Volume 1 Chapter 23: He Serves as Her Safety Net

Say? Say what?

Should she say that she pretended not to see his messages, and that in order to avoid returning to the Ning family home, she went on a team-building trip with her colleagues only to run into Cheng Xiuming? Or should she admit that while trying to dodge him, she snuck out the back door but failed to be careful enough, forcing him to rescue her?

She couldn't bring herself to say any of it. Her reputation was a minor concern; if he asked, she could still come up with some excuse. But if she confessed, and then tried to make excuses, he would finish her off right there on the spot.

Ning Yu blinked and gave a hollow laugh. "That’s… quite a lot of blood."

Before she could finish the sentence, the man moved swiftly to her side. Before she could react, her blood-stained left hand was gripped firmly in his palm. His hold was heavy.

Ning Yu frowned. "Fifth Master."

The man’s voice was languid. "Quite capable, aren't you, little fish?"

The tone was indifferent, and the nickname "little fish" sounded almost intimate, yet it sent a chill down Ning Yu’s spine. She curled her fingers and said nothing. She didn’t dare speak, nor did she know what to say.

The man looked up. "Where did that courage to play dead after seeing my messages go? Gone already?"

He lowered his gaze to her palm. The woman’s delicate, slender hands were naturally fair and soft, but now they were marred by sharp shards of glass of various sizes, creating cuts of differing depths. One wound was clearly deep, the pale flesh slightly curled, with fresh blood continuously welling up—a sight painful just to look at.

The irritability in Li Shiyan’s eyes deepened. His movements as he used the tweezers to extract the glass shards were rough, showing no sign of tenderness.

The less he spoke, the more anxious Ning Yu became. It had always been this way. In the past, whether his words were kind or cruel, she could always appease him with a few earnest efforts. But once he fell into this silence, he became impervious to both soft and hard tactics, completely ignoring her no matter how she tried to coax him.

"Maybe I should just do it myself," Ning Yu said, looking down at him.

The man’s expression was serious, his gaze fixed on her hand as if her wounded palm were the only thing in the world. Her heart skipped a beat.

"You? And let the blood pool on the floor so you can frame me for murder?" he retorted sarcastically.

Ning Yu: ...Forget it. She shouldn't have spoken at all.

After clearing away the glass, Li Shiyan picked up some gauze to bandage her. His movements were far from delicate; they were almost brutal. After wrapping it up in a few quick motions, he tossed her hand aside carelessly and stared straight at her. "Ning Yu, I’ve never seen a painter who cares as little about her hands as you do."

Ning Yu pulled her hand back, her eyes darting away as she remained silent. Cares? How could she not care? She used to cherish her hands more than anything, but back then, Li Shiyan had cared for them even more than she did. He wouldn't let her do anything—let alone wash dishes or cook, he couldn't even bear to let her pour hot water for fear she might scald herself.

Eight years ago, Li Shiyan saw those hands of Ning Yu’s as more important than his own life. He always said, "My little fish is going to be a great painter, she’s going to create masterpieces that last for generations. These hands are worth more than anything."

Unfortunately, eight years later, times had changed. Her hands were no longer that precious, and she would never be able to paint those masterpieces again.

Ning Yu composed her thoughts for a moment and forced a smile. "It’s fine. It looks scary, but it doesn't really hurt."

"Doesn't hurt?" Li Shiyan repeated, his lips curling into a colder smile.

Ning Yu braced herself and nodded. "It doesn't hurt."

He stood up and loomed over her for a long moment. Ning Yu couldn't handle his gaze and rose to leave. "Today... thank you, Fifth Master. My hand is a bit inconvenient, and I probably won't be able to meet your expectations, so let's reschedule our meeting. My colleagues might still be waiting for me, so I’ll be going."

As she brushed past him, he grabbed her wrist. "Fifth Master?"

"Since you like it here so much, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

After saying this, the man dragged Ning Yu out of the private room, into a private elevator, and headed straight to the sixth floor. Zhuyu was a place that was realistic in its own way; the floor levels were determined by the status of the customers. The higher up you went from the third floor, the more untouchable the young masters were. But it was also not entirely unrealistic, as at least the lower three floors were open to ordinary people.

"Li Shiyan... let go of me!" Ning Yu struggled. She hated this feeling of the unknown, not knowing what dangers or emergencies she would face next.

The more she struggled, the tighter he gripped her. The man’s large hand was like iron, locking her in place. He pulled her into the top floor and marched her straight into the largest presidential suite at the end of the hall.

"Li Shiyan!" Ning Yu couldn't bear it anymore and scolded him.

The young masters who had been playing cards in the suite stopped, each accompanied by a beautiful woman. Ning Yu took a quick look around; they were all heirs from the most prominent families in the Beijing circle. Her mother had shown her photos of all these young masters in the past, and she actually recognized every one of them. Fortunately, few of these families thought much of the Ning family, and while she knew them, they did not know her. Ning Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Except, Cheng Xiuming was there too!

Disturbed in their leisure, the young masters were about to erupt in anger, but as soon as they saw who it was, their fury instantly transformed into fawning, flattering smiles.

"Oh, Fifth Master! What wind blew you our way?"

"Brother Cheng said just a moment ago that you might come today, but we didn't believe him. You really are here! Fifth Master, come and sit."

Among the young masters, only Cheng Xiuming didn't move. One by one, they greeted Li Shiyan. As they passed, they glanced at Ning Yu with ambiguous expressions, but no one dared to ask. Li Shiyan sat down as they welcomed him, without mentioning a word about Ning Yu. No one dared to question her presence, nor did they dare to dismiss her.

Ning Yu stood there under the unfriendly, scrutinizing gazes of the women. She couldn't leave, so she had to remain standing. Cheng Xiuming looked at her with a faint smile, not surprised, and said lightly, "Find a place to sit. If you wait for him to call you, you might be standing all night."

His words gave her an out, and she found a seat in the furthest corner. For a while, no one paid her any mind, and she watched the scene quietly.

As soon as Li Shiyan arrived, a young master immediately gave up his seat at the table. "Please, Fifth Master! We’ve invited you three or four times without success! Now that you’ve finally come, you have to let us bleed you dry—let the brothers have a good feast, right?"

Li Shiyan took a cigarette from someone nearby and tossed the lighter onto the table, his demeanor nonchalant. "I have plenty of money. Even ten of you combined couldn't win it from me."

"Hahaha, Fifth Master, that’s quite the statement... though every time, we really do end up losing so much we’re practically skin and bone." The speaker was Zhou Yunming, the second young master of the Zhou family—a known playboy, famous in Beijing for his wild lifestyle.

His eyes shifted, and he cast an inadvertent glance at Ning Yu in the corner. "Why don't we play something new today?"

Li Shiyan took a drag of his cigarette and tapped the table. "Speak."

Once he spoke, the other young masters had no objections.

Zhou Yunming laughed, "We’re all bored with cards. Since the Fifth Master is here, isn't it obvious who will win and who will lose? Why not... let our 'babies' play, and we’ll settle the wins and losses?"

Once he said this, everyone present understood. The young masters, including Zhou Yunming, all had dates. Letting the women play for them while the men settled the stakes was a common pastime. Whether they won or lost didn't matter; it was all for fun.

People immediately chimed in, hugging their dates and laughing. "Good, good, that’s a great idea! The darlings play, and we... hahaha, Brother Zhou is still Brother Zhou. Brother Cheng can at least find a date, but our Fifth Master has never been interested in women, and he hasn't even ordered anyone here at Zhuyu. What do you say?"

Cheng Xiuming chuckled, happy to play the role of the mediator. "What’s the difficulty in that? Doesn't the Fifth Master have one with him already?"

With that, everyone’s eyes fell on Ning Yu in the corner, their gazes becoming very intriguing.

Ning Yu smiled faintly and declined politely, "I don't really know how to play cards, so I shouldn't disturb everyone's fun."

The group jeered, and the women looked at Ning Yu and giggled. She couldn't hear clearly, but she knew it wasn't anything kind.

Zhou Yunming smiled suggestively. "Knowing how to play doesn't matter. What matters is whether someone is willing to back you up and clear your debts. Right, darling?"

The woman in his arms kissed him, acting shy, yet reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. "I don't know how to play either, but Brother Zhou is my backing~"

It was a display of utter affection. Ning Yu pursed her lips, knowing this group wouldn't let her off easily, and began thinking of how to escape. This group of young masters wasn't playing for peanuts; with stakes starting in the five or six figures, a bad night could cost someone enough to buy several houses in Beijing.

*Tap. Tap.*

The sound of knuckles tapping the edge of the table echoed, drawing everyone's attention. Li Shiyan didn't look at her; he tapped his cigarette against the ashtray.

"Come here."