Chapter 9: A Hero Saves a Beauty
The back alley of the abandoned auto repair shop was filled with the pungent smell of motor oil and rust. The afternoon sun, fragmented by the high walls, barely illuminated the devastated battlefield. The only sounds in the air were heavy breathing and suppressed groans of pain.
Gu Ye leaned against the cold brick wall, his silver hair soaked with sweat, a few strands of hair stuck to his forehead in a mess. He was panting violently, his chest heaving, the corners of his mouth were broken and bleeding. His right arm hung unnaturally, and he felt a sharp pain in his elbow, obviously from bruising the joint when he blocked the steel pipe just now. The worst part was his left ribs, which had been hit hard by the opponent's steel pipe. It was burning hot at the moment, and every breath was accompanied by a tearing pain, making his forehead covered with cold sweat. There was a tear in his black vest, revealing the skin underneath that quickly turned purple and even oozing blood.
In front of him stood three thugs from vocational high school. Although they were also injured, they were clearly in much better condition than him. The yellow-haired leader had a ferocious yet smug smile on his face as he weighed the blood-stained steel pipe in his hand.
"Damn it, playing dirty tricks..." Gu Ye spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes fierce, but he couldn't hide his exhaustion and the sharp pain in his arm. That idiot A Liang had been knocked unconscious a long time ago. He just yelled at Chu Yan to leave, so that guy should have run away, right?
"Brother Ye, aren't you good at fighting? Keep going!" The yellow-haired man approached with a sinister smile, "If I don't beat you into submission today, I'll take your surname." The two accomplices behind him were also ready to make a move, their eyes staring at prey to be slaughtered.
Gu Ye gritted his teeth and used his uninjured left hand to support the wall, trying to stand straighter. Just as the yellow-haired man raised the steel pipe and prepared to smash it down again with a grin -
A clear and gentle voice suddenly came from the entrance of the alley.
Everyone, including Gu Ye, turned their heads sharply to look.
Chu Yan actually came back again.
He was still standing at the entrance of the alley, wearing his clean Shenghua school uniform, his white shirt glaring in the fragmented light. His face was filled with genuine confusion and a subtle hint of anxiety, as if he had truly returned out of concern, only to be shocked by the bloody scene before him.
"Student Gu?" Chu Yan's voice was filled with obvious worry, "You guys..." He looked at the messy battlefield and Gu Ye's miserable appearance, frowned, and subconsciously took a small step forward.
"Fuck, Chu, are you fucking crazy? Who told you to come back?" Gu Ye saw Chu Yan coming back, and he felt a surge of anger overwhelm his willpower. He ignored the pain in his arms and ribs, and roared with all his strength, his voice hoarse and broken, "Get out, get away from me, do you hear me——"
Huang Mao saw that Yan had returned and was stunned for a moment, then burst into even more shrill laughter. "Hahaha, Gu Ye, you pretty boy are quite loyal, huh? I can't bear to leave you?" His eyes swept over Chu Yan, completely ignoring the frail and even slightly "scared" boy. He winked at his two accomplices, "Go, get that pretty boy over here!"
The other two thugs immediately rushed towards Chu Yan with a smirk. In their view, this was a soft persimmon delivered to their door.
Just when the two thugs were about to grab Chu Yan's arms——
The worry and hesitation on Chu Yan's face disappeared without a trace.
The moment the first thug's hand reached for Chu Yan's shoulder, Chu Yan's body strangely leaned back as if boneless, easily dodging the attack. Simultaneously, he extended his right hand, his index and middle fingers pressed together like a needle, jabbing the tendon on the inside of the man's wrist with uncanny precision.
"Ugh." The thug felt a sudden, sharp pain and numbness throughout his arm, as if struck by high voltage electricity. As he howled, Chu Yan's left foot soundlessly lifted and, with a low sweep, struck the shin bone of his supporting leg.
"Crack!" A clear bone-breaking sound was accompanied by a shrill scream. The thug fell to the ground, holding his twisted leg and rolling on it, wailing.
This sudden change shocked the second gangster and the yellow-haired man who pounced on them.
Chu Yan's movements didn't pause. While he dealt with the first thug, he used the reaction force of the kick to spin back. Under the second thug's horrified gaze, Chu Yan's left hand knife made a sharp sound of breaking through the air and slashed towards the side of his neck as fast as lightning.
"Bang!" There was a dull sound, and the gangster didn't even make a sound. His eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground like mud, fainting instantly.
In a flash, the two fierce thugs fell to the ground.
"You...you..." Huangmao was so scared that he turned around and wanted to run away!
Chu Yan's eyes were cold, and he took a step forward to close the distance. The moment the yellow-haired man turned around, his right hand was as fast as lightning, accurately grabbing the yellow-haired man's wrist holding the steel pipe.
"Ah—" Huang Mao felt as if his wrist was clamped by a pair of pliers, and the pain was piercing his heart. He subconsciously wanted to swing his other hand to fight back.
A cold arc appeared on Chu Yan's lips, and the hand holding his wrist suddenly exerted force and bent it downward.
“Ah——” The yellow-haired man let out an even more shrill scream, his wrist was instantly dislocated and deformed, and the steel pipe fell to the ground with a clang.
Immediately afterwards, Chu Yan delivered a swift elbow strike, hitting the yellow-haired man's defenseless stomach like a sledgehammer.
"Ugh!" The yellow-haired man's eyes bulged out, and the acid in his stomach gushed out. His body arched like a shrimp, and he knelt on the ground, holding his stomach. All that was left was painful retching and twitching, and he had completely lost his fighting ability.
The entire back alley fell silent in an instant, leaving only the painful groans of the three thugs and Gu Ye's heavy and unbelievable breathing.
Chu Yan stood there, calming his almost nonexistent breaths. He gently brushed off the nonexistent dust on the cuffs of his school uniform, then slowly turned his head to look at Gu Ye, who was leaning against the wall, as if struck by a petrification spell.
Chu Yan looked at Gu Ye's dazed expression, a flicker of genuine joy in his eyes. The hero saving the damsel in distress was a cliché, but it was truly effective. He glanced at the blood at the corner of Gu Ye's mouth and his immobilized right arm, and that glimmer of joy faded, transforming into a deeper calculation. Now, with its claws temporarily plucked, the little beast should finally behave itself for a while.
He walked up to Gu Ye, the coldness on his face faded away, and was covered with the familiar concern that Gu Ye had. His voice was filled with just the right amount of worry and fear: "Student Gu, you are seriously injured. I was too anxious just now..." He stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to help Gu Ye.
Gu Ye snapped back to reality, staring at Chu Yan's outstretched hand. He instinctively tried to pull back, as if he'd seen a ghost, but the excruciating pain in his body prevented him from moving. His eyes were filled with emotion—horror, bewilderment, the confusion of having his worldview completely overturned, and a hint of anger at having been deceived. Was the man who had just dispatched three thugs in an instant, with the ferocious precision of a machine, really this Chu Yan who forced him to study every day and who had just looked so frightened?! What the hell is this magical realism?!
Gu Ye opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't utter a single sound. He looked at Chu Yan's face, which was a little frightened, and felt a huge sense of absurdity sweeping over him.
"Let's get out of here first." Chu Yan seemed oblivious to his shock. He bent down swiftly, lifted the unconscious A Liang up, and placed him on his shoulders. Then he looked at Gu Ye and said, "Your injuries must be treated as soon as possible. Can you leave?"
Gu Ye looked at Chu Yan holding A Liang and reaching out his hand to him. He gritted his teeth and used up his last bit of strength to force out two words: "I can walk." He refused Chu Yan's support, stubbornly supported the wall with his left hand, and staggered to follow. Every step involved severe pain, and cold sweat dripped down.
Chu Yan looked at Gu Ye's stubborn back, a hint of imperceptible admiration flashed in his eyes. He supported A Liang and slowed down his pace.
Chu Yan didn't send Gu Ye home, but took him directly back to his top floor apartment in a luxury apartment in the city center. The minimalist decor in cool colors exuded an elitist aloofness.
He placed the unconscious Aliang in the guest room, then looked at Gu Ye, who was leaning against the wall of the entrance, gasping for breath, his face as pale as paper, and his right arm hanging limply.
"The arm joint is severely bruised and needs cold compress to fix it. There is a large bruise under the ribs, and there may be soft tissue damage." Chu Yan walked into the storage room next to the open kitchen, took out a standard home first aid kit, opened it with swift movements, and took out ice packs, elastic bandages, disinfectant spray and anti-inflammatory ointment.
Gu Ye watched him skillfully take out these things, his eyes becoming more complicated. This guy is a student, how could he have such a complete set of first aid supplies at home? And when he was fighting just now...
Chu Yan gestured for Gu Ye to sit on the large sofa in the living room. This time, Gu Ye didn't resist and practically fell into it, his body trembling slightly with pain.
Chu Yan first wrapped an ice pack in a towel and carefully applied it to Gu Ye's swollen and painful right elbow. The cool touch relaxed Gu Ye's tense muscles slightly, easing the pain slightly. Chu Yan was very careful, trying to avoid touching the injured area.
"Bear with it, fix it." Chu Yan's voice was soft and soothing. He carefully secured Gu Ye's right arm to his chest with an elastic bandage. Although his movements were not as good as those of a professional, they were still stable enough.
Next, he picked up disinfectant spray and cotton swabs, preparing to treat the bruises and bleeding scrape on Gu Ye's ribs. He lifted Gu Ye's torn vest, revealing a large, shocking purple-red bruise and wound underneath.
"Hiss..." The moment the cold spray touched the wound, Gu Ye gasped, his body trembled violently, his muscles tensed instantly, and a suppressed groan of pain escaped from his throat.
"Relax, it'll be fine soon." Chu Yan's voice was still gentle, yet with an undeniable calmness. He placed one hand gently on Gu Ye's uninjured left shoulder to steady him. With his other hand, he held a cotton swab and gently began to clean the dirt around the wound, then carefully applied anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointment.
His fingertips, laden with cool ointment, moved slowly across Gu Ye's injured skin. His movements were gentle, with the careful attention that comes with a student tending to a wound. Gu Ye could clearly feel the cool fingertips brushing against the sensitive skin of his waist, bringing with them waves of inevitable tingling and shuddering. The coolness of the ointment and the sting of the wound created an extremely awkward sensation. His entire body was frozen, and he could only bite his lower lip tightly, trying to ignore the irritating touch and Chu Yan's presence.
Just then—
"Buzz..."
Chu Yan's phone, which was placed on the coffee table beside him, vibrated. The screen lit up, and the caller ID displayed an unknown number.
Chu Yan didn't pause as he applied the ointment, as if he hadn't heard. He focused on spreading the ointment evenly over the bruise, applying just the right amount of pressure with his fingertips.
The vibration lasted for a moment, then stopped. Soon, a new message alert sounded.
Chu Yan still ignored him. He picked up a wider elastic bandage and began carefully wrapping it around Gu Ye's rib injury, providing support. His arm inevitably slid around Gu Ye's waist, instantly closing the distance between them. Gu Ye could even smell Chu Yan's crisp, clean woody scent, mixed with a hint of medicine. This scent made him even more uncomfortable.
Chu Yan finally stopped mid-wrap when he seemed to remember something. He kept half-embracing Gu Ye, turned sideways, stretched out his arm, and picked up the phone on the coffee table very naturally.
He used only one hand, his thumb casually swiping through the information on the screen. The screen was facing away from Gu Ye.
[Unknown Number: I saw that immersive light and shadow installation you mentioned last night in the west city. As a return favor, how about skipping school this Friday afternoon? I'll take you to a secret base overlooking the entire city. I guarantee it'll be even more exciting than the exhibition itself.]
Chu Yan: I'm really curious about Mr. Gu's secret base. But...
[Chu Yan: Whether you can make my heart flutter depends on your ability.]
Chu Yan's face remained expressionless, his eyes still focused on Gu Ye's wound. His fingertips moved rapidly across the screen, typing smoothly with one hand.
After sending the message, he casually tossed his phone back onto the coffee table, screen down, as if he had just finished a boring email. The whole process was smooth and natural; he didn't even glance at the screen, his gaze returning to the bandage around Gu Ye's waist.
"One more circle here." Chu Yan's voice was steady. He continued the interrupted bandaging operation, his fingertips landing on Gu Ye's skin again, continuing the gentle yet presence-filled wrapping.
Gu Ye sat there stiffly the entire time. He saw Chu Yan pick up his phone to reply to the message, saw the number that flashed by, and saw the concentration yet a hint of casualness in Chu Yan's attitude as he replied, as if he was handling an ordinary matter.
An inexplicable feeling of irritation and suffocation washed over Gu Ye once again. Was this bastard so adept at everything? Even while bandaging someone's wound, he could still distract himself from replying to a message?! And that focused yet casual attitude made Gu Ye inexplicably feel a little uncomfortable, even a little bit neglected. Although he would never admit it, let alone delve into the source of this discomfort.
"Alright." Chu Yan neatly tied the bandage knot and cut off the excess bandage. He stood up and took a step back, creating some distance. His face regained its gentle and harmless expression, and he looked at Gu Ye with a hint of relief in his tone:
"Just be quiet these few days and don't move around. You can hand in your homework one day late."
Gu Ye looked at his gentle face, then thought of the figure in the alley that looked like a demon descending. He moved his lips, but ultimately only managed three words, filled with a strong sense of sarcasm and a hint of inquiry that he himself hadn't even noticed:
"Good student." His eyes involuntarily glanced at the mobile phone placed on the coffee table again.
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