Chapter 36 was almost utterly ridiculous.

That night, after returning to Nanhai City, Yu Wu did not take the initiative to contact Ke Yanchen.

That evening, Ke Yanchen took Xia Tingxue home, but the image of Yu Wu wearing a bikini kept replaying in his mind.

Those clear, innocent eyes, paired with that hot body, were simply stunning. If he hadn't been suppressing it, he felt he might have gotten a nosebleed like a young boy.

For some reason, those clean and soft eyes always kept popping into his mind, like pure snow melting on a mountaintop, without any impurities.

No one will ever have eyes as clear as hers again.

Xia Tingxue did indeed meet his expectations in every way, but she had betrayed him. However, when she softly sobbed and said she was wrong and that she still thought of him, he softened. Furthermore, Song Manyin harbored deep hostility towards Xia Tingxue, and thus consistently protected her on the island of Ke Yanchen.

However, family responsibilities and his own age no longer allowed him to do as he pleased.

Moreover, Yuwu is no less remarkable; she too is a delicate, pale flower, possessing only an occasional stubbornness. This stubbornness allows her to be the matriarch of the family and weather any storms.

Having figured these things out, Ke Yanchen intensified his pursuit of Yu Wu. He sent her flowers and gifts for five consecutive days, and their chat history became increasingly ambiguous, just short of confessing their feelings.

Yu Wu was also very sensible and never asked him about his relationship with Xia Tingxue on the island. Ke Yanchen liked her thoughtfulness and obedience very much.

Women should be gentle and sensible so that they can arouse a man's protective instincts.

Yu Wu finished her work early today and could leave at five o'clock. Ke Yanchen sent her a message inviting her to dinner.

Yu Wu: [I get so many invitations to dinner!]

Ke Yanchen: [Then I'll cut in line.]

Yuwu: [No, you can't.]

Ke Yanchen: [I'm heartbroken.]

Yu Wu: [Don't give me that! I'm not falling for it!] (Smug little cat.jpg)

Two minutes passed, and Ke Yanchen still hadn't replied. Just as Yu Wu was about to turn off her phone, Ke Yanchen called.

Yuwu: "Hello?"

Ke Yanchen's deep, magnetic voice chuckled, "No cutting in line?"

Yu Wu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in her office, looking down at the endless stream of cars and people below. She suppressed the smile on her lips and gave a soft "hmm".

"I'm already downstairs at your company. Would you do me the honor of joining me, Miss Yu?"

Yu Wu quickly ran to the mirror to check her makeup, and only after confirming that everything was okay did she whisper, "Then I'll come down right away."

......

When Yu Wu arrived downstairs, the magnetic field attracted her, allowing her to spot the dazzling Ke Yanchen in the crowd at a glance.

After weaving through the bustling crowd, Yu Wu finally met Ke Yanchen.

He leaned casually against the car door, his tall figure silhouetted against the gentle glow of the setting sun, which illuminated his strikingly sculpted features as he held a beautiful bouquet of pink roses in one hand.

Their eyes met, and they both smiled slowly.

Ke Yanchen handed the pink roses to Yu Wu, gentlemanly opened the car door, and gestured for her to get in.

Yu Wu got into Ke Yanchen's car amidst the envious gazes of the onlookers. She lowered her head to smell the roses and said softly, "You send me flowers every day, and you've given me so many gifts too."

Ke Yanchen replied calmly, "This is my duty."

Yu Wu gave him a playful glare, her face flushed as she pressed, "What obligation?"

Ke Yanchen glanced at her sideways, a tender smile playing on his lips, and said nothing.

......

Yuwu suggested going to Shiguangli today. It's a famous food street in Nanhai City, but it's relatively underdeveloped, consisting mostly of shantytowns, and the area is chaotic at night.

Parking was hard to find at Shiguangli, so Yuwu suggested that she go and order first.

Ke Yanchen arrived at the noisy and chaotic Sichuan restaurant, but Yu Wuren was nowhere to be seen. He made a phone call.

"Keke! I'm buying milk tea in the alley to the left of the restaurant. We're number 57. Find a seat first, I'll be right there—" Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly let out a sharp scream.

Ke Yanchen's heart tightened, and he rushed into the alley on the left.

...

Yu Wu looked terrified as five or six thugs, around seventeen or eighteen years old, surrounded her and even snatched her bag.

Ke Yanchen was instantly filled with murderous intent. He rushed over in a few steps, punched the nearest person in the face, and slammed him to the ground. He then rushed over to protect Yu Wu behind him.

Yuwu behind her sniffed, her voice pitiful, "...Keke."

"Don't be afraid." He tilted his head slightly to comfort him, then pointed at the blond-haired guy who looked like the leader and had snatched the yuwu bag, and scolded him in a low voice.

"Give it back!"

The thug and his companions exchanged glances, somewhat intimidated by the appearance of Ke Yanchen, a mature and dignified man.

One of them couldn't hold back any longer and asked the blond-haired guy, "Brother Tian, ​​what should we do?"

The blond-haired guy called Brother Tian paused for two seconds, then pointed at Ke Yanchen with a provocative look on his face.

"Who the hell are you? Who do you think you are?"

As he said this, several thugs on the side, their faces contorted with rage, tried to bypass Ke Yanchen and harass Yu Wu again.

Yu Wu screamed in fright.

With his blood rushing to his head, Ke Yanchen rushed towards the blond-haired man who had snatched the bag, grabbing his neck fiercely. "Stop fucking acting like a jerk!"

After saying that, he slammed his head against the red brick wall, and a hole was immediately punched in the blond-haired man's head, with bloodstains appearing everywhere.

Ke Yanchen snatched Yu Wu's bag from the ground and forcefully pulled her away. He protected Yu Wu's head, preventing her from seeing, and said, "Let the police handle the rest."

Yu Wu hadn't expected things to take such a sudden turn, and she didn't want to call the police.

—Because she found the actress herself.

“No—” she looked at him earnestly, like a frightened little animal, “They are still young, they have already learned their lesson, let them go.”

Ke Yanchen stared at her intently for several seconds with his dark eyes. "Are you sure?"

Yu Wu's eyes welled up with tears. "They're still young, so let's give them another chance."

Ke Yanchen put his phone back in his pocket, forcefully pulled her around the waist, and walked out, saying, "We can't eat here anymore."

Yuwu was exceptionally obedient to him.

...

I don't know if it's because I was frightened, but the fog is unusually clingy tonight.

Once in the car, she hugged his lean waist, not wanting him to leave.

As the sun dipped low and dusk settled, a cool breeze began to blow.

"Keke, thanks to you, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do."

"Keke, you're amazing! You subdued them in no time..."

"KeKe, I can't live without you..."

Ke Yanchen inwardly mocked her youngest daughter's fragile mentality, while also being slightly surprised. In this society governed by law, although things were somewhat chaotic there, it was still daytime, yet those thugs dared to be so brazen.

He asked her, "What happened? How dare they be so brazen in broad daylight?"

“They,” Yu Wu’s voice choked slightly, “they asked me for my contact information, but I didn’t give it to them. When I was paying for the milk tea, they saw the money in my wallet, and that’s when they got the idea to do something wicked.”

Ke Yanchen stroked her back gently, his heart almost melting from the heat, patiently soothing her helplessness.

"It will never happen again."

Yu Wu sniffled, climbed out of his arms, and looked at him pitifully, "Really, Ke Ke?"

Ke Yanchen hummed in agreement, "I will stay by your side every moment."

The man had deep-set features, and his black pupils were covered by a thin, translucent membrane, which reflected her entirely.

Yuwu stretched out her hand, "Pinky promise, Keke will always stay by my side and protect me."

Ke Yanchen extended his beautiful, slender fingertips, letting her be childish, his voice tinged with a faint smile.

"Pinky promise".

After making a pinky promise, Yuwu nestled into his arms again, her voice muffled.

"Keke will protect Yuwu for life. She promised for life, and she can't change her mind." Her tone turned inexplicably sad at the end. Those words were so familiar, etched into her mind, and the outcome was all too ironic.

He patted Yu Wu's head. "Okay, for a lifetime."

"How about you repeat it completely?"

"Okay." Ke Yanchen patted her head, his eyes filled with sincerity as he spoke each word. "Ke Yanchen will protect Yu Wu for the rest of his life. It's a promise, a promise, and I won't change my mind." He gently pinched Yu Wu's cheek. "Little girl, can we go eat now?"

Yu Wu's pupils dilated, her eyes slightly moist. She stared at him blankly for a long time, the image of that proud young man making a promise in her memory perfectly overlapping with Ke Yanchen's current state. Did Ke Yanchen understand the weight of a promise at this moment?

That devout gaze gave Yu Wu a sense of time distortion, as if nothing had happened, he was still that dashing young man, and she was the quiet, unassuming girl who silently admired him.

Back then, she was innocent and naive; a single glance from him could brighten her entire day. There was even a period when none of those unpleasant things happened, and she felt like the happiest person in the world, her heart bubbling with sweetness every day, dreaming of a beautiful future where they would be together forever.

Those scenes are now so distant, like phantoms in a dream.

She smiled silently, then nodded emphatically.

Never look back.

*

That evening, Ke Yanchen escorted Yu Wu home, and the two were already holding hands. Their posture was intimate, and they were just one step away from breaking through the final barrier.

Ke Yanchen escorted Yu Wu home. At the door, he gently kissed Yu Wu's forehead, his hot breath spraying onto her skin. "I was too hasty last time. How about I be more formal tomorrow?"

Both of them understood that they were referring to officially establishing their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Yu Wu nodded shyly, then looked up, her lips trembling with grievance, "Ke Ke, I don't want you to leave."

Ke Yanchen chuckled, his heart full, and his lips brushed from her forehead to her cheek, giving her a light peck.

"Then I'll stay at your place tonight?" His eyes were dark, filled with predatory desire.

Yu Wu's cheeks immediately burned, and she groaned, unable to speak.

Ke Yanchen pinched her earlobe and stared at her intently. "Yu Zi, you need to get used to it."

"Mmm." Yu Wu lowered her head.

"See you tomorrow."

......

PARKING LOT.

Ke Yanchen returned to the car but did not rush to start it.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the hissing of the cigarette burning between his fingers. He recalled Yu Wu's shy expression just now, and couldn't help but smile, his chest trembling slightly.

She has the mentality of a young girl, wanting to pinky swear to hang herself for life.

He became childish just like her.

He stubbed out his cigarette, started the car, and gently pressed the accelerator, his eyebrows and eyes beaming with pride.

*

The next day.

Bright sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling across the floor.

Yu Wu had no mood to do anything all day and sat blankly on the living room sofa for the entire afternoon.

Her head ached terribly, and those memories rushed through her mind, one after another, so heavy that they seemed to crush her shoulders in an instant.

Ten years have passed, and she remembers it all.

Now, I finally have the chance to seek justice for my younger self.

Once you're with him, everything else becomes much easier.

Yu Wu clenched her fists, her eyes burning with intense hatred.

...

We had arranged to have dinner at a five-star hotel that evening, and Yu Wu arrived at the magnificent hotel entrance first.

The surroundings were noisy and bustling, with elegantly dressed guests passing by her in twos and threes.

The weather, which was sunny in the afternoon, is now overcast with low-hanging clouds and howling wind.

Ke Yanchen texted him saying he would arrive soon.

Yu Wu put away her phone and raised her eyelashes.

Sure enough, the car engine roared to life, and Ke Yanchen's red Lamborghini appeared before Yu Wu's eyes.

Yu Wu gazed at him tenderly, the curve of her lips carefully calculated.

Ke Yanchen glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, got out of the car, put one hand in his pocket, and let the breeze ruffle the black bangs on his forehead.

Their eyes met.

Both of them had faint smiles on their faces.

Yes, that's it. Step by step, the plot unfolded exactly as she had envisioned.

...

As the footsteps drew closer and the image became clearer, the smile on her lips deepened, and her heart pounded faster.

He stopped ten steps away. His face was deep, handsome, and striking; his tall figure exuded an extraordinary air; his dark pupils were fixed on her, and a tender smile played on his thin lips.

My heart began to stir with excitement.

The two stood facing each other, creating a scene reminiscent of a film with its image stretched out radially.

And just like that, they immediately became boyfriend and girlfriend.

The next moment, Ke Yanchen held the phone to his ear, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Xia Tingxue cried on the other end of the phone, saying she didn't want to live anymore and was going to cut her wrists.

Ke Yanchen knew that he and Xia Tingxue had already been too intimate on the island last time. If he went to find Xia Tingxue now, there was no doubt that he and Yu Wu would have no chance anymore.

He wavered somewhat.

Xia Tingxue sobbed heavily through her nose, "So you don't want me anymore, brother either." Then she hung up the phone.

He knew that Xia Tingxue was too fragile. Any small setback could destroy her, and she had to depend on him.

My brain felt like it was being torn in two, leaving me no time to think.

Ke Yanchen gave Yu Wu a deep look, then turned and got into the car nimbly.

Yu Wu watched all of this unfold before her eyes. Each frame was so clear, slowly scrolling through her mind, and the surrounding noise gradually subsided.

A lump rose in my throat.

It was so close.

Hatred and sorrow surged up suddenly in that instant, boundless and overwhelming.

Her breath seemed to stop, and Ke Yanchen was getting further and further away from her.

A cool breeze brushed her cheeks, tossed her hair, and blew away the moisture from the corners of her eyes, but couldn't dispel the resentment and bitterness stuck in her throat. Yu Wu's smile froze on her face as she stared blankly at the car exhaust fumes floating in the air in the direction Ke Yanchen had last left.

My mind started buzzing unconsciously with yesterday's words: "Ke Yanchen will protect Yuwu for a lifetime. He promised for a lifetime and he can't change his mind."

He abandoned her again, just like he would carelessly toss away trash.

Deeply ironic.

......

A ping from her phone pierced her consciousness; she had received a new message.

Ke Yanchen: [Let's remain friends.]

The sky grew increasingly gloomy, a rumble of thunder sounded, and a cool breeze swept through once more.

My ears were ringing, my blood felt like it was flowing backward, and my numb heart was aching dully.

She could never get what she wanted.

It seems like Ke Yanchen will never like her.

It's the kind of pathetic display of scheming and plotting, only to reveal utter stupidity.

ridiculous.

The sudden turn of events was like a sharp blade, relentlessly tearing open the most hidden wound in her heart.

The old scars, long since scabbed over, began to sting faintly.

Suddenly, she remembered that pale moonlit night when, lost and confused, she saw Ke Yanchen's chat history with Song Man, in which he openly expressed his disdain for her bad luck.

I remember myself in front of the mirror, choking back tears and breaking down; I remembered myself not being loved by Ke Yanchen; I remembered being deceived and betrayed by my lover, a feeling from which reconciliation was impossible.

All their scheming only revealed their foolishness.

It's utterly ridiculous.

*

The phone rang, and Yuwu answered it sluggishly.

Zan Ya's voice was particularly excited: "Girl, I've completed a big project! Where are you? Let's get together!"

Her hair fluttered gently, raindrops drifted obliquely, and Yu Wu stared blankly as she slowly uttered each word: "Come have a drink with me."

......

Yu Wu walked to the roadside to wait for Zan Ya's car and saw several men with scantily clad women, staggering over, reeking of alcohol.

Yu Wu frowned in disgust, pressing her fingertips to her nose as she tried to move aside.

One of the men suddenly stumbled and rushed towards Yu Wu. Yu Wu quickly dodged and jumped aside, and the man was caught by the woman who came running up behind her.

The drunken man suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing as he leered at Yu Wu's chest, "So big..."

The moment their eyes met, Yu Wu's mind went blank. The first thing that flashed through her mind was an image of several boys banging on her door in the dead of night, uttering all sorts of vulgarities.

Zhou Jin.

When rumors were rampant at school, Yuwu would return home on weekends and find boys harassing her in front of her door late at night.

Usually, it's three or four boys, standing in front of the door laughing and joking, spewing all sorts of vulgarities, and banging on the door like crazy.

Yu Wu's rented house only had a thin, rusty iron door.

The loud banging on the door in the dead of night reverberated heavily in Yu Wu's mind. The thin and brittle iron door seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

At first, she would bluff and tell them to get lost. Her weak voice only made them more excited, and her screams became their arousal factor.

"Holy crap, she's really home?"

"Aren't you the school's notorious slut? What are you pretending to be innocent for?"

"Open the door and let the guys have some fun."

"They're already ridden by thousands, what's the point of pretending?"

The thick fog clung to the crumbling iron gate, my heart trembled and spasmed, I dared not utter a sound, silently collapsed in tears, and fell into boundless despair.

Finally, the old man across the street got annoyed by the noise and chased them away with a broom.

After Yuwu reported the incident to the police, no one bothered her anymore.

However, after that, Zhou Jin left an indelible psychological shadow in Yu Wu's heart.

*

Unexpectedly, they met again here. Yu Wu felt a chill run down her spine and stood there stunned.

Zhou Jin stared intently at Yu Wu, annoyed by the noise of the woman beside him. He grabbed the woman by the neck, and she struggled to breathe, clinging to his neck and begging him to let her go.

Zhou Jin's eyes revealed an undisguised filthy desire as he gestured towards Yu Wu with his chin, "How much per time?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: The next chapter will feature Coke. Are you looking forward to it? [panda head emoji] [panda head emoji] [panda head emoji]