her, she would suspect. But if he gave in, she might notice the scratches all over his body, leading to endless questions he couldn't answer.
They weren't a couple, so technically, he owed her no explanation. But it was easier to prevent a mess than deal with a storm later.
Just as he was deep in thought, someone knocked at the door.
Li Yan flinched, thinking it was trouble. She clutched her bag of money tightly.
Cao Yang opened the door—and there stood a disheveled Lei Dian.
"Cao Yang, thank you!" Lei Dian wrapped him in a tight hug. "Where's my sister?"
"She's back at her dorm," Cao Yang lied through his teeth. If he told Lei Dian she was next door, it would expose his… exploits.
"Yan Jie, I'll accompany Lei Dian to see his sister. You pack your things and head home—the trouble's already resolved. The slot machines are waiting for you to open. Every day, you miss a thousand bucks!"
Cao Yang knew Li Yan loved money. By reminding her that a delay could cost her over a thousand yuan, he ensured she wouldn't rest easy.
"No way—" she started to protest, but Cao Yang had already shut the door and left.
Fuming, she punched the bed—but recalling the lost income, she quickly got up to change.
...
Cao Yang guided Lei Dian to knock on the next-door room, cautiously glancing at Li Yan's door, fearing she might barge out.
"Creak…" Lei Yu hobbled to the door, leaning on the wall, and opened it, then limped back to bed.
The pain was intense. Every step sent a wave of tearing agony through her body.
"What happened? Weren't you supposed to be at the dorm?" Lei Dian asked, puzzled, but no one responded.
"Sis, are you okay?" Lei Dian asked, worried.
"I'm fine," Lei Yu shook her head and immediately began scolding him, blaming him for all the trouble.
Lei Dian, being berated like a child, lowered his head and said nothing.
Cao Yang watched, barely holding back laughter—until Lei Yu shot him a glare.
That look wasn't directed at him—it was blaming Lei Dian for being too rough, utterly clueless about tenderness, having completely destroyed her in just two hours.
But Lei Dian misunderstood, thinking his sister was angry at Cao Yang.
"Sis, treat Cao Yang better! He risked his life to save you!"
"Mind your own business!" Lei Yu yelled. Damn you, little brother! My sister got… and you're defending him?!
"Alright, alright, don't fight over me," Cao Yang intervened, playing peacemaker. He pulled a cigarette from his bag, handed one to Lei Dian, and began blowing smoke rings.
"What's the plan now?"
Lei Dian glanced at Lei Yu. "I want to take my sister back home."
Cao Yang looked at Lei Yu, reluctant to let such a beauty leave, still savoring the lingering taste of the morning.
"There's no need to go back. The matter's resolved. The Yi He Hui won't trouble you again."
"Really?" Lei Dian doubted, looking at Lei Yu.
Lei Yu nodded and gave Cao Yang a glance. "I don't want to go either."
Suddenly, a phone rang. Cao Yang checked—Iron Bear calling.
He sneered and hung up immediately.
Soon, Iron Bear called again.
Cao Yang answered, tone cold: "What is it?"
"Cao Yang, bro, what happened last night? The signal cut off mid-conversation."
"Signal everywhere in the world, except with you."
"What do you mean? Don't you think I want to help you?"
"You haven't told me who they are. Is the problem resolved? If not, I'll bring people to back you up."
"Thanks, no need." Cao Yang was about to hang up.
"Wait, bro. There's a fight tonight. Let's go together."
"I'm not going!"