Just now, she had been concentrating on treating this man’s wound, deeply fearing any mishap that might cause these people not to spare her.

While he was making the call, she only caught snippets of it. Accustomed to her focus, she, who rarely paid attention to her surroundings, naively and hazily heard only a few words.

Chu Munan’s face still carried a faint smile, one that seemed devoid of laughter. Hearing Yu Xia’s words, he raised his eyebrows slightly, emitting a profound "oh," before he continued in a detached tone, "What did you hear, exactly? That I’m planning to kill you to silence you?"

Upon hearing his words, Yu Xia’s face involuntarily changed, but she quickly regained her composure, shaking her head fervently, her delicate little face immediately displaying an obsequiously ingratiating smile, "I truly didn’t hear anything. Look, I was busy dressing your wounds just now. How could I have time to listen to your phone call? You might not know, but once I start concentrating on something, I easily shut myself in my own world and won’t hear others talking, really... You have to believe me."

If you don’t believe me, then I really have nothing more to say.

Yu Xia thought the man in front of her was the most handsome she’d ever seen. As someone who’s always been obsessed with looks, there was even a period when she was so stunned by his appearance that she even considered planning to trick this man into coming home with her, neglecting the fact that he was not a good man.

However, as someone fixated on looks, she couldn’t help but want to indulge herself. At first, she didn’t want to help this man remove the bullet; firstly, because he had threatened her initially, and secondly, because this man clearly didn’t seem like someone simple.

But seeing that handsome yet still beautiful face, Yu Xia felt she lost self-control again; how wonderful it would be to take him home and have the delight of beholding him every day.

Chu Munan slightly raised his eyebrows, looking at Yu Xia, and then said, "I wasn’t aware, you had such a habit."

Yu Xia, "..." Big brother, if you’re going to kill or cut me, could you just get it over with quickly? Although your face is so beguiling I can’t help myself, talking to you scares me, you know...

"So... what exactly do you want?" Yu Xia felt like crying; she just wanted to leave this room now.

At this moment, only the two black-clad men, unseen like shadows watching by the window, remained in the study; the other people were outside the study. Occasionally, a rumble of thunder could be heard, causing Yu Xia’s heartbeat to race even more.

It was not excitement but fear.

Because she’s not very brave, in fact, quite fearful...

But Chu Munan said nothing more. He had just had a bullet removed from his chest without any anesthetics since there were none available. Although it was painful, he could bear it.

The handsome face of the man maintained a smile throughout, like a perfect mask, compelling one to start becoming infatuated.

Looking at the girl before him, Chu Munan found her fear interesting, or perhaps it was the way this girl had initially acted unafraid of heaven and earth but now was being so servile. It made him take a second look as if she didn’t quite match the woman who had been ready to fight them at first.

Double personalities?

Chu Munan scrutinized Yu Xia from top to bottom, a cryptic glint subtly lurking in his eyes.

Yu Xia felt a crawling sensation under his stare, almost instinctively moving backwards.

She accidentally knocked into the surgical equipment that hadn’t been put away on the floor, producing a piercing noise that nearly made Yu Xia jump.

Chu Munan watched Yu Xia trying to edge away from him step by step. His originally smiling face suddenly turned expressionless, his eyes holding a trace of chill as he looked at her. His lips parted slightly, his deep voice devoid of warmth, carrying a huskiness as if he hadn’t drunk water for many hours—which, indeed, he had not since getting injured—and that gave his voice an even more indifferent tone, "Are you afraid of me?"

When Chu Munan asked this question, his gaze fixed firmly on Yu Xia’s eyes, questioning her pointedly, word by word.

Yu Xia instinctively nodded, but before she did, she shook her head as if obediently, and ceased to back away, deeming the gap safe enough. After all, with the man injured, he couldn’t possibly do much to her. She bit her lower lip and said softly, "No."

"Then why are you standing so far from me?" The man’s face remained expressionless, as if a chill erupted from the bottom of his eyes, shooting directly at Yu Xia in front of him.

Yu Xia’s heart skipped a beat once more, and it took her a while to find her voice and explain, "I... I’m just afraid that I might accidentally touch your wound and exacerbate it."

"That’s a rather flimsy excuse." The man’s retort came without mercy, his cold gaze still fixed on her, the smile that had been there seemingly a mere illusion.

Yu Xia, "Yes, I’m afraid of you." This time, she steeled her heart, forgoing further excuses and admitting it through gritted teeth.

Since he already seemed to think so, any denial would be seen as deceit by him. Better to be truthful.

A bit more sincerity, a bit less deception would be good.

Either way, it’s a death sentence; I’d rather be a hero than a bear, says Yu Xia.

When Chu Munan heard Yu Xia’s words, it was entirely within his expectations, yet for some reason, a fleeting sense of discomfort passed through his heart. It appeared so suddenly and vanished so quickly that he couldn’t grasp it.

His gaze was indifferent as he looked at Yu Xia across from him. For a while, neither of them spoke; both were silent.

The handsome man, with a somewhat pale face, sat on the sofa, expressionless, and without even the slightest change in his demeanor, staring fixedly at the woman opposite him.

With a delicate face, her hands still bearing traces of unwashed blood belonging to the man opposite, the woman’s thin lips were pursed, her teeth inside her mouth nibbling at her own lips without a trace, her face appearing calm, but it was not hard to notice that her hands were actually trembling.

The courage from moments ago, under the man’s gaze, suddenly vanished completely, leaving her feeling scared.

"Am I that terrifying?" As if he had been silent for a long while, Chu Munan fixed his gaze on Yu Xia and asked this question, then slowly a faint smile appeared on his face, deeper than the shallow one just before, and without waiting for Yu Xia to answer, his eyes half-closed again, his expression now tinged with sadness, "She is afraid of me, you are afraid of me, it seems like everyone is afraid of me... Am I that frightening?"

Yu Xia stood there, unsure if it was because the man’s voice was too soft, but she didn’t clearly hear what he was saying; she was momentarily confused.

"Get out, you are no longer needed here." Just then, the man who had been half-lowering his eyes suddenly looked up at Yu Xia, his eyes devoid of emotion, and spoke dismissively.

Hearing the man telling her to get out, Yu Xia naturally couldn’t wait; she said nothing, turned around, walked to the study door, opened it, and left.

However, as she was about to turn and close the door, her gaze suddenly fell on the man sitting against the sofa, already resting with his eyes closed, and an inexplicable emotion flashed in her heart.

Looking at the man’s silhouette, sitting there alone as if he were an abandoned child, he exuded an aura of loneliness that made him seem incredibly solitary to anyone who looked at him.

This idea slowly surfaced in Yu Xia’s mind, but it didn’t linger for long. Yu Xia shivered, feeling she was really overthinking.

This man has always been so high above from the start, with so many subordinates, and apparently of no ordinary status, how could he be lonely?

Misconception, it was entirely her own misconception.

...

In the living room on the first floor, only Song Qiao sat alone, staring blankly, not knowing how long she had been sitting there, her back straight, just gazing at the coffee table in front of her.

Walking out of the study to the living room on the first floor, Yu Xia realized that almost all of the villa was filled with the man’s subordinates, which sent a chill through her heart. She had no idea that the man had brought so many people with him. If that was the case, it would not be difficult for them to break into the villa.

Yu Xia had learned from Old Master Lu that only about twenty people were arranged to protect Lu Jingchen by his side. As Lu Jingchen would surely have some people secretly protecting him when he went to work at the company, some would have been drawn away, leaving not that many here.

Coming out of the study and seeing the number of black-clad men in the corridor, living room, and doorway, there were at least twenty or thirty.

This was definitely a long-planned scheme.

Song Qiao, what are you doing sitting here?" Yu Xia went straight to Song Qiao’s side, sat down, waved her hand in front of her, and asked.

Song Qiao snapped back to reality, seeing Yu Xia who had appeared in front of her without her realizing it, and responded in a daze, "You came down? What time is it?"

Yu Xia glanced at the wall clock and spoke dispassionately, "Half past twelve."

After speaking, she glanced around at those people and saw that no one was paying attention to them. She then leaned towards Song Qiao’s ear, lowering her voice as much as possible, asking, "Did you tell Lu Jingchen we are in trouble?"

Under such circumstances, if Lu Jingchen still didn’t know, she really had to keep thinking less of the man.

Song Qiao paused, then instinctively and very honestly shook her head, her teeth biting her lip slightly, "I haven’t had the chance to ask for his help, I left my phone in the bedroom, and they won’t let me get it."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com