Chapter 21: Opportunity to Integrate into Her Life
"What happened?!" Su Hexi was awakened by the screams and sounds of fighting. She sat up suddenly and looked at the two figures wrestling in the dark in horror! She fumbled around and turned on the light!
Under the dim light, Zhou Lin was seen pinning down and violently beating a man. In that man's hand, he was holding a gleaming knife! There was even blood on the ground!
When Su Hexi saw the man's face clearly, she gasped in shock. It was Zhao Wenbin! He had a wound on his face, and his eyes were crazy and full of resentment!
Zhao Wenbin also saw Su Hexi and immediately roared like a mad dog: "Bitch! Smelly bitch! You're the one who ruined my reputation, separated me from my wife and children! I lost my job! Everyone laughs at me! I'm going to kill you!"
He broke free from Zhou Lin's grip and rushed towards Su Hexi on the bed with a knife in hand!
"Ah——!" Su Hexi screamed in fright and backed away repeatedly wrapped in the quilt!
"Looking for death!" Zhou Lin reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Zhao Wenbin by the back of his collar and violently dragging him to the ground. He then mercilessly smashed down on him with the wooden stick in his hand, hitting him specifically on the hand holding the knife and the joints!
"Crack!" There was a sound like a broken bone. Zhao Wenbin howled like a pig being slaughtered, and the knife flew out of his hand.
Zhou Lin was like an enraged leopard, and he attacked with great ferocity. He beat Zhao Wenbin until he was completely paralyzed on the ground, breathing out but not in, and then he stopped, gasping for breath.
"Zhou Lin! Are you okay?" Su Hexi was still in shock, her voice trembling as she hurriedly got out of bed to check on Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin wiped the sweat and blood from his face, shook his head, and said in a hoarse voice due to the fight: "I'm fine, don't be afraid."
He checked and found that there was only a small cut on his arm.
He looked at Zhao Wenbin, who lay like a dead dog on the ground, his eyes icy. This man couldn't be kept alive any longer. This time he broke into the house and committed a crime, but who knows what he'll do next time. He had to be dealt with thoroughly, or Su Hexi would never have peace.
"You stay in the shop, lock the door, and don't open it no matter who knocks!" Zhou Lin instructed Su Hexi, then tied up the unconscious Zhao Wenbin tightly with a rope and dragged him up like a dead dog. "I'm sending him to the police station. If I don't deal with him thoroughly, you won't be safe in the future."
After saying that, he dragged Zhao Wenbin and strode into the rainy night which had not yet completely stopped.
Su Hexi said timidly: "Be careful, come back quickly!"
Su Hexi was left alone in the shop, looking at the bloodstains and traces of fighting on the ground, listening to the dragging sounds gradually fading away outside the window, and trembling with fear.
She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, huddled in the corner of the bed, her eyes fixed on the door, no trace of sleep left. Her heart was pounding, and Zhao Wenbin's crazy, resentful eyes seemed to be still before her.
For the first time, she felt so clearly the dangers of this era and the horror of the mess left behind by the previous owner. It was also the first time... that she developed an indescribable dependence on Zhou Lin. If he hadn't been there tonight, and she were still alone in the shop, the consequences would be disastrous...
She kept her eyes open, waiting anxiously for the whole night.
The rain finally stopped as daybreak approached.
Zhou Lin came back with tired but steady steps. He knocked on the door, "Xiaoxi, it's me."
Su Hexi quickly got out of bed and opened the door for him, "You're back? How's everything? Is everything okay?"
"It's okay." Zhou Lin looked at Su Hexi's pale face and the bruises under her eyes, knowing that she was terrified, and his heart ached. "Everything has been handled. Zhao Wenbin broke into the house and committed a crime, and he was caught red-handed. This time, he will serve a few years in prison. He won't have the chance to harass you again."
After hearing the exact news, Su Hexi's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she almost collapsed. "That's good."
Seeing that she was in a very bad state and still in shock, Zhou Lin held her arm and said softly, "I won't go to work today. I'll stay with you in the shop. I'm not going anywhere."
He needed to make sure she was really safe and he also needed to comfort her emotions.
Now he couldn't bear to leave her alone in the shop, and he was worried.
"Okay. Thank you." Su Hexi did not refuse.
Although she didn't say it, it did leave a shadow in her heart. Now she gets scared at the slightest sound of movement.
If Zhou Lin was with her, although she still had no romantic feelings for him, and was even a little afraid of his occasional dominance, or felt disgusted, it was undeniable that when he was by her side, the reassuring and stable feeling was real.
She sat in front of the sewing machine, sewing clothes. When she took a break, she looked at Zhou Lin, who was carefully helping her sort the threads under the lamp. After hesitating for a long time, she said stiffly, "Zhou Lin, you...don't go to the construction site anymore."
Zhou Lin raised his head and looked at her in surprise.
Su Hexi avoided his gaze and spoke in a businesslike tone, as if giving an order: "The shop is busy right now, and I can't handle it alone. You stay and help out in the shop, do some odd jobs, and you can sleep on the floor at night. You have a share in this shop anyway, and we agreed to split the profits 50-50, so you have to contribute."
She didn't say she was scared and needed someone to accompany her. But Zhou Lin saw her slightly flickering eyes and still pale face, and instantly understood.
His heart softened, and he nodded without any hesitation: "Okay."
This was not only about protecting her, but also the opportunity he had longed for, to be able to stay by her side openly and integrate into her life. He didn't care about the salary, he only cared about this closeness.
"Then I'll go to the construction site and quit my job now."
Su Hexi lowered her head and said "hmm", then continued to make clothes. She would never admit that she was afraid and needed his protection. Zhou Lin was paying for his own life.
Zhou Lin went to the construction site and resigned. Although Wang Dapao felt sorry for losing a capable worker, he didn't say much.
Zhou Lin officially became a clerk in a tailor shop.
Su Hexi began to order him to do work: identify fabrics, separate threads, clean, and move things.
Zhou Lin studied very hard. He was dexterous, strong, and careful in his work, so he was able to help a lot soon.
One of them is responsible for interior design, cutting and sewing, while the other is responsible for exterior work, cleaning, tidying up and reception. The small tailor shop is actually run in an orderly manner.
The two of them spent every day together, and although they still didn't communicate much and Su Hexi was often in a bad mood, the tense atmosphere had eased a lot, and they could occasionally discuss a certain style or fabric.
Zhou Lin really likes their current way of getting along. He talks to her more and the gap between them is much smaller.
With the two of them working together, their business is becoming more and more prosperous.
Su Hexi's designs were novel, the workmanship was fine, and the prices were reasonable. Word of mouth quickly spread, attracting not only nearby residents but also people from further afield to order custom-made clothes.
The shop is always piled with fabrics and ready-made clothes waiting to be delivered, and the sound of sewing machines can be heard from morning to night.
Zhou Lin looked at Su Hexi's busy and energetic figure, and the faint smile she showed because of the customers' praise, and his heart was filled with an unprecedented fulfillment and warmth.
He even began to think that if life could continue like this, it wouldn't be bad. He carefully maintained this hard-earned peace, trying to do everything well, not daring to overstep the mark, for fear of pushing her away again.
In the evening, Zhou Lin took a cold shower in the corner of the yard. He was shirtless, and water droplets rolled down his strong back muscles and tight waistline.
He wiped his hair with a towel and pushed open the back door of the tailor shop and walked in, saying, "Xiaoxi, should the blue material be delivered tomorrow..."
His voice stopped abruptly.
The scene before him made him feel like he was struck by thunder. He froze in place for an instant, his mind going blank.
Under the dim light, Su Hexi stood with her back to the door, her upper body naked. Her smooth, delicate skin glowed with a translucent whiteness under the light, her shoulders and neck were graceful, and her waist was so slender that it could barely be held in one hand.
Zhou Lin's breathing suddenly stopped, and the blood in his body seemed to rush to the top instantly. An indescribable heat and impulse swept through his body!
His eyes were wide open, his throat was dry, and he stood there like a wooden stake, staring at Su Hexi in amazement.
"ah--!!!"
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